Etsy shop now open!

The Etsy shop is open! Authentic, cute and engrishy apparel from Harajuku! どうぞよろしくお願いします。

Alright, so eBay was a bust. However, MetroCon was not! Thank you to everyone who stopped by my booth! It was nice meeting you all! It's wonderful to meet so many people with an interest in Japanese culture and travel.

To supplement anime conventions, I now have an Etsy account! Please check it out. I'll be listing more stuff tomorrow and the rest of the week. It's 12:38 am here now, so I'm done for the night...

Zzz…(*´〜｀*)｡O○

花見！Flower viewing!

花 = "hana" or flower and 見 = "mi" or eye. While "hana" refers to flowers in general, this time of the year it more specifically means cherry blossoms (sakura) and/or plum blossoms (ume).

To celebrate the arrival of spring, the Japanese have little outdoor parties or picnics under these trees either during the day or in some special occasions, at night. These night parties are called 夜桜 ("yozakura") and include decorative and festive lanterns hung from the trees.

Hanami is of interest to just about every Japanese citizen, so much so that their weather service provides a 桜前線 ("sakurazensen" or "blossom report") to make best of your party planning. Below is such a report from the previous year.


My first sakura siting was in Nagoya in the castle's gardens. It was very overcast that day and towards the end of my tour, I saw some pink flowers in the distance. I was so excited that I interrupted my guide mid sentence to ask if they were cherry blossoms. She nodded and I ran ahead to see having completely lost interest in a statue she was explaining. I apologized for my rudeness but she found my elation amusing.


With as much anime, manga, TV and movies I've seen... the cherry blossom is omnipresent and I just couldn't help myself. Getting to see firsthand the delicate petals fall and speckle the ground like confetti was almost surreal.

Apparently, I wasn't the only person thrilled about this time of year. It was mid-March so some of the trees in Tokyo were just starting to bloom. While I was in Kamakura, there was one tree abloom near the Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gu Shrine and no less than a dozen photographers jostled for position to get pictures of the one branch they could get near.

I mentioned ume or plum blossoms above and I was fortunate to see one of those as well at Nagoya castle. They look just like sakura only white.

This entry is definitely photo heavy, but these beautiful flowers speak for themselves. I took more pictures of cherry trees than anything else on this trip and seeing the natives crowd around a blossoming tree on more than one occasion meant my fixation was the norm.

The boutique is open!

Finally! I've managed to catalog and photograph all my merchandise from Japan and have begun listing in on eBay for your buying pleasure! CHECK IT OUT!

There's not much now, but I will continue to list more clothing and stationery as the week goes on. Thanks for your patience and I hope you enjoy what you find!

プロ野球! Professional Baseball!

It's that time of year again - baseball season is upon us and the Japanese.

Wait. Japan? Baseball?! I'm confused! I thought they only watched like sumo wrestling and kabuki plays and stuff?

Nope! The Japanese are very passionate about baseball and have their own 12-team league to follow called Nippon Professional Baseball, or the NPB which is equivalent to our MLB. In fact, North American has stolen quite a few players from them for our teams, such as Ichiro Suzuki of the Seattle Mariners, Daisuke Matsuzaka of the Boston Red Sox, Kosuke Fukudome of the Chicago Cubs and my favorite player, Akinori Iwamura of the Pittsburgh Pirates just to name a few.

There are a few differences between when it comes to rules and regulations when comparing the MLB to the NPB but those aren't very interesting. The major differences are in going to the games themselves. I had the pleasure of attending 5 games in Japan last year and it completely ruined domestic games for me.

The biggest difference? That's easy - the fans. Extremely organized and loud (and sometimes paid), Japanese baseball fans raise the bar of fandom. It's not enough to haphazardly slap some sentiment on a piece of posterboard or paint your face. No, no, no. To be a true fan in Japan involves learning a different song for each batter, your team's fight song and being armed with flags, thunder sticks, banners, drums, horns, megaphones, etc while wearing your team's colors from head to toe...





...literally. I mentioned the word "paid" above. Yes, they have professional fans! Called 応援団 ("ouendan" or cheer squads), they have auditions and practices. They lead the other fans in songs, cheers and chants when while their team is at bat - which is quite the opposite here. Both teams are always equally represented by ouendan at ALL games, so there's never a lull in the noise, excitement or enthusiasm.


The next difference is the food. The question I was asked the most is: "Can you get sushi at baseball game?" The answer: "You bet... along with riceballs, tempura, edamame, teriyaki, noodles along with our classics of hotdogs, popcorn and of course, BEER."

Yes, these girls bring beer to you! Don't like Asahi? (What's wrong with you?!) Don't worry, a girl carrying Sapporo, Suntory, Kirin or Yebisu on her back will hike the stairs by your section soon enough.

With all this going on, it's easy to forget that there's a baseball being played! This is why I usually have moments of "ho-hum" at a major league game here.

There's a wonderfully fun tour run by JapanBall every year for the sole purpose of experiencing these games. I went last year and had a blast. I urge you to check it out even if you're not a baseball fan.

If flying halfway around the world to watch some baseball is something you can't swing, then you can watch it from the comfort of your living room, albeit at 4 am. Your cable or satellite provider might have a premium channel called "TV Japan" - which is basically NHK's feed minus the commercials. They usually show 3 or 4 games a week plus you get all of their sitcoms, dramas, children's programming and news.

Day 8: Sumida Park

Sumida park is, as you can imagine, located on the bank of the Sumida river just a few minute's walk from the sensouji in Asakusa. Originally a private garden for the shogun, it was opened as a public park in 1931. It's also one of the prime spots for 花見 (hanami or "flower viewing") in late March and early April as the park contains nearly 1,000 sakura planted along the bank forming a tunnel of blossoms.

I caught the park in early March, so only a few of the trees were in bloom, but they still drew their share of enthusiastic photographers, viewers, joggers and bicyclists.

Other sights along the Sumida park include the Asahi headquarters across the river. You might be familiar with their "super dry" beer, but like most beverage companies in Japan, they actually produce a wide variety of soft drinks, as well.

Officially known as the "Asahi Beer Hall". The building on the left was styled to represent a glass of beer with its foamy head at the top. And the Asahi flame is supposed to represent the 'burning heart of Asahi beer' but the locals refer to it as "the golden turd".

Day 7: Asakusa & Akihabara

Ah, Asakusa's sensō-ji - Tōkyō's oldest Buddhist temple, complete with an impressive five-story pagoda. Being the last stop on the Metro's Ginza line, it's hard to miss. This was the first site I visited when I came to Japan, so it holds a special place in my heart.

On my previous visit to the sensō-ji, the actual temple was completely covered up and under renovation. So, 6 months later, I was excited to return to see it in all its glory... too bad it was still under construction!

Oh, well. Even if you find yourself in Japan tomorrow, the sensō-ji is still well worth a visit. The "thunder gate" with its ceremonious giant lanterns are quite a site along with the all the little shops that line Nakamise-dori. During the oppressively hot summers, Nakamise-dori is mercifully covered providing much-needed shade. However, in the early spring, it's open-air and adorned with cherry blossom decorations.

Like most temples and shrines, you'll find a おみくじ ("omikuji"), which literally means "sacred lottery". For a donation of a mere 100 yen you can participate in the fun with all the high school kids whom you'll see giggling and laughing at the results of their fortunes. Here's how it works:

Pop your 100 yen into the coin slot and grab that metallic cylinder. Tilt and shake it until a numbered stick falls out of the the hole and match up that number to the corresponding drawer and therein lies your fortune.

The numbers will more than likely be in Japanese, so it helps you find your fortune quicker if you can read them, but if you're not familiar with the kanji, you'll just have to spend an extra minute or two matching up the symbols.

Your fortune will be headed with a prediction of your overall luck in general as follows:

• Great blessing (dai-kichi, 大吉)
• Middle blessing (chū-kichi, 中吉)
• Small blessing (shō-kichi, 小吉)
• Blessing (kichi, 吉)
• Half-blessing (han-kichi, 半吉)
• Near-blessing (sue-kichi, 末吉)
• Near-small-blessing (sue-shō-kichi, 末小吉)
• Curse (kyō, 凶)
• Small curse (shō-kyō, 小凶)
• Half-curse (han-kyō, 半凶)
• Near-curse (sue-kyō, 末凶)
• Great curse (dai-kyō, 大凶)

Then you'll get a more specific prognostication. Usually something along the lines of:

• 願事 (negaigoto) – one's wish or desire
• 待人 (machibito) – a person being waited for
• 失せ物 (usemono) – lost article(s)
• 旅立ち (tabitachi) – travel
• 商い (akinai) – business dealings
• 學問 (gakumon) – studies or learning
• 相場 (souba) – market speculation
• 爭事 (arasoigoto) – disputes
• 戀愛 (renai) – romantic relationships
• 転居 (tenkyo) – moving or changing residence
• 出產 (shussan) – childbirth or pregnancy
• 病気 (byōki) – illness
• 縁談 (endan) – marriage proposal or engagement

If your fortune is good, keep it with you. Otherwise, fold it up lengthwise and tie it to the wrack with metal wires nearby so you can leave your misfortune there.

Here's what got!


There's an English translation on the back, but mine says: "The Best Fortune #99 The sun is shining so brightly that you will get the blessing of the heaven. The moon is shining clearly again after a cloud passes. You may have rare treasure. Gaining fame, you meet all your wishes. Your wish will be realized. The sick person will get well. The lost article will be found. The person you are waiting for will come. It is a good to make a trip. Marriage and employment are both good."

Needless to say, I tucked this into my purse!

After taking a rest in the afternoon at my hotel and watching a grand sumo tournament, it was getting dark and therefore time to head out to Akihabara - the electric town! It's fun during the day, but comes alive at night.

If you're not into anime, or don't plan patronizing one of the many maid cafes there, it's still worth a visit and here's why: ドンキ ("donki") also known as Don Quijote, the greatest store ever. While there are many locations throughout Japan, Akihabara's is the most epic. The first floor is a pachinko parlor and the next 5 or so floors is packed to the rafters with, well... EVERYTHING. There is no order to this store. Nail polish is next to light bulbs which are next to clocks which are next to hair dyes which are next to vacuums which are next too... well, you get the idea. Unless you're a frequent shopper, you'll just have to brave each aisle not knowing what you'll find next!


I'd like to go on record saying that this is the best store I've ever been in. If you're claustrophobic, stay away, but if it's 3:30 in the morning and you need a Michael Jackson costume, Don Quijote is your best friend.

Day 6: Harajuku & Ochanomizu

Harajuku: Part 2. Again, my arms were laden with shopping bags, but I managed to snap a few pictures. For being a Monday, Takeshita-dori was packed!

I got there a little before noon and right at the entrance of Takeshita-dori there's a 24-hour McDonalds. I've been seeing posters all over Tokyo for something called the "California Burger" at "マック" (Makku), what they call McDonalds for short. I've tried KFC and T.G.i.Fridays in Japan, but not McDonalds.

What we call "value meals", they call "sets" or "セット" (setto). I got to admit that I was pretty disappointed by the burger. It had a beef patty, lettuce, tomato, white cheese, a tangy BBQ sauce on a wholewheat bun. For all that, it was pretty bland. Apparently, there's also a Texas burger and according to a poster inside the restaurant, it's "coming back soon!!". The fries were on par with what we have here, though.

Though the food wasn't that great, the people watching made up for it. I've never seen so many giggling and chatty teenage Japanese girls in one spot. And here and there in this crowded dining space were middle aged business men in their pinstriped suits totally not blending in.

For all of Harajuku's uniqueness, there's also some familiar stores to be found like Claire's. I couldn't believe it. There it was, jammed in with all the other shops. That and the GAP I could do without, but I suppose to the locals these are charming snippets of American fashion.


I checked out LaForet and it turned out to be pretty pricey and upscale for being in Harajuku. I didn't spend a lot of time inside as the price tags were not very welcoming.

Having bought all I could carry, I went back to rest my sore feet at the hotel for a few. It was getting late, so I decided to head over to the origami kaikan in Ochanomizu before it closed.



The Ochanomizu JR Station is right on the Kanda river. The origami kaikan is a short walk from the station by cutting through the Tokyo Medical and Dental University's campus.



I simply adore this place. The staff here are so friendly and if you have ever done origami, they are so pleased to hear that. Every month, they feature a project and have it on display in the 1st floor gallery and the projects from the previous month are on the 2nd floor gallery. This month was samurai helmets.

I told the lady that I enjoy origami as a hobby and told her I like to make kusudama. She smiled from ear to ear and told me to check out the 2nd floor. So I headed up to find that kusudama were the previous month's feature!


The exhibits, staff and merchandise here never disappoint me. The 3rd floor has a very impressive shop. They must have miles of paper. There's 2 rooms full of handmade washi, kits they they've made up for different projects, glue, display boards, etc.


As I was browsing, a dozen or so older ladies came down from the 5th floor classroom after just taking some lessons. They were so lively and fun to watch - kind of like the loquacious girls in Makku earlier.

The 4th floor is a workshop where you are free to check out and watch the artisans make paper.

This gentlemen was taking the black hanging pieces of washi made earlier and brushing a design on them and then hanging them to dry on the other side of the workshop. So, even if origami really isn't your thing, you can go check out this interesting process for free!

Next post: my last full day in Japan!