Last year we had a brilliant visit to a cat café in Seoul, and so on our trip to Japan this summer we knew that we definitely wanted to visit another.
This was our first visit to Japan, and there weren't as many cat cafés around as I was expecting. I think that animal welfare regulations have been tightened over the last few years, and many businesses have closed. We chose to visit the Cat Café MOFF Yodobashi Akiba which is part of a chain of cat cafés. It's situated inside the Yodobashi Camera store in Akiba, which is also a great place to visit as well as being somewhere for people that aren't as interested in the cats to spend some time browsing!
The café has large windows which look out onto the street, so you can have a look inside before visiting to check how busy it is and to get a sense of what it's like inside. To spend time in the cafe cost us 2000 yen each for an hour, with additional 10 minutes charged at 250 yen thereafter. There are a couple of vending machines supplying unlimited hot and cold drinks, and you can pay a little extra to buy treats to feed the cats. No reservation was necessary, and it's easy to reach by public transport.
We visited late afternoon which was the perfect time. We arrived just before feeding time, and then after that the space emptied out quickly, with only a few people remaining when it was time for us to leave. Feeding time was really sweet, all the cats lined up in front of their food bowls and they were introduced in turn.
There was a really friendly lady working there who interacted with both guests and cats, telling people about them by using a speaking translator app which worked really well. She clearly loved all the cats. We bought some cat treats and jelly to feed to the cats which was really fun. Everyone was respectful to the cats, no one was chasing them around or bothering them. If they wanted to keep out of the way there were plenty of places for them to retreat where they could remain undisturbed.
If you just sat down quietly then a cat would often approach which was lovely! It was a really calm and peaceful atmosphere. Each table had a handy identification guide with pictures of the cats and their names, and they were all pretty cats from a range of different breeds. We were given stickers so that we could vote for our favourite cat on a wall chart but I felt that was a bit unfair so I put my sticker by the cat that had the fewest votes!
Many of the cats were happy to just sit in a basket while you sat quietly stroked them. We stayed for an hour and it passed so quickly - we could have stayed all day! If you love cats and have the chance to visit a cat café I would definitely recommend it, just make sure to check out a few recent reviews first.
And if cats aren't your thing, we also saw advertisements in Tokyo for several capybara cafés, puppy cafés, a hedgehog café and an exotic animal café featuring kangaroos and snakes!
Yu Garden is located in Shanghai's Huangpu District in the Old City. You can reach it via metro to Yuyuann Garden Station, although we mainly travelled around Shanghai using a taxi as we found it much more convenient and often cheaper for us as a family of four. The gardens are open during the daytime, closed on Mondays, and there is a small entrance fee.
Yu Garden was constructed during the Ming Dynasty, starting in 1559, by Pan Yunduan to act as a comfort for his father in his old age. The name itself 'Yu Yuan' means 'pleasing and satisfying to one's parents'. The gardens cover five acres and occupy a peaceful spot next to the busy Yuyuan Bazaar shopping area just outside.
The gardens are a bit of a maze, especially when it's busy which I think it probably is most of the time. Although people were respectful, there were large crowds which made navigating some of the narrow paths a bit difficult at times. But there were quieter areas too, where you could stop for a few minutes to watch fish and turtles in the water.
The garden is divided into six general areas which are separated walls and connected by corridors. It's definitely worth taking a quick photo of the map at the entrance to make sure that you don't miss anything!
I loved the traditional architecture and the beautiful greenery everywhere. You could just stand and stare, taking it all in and finding something new in each view. It's a lovely, traditional place to visit in the heart of the busy and chaotic city of Shanghai.
Just outside Yu Garden you will find the very busy Yuyuan Bazaar with lots of shops filled with both traditional crafts and more modern offerings. It's a great place to pick up those tourist gifts and souvenirs - if you don't mind being approached every time you show an interest in anything! I would have bought more if I had been left alone to browse. The shops are also definitely a place to haggle, which I'm terrible at!
It's worth stopping for a look around this area too, just because it's such a unique and interesting shopping experience and such a contrast to the gardens! Both are definitely somewhere to add to your list if you are planning a visit to Shanghai.
One of our favourite experiences on our trip to Seoul this summer was the chance to watch a live recording of The Show - a South Korean music television show which is broadcast live every Tuesday from the SBS Prism Tower in Seoul. If you are a K-pop fan, or are travelling with one, it's a fantastic opportunity to watch some K-pop performances live on stage and to see how a live music show is put together.
We booked our tour with Trazy - SBS MTV The Show & Seoul Tour Package. The Show takes place every Tuesday, and this tour is available for foreigners only. The current price is £75 per person. There are other tour operators that offer this experience so you might want to shop around, but we were very happy with Trazy. We did notice that each tour operator entered the studio in turn and Trazy was first, so our group was seated in the front rows.
We met our tour guides just inside Hangangjin Station and it was easy to find the group. The tour includes a sightseeing tour before you head to the studios. You don't have to do this - you can just meet the group at the SBS Prism Tower later in the day for The Show. However numbered tickets are allocated when you arrive at the station, so if you join the tour later you will receive a higher number. You'll still have a good view in the studio, but it's something to bear in mind.
The itinerary of the sightseeing tour changes seasonally, so you need to check what your tour includes. We visited in July and so our tour was the Gwanghwamun King Sejong Course. This included a self-guided visit to The Story of King Sejong Underground Museum, a stop and photo opportunity at the Statue of Admiral Yi Sun-Sin which is right outside the museum, a short walk and rest along Cheonggyecheon Stream and a visit to Hikr Ground. The bus took us between these locations, then dropped us off at the SBS Prism Tower. After the show it was up to us to make our own way back to our hotel.
Although our reason for booking the tour was to see The Show, we were really glad that we had chosen to do the optional sightseeing tour. It's always nice to be taken around places rather than having to find your own way, and our tour guide (Jamie) was really friendly. The King Sejong Underground Museum was very interesting, and there was the chance to learn how to write your name in Hangul. The river walk was lovely, and there was time to have a sit down with your feet in the clean water. The Hikr Ground part of the trip was a bit chaotic as it was very busy and also a bit confusing, but there was a nice cafe on the top floor and it got us in the K-pop mood!
Once we arrived at the SBS Prism Tower for the show there was quite a lot of waiting around. There is a cafe area and toilets but not much space to wait inside, so we were encouraged to wait outside with our group. We lined up by tour group in number order according to the tickets we received when we registered, and this was very strictly controlled. There were also separate lines for what I assume were the South Korean K-pop fans that can receive tickets by ballot to stand in front of the stage. Then we were taken into the studio in turn and directed to our seats. Once inside it wasn't too long to wait until the show started, and there was plenty to see as the studio prepared for the broadcast.
The line up for the show is only released just before the broadcast. We were given the details on the tour bus, although we had already looked it up online. On the day that we visited this was the line-up - Han Seung Woo, KARD, ONEUS, H1-KEY, POW, Baby DON'T Cry, AHOF, NouerA, TIOT, DPNS, RESCENE, Blingone and DIVA-X.
All of these groups apart from Baby DON'T Cry were present in the studio. However not all of their performances were being filmed live - sometimes they danced along to a pre-recorded video, and they didn't always perform the whole routine. In spite of this, because the show moved very quickly from act to act there was plenty to keep us entertained.
I'm fairly certain that apart from one group none of them were actually singing live, but they all showcased excellent and energetic dances. There was a great atmosphere in the studio, with the local fans in the standing area at the front and also in one of the seating blocks - they had light sticks, signs, balloons and so on and were very enthusiastic supporters.
Here's a clip from the end of the show that we watched when they announced the winners:
For the K-pop fan in our family, going to watch The Show being recorded was an incredible experience. Even those of us less enthused by the magic of K-pop really enjoyed going along to watch and seeing how the broadcast was put together. I would absolutely recommend this tour if you are visiting Seoul and have even a vague interest in K-pop!
A couple of things to note before you book - Check the age restrictions. The tour that we chose was for children over age 10 only and children under the age of 15 need to be accompanied by an adult. You need to be at the studio in plenty of time, and you cannot take any photographs or videos inside the studio, even before the show starts. You cannot leave the studio once the show starts so make sure to use the restroom first. The Show is subject to cancellation, and if that happens you should receive a full refund, but do check with your tour operator.
