Tokyo and Melting Bears

 02 April 2025

Continuing our day in Tokyo, my friends and I explored around the Shibuya area. The cherry trees (sakura) were almost in full bloom on this rainy day.

This is not THE Shibuya crossing but it is a busy one and there is this funky building with a garden up top where you can get a great view from above. 

Inside the upper floors was a food court, with various stalls and some seating outside (which was all wet). We also were lucky to stumble on this absolutely wonderful art cooperative for people with disabilities.

The current collaborative project, which we were invited to participate in for free, was making a heart from colored masking tape over a template, then peeling it off and sticking it onto the window. 

They had a variety of merchandise for sale made by the disabled artists. I bought a canvas bag with the words "it's a dog" because the artist drew a dog but it looked like a cat. 

PHOTO PLACEHOLDER

We also found them out on the street in another location, promoting World Autism Day. ♥

More street art in an underpass, showing some famous Japanese animated characters.

Rainy day in Shibuya. We popped into the liquor store because one of my friends is a whiskey aficionado. 

This plum wine has gold flakes in it. Google Translate seems to think otherwise...

And now for some dinnertime fun! This hot pot restaurant is called Kumachan Onsen (Little Bear Spa). You will soon see why.

The table has a hot plate built in where you place your hot pot. 

Each person chooses the color of their bear, which is made of gelatin and is flavorless, and what they want to add (meat, vegetables, tofu, soup flavoring). The noodles, salad, and pickles are included. I chose a tonkotsu flavor base which is in the small dish at the top of the picture. 

Once you turn on your hot plate, the bear begins to melt, tipping over and turning into a kind of adorable yet tragic figure as it melts into its "bath". 

Once there is enough liquid, you can add the flavoring and ingredients into the hot broth. There is a "sauce bar" where you can create your own dipping sauce. You eat it by picking things out of the hot pot and dipping them in your sauce to cool them enough to eat. 

Even the toilet was cute. (The control panel on the wall is for all the functions of the famed Japanese toilet.)

Mega Donki anyone? (It's a famous dollar store in Japan called Don Quixote, with the amusing nickname of "donki".)

The lights are beginning to come on and Shibuya is coming to life for the evening. I was tired and headed back to my capsule hotel for the night. 

Now THIS is the famous "Shibuya Scramble" crossing. The photo doesn't quite convey the feeling of how many people are crossing at once in different directions and trying to get across without colliding with someone is quite a challenge. 

And that's a wrap for the day. 

Cappiness: Capybara Cafe in Tokyo

 02 April 2025

Some dear friends from Hawaii were visiting Tokyo and we had the chance to meet up and spend a day together. One of them actually visited me the last time I was in Japan 30+ years ago, so it was also kind of nostalgic/surreal. 

They were staying in Shibuya so we started out there, breakfasting at a Hawaiian themed restaurant called Eggs 'n Things. When we paid, the host was very excited to meet some folks from Hawaii. 

The pancakes weren't the famous fluffy, jiggly kind, but the mountains of whipped cream made up for it. Mine was cherry blossom and matcha flavored. 

The cuteness is everywhere in Tokyo. 

The capybara cafe was called Cappiness and advance reservations are required. We had to wait for the capybaras to have their break time before our group was let in. Each group was given one cup of grass. some people rationed out the grass stalks carefully one by one and others fed them by handfuls and let much of it fall to the floor. It seems capybaras are too finicky to eat off the floor.  

There were a couple of cute stuffed capybaras (in case you couldn't get one of the real ones to come near you, I guess).

There was about 25 minutes of feeding the capybaras. Some of them were more enthusiastic than others. An attendant (standing, with apron) was monitoring everything closely the entire time. 

Their hair feels extremely coarse, just the way it looks.

They haven't got the cleft upper lip that some animals have, and the way their mouth moves when they eat is really entertaining. 

There were three in total, and after a while these two had had enough of people and moved into a corner to chill. The third one just kept eating!

The attendant gave a brief informational presentation with really adorable drawings on a large notepad. 

There was a spin the wheel prize giveaway (extra grass, a capybara photo, stickers, or magnets) for each group.

At the end, the capybaras were given a dish of pellets and each group got a group photo taken together with them.

This was definitely a unique and fun experience.