Welcome to the Kawashima Mystery Cafe! Be generous!

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There is a new breed of Japanese man, who rejects the caveman macho mentality of his forefathers, who are unmoved by the call of flesh, hence their label: soshoku-danshi, the plant-eating male. Less driven by ambition, money, or sexual conquest, these fashion-conscious herbivores are shy around women, which ironically makes them the chosen prey of more carnivorous women.

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Oshino Koi, originally uploaded by demosthenesofathens.

There is the word for something, and then the thing itself.

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Path to Hachimangu Shrine, originally uploaded by demosthenesofathens.

At the very end of the Wakamiya Oji, past the huge red torii, the wide path to the Hachimangu Shrine was flanked by stalls selling different foodstuffs, some recognizable (like beautiful candy apples) and some not so much.

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Oshino Village, originally uploaded by demosthenesofathens.

The smell of food cooking filled the street as we made our way from the village parking lot to the center of Oshino village. I couldn’t understand any of the signs, and everything that was being sold seemed new and strange.

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My Bombe, originally uploaded by demosthenesofathens.

I made my way down the cramped aisles of Don Quixote’s Dogenzaka branch, past pet supplies and cheap electronics and electric yakiniku grills.

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Hachimangu Stairs 2, originally uploaded by demosthenesofathens.

The crowds of daytrippers at the Hachimangu Shrine moved on from the stage where the Shinto wedding was taking place to the various side shrines with monks blessing little charms for business, travel, health, marriage, and so on. Temple miko briskly walked around, helping with odd jobs like sweeping the courtyard floor and carrying pots and flowers.

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Hachiko Statue, originally uploaded by demosthenesofathens.

It was getting late, and I was making my way from the Tokyu next to Shibuya Station to another, higher-end Tokyu where Maoi’s mom and brother were waiting.

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Harajuku Takeshita Street, originally uploaded by demosthenesofathens.

Unlike Ginza, which was dominated by large monolithic malls like Mitsukoshi and Matsusakaya, Takeshita-Dori is dotted with little stalls and boutiques. While my fiancee and her family spent their time (and buckets of 100 yen coins) inside the Daiso, I wandered nearby, carrying shopping bags.

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Japan Railway Station, originally uploaded by demosthenesofathens.

We made our way around a maze of escalators, colored lines, shops, vending machines, and a bewildering array of train platforms. We plotted our stops the day before, and now, bleary-eyed but excited, we waited for the first train on our way to Kamakura.

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