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Long and tiring day today. In the morning we did laundry and met a photographer staying at the New Koyo, who recommended we go to Harajuku today, since there was a festival and Sunday was the day all the cosplay kids (as in dress up, not as in anime characters) hang out and act all sullen for the camera.
We navigated the train system to Harajuku, where there were fewer cosplayers than usual because the area they usually hang out in was taken over by the Summer Festival. There were many, many groups of dancers, most dressed in polyester, who danced on two different stages. There were also food booths set up, and some booths we couldn't quite figure out. One of them had nine photos of traditional housing around the world. We wandered in, because it looked vaguely like it might be a display on sustainable housing or something, and were accosted by a Japanese man with a clipboard, who made it clear that we were to choose three of them. Why, I have no idea. But he gave us colorful handkerchief ans small magnets for doing so.
And later on the Guardian Angels booth - yes, Japan has Guardian Angels - gave us free fans.
We walked on to the Meiji Shrine and, typically, managed to walk almost all the way around it before we found it. And Rachel got harassed by a security guard. I surreptitiously snapped their picture. :)
When we finally found the shrine, we wandered in and took a few pictures, felt up the wood (very smooth and soft), and otherwise made tourists of ourselves. At the entrances there are small gift shops selling charms - I was tempetd by teh Charm to Ensure Traffic Safety. It seems that nowadays the job of a shrine maiden is to sell souvenirs to tourists.
And then we ate lunch at the Meiji Shrine lunchroom, which was quite good and reasonably priced. And in translation advertised "a smoking duck." I had no duck. I had pork, rice, miso, some sort of fried fish, and chilled tofu with something of some sort on top of it. Rachel had rice, broiled mackeral, eggplant (which remined uneaten), pickles, and miso soup. All for about $10 each.
I didn't mention that there are dancers in full costume in the hot, humid weather, wandering around all over the place. Some in giant headdresses. And please to remember the costumes are polyester. I feel for them. After a trip to the gift shop (well, naturally), we ehaded into Harajuku proper to do some gawking and shopping.
Takeshitadori is the main shopping street, full of little boutiques catering to the teenager with a wild fashion sense and a lot of cash. The street was crammed solid with people looking to see and be seen. Not as many costumed up as I expect there is in cooler weather.
We went into a shop that featured lots of leather, PVC, ruffles, and sequins.![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
vom_marlowe, there was a mannequin outside that Rachel and I instantly knew was dressed as hooker!Aya. We weren't allowed to take photos, but we snuck one, and will post it when we get home. I swaer I'll draw you hooker!Aya in that outift. XD
We went inside and were quite impressed by the workmanship and the prices. Rachel spent $125 on an outfit that would have cost, minimum, twice that in the States.
What was that outfit? You'll just have to wait! And guess in the comments. Maybe I'll do a poll. XD
And then we ran all over Takeshitadori looking for accessories. I found the awesomest backpack ever, black with pink skulls all over it, for about $20. And we found the accessory Rachel was looking for in a small shop catering to the punk aesthetic called Yellow House.
Now for you J-pop lover on the list: the woman who runs Yellow House and does all teh designs for it, has costumed EVERYONE. She showed us the photo spreads in J-pop magazines, and the WALL O'PHOTOS of J-pop stars and J-rockers in her designs. I remember Hide, but naturally nobody else. :) Anyway, we talked for a good long while. She's the Punk Nazi because she barked at Rachel that she was putting The Accessory on all wrong and kept barking until we got it right, and then chased two customers off while she was talking to us. She said she's been there for 25 years.
And then we got tired and footsore and took the train back to Minami-Senju, bought bento in the Fmaily mart conbini (convenience store), and came back to eat and post. YOU ARE NOW ENLIGHTENED.
Oh yes - the directional mojo works in Japan! A tall skinny South Korean kid with a towel wrapped around his head chased after us and asked if we were from the New Koyo. When we said yes, he made small talk but had a desperate look to him. We eventually figured out he wanted direction and the right train connections to Ueno and Tokyo Station. We sent him on his way. And then we all managed to convene back in Minami-Senju at the same time, and he walked back to teh hotel with us because he wasn't sure he remembered the way.
We navigated the train system to Harajuku, where there were fewer cosplayers than usual because the area they usually hang out in was taken over by the Summer Festival. There were many, many groups of dancers, most dressed in polyester, who danced on two different stages. There were also food booths set up, and some booths we couldn't quite figure out. One of them had nine photos of traditional housing around the world. We wandered in, because it looked vaguely like it might be a display on sustainable housing or something, and were accosted by a Japanese man with a clipboard, who made it clear that we were to choose three of them. Why, I have no idea. But he gave us colorful handkerchief ans small magnets for doing so.
And later on the Guardian Angels booth - yes, Japan has Guardian Angels - gave us free fans.
We walked on to the Meiji Shrine and, typically, managed to walk almost all the way around it before we found it. And Rachel got harassed by a security guard. I surreptitiously snapped their picture. :)
When we finally found the shrine, we wandered in and took a few pictures, felt up the wood (very smooth and soft), and otherwise made tourists of ourselves. At the entrances there are small gift shops selling charms - I was tempetd by teh Charm to Ensure Traffic Safety. It seems that nowadays the job of a shrine maiden is to sell souvenirs to tourists.
And then we ate lunch at the Meiji Shrine lunchroom, which was quite good and reasonably priced. And in translation advertised "a smoking duck." I had no duck. I had pork, rice, miso, some sort of fried fish, and chilled tofu with something of some sort on top of it. Rachel had rice, broiled mackeral, eggplant (which remined uneaten), pickles, and miso soup. All for about $10 each.
I didn't mention that there are dancers in full costume in the hot, humid weather, wandering around all over the place. Some in giant headdresses. And please to remember the costumes are polyester. I feel for them. After a trip to the gift shop (well, naturally), we ehaded into Harajuku proper to do some gawking and shopping.
Takeshitadori is the main shopping street, full of little boutiques catering to the teenager with a wild fashion sense and a lot of cash. The street was crammed solid with people looking to see and be seen. Not as many costumed up as I expect there is in cooler weather.
We went into a shop that featured lots of leather, PVC, ruffles, and sequins.
vom_marlowe, there was a mannequin outside that Rachel and I instantly knew was dressed as hooker!Aya. We weren't allowed to take photos, but we snuck one, and will post it when we get home. I swaer I'll draw you hooker!Aya in that outift. XDWe went inside and were quite impressed by the workmanship and the prices. Rachel spent $125 on an outfit that would have cost, minimum, twice that in the States.
What was that outfit? You'll just have to wait! And guess in the comments. Maybe I'll do a poll. XD
And then we ran all over Takeshitadori looking for accessories. I found the awesomest backpack ever, black with pink skulls all over it, for about $20. And we found the accessory Rachel was looking for in a small shop catering to the punk aesthetic called Yellow House.
Now for you J-pop lover on the list: the woman who runs Yellow House and does all teh designs for it, has costumed EVERYONE. She showed us the photo spreads in J-pop magazines, and the WALL O'PHOTOS of J-pop stars and J-rockers in her designs. I remember Hide, but naturally nobody else. :) Anyway, we talked for a good long while. She's the Punk Nazi because she barked at Rachel that she was putting The Accessory on all wrong and kept barking until we got it right, and then chased two customers off while she was talking to us. She said she's been there for 25 years.
And then we got tired and footsore and took the train back to Minami-Senju, bought bento in the Fmaily mart conbini (convenience store), and came back to eat and post. YOU ARE NOW ENLIGHTENED.
Oh yes - the directional mojo works in Japan! A tall skinny South Korean kid with a towel wrapped around his head chased after us and asked if we were from the New Koyo. When we said yes, he made small talk but had a desperate look to him. We eventually figured out he wanted direction and the right train connections to Ueno and Tokyo Station. We sent him on his way. And then we all managed to convene back in Minami-Senju at the same time, and he walked back to teh hotel with us because he wasn't sure he remembered the way.