When we were exploring Ginza yesterday, Caitlin had noted that she thought it would be busier. Today was the day we addressed that concern.
In Persona 5, a video game set in Tokyo, there is a strong concept of time management. You have only two opportunities a day to do activities to build relationships with friends, do some self improvement or progress the main story. Having now spent time in Tokyo, I believe this concept comes from the passionate Japanese culture of the queue. Do I spend 45 minutes waiting for this particular Matcha? It means I can’t wait an hour for that ramen place or Caitlin will be too hungry. Also I will only have 10 minutes to find the Mewtwo statue later on. But the Matcha place was recommended…
CR: Breakfast does not exist in Tokyo. You either eat buffet breakfast in hotel or go to a 24 hour chain. We did the latter. There was a man (I suspect staff member) sleeping horizontally across seats.CR: This was a delicious coffee but it took so insanely long to order and receive. There were maybe 10 people as customers and it took upwards of 10 minutes to order and another 10 minutes to receive. The Japanese coffee master was putting so much love into each coffee – I’ve seen a souffle made quicker than that cup of coffee.DW: The skyscrapers fading into the haze give the impression that the city goes on forever. CR: This was taken from Tokyo Metropolitan Building, which provides a free viewing platform. I would have loved to see Mount Fuji but we are told it’s only visible about one third of the year. Today pollution from China is blamed. DW: This set of overpasses was just particularly aesthetic. It bordered the edge of Shinjuku just before we started the walk South through a more residential area.DW: The handwritten prayers underneath this tree are the centrepiece of the shrine. I like specific prayers (I pray for my dog, to do well in my A level mock exams, etc.) instead of the vaguely virtuous (peace and love… how derivative). CR: I preferred the one that just said NAIL SALON in English.CR: Declan has displayed an alarming penchant for spending his small change in Japan. Firstly it was the 100 yen (AUD$1.10) poem at the shrine. Later in the day it was 200 yen for a Snorlax plushie claw machine. The small coins feel like video game points to Declan.CR: This shit is bananas b-a-n-a-n-a-s.DW: Some people do otter cafes. I am too worried about the animals rights. Some people do maid cafes. I am too uncomfortable with the abstract sexuality. We do overpriced ex-Nintendo employee cafes filled with sick unique merch. It rapidly dissolves into a gift giving orgy from regulars to Shokan-san as everyone tries to one up each other. I buy a sticker for $2.CR: I really, really didn’t want to do this. Declan booked this two hour event on the recommendation of an Australian video game podcast that has since gone effectively defunct. It was AUD$100 a head to get a juice, some cheezel-like snacks and hang out in this box room for two hours. The (featured in left hand corner) ex-Nintendo employee didn’t even really tell us any stories about the video game industry. It was mostly just looking at signatures on Pokemon plushies from other big-wigs in the game industry. That time I spent $250 on four magazines shipped from the States probably still ranks highest as my biggest waste of money, but this cafe experience is a close second.CR: Amanda from Rhode Island had fully committed to Pokemon tattoos. She flies internationally to get them designed/penned. I did ask if I could take this photo and then she took her top partially off to reveal her belly tattoos but I said “Ah, the arm is fine”.DW: Caitlin had found her kin. Unfortunately the cafe had a strict no touching the plushy rule. CR: Fwends.DW: Shibuya is probably a bit too busy. I am comfortable in being overwhelmed as it is impossible to explore it comprehensively in any capacity. It is a fractal shopping experience. Each building contains multiple shops which each contain multiple floors which each span multiple buildings ad infinitum. CR: For my whole life I only knew about Shibuya from Bring It On 3. Upon re-watching, I may have been living a lie. Does this have anything to do with the hectic Japanese prefecture at all? https://youtu.be/6csV4zgEKyY?si=eF5ZP23U6q2IcageDW: In case you are wondering, yes, I do make Caitlin pose for every cute photo op. This one was part of the trip to Mega Don Quijote/Donki. We had discovered the sought after hair mask (thanks Bella). There were a surprising number of other Western women looking panicked in the store searching for the same thing. We must be doing something right.CR: Declan keeps telling me the alcohol reminds him (in a PTSD manner) of first year of college. The way he grimaces as he says this makes me nervous for what he got up to that first year before we started dating. For dinner we had skewers, except this time it was intestines, and garlic and tendons. I fear this less than the fugu from last night.
This day has blown my mind and is not for me I am afraid. I did like the shrine tree and poems. And I love the BDO shirt Cait!! That is a full on breakfast.
Shrine and poems are good. Easy for everyone to get involved. We stumbled across it walking from one place to another but, as the mass of tourists indicated, it was a destination in its own right.
Raw egg and rice with meat topping is not my favourite breakfast.
Someone most probably trained 10 years to be allowed to do the coffee art. The tree is lovely. I couldn’t work out what was on Declan’s tee shirt. The photo of Caitlin at the Nintendo place was like when they take photos of hostages to prove that they are alive and well. I’m waiting for her to read a prepared script saying she is happy and being well fed. Not being able to touch the toys is a bit tough. Did Declan enjoy the experience and was he impressed by the tattoos. I never really enjoyed Japanese cuisine and so far my opinion hasn’t changed.
Declan’s thoughts on Cafe 84:
– as expected, elaborating on that:
– not worth the money. But reiterates as expected.
– lots of cool swag.
– drinks and food good.
– nice break in middle of day.
– wouldn’t do it again. Impressively tattoo lady and fiance were actually there for their second time..
Declan’s thoughts on tattoo:
– not ‘impressed’ in general by tattoos. This is as tattoos are personal by nature. Declan believes they are an expression of identity to the outside world.
– impressed by Amanda’s dedication to this outwards expression to the world of her identity.
– understands why those expressions are important to Amanda.
– aliens and Pokemon are cool. They probably mean more to Amanda. Hence her tattoos and not Declan’s.
– to conclude Declan’s respects the tattoos but does not believe that you should be impressed by tattoos (as an exogenous consumer of the tattoo). He acknowledges that you can identify with the tattoos and this may bring positive connections but there is no fundamental structure of ‘impress’ when witnessing someone’s tattoos as the tattoos are deeply personal.
Appreciate the update but as soon as you use a double negative in a sentence I am lost.
This day has blown my mind and is not for me I am afraid. I did like the shrine tree and poems. And I love the BDO shirt Cait!! That is a full on breakfast.
Shrine and poems are good. Easy for everyone to get involved. We stumbled across it walking from one place to another but, as the mass of tourists indicated, it was a destination in its own right.
Raw egg and rice with meat topping is not my favourite breakfast.
Someone most probably trained 10 years to be allowed to do the coffee art. The tree is lovely. I couldn’t work out what was on Declan’s tee shirt. The photo of Caitlin at the Nintendo place was like when they take photos of hostages to prove that they are alive and well. I’m waiting for her to read a prepared script saying she is happy and being well fed. Not being able to touch the toys is a bit tough. Did Declan enjoy the experience and was he impressed by the tattoos. I never really enjoyed Japanese cuisine and so far my opinion hasn’t changed.
Declan’s thoughts on Cafe 84:
– as expected, elaborating on that:
– not worth the money. But reiterates as expected.
– lots of cool swag.
– drinks and food good.
– nice break in middle of day.
– wouldn’t do it again. Impressively tattoo lady and fiance were actually there for their second time..
Declan’s thoughts on tattoo:
– not ‘impressed’ in general by tattoos. This is as tattoos are personal by nature. Declan believes they are an expression of identity to the outside world.
– impressed by Amanda’s dedication to this outwards expression to the world of her identity.
– understands why those expressions are important to Amanda.
– aliens and Pokemon are cool. They probably mean more to Amanda. Hence her tattoos and not Declan’s.
– to conclude Declan’s respects the tattoos but does not believe that you should be impressed by tattoos (as an exogenous consumer of the tattoo). He acknowledges that you can identify with the tattoos and this may bring positive connections but there is no fundamental structure of ‘impress’ when witnessing someone’s tattoos as the tattoos are deeply personal.
Appreciate the update but as soon as you use a double negative in a sentence I am lost.