Japan 2015: Day 9 - Ikebukuro with Typhoon

Yay ~ typhoon time! It was raining like CRAZY! The worst day during my vacations (weather-wise). I didn't know what to do that day. For the evening, I was meeting up with a friend from Germany but she was stuck in university, so no Sailor Moon cafe for me :(
So what to do on a rainy day? Visit the owl cafe and the planetarium in Sunshine City! I made an appointment the evening before (you need to reserve a time frame at Ikefukuro) and everything worked very well. I took two pairs of shoes with me. The new ones I bought a day earlier from Axes Femme and some shoes from home. Both were soaking wet when I arrived at the cafe and the rest of me, too. Umbrellas were quite useless because the rain came from all sides.
But when I entered the cafe (cafe is the wrong word, it's just a room with owls), everything was forgotten. OH MY GOD! It was a very small room and all kinds of owls were lined up around the walls and the middle of the room. Of course it's not good for the animals. They aren't able to fly and have to sit around all day long. I felt very sorry for them but I tried to ignore it and just enjoy the cuteness of the birds.
They gave a short security instruction (for me in English in written form) and then you were able to pet the owls and take pictures. They were so soft and nice and beautiful *v*
After an hour, I had to leave again and headed towards Sunshine City for the planetarium but well..again...my bad luck. It was CLOSED. dunnn dunnn duuuuunnnn
So I looked around Sunshine City shopping area and bought new shoes because like I said before, mine were soaking! They were super cheap on sale and had platform soles - perfect! I also bought a pretty maxi skirt in a cute little mori-like shop.
Then, I ate super delicious ramen and some icecream. Because some trains already stopped running, I decided to go back to the hotel. A friend of mine, who is working in Japan, asked me out for a drink, so we met up in a small little rock bar in Ikebukuro. I drank delicious cocktails and we talked a lot and catched up a bit.
All my days were packed with acitivties except for this one. I felt like wasting time but I didn't know what to do during the rain. But still, it was a nice day, just not so exciting like other ones, maybe.



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The super delicious ramen
They sold them in Ikebukuro Station but I missed to buy one ;_;

Japan 2015: Day 7+8 - Yokohama & Shimokitazawa

I'm so sorry that I'm so behind but I think it doesn't matter for you if the stuff I write about was two weeks or two months ago :D
This was my last day with the rail pass, so I decided to go to Yokohama because the train fare is a little bit more expensive and I'd save money with my pass.
It's very easy to get there from Ikebukuro, a line is directly going there. The last time I was there with Cindy, we got lost and ended up in the Nissan showroom. This time, I got a little lost, too but then the Closet Child sign appeared in front of me and I knew where to go! I bought a pair of shoes and a dress at Closet Child. I like the Yokohama shop :) It's my second favorite after Harajuku's! Then, I wanted to go to Vivre and yeah...my bad luck again. All the Lolita floors were under construction!! D: So I shopped a little bit at Donki and bought some beauty stuff. After that, I took the train to China Town. It was very nice to see the chinese buildings but to be honest, it was quite boring, too. The shops looked all the same and had the same stuff...
So I took the train back to Tokyo and visited the Shinjuku CC again without any luck. Then, I finally got my beloved Udon noodles in Sunshine City *o* I should have eaten them more often. Soo cheap and delicious!!
In the late evening, I met up with Sashi and some of her friends in an Izakaya. We had a very nice view from there and it was a funny evening. Her Japanese friends asked many questions and their English was very good! After the Izakaya, we drank something at a pub and I took a late train home. It was a great evening.

China Town

Many Panda themed items

Donkey Kong in Shinjuku

Delicious Udon

Hard Rock Cafe in Ueno station

from the izakaya

My cocktail at the pub :)

The typhoon was heading towards our direction and it was raining non stop!! This day (Day 8), Nostique and I had a second hand shopping/hunting date. We met in Japan before in 2013 and she is still living there, so we met up and she showed me the secret not-so-secret second hand stores in Shimo Kitazawa. It was so nice talking to her and she was very patient and showed me the best shops where they had super cheap Liz Lisa, Tralala and Lolita stuff. The even showed me Grand Bazaar because I didn't know they had a physical store. I bought quite some stuff. There was a veeeery old classic Angelic Pretty OP (for 2000 Yen!) but I passed because I didn't know how to put it all in my suitcase and how to combine it. Now I regret it :( It was a floral print, very pretty.
We also ate a lot that day. I ate my first doria (OMG SO DELICIOUS!), then gyoza and super delicious red velvet waffles.
Although it was raining, she came with me to Shinjuku and Harajuku afterwards. In Shinjuku, she showed me the Maiden Clothing store (didn't know it existed...) and we shopped a bit at the Closet Childs. Unfortunately, Usagiyouhinten was closed again :( We also took Purikura in the game center and I was very happy to meet her again. It was a wonderful day and I am very thankful that she was so kind to me and showed me everything ♥

Purikura ♥

Red Velvet waffles. A big scroop of vanilla icecream was missing but it was so delicious *o*

The 2000 Yen AP dress....

We passed by an animal shop. I think you have already heard of those shops in Japan. They sell super cute little kittens and dogs. They live in very small glass boxes like this cutie here. It's heartbreaking.

Japan 2015: Day 6 - Back in Tokyo

 I took an early Shinkansen and said Goodbye to the Kansai area while it was raining. It Tokyo it wasn't raining - thank God! I was able to check in a little bit earlier and then met a German friend who is living in Tokyo and one of this friends. We visited the Sweets Paradise in Ikebukuro. It's All You Can Eat with cakes but also Japanese curry and other hearty dishes. I tried a few of the cakes, all of them consisted almost completely out of cream. That was too much, so I changed to the curry and it was so delicious *_* The even had salad with the sesame sauce I love so much. When the time was over, it had started to rain again, so Simon and I went to the Game Center where I took Purikura with him. It was his first time and he hated it but it was soooo funny and I was happy he did it.

When we parted ways, I decided to go Shibuya and shop a little bit in 109.
During my first time in Japan in 2009, I was in my Gyaru phase (I wasn't pulling off the style correctly but I loved the clothes). We have visited the 109 many times during our vacation and were there for many hours.
This time, I visited all the floors and was finished like... after an hour or so? I'm not much into the fashion anymore, I think. I bought some socks and that's it. After that, I visited the Shibuya Disney store and bought some more Tsums. It was raining quite heavily but it was still early, so on my way back, I made a stop in Harajuku.
Before I came to Japan, I saw that there was the red version of AATPs Gather Frill Chiffon was available at Closet Child Harajuku but on my first day, I couldn't find it. So I thought, it was sold but it was there!! It's missing the pearl chain but the price was so good, that I bought it after trying on. I was so happy, it was my first Lolita dress I bought there. Because of the heavy rain, I just visited a few shops at Takeshita doori and bought accessory at Paris Kids.

Shinkansen. It reminds me of a duck's beak

My meal for the 3 hours Shinkansen ride back to Tokyo

Some cute bags
My new dress, I looove the color!

Japan 2015: Day 5 - Kyoto Part 2

I became very hungry, so I looked around for some nice restaurant. By chance, I found the tradition style Hello Kitty restaurant. Another themed restaurant, that's what I like!
Like in the Peter Rabbit restaurant, there were Hello Kitty plushies sitting on the tables. I got something traditional japanese delicious: PASTA. They were very good and you were able to keep the chopsticks. I like presents!





I love all the details in themed restaurant/ cafes! The (no idea if this is the correct English word for ist) foot (they stand on it..) of the tables were Hello Kitty ribbons!!

There was another Ghibli shop next to the restaurant
Next, I looked around the area and found a giant Buddha (Ryozen Kannon). It was a shrine for WWII. You got an incense stick and put it in a sand to many others. It was for the unknown soldiers who died during the war. It was very quiet and peaceful there. It was almost closing time. So I looked around and saw a big golden ball. You had to go around it three times and touch it, thinking of your greatest wish. Then it will happen. I tried, so let's see what happens.
There were many urns with sand/ soil from World War II cemeteries. I found that a bit strange but it was very interesting to see everything.





Then I took the bus back and got in the train for the Inari shrine.I always wanted to have my own photo standing in the 1000 tori and I got it!
It was very easy to find since the Inari station has just one exit. There was the first giant Tori and I was in awe *_*
(but before I got something from the Sailor Moon Gashapon at the conbini) I was too tired to walk all the way down the 1000 tori but I enjoyed it very much. The sun was going down and the food stalls closed, so afterwards I drove back to Osaka and called it a day



FINALLY! Can get this off my bucket list


I call this picture: Kitsune and Catsune

I really liked Kyoto and all the sightseeing! It's so different from Tokyo ♥ I'm happy I decided to go to Kyoto and Osaka.

Japan 2015: Day 5 - Kyoto Part 1

 I have so many pictures I want to show you, so I will divide Kyoto in two parts!

It was a wonderful sunny day and I took the Shinkansen to Kyoto quite early because I had an appointment at 11 o'clock. I've seen some people doing Maiko photoshoots and I wanted to try it too. It wasn't because of the makeup but the Kimono. I wanted to know the feeling of wearing a Kimono.
In Kyoto, I had to take the bus. The system is so easy, because it's always the same amount you have to pay, no matter how many stations. But I took a day-ticket (500 Yen) because I didn't know. Thank god, I had internet connection. Otherwise, I would have been lost without help. But with Maps I found the studio easily and the transformation began.
I chose the studio plan with one extra photo in the garden and the full wig. I got some socks and a white "dress" and was told to go upstairs and change into it. I waited and saw a beautiful light pink kimono with cherry blossoms! That was what I wanted!! But before you can choose a kimono, you will get your makeup. The women spoke little English but it was enough to give you instruction "Close your eyes" etc. When I first saw my full makeup I was shocked T_T Everyone looked so pretty but I felt so ugly. Then I was able to choose my kimono but the sakura one was gone! So I chose a turquoise/ teal colored one. Unfortunately it looks totally blue on the photos. Then I got my wig, it was a strange feeling because it weighs a lot. And last but not least: the kimono! I was so tight!!! The woman who got dressed at the same time looked like she was "suffering", too. We looked at each other and smiled. When I was finished, I still had the feeling of not looking good but I liked the kimono a lot. The color was so vibrant ♥
I waited downstairs and saw the girl (she was Japanese) in the light pink sakura kimono. She looked GORGEOUS! When she passed by, she said to me, that I looked very pretty. That was very nice because I wasn't able to feel the same way. The photoshoot itself was very quick. I got instructions how to look and how to pose. Just one shot for one pose and finish! I knew the photos must turn out as ugly as I felt. I had 10 minutes free time in the backstreet and the photographer took a few pictures with my camera. After two hours, it was over and I changed back.
I got my photos and didn't even dare to look at them.


Then I looked around a bit. Woah, nobody told me there are so many stairs! There were sooo many tourists and tourist~y shops with souvenirs. I bought some keychains (for me and as a souvenir) and super cute bonbon sweets sushi. One of the shop owners asked where I was from. After telling him, we said "Dankeschön" (Thank you) and "Schönen Tag!" (Have a good day). I love it whem foreign people do this ♥



There were many Totoro/ Ghibli Shops. I this in any way related to Kyoto?

Next, some sightseeing. I visited the Kiyomizu-dera. I always wanted to stand there and the view was breathtaking *-* I bought some good-luck charms (but for good health and relationship) and strolled through the area. It was soooo beautiful but the cicadas were very loud and nerv wreckig!



That's the view I wanted to have ♥

His art was wonderful

So peaceful

Hope all these wishes come true ♥

Next will be the Hello Kitty traditional style restaurant, a Giant Buddha and Inari (1000 tori)