MoCHA Cat Cafe Yabacho

A new Cat Cafe, called MoCHA, opened in Nagoya last month. It’s only a minute or so from Yabacho Station, in the Sakae Become building. It shares the second floor with another themed cafe.
Inside is a cat’s paradise, filled with comfy seating and tons of places to climb.

The fees average around ¥1200 for one hour or ¥200 per 10 minutes. For ¥380 extra, you can have access to an unlimited drink bar. For those who use LINE, theres also coupons available, if you friend them.
I stayed almost four hours, drifting between various activities. There are reclining seats, booths, a video game corner, the biggest cat tree I’ve ever seen, and plenty of cat toys. Also, the majority of the cats are still kittens.

I made friends with two kittens, a Russian Blue (Sally) and a Munchkin (Michelle). Both fell asleep after a little petting. 
Sally slept for over an hour, but was a ball of energy and affection after he woke up. Yes, Sally is a boy.
Michelle on the other hand, was only interested in my skirt. She suffers from palsy so running, jumping, and general coordination are difficult for her. She ended sleeping on part of my skirt for twenty minutes, until I had to wake her up to go.

If you are in Nagoya, I recommend this cafe. You can find directions and more information on its website. 

http://catmocha.jp/nagoya/

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Meet the Neighbours 01

Across from my current apartment complex, there’s an old abandoned house filled with stray cats. 
While it does look like something out of a horror movie, it was actually a big selling point for me. 

When I was give a tour of the room, by the real estate agent, he apologized for it when he caught my eyes lingering a little to long. I think he was taken back a little by me replying that I though it was cool.
Of course I have no intension of going inside, but I can admire it from the safety of my balcony. I’ve always been interested by old abandoned things like this and my new neighborhood has lots of cool things.

The Longest Day

Today was moving day, so there was lots to do. 

First I had to wake up around 7:30, so I could get ready/finish vacuuming my old apartment, before heading into downtown Nagoya to get the keys. That took longer than expected and involved more speaking than I thought would be necessary. By express train, it takes about a half hour one way, so a good chunk of my morning was eaten up by that.

Then, there was an apartment check by my manager, followed a phone call to the gas company, and various visits by the electric and gas companies to turn off utilities/collect payment.
After all that, I had to help the moving guy pack the moving van. It took a little over an hour to get to my new place. I also helped unpack and carry things up to the second floor. My new apartment is fancy and has various security feature.
About twenty minutes after the moving guy left, the gas company came to turn on the gas and help me start a contract. At the same time, the security guy was setting the home security system.

Then I was left to my own devices. I set up my futon, the TV, kitchen, and laptop. I also put my clothes in the  closet so they won’t get wrinkled. The rest can wait till Saturday.
Eventually I did get hungry, so I tried to relocate the nearby supermarket, but google maps has a hard time with my neighborhood since its old and tightly packed. I ended up in Nagoya. So i did some shopping.
I did get super lost on the way bsck though, since it’s so confusing. Took me an hour to find my apartment. Go me.

Sunshine Sakae

 

Last weekend I was in Nagoya for a doctor’s appointment, so I spent a little time in the city. Sakae, to be specific. Since I don’t get the chance so much anymore, I figured I would be touristy.

I rode the Sunshine Sakae Ferris Wheel. It wasn’t super impressive, but it was fun enough. I also videochatted with a friend during the ride.

For five hundred yen, its not a bad way to spend ten minutes.

An unexpected interview

Recently I was enjoying an evening in Nagoya’s Central Park area, when a reporter from the local TV station asked for an interview. He was doing a piece on foreign views of Nagoya, which may be due to the Nagoya’s increased pressure to draw in tourists. Interviewees had to live and work in Nagoya and speak both languages at least a little. The interview was done in English, but it’s believed that a better understanding of the local culture can bd enjoyed by people who are bilingual.

Most of the questions were about things I was surprised by here, what I like to do in my free time, and about differences in culture. Because I’m from New York, I’m seen as somewhat cool, even though I’m really not.

All in all, it took about thirty minutes.

The program is set to debut on Nagoya channel 6 on June 7th.

Oasis 21 at Night

The weather has been wonderful, so I’ve been trying to take advantage of it. After almost a year in the center of Nagoya, I’m being transferred to Anjo City. While it won’t be impossible to come to the big city, it will take much longer and be a bit more expensive.

During my walks, I found myself at Oasis 21 in Sakae. It’s a shopping area made of about four levels. These pictures were taken from the top level, which sports a reflecting pool/fountain and plexi-glass floor.

It’s also a pretty convenient location from where I am living now. It’s only a handful of stops away on the Sakuradori Line. I think I may visit this place from time to time, after my move.

Return to the Cat Cafe

After months, I finally went back to that cat cafe I visited earlier this year. I found out recently that it had been closed for a bit due to renovations. It’s now a bit bigger with three cat rooms and a handful of new furry faces. The staff was lovely as always and I made a furry friend, named Atom, who wsd really interested in my socks and phone. I also spoke for a bit with the owner, who is like a mom to the cats and is currently studying English.