Back in the day, Harajuku was my absolute favorite place in Tokyo (you know, that place in that song by Gwen Stefani when she was briefly interested in Japan). It was where all the weirdos got to let their freak flag fly. There is a bridge with a sort of courtyard where Japanese people, generally young people, would get together and dress up. There was a group of guys who dressed like Elvis and danced to 50's music. There were elaborate video game/manga outfits. There were a lot of young girls dressed like frilly maids. When I was there, the popular thing was to wear a wedding dress with fake blood on it. And because of all of this, no one stared at me there. I could walk around being totally foreign looking and no one cared because
that guy had horns and monster claws. I also really liked the atmosphere of Harajuku. In a country where everyone looks the same (I am not being racist here - there are uniforms in school that include a requirement that all hair must be black, all the grown ups wear suits, and when it comes to causal clothes it's often difficult to differentiate between men's and women's; they are actually
striving to look the same), I thought it was awesome that there was a place for people to go to express themselves if they wanted to. I also loved Harajuku because it had a really cool shopping street, my favorite 4-story toy shop, and a Gap (the only store that carried pants in my enormous American size at the time).
Needless to say, I was super excited to take Mc here. What I didn't think about was making sure he saw it on a weekend. We went on a Monday and there were no freak flags flying. IB actually told us that doesn't happen as much there anymore, which made me sad. So Mc missed out on the Japanese youth culture, but you can't catch everything, so shoganai (it can't be helped).
IB's cousin was in town for one day and he joined us in Harajuku. This was fun because he was
very enthusiastic about seeing everything and trying everything and buying
everything that he could in one day. First we went to Takeshita Dori, the awesome shopping street. When you go through the East Harajuku Station exit, cross the street and head left and you'll see it on the right almost right away. It has a little archway over it and if it's a weekend you'll see roughly a billion people there. There are a lot of trendy and funky clothing shops, a huge hiyaku yen shop (100 yen = dollar store), food stands, and you'll often see something bizarre strolling along (last time I was there, it was someone dressed in a giant Gloomy the Bear costume). A few store employees were dressed up in some odd costumes and Cousin wanted to take pictures of everything, but he was polite and asked first. You'd think that someone who spent all the time to put together a costume, from eye lashes to socks, and then wore it in public would love to have their picture taken, and some did, but others were still the extremely shy Japanese and had no desire to be photographed.
A new addition to the street since I'd been here last was a Calbee shop. Calbee is a glorious company that makes a number of delicious snacks, most notably jagarico, a potato snack that resembles french fries and tastes like salty wonderful and comes in a cup reminiscent of a cup of noodles . In the shop you could buy gift boxes of small packets of jagarico (mentaiko flavor? curry flavor? yes please, we have people at home who definitely need to try these . . . ) or you could step up to their food counter and order fresh made jagarico OR if you were particularly daring you could get the jagarico sundae with the potato sticks under ice cream, chocolate syrup, and whipped cream. I highly recommend stopping by the shop, you'll recognize it because "Calbee" is always spelled in romanji (roman letters) and their mascot is a giraffe family, because everyone knows giraffes love potato snacks.
 |
| Interesting flavors of jagarico |
*SuperNova Travel Tip: If you see something crazy in an awesome way and you want it, get it. You don't know when you'll see it again and, I'm trying to think here, but I'm pretty sure that I haven't regretted buying anything that made it home from a foreign country. Of course, this is not permission to spend all of your allotted money on potato snacks, but ask yourself - Do I mind carrying this for the rest of the day? - and if the answer is "no," get it. If you wait till the end of the trip to buy mementos "just in case" you find the perfect thing later, then you'll spend your last days frantically trying to find the one thing you fell in love with and never saw again (see: Ghost Scroll Stand from the Kyoto posts). Buy it, enjoy it, and if you decide you don't actually want it then that's one more souvenir for someone at home.
After Takeshita Dori, we looped around to the toy store, Kiddy Land. So, if you were leaving straight from the East Harajuku Station exit, instead of crossing the street and going left to the shopping street, you cross the street and keep going straight along the main road. You'll actually need to cross the street again as Kiddy Land is on the right side of the street and it's a ways down the road. You'll know you're getting close when you see Shakey's Pizza.
On my last week living in Japan, my friends and I went to Harajuku to take pictures and I thought that it would be fun if we each picked out a toy to include in our pictures with us since characters are such a big part of the Japanese pop culture.When we went into Kiddy Land, there was a table on the main floor piled high with a stuffed bear. He was tan with yellow ears and paws and a white tummy and he had a small zippered pocket in his back. He was so soft and squeezable that I fell in love immediately and picked him out. I learned later that his name was Rilakkuma (a combination of the English word "relax" and the Japanese word for bear, "kuma") and he stood for everything I believed in, namely, trying to sleep the day away. He loves pancakes and, because everything in Japan has to have an extremely weird twist, his made-up back story is that he's actually a man in a bear suit (hence the zipper in the back) who wandered into a lady's home and fell asleep there and never left.
When we returned to Kiddy Land, they were having a 10th Anniversary for Rilakkuma. I felt extremely validated that I, in all my excellent consumer taste, had picked a character that has gone the distance. Rilakkuma is so popular in Japan now that he is 2nd only to Hello Kitty. I imagine it's similar to what those people who care about popular music feel when they pick out a band to love and support before they hit it big. So, like all the Japanese girls in the store, I took my picture with the giant plastic anniversary Rilakkuma.
 |
| Note that they changed his story a little, I guess to be less creepy since he's popular with young girls. WHY DON'T YOU FEEL RELAXED BY THEM?! | | |
Kiddy Land is actually a lot of fun if you like toys at all. Mc and Cousin both commented on how many actual adults were there (there were, in fact, very few children). There are sections on each of the floors for all tastes, from Star Wars to Miyazaki to the latest trend (stupid Nameko) to Legos and Nanoblocks to oldies like Moomin or Snoopy. Oh, and Hello Kitty. Hello Kitty has like a wing. We each got something there (except IB who isn't really into toys and characters but
is maybe the most patient and easy-going person in the world since he didn't complain once about spending his day off in a toy store), I got a small stuffed Nyanko-sensei. Mc got a version of a blind box, but instead of a box there's a bath bomb with a mystery Domo toy inside. Cousin got a miniature shaved ice machine from a gacha-gacha machine that had a tiny pencil-sharpener sized blade and even came with ridiculously tiny fancy bowls to put your miniature dessert in.
After Kiddy Land, we started wandering (there are a lot of cool streets in Harajuku) and we encountered a takoyaki stand. Neither IB or I like
takoyaki (hilariously translated as "octopus balls," meaning that there
is a tiny chunk of octopus in a sphere of fried dough, you usually get
six or eight in a tray covered in mayonaise and bonito/fish flakes), but
it's uniquely Japanese and Mc had been wanted to try it, but not a
whole serving. This was a perfect opportunity because Cousin was willing to
try anything, so they got an order and decided to split it. The takoyaki
lady was amazing, flipping the spheres of dough in their takoyaki mold
with what appeared to be an ice pick with lighting speed. When the order
was ready, the boys grabbed a toothpick (have I mentioned that you eat a
lot of food in Japan with a toothpick?) and dug in. And scalded their
entire digestive system. They were not quite done and the molten dough
inside nearly killed them both.
*SuperNova Travel Tip: If you buy takoyaki, make sure it's cooled all the way.
IB had wanted to take Mc and Cousin to a quality ramen shop for lunch. I was not terribly excited about this lunch prospect because I do not like ramen (I know, alert the villagers and light the torches; apparently disliking ramen is some sort of punishable offense). We eventually came upon a ramen shop called Ichiran and I will recommend to you for a 2 reasons. First, it was delicious - using a combination of an ordering vending machine and a little card you fill out with your preferences (English on the back), you could get your ramen made to taste with extra spice or garlic or adding a boiled egg. Second, it was set up like it was a fetish shop. There was a long row of stools along a counter and on either side of each place setting were privacy dividers so you couldn't see the face of the person next to you. Then, instead of being able to see the cooks busily working behind the counter you were sitting at, there was also a screen in front of you, lowered to allow just enough room to slide a bowl of ramen. It seemed very much like a place where you go to enjoy the most shameful of fetishes or illegal substances. Mc actually asked IB if there was some sort of shame in liking ramen in Japan. (There's not.) Anyway, lunch was very good, if not extremely mysterious, and that's saying a lot since I don't actually like ramen.
After lunch, I, rather forcefully, demanded that we go get crepes. In Japan there are a number of small stands and food-trucks selling crepes. They make a HUGE crepe on a hot griddle right in front of you and then they use that crepe like a soft, delicious ice cream cone and fill it with wonderfulness. The crepe place we found had approximately 8 billion flavor combinations to chose from. Mc got something like cheesecake tiramisu. I got vanilla ice cream with strawberries and chocolate syrup and whipped cream. If you go to Japan, try a crepe, though if they don't have an option with ice cream, don't even bother. All the crepe places are about the same (but since I used to get crepes in Harajuku, that's where I wanted to get one for Mc).
After all that, we went to Meiji Shrine. We had to force this on Cousin, who was more interested in pop culture, but we insisted that if he wanted the true Japan experience, he had to go to a shrine. Starting from East Harajuku station, you walk up the hill to the intersection, but instead of crossing the street you turn right and Meiji Shrine is sort of behind the station. It a beautiful shrine way back in a large green space and one of the things that I love about this particular shrine is that it's all white and natural wood stains. There's none of the bright vermillion colors here, it seems very much like a calm shrine in the woods. If you want to see a shrine but won't be getting out of the city, this one is a good choice.
 |
| Woods around Meiji Shrine |
The day was slipping away and we still had to onsen, so off we went. IB was taking us to the 2nd highest rated onsen on the internet (since Mc got us kicked out of the highest rated one) and it turned out to be part of Tokyo Dome City (where we saw the baseball game). For those just tuning in, an onsen is a natural hot spring. You go with your friends or family and soak together. It's a super old tradition in Japan and widely accepted and enjoyed to this day. The onsen we went to was LaQua and I don't really need to tell you how to get there because all you do is walk towards the main complex of the Tokyo Dome and you'll see it, the sign is immense. It's just past the roller coaster.
This time, the boys were smart and covered their tattoos with large adhesive bandages (yes, the Japanese are fine with open sores, but NOT TATTOOS) and we got in no problem. This was a much fancier onsen than any I had been to. It cost 2,600
¥ each and there were extra charges for a variety of things, but the base fee covers the main experience so don't worry too much about the extras. You walk up to the front desk where they give you the run down and a stretchy bracelet with a magical waterproof doohickey that will open your locker. Men and women bathe separately, so I can only describe my experience. I walked down a long hall to another desk where 2 ladies brought out a brochure and asked which outfit I'd like. I chose outfit B, a top with pants, and guessed at a size. I was given a bag and directed to the locker room. I held my doohickey to my locker and it unlocked. I got undressed, held onto my towel, and headed in search of the shower room. In Japan, you must shower before bathing. No soap in the bath. (People think that's weird, but it's like a hot tub; you wouldn't want to see someone shampooing in the hot tub, right?) I found the shower room which was divided into lots of short, open stalls with a stool, rinsing bowl, telephone shower, shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and scrubby towel. It was warm and beautifully lit. After getting quite clean, I went into the main bath area. There were a number of baths to choose from. There was the hot bath, the bubbly bath to massage your back, the fizzy bath for just your feet, the cold bath, the sauna, and the super crazy hot bath outside. I soaked and wandered and soaked and then when it got close to the time I was supposed to meet the boys, I went back to my locker, put on outfit B, and went to the lounge where rows of vanities were set up with mystery hair and face products (since I don't read Japanese and not all of them have English on the front, there's a lot of sniffing and testing on my hand to make sure I don't put moisturizer in my hair). There are complimentary combs and brushes and hair ties and cotton squares, you really don't need to bring anything to the onsen. When I finally met up with the boys and started to compare notes, it turns out that the men's side of LaQua is far more amazing than the women's side, with more pool choices and whatnot. So LaQua is very relaxing and fancy, but especially for boys.
*SuperNova Travel Tip: Americans have huge hang ups about nakedness. I am not an exception to this. In fact, in the 2 years I lived there I managed to avoid onsens almost the entire time because it was my solid belief that if I went with my coworkers (yes, this was a regular invite) it would be an hour of trying to see what the foreigner looks like naked. However, I was not able to avoid it forever and now I'm glad that I went. If you decide to be brave, and you definitely should because it's an incredible, unique to Japan, relaxing experience, then keep these things in mind. 1. They (the Japanese people) don't care. At all. They've been going to the onsen for as long as they can remember and don't think anything of the nakedness. 2. You will be left alone. The Japanese are all about personal space, and the onsen is for relaxing. It's very quiet, no one is really talking at all. 3. You don't actually get stared at. If you don't stare at anyone, they won't stare back. Or at least you won't know if they're staring because you're looking at a very specific space on the floor or wall. 4. Watch out for getting overheated. Even if you want to be in the water because water is better than nothing covering your parts, be careful because it's very hot and will raise your core body temperature. Sit on the side of the tub or visit the cold bath. If you don't want to get stared at in the onsen, don't pass out in the onsen. 5. You'll get over the nerves very quickly. Once you realize that everyone is naked and that no one cares but you, and you find a bath you like and close your eyes, you'll get over it. It's an excellent experience I highly recommend. According to all my experienced friends, the best natural onsens are actually in the mountains, so if you find yourself in the mountains, that's the ideal time to hunt for an onsen. Otherwise, try what's available. Do it. I won't look.
Mc and I had a hotel booked for that night (in large part to give our kind friends a break from hosting us) and so, after the onsen, we hurried (as well as you can hurry when your bones and muscles have been melted) back to IB's aparto to get our luggage and head to our hotel. We ran inside (and up 4 flights of stairs) and started re-packing while Cousin dumped his day's haul of Japanese souvenirs and opened a most revolting snack of pink and yellow crunchy things that were supposed to taste like potato and ham. Then our amazing host looked at our hotel location and the directions Mc had written down, decided on a faster, better way, and then took us all the way to our hotel. Our hotel, the Dormy Inn, was pretty much equidistant between Harajuku and Shibuya and was a 15 min. walk from either station. We arrived, checked in, and then decided that we should probably find a good sushi restaurant for Mc and Cousin to try.
The sushi restaurant IB found was on a tiny street in Shibuya called Sushi Hyoue. It was very late and their top redeeming feature to us was that they were still open. We went in and sat at the bar (sushi bar) and there was only one other small group of people there, at the other end of the bar, enjoying quite a few bottles of sake. The sushi restaurant was having a special where you could get a sushi set (a lot of food comes in a "set," or meal, in Japan) for 1,000¥ or the super good quality fish on the same set for 1,500¥. That seemed incredibly cheap to us, so weren't expecting much. Which was silly. The sushi plate that came out was gorgeous. The fish was clean and bright and fresh, there was a wide variety of types, and each one was expertly hand crafted. I will note here that I don't actually like raw fish (tastes fine, the texture is decidedly . . . well, raw) which is why I don't usually go to true sushi restaurants as that is pretty much all they have, but I definitely wanted Mc to get to try a real sushi restaurant since he loves sushi and we were, if I haven't mentioned, in Japan. I ordered an ebi (steamed shrimp) and tamago (egg). Mc also let me have bites of his sushi, and while I still don't much care for the texture, the flavor was amazing. Mc also got an uni (sea urchin; most foreigners don't like this one because it is very slimy) to split with Cousin and it was the best he'd ever had. Halfway through, I ordered another tamago and the sushi chef decided that to brighten my sad dinner, he'd make one normal (small ball of rice, rectangle of egg on top) and one inside out (rectangle of egg slit and stuffed with a small ball of rice) which was beautiful and delicious. While we were eating, a very drunk Japanese man at the other end of the table kept cheerfully shouting at us with "hellos" and "cheers" and as he was leaving, bought two bottles of sake for us.
*SuperNova Travel Tip: In general (there are always exceptions to rules) drunk Japanese people are the most friendly, fun Japanese people. When Japanese people drink, suddenly their English becomes amazing and the reserved, stand-offishness disappears. If you have the opportunity, drink with Japanese people. But be careful, they will pour you alcohol till you don't remember your name.
 |
| Inside-out tamago |
We finally said good-bye to our amazing host and interpreter, IB, and Cousin and headed back through the warm Tokyo night to our hotel.
I leave you with hilariously awesome Engrish we saw around Harajuku:
 |
| It should be noted that this store was filled with modest, middle-aged woman looking clothes |
