#Japan16 Kawaii Monster cafe on my last day

I woke early, remembering to switch my alarm off quickly to avoid waking the rest of the dorm, checked out, and was in Starbucks having breakfast by 7.30. They were out of granola today, so I just had cake. Amazing delicious chocolate cake! Definitely not a valid breakfast, even with a green tea to try and balance out the healthiness.

I took the subway to Kyoto station, and tried to reserve a seat on the Shinkansen. I asked in 100% Japanese. The lady replied in English that it was fully booked, and so was the next one, but I could ride in the unreserved carriage (they split the carriages in Japan. There's no special difference except that reserved carriages are more numerous - about 70% of the train- and less crowded. Locals have to pay extra to use them) I was doubtful that there would be room in unreserved, but thanked her anyway and gave it a try.

I was in luck. An older Japanese lady and I had three seats to ourselves and our luggage, and after she left I was able to take the window seat and charge my phone as we travelled. As with all Shinkansen trips where there are no children in the seat behind you, the journey was painless, and as I got off the bullet train for the last time, I received a bow from the cleaning staff whom I had seen preparing the train only little over a week ago.

I dropped my stuff which I didn't need immediately at another capsule hotel, and  got the train into Tokyo's Harajuku district. It felt good to be back. The public transportation was much easier as I could use my JR pass, and I didn't get lost at all after finding the hotel.

Just off Harajuku's Takeshita Dori (that's Japanese for street) on the fourth floor of an innkcuous tower was the themed pop-up restaurant Kawaii Monster Cafe. I knew I was in the right place, both from the lurid pink and purple walls, and the twenty minute queue.

This was the main reason I'd returned to Tokyo early though, so I was in no rush, and eventually I came to the front of the queue. Luckily I had picked up this useful voucher from another blog. It meant they waived the 500y table charge!

You're welcome!

The waitress was wearing a bold black and white striped dress with a bright pink half-Apron that was shaped to look like it was dripping gunge. In the wall behind her two glowing eyeballs rotated underneath the welcome sign. She asked if I was ready. I nodded "hai!" And she opened the doors into the gaudiest plastic paradise you have ever seen. A giant roundabout with ponies and bananas and candles on it like a cake was slowly spinning around. In one corner the wall was plastered in giant lips. In another giant rainbow mushrooms sheltered diners. In a third a giant bunny and a unicorn with glowing eyes drink milk from baby bottles through tubes. It was bizarre. I got seated in a section near the creepy milk drinking unicorn, where the wall was covered in shards of glass like a crazy mirror at a circus. I ordered the salad (because it was vegetarian, and also the cheapest item - bonus! - at a mere 700y) and a cup of hot tea. In Japan it is essential that you specify I you want your tea hot or iced, because both are equally acceptable. I've also been offered milk for my green tea. Eww!

As I waited, I snapped photos of the Harajuku paradise. I spied two Harajuku girls among the waiting staff (I assume they were girls, the second was too androgynous to tell, and by the time I left I was convinced it was a guy) The first had an enormous mauve wig, and a pink skirt- bandeau top combo, the skirt seemed to be made out of fluffy tails stolen off cuddly toys, and a lilac veil hanging off the back. Around her left wrist she wore a bracelet made of baby shoes, and her makeup seemed to be 60% glitter. She delivered my salad, speaking to me rapidly in Japanese with a high pitched child-like voice, and posed cutely for a photo, although it came out blurry in the low light. I believe her character name is Baby.

Really take your time to absorb everyhting that's going on with this outfit.

All of this was to a soundtrack of pulsing J-pop, it was like having lunch in a night club, utterly surreal.
The other character, Candy I think, wore leggings with a print of lips and French fries (as in, chips) and a fishnet top with a translucent neon plastic safety vest over it. They had an alligator backpack, all manner of facial piercings, and the sides of their hair cropped short with hearts painted on it. The long portion of their hair and the fringe was dyed lurid neon colours and they wore thick black eyeliner and day-glo makeup. Are you able to picture how bizarre this is yet?



After my 'Candy salad' (which was actually delicious and quite healthy feeling), I had a small 'Poison cake'. I don't know whether this name was due to a bad translation, or part of the monster theme. Either way, the base of it was a chocolate cupcake which reminded me of my own baking (it was dry and flavourless) with a blueberry sauce core, and piled high buttercream orange and blue icing. Typically of the Monster cafe the orange and blue were very vibrant clashing shades, but it didn't really taste of anything.

and of course, it came in a bell jar

Shortly after I had polished off my cake as slowly as I could (and I did enjoy it ultimately), the reason I had been taking my time paid off. The lights dimmed, and the pink-black and white waitresses summoned all of the diners to gather around the roundabout. Baby walked out in a spotlight with an LED tambourine to an even louder soundtrack. She danced a circle around the roundabout before being joined by Candy who did the same. They got up on the roundabout striking poses and wiggling their hips, which was a bit weird in Candy's case as they had no hips to speak of. They alternated dancing on and off the roundabout, sometimes riding on the little creatures on the roundabout, sometimes making monster claws like in the Michael Jackson thriller video. The regular waitresses joined in with the latter. There was also some orchestrated clapping to the beat (Yes I joined in!) and then some blonde girl got pulled up on the roundabout and given a tambourine. She was completely ordinary looking and appeared so out of place (and uncomfortable) there I felt quite sorry for her. It was bizarre, I think the whole performance lasted about five minutes and then everyone went back to their tables. I paid my bill and got a photo of Candy and Baby who were still posing on the roundabout (Candy was riding a banana but I think it was innocent). I emerged into the daylight feeling utterly bemused. It was awesome!

Like five-year-old Sophie's dream come true

It's no less weird than I decribed, is it? This is the famous
roundabout, and yes s/he is straddling a banana

 Next I got the train out to the quiet Tokyo suburb of Gotoku Ji, where I promptly got lost and wondered into a quiet Buddhist shrine where the locals looked confused to see me. I got my old friend Google Maps on the case (by now a permanent fixture in my internet tabs on my phone ) and soon made my way to Gotoku Jis biggest tourist attraction - a cat temple!

The wrong temple

I wanted to visit this temple so that I could better understand the significance of that famous Japanese Icon - the beckoning white cat. Unfortunately there was no English signage, nor any tourist guides there, but the story behind it is (roughly) thus: Many centuries ago, a shogun was travelling across Japan one evening when a storm broke. He took shelter under a tree from the rain, when he saw a white cat beckoning him to a temple. He followed the cat, and as soon as he left the tree, it was struck by lightning and fell down. The beckoning cat had saved his life, and has ever since been a symbol of good luck.

I took a few photos of the cats, the attractive pavilion in the temple grounds, and the by now ubiquitous beautiful cherry blossom (I was right about the timing when I first started my visit!) and got the local train back to Shinjuku, collecting a station stamp featuring the cat on my way.

High five... no?

At Shinjuku I wandered around for a little while, deciding it was not a very touristy area due to a) the way the locals looked at me and b) the lack of English menus. I was determined that my last meal would be Japanese and eventually found a tempura place. The guy sat next to me was probably younger than me, some kind of skater dude, but he had tattoos! I hadn't seen this before in Japan, and my only contextual knowledge of tattoos was that the wearers (owners?) were banned from most Onsen due to their connection to Japanese gang culture. I gave him sidelong looks as he slurped his Miso soup. He looked pretty harmless to me... He paid his bill and left almost as soon as my food arrived, so I guess I'll never know, but I doubt it somehow!

The tempura was very nice. I had the set meal with Miso soup (I was too scarred by the clam experience to drink any more than was the minimum to be polite), rice, pickles (my favourite!) and a nice green salad of unknown vegetables. I suspect it was garnished with dried fish flakes but what could I do? My diet in Japan was appalling enough as it was!

I returned to the capsule inn around 19:30, planning an early night. I was told my pod number but wasn't given a key. There was no locker! There were tiny shoe lockers, and my boots got locked away, but the reception desk kept the key for that. I was really uncomfortable with the arrangement, but dragged my bags up to my locker and crammed us all in. Again I unpacked everything, prepared the next morning's clothes, and re-packed. Once the noise in the dorm tailed off, I went to sleep. At 11.30 I woke up when the girl in the pod below me unpacked. She took absolutely ages unpacking and repacking a large suitcase. I fell back asleep at thirty minutes past midnight, only to be re-awoken half an hour later by two more girls moving in.
Finally 5am came, and I got up for my flight. I took the monorail to the airport, and that was the end of my adventures in Japan!

#Japan16 Arashiyama and the Cat Cafe

I had been planning an early start today, but, I suppose unsurprisingly, I overslept. In the shower I had the dilemma that epitomised my trip. I wanted to soak and relax, after all I was on holiday, but also there was an amazing place out there calling to me! I hurried to the station, and got a JR local train to Arashiyama. The day was overcast and gloomy. The problem with capsule hotels is that there is no daylight: You have no idea what the weather is doing outside, so it was only by chance that I had brought a raincoat!

From the station, I walked directly to Arashiyama monkey park. I had looked for Monkeys in Minoo in Osaka, up Mount Misen in Miyajima, and now this was my last chance to see some of Japan's famous snow monkeys!

I paid 550y admission and trekked up the mountain. It wasn't a tough climb, but as ever the footpaths left something to be desired, and I regretted taking my comfy slip on shoes instead of hiking boots. As I neared the top, I finally saw my first monkey, and there were half a dozen of them sitting in a tree! Their thick fluffy fur matched the bark almost exactly, and as they turned to watch me I saw their ugly pink faces. I was under strict instructions from the visitor centre not too stare, but I was enchanted!

Creepy red eyed monkey (I think it just had its eyes closed)

I arrived at the viewing platform just in time for a feed, where two park rangers sprinkled monkey nuts (of course) and about thirty or forty monkeys descended from the sakura trees, nonchalantly waving their pink backsides in the air as they scooped up nuts, peeled them, and stuffed them into their mouths. The view alone made the climb worth it. With a misty panorama of Kyoto, I again found myself resenting my visit to the sky tower, the atmosphere here was much better. I got some great photos of monkeys perched on the rope fence with Kyoto spread out between the hills behind them. Some of the monkeys got very close and I even saw a couple of babies!

I didn't linger too long however, as the weather had finally broken and it had began to rain. I was worried for my backpack, and skidded back down the mountain in my inappropriate shoes.

Just as in Hakone, the rain did lend a fantastic atmosphere to the place. I got some romantic photos of river boats waiting under dripping Sakura trees, a wedding couple sat on a bench overlooking the misty river, and even a woman painted up as a Meika - trainee geisha sheltering under a decorative umbrella. I actually thought she looked quite unattractive, but I suppose all that face paint is a difficult look to pull off.

The bride mourning her soggy wedding dress

The boat trips were not selling well that day

Apprentice Geisha

I wandered into a Unesco World Heritage site temple gardens, searching for Arashiyama's famous bamboo grove. The gardens were beautiful, Zen gardens like those at the silver temple and honen-in yesterday, with carefully raked stones and mossy mounds topped with crooked Japanese fir trees. There was also a feast of Sakura blossom here, and the dim lighting and drizzling rain really made the colours contrast.

Zen garden in the rain

Finally I entered the bamboo grove. I had read about a majesty and grandeur here which couldn't be conveyed in photos, and though I did enjoy it and the bamboo was spectacular, and absolutely enormous, it was too crowded to really feel spiritual, besides I was concerned about all my essentials in my (now thoroughly soggy) backpack. I was underwhelmed. I hope that at least some of my photos do it some justice. A lot of them came out blurry because it was so dark I had to use a slow shutter speed, but so damp and crowded I didn't have the liberty to take my time. I would still recommend a visit though - it was in anticipation of these crowds that I had tried to get up early!

Arashiyama Bamboo Garden

I decided that under such conditions I was unlikely to get much pleasure from the 'romance car' scenic railway, river cruise or water gardens which I had planned, and so left Arashiyama shortly after midday.

I returned to the hostel and finally had a really long hot shower, before returning to the under-cover shopping centre for a leisurely wander. I purchased the most adorable donut/doughnut that looked like a little cat, before visiting one of Japan's famous cat cafés. This was a Bengal cat cafe (the first in the world apparently, and I don't doubt that!) and the cafe involved no food (hence my doughnut), but guests were invited into a small jungle themed room in small groups, whereupon we paid 600y each to play with these tiny leopard patterned cats for half an hour.

Cat donut, followed by cat cafe! I definitely
felt I needed some cheering up after my rainy morning!

Sat on the floor, three young Japanese couples cooed over tiny cats, most of whom had fallen asleep in their attendee's lap. I was given a small cat who let me stroke it for maybe 40 seconds before scurrying off, much to the amusement of the nearest couple. There seemed to be a big (relatively speaking) daddy cat who watched over proceedings from a perch up in the man-made tree (a series of real branches stapled together and decorated with fake ivy) and I took a few photos of him before a couple took pity on me and invited me to join them stroking the tiny feline curled up in the girls lap. It was so soft and quite adorable, its eyes rolled back in its head as she rubbed its chin, and I could see how this could be therapeutic. When the couples' time ran out, they passed me the sleeping creature, who found an uncomfortable looking position in my lap. They took a photo of me on mh phone, they were very kind, but they had been gone about two minutes when the cat woke up and ran away from me.

I realised cat cafés were a lost cause for me. That kitten was like it'd been drugged. If I'd managed to repel him, I had no chance of finding another, so I left a little before my time was up. It was still a good and interesting experience though, I was glad I tried it!

I seemed out my favourite vegetarian cafe for the third day in a row, but to my dismay it had closed down! The tables had been pushed up against the windows and the board which had previously said 'open' or 'closed' outside had now gone altogether. I went to Starbucks and spent the previous day's voucher on a scone and a hot chocolate, toying with the idea of visiting one last temple at dusk as I knew it was illuminated well and looked out over the city. Ultimately though I was too intimidated by the maze of streets (unable to find my way to the appropriate bus stop), and decided to continue shopping and get an early night.
Lush, one of my favourite shops back home, had a cool store on the main outdoor shopping street (a fancy street, that plays elevator music to you as you walk along) so I visited there. I was caught off guard by a very friendly shop assistant with near-perfect English, and when she asked what I was looking for, I said a massage bar, as it was the first thing to come into my head. She showed me the display, and out of awkwardness, I asked what was her favourite product. She seemed quite taken aback by my question and showed me a massage bar called 'shades of earl grey'. I was a little fazed by the connotations but she was so sweet, asking me about how hot it was in Scotland (she was the second Japanese person I had met this trip who thought Scotland was a hot country!) so I bought it. She was hugely complimented that I had chosen based on her advice and thanked me many, many times. It was cuter than the cat cafe and the doughnut put together!

Next I stopped off at the Kyoto Pokemon Center (this one IN Kyoto as opposed to Osaka!) where I sent one of my friends back home about a dozen photos of all the different variations of pikachu (and then, by request, charmander) and bought some special edition Kyoto Pikach stickers for my car. I was on a spending spree it seemed, but at least managed not to buy anything from the Kyoto Disney Store!
It was approaching 8pm when I returned to the hotel again. I spent just under an hour packing and repacking my backpack to make all my new purchases and the booklets and tickets I had picked up along the way fit. After three days of having the luxury of two backpacks, I was now struggling to downsize. Luckily I had lost a hoodie along the way (I think I left it in Osaka) so I managed to pack down to just my Pokemon Store
shopping bag and my backpack, hoping that would be little enough to sneak onto the plane.

I dressed in my complimentary prison-uniform nightshirt for the last time, and fell asleep in my capsule by half past nine.

#Japan16 Temple Run in Kyoto

Arkansas was hiring a kimono today, and I had agreed to photograph her in it (as it was prohibitively expensive to get a professional to do it, although we did see a number of people had forked out for them)
I had agreed to meet Arkansas from the Kimono hire shop at ten, so when I got out of the hostel at 8.30, I walked over to the Gion district, where I sat on a stone bench overlooking a Sakura lined canal, and ate another Japanese convenience store breakfast of Sakura rice patty cake (I was curious to see what cherry blossom tasted like, and it was nice!) and green tea icecream as the morning was already hot, and I was curious to try that too!

For the next hour and a half I strolled round Gion. I must have visited four or five beautiful temples. Some were displayed in parks, some hidden down back streets, some squeezed between shopping outlets. Kyoto has over 1500 temples, so it wasn't much of a challenge but I wish I'd kept a tally!

temple gates squeezed in between some houses

I met Arkansas as promised and she did look very pretty in her Kimono. We first went to Ginkakuji, Kyoto's famous silver temple. The temple wasn't actually silver (unlike the golden pavillion, which is covered in gold leaf) but it had a beautiful Zen garden, and I took some photos of Arkansas in the garden, carefully timing it so that you couldn't see that it was thronging with tourists! It was a beautiful sunny day and I was very happy with my photos. It was nice to have a human subject for scale and also to make my photos look like my own, as opposed to postcards!

Next we strolled (or in Arkansas' case, shuffled in her three layers of kimono and little Geta shoes) down to the beginning of the Philosopher's walk. It was more crowded yesterday, and the sun being higher meant that the lighting wasn't as good. We had been lucky to catch it when we did. I still got some nice photos though, and we continued up the slope to Honen-in temple. On the way, we saw a quiet graveyard bordered in beautiful Sakura, so we stopped for some photos there too (experimenting with some amusingly posed photos!) and I had a chance to try on my Kimono too which I'd brought along for the ride, and Arkansas took some pictures of me with my big camera. That was really nice of her, I told her it will make my grandparents happy!

there's me. Hahaha

Finally we made it to Honen-in. The temple was beautifully quiet, and shrouded in forest up on the hill. We got yet more photos, took a moment to enjoy the serenity of a temple that felt genuinely spiritual (as opposed to some of the previous crowded tourist traps) and got the bus back to our favourite veggie restaurant in town for lunch. We had vegan burgers, which I absolutely devoured, shamefully delighted to have such normal food. Arkansas said she had preferred her pizza the previous evening, but I thought it was terrific.
our final stop for the day's photo shoot was Fushimi-Inari shrine. This was very important to Arkansas, who had visited once before but hadn't had enough time to complete it. I took lots of photos of her as we walked through the hundreds of red Tori gates (all much smaller than the one af Miyajima for the record. Some of them were so small I didn't even think they were that impressive, but I guess I'd been spoilt!) and at the end of the line of double gates, I searched for somewhere private to put on my own kimono. It was going over my clothes, but still I didn't think it was appropriate to dress myself in public.

This is what all the fuss was about! Fushimi Inari

 I wandered down some steps, past a couple who were changing their naked toddler's clothes, around a corner, and there was another shrine under a tunnel of gates, completely abandoned! I was so excited I leapt back up the stairs to get Arkansas. We posed in our kimonos, firstly just smiling, then in silly poses (although nothing too disrespectful) we had a great time, and as we returned to the crowd, we passed a photographer taking photos of the mossy wall, completely oblivious to the abandoned shrine just out of sight.
After walking through more gates, we took another path away from the queue, finding  a temple for fortunes. An American girl had just been told she had a bad fortune ahead but should make the best of it, and seemed quite worried! We got some more photos of our kimonos here, also with the low sun shining through the petals of a huge sakura tree. We returned to the main path and headed out of the complex, even though there was another (popular) detour available, tonight I was determined to leave in time to see the final light show of the year, and it was already 16:30.
 
Arkansas and I parted company at the main temple building, a magnificent spectacle of red and gold. Arkansas produced a poloroid camera, and a lady took two photos of us. Arkansas gave me one of the prints. They were both still white, and by the time the photo came out of the two of us smiling together in front of the temple, she was already out of sight.

I rode the local train to Kyoto, then changed to the Shinlansen for Nagoya (I nearly got on the expensive super-express train not permitted by my JR Pass, which very much upset the train guard) and then, as the blog I was reading instructed, I changed to another local train to Kuwana, from where I could get a bus.
The blog told me that the light show ended at 9pm. It was now ten past seven (Nagoya is a long way from Kyoto!) and the bus station had no English signage. I asked a pair of Japanese women (mother and daughter I think) and they asked a bus driver, who mimed wheels going around on a train and shook his head, so the ladies took me back to the station and oversaw me buying a train ticket to Nagashima (the island on which the lightshow park was based). At 7.45 I caught what transpired to be a JR local train (I.e. One that was free to me) to Nagashjma island, half convinced that it was a lost cause and I should just ride all the way back tk Nagoya (where this train terminated) however, at Nagashima station I could see lights, and I just jumped off the train at the station impulsively.

From Nagashima I got the direct shuttle bus (the one I had been searching for in Kuwana). There were two other girls on the bus. I wrote them a message "do you know what time the light show finishes?" Into my translator app and handed them my phone. There was a lot of giggling and they kept giving me awkward looks, and after a few minutes, handed my phone back with the answer "22:00close" I thanked them emphatically in my best Japanese. This meant I would get a little over two hours at the park after all!
The park itself cost 2000y (including 100y of park vouchers) and was totally worth it. Amazing LED illuminated blue forests, a church with two LED weirs pouring down into an LED river, awe-inspiring uplit Sakura trees, and two mind boggling light tunnels absolutely stunned me. I couldn't believe how lucky I was to be there.

Magical fairy land. Absolutely worth all of the hassle.
I am sure I will never experience anything like this in my life again!

These faded through different colours, and they
were chaser lights, so they looked like flowing water...

 I used my vouchers for dinner. The only vegetarian food I could find was a stall selling potato croquettes (or chicken, or beef) I had two 500y vouchers, but couldn't get change. The lady manning the stall told me this and I replied that I knew but it was okay. I bought two, but she was so upset that I was being short changed, she gave me two more to make the value jp to 480y! It was very sweet of her. Then I went to a 'sweet' stall and bought a waffle based dessert.

I sat under a giant illuminated cherry blossom tree eating my dinner happily (until I realised I was ruining everyone's photos and moved seat) I seemed to be the only foreigner in the park which also made me very happy. I realised I had been jealously looking for a unique experience this whole time, and probably unfairly resenting other western tourists for this reason! I am also used to westerners making a bad name for ourselves and being culturally insensitive on holiday, but actuallyI hadn't seen anything significantly inappropriate all trip.

My dinner spot!

 
I decided I had time for one last walk around the park, to see if the second light tunnel changed colour (it faded through from white to deep blue but in the blog photos it was pink) but it hadn't, and at 9.50 I caught the bus back to the station. I had made a bad decision. The JR local train was a bit late, but picked me up and got me back to Nagoya for 10:40, and then I went to reserve a seat on the Shinkansen home.

The man at the till shook his head at me. The last Shinkansen was at 10:58, and it was a super-express. With no other choice, I coughed up 5070y, and boarded the train. That's about £40. The super-express was not noticably different to my usual shinkansen, it just missed both of the intermediate stations between Nagoya and Kyoto. I arrived in Kyoto shortly before 23:30.

Here I was in for another surprise. The city buses had all finished for the night. Despite being one of the biggest cities in Japan, there were no buses.

I took the subway (which appeared to also be just closing, and cost another 230y) and emerged onto the street to find I didn't know my way back. The subway system in Kyoto is much less comprehensive than Tokyo and I had to walk several blocks. Luckily I got google maps up, and avoiding any particularly dark streets (although of course, most of them were) I wound my way back to the hotel. I snuggled into my capsule just before 1am, but I am still resolute that it was absolutely worth it!