Saturday | September 23rd 2017 | Harajuku - Shibuya
Okay, it’s been far too long since I’ve posted. I’m sorry! Moving on…
Last weekend, there were two huge festivals held in the Shibuya ward in Tokyo. In preparation, we started off the day with lunch at Kaffir Lime, ordering Pad Thai because we’re basic, and of course we just had to explore Cat Street on our way over to Yoyogi Park.
We stopped into a super secret Kendama shop on Cat Street known to locals and professional Kendama players. They were nice enough to give us a quick tutorial into this popular street game. Check out Iwano-san's Instagram!
Coming from Los Angeles, I was missing some quality boba and Gong Cha did not disappoint. I got my classic Passion Fruit Black Tea with Boba, but here in Japan they refer to it either as Pearls or Tapioca.
And this is lowkey embarrassing, but we found a beautiful emerald green wall outside of Ralph Lauren so we had to stop for some pictures.
There was also a homemade candy shop, and we stepped in at the perfect time to watch the candy connoisseur work his magic!
Missing LA Part 2: Saw avocado. Embraced. Took picture.
After a few too many pit stops, we finally made it to the infamous coffee festival. The Tokyo Coffee Festival is a seasonal event that invites coffee-loving vendors and brewers to share their craft with the community. They partner up with a local farmer’s market so basically we were surrounded by delicious coffee, food trucks, various food stands, and even live music.
While there were many food trucks, my attention was caught by this adorable "coffee book" truck — pun intended!
Can you feel his passion for coffee through the photo?!
Forget about diet today! Eat ribs!
Live electronic/tech music. Very trippy and weird. Totally fit the eclectic aesthetic of the overall event.
The same day, there was an Indian cultural festival in Yoyogi Park called Namaste India. For a brief history, this festival is the biggest Indian festival in Japan, showcasing Indian food, culture, dance, and music.
I thoroughly enjoyed my time at both of these festivals, and I can’t wait to check out other festivals during my time here in Japan. Since Tokyo is such a large urban space, there’s always something to check out. That said… it’s very important to take it slow and give back to the community as well. Check out Part 2 of this blog!
More Blogs From This Author
Farewell IES Abroad Tokyo
Today we had our last IES Abroad Tokyo party with the IES Abroad students, staff, KUIS faculty, KUIS students, E-pals, the lovely homestay families, and...
Allen Chen
Hailing from Southern California, I traveled the (not so) great distance of seven miles to attend Occidental College in Los Angeles. At Oxy, my coursework in American Studies and Sociology allows me to explore American history, literature, and culture. While abroad, I aim to broaden my understanding of the American experience, improve my Japanese, and grow as an individual.
