Hello.
Oh yeah, that’s the wa version of starbucks.
Gosh this is adorable!!!
Does this come with tea?
It comes with Sencha!
I got one!
- HEY!!! - We already started filming?!!?!?
Hey guys and girls on Ask Japanese.
It’s Cathy Cat and the Director.
And today we’re going to walk around Kawagoe which is a popular spot for people to visit
for a day trip away from Tokyo.
Yes Japan is struggling too with the current situation.
In order to cheer everyone up, we will show you around while we can.
On that note we’re gonna go explore, Kawagoe today, and you’ll see how it looks at this time right now.
There are a couple of cool cafés and nice spots and a lot of things you can look at without
having to look inside as well so let’s walk around Kawagoe.
What’s special about this area is that everything is still kept in the "old Japan"
we have old houses old store houses and also above us there are no electric lines which
is rare because you see electric lines everywhere but here none at all.
Look at this you can see the sky.
Kawagoe was known for storage places in old houses and you can still see them here and
it look like loads of loads of little stores in similar.
This is a cute hand wipes truck.
That's for the little wipes... be careful director the truck is behind us!!!
OK well there are a couple people here who don’t seem to mind. There a couple tourists
having a good time. Hopping onto rickshaws.
I do like that some ladies are still dressing up in Yucata kimonos here.
I think it makes the whole place much more colorful.
Oh hello.
Our goal for today is the Hikawa shrine. A big shrine.
I hope there we can pray that the situation gets better and there will be more peace in Japan.
That’s a good idea I’d like to go there too.
Flut-flut I am so hungry flut-flut.
Humans are dropping stuff around here flut-flut
I will clean the street for you flut flut
(why am I doing this lol)
Please subscribe to Ask Japanese flut flut
OK what I’m really curious about is...
this place here it’s a zoo but it looks like a café and has a bird of
prey that’s just sitting up there.
It’s like hey guys hey what’s up.
Oh yeah that’s the WA version of Starbucks this one was open just recently and everything
is kept with the Japanese colors inside so I actually have been in there it’s a has
a normal menu but the whole design is made like a Japanese style place also they have
a Japanese garden on the other side so if you come around.
If you still wanna get your Starbucks kick.
Not sponsored.
I’m sorry I can’t restrict myself I love tortoises and they make tortoises ones.
Hello - Can I come in?
Are you open today? - We are.
OK they allowed us to film inside after we asked them. Always ask before you do that.
And oh man they’re so cute they have different flavors of the...
these dorayaki. Usually dorayaki are just round but these ones are in a shape of tortoises.
Or turles.
The most popular one is sweet bean paste they have red bean paste as well
OK they have different
flavors but one is just without a flavor and to be honest I want to try it just as it is
because she says it’s very confident with the taste even without the flavor so let’s try this one.
Thank you for shopping!
OK let’s go for this once here.
I love the characters everywhere I look at the little tortoises that are everywhere on
the signs and everything.
I am tasty eat me.
The name of the store is Kameya. That’s turtle/tortoise in there.
Are you eating it right away? - I will. - Thank you.
This one has the potato to indicate it has sweet potatoes inside it but this one without the
filling just has the shell of a tortoise on it.
I think I wanna keep that sticker and put it into my diary it’s so cute I love tortoises
and turtles so much so this is like the most adorable thing.
That’s really good dorayaki. It doesn’t need a filling
I’m not a big fan of the bean paste. I mean...
sometimes I can eat it but sometimes it’s too sweet for me right in the morning I can’t
eat it so it’s just like morning pancakes it has a bit of a pancake feel to it.
Oh they’re closed till the end of March and that’s also because of the virus so
can’t really visit today and there goes me saying they’re almost open every time.
The wind is really strong. Blow Blow!
Blow Blow! - Blow Blow!
Whaaatever.
It's Japanese onomatopoeia. What's your favourite Onomatopoeia?
There are so many. Like Puni Puni... Mochi Mochi... I like soft things.
I also like Doki Doki (heartbeat)
It’s like squishy things that are cute and squishy and then mochi mochi is bouncy but
pretty puny is lik cheeks somebody’s cheeks like cute chubby cheeks they are puny puny.
Oh here that’s the place I found it that’s the one.
So they sell it to go but if you ask you can go into the second floor and they serve it with tea.
Coming up the stairs taken off the shoes and here we are.
This is like a real secret spot so I’m sharing this with you guys.
Keep it secret though.
Not many people know about this it’s like a real hidden little paradise and I’m really
glad I know this place so yeah.
You are aiming for that instagramable look there. It looks so cute!!!
Does that come with the tea - Yes it comes with Sencha!
Which one shall I get... I can't decide.
I think I will go for the instagramable one.
I will have the cake in the heart shape.
It's called Enmusubi right
That was good that was good I need that little break.
If you guys come please please the staff is really really nice they were really really
friendly and they talked with us about the struggles are having right now during the
in the current situation director could you summarize it.
Well it was tasty.
But they pretty much said was the customers... all the foreign customers are gone now
because some of the people are worried that ... they can’t get back to their country but because
of school holidays I started the city got a bit more lively with all the young girls
and boys who are just having holidays right now but it has changed a lot and the influx
of Chinese tourists that they were expecting every year has obviously stopped as well so
a lot of stores are struggling right now but I bought myself some tea but I’ll buy some
I was like I am gonna support you! I will buy some tea!!!
So I bought some extra tea as well.
And the tea I tried upstairs was really high class Tea.
It was a really really pricey one it has the umami flavor in it.
It was really sweet without sugar and and I’m glad I took some home for me too...
Do you know what this sign is for??
They are looking for someone... - Looking for witnesses..
It's for an accident that occurred here back in December.
A traffic accident between a blue car and a pedestrian.
If you have seen it please call this police number.
They are looking for people who might have seen the accident? - Right.
They make a full on sign for that. - It happens a lot. - Wow it does?
I didn't know this. It's a proper sign and all. Wow.
Maybe this is a Japan only thing. - Maybe that's an only in Japan thing.
Right now we are here at the Hikawa shrine which is a shrine that puts a lot of effort
into getting even young people interested to come and visit
they have a couple of cool Instagram able spots a couple of cool items there and on New Year’s this place is packed.
So yes definitely a recommendation to go.
I’m not sure we can film inside do you think we can film inside director?
So these symbols here are like a "stamp raley of the gods"
Usually there’s a Goshuincho which is a little book when you go from shrine to shrine and priests will write
in your book but I forgot my book today but you can just get the paper and
put into the book of your collection saying you were here on that day as a good memory
and also a good meaning so let’s look at mine.
It has today's date on it.
It will say the name of the shrine, a stamp and there will also be...
written on what day you were there.
Activity time!!!!
They have fortune slips but these ones are a little different you have to fish with them
yourself and you get to keep the fish from it too but you have to get it out so here we go.
Thank you that's 300 yen that’s not so expensive.
Where do I put this in? Over here?
1 2 3.
Where is the fishing rod there we go.
Going to grab my little fishing rod here.
So who’s going to be my fortune?
You’re good you’re good too.
Let go for this one.
I got one.
Let’s see what my fortune is going to be.
I got to keep the little fishy too!
If it’s a good fortune I get to keep it if it’s a bad fortune I need to tie it to
a tree here. Let’s see what it says.
Please be good this time please be good.
Whoaaaa! - WHAT WHAT!!!
You got the BEST OF LUCK one!!!
The best one that exists!!! - Really!!! - Lucky!!!!
I am sooo glad
I will read it out to you
Your wish: Unpredictably your wish comes true
Faster than you might expect.
The person you're waiting for will come!
Lost things ... you will find them in low places.
Travel: as soon as possible
Business: Do it secretly.
Study: No worries just do it.
Marketing: Overdo it and you will loose money
Oh my even with the biggest luck.
But everything else is the best of luck possible.
Fight... you will loose first then win.
Love: Don't get confused by other people's emotions.
Don't worry too much about the love life and emotions of other people.
All in all that was a great fortune slip.
I am SO GLAD
There’s one more thing here which is called ningyo nagashi. Director what's that?
Put all the bad things... on a paper doll and let them get swept away by water.
Stuff like that should be swept away.
I put all the bad things
onto the paper that has the shape of a human and then let it wash away.
What shall I do.... I first breathe on that piece of paper and then?
Breathe on it 3 times.
Then rub it on your body.
Then all the bad things should go over to the doll.
Then shout "Haraetamae Kiometamae!!!"
Then let it float through the gate there.
Be careful! Do not fold the doll.
Make sure the doll will go through that gate.
That rope over there.
That is the gate mentioned.
Let's do this.
It is really in the shape of a human.
Haraetamae! Kiyometamae!!!
Wow that’s really cool.
So this is specifically for this ritual here and I didn’t know it would dissolve like
this it explains the white of the shrine.
They must regularly come through and clean this.
Cathy Cat I found something!!!
What did you find???
What??
What is going on???
On this box it says... Super House???
SUPER HOUSE
Super house???
(Random English in Japan)