The Start of Summer Break in a Household with Kids

I got mad at my kid today.
Here’s how it happened.

People don’t really listen to CDs anymore, do they?
It might not click with younger folks, but in our CD-generation household, we still have an old CD boombox and, along with it, an equally old amplifier.
Of course, there’s a row of CDs sitting right next to them.
My kid wanted to open one of the CDs, so I popped open the case and showed it to them.
Then, they tried to spin the CD—still in its case—with their finger.
So I said,
“We don’t do that. No touching. No spinning. Got it?”

I made sure to check they understood.
They seemed satisfied with that, so I thought, “Phew, good, all clear,” and relaxed for a moment.

…And in that very moment, they were spinning the CD that was still inside the boombox with their finger.
(This is where I got mad.)

I took it out and checked.
A deep scratch went all the way around.
Just to be sure, I checked another CD—an American pressing of the Brian Jones-era classic, Out of Our Heads.
Same kind of scratch, same place.

(I opened it for them. I said no spinning. I double-checked. So why would they do that?)

I felt completely deflated.

I told my partner about it.
And they said,
“Maybe you should keep it upstairs?”

No, no—why is that the response?
If I had asked, “Should we keep the boombox upstairs or downstairs?”
Then sure, “Maybe upstairs?” would make sense.

But that’s not what I needed just now.
We’ve already had that conversation before—more than once.
But here I am, in a really low moment, and that’s what I get again.
Ugh.

Now that summer break has started, our kid’s been acting up even more these past few days.
“One ice cream a day! You already had one! Just one, okay?!”
“Waaaaah!!” (screaming)

Hearing those shouts and shrieks all day long makes me feel like I’m losing it.
It’s not so much a chain reaction of family stress—
More like the stress has nowhere to go, swirling and building up, just stuck inside the house.
That’s more what it feels like.

And yet.

Even through all this, we parents still try to give our kids good summer memories.

2025年7月26日
鉄旅ライフ編集部
過去のコラムはこちら

Gourmet Experience Inside Akihabara Station – Furuya Dairy Milk at Milk Shop Raku

I saw Milk Shop Raku featured on the Japanese TV show Cambria Kyuden, and it immediately made me want to go. So, I headed straight to Akihabara that same day.
The summer sun was intense, so I carefully made my way through the station, sticking to the shade whenever possible.

Tetsutabi yomeko

On the way, I came across a suitcase store called ASIA LUGGAGE AKIBA SHOP.
It’s located on the first floor of the Murataya Building at 68 Kanda Neribeicho, Chiyoda City, Tokyo (ZIP 101-0022).
A big “TAX FREE” sign was on display, making it tourist-friendly.
If you’re looking to buy a suitcase in Akihabara, I’d say your main choices are either Yodobashi Camera or this place.

 ASIA LUGGAGE AKIBA SHOP

I made it to Akihabara at last.

Akihabara Station Central Gate

I entered the station through the Central Gate.

Akihabara Station Central Exit

How to Navigate Akihabara Station – Check the Map Near the Central Gate

The Central Gate is located around Exit 21, near the shop called “Nomono.”

Map of the Central Gate at Akihabara Station
Nomono Akihabara Store

Right after entering through the Central Gate, I found an elevator nearby and used it to get around.

Elevator to Platform 6

Milk Shop Raku was located on the Chiba-bound platform of the Sobu Line.
After getting off the elevator and walking a short distance, I saw a row of milk vending machines lined up neatly.

Milk vending machine with chilled cartons

At Milk Shop Raku – On the Sobu Line Platform

I finally arrived at my destination—Milk Shop Raku.

Milk Shop Raku

There were so many types of milk available that I had a hard time choosing.
But since I came here specifically to try Furuya Dairy’s milk, I decided to taste and compare two of their products: “Fusa no Megumi” and “4.2 Tokunou Milk” (Extra Rich 4.2%).
I also picked up a bottle of milk coffee.
If you’re not sure what to get, just ask for a recommendation by saying, “Osusume onegai shimasu” (Please give me your recommendation).

Price tag for milk
Milk from Milk Shop Raku

The milk bottles can’t be taken home—you need to return them to the counter after drinking.

At the end of the shop, I tried three bottles side by side. Fusa no Megumi was rich, smooth, and had no unpleasant aftertaste—it was delicious. When compared to the Tokunou 4.2, I could tell the latter was slightly richer. But honestly, if no one told me which was which, I might not have noticed the difference.

The milk coffee had a clean, refreshing taste that I personally really liked. Since we were a family of four, we finished everything in an instant and ended up buying more from the vending machine.

Shop Name Milk Shop Raku – Akihabara Branch
Address 1-17-16 Sotokanda, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 101-0028, Japan
Inside Akihabara Station, 4th Floor, Platform 6 (Chiba-bound) of the Chuo–Sobu Line
Opening Hours 6:30 AM – 7:45 PM
Closed Saturdays
Access
Parking None
Map

Exploring More Inside Akihabara Station

I continued exploring deeper inside Akihabara Station.
This is the famous soba shop curry that was featured on Matsuko’s TV show.
I didn’t get a chance to try it today, so I’ll definitely come back for it another time.

Plastic food samples of soba and curry

I stopped by Kenele Stand, a shop filled with all kinds of capsule toy machines (gacha-gacha).

Gachapon machines at KenEle Stand

My child carefully checked out every single gacha machine one by one.
I was surprised to see quite a few tourists doing the same—it wasn’t something I expected.

A child looking at capsule toy machines

Visiting Gelateria Yamaneko – A Countryside Spot Seen on TV

On the same day, I also visited Gelateria Yamaneko, a countryside gelato shop that was also featured on Cambria Kyuden.
Even with the expressway, it took over two hours to get there from Akihabara.

Gelateria Yamaneko

If you’re only ordering soft serve, you can pick it up at the take-out window.

Inside the shop, there’s a wide variety of menu items, but this time I went with both soft serve and gelato.

Ticket machine at Yamanecco, the mountain gelateria

There’s a ticket vending machine inside the shop.
It doesn’t accept electronic payments—you’ll need to use cash.
Even Japanese people get confused when suddenly faced with a vending machine full of menu options, but just stay calm and take your time.

There were several kinds of gelato, and I couldn’t decide at first, but I chose a yogurt flavor that looked like something kids would enjoy.

There were plenty of seats, and we were able to relax at a table on the second-floor terrace. That really helped.

Soft serve and gelato

My kid wanted to try both.

A child who wants to eat soft serve
Shop Name Gelateria Yamaneko (Yamazato no Gelateria Yamaneko)
Address 5-1 Awamata, Otaki-machi, Isumi-gun, Chiba 298-0277, Japan
Opening Hours 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM (Sundays: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM)
Closed Irregular holidays
Access About 5 minutes on foot from Nakanojima Station (Subway)
Parking Available
Map

After that, we did a bit of sightseeing in the area, then took our time heading home—it turned into a relaxing two-hour drive back.
I hope you enjoyed coming along for the ride. Thanks for joining me on this little journey!