February 18, 2009
Meguro, Ikebukuro
Hey folks, little bit pissed of that the first draft of this disappeared in a blaze of computer failure, but I will soldier on and write it again.
I went to Meguro (via the yamanote line). After a disastrous attempt to read a map, I went west instead of east. Whoops. In my walk west I went past a nature park (closed for the end of year) and a modern art museum (1000 yen admission, urgh). But I was intent on finding my original destination, The Meguro Parasitological Museum, which meant doubling back and walking an extra kilometre. Only to find the Museum was closed. Not my lucky day.
So, defeated and tired, I retreated to a nearby internet cafe. 600 yen for an hour =S but free drinks; mmmm cold tea.
Then I jumped back on the yamanote line, this time going in the opposite direction, and went to Ikebukuro.
Ikebukuro
Lonely Planet, bless its informative paper soul, had told me of Namco Namjatown, a theme park of sorts in Sunshine City, a massive shopping complex in Ikebukuro.
To me, Namco (a gaming company) = Katamari, the super special awesome game where one rolls around, picking things up, and gradually getting heffing enormous. So I descended upon Namjatown, hoping Katamari merchandise could be obtained. And LP had promised a Cup Ice (cream) museum. Paying 300yen for entry, I wandered in and was immediately disappointed. The place was far too dark, empty and cold to be inviting. So that was a let down. But, as your dutiful guide, I took a quick tour through the Dessert Area, Gyoza (Dumpling) stadium, and Fortune telling area.
This fortune telling area was full of machines willing to tell you and your hypothetical partner if you were made for each other. Or it would tell you your future, or tell you what illnesses you were susceptible to, like most good machines.
So, after looking at these areas, it as onwards to the ice cream town. Aside from a Turkish man trying to sell me ice cream, it was mostly deserted.
The cup ice museum as entertaining. It sold strange ice cream flavours from all around Japan, and one from the US. To start off with, I bought:
- Garlic flavoured ice cream (the aforementioned US import)
Quickly; kiss me.
and
- Octopus flavoured ice cream
Now folks, here’s a quick public service announcement
NEVER EVER EVER EAT OCTOPUS ICE CREAM.
It tastes half way between soap and rotten fish. Oh god, the taste still gives me nightmares; it is by far the foulest thing I’ve ever eaten.
I'm surprised that it can be captured in a photo, what with the pure evil that it contains
Let us have a moment of silence for those tastebuds that had to endure the horrors if octopus ice cream…
Minute over. Garlic ice cream didn’t have an overpowering taste or smell, but I had terrible breath afterwards.
For my great aunt and uncle, I brought home
- Sweet Potato ice cream (Delicious, my favourite ice cream flavour ever)
Omunomunomu
- Sunflower ice cream (Great Aunt liked it)
Made with the petals, I think. Has embedded seeds
- Rice ice cream (thin flavour; contains hard, whole rice grains)
Trivia: The big character in the middle, 'rice', is also the character that represents the US in Japanese news and general writing. Not sure why
- Shark Fin ramen flavour (can’t tell what it tasted like, someone ate it without telling us how it was)
Delicious, I'm sure >_>
- Pumpkin flavoured (looked and tasted great)
Yay
- and a few others I can’t remember, will look through photos later and update- Aha! Photos say:
- Tofu ice cream
Quite good, apparently
- Corn ice cream
Other flavours I saw in the museum of horrors
- Crab
- Sea Urchin
- Squid
- Sanma (type of fish)
- Beef tongue
- Soybean paste ramen flavour
;___________; Can’t imagine what they might have tasted like.
So, with the horrible taste still in my mouth, I left Ikebukuro. The next day I would be meeting one of my 20 second cousins, and was looking forward to it
