A Journey to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter

Did you ever sat on your couch on a school holiday, waiting for an owl comes to your house with an envelope marked Hogwart's logo ? Well, i did. Actually I still do sometimes, when i'm in the middle of bad day at work, lots of paperworks that make me want to quit the job and said "Fuck these shits, i'm going to hogwarts !" eventho I'm already on my mid 20s. Lol.

But then again, the envelope never came and you need to go back to reality and face your whole-damn-boring life......................................until this February. I found this magical place in Japan.

At the end of 2015, I never thought that Hogwarts was really exist until i saw one of my friend photos in instagram and saw the pictures of hogwarts and butterbeer. I was so happpyyyy to find out that Universal Studio Japan has their own area for Hogsmeade and Hogwarts. A magnificent area reproducing the world from Harry Potter stories on an overwhelming scale and with meticulous attention to the details. It was like all of sudden, your dream comes true! You dont need an owl to enter hogwarts, you only need 7.000 yen the to enter the wholeeeeee magnificent Hogsmeade and Hogwarts Castle. Yes i know it's quite expensive but totally worth it. The price is for the whole parks in Universal Studio Japan, not only the Harry potter. I could cryyy with tears of joy for the rest of my life !

Hogwarts Castle

Dont you want to ride Hogwarts express?

Let's go!

Obligatory selfie! Me in front of Olivanders.

Owl Post and Owlery

Inside The Owl Post and Owlery

ZONKO's ! who doesnt want extendable ears for eaves dropping? ;)

Honey Dukes, Heavenly place for Candies and chocolate. 

Bertie bott's every-flavour beans 

The famous Butterbeer !!

Inside The Three Broom Stick. Let's get some lunch!

What's your favourite?

Shepperd's Pie and Pumpkin Juice

Did you remember whose flying car is this?

Pumpkin Juice's Stall

Hagrid's House

The details were very overwhelming. You could buy a glass of butterbeer, and it was taste good! *cries*, You could go to Olivanders wand shop and experience buying your own wand, You could eat lunch at Three Broomstick or just go to the hogshead for some casual butterbeer drink. You could buy your own hogwarts robe and choose which house do you like (Slytherin, Hupplepuff, Ravenclaw or Gryffindor). You could shop many types of candies and chocolates at Jonko's and Honey dukes.

Actually, I can hardly describe it in words very well, you will know what i'm feeling if you could be there!

xoxo,

Tissaflo

Zao Fox Village

I had a bussiness trip around tohoku last week and after finished the event, I decided to visit the cutest village on earth which is take place in Tohoku area! It was a Fox Village in Miyagi prefecture. Actually, I Just heard about it before, but never passed in my mind that i would visit that place for real because it was very very very very far from Kobe. But yeah finally I got the chance to see these surreal creatures! *crying happily*

It took almost 2 hours by shinkansen from tokyo to Shiroishizao station. After arrived safely in the station, we caught a cab to the hill for 20 minutes trip (cost 4000 yen for taxi-ride). Althought, it was cheaper to take a bus from Shiroishi station ( Shiroishizao station is only for Shinkansen), but we missed the bus so we prefer to took a cab. Anyway, You could easily get the information about the village from the information center in the station. Some of the staff will recomend you to call the taxi again when you want to go back to the station from the village. So you need to write down the cab driver's phone number. But, Actually, the owner of the fox village will kindly help you to order taxi or show you the schedule of the bus. It was easy to get in and get out the village.

Honestly, I was really scared at first. Because I always scared of dog (i had these kind of childhood traumatic), and i thought that Fox will be quite similar. But I forced myself to visit the fox village. It was simply because i always thought that Fox was so surreal and i'm curiously want to meet those creatures, despite how scared i am. It was totally worth it! The fox wasnt scary at all, turns out, they were soooooo sooo cute!! i want to pet 'em so bad, but indonesia's weather is sunny all the time, the fox wouldnt be able to live, tho. Additionally,  It is better to come on winter because you could see snow covering all over the places. The combination of the red fox color and the snow will perfectly good in a camera frame!

xoxo,

Tissa

KIITO

As i mentioned before, that since december 2015 I have started my life in japan till the next 9 months. I was an intern in NPO +arts to study about disaster Risk Reduction education and how to design some program, games, and tools related to disaster education for children. NPO+arts office is in the same building with KIITO Creative and Design center in Kobe. For several project related to design and disaster, NPO+arts will colaborating and develop the same program. And how could i ended up here? well, it's a long story, tho. I will keep it for another time. Lol. :p

Right now, i would like to tell to you how surprise i am with my new office :p

At first, i thought that my office will be small but homey since it was a NGO (non Governmental Organization), and related to disaster. i thought that it would be so messy with things about disaster preparation, and the people who work there will mostly an outdoor people who ready anytime anywhere become volunteer when disaster comes. But, Woopsie, it was wrong. Turns out that this office building was a heritage building. The former 'Kobe Raw Silk Testing Center' was renovated and opened in August, 2012 as The 'Design and Creative Center Kobe'.

As An half-Architect and half-designer, I found this place was so interesting and artsy. They turn the old building into an artsy place! I really love that idea. Additionally, they also have a really cute Cafe called KIITO Cafe and their interior design were so cool. 

Main entrance of The Building

Me and the leftover of KIITO's BE KOBE Meeting

The view from the afternoon

KIITO CAFE

Did you just love the Ambience of this Cafe? :)

Another Corner of KIITO Cafe

I love how they turn things into table

And the People in the cafe was so nice and friendly :)

had lunch with My Senpai from the Office

Today's Special

KIITO Second floor

xoxo,

Tissaflo