[Getting There] Keikarou
If you are an Aiba, or Arashi, fan, on your things to do list, you probably have Keikarou somewhere in the top 10.
Make sure you choose to go here on a day that you have A LOT OF FREE TIME because, chances are, you WILL be waiting for a while.
Keikarou is located in Chiba prefecture, just east of Tokyo. It is also home to Disneyland, DisneySea and Kisarazu (where Sho's drama and movies, Kisarazu Cat's Eye, was filmed).
To get to Keikarou, you need to make your way to 幕張本郷 (Makuhari Hongou) Station on the JR 総武線・中央線 (Sobu Chuo Line) which is usually marked with a yellow line on a map, and the train is usually marked with a yellow stripe.
※Make sure to get off on Makuhari Hongou, and NOT Makuhari. If you hit Makuhari, you have gone one stop too far!
Once you arrive at Makuhari Hongo, head towards the exit (yes, there is only one ticket gate). Show your JR pass, swipe your suica, do your thing to get out, and then take the first exit on your left hand side.
It will look like this:
After you exit the station, take a left, and walk along the road on the bridge over the train tracks (it's a downhill kind of walk).
Once you walk down, at the traffic light, you want to cross the street (right) and head in this direction:
You will see this:
once you are on the right side of the street. Walk down this side street, and you will hit Keikarou in less than 2 minutes!
Usually there are other fan girls on their way there, even from early morning hours.
Wait in line and then enjoy all of the fan gifts, food, and atmosphere.
When I was there, they were playing orgel Arashi music, but you could barely hear it over the chatter of the busy restaurant. You can check out my experience to see how crazy of a fan I was!
There are two warnings I have.
1. DO NOT expect to be able to just arrive there at 11:30 and be seated before their last call (for lunch) at 2:45.
2. If you are standing in line for three hours, yes, three hours, and then a waitress starts yelling at you all in Japanese, points to a few people who have gone past the sign and are under the roof of the exterior of the restaurant, she is most likely telling you that those people are the last ones that will be let in for lunchtime.
The cool thing about Keikarou is they will take your names if you have been patiently waiting in line and want to come back for dinner, but other than that, there are no reservations.
Good luck!