All Bears. All the time.

Before coming to Japan, I heard that you could find a themed cafe for anything... and it seems true! I am always discovering unique businesses I've never seen before.

A few weeks ago, I was invited to Kuma Cafe, a three-story restaurant in Sakae filled with bears. My friend and I wore our matching Honey Cake sets from Angelic Pretty, lounging among bear strewn couches beneath a chandelier of teddy bear key chains. 

The menu had lunch sets, dessert sets, and beverages from espresso to mixed drinks. I ordered a Cappuccino and two Ku-macarons.

Raspberry was the first to go. His expression was too perfect.

Shortly followed by his brother, Pistachio.

As if I didn't get my fill of sweets that day, my landlord stopped by when I came home to give me these:

Gorgeous (and from the looks of it, expensive!) cakes from a local pastry shoppe! When I came home from the states, I brought her chocolates as omiyage. She returned the favour with these lovely sweets! That can't possibly be an equal exchange! ; o ; I was so surprised and thankful.

I put them in my fridge, but didn't eat them. One of my good friends in my apartment building had to cancel her stay in Japan because of personal problems, so I gave her the cakes instead, thinking she could use a cheering up. (Don't worry, I didn't take credit! I told her they were from my sweet land lady. ^o^) 

If you're in the Nagoya or Sakae area and want to stop by Kuma Cafe, I found their link on the handy dandy Tabelog. (Includes a menu, phone number and map.) It's about a 10 minute walk from either Oosu's Akamon Doori or Sakae station. 

Till next time,

Cherie

Things to Come

Hello Darlings!

In February, I returned home to visit my family for Spring break.

Before I left home, I got to celebrate my 21st birthday with my family. My present was to come home and see them. My last night home, we had a spread of all my favourite foods, and my mom let me pick out bouquets of pink, magenta and purple gerber daises. I put them in a vase with a huge purple bow around the neck.

I spent most of Spring break behind the pedal of my sewing machine, and managed to knock out a lot of cosplays!  I'll have to dedicate a future post to solely cosplay, I don't think I can tie it into this entry.

 I returned to Japan last month, and dove into a spiral of Placement Tests, studying... and a whole bunch of adventures!  From the "Bear Cafe"in Sakae, to seeing the land where "Dreams Come True", to seeing one of my favourite J-rock groups.

This is a sampling post! In the next week or two I want to write proper articles, so I can explain these things and maybe you can go and see them yourself! In the meantime, let's see what's in store. 

Upon returning to Japan, I proceeded to eat far too many sweets. My Japanese friend graduated from college, so we had a party at Sweets Paradise in Nagoya.

Not long after, my lolita friend invited me out to twin our AP Honey Picnic sets, and ate lunch at a "Bear Cafe".

Not long after that, rain started falling, cherry blossoms started budding, and it was time for Hanami (flower viewing).

This weekend, we went to Disney Sea, to celebrate my friend's graduation again...

And tonight, I just got back from seeing Alice Nine in Nagoya.

Tomorrow... I think I can actually take a breather!!

Time has been soaring by. Coming back to Japan for a second semester has been the best decision... I'm more comfortable with the language, I know what to expect from my courses and teachers, and the best part is, I came back to a bunch of friends waiting to see me. That makes all the difference. 

Without my friends, I'd be nothing! Not just the fellow riyuugakusei who speak English; but the Japanese ones who live here too. I am so grateful and lucky that they'd invite me into their busy lives, to invite me to things like going to Disney Sea. 

Not to mention we speak only Japanese while we're out, which is amazing practice! You learn expressions and develop a natural style, which I may argue, is impossible to master in a classroom alone. 

Thank you for sticking with Darkly Darling, even with stretches of inactivity. I really hope you continue to follow me on my adventures, and it inspires you to set out on an adventure of your own.

Till next time! 

Cherie

Butler Cafe: Imperial Rose

Photo courtesy of Meieki Keizai Shimbun, 2010.

The Imperial Rose sits on the fourth floor of a building, just a moment's walk from the hustle and bustle of Nagoya Station. Imagine, entering an elevator like any other, pressing the singular violet button that carries you to the top floor.

The elevator opens, and you find yourself faced with a set of heavy black doors. Roses and ivy curl around the black iron clock, ticking away despite the timeless scene.

It's hard to believe that you're still in Japan, and not a scene from a fairytale. 

Like a magic spell at midnight, the cafe comes to life at noon. The lights on the clock ignite like fireflies.

 Rap the heavy iron knocker, and the bolt behind the doors is undone. A dashing butler greets you with a bow and a cordial smile... welcome to The Imperial Rose. 

This butler-kei cafe prides itself on handcrafted sweets, a profound and creative atmosphere, and signature teas arranged by the owner. The workers are all female, dressed in gothic boy style and visual kei fashion. The cafe caters to Gothic Lolita and cosplaying customers, with several special events throughout the year.

The inside of the cafe was all violet, from the chairs to the chandeliers and velvet tablecloths. Ball-jointed dolls  sat perched on the counters. There was a bookshelf packed with gothic lolita art books to admire during your stay, and if you'd prefer to watch something, each table had a television with a selection of dvds about tea. 

Photo courtesy of Meieki Keizai Shimbun, 2010.

When I went this weekend, we ordered the Deluxe Tea set, which serves two for 2,500 yen. We got our choice of tea, which the butler let us sniff for aroma and flavor before brewing. We went with the house specialty, IR tea, which had a gorgeous rose scent.

We were served with a four-tier dessert tray, with crystals dangling from the sides, butterflies arranged in clotted cream, the cakes adorned with bat-shaped cookies. The top tier was scones with our choice of jam and clotted cream (we opted for blueberry); the second tier was cheesecake and strawberry short cake; the third was a berry tart; and last but not least was a delicate chiffon cake served with cream. 

Each guest was served with a different teacup and saucer. The teapot cozies were hand stitched with the cafe name and a lavender rose bud. 

On the way out, you can purchase post cards, stickers, second-hand lolita, cosplay and j-rock goods, as well as handmade accessories from LoveReplica. 

This was my very first time at a cafe like this! It was like a dream. All of the handmade elements, like the menus and decorations were so impressive and unique. I was so sad that photos were forbidden, because everything was beautiful and ethereal. 

It has always been a dream of mine to open my own Lolita cafe someday, and after visiting the Imperial Rose I am even more determined.

It sounds silly, but it's things like this that remind me why I got into lolita, why I still wear it and love it. 

Green Tea Mousse and Tabelog

One of the best parts about traveling is trying hidden local eateries. 

Ohsu is full of them- from a cafe themed as an old 70s garage, to the general fare of wax katsu and udon displays, to seedy 'relaxation maid cafes' on the upper levels of buildings. (Where I hear the maids will let you rest your head in their lap, and they'll clean out your ears. I think it's an urban legend. Or, I hope so.) 

While wandering with my friend, we found a place called "Traditional House Cafe". The store front is dark, wooden, and the entrance is a heavy sliding door, so the only thing giving its presence away is the bulletin board outside. 

We admired the menu and decided it was worth a try. We pulled open the door hesitantly, and to our pleasant surprise, found a tenant waiting at the counter as two girls chatted away at a table. She asked us if we'd like to sit on the second floor, and we went for it.

We ascended a wooden stair case, into rooms with mixed tatami mats and velvet upholstered couches. The color palette was a mix of traditional and modern: cherry wood, matcha green, accented with gold and violet.

We picked our seats in front of a window looking out into the shopping alley. 

We sat for a few minutes watching the people below, as unaware of the quiet cafe as we were. When our orders came, we were at a loss for words.

I ordered a Matcha parfait, and received:

This. Thick green tea mousse over vanilla ice cream, with green tea cake and rich whipped cream. It was huge too, I tried to get my friend to split with me! 

But she was pretty occupied... 

... with her matcha hot cocoa (her photo). 

We left, eager to walk off all the calories, but completely content. 

Of course, when you're wandering around in a new area where people don't speak your native language, how are you supposed to know about the reputation of restaurants and cafes? For those in Japan or who want to visit Japan, and have at least intermediate Japanese, I recommend Tabelog. （食べログ）The name is written with the kanji for "food" or "to eat", and "Log" in katakana. Nice and simple, right? 

Similar to Yelp!, Tabelog provides detailed reviews of restaurants in your area, from corner cafes to gourmet dining rooms. You can narrow search results by prefectures and cities, then by categories, down to menu items. For example, even if you narrow your search to "Cafe", options like "Coffee" and "Tea" appear. 

The reviews are based on a five-star system, with customer-provided photos and comments. If you click on a venue it provides all contact information, the address on Google Maps, and usually coupons too. 

You can find the Tabelog top page here, and begin by selecting your prefecture or main city. 

Go forth with confidence and an appetite!

SWIMMER headphones and cafe cravings

I got to take my new headphones for a spin today, while walking to class. (Today was the first day of Placement Tests!) 

I've owned SWIMMER headphones before, which were neither sturdy nor impressive in the sound department. 

This new model is an improvement though. They're more comfortable, the chord is thicker, and the sound is clearer. We'll see if that quality holds up, or if it deteriorates like the old models. 

The metal sliders on the side are adjustable for size, and again, sturdier than the old plastic sliders. I was able to throw these in my messenger bag during testing and not worry about their condition. 

Speaking of the placement tests, it was about what I expected. We started with kanji, no surprises there. It was a mix of reading and writing, much to my relief; I thought the entire exam would be writing from memory. Half the test was just writing furigana readings.

The second half of the day included computer based testing, on everything from particles to basic grammar.  On both sections, the difficulty increased as you finished the test, and there was some material I didn't know. However, I'd rather admit I don't know it and be placed in a lower level, than guess and be placed over my ability later. 

Tomorrow results will be posted, so please cross your fingers for me. Tomorrow, I'll know if I have to take more exams or not... but I'm hoping not, because I've been wanting to eat breakfast at a certain cafe for days now!

All week, my friend and I have trying to go this a place called Mother's Onigiri Cafe.

On the lower level, they sell supplies for tea making and baked goods. Your nose is filled with the rich, salty aroma of baking bread and matcha tea as soon as you walk in. The second story is an open dining room with huge windows, whicker chairs and glass tables, where you can enjoy the company of a friend or enjoy the laid-back atmosphere. 

We went there a few days ago, but they were sold out of onigiri by the time we got there. Turns out, they only serve certain dishes at certain times of the day- which means we missed their traditional breakfasts of miso soup, onigiri, vegetables and curry rice. Heavily disappointed, my friend and I made a pact to wake up early one morning, just to try their breakfast.

We tried again last Sunday, but turns out, they were closed on Sundays! Foiled again.

Last time, I ended up getting their iced tea. At 380 yen, I thought it was steep at first; but it was not just iced tea! It was the best iced tea I've ever been served. 

It was crisp, cool, and just a bit minty. It was served with dark sweetener syrup (I'm not sure what it was; molasses?) and nuts in a light candy shell. 

The staff at Mother's is sweet and helpful. They gave us a coupon for our next visit, if we ever get there!