Keikarou's experience!
It's been a little bit more than a month since my friend ale_irenear and I had the opportunity to visit Aiba chan's restaurant, Keikarou! I wanted to write everything down but I just didn't have the time to until now.
We had planned to go to Keikarou the day after we arrived to Japan, on April 11th. We woke up that day not so early (even though I had read you had to get there really early) and took our little present with us.
Just a brief comment about the present: We had planned to give something for the exhibition (we didn't know they didn't have the stuff there anymore) so we made this Arashi dolls wearing charro costumes. Yes, we wanted to add a mexican side to it! ^^ Fortunately, I have some great friends to share the fandom, so we all got together to make the Arashi dolls, while one of us was cooking curry with rice, and we had the TV on with Arashi videos. Each of us made her ichiban. (Exept me, I made Aiba chan, my niban.. Sho is my ichiban but Ale was already working on him XD).
And this is the result of that day:
Ok, so back to the story....
I don't remember at what time we arrived there, probably around 10am. The restaurant's very close to the Makuharihongo station, and we just had to cross this avenue. When we were crossing it, there were a couple of girls behind us talking between themselves, and I just caught something they said "Arashi fan mitai!".. At first I thought they were talking about us, but they were talking about themselves. When we arrived to the first Keikarou sign, they took turns to take pictures with it, and even offered to take a picture for us.
When we arrived to the actual restaurant, we found it was closed D: I knew they closed on Wednesdays but didn't check if there was another day in which they closed. When we approached the door, we found a little calendar with a huge "X" on the days they were closing: Wednesdays and Thursday from March to April. Too bad. The good thing about it is that we had the place to take pictures without bothering anyone.
The second try was on Monday 15th. We woke up really early (around 6.30am) and by 8.45am we were already making line outside the restaurant (we were seconds arriving there.. the first ones were a couple of higschool girls who happened to be on the same train with us, but at some point walked faster than us and arrived there first).
After a little while, probably around 9am, more people were arriving. The thirds arriving there were 3 ladies, all of them probably in their mid 30's to 40's, and Arashi fans. The lady right next to me had her cellphone with 3 Arashi straps, and even a picture of Jun as a wallpaper!! And they didn't stop talking about them in the whole time spent outside and inside the restaurant (they were sitting beside our table).
Around 9.30am, they started the cleaning the restaurant, or rather, the preparations for the day. Around 10am, the waitress lined up some chairs for us to sit and do the line closer to the door, and even gave us the menu to take the order.
The menu was entirely in Japanese, and even with my not-so-much knowledge of Japanese, we kind of figured out what we were going to ask. The set #1 for each and an order of gyozas. We were going to ask for an order of gyozas each, but the waitress kindly explained us it was enough with one. And sure it was!
The place inside is really small, probably around 10 to 12 tables only, and there's like a reserved room on the back. There was only a Kirin poster on the entrance and each table had this Kirin promotionals but Arashi members.
Now, the food. The set included a salad, the main dish with bowl of rice (we were told we could ask for more if we wanted for free), soup, and this fish-like things that we have no idea what it was. We also had dessert. Jazmin tea and apparently a pudin made of Sakura flowers.
I was facing the street, with my back on the restaurant, and my friend told my Aiba's mom was also serving and helping around. She's the cashier of the place. I didn't want to be turning around so I just waited until we paid to take a look at her. When we approached the counter, Aiba's mom was playing with a little girl, and we didn't wan to call her and distract her. So I went to use the bathroom first.
When I came out, it turned out my friend had already paid and even bought a pair of keychans. And she got the directions of how to use it directly from Aiba's mom!! :D At first she thought my friend was asking how they worked, and even showed her the one she was wearing on her waist.
But now it was time to make the delivery... And there was already line for paying!! So the next in line were the ladies who were in line after us, and I asked one of them if she could help me to explain to Aiba's mom that we wanted to give her a present. I just didn't have the confidence to tell her myself in Japanese. So when the lady finally understood what I meant, she approached Aiba san and told her that we were from Mexico and that we wanted to give her something we made. Aiba san kindly smiled at us and apologized, since they didn't have anything in exhibition anymore, I told her that I understood but that we still wanted her to have it. Finally she accepted and recieved the present. I took it out to show her what the present was, explained they were wearing mexican costumes and that I had made Aiba chan's doll. She thanked us, huge smile on ther face, and said something in English. The thing that I caught (since my mind was a little bit shocked and nervous for the moment) was "in my room", while she was grabbing it. I understood she was going to have them in her room! At least is what I could figure out..
We walked out feeling extremely happy, glad to had been able to talk to Aiba's mom and realise she's just as a happy person as he is. No wonder how he's grown up to be how he is!! I even thought of thanking her for giving birth to him, as the Japanese would say. :)
Sometimes I'd like to think about the scene: Aiba visiting his family, his mom telling him about this 2 mexican fans and their present, Aiba smiling at the dolls, and even showing them to the other members. Luckily~~ enough each doll with be with his owner at some point! XD Or at least that's what I'd like it would be!!
So that's what I wanted to share :) Hope you liked it!! ^^
a/n: sorry for any spelling mistakes!!
We had planned to go to Keikarou the day after we arrived to Japan, on April 11th. We woke up that day not so early (even though I had read you had to get there really early) and took our little present with us.
Just a brief comment about the present: We had planned to give something for the exhibition (we didn't know they didn't have the stuff there anymore) so we made this Arashi dolls wearing charro costumes. Yes, we wanted to add a mexican side to it! ^^ Fortunately, I have some great friends to share the fandom, so we all got together to make the Arashi dolls, while one of us was cooking curry with rice, and we had the TV on with Arashi videos. Each of us made her ichiban. (Exept me, I made Aiba chan, my niban.. Sho is my ichiban but Ale was already working on him XD).
And this is the result of that day:
Ok, so back to the story....
I don't remember at what time we arrived there, probably around 10am. The restaurant's very close to the Makuharihongo station, and we just had to cross this avenue. When we were crossing it, there were a couple of girls behind us talking between themselves, and I just caught something they said "Arashi fan mitai!".. At first I thought they were talking about us, but they were talking about themselves. When we arrived to the first Keikarou sign, they took turns to take pictures with it, and even offered to take a picture for us.
When we arrived to the actual restaurant, we found it was closed D: I knew they closed on Wednesdays but didn't check if there was another day in which they closed. When we approached the door, we found a little calendar with a huge "X" on the days they were closing: Wednesdays and Thursday from March to April. Too bad. The good thing about it is that we had the place to take pictures without bothering anyone.
The second try was on Monday 15th. We woke up really early (around 6.30am) and by 8.45am we were already making line outside the restaurant (we were seconds arriving there.. the first ones were a couple of higschool girls who happened to be on the same train with us, but at some point walked faster than us and arrived there first).
After a little while, probably around 9am, more people were arriving. The thirds arriving there were 3 ladies, all of them probably in their mid 30's to 40's, and Arashi fans. The lady right next to me had her cellphone with 3 Arashi straps, and even a picture of Jun as a wallpaper!! And they didn't stop talking about them in the whole time spent outside and inside the restaurant (they were sitting beside our table).
Around 9.30am, they started the cleaning the restaurant, or rather, the preparations for the day. Around 10am, the waitress lined up some chairs for us to sit and do the line closer to the door, and even gave us the menu to take the order.
The menu was entirely in Japanese, and even with my not-so-much knowledge of Japanese, we kind of figured out what we were going to ask. The set #1 for each and an order of gyozas. We were going to ask for an order of gyozas each, but the waitress kindly explained us it was enough with one. And sure it was!
The place inside is really small, probably around 10 to 12 tables only, and there's like a reserved room on the back. There was only a Kirin poster on the entrance and each table had this Kirin promotionals but Arashi members.
Now, the food. The set included a salad, the main dish with bowl of rice (we were told we could ask for more if we wanted for free), soup, and this fish-like things that we have no idea what it was. We also had dessert. Jazmin tea and apparently a pudin made of Sakura flowers.
I was facing the street, with my back on the restaurant, and my friend told my Aiba's mom was also serving and helping around. She's the cashier of the place. I didn't want to be turning around so I just waited until we paid to take a look at her. When we approached the counter, Aiba's mom was playing with a little girl, and we didn't wan to call her and distract her. So I went to use the bathroom first.
When I came out, it turned out my friend had already paid and even bought a pair of keychans. And she got the directions of how to use it directly from Aiba's mom!! :D At first she thought my friend was asking how they worked, and even showed her the one she was wearing on her waist.
But now it was time to make the delivery... And there was already line for paying!! So the next in line were the ladies who were in line after us, and I asked one of them if she could help me to explain to Aiba's mom that we wanted to give her a present. I just didn't have the confidence to tell her myself in Japanese. So when the lady finally understood what I meant, she approached Aiba san and told her that we were from Mexico and that we wanted to give her something we made. Aiba san kindly smiled at us and apologized, since they didn't have anything in exhibition anymore, I told her that I understood but that we still wanted her to have it. Finally she accepted and recieved the present. I took it out to show her what the present was, explained they were wearing mexican costumes and that I had made Aiba chan's doll. She thanked us, huge smile on ther face, and said something in English. The thing that I caught (since my mind was a little bit shocked and nervous for the moment) was "in my room", while she was grabbing it. I understood she was going to have them in her room! At least is what I could figure out..
We walked out feeling extremely happy, glad to had been able to talk to Aiba's mom and realise she's just as a happy person as he is. No wonder how he's grown up to be how he is!! I even thought of thanking her for giving birth to him, as the Japanese would say. :)
Sometimes I'd like to think about the scene: Aiba visiting his family, his mom telling him about this 2 mexican fans and their present, Aiba smiling at the dolls, and even showing them to the other members. Luckily~~ enough each doll with be with his owner at some point! XD Or at least that's what I'd like it would be!!
So that's what I wanted to share :) Hope you liked it!! ^^
a/n: sorry for any spelling mistakes!!