Visiting the cat café in Tokyo!

While I was in Tokyo I visited a cat café.  Don't worry, cats are definitely not on the menu! A cat café is a place where you can drink coffee (or another beverage) and play with cats.

I think the reason why cat cafés are popular in Japan is because many people in Tokyo live in apartments and they cannot keep pets of their own. The cat café has created a place for people to enjoy animals while living in a big city. It also fits in with the "kawaii" cute culture in Japan.

The cat café I visited is part of a franchise called Café Mocha which has cat cafés in various locations. The cat café  I visited is located in Shibuya, Tokyo and it is about a 5 minute walk from Shibuya station and you can walk across Shibuya crossing on your way to the café. The opening hours are from 10 am until 10 pm and the last entry is at 9:30 pm. I went there at night with a friend after we spent the day exploring Tokyo. The entrance fee is 200 Yen for 10 minutes. You can also purchase a refillable vending machine drink for an additional 350 Yen. The vending machine has many drink options like hot chocolate, tea, different sodas and all kinds of coffee. If you want to get the cat's attention you can do this by buying some cat treats for around 550 Yen.

The café is clean, nicely decorated and the cats appear to be healthy and well looked after. There are many cat toys that you can use to entertain the cats. They café gives the cats time to rest by letting the cats be around the customers in shifts.

Before we entered the café an employee explained the rules for handling the cats. Customers are not allowed to pick up the cats but they can touch them and stroke them. Customers should not pull the cat's tails and they should not tease the cats. I'm glad this cat café has good rules for handling the cats. Next we had to clean our hands with hand sanitizer and store our belongings in a locker. Then we had to remove our shoes and put on the indoor slippers provided by the café.

Inside the café the cats roam freely and there are cat toys available for you to use to play with the cats. There are vending machines with lots of different drink options and different kinds of coffee, hot chocolate and sodas. There are also tablets with information about the cats and the café and there is wifi available. 

The café has a cosy atmosphere. It is on two floors and there are sofas to sit on and places for the cats to sit and relax. There is also quite a nice view of Tokyo from the windows.

 This is a picture of the cats during feeding time at the café.

The cat café is very cute and it is a fun place to visit. Even if you are not a cat person this café is still an interesting place to visit in Tokyo.  If you are a cat lover then you should definitely check out this café! 

Café information: Café Mocha in Shibuya Tokyo

You can find more information about this café on their website: http://catmocha.jp/

It is about a five minute walk from Shibuya Station in Tokyo.

The opening hours are from 10 am until 10 pm. The last entry is at 9 pm. Café Mocha has a few cat cafés in different locations in Tokyo. Some locations have different opening hours so please check on their the website. 

Ogaki Castle in Japan

When I lived in Japan I was very fortunate to live just a few streets away from a very beautiful castle.  Ogaki castle is located in Gifu prefecture in Japan. It is historically significant and famous for its role in the battle of Sekigahara. In 1600 it was used as a base by Lord Ishida Mitsunari. Lord Ishida Mitsunari and Utaki Hideie fought against the Tokugawa forces but Tokugawa managed to draw them out to the field of Sekigahara where they were defeated and Tokugawa Ieyasu’s troops won the battle. The Tokugawa clan ruled over Ogaki until the Toda clan came to power in 1635. The Toda clan then occupied Ogaki Castle until the feudal era ended with Meiji Period. Outside the castle there is a statue of Lord Toda Ujikane who was the castle Lord in 1653. 

My favorite time of year to visit this castle is during sakura cherry blossom season in April in Japan because the castle grounds are filled with beautiful cherry blossom trees.

 Inside the castle there is a museum with a nice display of Samurai armor, castle information, weapons and other historical artifacts. At the top of the castle there is an observatory deck. The admission fee to go inside the castle is 100 Yen.

At the top of the castle there is an observatory deck. You can open the windows to get a better view. On the day I went up to the observatory deck it was raining so the sky looks overcast in the pictures.

When I visited the castle and I saw two Japanese cosplayers outside the castle.

Next to the castle there is a nice park where many people go to relax. There is a jungle gym for children to play on and it is a good park for families to visit. 

This castle is historically significant in Japan and it is a good place to visit in Ogaki!

Information:

The admission fee to go inside the castle is 100 Yen. 
The castle is open from 9 am to 5 pm (enter by 4:30 pm) but it is usually closed on Tuesdays. 
This castle is close to Ogaki JR station. If you walk down main street for a couple of blocks and then turn right you should see signs showing the direction to the castle.
Address: Kuruwamachi 252, Ogaki City, Gifu 

Ogaki Festival in Japan!

I love festivals and I was delighted when my co-workers in Japan told me about the Ogaki matsuri. Matsuri is the Japanese word for festival. The Ogaki matsuri is Ogaki's biggest festival and it has a 360 year old history. It began when the neighborhoods surrounding Ogaki donated shrines and floats during the reconstruction of Ogaki Hachiman Shrine in 1648.

Ogaki is known for being the most centrally located city in Japan. It's also the second biggest city in Gifu Prefecture. When I was in Japan I lived and worked in Ogaki and this festival literally took place in the streets right outside my apartment building!

During the festival thirteen floats or "yama" of Ogaki are paraded through the streets of the city. On the streets there are many stalls that sell food and merchandise and offer fun games to play. My favourite float was the one with children dressed up as Maiko or Geisha on the float. 

In the evening the floats were decorated with lanterns which lit up at night. 

Some of the candy sold at the food stalls was so cute! I liked the character lollipops and the Minion bananas.

The Ogaki Matsuri is very interesting. It's a fun way to spend a weeked in Ogaki! I would recommend attending this festival if you happen to be in Japan and near to Ogaki city.

Festival (Matsuri) information:
Address: Ogaki Hachiman Shrine and the main street outside JR Ogaki Station.
1-1, Nishitogawacho, Ogaki, Gifu 503-0908
Ogaki city Japan

May 14 2016- May 15 2016

My visit to the Kawaii Monster Café in Tokyo

The Kawaii Monster Café is a colourful and eccentric café in Harajuku Tokyo. Kawaii means "cute" in Japanese. The café was created by Japanese artist and fashion designer and creator of the 6% Doki Doki fashion label, Sebastian Masuda. You can see his influence on the style of the café because it is just as playful, colourful, fun and zany as his clothing line.

Harajuku is known for being the fresh, young and hip but "out there" fashion area in Tokyo while I would say that Ginza is the posh, luxury fashion area with the luxury brand stores like Gucci etc. In Harajuku there are lots of vintage stores and boutiques selling amazing, fun, colourful clothes. Harajuku is also a fun spot to do people watching as you can see some interestingly dressed Japanese youths around this area and in Yoyogi Park.

The cafe consists of 4 zones which are the Mushroom Disco, Milk Stand, Bar Experiment and Mel-Tea Room. When you arrive at the café you choose which zone you would like to sit in and you get a point card. There is a 500 yen entrance fee the first time you go to the café, however once you have a point card you don’t need to pay the entrance fee when you visit again. Each time you visit the café and enter a different zone, you will get a stamp on your point card. When you complete all the zones, you will get a gift and your point card will be upgraded to the next status.

Upon entering the café you encounter a giant merry go round shaped like a cake. A Harajuku girl or “Monster Girl” will take you to your table. The décor in the café is colourful, crazy and psychedelic.

The food at the café is unusual and interesting with meal options ranging from rainbow colored spaghetti to chicken with chocolate sauce! You can view the restaurant menu on their website: http://kawaiimonster.jp/pc/en/menu/  I ordered some colourful cake.

This café is an interesting place to visit in Harajuku Tokyo and experience some Harajuku style dining.

How to get there:
Kawaii Monster Cafe Harajuku
Address: Tokyo-to, Shibuya-ku, Jingumae 4-31-10, YM Square building 4th floor
Open 11:30 a.m.-10:30 p.m. (last seating at 9:30 p.m./last order at 10 p.m.)