So, all in all today we went cafe hopping, trying one near the river where two people were either on an awkward date speaking basic Japanese or a language exchange session; then trying one where it is the "#3 coffee beans in Japan" with a bit more seating space; then trying another one that serves specialty coffee imports. I had Americanos over and over but it all sort of tasted like drip coffee. Slightly sour, a bit thin, no cream on the top from oils. Yeah yeah, I sound like a coffee snob asshole, but so far, I like the Boss the most. I'd even take not coffee -- Georgia Coffee.
Then Rebecca went to get souvenirs, so we went through vintage shops and book stores and stationery departments. I keep seeing this Metacil device that appears to be a pencil that is always sharp and not quite a pencil, made by ... Bandai Namco.
You see Bandai Namco everywhere, by the way -- they run the Gacha machines for other brands in all the malls here, and they get practically two floors in Hep Five to themselves. The top floor is just cosplay rental and literally legions of girls get together to cosplay together on the weekend.
There's a lot of little things I haven't mentioned because in the sensorium flurry thoughts come and go and get vaguely internalised as a broader question. I wanted to just do a grabbag today to help catch some interesting things. Nothing is universal, I guess -- just how things have been in the week I've been here.
- Go to an indie record or book store and it's the Beatles (specifically Revolver and earlier?), Nick Drake, Beach Boys, that sort of scene. Go to a bar and it's uh, light lounge-y jazz. Hole in the wall izakaya plays El Scorcho, hey why not. Cafes either play Japanese indie or, like, 00s-present American stuff. We heard a lot of Shaggy and Pitbull in the one cafe. There's an ongoing sense of having aspects of Western culture filtered through to here -- a refraction, distilling aesthetics until it's soft and beautiful. Americana has never been so cool. You get full denim and army jackets like it's candy. Likewise -- what can I say? We refract Japan, too -- the bands I like are not necessarily the most common here; a lot of the more gauche or loud things are less apparent from far away.
- Department stores and "Welcome to Japan!" outlets alike -- anything where there's tourists -- have a plethora of Japanese pop culture artifacts just mixed together with Shinobi attire and fake katanas and like, shinto wards. There's a Blue Eyes White Dragon decking the windows outside the centre in the Osaka Castle. There's Totoro, Pokemon and Sanrio character paraphenelia in very disparate outlets, and the same stuff, too. It's not restricted to IP -- everyone licenses out to each other and it's presented as one Mass of Japanese culture for export. Interestingly it's not necessarily true that Shonen Jump stuff is universally available. Dragon Ball is an exception. Also Chucky stuff and Minions stuff. I can't think of strong Canadian analogues, besides having Roots stuff available everywhere and maple syrup and stuff.
- Family Mart has saved my life so many times. 24 hours, like every 50m, including clothes, food, notebooks and pencils, little hygenic stuff. I have a Family Mart handkerchief in its famous colours. It is a treasure to me, now. Their socks are stronger than the socks I went out and bought from a regular store.
- Speaking of -- I've gestured to this before, but carrying around a handkerchief is cool and I don't know why we don't do it anymore. It's just handy. My day bag has my camera, wallet, a Yen coin purse, a handkerchief, a notebook and pen, and my IC card.
- I've eaten so much toast. I've eaten so many light sandwiches. It's harder to get greasy food unless it's a bar atmosphere or an American import. It's usually pretty light stuff. I feel kinda full anyway, though.
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