I remembered when I watched the very first Harry Potter in theatre, I immediately fell in love with Harry's snowy owl friend, Hedwig. Even though, the witchcraft and wizardry were so fascinating to watch but it was this white, furry bird that stole the show for me. And, I thought to myself just how cool it is to become friends with an owl and have it perched on my arm to everywhere I go? Totally cool! And I would never have imagined that years later, I actually got the chance to see what that is really like.

Forest of Owl - A forest-like owl cafe in Tokyo, Japan

Will and I came to an owl cafe during our short 4-day stay in Tokyo as part of our honeymoon trip to Japan. The country is known for their unique culture and extraordinary themed cafes. So, we couldn't possibly leave here without experiencing one. We didn't know what to expect and didn't really do much of a research before showing up at an owl cafe. The cafe was located on the 5th floor of a commercial building. Upon stepping out the elevator, we felt like we entered into a charming simulated jungle. We were very intrigued. And, as we wandered further into this dim jungle-like environment, we were stopped by a still, soundless feathery creature right in front of our feet. I was a little startled at first, wondering why an owl figurine was placed in an odd place like that. But, as I walked closer to it, I realized it was breathing. It was a real owl. It looked away when I stared at its eyes. A real, living owl just chilling casually on the floor right by some vending machines.

Self-serve your own drink from a cool vending machine

We looked around the place and realized this wasn't really a cafe with tables and chairs. It was a free space where owls were literally everywhere. We grabbed our drinks from the coolest vending machine (seriously, there was a LCD display that showed you how your coffee was being made live inside the machine) and began our little date with these owls.

Owls for you to pet and photograph

Dozen of owls of different breeds and sizes were scattered around standing still at the cafe. I got my camera out and started doing my photoshoots with these owls until I realized I could even touch them! The staff handed me what I thought look like an oven mitten and asked me which owl I'd like it to perch on my hand. At this point, I didn't care which owl! Any owl would do! I ended up starting with one that I felt was friendlier and calm. The staff picked it up and reached over to my mitten-covered hand. The owl walked over in an instinct and grabbed onto my wrist like I was some kind of branch. I never thought I could be so up close and personal with an owl. I started naming every owl that was placed on my hand with a name of its own. I really enjoyed this bonding time and just learning about their breed.

Doesn't this fella look like angry bird? LOL

Can't go home without a selfie with this guy! he's so adorbs!

A post shared by L • Every Little Thing (@angelichigo) on Sep 24, 2016 at 5:05am PDT

Perhaps, one of the owls got so warmed up to me that it decided to poop on my lap. It was gross but hilarious at the same time because I actually didn't care. Oh fun times!

Forest of Owl

03-3254-6366
Tokyo Akihabara / Bird cafe
Weekday 12: 00 ~ 22: 00, Weekend 11:00 ~ 22:00
Entrance fee 890 yen with 1 free drink
〒101-0021 Tōkyō-to, Chiyoda-ku, Sotokanda, 4 Chome−５−8


What do you think about this owl cafe? Would you give it a try?

Check out my other posts from my Honeymoon trip in Japan!

The Must Eat, Drink And Play in Tokyo

{Ichiran Ramen} A Dining Experience Without Any Human Interaction

Hot Springs of a Lifetime in Kinosaki Onsen

Fresh Off the Boat Seafood at Tsukiji Market

“Can I wrap myself with a towel?” I thought to myself.

When I said this out loud in my head, naked women strolled by me in the pubic shower. I peeped over as they walk, trying not to look like a creep. But, I realized I'm only allowed to bring a face cloth with me before heading out to the Japanese hot springs. I returned awkwardly into the ladies’ room and shuck off my last bit of security.

Japanese bath hopping in their beautiful yukatas in Kinosaki Onsen

Hot Spring Resort Town – Kinosaki Onsen

Kinosaki Onsen was a popular hot spring sanctuary where we got our first dip at this bathing culture in Japan. As part of our honeymoon trip, I wanted Will and I to get pampered and relaxed. The trip to the town took about 3 hours via the bullet train (one of the fastest trains in the world!) from Osaka Station. The train ride although long, was the most comfortable ever. Not only that the train was fast, smooth and spacious, the view was amazing to look at!

Japanese love their natural hot springs for a lot of good reasons. They claimed that the water was magical! The natural minerals in the water could cure a lot of health issues such as stiff muscles and pain, improve digestive problems and soften skins! Hence, many locals love spending their time here as a relaxation getaway.

Superior Service and Suite at Yuraku Kinosaki Spa & Gardens

We arrived on a quiet Thursday afternoon. And that meant fewer people to photobomb our pictures at this beautiful town! We grabbed some quick bites in the old-fashioned looking town just before checking in at our Ryokan – traditional Japanese inn with woven straw mat (known as tatami).

We felt a phenomenal customer service as soon as we entered Yuraku Kinosaki Spa & Gardens. Besides having a shuttle bus to pick us up from and to the train station, their concierge lady also knew how to speak in Chinese! And that wasn't just it. The bell boy escorted us to take the elevators up to our room while he ran 3 floors with all of our heavy loaded bags. Yet, he still managed to appear in front of us before the doors opened! All without breaking a single sweat! I always knew Japanese perform one of the top customer services but this just had us blown away!

Let’s talk about the room! I should call it a suite because it was huge, equipped with two private toilets, a great size dining area and a living room that you could section off with a sliding door! As a kid, I was always into these traditional tatami rooms. I got to sleep on a thin mattress (futon) on the tatami floor and rolled around like a baby. And the best part of the room? Definitely the balcony looking out to the exquisite garden view!

Every visitor must change into their Yukatas provided by their Ryokans before heading out to the hot springs

Bath Hopping to 7 Public Hot Springs!

With our stay at any Ryokan in Kinosaki Onsen, we also got a free pass to sample all 7 other public hot springs. I was beyond excited because bath hopping was a must-do activity in this famous hot spring resort town!

We got into our Yukata (Japanese style bath rope) and wooden clogs provided by our Ryokan and began our first bath hopping experience.  Thankfully, both men and women were separated in the hot springs. Hubby was smart enough to do his homework about its etiquette before coming here. Whereas, I thought I'd just take it as it comes.

I got into the change room. I saw ladies of all sizes stripped down to nada and showered beside each other in the bath area! I was astonished. I crept into a side corner where I sat on a stool and started lather myself with soap like all others. Everybody was supposed to shower and rinse before entering the hot spring. But I felt uncomfortable being naked around people I didn't know. But, nobody else seemed to care of my existence. I tossed a bucket of cold water over my head to rinse free of soap. I imitated others cautiously, and returned the stool to its original state as soon as I was done.

Outdoor hot spring of Yuraku Kinosaki Spa & Garden

I entered into my first outdoor hot spring and sat among all other naked bodies. The hot spring was built by natural stones and surrounded by greenery. I could even hear crickets chirping too! An experience very down to earth and soothing. To be honest, I was a little taken aback by the blatant nakedness at first. I didn’t know where to lay eyes on. But after soaking in and absorbing the goodness of nature, I felt relaxed and could care less about these strangers. I won’t be seeing them again anyway. Each natural hot spring offered a unique setting and atmosphere so I was glad that we got to try all them out.

The streets were filled with the clopping sound of these wooden clogs

14-Course Mega Feast in Our Room

Besides, bath hopping and strolling around town in wooden clogs, the feast provided by our Ryokan was a true definition of fine-dining! Our room reservation included dinner and breakfast. So, we didn’t have to worry about food during the duration of our stay at all.

The hostess set up the tables inside our room at the time we requested for each meal. And she laid out each course like a piece of art! The dining table was filled with so many dishes that she had to come back to serve us a second round! Even though, we had as many as 14 courses, the truth was some of the portions were meant to be bite-size or "fine-dining portion".

The highlight of our meal was definitely the giant crab legs and the tender Tajima beef served in two ways (grilled steak and shabu shabu)!!! I'm still thinking about them as I write this post. So delicious!

Abalone!

Breakfast in room the next morning!

Have you tried Japanese bath? Let me know what you think!

As a self-proclaimed foodie, I like to try local delicacies when I travel. It’s gratifying for both my mind and my belly to experience great food from all over the world. During our honeymoon to Japan, we stayed over in Tokyo for 4 days and we got to indulge in some fresh-off-the-boat sashimis from Tsukiji Market.

Premium Tsukiji-don (on the left) with fatty tuna, medium fatty tuna, white fish, salmon, scallops, sea eel, salmon roe, sea urchin, shrimps and crab flakes for 3780 yen plus tax

Tsukiji market is the largest wholesale market in the world, and is notably famous for its huge tuna auction. It’s the kind of auction that you need to line up as early as 2 am in the morning. The first 120 people will have the privilege to go in and witness the tuna bidding war. There are 7 wholesalers in the market. Business owners try to bid the freshest tuna to sell to the retail shops every morning. If you’re lucky to get in, you'll have to live by the rules and not get in the way of market traffics. Because the bidding could get really intense!

Outer market

People lining up outside of the sushi restaurants. Most sushi restaurants are very small

But for us, we preferred to sleep in to make sure we charge up. So, we skipped the auction. We still arrived early in the morning at around 8 am and saw long line ups already leading to all sushi restaurants closer to the main market area. We waited in line for 30 minutes or so, until we decided to forgo our spots to examine the outer markets.

Special Selected Kaisen Don with tuna, medium fatty tuna, sea urchin, salmon roe, shrimps, yellowtail, salmon, squid, octopus, scallops, young punctatus, eel, chopped tuna with green onions and crab cakes for 2780 yen plus tax

We then realized, this market was massive with almost every seafood you could think of. There were also groceries, wholesale and retail shops and many sushi restaurants. Our main goal was to have their fresh sashimi for breakfast! We picked a sushi restaurant and ordered a Kaisen Don (seafood rice bowl). Man, those fishes were fresh! As soon as we were finished, we hurried back out to the market just to enjoy some more street eats since some shops closes early afternoon.

Look at the size of that tuna head!

Tamagoyaki 100 yen!

Blow torched scallops

  

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Variety of sizes at different price points

 

We got these super sized oysters for 800 yen!

Note that the subway system closes at midnight. So, if you do wish to get into the tuna auction, it'll be ideal to book an Airbnb or hotel near the market, so that you could walk there instead of taking a subway.

Have you eaten from Tsukiji Market? What was your favourite?

Check out my other posts from my Honeymoon trip in Japan!

{Ichiran Ramen} A Dining Experience Without Any Human Interaction
The Must Eat, Drink And Play in Tokyo
Hot Springs of a Lifetime in Kinosaki Onsen
What it is Like to Become Friends With Owls