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  • Anime Latte Art in Tokyo

    I have a recommendation for lovers of coffee who happen to be adventurous.  HATCOFFEE and Café Reissue are specialty coffee shops in the greater Tokyo area that are popular for their latte art. From Taylor Swift to anime to Snoopy – you can request whatever your heart desires. The extremely talented baristas make your requests come to life. I am lucky to have visited both shops and was impressed by both equally. Feel free to read about them, especially the mini-itineraries I created with each one, to help any interested tourists plan their trips more thoroughly.

    Café Reissue

    In the middle of Harajuku, Café Reissue is a shop that specializes in 3D and 2D latte art. When I visited, I chose a 2D artwork of Levi from Attack on Titan.  I ordered a honey latte for 1,600 yen. I had no complaints about the coffee – it was rich and creamy.  Nor do I have any qualms with the art – it certainly looks like Levi. Unlike the other café on this list, Café Reissue does not take reservations. This can be a plus or a minus, depending on the person. Wait times can vary depending on what time of the year it is, so I recommend showing up before the shop opens at 10 a.m.


    Proposed mini-itinerary: Meiji Shrine opens at sunrise. Avoid the crowds by having an early morning at the shrine. Then, walk down Takeshita Street. At this time of the day, the businesses should be shuttered, and the street won’t be super packed as usual. It is a perfect time for cute photo-ops in front of the more interesting storefronts. Finally, you can wait outside Café Reissue 30 minutes early to secure yourself a short wait time.

    HATCOFFEE

    HATCOFFE is a tiny coffee shop in Taito-ku. To the inexperienced traveler, it may seem out of the way, but it is indeed very close to many tourist attractions. It also specializes in 2D and 3D latte art. This shop has a special stand you can prop up your phone on to record your latte art being made. I believe this is one advantage over Café Reissue. I ordered a 3D choco latte for 1,200 yen. I was once again pleased with the amazing coffee flavor. I also adored how cute my design turned out. Wait times can be as long as 3 hours at this location, so it’s recommended to make reservations here.

    Proposed mini-itinerary: After exiting HATCOFFEE, walk a few short minutes to enjoy Tokyo’s infamous “kitchen town” Kappabashi. View everything from impressive knives, lacquered dish ware, to plastic toy food models. After exploring this area, make your way to the Sanrio Gift Gate so you can take a picture of the interesting Hello Kitty storefront. Finally, go ahead to Asakusa where you can enjoy the infamous Senso-ji Temple and its boisterous thoroughfare.

  • Your Guide to Renaissance Festivals

    With celebrities like Chappell Roan embracing medieval aesthetics in their work, it comes as no surprise that there is a surge in the popularity of Renaissance festivals. This means that many newcomers are being introduced to the fascinating world of “Ren faires” or “Ren fests.” As someone who has attended these events for a few years, I thought I would create a mini guide for those interested in attending.

    Renaissance festivals have existed for decades. The first festival was the Renaissance Pleasure Faire of Southern California (est. 1963). The goal was to transport the attendees back to the Renaissance period. It combined crafts such as blacksmithing with the performing arts to create a living history event.  As these festivals spread across the country, a unique culture grew up around them.

    Many Ren festivals continue the living history traditions of the Renaissance Pleasure Faire of Southern California. Guests can see folks dressed in Elizabethan costumes and folks handmaking crafts. However, attendees have embraced the fantastic when it comes to their costumes and play. It is not uncommon to see pirates intermingling with Vikings or faeries. The difference between medieval times and the Renaissance also becomes blurred. Personally, to me, it is like walking around a high fantasy novel.

    So, are you interested yet? Below, I have taken the liberty to explain more about festival culture.

    Me making a dagger at the Dragon Forge Experience at the Carolina Renaissance Festival.

    Do I Have to Dress Up?

    It is completely normal to attend a Renaissance festival in normal clothes. There is no rule in attending that would force you to wear fantasy or medieval garments. I know that people who struggle with shyness or social anxiety often worry about this part. However, I think part of the fun is dressing up. Whether you purchase, sew, thrift, or do a combination of all three – a lot goes into creating an interesting costume for the faire. Meeting up with other costumed people, even roleplaying if you’re into it, gives you an amazing kind of immersion while you enjoy your day. Also, it’s nice just to get compliments on your outfit.

    What to Eat

    I think most people are familiar with the infamous turkey leg. While that is delicious, and I do recommend trying it, there are other delectable treats at the festival you can enjoy. Here are just a few: steak on a stake, pickles, Scotch eggs, beef stew, honeyed nuts, jerky, fish and chips, and chimney rolls. Don’t forget to wash it all down with some mead, or perhaps even go on a pub crawl!

    Bring Money for Tips!

    Part of what makes Renaissance festivals so interesting is the performers who put on shows. However, most of these dedicated individuals are doing so for free or little money. They rely on the generous tips of fairgoers to put on shows each year. Don’t forget to break up your big bills to tip them. Even just a dollar is appreciated.

    Be Prepared to Spend

    Or not. That depends on what sort of things interest you. However, I have seen people spend hundreds in one day. There are dozens of artisans selling their wares at faires. Most of these items are handmade, and come with a cost, but are excellent quality. If you’re a sucker for fantasy aesthetics, you will be interested in what there is to offer. From swords, to corsets, to pewter mugs – there is something for everyone.

    A collection of trinkets from the West Virginia Renaissance Festival

    The Fun of Trinket Trading

    Trinket trading is a great way to connect with your local festival goers. Trinkets are small, cheap, and usually handmade items that can be exchanged with others. The general rule is that trinkets cannot be expensive objects that would otherwise compete with the wares of the artisans. For example, every year I buy batches of wooden mushrooms from the Dollar Tree and paint them. The smile you get when you offer them to others is worth it. I especially like giving trinkets to those who run shops. If the other person is a trinket trader, they will trade you their own unique trinket. Some even go so far as to wear signs or badges to signify that they trade trinkets. The haul you get at the end of the festival is amazing. Just make sure to check and see if your local faire allows trading.

    So, what do you think? We are in the middle of the Renaissance festival season right now. It continues into the fall in most parts of the United States, but it lasts as late as Christmas in places like Texas. There are plenty of opportunities to check out your local festivals. Adventure awaits you!

  • All About Anime Cafes

    When I lived in Japan, one of my hobbies was going to anime cafes. Not only was it fun eating treats based on my favorite series, but they tend to come with café-specific merchandise. Sometimes leaning into the café theme, such as having characters dressed as food or in wait staff attire, and sometimes just having new art for you to sink your money into.

    However, I feel like it is an opportunity often lost on those traveling to Japan. A cursory search on Google for “anime cafés” will bring up results for events long gone. Most themed cafés only exist for a few weeks. How on earth can you know when they will happen? They usually follow specific patterns – anniversaries or a new season.

    Is it some series’ 10-year anniversary? Depending on its popularity, it could get a special art exhibition or a themed café. The same can be said if a new season starts. The animation company wants to promote the new season, so new merchandise and special events are likely to happen. This does not mean that cafés don’t happen randomly; they do, but it’s harder to plan your Japan trip around those sporadic events.

    You might be wondering how you can know about these events. With the help of a wonderful website called Collabo Cafe and trusty Google Translate, if you cannot read Japanese. You can even use the Japanese translation of your favorite series and search for specific events related to it. (I recommend using the series’ Wikipedia page if you’re not sure where to find that.)  The link to Collabo Cafe can be found here.

    Me at the Kirby Café in 2023.

    There are year-round cafes, ones that remain due to their popularity, examples of which are the Kirby Café or the Pokémon Café. These spaces tend to be in high demand. As such, you’ll need to be ready to make your reservation as soon as they open for the month. It took me several attempts to manage to book the Kirby Café, so honestly, your success depends on the speed of your reservation and your party size.

    So, what do you think? Do you believe you’ll try to go to a themed café in Japan?

  • Why a blog?

    You might be asking yourself why in the world would Sam want to start a blog? What in the heck does she have to say? If you are, you must not know me very well, because I have the ability to talk for hours about things that interest me – travel, history, and nerdy things.

    To answer the question: I started this blog because I’m getting my M.S. in Digital Marketing Communications at West Virginia University. I plan to work on my blog, flesh it out, and make it… well, marketable? That’s the goal as I learn.

    So, if you’re reading this first post you’re likely seeing the blog in its earliest form. I hope that you will enjoy how it changes overtime as I grow into my career. Beyond that, I suppose you can guess the ultimate purpose of this blog based on its title. I want this to turn into a travel blog eventually. Although, I am currently stuck in the USA. I will be documenting some past travel experiences instead. I hope you look forward to the next post.