Japan has a romance with anything cute. And it's okay, really. Cute things are nice to look at but the Japanese just don't know when to stop being cute. One of this please-stop-being-cute instance is when grown-up women dressed so cutely in ruffles, pastel colors, ribbons and laces. This is called "kawaii fashion." Kawaii means cute in Japan.
Kawaii fashion is so rampant in Japan. Women in their 20's and 30's clothed with ribbons, laces with matching ruffled parasols acting like a cute little girl are a common sight here. Even for almost a year of being here, I still want to choke everytime I see women in kawaii fashion. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate kawaii fashion as long as it it's for girls- younger girls.
I can't understand why would grown-up women wanted to look ridiculous in clothes so out of their age. What's more, the kawaii fashionistas are not contented with keeping their style in Japan. They are planning to make a kawaii fashion world invasion.
Disconcerting news from the world of Japanese fashion: adherents to the cutesy subculture of Lolita fashion are organizing themselves into an official group. Their target: the whole world.
The Japan Lolita Association was formed in February to spread Japan’s special brand of “kawaii fashion” to the world. Aoki Misako, a well-known Lolita model who in 2009 was appointed “Kawaii Ambassador” by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (an absolutely real, and possibly even serious, position), will serve as chairperson, and the society’s office will be established at Fukuoka’s Omura Beauty College.
The association’s main activities will be to report lolita news, recruit and appoint Kawaii Ambassadors to support the global lolita network, host events such as tea parties and get-togethers for association members, and encourage and nominate lolita fashion-related schools and educational institutions. It all sounds perfectly innocent, but who knows what’s really going on behind those frilly petticoats and lacy parasols.
Becoming a member gets you perks such as subscription to their email newsletter and notifications of tea-parties and events. You can sign up here at their homepage. If you sign up with your smartphone, you even get a super-extra-kawaii membership image.
The association is also seeking information on Lolita-related events, so event promoters who want their event shared with Lolita fans should submit their information to the ‘Events & Tea parties’ page.
I seriously don't know whether I'll laugh or cry when I read this. However, it's their life. They're happy with being cute. I just have to look away and stop myself from howling when I see them.
It's easy to find Italian, Indian, French, Chinese, Korean and Philippine Cuisine in Hamamatsu. The area around the Hamamatsu Station is surrounded by various restos of these kind. A Mexican Restaurant is a different story. In almost a year of my stay here I only got to eat in one Mexican Restaurant- Las Chillonas.
Las Chillonas!
Las Chillonas is a family-owned little restaurant tucked in the quiet street of Motohoma-cho. It's situated on the first floor of a Hispanic family's house. It's safe to assume that the second floor is their living quarters.
The facade and interior of the restaurant are nothing fancy. You can't miss it though with it's orange walls that stands out along the neighborhood. It's reminiscent of cheap restos in Mejico and sidewalk food places. Though there's nothing grand about the place, it's clean and presentable including the toilet.
interior of Las Chillonas
The menu is in Spanish and in Japanese. Since I have little knowledge of Spanish, I can understand most of the words. I think some food terms are common so it wouldn't be really difficult for English speakers to choose. (Eg: burrito, taco, nachos, etc.) The menu has pictures so you'll get a picture of what you can get anyway.
My friend and I ordered some nachos for appetizer. The toppings are just okay though I wish they could have added more cheese. The nachos are also a bit stale. It's not as crispy as I would want it to be. Nonetheless, we finished them.
Some Nacho Lovin'
I had a Chimichanga. It's a mixture of meat and vegetables wrapped in crepe. I had chicken Chimichanga but I think beef would taste better. Mine wasn't as flavorful as I hoped it would be. It's still good though especially with a small drop of hot sauce. The serving was kinda big for me I only finished 2 thirds of it.
My friend had tacos. They're delicious. That's it!
It's also great to note that the place has vegetable offerings so even vegetarians can dine at Las Chillonas.
Beef taco
For drinks, I recommend trying Jamaica or Tamarind drinks. Both are uniquely tasteful and smooth I can't choose which I like better. There are also alcoholic drinks which I haven't tried. They have a small bar with various wines and liquors.
The staff is courteous on the average. Prices are reasonable. The only downside of this place is their unpredictable opening times. They are not open regularly so check first before coming.
Their contact number is 053-482-9484.
How to get there:
1. You can walk from Zaza City for 20-30 minutes. In this case, you'll be needing a Google Map.
2. Take the Entestu Line from Hamamatsu Station. Get off at Hachiman Station, the third station from Hamamatsu. It's a five-minute walk from Hachiman Station.
So two weeks ago, I went to the Immigration Office to have my residence card renewed. Good thing that I did not wait for the last minute (like when my card will expire the day before) . It takes about two to three weeks before a new card can be released. Although I have never experienced my card being checked by the police, I would still feel safer knowing I have an up-to-date card.
sample Residence Card in Japan
Here are the things I brought when I renewed my card.
1. Passport (Not expired of course)
2. 1 Passport-Sized Picture with focus on the head and shoulders. It shouldn't be more than 6 months.
3. Application Form for Extension of Stay. This can be downloaded or this can be filled up at the Immigration.
4. Residence Card.
5. Tax Certificate.The company I work for sent it to me last December.
6. Visa Sponsorship Letter or Certificate.
The process is fairly simple. Just prepare everything before coming to the immigration office. Submit all the documents. Once your name is called, you'll fill up a postcard that will be sent to you. This will serve as your notification when you need to return and get your new residence card.
