One Piece Tower | Tokyo, Japan

One of the places in Tokyo that Markus and I were most excited to visit was One Piece Tower. As most of you know, Markus and I love anime and watch a plethora of shows. Back in 2012, when we still lived in Korea, Markus introduced me to One Piece. I was instantly hooked and watched hundreds of episodes in a month or so. I got the best experience with One Piece because I didn’t have to wait for new episodes every week. It was great! If you can’t tell, my favorite characters are Tony Tony Chopper and Portgas D. Ace. It’s pretty obvious why those two are my favorite characters. Chopper is probably the cutest character on the show and Ace is the hottest.

One Piece Tower is found on the first, third, fourth and fifth floors of the iconic Tokyo Tower, which was frequently featured on Sailor Moon. So visiting was like experiencing two of my favorite animes at the same tie. Even though it’s not exactly an amusement park, there is tons to do, even if you aren’t a kid. There are attractions on every floor that focus on specific characters from the anime. We really enjoyed Brooke’s Haunted Mansion and the live action show that I will be posting about later. Markus and I spent way too much time at One Piece Tower, but it was so much fun and I honestly would go back if we were in Tokyo. It’s not very often that you get to be immersed in your favorite anime!

Photoshoot with Manu Akamatsu | Osaka, Japan

As you probably know, every year Markus and I use a photo from our travels for a holiday card. Before we went to Japan, I planned two different shoots for last year’s photo. Our first attempt in Kawaguchiko with Mt. Fuji, did not work out so I had a backup plan with a photographer in Osaka. Thankfully, I found Manu Akamatsu on AirBnB. The time we spent with him was definitely a highlight of our trip.

Markus and I were a bit nervous before meeting Manu. We wondered if it would be an uncomfortable and awkward experience. I almost cancelled because I didn’t want to deal with it, but I’m so glad I didn’t. Within a few minutes of meeting Manu, I knew we made the right decision. He was warm, personable and funny. It was like meeting up with an old friend or cousin. He took us to a few really great spots in the Namba area and even gave us a couple restaurant recommendations. I was also able to ask him some hard hitting questions about Japanese dramas. For example, “why does every drama couple, adults or teenagers, always go on a date to the aquarium?” It was so funny to see his reaction because he never thought about it before but then realized that I was right. I’m still waiting on that answer. As you can see from these photos, Manu isn’t just a great conversationalist. He’s also an amazing photographer. We loved our photos and I wouldn’t hesitate to book him again if we visit Japan again.

Shimokitazawa | Tokyo, Japan

The first time Markus and I visited Tokyo in 2013, Shimokitazawa was a vintage heaven. I bought way too many clothes, accessories and jewelry. I was very excited to go back again and spurge on anything I saw. Unfortunately this time, I wasn’t so lucky. The area has always been popular with the youth and tourists, but it’s amazing in six years how much changed. It was a bit too touristy and the stores were similar to ones that you would find in Wicker Park in Chicago. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but I wanted the hard to find vintage items that you don’t see in America. Markus did finding rare Ultraman cards and a pin in a vintage shop so that was really cool. Even though, I didn’t find anything, I still enjoyed our afternoon in Shimokitazawa!

Shining Moon Tokyo - Sailor Moon Restaurant | Tokyo, Japan

As a child of the 90s, I loved Sailor Moon. I remember rushing home to watch episodes after school. It was my favorite show in middle school. I always loved Lita or Sailor Jupiter. I didn’t really connect with any of the other girls. Ironically, I grew up to be like Rei or Sailor Mars. Everyone knew I loved this show and was completely obsessed. I wore my hair like Lita almost every day and had posters of the Sailor Scouts all over my walls. I even used up all the ink in our printer to print all the cool illustrations from Japan. Back in the day ink was hella expensive, so I definitely got in trouble for printing that stuff out. My eldest brother Chris bought me so many bootleg VHS tapes of the non-dubbed episodes and movies.

When I found out that a Sailor Moon dinner and a show was opening only a couple months before our trip to Japan. I knew we had to visit Shining Moon Tokyo. I read online that the food was something left to be desired, so we didn’t have high expectations for that. To be honest, this was one of the greatest experiences of my life. The show and production was incredibly and really well done. The language barrier is not a problem at all. It’s mostly dance and action so you can easily follow what’s going on. It’s an all female cast, which I loved very much. The actresses were all so kawaii (cute) and really get into character. I loved seeing Usagi (Sailor Moon) and Mamochan (Tuxedo Mask) in real life being so cutesy. I can’t even describe to you the pure elation I felt during the two and a half hours that we were there. If we are ever back in Tokyo, I would definitely go again, I loved it that much!

Around Town | Fujiyoshida, Japan

One sunny and hot morning, Markus and I put on one of our multiple matching outfits and set out to try and get a holiday photo. There’s a really famous street in Fujiyoshida that has a great view of Mt. Fuji and we tried to take a photo there. Unfortunately, the photo didn’t work out. There were way too many cars, people and the lighting wasn’t right. It’s okay though, because as you know, we got the perfect photo in Osaka.

Even though the photo was a bust, Markus and I had a great time in the small town. It was like being in one of those Godzilla movies from the 1960s. They had speakers all over and sirens and announcements kept going off. I’m sure they weren’t emergencies but it still felt surreal. We ended up finding a cute little cafe that was open since 1935. They had all the french sweets that I like. We ended up taking a little break and ate a matcha cake roll and my favorite, a Mont Blanc. I love anything with chestnuts and the first time I had a Mont Blanc in Paris, I died. Any time I see it on a menu, I have to get it. I’m happy to say that this cafe delivered and it was the perfect spot for a break.