Moonshadow: Sun and Star

One of the things about Japan that I consider unique and have a profound interest in is the existence of “themed cafes,” sometimes referred to as “concept cafes.” Before I moved to Japan, I had spent a good portion of my time looking up all the different cafes, restaurants, and services that revolved on a central theme.

There is a wide range of themes including animals (such as cat, dog, rabbit, and owl cafes), anime, games, (e.g. Square Enix cafe in Akihabara), maids and butlers, BL (boys’ love), crossdressing, as well as shooting bars. I had originally planned to visit as many themed establishments as I can and write reviews about them in my old personal blog. However, due to a couple of personal reasons, I couldn’t turn that plan into a reality, but perhaps I could start working on it sometime soon.

The warm, fuzzy feeling of being in a spacious room surrounded by cute, fluffy cats of different breeds

Our attention caught by a sign with adorable cats in a pink background, my partner and I decided to go to the second floor of a building in Roponggi, and this was where I had my first cat cafe experience. The spacious room had two rows of bookshelves lined with manga, some couches and chairs, a wide-screen television paired with a couple of game consoles, and cat toys.

Watching playful cats seems to have a healing effect.

We spent about thirty minutes playing with cats, petting them, and taking photos and videos of and with them. Although we both enjoyed the experience, it turned out that they’re allergic to cats!

Some cats were aggressive, others were lazy and uninterested. Our favorite cats were the playful ones.

Cat cafes usually have a “drink bar,” which is Japanese English term for a drink machine that allows you to choose any drink and get refills as many times as you want for essentially for free, as it is included in the entrance fee. In terms of cleanliness, the cat cafe we went to had about three or four hand disinfectant sprays to ensure the health of both cats and human guests.

Why are cat cafes so popular in Japan for both the locals and foreigners alike?

I did a bit of research and it turns out that this concept originated in Taiwan, where the first-ever cat cafe was located. But it only became big globally when Japan adopted the concept. And why is that?

Is it due to the cute nature of cats, especially since the concept of kawaii (cuteness) seems to be deeply embedded in the country’s culture? Is it because of the sacredness of animals as viewed through the lens of Shinto religion? Or is it because most Japanese apartments are either too small for pets or do not allow their tenants to own pets, so cat cafes have become sanctuaries for these cat lovers?

What do you think?

Moonshadow is the Oblivion realm of Azura, the Daedric Prince of Sun and Star, who is known to take the form of a woman draped in a flowy white dress. Azura is one of the few Daedric princes–although they may present themselves as different genders and in different forms, they are generally viewed as male, hence “princes”–considered mostly “benevolent.” Azura tends to interfere in the affairs of Nirn (referring to both the mortal plane and the planet itself), but not for malevolent or selfish purposes, unlike most Daedra.

The terms above may be unfamiliar to most readers of this blog, as they are characters, settings, and concepts that are part of the lore of The Elder Scrolls game franchise.

How the above relates to the purpose of this blog is what this first post is going to be about.

Moonless, sunless, starless… The Tokyo Bay night sky on a romantic dinner cruise with my partner.

As stated in the sidebar, the first eleven to twelve posts of this newly-created blog will be for the “Visual Anthropology of Modern Japan” course I’m taking this Fall semester. I’ll be posting photographs of things related to Japan, as well as an analyses of various aspects of the country based on the photo/s included in those posts.

When picking the title of this blog, I had made sure to relate it not only to my favorite game franchise, but to my life in Japan as well. The “Sun” in the title–aside from its relation to Azura–refers to Japan, also known as the “Land of the Rising Sun.” I’ve been living here for almost five years and have amassed a wide variety of experiences ranging from the positive, the “grey areas” of life, and the negative. At one point, the Sun sunk, but the Star never fails to shine a light to guide my way.

The most important feature of my life in Japan is my partner, whose name translates to “shining light” in Sanskrit. And while most nights in Tokyo are starless, they are the Star that lights my path in this city.

They are what defines my Japan experience. Aside from being my partner and my best friend, they are also my travel buddy, and we often go to different places in and out of the city to dine, shop, and make memories. On rainy days or when we don’t feel like exploring outdoors, we are always happy to stay at home and play our favorite MMORPG, The Elder Scrolls Online. Our love for the game is perhaps the main reason why I chose “Moonshadow: Sun and Star” as my blog’s title.

I’m very much looking forward to sharing interesting things about Japan with you. Thank you for reading!

Do you play online games? What are your initial thoughts of Japan?

Moonshadow: Sun and Star

The Fluffy Space

Why “Moonshadow?”