October gallery

Well, I’ve been a bit busy/lazy and now it’s time to try and catch up. I could write a thing or two every week but I just can’t seem to find the time to do it so I’ll be glancing over some things I wanted to write a whole post about but haven’t found the time for.

Tokyo has an absolutely incredible amount of weird places to go to and caters to all whims and wishes. Here are two of those: first a cat café, a place where you pay a bit more for your coffee to be surrounded by cats, and a horror/prison restaurant, where you pay to be scared. The table is in a jail cell, everything served is at least a bit suggestive and every hour they turn the lights off, the stroboscope on, and let loose staff in horror masks that try to scare the drinks and dinner out of you.

: Cat paradise if it weren’t for the pesky tourists trying to pet them.

: The cats were just trying to stay away from people and sleep, I would be doing the same if my job was to be petted

: You can only pet them after they have nowhere else to run

: A cat lady with her special cat attracting powers

: I was not kidding when I said we were behind bars

: Nurse administering a blood transfusion

: A bit suggestive

: Not subtle at all

: Drinks served in a mannequin’s head

The school took us to a disaster awareness and training centre where we came to know what to do during earthquakes, typhoons, and fires. The centre provides a hands on experience so it was both fun and very sobering, especially the earthquake generator.

: No fire was safe from the Vulcanus firemen squad

: We were unable to keep standing once the 2011 earthquake was simulated

: Getting ready for the typhoon, simulated 100km/h winds

: Vulcanus group shot with most of the teachers.

One Sunday morning I was woken up by drums and after looking through the window realised a local festival was happening!

: Festivities!

: The festive entrance to the local shrine.

: Group photo after some midday sake and chat

: The local shrine was built before the world wars and glorifies Japanese might

: A stone skipping competition while we waited for evening

: The portable shrine is brought back to temple

: Festival games! The kid was an absolute pro, I couldn’t get a third of what he did when I tried

: Festival food!

: There’s no party without some adorable geriatric hula dancers

: A showing of a local tale of a thief trying to swindle a princess and a warrior

: Evening group photo after the performances

: At the end the organisers throw sticky rice balls (mochi) to the visitors

I also returned to Enoshima Island for a fireworks festival. I’m used to fireworks lasting around 10 minutes so a 45 minute show was something I definitely wanted to see! It sure was worth it, absolutely amazing, especially the choreographed parts (here’s the finale, at the 2min mark the largest one goes off). I tried taking photos but firework photography proved hard!

: Fuji after the sun set

Here are some more random photos that I think are worth sharing.

: My former Umi (sea) class

: After school ramen feast

: Supposedly the best ramen in Harajuku

: Tokyo SkyTree from Asakusa

: Sensoji’s pagoda at night, Asakusa

: Sensoji’s main hall at night, Asakusa

October concluded with Halloween… The Japanese like to dress up and because of that Halloween has been growing in popularity in the last years, getting bigger and bigger. This year in Shibuya it was the largest party, some say better and larger than New Year’s Eve, Japan getting the Olympics, and important Japanese football matches. I can’t compare it to other events but it’s by far the biggest outdoor party I’ve been to. And the most fun for sure.