Taiyaki

Recently I've begun the steps for getting a part-time job that is something other than teaching English. The first step is getting what is called a 履歴書 (rirekisho), or a resume. Writing a resume here is completely different from in the states. Every job and company uses the same format and you don't need a cover letter. You can find resume forms at any convenience store or book store, and get a pack of four or so for less than a few dollars. Natsumi, a member from the same club as me, was kind enough to help me go buy one at the book store at my school last Friday (January 7). But first, we took a bit of a detour to a nearby place that is famous for their taiyaki.

The place is called Wakaba. It's a 5-10 minute walk from my school. However, because the road to Wakaba is lined with tall buildings blocking out the sun, we were very, very cold! Yet despite the temperature, there were a lot of people lining up waiting to buy warm and freshly handmade taiyaki. As such, it was a kind of a long wait, so I took a couple of photos of the surrounding area. The whole time the smell of waffles filled the air.

The display case in front of the store.

A cat sitting in front of a real estate agent's office.

Then it was finally our turn.

A plate of taiyaki. I had just eaten a couple of onigiri (rice balls) for lunch, so I wasn't that hungry and opted out of trying them. I'm also not that much of a fan of the flavor of the sweet bean paste they put it inside the waffle. If only it were filled with chocolate...! 

In the corner of the store, they had this on display. All shops display this for good fortune and wealth during the new year. This one's a lot more elaborate than I've seen at other restaurants, but I guess the lobster is common for stores that deal with food. People display a similar thing in front of their houses as well, but it's just pine and bamboo.

Once my club mates finished their taiyaki, we saw that there was writing on the plate. It says, "May the tails of your taiyaki always be filled with bean paste." I thought this was peculiar and asked my club mates if in the past they didn't put the bean paste in the tail, but I guess that wasn't the case. All the same, it's kind of cute.

Speaking of cats, I saw this one on my way home from school. Perched on top of the place where everyone throws their trash bags on the appointed days, it felt like it was piercing into my soul...