- Hey guys, how's it going?
Today I'm in Tokyo. I'm just outside of Asakusa Station.
And I'm here with Kim Dao.
- Hi.
- [Micaela] Hi, Kim. Welcome back to Japan.
- Thank you.
- So good to have you back.
- I'm back.
- Yeah. - I'm back.
- She's back. - I'm back.
- She's a little sleepy.
- I'm very sleepy.
- Today we are going to try on kimonos.
Somewhere around here.
And you've been here before, right?
- Yeah. I've been here before.
It's my second time to go to this kimono place.
- Aww, it's so nice. I'm excited.
- Yeah.
- We're gonna dress up and we're gonna walk around Asakusa.
And see what it's like to.
You know, be tourists in Tokyo for a day.
This is actually really fun.
And I do feel like a tourist every time I come to Tokyo.
Because I never spend a lot of time here.
And when I do, I'm usually just going
from like point A to point B.
Or like meeting people that I'm supposed to meet.
And I don't really get to explore or hang out.
So it's really exciting that, like,
we get to tourist spots like this today.
- Okay, this is the Senso-ji.
- [Micaela] Senso-ji?
- Well, this is like the start of it, isn't it?
The temple is actually down there.
- [Micaela] Oh, cool.
- You actually walk, like, another 5 minutes.
- [Micaela] Ah.
- Temple's down there.
(bright shamisen music)
It's interesting because the temple itself
looks very Japanese, but if you look at all the tourists
around, like everyone's speaking different languages.
Everybody's from all over the world.
And it actually feels very international.
Very global.
It doesn't feel that much like Japan.
To me, here. To be honest.
(bright cheerful music)
I don't know if you know this, but next year
is actually Year of the Dog.
Japan's signature dog,
is a Shiba.
Well, a Shiba, Akai,
an Akita Ken.
The Japanese breed, which looks like this, which,
also, incidentally looks like the dog that I have at home.
So, I feel like this year we're going to be buying
a lot of Year of the Dog memorial ornaments.
To put in our house.
'Cuz they all look like Kit.
Is what I'm trying to say.
You know?
- I know.
- Kim's like, yes. Yes, I know.
Are you cold? What'd you get?
Oh.
- It's so warm.
I just got some coffee.
- Pro tip, if you're ever cold.
- It's so warm.
- These make excellent hand warmers.
- Yeah. It's only 100 yen.
- And it's only 100 yen.
- A dollar.
- And you can drink it, if you want.
- Yep.
Yeah, I will drink it later.
- Yeah.
- I'm just going to hold it first.
- You're so cute.
So we're turning onto a street called Orange Street.
Which is very orange, and I'm not sure why.
(bright music)
Oh, this is the place, right?
- Yeah, it's the place.
- YAE. - YAE.
Oh that was really easy to find.
Oh, hi, nice to meet you.
Hi, I'm Micaela.
- I'm Mei.
- [Micaela] Sorry, my hands are very cold.
- You're cold. - Yeah.
Oh, wow.
I haven't been in a place like this in such a long time.
And you can see they have so many different
types of fabric and patterns.
And I can't wait to pick one out to wear.
I really like bolder colors and bolder patterns.
Like, as opposed to, like pastels.
I think pastels are super pretty though,
if they look good on you.
I just don't feel like they look good on me.
This is cute though.
(in foreign language)
It's cute, but it's a little like summery.
This is cute, this kind of like a warm purple.
So my hair is really, really flat today.
And then, because it's cold, like,
it was super static-y and gross when I walked in.
But, thankfully, here they do hair.
They do all the like up-dos and stuff for you.
So, I kind of walked in here feeling frumpy and weird.
But I think once I get my kimono on,
and I get my hair fixed up, it's going to look really nice.
You've got these tabi socks on and then leg warmers.
Because it's winter and it would be
pretty cold without them.
Inside my clothes we have tons of towels.
And like, padding, extra padding to, like,
fill out the parts of my body that
are not straight, if that makes any sense.
(soothing electronic music)
Alright, guys, now it's time to choose the obi.
Which is the big fabric that will go around the waist.
And usually this is an impact piece.
Like, we want it to look bright and bold.
And have a big impact on the final look.
I think I'm very partial to this gold.
Maybe.
(in foreign language)
So I've been speaking Japanese mostly,
but actually, the two ladies helping me
with my kimono today have been studying in Canada.
So I think they can speak English pretty well.
How was Canada?
- Yeah, I like, I love it.
- You love it?
- Yeah.
- I like the summer. It's really good.
- [Micaela] Yeah?
- It's really comfortable.
- [Micaela] Yeah, it's not to hot, right?
- Yeah.
- [Micaela] Yeah, anything else?
(laughs)
- Chicken wings.
(laughs)
- The chicken wings in Canada are great.
- Tim Hortons.
- Tim Horton. Tim Horton.
- Yeah, we love Tim Hortons.
- The donuts are good too.
(laughs)
Very, very sweet though, right?
- Yeah. - Yeah.
- Wow, yeah, Tim Hortons.
Tim Hortons and chicken.
- Yeah.
- That's hilarious.
The bow is so cute at the back.
- Yeah, it's so pretty.
- [Micaela] You look like, like royalty.
(bright music)
This one please.
- [Woman] Okay, sure. Thank you.
- I think it's good, if someone else is doing my hair,
then it's good to have them do something
that I could never do myself.
So we are all dressed up and ready to go.
I'm feeling so fancy right now.
So normally once you're dressed up
you can go walk around Asakusa.
You can go check out the shrine.
The one that we just passed.
I was just talking to Kim and she said
she's never been on a rickshaw.
And I think that's one of the things
that we should do since we're here.
And that's such a thing here.
It's super touristy and we're looking at this poster.
And it says,
that they do rickshaw rides, if you
ask, they'll call and they'll reserve for you.
And you get a special price.
So I think it's like the perfect opportunity.
- Yeah, I've never done it before.
First time for everything.
- Hi.
- [Micaela] Hi.
- Hello.
- [Micaela] You're here to pick me up?
- Yes.
- [Micaela] Awesome. Thank you.
- I'll do my best.
- [Micaela] Yeah.
- Endo.
- [Micaela] Endo-San. (in foreign language)
- (in foreign language)
My nickname is Jumbo.
- [Micaela] Jumbo?
- [Kim] Jumbo?
Oh, he's got his name.
- Yes.
- [Micaela] Why?
- That's secret.
- [Micaela] It's a secret?
- Next time, I will tell you.
(laughs)
- [Micaela] Okay, Jumbo, where are we going today?
- We are going to old downtown area.
And then finish point is
at Senso-ji Temple.
- [Micaela] Senso-ji Temple, alright.
- [Kim] Alright.
- Yes, enjoy.
- [Micaela] I will, thank you.
- Let's go!
- [Micaela] Let's go.
- Okay.
(bright cheerful music)
- So we just picked up some fried monja,
upon recommendation from our rickshaw driver.
Inside is, like, monjayaki, but the outside
is fried like korokke.
I've got cheese and Kim's got plain.
- The plain.
- And it looks so good. It's so cold outside.
So it's nice to have something warm in your hands to eat.
(bright cheerful music)
Alright, Kim, let's try this special koicha.
Like, really thick.
- It is really thick.
- [Micaela] Rich, matcha ice cream.
- Yeah, you got some corn flakes.
Let's try it now.
- [Micaela] Oh, yeah, get it.
How is it?
- That's good.
It's actually, you can taste the matcha,
but it's pretty sweet.
- [Micaela] Yeah.
- But it's not too sweet.
So, like, you can eat a lot of it.
- [Micaela] Yeah, 'cuz normally matcha's pretty bitter, hey?
- Yeah. If it's too sweet I can't eat a lot.
- [Micaela] Yeah.
- But this is actually not bad.
(bright cheerful music)
- So this is a really fun experience,
and a really cool touristy way to enjoy Tokyo.
If you're not visiting Tokyo for very long,
and you want, like a full immersive Japanese experience,
this is actually a really good way,
- Yeah.
- [Micaela] To experience the culture.
And it's something that like even residents, like,
- [Kim] Anyone can do it.
- Yeah, like, anyone can try it.
Like, you see lots of Japanese people trying it out as well.
So for the prices, the address, all that good information,
you're gonna wanna check out the website.
Which is right here.
And make sure you tell them that Kim and Micaela sent you.
- Yay.
- Yes.
- So we're gonna walk around the temple
and see what we can see. - Yep.
- And we'll talk to you again later.
(bright twinkling music)