Nagoya is of course famous for it's beautiful castle, but I was there more for two other reasons: 1.) the Usagi to Cafe and 2.) 8ball Tattoo Studio.
My main reason for my visit to Nagoya was to see my friend, Horitake-san, who has a tattoo studio there called 8ball Tattoo Studio only a few minutes by taxi from Nagoya station. But he works tattoo artist's schedule so I decided to get lunch first.
After getting links to a video from several of my friends about Usagi to Cafe, I just had to go. I love rabbits and have two. But most people in Japan cannot have pets because their landlords are jerks, so it's not uncommon to see cat cafes where patrons can have coffee and relieve stress by watching, petting or playing with the cats at the cafe. This one is along the same lines, but with rabbits.
The girls there don't speak English, but don't let that scare you away. You can use google translate to figure out their pricing before you go. Watching the other patrons is rather amusing. They act as though they've never seen a real life rabbit up close and marvel at every little cute thing they do. There was a couple on a date, a mother with her daughter and there was even a middle aged man there just taking pictures of them hopping around with a very expensive camera. Obviously, they all had different reasons for visiting, just as I did.
One of the girls who works there, Yamada-san, was very nice and wanted to know all about my rabbits; their names, ages, what they look like, their sex, etc. They had one that was the same kind as one of the rabbits I own and looked alike, only white with brown spots instead of black. His name is パンプ (Pump) and the website says he has the nicest coat, which I expected having a satin rabbit myself.
After running up quite a large tab at the cafe, I headed off to the castle which was only a few minutes by taxi. It was overcast and rainy that day, but that kept the crowd to a minimum for being a Saturday. To my surprise, they have complimentary English speaking guides. Because of the weather, I was one of the few foreigners there and got a tour guide all to myself. So, I was lucky enough to get my personal tour of the castle and its grounds. I've been to Iwakuni castle (near Hiroshima), but Nagoya castle much, much larger and includes an impressive dry moat, guard towers, and a garden.
From the castle, it was off to visit my friend being late in the afternoon on a Saturday. I met Horitake-san while he was in Tampa for a tattoo convention. I'm not an enthusiast, but I was in the market for finding an artist to do what I wanted and this convention an array of shops in the Tampa Bay area. I had no idea 8ball Studio was there and was amazed by their portfolio. After chatting with Horitake-san (in Japanese) and telling him what I wanted, he squeezed me into their fully booked schedule and not only drew up the design but did a wonderful job on the tattoo as well - all the while turning away everyone wanting to get work done that weekend.
I was so overwhelmed by this gesture, that I made him a thank gift it mailed it to his shop a few weeks later and then I got a reply email saying that he got it and loved it. So we started emailing back and forth. When I was in Japan in September, I couldn't make it to Nagoya, so he and his wife came to meet me in Kyoto and took me out to dinner and then around the sights the next day. After their generosity, I made up some more gifts and made a special trip out to see them this time.
I dropped in to the studio to his surprise. Again, I got a tattoo and had a pleasant but short visit which makes for a very special souvenir. By this time, it was late and I didn't want to miss the last shinkansen.
The moral of the story is when you come to Japan, or if you've been before, I think you'll find that the people here are very friendly and are willing to exchange email addresses if you chat them up a little and will even give you a little token of gratitude if you've made an impression on them. Sometimes these will blossom into friendships.
From the castle, it was off to visit my friend being late in the afternoon on a Saturday. I met Horitake-san while he was in Tampa for a tattoo convention. I'm not an enthusiast, but I was in the market for finding an artist to do what I wanted and this convention an array of shops in the Tampa Bay area. I had no idea 8ball Studio was there and was amazed by their portfolio. After chatting with Horitake-san (in Japanese) and telling him what I wanted, he squeezed me into their fully booked schedule and not only drew up the design but did a wonderful job on the tattoo as well - all the while turning away everyone wanting to get work done that weekend.
I was so overwhelmed by this gesture, that I made him a thank gift it mailed it to his shop a few weeks later and then I got a reply email saying that he got it and loved it. So we started emailing back and forth. When I was in Japan in September, I couldn't make it to Nagoya, so he and his wife came to meet me in Kyoto and took me out to dinner and then around the sights the next day. After their generosity, I made up some more gifts and made a special trip out to see them this time.
I dropped in to the studio to his surprise. Again, I got a tattoo and had a pleasant but short visit which makes for a very special souvenir. By this time, it was late and I didn't want to miss the last shinkansen.
The moral of the story is when you come to Japan, or if you've been before, I think you'll find that the people here are very friendly and are willing to exchange email addresses if you chat them up a little and will even give you a little token of gratitude if you've made an impression on them. Sometimes these will blossom into friendships.
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