My first cat cafe

Feeling feline... I needed to write about Ikebukuro station, did a little research and it turns out the place is quite a cat cafe hub. I went in search of Nekorokobi, who's website I had seen, but wandering the streets I saw a sign with a big cat face saying 'Neko no mise 2nd branch'. I assumed this being a second branch that it was a popular company with good standards and the likely hood of it being busy would be smaller. Bingo! The cafe was super quiet, absolutely enormous and the cats oh so cute. Whats better than sipping Jasmine tea, reading a manga you can't quite understand and sitting with snoozing cats? Nothing I tells ya! It was a super chilled cafe, it felt far more like a library, which is my kind of place really.

It was also fairly amusing watching some of the Japanese girls who had clearly never interacted with a cat absolutely wetting themselves at everything, ranging from OMG SO CUTE to HOLY CRAP THE CATS ARE RUNNING ACROSS THE ROOM I AM GOING TO DIE. So for those who are anti cats its pretty funny to people watch.

Mori Tower

So, after my first meeting with Japan Tourist I ventured out into Roppongi, renowned for its day time business and night time party culture. However this post is devoid of both of those elements, sorry! I went to Mori tower in Roppogi hills to check out the Tokyo City View and visit the Mori art museum, both of which are spectacular and well worth the 1500 yen to get in. I was fairly early in arriving, around 11am, so the 52nd floor was practically empty! Though the weather wasn't at it's best, the view was still astounding. I plan to visit the Tokyo sky tree at dusk on a sunny day to catch a glimpse of mt fuji on the horizon. 

 

The gallery is of course very photo unfriendly but there was one piece in the 'all you need is love' exhibition by Kasuma Yayoi entitled 'love is calling' which wasn't so photo shy, and thank god for that, because its pretty hard to describe it's awesomeness in words.

 I was really blown away by this exhibition in general with work ranging from Frida Khalo and Salvador Dhali to Asada Masashi and Nan Goldin.


Though these tentacles don't half remind me of the rather dark side of Japanese culture.... *cough cough* 

Meiji Jingu

So, on my first free day (vaguely free of jet lag anyway) I headed up to Harajuku. My body still isn't on the right time yet, so I ended up arriving very early on a rainy Sunday morning, like the rest of the world, Tokyo is a little sleepy come sunday mornings, Harajuku didn't pick up till about midday at which point I was a hot mess from the humid weather!

I didn't get any snaps of Harajuku, though I did see my first 70ish ojiisan in full florescent pink tutu and body suit. Oh Tokyo...

However I did get my tourist on going down to Meiji Jingu, the gorgeous shinto shrine. It seems impossible that you can come from girls in 7 inch platform heels and gogo shorts munching on crepes to a tranquil woods in just minutes.





The shrine is lovely with iris gardens in bloom nearby, decorated sake barrels, and the wooden ema with wishes written on them. Even on a weekend it wasn't overly busy, but waiting for a clear shot of the temple itself is practically impossible!

Liz hits Japan

いっらしゃいませ

 Yes, these feet have finally landed in Tokyo, the place I have been dreaming of for years! I'm blogging/ writing articles for Japan Tourist and should shortly be posting on that website. But for now here’s a few snapshots of my first day.

 This has to be the essential Tokyo living, in an apartment block surrounded by hundreds of buildings, over head wires and trains.

 Of course, that being said, this is Japan and there is always room for a shrine next to the car park! Its a beautiful little sight that warms my heart, a little but of old Japan in with the new! I will be posting short blog entries on there that I wont be using on Japan Tourist, so this will be my day to day stuff rather than reviewing coffee shops and tourist destinations etc. Please visit the website and when you see my posts favorite and share them!