Day 6 Japan Trip 2015- Okayama

Okayama 岡山　

Chisato and Hiro both had the day off on Saturday March 7th, so we decided to go to Okayama City together. We met Urabe Sensei at “The Market,” which is my favorite café in Japan. No joke, I’ve had dreams of being there over the years. It did not disappoint- the tomato-beans sandwich was just as amazing as I remembered. So was the cheesecake.  I got a delicious coffee, which was a first. It’s hard to believe I didn’t drink coffee while I lived in Japan. We also walked past my old apartment and down the shopping arcade. We went into a shop that has been there for years and years.

Then the family and I went to AEON mall so I could go to the stationary shop- Tokyuu Hands. That mall is incredible. They have stores that we don’t even have in Hawaii or just recently opened, like H&M, Zara, Honolulu Coffee Co! Life in Okayama would have been so different had there been a mall like that in 2005. It’s bad enough that I easily dropped $100+ a weekend on shopping.

Since it was raining, we drove to LOFT so I could get more fun stuff at their stationary shop (can’t have enough pens!). We also went back to the Birkenstock store so I could pick up the other pair of sandals they had to order for me. I was sad to find out that the 5 story 100 yen shop was gone, but the little one was good enough. We tried to go in a Cat Café, but they wouldn’t let the kids in. It was also about $12 for an hour, and I’m pretty sure I would have been dying in like 15 minutes. I’ll just have to save the Cat Café for another trip to Japan. We also went to their favorite bakery to get fresh bagels, right out of the oven. I love all the baked goods in Japan. It’s probably a good thing that Hawaii doesn’t have this kind of stuff.

I had some time to myself so I found the café that Nita and I used to have lunch at after Japanese School. It’s a different owner now, but same kind of food. I had more coffee and chocolate cake. Then I went to a drug store to get more of my favorite shampoo and I found the best omiyage for Tara- facemasks. I got several different types- red wine, cherry blossom, SNAKE VENOM, and then ones that looked like kabuki masks.

I went to the bus station to take the bus to the Okutani’s house for dinner. The bus was late and I was so confused- thank goodness I still speak Japanese! After I got on the bus, everything was familiar again. I met the Okutani’s when they first moved back to Japan after living in Canada for 5 years. Nodoka was 5 years old and I will never forget her telling me, “I CANNOT speak Japanese, it’s too difficult!” At that time, her mom was pregnant with Kanta. Now, Nodoka is 13 years old and Kanta is 8! Their grandparents also came over, which was really nice, since I’d spent quite a bit of time with them as well. Nodoka’s English comprehension is really good, but she definitely sounds Japanese when she’s speaking. Poor Kanta couldn’t understand much of the conversation. They were all shocked when I spoke Japanese to them- because I never did that while I was teaching. Kanta remembers me as the “Fish Sensei.” It took me a while to remember why, but I think it was because he was around 3 or 4 years old and would sit in while I taught Nodoka, and we’d play go-fish. It was such a great night, I wish I could have spent more time hanging out with the family.