Peace signs and Pikachu! LML Mitzi tells us how her trip to Japan has changed her, for the cuter.
I have a confession to make.
Since coming back from Japan, I’ve changed. Not physically or anything, (well, maybe I did eat too much fried chicken…) but creatively, I’ve changed. I’ve become obsessed with Kawaii.
“Kawhat?!” I hear you ask.
Kawaii. It means cute, lovable and playful. It’s all about anime, accessories and big eyes decorated with artificial lashes. Kind of like… this:
So how did this happen? Well, it all started in Osaka…
I woke up to a cold and gloomy light coming through the windows of our hotel room at the Ramada Osaka. It was nearing the end of winter, but the February wind had an icy chill that seeped through the glass and ate at my cheeks. After two weeks of zipping around the country on an overstuffed tourist itinerary, we had a free day to do nothing except explore and shop Osaka.
Ramada’s superior double room
Being a central hotel, the Ramada was nice and close to the Nakatsu subway station, so getting anywhere was easy. We get dressed, cross the road and buy train tickets to Umeda, Osaka’s entertainment district. Now, there’s a couple of things you’ll notice as soon as you start taking public transport in Japan. The first is how efficient it is and the second is how many advertisements are crammed into the ceiling and supporting walls of the train. People read their phones, tablets and comics while fluoro anime advertisements dance around their heads.
We arrive at Umeda, leave the terminal and stride out on the streets, craning our necks up at the buildings. A girl rides past us in stiletto shoes and a floral froufrou dress. Feeling slightly underdressed, we envy her talent as she peddles past. Taking the ‘inside route’, we walk through giant department stores like Hanshin and Hankyu (think the Myer and David Jones of Japan). Each one morphs into the next, often panning entire streets.
Shopping in Japan is something else and it’s super easy to become entranced by all the crazy products on sale. Colourful gadgets line the shelves and little TV screens chirp persuasively around you. “If I buy this glittery eyeliner, I’ll get the guy and live happily ever after”, I think to myself as I walk towards the cash register. Trust me—it’s effective.
We enter a cosmetics store and my brain can’t keep up. My eyes struggle to absorb all the lights, sparkles, beeps, bells and robot noises. Before I know it, I’m walking out with a fake fringe, a ‘space rock’ face mask, three packets of fake eyelashes and an obnoxious, faux leopard print hoodie. And it’s only been five minutes. Yeah… shopping in Osaka is dangerous.
With our ridiculously large stash of kawaii accessories, (I’m talking scrunchies, crazy hair bows and those glasses without the prescription glass) we continue on.
Feeling peckish, we go in search of the ultimate Osaka delicacy, Takoyaki (A.K.A. fried octopus balls). Takoyaki is everywhere and makes an awesome takeaway snack. We find ours on the first street corner we come to and follow it up with some Okonomiyaki, a grilled pancake with all sorts of fillings. Food is everywhere and Osaka smells like a giant barbeque. It’s no wonder this place is famous for “Kuidaore”, which means ‘to eat until you drop’. Can I get a hell yeah?
Next—karaoke, the ultimate Japanese pastime and totally kawaii. You’ll never have this much fun in a small room drinking unlimited soft drink EVER. We find a multi-storey building right near the Hep Five complex in Umeda, which has bowling and karaoke on each level. It’s amusement heaven and we pay $15 to sing off-tune, dance on couches and bang bongos for an hour. That’s after we figure out the Japanese remote of course!
As we leave the Karaoke booth we stop into another amusement centre for some photobooth fun. This really takes ‘the selfie’ to the next level and we love every moment of being vain. We spend ages perfecting our kawaii pics, adding fake eyelashes, stamps and even adjusting our lipstick colour. Posing, peace signs and pouts—what’s not to love?
Our day comes to an end, and we return to the Ramada Osaka, loving how close it is to the centre of town. It’s a great spot for all types of travellers and you won’t go hungry- there are six food and beverage outlets including Teppanyaki, Italian and traditional Japanese. YUM!
The Ramada has over 500 rooms, each decorated and styled with flat screen TV’s and Simmons Beds so you’re bound to get a good night’s sleep. And the amenities are perfect for any kawaii adventure, especially the Shiseido face wash! Dumping all our crazy goods on the bed, we play and pose like six year olds with new toys.
Before that day, it’s fair to say that I never would have picked Pokemon over Prada.
It may be immature, but Japan has a way of convincing you that it’s OK to embrace your playful side. Everything in Japan is cute: people, fashion, even the bird noises in the subway. It’s all Kawaii. Too cute for words, except this one.