Today was the big day for me. In the last three days, we were caught up on the day tours for me to be able to do what I wanted to do on my own. So today was our free day… A chance for me to roam Tokyo as much as I wanted, and find the ever elusive Rowlet plush I've been looking for since Day 2.
What's more, my eldest brother was willing to buy me plushes from the Pokémon Center as a Christmas gift. Now who am I to say no to such an opportunity?
And so begins the tale of #searchingforgrassowl2016…
The Road to the Skytree
Following breakfast, my siblings and I went back to the Ueno Station. However, instead of the JR Line we usually rode on, we went to the subway, taking the Tokyo Metro Railway. There was no JR Line train to Asakusa so we had to take the Ginza Line on our way there. From Ueno, it was two stations to Asakusa, and two more stations from Asakusa to reach Oshiage, where the Skytree--the nearest Pokémon Center from my hotel--was.
I was in excitement. I had not been to a Pokémon Center since March, and at that time we were in Osaka for our trip. I was already imagining the several Rowlet plushes I could finally get my hands on after so long. Whether it was made by Takara Tomy or part of the official Pokémon Center merchandise, I wanted my hands on that plush no matter what.
But then, as I arrived at the 5th floor of the Skytree, my dreams were swiftly shot down by what I saw:
Disappointment. Utter disappointment was quickly washing over my eager expression. What was this? Where was the Pokémon Center? Why do I only see a measly stall full of plushes (which are dreadfully stocked with almost nothing but Pikachus in outfits)? Was the map wrong? I looked at Google Maps; we were in the right place, and the lady at the reception even told us where to go as she handed us a map of the tower.
I saw a notice written in Japanese characters on the wall behind the stall, and I could barely make out the words Pokémon Center written in Katakana. From there, I soon realized that the Pokémon Center was under construction… Since Sun and Moon had only been released recently, they were renovating the store to feature more of their Gen. VII merchandise.
My legs became stone when it slowly sank into me. I was obviously disheartened; my siblings could see. I had been excited to come here even before we came to Japan and all I got was disappointment.
Nonetheless, I picked up some goodies from the store to keep, as there were things I really wanted:
Though things seemed bleak as we left the Skytree, I refused to give up. The day had only just begun, and there were likely more places around where I could possibly find it.
Unfortunately, I was feeling too down to take any pictures of the Skytree from the outside, so I apologize for being unable to provide any.
I was in excitement. I had not been to a Pokémon Center since March, and at that time we were in Osaka for our trip. I was already imagining the several Rowlet plushes I could finally get my hands on after so long. Whether it was made by Takara Tomy or part of the official Pokémon Center merchandise, I wanted my hands on that plush no matter what.
But then, as I arrived at the 5th floor of the Skytree, my dreams were swiftly shot down by what I saw:
Disappointment. Utter disappointment was quickly washing over my eager expression. What was this? Where was the Pokémon Center? Why do I only see a measly stall full of plushes (which are dreadfully stocked with almost nothing but Pikachus in outfits)? Was the map wrong? I looked at Google Maps; we were in the right place, and the lady at the reception even told us where to go as she handed us a map of the tower.
I saw a notice written in Japanese characters on the wall behind the stall, and I could barely make out the words Pokémon Center written in Katakana. From there, I soon realized that the Pokémon Center was under construction… Since Sun and Moon had only been released recently, they were renovating the store to feature more of their Gen. VII merchandise.
My legs became stone when it slowly sank into me. I was obviously disheartened; my siblings could see. I had been excited to come here even before we came to Japan and all I got was disappointment.
Nonetheless, I picked up some goodies from the store to keep, as there were things I really wanted:
Though things seemed bleak as we left the Skytree, I refused to give up. The day had only just begun, and there were likely more places around where I could possibly find it.
Unfortunately, I was feeling too down to take any pictures of the Skytree from the outside, so I apologize for being unable to provide any.
The Torinoiru Café
From Oshiage, we returned to Asakusa, by the Kaminaron Gate, where my siblings gave me their last few pieces of advice (what to do and where to go if ever I got lost) before we parted ways for the day, with me promising to keep in touch. As I walked along the sidewalk and took pictures of the busy and almost festive streets, I frequently drew in a deep breath and exhaled. Since I was someone who was always shut in and forced to follow a group whenever we were here in Japan (and pretty much everywhere I went with my family), I felt a welling sense of freedom come over me. I was finally able to set out wandering alone for once, free to sate my hearty travel lust.
Kaminaron Gate.
Eyyyyyy ladies :V
Amidst the hustle and bustle of the crowds and merchants along Nakamise, I returned to the small plush stores I visited two days ago, hoping I would find any plushes of grass owl there. I found plush owls, but none of which were what I was looking for:
Upon reaching the shrine at the end of the street, I decided to put off finding the plush I was looking for momentarily. It was only 1 p.m. (GMT +9) anyway. For now I would pay a visit to a certain bird café I promised myself that I would to go to, and to take several pictures of.
The first I heard of an owl café in Asakusa was by happenstance. I was in my parents' room when I passed by their television set, with the channel on NHK World (a prominent Japanese news and information channel). At the time they were featuring a restaurant where one could apparently interact with owls mainly, plus other birds. While I couldn't remember what the restaurant was called, all I knew of it was that it was in Asakusa.
I went online after that to find out where exactly this place was. First thing that popped up though was this page… The Torinoiru Owl and Parakeet Café.
It probably wasn't the same thing I saw on TV, but there were owls there, so it didn't really matter to me. I fished out its location on the map and bookmarked it to my Google Maps before I set off from Nakamise.
I spent nearly a whole hour trying to find it on the map. For some reason I couldn't see where the store itself was, and I constantly wondered if my map was showing the wrong place. I went back and forth between two different places in the same area twice, thinking I had the wring place and I eventually grew frustrated.
Then, in spite of my extremely limited knowledge of the language, I decided to ask for help at a nearby coffee shop at the first spot the map led me to. The barista behind the counter was clearly taken aback at how worn and out of breath I was from all the brisk walking and sprinting I had done, but after a few moments, I managed to ask, "Fukuro no café? (Owl café?)"
Thankfully, the woman seemed to understand, and she knew a little English too (what a lifesaver). She led me outside and showed me a building right across the small intersection. There I saw a somewhat faded sign beside some stairs leading down, which featured images of an owl and a parakeet.
In my relief, I almost-too-eagerly shook the hand of the barista and expressed my gratitude before running off and following the stairs down the building's basement level.
When I opened the door I came into a tiny, cooped up room with less than five people inside, excluding myself. Souvenirs, pins, and books were on display in tiny baskets along the counter, while t-shirts hung on the wall across the exit, just above the transparent shelf where owl dolls were on display. The store smelled of the owls roosting on a U-shaped perch on one side of the room, next to the wall where the noisy parrots and parakeets chirped incessantly.
But at this point, I was too busy internally hyperventilating over the fact that I finally found this place, and I was seeing owls in person for the first time ever to even care.
I was greeted by one of the attendants when I entered, who handed me a board detailing the rules of their café. It was ¥1,400.00 for an hour, and I had to leave my bag and accessories with them while I spent time with all the birds. Hey, no problem. I paid the fee, left my things, and abused the 11 GB of space I still had in my Xperia's camera with pictures of every single owl I laid my eyes on. Couldn't be assed to think of the other birds in the next room over.
Before I knew it, an hour had passed, and it was already time for me to go. But before I left, I made sure to bring back something that wasn't just pictures of all these owls…
I spent nearly a whole hour trying to find it on the map. For some reason I couldn't see where the store itself was, and I constantly wondered if my map was showing the wrong place. I went back and forth between two different places in the same area twice, thinking I had the wring place and I eventually grew frustrated.
Then, in spite of my extremely limited knowledge of the language, I decided to ask for help at a nearby coffee shop at the first spot the map led me to. The barista behind the counter was clearly taken aback at how worn and out of breath I was from all the brisk walking and sprinting I had done, but after a few moments, I managed to ask, "Fukuro no café? (Owl café?)"
Thankfully, the woman seemed to understand, and she knew a little English too (what a lifesaver). She led me outside and showed me a building right across the small intersection. There I saw a somewhat faded sign beside some stairs leading down, which featured images of an owl and a parakeet.
In my relief, I almost-too-eagerly shook the hand of the barista and expressed my gratitude before running off and following the stairs down the building's basement level.
When I opened the door I came into a tiny, cooped up room with less than five people inside, excluding myself. Souvenirs, pins, and books were on display in tiny baskets along the counter, while t-shirts hung on the wall across the exit, just above the transparent shelf where owl dolls were on display. The store smelled of the owls roosting on a U-shaped perch on one side of the room, next to the wall where the noisy parrots and parakeets chirped incessantly.
But at this point, I was too busy internally hyperventilating over the fact that I finally found this place, and I was seeing owls in person for the first time ever to even care.
I was greeted by one of the attendants when I entered, who handed me a board detailing the rules of their café. It was ¥1,400.00 for an hour, and I had to leave my bag and accessories with them while I spent time with all the birds. Hey, no problem. I paid the fee, left my things, and abused the 11 GB of space I still had in my Xperia's camera with pictures of every single owl I laid my eyes on. Couldn't be assed to think of the other birds in the next room over.
Before I knew it, an hour had passed, and it was already time for me to go. But before I left, I made sure to bring back something that wasn't just pictures of all these owls…
The Long Walk (Asakusa to Ueno)
With my promise to see the owls fulfilled and ticked off my bucket list, it was time for me to continue on my journey in search of the grass owl plush. I was determined to find it before I leave Japan.
The time was 3:00 p.m. I considered taking the train back to Ueno to get back to the hotel quickly, but then I decided to take my time instead. From Asakusa, Ueno was directly west, and I was all-too-familiar with Ueno to know if I already made it there or not, with or without Google Maps. It wasn't like I had the chance to be wandering Tokyo all the time very often either.
That said, I started heading westward and began admiring the charms of the Taito-ku streets. Every few blocks I waltzed into a convenience store and helped myself to any delectable rice balls available.
At the hotel I took a well-deserved rest from an hour of walking. I took the time to look into other places I could possibly find the Rowlet plush I wanted. Ueno's Yamashiroya was the second best place for me to find it, but I had been frequenting the store for the last few days and the cashier at the 2nd floor kept saying they were completely out of stock until the 29th. It just wouldn't do; I did not want to leave Japan without that plush in hand.
I then remembered there was more than one Pokémon Center in Tokyo. I quickly fished up their details on Google Maps. There was one in Yokohama, and one in Ikebukuro. Yokohama was a too far off from where I was, and would take me three hours going there and back on foot and by train. This didn't count the times I would eventually need to stop for a break for whatever reason. By this time it was already 4 p.m. I needed to be back by in 3 hours for dinner.
Ikebukuro was my best (and only) chance at finding that plush right now.
That said, I started heading westward and began admiring the charms of the Taito-ku streets. Every few blocks I waltzed into a convenience store and helped myself to any delectable rice balls available.
At the hotel I took a well-deserved rest from an hour of walking. I took the time to look into other places I could possibly find the Rowlet plush I wanted. Ueno's Yamashiroya was the second best place for me to find it, but I had been frequenting the store for the last few days and the cashier at the 2nd floor kept saying they were completely out of stock until the 29th. It just wouldn't do; I did not want to leave Japan without that plush in hand.
I then remembered there was more than one Pokémon Center in Tokyo. I quickly fished up their details on Google Maps. There was one in Yokohama, and one in Ikebukuro. Yokohama was a too far off from where I was, and would take me three hours going there and back on foot and by train. This didn't count the times I would eventually need to stop for a break for whatever reason. By this time it was already 4 p.m. I needed to be back by in 3 hours for dinner.
Ikebukuro was my best (and only) chance at finding that plush right now.
"We gotta find grass owl, fam"
Ikebukuro-Bound
From the APA Hotel I went to the station and booked a ticket for Ikebukuro. From Ueno, the trip was around an hour going there and back. This doesn't count all the walking I still had to do on my way to the mall where the Pokémon Center was and back to the hotel.
The whole experience wasn't like earlier where I was exploring a mix of the new and familiar. It was my first time going to Ikebukuro, and riding the train by myself without anyone accompanying me. I didn't know what to expect, and even though I had Google Maps, I knew I needed to have a pictographic memory of where I was going so I know how to retrace my steps just in case my power bank and cellphone ran out of steam.
Rather than a sole establishment like I initially expected, the map led me to a large mall called the Sunshine City Mall. I wondered if Google Maps was messing with my head, but then it occurred to me that perhaps the store was inside the mall like it was in the Skytree.
And lo and behold:
Ikebukuro Station.
Rather than a sole establishment like I initially expected, the map led me to a large mall called the Sunshine City Mall. I wondered if Google Maps was messing with my head, but then it occurred to me that perhaps the store was inside the mall like it was in the Skytree.
And lo and behold:
Bingo.
My arrival at the store wasn't much different from when I arrived at the coffeeshop earlier. I was hopeful when I entered the store, but from just looking around I could already feel my hopes begin to plummet.
I arrived in the section just in between all the Pokémon accessories and the shelf with the life-sized Popplio and Litten plushies. An employee attended to my heaving, panting self (I was brisk walking the whole time and ignoring whatever soreness that would likely ensue) and while initially surprised at my state, she patiently waited for me to regain my breath long enough to speak coherently in broken Japanese.
I pointed at the shelf with the huge zippocats and bbyseals. "Mokuroh arimasu ka?" (Are there Rowlets that size?)
"Eh… Mokuroh nai, gomen ne…" (Ah… No more Rowlets, I'm sorry…)
Deep down, I wanted to just kill myself right then and there. I had completely underestimated the popularity of the grass starter. So much that to actually have my own plush was next to impossible unless I ordered one online.
Since I was there, I decided to take a few snapshots of the store, before buying a few things and taking the long, disappointed walk back to Ikebukuro Station.
Since I was there, I decided to take a few snapshots of the store, before buying a few things and taking the long, disappointed walk back to Ikebukuro Station.
Disappointed as I was and despite the time and money I had spent going there and back… It wasn't as if the whole trip there was a complete waste. For one thing, I had gone alone to a place completely unknown to me, and managed to get back to my hotel safe and sound. I also learned how to purchase a ticket and commute in Japan via train as well as navigate through a seemingly confusing concrete jungle with the help of my pocket wi-fi and Google Maps. The mere fact that I learned so much and experienced it all by myself brought me a great sense of accomplishment. I highly doubt I would ever have if I was constantly accompanied by one (or all) of my relatives being around with me. And that was a greater feeling that couldn't compare to the disappointment I felt from never finding a grass owl plush of my own.
Besides, I eventually decided to just order it online, and just my luck--someone was more than willing to sell me one… Would take a month, but what mattered to me was that I was getting it, so it was okay.
And now, a quick feature of my overall haul of Pokémon paraphernalia this trip:
IT'S TOO BEAUTIFUL :'D
That said, this concludes my trip (because tomorrow is just us checking out and going to the airport for our flight home). Thanks to all for staying tuned in to my trip in Japan this December 2016, both here on Crossover and on my Instagram! Until next time!
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