#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 Embracing Tokyo

Cover photo: One of the first stamps I collected!

I woke at 6am, too excited and full of plans to return to sleep. The others in my dorm woke at about seven thirty when I finally started shuffling about to get ready. One is another English girl, who also takes annual leave to travel the world independently. She is planning Tokyo-Kyoto-Hakone plus day trips, whereas I am planning Tokyo-Hakone-Osaka-Koya San-Hiroshima-Miyajima-Kyoto plus day trips for the same period of time!

First I got on a metro train heading for Harajuko, which I hadn't really done justice the previous day. Part way into the journey I realised Akihabara anime district. I jumped off the train spontaneously and realised that a) I was going in the wrong direction for Harajuku anyway and b) I had got off at the ideal stop to change for Akihibara! Lucky accident...

Electric Town, Akihabara

I completed my second successful fully Japanese transaction, gleefully purchasing some 'Lotte' koala mini biscuits to banish my hunger pangs, (which I then remembered I couldn't eat in the street!) and walked to the Akihabara Electric district, where there was an immense queue of Japanese men about my age, apparently for the release of a new saga anime game! Everywhere you looked, starry eyed manga girls with ridiculous proportions begged you to play with them or buy something (usually both)

Unfortunately the Anime museum and shop, my second priorities to see after Electric Town itself, were closed, as Mondays in Japan are like Sundays in Britain. However, in the same building, I found myself a very interesting breakfast of tea and cake. The cake was not like what I'm used to, the sweet potato cake being particularly... challenging, but at least it was pushing me out of my comfort zone a little!

Sweet potato cake. Just as stodgy as it looks!
Interestingly, Japanese packaged cakes come
 with these drying sachets inside!

Whilst I was in Akihabara, I got far too excited about finding a normal toilet (no frightening buttons that have the potential to shoot jets of water at you whilst you're sat, and not a squat either!), and I also bought some amazing souveniers...

Chihuahua waffle anyone? Or would you prefer a St Bernard Burger?

Next, I went to Tokyo station to begin my Japan stamp collection (no really), and see the Imperial Palace. The station is attractive, although not very Japanese looking, and sits in the middle of the high rise metallic business district of Tokyo. I took some photos, collected my stamp, and then headed on to the imperial palace.

Tokyo station is so large, it calls itself a city in its own right!

The imperial palace gardens were closed for Monday, as I knew they would be, but I enjoyed the fountain park and walking the perimeter of the palace. I honed the art of selfies further, but still can't balance my phone and manage a peace sign at the same time. Happily, there wasn't much to see, so it's not a major issue that my face fills most of the photo!

God I'm so happy!

With my first stamp in my notebook, I boldly returned to the hostel to grab my Japan Rail pass, and commenced a tour of Tokyo via the Yamanote line (an over-ground loop of the city), disembarking at every stop and stamping my little notebook. I got to visit Shimbashi (the home of Japanese railways), Kanda, re-visited Ueno, Akihabara, and Shibuya (the latter in the dark, for what I hoped would be more dramatic photos of the neon) and finally arrived at Harajuku. Harajuku is amazing. The closest thing I can compare it to is London's camden market, but without the seedy, druggyness, and more Kuwai (cute!). There were also crepe stores offering ridiculous crepes involving things from cheesecake to Tuna Curry. I personally opted for green tea icecream and 'brown sugar syrup'. It contained three weird gelatinous balls, and the 'syrup' was pretty gelatinous too and, come to mention it, so was the sauce which I had taken to be whipped cream... but the green tea icecream was nice! I'd had a fruit smoothie from Shimbashi for lunch as I'm concerned about the nutrition I've been not getting.

An Harajuku Crepe. Ew.

Last stop was Ginza, as I was hoping to watch a Kabuki performance - Japan's traditional theatre, in which famously only men are allowed to perform, many of whom as female characters. It promised to be an amazing spectacle, but unfortunately my city map was hopelessly vague, and and after I explored all street corners within a three minute (one block) walk of Ginza metro station, I only later discovered that it was ten minutes away. I got very frustrated at that. However Ginza was a beautiful place, full of polished, expensive high end shops, and I came across my first Japanese busker - a talented lady playing a saxophone to a respectable gathering of onlookers. This didn't seem quite right in Japanese culture - in a country where waiters do not accept tips, and eating and drinking in public spaces is not permitted, it seemed to clash with the practice of paying people playing music in the street.

Finally I mooched back to the hostel. Tomorrow my metro pass expires, as I will be going out of town for at least a few hours to explore the seaside town of Kamakura.