Tag: cute

Exploring Hikone: A Castle Town with a Mythical Island and Fierce Cat Samurai

Over the weekend I made the amazing discovery that samurai cats are real!  About an hour east from Kyoto lies a quiet castle town called Hikone with the adorable samurai cat mascot you see here: Hikonyan.  Hikone is in Shiga Prefecture and borders Lake Biwa, one of the most famous lakes in Japan due to its lovely scenery.  I decided to start my trip by taking a ferry from Nagahama Port, which is just a few stops north of Hikone Station on the JR Tokaido-Sanyo line, and visit the mythical island in the middle of the lake called Chikubushima.  See the ferry schedule for reference–a roundtrip ferry ticket is around 3000 yen.

Chikubushima is known as the “Island of the Gods” and is said to be imbued with magical powers.  Though I am not a religious person, I appreciate going on journeys like this because it gives me the chance to see rare parts of the world!  You can walk around the whole entire island within 30 mins and see shrines, a beautiful view of the lake, and also try some local cuisine at the cafes (though the selection is very limited).

The main point of interest here is visiting Hogonji Temple and making a wish with a daruma doll.  Daruma Dolls are a special kind of talisman here that you can write your wish on a slip of paper and put it inside the doll for good luck.  The Japanese people at the shrine were extremely kind and helped me do this.  Though this island was tinier than I expected, it was a very nice way to start my trip!

After the pleasant ferry ride back (which only takes 30 mins), I then decided to go directly to Hikone Castle to see the Hikonyan Show!  During this time, the fiercely adorable samurai cat will come out before the castle gates to greet his visitors.  Hikonyan is treated as a celebrity by Japanese people.  I was surprised to see a line of people with cameras out waiting to see him, but he is definitely worth the hype!  He appears every day and you can see the timetables here.

In addition to Hikonyan, you can walk through the Hikone Castle, see the Genkyu-en Gardens, and also visit the Yume Kyōbashi Castle Road that has shops and souvenirs.  I visited all of these places by foot from Hikone Station, but you can also take buses around the city!  By 6pm, I was exhausted from all the travel so I decided to go back to my capsule hotel in Kyoto.  Hikone makes for the perfect day trip from Kyoto because it is easy to access and full of history.

Making the Most of a Rainy Day in Kyoto at Cozy Coffee Cafes

With its historic temples, crowds of people wearing colorful kimonos, and perfect view of the mountains from its central station, Kyoto is hands down one of my favorite cities in Japan.

However, a rainy day can definitely damper plans! Instead of going hiking in the mountains and risk being stranded in a downpour, I decided to check out the local cafes and stumbled upon Alpha Foods & Drink near Nijo Castle. This is a relatively new cafe with a hipster vibe that will definitely brighten your day!

Mimicking the weather, I decided to order the “clouds over coffee” cotton candy drink. You can choose other drinks like hot cocoa, banana milk, and soy milk coffee (which I chose). The cotton candy stick is creatively balanced so the steam from the drink will slowly melt it in for a subtle sugary taste. Additionally, you can choose to eat the cotton candy separately if you prefer or request a cold drink instead.

Another reason to come to the cafe is to meet the owner’s extremely adorable miniature schnauzer! She was an extremely polite yet energetic dog that sat quietly on the couch but was friendly when I approached her:

My Japanese friend also took me to this extremely charming % Arabica Coffee store in Higashiyama which is unique to Kyoto but is gradually expanding due to its popularity with the locals. He claimed it was one of the best coffee shops in Japan due to the founder exporting coffee beans and owning his own coffee farm.

Was it really worth the hype? Yes, it was! Usually I don’t always try coffee shops with large crowds like this one, but the wait time wasn’t too bad. However, I tried the iced coffee latte, and was extremely impressed with not only the taste but also the cup design:

Overall, I had an amazing time exploring both of these places even though the weather wasn’t favorable. Both of these drinks were cheaper than Starbucks and more delicious too! I’ve been to Kyoto nearly 5 or 6 times, but there are always new things to explore each time I come!

Sailor Neptune Nails from Nail Salon Glory (Tokyo)

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Since I decided to cosplay a swimsuit version of Michiru Kaioh/Sailor Neptune for a photoshoot, I wanted the most suitable nails for this character.  I looked at various nail catalogs online, but no design fit the one I had in mind so I decided to create my own.  Fortunately, most nail salons in Tokyo are able to create original nail designs using stencils, hand-drawn art, studs, and various gradients of polish.

I booked an appointment at Nail Salon Glory through Hot Pepper, and these were the amazing results I got:

My nails were absolutely gorgeous!  Since I have short nails, I requested the scalp nail course that will extend your tip to a custom length.  The nail artist used a combination of beige and turquoise glitter polish to create a gradient that looks like an ocean.  After painting a shiny coat over it, she added sea shells and pearl studs, as well as hand-drew the insignia on Neptune’s mirror that I requested.  I was almost speechless when our session ended because I was so impressed!

Most fancy nail courses start at 10,000 yen ($93), but they are worth the price for the amount of detail and effort that is put in.  There are various coupons that can be used to lower the price, like the ones featured on HotPepper.

Scalp nails last for typically 3 weeks and are perfect for every occasion.  Not only did I use them for my photoshoot, but they also matched the color of the ocean when I was swimming in Thailand.  I’m sure I’ll be back in the future once I think of more anime-based designs!

Hello Kitty Desserts at EGG & SPUMA

A diner and dessert restaurant called EGG & SPUMA located in the Shinjuku Lumine building serves up some of the most delicious Sanrio collaboration items you’ve ever laid eyes on.  They serve a lot of comfort food like omelettes, risotto, and pancakes on their menu that changes with new featured items each season.  Cocktails and sweet drinks are also available.

I ordered Hello Kitty pancakes topped with apples slices, custard, and whipped cream.  They melted like butter in my mouth and had an extremely soft texture!  I also tried pink lemonade topped with a Hello Kitty donut.  Thought it was an extremely unlikely combination, it was amazing!  The donut was extremely thick and completely covered in strawberry frosting.  The lemonade size was noticeably large compared to most drinks here.  I wanted to try more, but felt extremely full after this!

Overall, I was extremely impressed with the quality of food here for it being part of a theme cafe.  Be sure to try their seasonal pancakes if you ever get the chance to stop by!

A Somewhat Magical Time at the Unicorn Cafe in Bangkok

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A magical land where all dreams come true, serving up rainbow food and more!

Bangkok is a bustling city riddled with markets, temples, food stalls, clubs, red light districts, and many more curious things, so picking exactly where to start your trip here can be challenging.  After doing some thorough research, I finally decided on the perfect place–one that stood out like a gem from the other places in the city.  A magical land in a not-so-faraway place with rainbow food and dangling stuffed unicorns overhead in the pastel sky.  Yes, you guessed it, the very first restaurant I went to in Thailand was the Unicorn Cafe!

Though some of my friends may shun me for not trying something more authentic as my first meal here, my idea was to try the themed cafes first and then go for the authentic food for the best tasting experience.  Additionally, this cafe has mixed reviews that appear with a quick Google search; some stating it’s the most magical place on earth and others refuting it’s most certainly not.  The controversy surrounding this cafe made me even more curious about it, so I decided to come here and witness firsthand exactly how magical it was for myself.

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The great debate on the Unicorn Cafe: Is it the most magical place on earth or not?                        My answer: It’s somewhat magical.

Coming here directly from the Bangkok airport with my luggage in tow, I took a short taxi ride and reached the so-called magical unicorn haven an hour before they closed.  This was actually a really good time, because it wasn’t as crowded as during the rush hour and I could admire all of the unicorns overhead in peace.  It nostalgically reminded me of the old room I had in America growing up in the 90s, except with 10x the unicorns!

Featuring rainbow spaghetti, waffle cones, cupcakes, burgers, and more, the menu is quite dazzling with a lot of different options!  The downside is the price is a bit expensive–you could get a larger quantity of food at the markets just a few streets down from here and at most restaurants in Bangkok.  However, I came here for the novelty of eating rainbow food, and I wasn’t about to back down after coming this far.  After some more debate, I decided on the rainbow unicorn cupcake:

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A unicorn in cupcake form.

My stance on this magical debate is that if you are looking for something different, you will definitely find it here.  This place has a bright and welcoming interior with an English-friendly menu, extremely unique desserts, and unicorns as far as the eye can see.  However, some may be disappointed by the price and lack of healthier options here, not to mention the cafe is normally overly touristy.  Some reviews have questioned the quality of food here, but it’s pretty much the same for all themed restaurants I’ve been to.  I enjoyed my time here, but I agree there are even more magical places to be discovered despite my love for unicorns!

I will be detailing a lot of unique destinations in Bangkok and Phuket in my next series of blogs, so please stay tuned for more.

 

Petting and Holding Otters at Tokyo’s Otter Room Cafe

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Two adorable otters huddle together for comfort at the Otter Room Cafe.

I never thought I’d have the chance to hold an otter out of water, but after almost 4 years of living in Tokyo, I should know that nearly anything is possible! With my recent visit to the Otter Room Cafe in Ikebukero, I learned they are not only adaptable and highly intelligent creatures, but also quite cuddly ones too.  This animal cafe was newly added as an expansion of the Usamimi Cafe that features rabbits, and visitors can choose a timeslot between 30 minutes to an hour to play with either species by submitting a form via email through the official website (JP/EN).

Upon arriving, my friend and I paid 1000 yen for 30 minutes, and were promptly handed an apron, hand sanitizer, and printed English instructions so we could brace ourselves for the otter outbreak.  We were then led to a room where three adorable otters were sleeping in a cage.  When the cage door opened, one of them was placed on our laps!  The otter was so adorable we didn’t even know how to react.

Wanting to see his friends, the otter would crawl on and off the seats and back to us.  Though otters are not intended to be kept as pets, these otters were kept in a very clean area and seemed to be healthy and happy.  It was difficult to take photos of them as they are a bit finicky, but I managed to capture a few.

The three otters we saw were named Gucchan, Taeko, and Wakabarasu.  Though there were a bit sleepy when we saw them in the afternoon, they seemed happy to be together.  Compared to the meerkats I saw in Korea that were quite scrappy, these bunch were very friendly and pleasant to be around.  Please come if you are interested in meeting otters!

Lisa Frank was onto Something: Pink Dolphins are Real (Khanom, Thailand)

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A bashful pink dolphin appears on the coast of Khanom, Thailand!

Remember back in the day when everyone rocked Lisa Frank folders, binders, and pencil cases too school?  Have neon-plastered animal stickers embody your school supplies was the epitome of cool.  In fact, the psychedelic and retro design still stays cool to this day. I remember one original design in particular stood out to me: The Pink Dolphin.

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Lisa Frank Designs: The epitome of cool in grade school.

Notice the beautiful way the water reflects off her in the sunset!  This was a majestic creature of divine beauty that I had always dreamed of meeting.  I thought that it was unfathomable that I would ever witness one in real life, but fortunately I was incorrect. As I was planning my vacation to Thailand for Golden Week, I noticed there was a tour package too see none other than pink dolpins in Khanom!  Immediately I started scheming my way there so I could finally live out my childhood dream of meeting them.

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“See Dolphin 100%” – They sure sold me with that advertising!

The pink dolphins found in Khanom are actually subspecies of Sousa Chinensis (white dolphins) in China.  They are also an endangered species due to over-fishing, loss of habitat and pollution, so they are quite a rare sight to see (according to Coconuts Bangkok).  I feel very fortunate that I had this opportunity to see them up-close!

In order to reach Khanom, I flew from Phuket to Koh Samui Island (you can also fly there from most Thailand airports), and booked a group tour to see them through Koh Samui Tours.  The tour guide will pick you up from your hotel and take you on a ferry trip to the coast where you can view them from your seat.  These dolphins are completely untamed, so they were a bit hard to capture on camera, but I manged to take one nice video:

You can also see pink dolphins in other countries such as Hong Kong or Brazil, but from Japan, this was probably the most budget-friendly way to see them.  I had previously went swimming with regular-colored dolphins in Okinawa and had fun, but Thailand has a lot more adventurous tours than Japan does.  The area in which I swam with them was very tiny and it didn’t feel as authentic.  Though I couldn’t swim with the pink dolphins, just seeing them exist in their natural habitat was enough to make me happy.

As I traverse more of the world, I look forward to seeing what other Lisa Frank designs come to life!

Mameshiba Cafe in Harajuku, Japan

It goes without saying that Shibas are the most beloved breed of dog in Japan. From the Hachiko statue in Shibuya, to the many memes of them that have surfaced of them the internet, it’s no surprise that Mameshiba Cafe would be opened in Harajuku where many tourists and shoppers flock. Not being able to resist the urge of to pet these adorable dogs, my friend and I decided to go visit!

The cafe is quite popular now, but they have a well-organized ticketing system to make sure that everyone gets in. You go up the stairs, pay the entrance fee of 1350 yen (a little more expensive than other animal cafes, but perhaps these dogs cost more to take care of), then are handed a numbered ticket. We went on a crowded Saturday so we had to wait for 2 hours, but luckily we could go shopping and come back! The cafe is in central Takeshita Street so fortunately there are many things to do!

Though we only had 30 minutes to play with the dogs, the atmosphere was happy, relaxed, and you could see the dogs were too! You are able pet them and take non-flash photography, but you are not able to hold them. What’s interesting is all of the dogs were female. Mameshibas are shibas that are tinier than average, so that made them all the more cuter!

Taking pictures of them was hard because they move around so much, but it kind of like felt like playing Pokémon Snap! They had adorable huge plus shibas as well as keychains for sale. I would say I enjoyed this cafe more than other animal cafes, because sometimes the animals aren’t as social. Being with these doggos definitely boosted my mood, so if you have time, I think you should go!