🍌 Kagamine Twins 10th Anniversary Collaboration Cafe 🍊

Happy Holidays everyone!

Having just arrived home around an hour ago, I decided to write about today’s visit to the “Vocaloid Kagamine Twins 10th Anniversary Collaboration Cafe” held at NicoNico Honsha’s cafe in Ikebukuro.

Although I wasn’t a very active Vocaloid fan now compared to during my high school days, there’s still some nostalgia in my heart for these digital singers. Coming across news about this event happening right now, I got a friend from university (who herself is an avid fan of Len and Rin Kagamine) to head over there on the day before the Kagamine Twins official birthday (27th December).

We reserved a 3:30pm time slot online and arrived around 3:18pm to line up. After the staff came to mark our reservation, we were given our table number and the menu to order first before taking our seats at 3:30pm sharp. Even from the online menu list and looking at the menu over and over, we were still conflicted about what to eat. Since you’re still welcome to order at the table, we first chose our drinks.

There wasn’t a lot of people on a weekday afternoon, with around 5 groups of 1 or 2 people in line with us. Still, it might get busier tomorrow with the official birthday of the twins.

One thing to note: when reserving a spot online, you can only reserve up to 2 people. We were guessing this was to avoid big groups and having seen the layout of the cafe, there were only counter seats for singles and tables for doubles only.

Cafe Layout

Apart from the counter seats and tables, there was also a wall that stretches across the cafe area where you can leave wishes or doodles, plus some TV sets playing a collection of Kagamine twins songs related to the items on the cafe’s menu.

The Doodle Wall and TVs

 

Kayla doodling on the wall~

 

Me doodling on the wall~ ✌

 

Both of the things I had were songs I knew and were strongly familiar with. For drinks, I had the “Lost One’s Weeping” (ロストワンの号哭) cocktail, which consists of black coffee with chocolate whipped cream and ice cream on top and a tiny square of sugary milk blanket.

The Drink

Since the drink itself was pretty sweet (even with the bitter black coffee), I went for the “1, 2 Fanclub” (いーあるふぁんくらぶ) Mapo Tofu to balance it out.

The Food

We both shared a 10th Anniversary Special dessert, drizzling of orange and chocolate sauce with a scoop of mango sorbet, a slice of mango pineapple cake, “Number 1 and 0” biscuits and cream in the middle of the plate.

The Dessert

For a character-themed cafe, the food and drinks were pretty good. The cocktail was still my favourite of all the things I had. The Mapo Tofu sauce was sort of sweet but still spicy and although the biscuits for the dessert were pretty dry, the overall dessert was still nice. Portions may feel small but the food presentation makes up for the visit.

You also get a free coaster for every item ordered from the menu, which kind of explains why someone at the other table ordered like 10 glasses of the same drink so she could get all the available coasters…

Free Coasters I Got

For some reason I do need to give a shoutout to the staff at the cafe, they were really kind and accommodating to requests we had. I actually also like this tiny detail of how they kept the coaster face down so we could do a big reveal to see what we got.

Regarding the merchandise for the event, a lot of items (acrylic keychains, the twins’ can badge set and clear file) were actually sold out, with only the big-sized poster and song-related badges still available for sale at the shop nearby.

And that was our visit to the cafe! It was quite worth the visit, especially for a casual Vocaloid fan like myself. I enjoyed listening to their songs while enjoying my meal there, nostalgia showering over me and my friend. If you happen to be around town from now until January 5th and plan to head over, I would suggest making a reservation online first, especially with the holiday season happening for the next 2 weeks in Japan.

Xin’s Visit to Tokyo Takarazuka

Hey so before that, apologies for not updating this place in months… /_\
It’s been a while since I wrote anything here so about time I posted something.

And with that said, let’s get back to the topic at hand!

Failing to procure tickets for Takarazuka’s production of “West Side Story” in January 2018 (Seriously tickets were sold out within minutes of opening sales, it was that bad), I decided to try and catch an evening show by getting a same day ticket [当日券 or “Toujitsuken”].

 

The fanclub awaiting their star first thing in the morning…

After lots of intense research on how early you should go to get tickets and the best days to catch a show, queueing up at 9:30am on a weekday wasn’t too bad. Later when a staff member came along with a counter and greeted us with a good morning (plus a “Thank you for waiting!”), asking her what number I was I realised I was only just No.14 in line for the last row of B seats at the 2nd floor.

My initial plan was to get a standing ticket since personally, my legs are fine and I don’t mind standing for hours (also yes it’s ¥1000 cheaper), but since I’m like around the middle of the queue and standing tickets don’t go on sale until all seats are sold, I decided to keep my space in the queue and just get the last row seat.

10 am came and picking Seat 19 for the last row, I squealed in delight while clutching my ticket in hand…

All I have to do now was survive the next few hours of university before the 6pm show.

~ INTERMISSION ~

Fast forward to 5pm plus a tiny break from university, I left the house aga

in and reached the theatre at 5:30pm.

That gave me some time to browse around the venue: from the gift shop to the rental counters and cafes, before reaching my seat inside the concert hall.

 

Takarazuka’s Giftshop “Quatre Reves”

 

Tokyo Takarazuka’s Ground Floor

 

Also, it’s a good move to visit the bathroom before the show.
The bathroom queues during the intermission were terribly long.

The show I watched that day was called “Berlin, My Love” [ベルリン、我が愛]. It’s about wartime Germany and movies, and a director’s dream in making a “talkie” despite the rise of the Nazi Germany regime and troubles within the UFA; and like almost every Takarazuka show, there’s a budding romance between the director and film star he personally raised to stardom.

Poster for tonight

Despite my basic levels of Japanese, I was still able to follow the story and get what’s going on. Seeing all this live on-stage, I was blown away by how amazing it was to see everyone’s skilled acting, how amazing the stage looks and changes during certain scenes, even the set designs were amazing. The songs for this musical were alright to drive the story, but otherwise, they don’t really stay in your mind after the show.

One piece of advice though: bring some binoculars or opera glasses with you.
I was squinting a lot during the show from the very last row. Still, at least I could get a view of the entire stage and take note of things happening in the background. If you really want to get a closer look at the actresses’ faces and maybe details from the stage (be it sets and costumes), you might want to bring one with you.

Of course, you can rent one from the counter on the ground floor, keep in mind that the rental fee is ¥500 plus a refundable deposit of ¥5000.

The main musical lasts for an hour and we got a 30-minute intermission before the next part. After browsing the gift shop a second time yet not getting anything in the end, I decided to get myself a mocha softie from the cafe on the first floor (which was good 🙂 ).

My mocha softie~

After the intermission comes the liveliest part of the night: a mix of song, dance and vaudeville-style spectacles.

 

All set for Act 2!

 

Although I was overwhelmed with the number of stories they’ve crammed into this 30-minute second act (I’ve lost count with how many stories were there and which story we are in right now), it was definitely more vibrant than the first act. I’m however still questioning how on earth does the audience know when to clap along during the show… (Perhaps there were some people who’ve attended the same show multiple times to get the gist.)

And with the screen (not the curtain) closing down on the stage, my night at Tokyo Takarazuka comes to a close.

For a first experience, I was really happy that I got a chance to catch this amazing troupe I’ve always heard about right here in Tokyo. Whether you’re a super fan of Takarazuka or you just love musical theatre, definitely go if you have the chance. Hopefully I can catch another show next month before the end of my exchange.

Here’s a helpful link on how to get tickets for Takarazuka that I’ve heavily relied on: [Link]

Fullmetal Alchemist Exhibition @ Gallery AaMo

This series will have always have a special place in my heart.

Back in 2007 when Xin was just 12 years old and facing the last days of primary school, “Fullmetal Alchemist” (FMA) became both the first ever manga series I’ve followed and an entry point into the world of Japanese comics and animation.

So being greeted by the slogan “おかえり、ハガレン。” (Welcome home, Fullmetal.) at the door just hits me right there in my soul.

With the release of the live action film on December 1st this year, it’s no surprise that it’s a great time to promote the series again especially after its end few years ago. I was letting the lounge television play in the background one evening when I noticed the advert for such exhibition happening here in Tokyo.

I bought my ticket ahead at the nearest 7-11 and after my interview with the academic advisor, I head over to the event the next day.

 

Just another cloudy day at Tokyo Dome City

Gallery AaMo is located near Tokyo Dome, which apart from the stadium also contains an amusement park and other character-related shops nearby such as the Shonen Jump store.

FOUND IT! 👍

Although you can rent an audio guide featuring the voices of the Elric brothers: Edward (Romi Park) and Alphonse (Rie Kugimiya) for ¥600, I still opted it out since I doubt I will fully understand what they are saying; though I think it would still be cool to hear their voices accompany you throughout the exhibition space.

Each visitor however gets a free, event-exclusive 4-koma bookmark; and there’s a different comic for each day of the week. So since I went on a 水曜日 (Wednesday), I was pretty amused on how Hiromu Arakawa (the author) made a comic based on “water” and the flame alchemist Colonel Roy Mustang. Pretty lovely souvenir to keep even if you didn’t get anything from the merchandise corner.

Get it? It’s “water” day (Wednesday)…

This exhibition showcases various types of original artwork including manga volume covers, chapter covers, pages and promotional artwork; followed by some animation cells for the 2004 and 2009 anime adaptations and 2 OVAs (“Conqueror of Shamballa” and “Sacred Star of Milos”).

One thing that caught my eye was in between showcasing the artwork, they did put up a small section of real weaponry owned by Arakawa-sensei, which was used as references for drawing weapons for the series.

FIGHTING PANTIES!!!

There were only certain parts of the exhibition where you’re allowed to take pictures, so here’s what I have:

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So what are my favorite parts of the exhibition?
Definitely seeing Arakawa’s original artwork with my very own eyes.

We were all allowed to closely inspect each piece of artwork, from the lineart to the acrylic colours; the usage of screen tones and correction fluid. Apart from admiring the craftsmanship it does give me a refresher for some amazing moments in the story, up to the epic finale. There was also a tiny presentation on how Arakawa-sensei did the poster for this event and watching the painting process was really nice. All this hand drawn artwork made me think how much different the manga was from the anime adaptations, with stories being told through panels or a stand-alone illustration instead of character movements.

There were also 2 video displays in the beginning and end of the exhibition that are also part of my favorites: when Ed and Al first attempted transmutation to resurrect their dead mother and when Ed goes to the “Door of Truth” to finally bring back Al’s human form. Setting these up definitely sets the mood for the exhibition, good way to start and wrap up the tour.

Upon exiting the exhibition area there’s a ハボック雑貨店 (Havoc’s General Store) a.k.a the merchandise corner and some costumes on display for the upcoming live-action film at the exit.

 

Looking good there Alphonse~ 👍

 

And that was it!

Overall, I was extremely satisfied and was really happy I got a chance to pay this a visit. The admission was fair enough with such a plentiful showcase, and I’ve spent a considerable amount of time roaming the galleries. For a fan of the series since childhood this was definitely one of the greatest moments I’ve ever experienced.

Got some masking tape and a postcard set~ 🛍

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You can visit the official website for the exhibition here: http://www.mbs.jp/hagarenten/english/
The exhibition will also be held in Osaka later during the month of November 2017.

Ward Office Experience [Sep 2017 Edition]

Alright it’s been a week since I’m here, still hanging in there~ 👍

After a whole day of Orientation Day Part 2 on Monday, and just when I thought I could take a break on Tuesday; I was on another important mission that still needs to be done before I could kick back and wait for classes to start.

That’s right, TIME FOR A TRIP TO THE WARD OFFICE PEOPLE.

📋 So 2 things I need to do:

1. Register myself at the ward office [ 住民登録 or “Jyumintouroku” ]
2. Join the National Health Insurance (NHI) [ 国民健康保険 or “Kokuminkenkouhoken” ]

 

This may not sound like some public exam but I was actually nervous before my visit. I was mainly worried that even with my basic levels of Japanese, things could get really complicated over there. Though technically that shouldn’t be too bad with the school’s guidebook on what to say and terms you may need when you’re at the ward office.

I did however ask my fellow exchange students how their trips to their respective ward offices went and it seemed fine with them, apart from the super long waiting times (Up to around 2 to 3 hours). Then again most of them come from the same student villages or dormitories compared to me, so I guess the nearest ward office over there was aware of the number of foreigners they have to welcome around this time, I’m not sure if it is the same for the ward office here.

So waking up right around opening time (8:30am), I left the house an hour later and made my way to the Arakawa ward office [ 荒川区役所 or “Arakawakuyakusho” ]. 🏢

And already finding my way to the ward office was a nightmare…

Armed with only screenshots from Google Maps (I still don’t have any internet that time), I navigated through apartment areas and narrow roads to get to my destination. Unfortunately, it was also raining and for mid-September, it was extremely humid. So another half an hour later, I arrived at the ward office around 10:15am.

Arakawa Ward Office 荒川区役所

Exhausted from the walk, I still mustered enough energy to ask the reception where to go. Heading to the “住民” (Jyumin) counter with the dizziest of minds, it took me a couple of seconds to recuperate myself in front of the staff before telling them I just moved to Japan and what I need to do.

I was then given a form to fill in (Which has some English in it by the way) and after that, I was given a number to wait. Few minutes later my number was called, and after telling me what else I missed out in the form and asking to point out my house with a map through my address, they took my residence card [ 在留カード or “Zairyuukaado” ] and then there’s more waiting.

About 20-ish minutes later, my number was called back and I got back my residence card with my address printed on the back and a carbon copy of the registration form I’ve filled in, which they told me to bring it to another counter so I can register for the NHI. Before leaving the counter I asked for a copy of my residence certificate [ 住民票の写し or “Juumin-hyou no utsushi“ ] because my university told me to get a copy, and so I filled in another form and paid ¥300 for the copy.

Alright 1 down, 1 more to go.

At the “國保” (Koho) counter, I handed over the carbon copy and told them about joining the NHI; in addition to stating that I’m a student, I don’t have any income from the previous year (Since I just moved here) and I don’t have a part-time job. With that information in mind, the person at the counter gave me another form to fill in with some English instructions on the side.

After filling it in they took it back and gave me some information about how to pay for the insurance at the convenience store and the payment deadline. They also showed me on my first bill that since I have no income or job, the discount is applied. For those who need a reference, the insurance premium should be around ¥1280 per month (Around €10).

And that’s it, I emerged victorious from the ward office procedures.

Then I went home to rest for a bit before heading to Shinjuku to get a SIM card and visit Shibuya… 😀

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So from my experience, it wasn’t a big problem with some basic Japanese at hand and I could answer most of their questions. Also, the forms were in English and they provide English explanation for filling in the forms, so that’s also not too bad. 🙂 The staff and officers at the ward office also deserve a shout out because they were all really nice and helpful:

 荒川区役所のスタッフ、どうもありがとうございました！

In case you have no idea how to speak Japanese or still have doubts, it definitely doesn’t hurt to bring someone who can speak Japanese with you.

Also from registration to the NHI, it actually took around an hour. There weren’t as much as people as I thought it would be (Around 5 to 10 people were waiting but they were soon gone in minutes). Some of my friends went during the afternoon and there’s definitely quite a crowd at their ward office.

💡 Just remember:

• Don’t forget to bring your important documents! That includes your passport and residence card.

  • In case you don’t remember your address, bring along a note of your address or contract.
  • You can bring along your student card just in case you need to show proof for the NHI discount.

• Go early. Around opening time or morning hours is preferable. Waiting times may differ depending on which ward office you need to go. Reserve a day for the trip so you can get everything done.

• The forms use the Japanese calendar system instead of the Western calendar system [ 西暦 or “Seireki” ] so for your information 2017 is “平成 29 年” (Heisei 29 nen). Then again if you aren’t sure, feel free to ask the staff! :3

Alright, that’s all for my ward office experience! 👏

To any of you who’ve stumbled upon this post in the hopes of finding out what to do or how is it like to visit one here in Japan, I hope my experience may lift some doubts or answer any of your curiosities. All the best to any of you who will be visiting one!

❀ It’s Orientation Day ❀

And now, allow Xin Xin to bring you: the first post about Tokyo.

8th September 2017, it’s Orientation Day (aka the day all exchange students have to show up at school).

With the session starting at 12:30pm, I left my house at Machiya around 10:45am so I can slowly make my way to school or in case I get lost through transiting trains and getting from one line to another line.

Despite getting confused with which line to switch on the way, I managed to make it to Mita station; the station where the university is located. It was at the ticket gates that I saw some foreign looking people who look similar of age as me. Fighting my introvert attitude, I went up to them and asked if they were heading to the orientation as well; and since they were, I followed them. That was when I started meeting people who are in the exchange program.

With someone’s help at the station, we came to a road with Tokyo Tower right in front of us at the end of the busy street. 🗼

Tokyo Tower at the end of the lane~

Then on our left, stands an old-looking building wedged between two modern office buildings. And that dear readers, is Keio University; the place that I’ll be spending my 5 months of exchange at. 📖

Keio’s East Building *O*

Since we’re seated based on which university we came from, the people next to me also come from my home university back in Rotterdam. Most of them were doing economics, business or social sciences; but asking around people from other home universities later, majority of them are doing business studies.

For the next 2 hours, it was filling in a registration form, giving us our student IDs, introduction round for staff and later, all of us exchange students. It was during the introduction round that I realised there’s like 10 or 12 of us who come from Erasmus University Rotterdam, and even we ourselves were surprised as someone from the front row turned around and said WHOA HOW MANY OF YOU ARE THERE???

And so, Part 1 of the orientation ends; and will only continue on Monday. So… what now?

Seems to be a waste to just call it a day and head home, so meeting up with the people I met at the train station just now; and since some of them still need to come back for another session, we decided to head nearby to Tokyo Tower.

Passing by Akabanebanshi station and Shibakoen Park, it struck me…

I was here 2 years ago to catch the Tokyo Marathon. :O

It’s already surreal enough that our university is literally next to Tokyo Tower, what makes it even more surreal was that I was around here 2 years ago getting a good spot to watch the marathon around 9 in the morning.

With some of our group who went back for another session, us remaining few decided to hunt for something to eat.

And now, FIRST RAMEN (Not counting cup noodle) IN JAPAN. 🍜

First Ramen in Japan~ 👍

Apart from definitely being a few euros cheaper than Rotterdam (From 10+ euros to around 7 to 8 euros), it was still amazing. The soup is thick, the noodles delicious, there’s decent amount of sides (roast pork, seaweed, bamboo shoots) and I could help myself to as much spring onion or spicy side vegetables whenever I wish. Plus after just one bowl, it became clear that dinner won’t come soon for me. 😀

(from left to right) Sierano, Steven, Madeleine & Isabel

Then 4:30pm came, and meeting up with the others again; we headed for the park near Tokyo Tower again.

We also came across the Zojo-ji temple in the park, which is pretty big and for a temple complex dating from 1622, it’s pretty amazing that it still holds up to this day.

And after seeing Tokyo Tower at sundown; we went our seperate ways, since I live way up north and they all live in the same dorm down south in Yokohama.

So that’s how Part 1 of my Orientation Day went, and I met up with them again the next day for another adventure. Having stepped into the campus for once I’m pretty excited on coming here frequently despite a 45-minute commute to university. Can’t wait for things to start during end of this month.

Tokyo Tower at Night~ 🌃