In 2014, 「泣ける！広島県＼(T▽T)／」(Nakeru! Hiroshima-ken) - the first Hiroshima prefecture guidebook was released! Perfume was featured in their hometown guidebook. Of course this is one book that I must collect and so I asked my friend to help me "get" one copy from Japan.
Inside the guidebook there are quite a few Perfume photos taken in Hiroshima. This year I was going to Hiroshima and so I made myself a "mission" to accomplish - find all the photo spots in the guidebook!
So before I went to Hiroshima I've did some research to find out where are all the photo spots. Unfortunately I couldn't find any source that state the photo spots in this guidebook. Only those places that have station name or shop name in the photo I can find their exact location, the rest I have to find them myself.
Therefor I set this mission myself to find out all the photo spots when I go Hiroshima this September! Good news is ----- I FOUND ALL of THEM!!! To let other Perfume fans who are interested to visit these photo spots, I decided to write this blog post for them to find it easier.
It wasn't easy to find all the photo spots. I only have 2 hints before I go to Hiroshima: one is at Hiroshima City, then another one place is Onomichi (尾道市). Let's start off with the one at Hiroshima City.
Fukuro Machi station (袋町)
The first one is quite easy. It was taken at a tram station called FukuroMachi station (袋町).
It is just along the main road, walk South from Hondori station on the right side of the road. It will be just a 3 minutes walk. Or you can walk from Okonomi-mura(お好み村) as shown in the map above, but you'll have to cross the road to get the exact view.
Fukuro Machi station (袋町)
The first one is quite easy. It was taken at a tram station called FukuroMachi station (袋町).
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| These photos were taken on 21st September 2015 |
Only the photo above was taken at Hiroshima city, the rest for my guess was taken at Onomichi. In order to find those spots easier I've drawn a path. Hopefully it will be useful.
Onomichi (尾道市)
The path above is a path I suggest if you want to visit all the photo spots in Onomichi. You can go all these places in less than 3 hours. The path begin at Onomichi station, so that you can start your journey straight away once you reach Onomichi.
Let's start off with the first photo spot in Onomichi, it is also the easiest one. The guidebook cover photo!
Let's start off with the first photo spot in Onomichi, it is also the easiest one. The guidebook cover photo!
This Okonomiyaki shop is quite easy to find on google map. However it is on the opposite island, so to get there you'll have to take the ferry. Just walk South from the station to the ferry port and take the ferry to the opposite island. It only cost 100 yen per way and 3 minutes ride.
Once you reach the ferry, just follow the path below to go to the Issa (一茶) Okonomiyaki shop.
I highly recommend you stop by and have a meal inside here, especially if you can speak Japanese. You can have a nice chat with オカミ (okami- the landlady).
It's a very small and simple shop as shown in photo above. Once I entered the shop, okami-san (the person in the photo) directly asked me "Perfume fans?" Seems like in Japan, this is a must go shop for Japanese Perfume fans when they go Hiroshima prefecture. After I sat down she straight away brought the same guidebook and a message book for me to write. Of course as a Perfume fans I won't miss out to write a message.
After I looked at the menu I asked okami-san any recommendation? She said since I'm a Perfume fans, why not have a "Perfume special okonomiyaki", the one that all three of them had on that day. Of course I'll just have that. While she was preparing the okonomiyaki I looked around her shop. On the right wall of her shop is almost covered with Perfume stuffs. The guidebook posters, their concert towels, some fans' self-made goods and of course Perfume's signature!
Finally the "Perfume special okonomiyaki" is ready!
I also ordered Sapporo Green Aroma beer which I can't find it in any convenient shop in Japan. Finally I can taste it there and I LIKE IT! Very smooth!
Okami-san is really a nice and kind person. Since there was no other customer she sat down and have a chat with me. Luckily my Japanese level still able to have a simple conversation with her. It was really a nice chat. She explained to me that the specialty about the "Perfume special okonomiyaki" is that there are mochi inside it. She said Perfume like it a lot with mochi inside okonomiyaki. We also talked about how the staff and Perfume chose her shop as the cover page of the guidebook, what happened on that day when Perfume was there. She said Perfume went there around noon time and stayed there for an hour. But before that there were already around tens of policemen surrounding her shop which look like there was a crime scene at her shop (LOL). She keep praising all the Perfume members are very nice and pretty, and they have such a beautiful straight legs (ikr).
Okami-san said before the whole guidebook thing, she has no idea who Perfume is. However after the photo shooting she realized that a very very very very popular group just went to her shop and ate her okonomiyaki. Now Perfume is the god of her shop. Because before that she already start thinking of retirement, but because of Perfume more and more young customers go to her shop. After talking with these young customers she also feel young again and think probably she still can do it for a few more years. ^^
I asked did she get more busy after the guidebook is released. She said the pace is still around the same as usual but with more young customers (definitely Perfume fans, hehe). However, when there is a Perfume concert at Hiroshima, there will be a LONG QUEUE outside her shop. Like last year Perfume 5th tour [Gurun Gurun], the first stop is at Hiroshima at the start of August. There was a super long queue and she need to ask her daughter-in-law came to help out. Even for the LIVE 3:5:6:9, the last 2 days (6th, 7th October 2015) are at Hiroshima Green Arena, there were already a lot of people calling her ask her whether her shop is open on that day (I was there on 22nd September 2015). She usually closed on Thursday, but too many people request her to open on 8th October 2015 (Thursday) so she say she probably will do business as usual on that day (I wonder how long is the queue that day).
We chat around an hour there and it was really fun talking with okami-san. So remember to stop by there when going to Hiroshima and don't choose the time when Perfume just finished their concert at Hiroshima as you won't have the chance to talk to her. Of course don't forget to look out for Perfume's signature! hehe
I shall stop here this time and will continue the rest of the photo spots in the next post! Thanks for reading!
Part 2 : 「泣ける！広島県＼(T▽T)／」 - Perfume photo spot! Part 2
Once you reach the ferry, just follow the path below to go to the Issa (一茶) Okonomiyaki shop.
The shop is very easy to find. You'll recognize it straight away when you walk into the valley.
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| Photo taken on 22nd September 2015 |
It's a very small and simple shop as shown in photo above. Once I entered the shop, okami-san (the person in the photo) directly asked me "Perfume fans?" Seems like in Japan, this is a must go shop for Japanese Perfume fans when they go Hiroshima prefecture. After I sat down she straight away brought the same guidebook and a message book for me to write. Of course as a Perfume fans I won't miss out to write a message.
After I looked at the menu I asked okami-san any recommendation? She said since I'm a Perfume fans, why not have a "Perfume special okonomiyaki", the one that all three of them had on that day. Of course I'll just have that. While she was preparing the okonomiyaki I looked around her shop. On the right wall of her shop is almost covered with Perfume stuffs. The guidebook posters, their concert towels, some fans' self-made goods and of course Perfume's signature!
 |
| Some of the goods are from the fans |
These paper cutting is from a Kyoto Perfume fans.
I think they are very NICE! What an art piece!
I also ordered Sapporo Green Aroma beer which I can't find it in any convenient shop in Japan. Finally I can taste it there and I LIKE IT! Very smooth!
Okami-san is really a nice and kind person. Since there was no other customer she sat down and have a chat with me. Luckily my Japanese level still able to have a simple conversation with her. It was really a nice chat. She explained to me that the specialty about the "Perfume special okonomiyaki" is that there are mochi inside it. She said Perfume like it a lot with mochi inside okonomiyaki. We also talked about how the staff and Perfume chose her shop as the cover page of the guidebook, what happened on that day when Perfume was there. She said Perfume went there around noon time and stayed there for an hour. But before that there were already around tens of policemen surrounding her shop which look like there was a crime scene at her shop (LOL). She keep praising all the Perfume members are very nice and pretty, and they have such a beautiful straight legs (ikr).
Okami-san said before the whole guidebook thing, she has no idea who Perfume is. However after the photo shooting she realized that a very very very very popular group just went to her shop and ate her okonomiyaki. Now Perfume is the god of her shop. Because before that she already start thinking of retirement, but because of Perfume more and more young customers go to her shop. After talking with these young customers she also feel young again and think probably she still can do it for a few more years. ^^
I asked did she get more busy after the guidebook is released. She said the pace is still around the same as usual but with more young customers (definitely Perfume fans, hehe). However, when there is a Perfume concert at Hiroshima, there will be a LONG QUEUE outside her shop. Like last year Perfume 5th tour [Gurun Gurun], the first stop is at Hiroshima at the start of August. There was a super long queue and she need to ask her daughter-in-law came to help out. Even for the LIVE 3:5:6:9, the last 2 days (6th, 7th October 2015) are at Hiroshima Green Arena, there were already a lot of people calling her ask her whether her shop is open on that day (I was there on 22nd September 2015). She usually closed on Thursday, but too many people request her to open on 8th October 2015 (Thursday) so she say she probably will do business as usual on that day (I wonder how long is the queue that day).
We chat around an hour there and it was really fun talking with okami-san. So remember to stop by there when going to Hiroshima and don't choose the time when Perfume just finished their concert at Hiroshima as you won't have the chance to talk to her. Of course don't forget to look out for Perfume's signature! hehe
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| Okami-san said this is the PRECIOUS of her shop |
Part 2 : 「泣ける！広島県＼(T▽T)／」 - Perfume photo spot! Part 2
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