A Meet-up at Sweets Paradise

お久しぶりですね！Or in other words, long time no see.

November has been a busy month, full of midterms and impending projects. 

Last week I went to Hiroshima on an Excursion with NUFS, which I will write about when I have more time, since there is too much to say about it... and it wouldn't feel right to me to slap it in an entry alongside a Lolita meet.

I was pretty upset when I returned from the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, and frazzled from the trying midterms. Luckily, my Lolita friend in Nagoya sent me a message suggesting a meet-up. She wanted to go to a restaurant in Nagoya called Sweets Paradise.

For the reasonable cost of 1,480 yen, you get to eat all you want from a buffet of ice cream, chocolate fountains, cakes, cream puffs, mochi, you name it, they have it.

It includes 'normal' foods like pasta, udon, curry and soup, and also extends to their impressive drink bar, boasting cappuccino makers, every type of pop, juice, and tea. If you'd like to add nomihodai (all you can drink) alcohol, it is an additional 800 yen.

We met up at the giant golden clock in Nagoya Station. I decided to finally break out my entire Honey Cake set, including the ring, Pancake Purse and Ivory Jsk. My friend arrived in Baby's Alice Trick-or-Treat Jsk in black. While we were waiting for the other lolita, a Japanese girl in a Candy Stripper shirt asked to take our picture. She took out her phone and showed us she was a lolita too! 

The other lolita, my new friend, arrived in Meta's Honey Picnic heart apron skirt in mint, with a handmade bear broach. Together we had the perfect Honey and Bears theme.

Read more under the jump-cut!


We set off for the Nagoya/Spiral Towers Sweets Paradise, since we loved the pictures of the decor on their website. (What lolita doesn't want to sit on heart-shaped chairs while eating sweets?) However, when we got there at 11, we were horrified to see the wait was until 4:30 PM. 

No worries! We just hopped back on the train (luckily you can buy train passes on weekends, like I mentioned in this post) and set off for the Parco Sweets Paradise in Sakae. That wait was only until 1:30. 

The interior here is like a 60's diner with a modern twist. 

It was a lot of fun to try all the different cakes, but you get full so fast! Maybe it had something to do with my love for ice cream and mochi, probably two of the most filling things they had.

Thick chocolate cake, soft serve, mochi, and a beautiful green cake. I thought it would be matcha but it had a sweet citrus flavor, and was my favorite thing I tried. 

Apple mousse, warabi mochi, anko, and a slice of matcha cake. 

The verdict? It was delicious, but maybe too much. The restaurant was very narrow, which made getting around in lolita a nightmare. The staff was friendly, but you do have to clean off your own table when you go. 70 minutes seemed like the perfect amount of time to eat and drink your fill, then rest a little before being shoved out the door. 

After, we decided to walk off some of our calorie splurge. We headed to Ohsu for shopping and Purikura.

We ended the day with design cappuccinos at a cafe, called Eye Comodo. The barista made a different design in the foam for each of us...

A bear! Naturally. :D

I'm the shy type, so I'm normally so nervous of meeting new people. But I loved hanging out with these two, they are so funny and sweet! It felt like we had been friends forever. It was just the thing I needed to destress. 

Not to mention, it was my first Lolita outing in a long time. I missed getting dressed up with friends! 

In my last entry, I got a question from a reader named Scattered Dream:

hi i wanted to ask u about nagoya i know someone is trying to go there to study 

so how is it wasn't diffuclt there, exchanged student stay at the dormitory or house stay?

That is a good question! I think NUFS has difficult classes. I am at an Intermediate level, so my classes are entirely in Japanese. At first it scared me, but now I think it has made me better. There is a lot of homework and studying required if you want to pass. If you don't do your homework or study, there is no way you will pass.

Also, NUFS has a strict attendance policy. If you miss more than 1/3 of your classes you automatically fail. I'm saying this because other friends who studied in Tokyo told me, "Don't worry about skipping class, not even the Japanese students go to class." That's a myth, at least for NUFS.

Living in Nagoya is very convenient. It is not too busy or overwhelming but there is still a ton of things to do. If you want to travel to say Tokyo or Kyoto, it is only a few hours away by bus. 

Another good thing about NUFS is all the field trips and excursions they plan, which get you out of Nagoya so you can see the country. For example, last weekend we went to Hiroshima, and before that we visited historic Shirakawa-go. NUFS pays a large part of the price for us, so it is really cheap for students to go.

You stay in dorms here. There are two different apartments where you can stay: One is I-House, the International House. That one is the most popular and closest to the school. It is like a communal dorm with shared kitchens, private rooms and bathrooms, and a curfew. 

The other facility is Proxy, about a fifteen minute walk away from NUFS. It has private rooms with kitchens and Ethernet, but you do have to pay your own sheets and electricity. The rent is a little more expensive than I-House, but there is no curfew.

If you want you can sign up for a Home Stay. When I first got here I was too scared to sign up, but my friends have done them and had a blast! The families took them to places like local fairs, Universal Studios in Osaka, treated them to dinner, and let them try on kimono. 

It sounds like a great experience to me, and I'll definitely sign up next semester in the Spring. 

I hope that answered your question a little! If anyone ever has questions about anything, ask away!