City Tour with the Riavas
One day in March 2023, I just happen to check my DM…
“Hello Cyber Bunny, I saw you in a documentary with Eugene Levy. Are you also guiding in Tokyo? If my kids could spend some time with you, they will be really happy.”
This was the start of my bunny tour business…
I am extremely grateful to have appeared on the Apple TV travel documentary series “The Reluctant Traveler”. Even though I wore a winter kimono in the middle of the hottest day of summer and my airbrushed makeup was melting off… it was all worth it. This led me to opportunities where I can hang out with entrepreneurs, people in entertainment & food industries and even their kids! The show aired on February 23, 2023. One month later, demands for tours started to pour in so we immediately got to work.
Peter’s family who came all the way from Slovakia wanted me to show them around Tokyo because it was their first time in Japan!
We picked up the gang at their hotel in Shinjuku in our black van. Our first stop was Meiji Shrine (明治神宮, Meiji Jingū) . The shrine was dedicated to the deified spirits of Emperor Meiji and his wife, Empress Shoken. Free admission and has a nice outdoor food court terrace.
Morning stroll at Meiji Shrine
It was a nice and breezy stroll in the morning at 10:15 am. Our tours include experiencing Japanese culture because that’s what my content is mostly about. Once we got to the main entrance of the shrine, I showed them the Japanese customs of purification. We washed our hands and I demonstrated how to do the 2 bow -2 clap -1 bow prayer. I mentioned the lucky charms or omamori and the gang bought many to protect them throughout their journey and for people back home. (I must be a good salesperson!!) They even got an ema (絵馬, lit. 'picture-horse') which you can manifest your wish on a wooden plaque and hang it with the rest. This is used as a means to communicate with the kami (spirits or gods). Later, the ema will be burned in a ritual ceremony, which helps to "symbolically liberate" the spirit of the wish into the world.
Shiba Inu Cafe
Our next stop was the Shiba Inu cafe in Takeshitadoori. The strip was so crowded! It was spring break for the kids in Japan, so we faced major competition, but thank god I had my assistant who waited in line to get the tickets while we were at Meiji Shrine (no online reservations unfortunately), so we arrived just in time for our time slot. At Bunny Tours, we don’t make our guests wait in line when they don’t need to. Japan is notorious for long queues and patient people. My advice is to go in the morning or early afternoon because the dogs can get tired even throughout their rotation. They also have a soft drink/coffee machine, which you can help yourself to unlimited drinks. One session is 30 minutes, which is just enough time!
The Riava family has a large size dog at home. Yes, they are dog lovers. So I thought maybe they would like to see tiny Shiba Inu (柴犬). This is a Japanese breed of hunting dogs that adapts well to mountainous terrain and hiking trails.
Harajuku Crepe
After the pet cafe, we snuck in some mandatory Harajuku crepes from Marion, which is everyone’s favorite crepe shop because they’re huge and super picture worthy.
The whole group shared a strawberry sugar coated skewer. One was enough for me! It was tarty, sweet and refreshing.
We managed to squeeze through the end of Takeshitadori and hopped into our van to drive to Shibuya next door.
Little One wanted cotton candy, but the queue for it was the longest I’ve ever seen! We almost gave up. However, my assistant managed to bring it to us. It made her day! Just look at that face!
The whole group shared a strawberry sugar coated skewer. One strawberry was enough for me! It was tarty, sweet and refreshing.
We managed to squeeze through the end of Takeshitadori and hopped into our van to drive to Shibuya next door.
Shibuya Parco
Shibuya, is the shopping district that houses well known brands like Kenzo, Gucci to retail brands like Zara, Onistuka Tiger and Shibuya 109. Peter’s son loves anime, so we took them to Shibuya Parco Shopping Mall. No words came out of his mouth. On the 6th floor, there was a floor dedicated to Nintendo, Pokemon (there’s a life-size Mewtwo), anime goods, manga pop ups, everything you can imagine. However, the queue to the cashier was very long but moves fast. Dad got a princess mirror toy for his Little One. She was so happy!
We chilled for happy hour on the rooftop of Parco which has a beautiful view of the sunset. During this time, I taught origami while Mom and Son went shopping and bought a cool customized phone case at CASETiFY STUDiO. Everyone enjoyed the nice break overlooking the city.
While I was keeping the Little One occupied, Dad was sipping his beer and was smiling the whole time talking story to us. Mom enjoying her hot coffee and swiftly disappearing to go window shopping. Son was staring at me the whole time thinking I’m a character from an anime LOL. (Not gonna lie, I am pretty weird... and something you don’t see everyday). I can imagine traveling with kids is very difficult, so I do my very best to make it easy for the parents to enjoy their trip as well, whether it’s to entertain their kids while they have a moment for themselves or to feed them snacks so they don’t cry out of hangryness. I’m always carrying snacks btw!
One activity that the kids and I did together was that we made a “Thank you, I Love You” box to the parents. It is important in Japanese culture to show our gratitude for people who have been taking care of us. Japanese people are not so good with words. It is common to express through indirect communication with gifts or acts of service. I want kids around the world and even my own kids to learn this life lesson of gratitude and humility. This is what sets us apart from other tours. After all, this trip and tour wouldn’t have been possible without Mom and Dad’s hard work.
大好き= I love you
Dinner at Kyomachi Koishigure
Lastly, I dropped them off at my recommended spot for dinner in Shinjuku that went viral on social media for its unique rooms inspired by Kyoto’s Pontocho, Kyomachi Koishigure. Click here to see my reel. They were given a completely private room. Somewhere nice and quiet. You can order on an iPad so it’s easy to know what you’re getting. I like this place for it’s variety of small dishes, especially if you’ve been snacking all day and want a nice warm bowl of soup and a small plate of sushi.
The highlight of the tour:
Little One held my hand the entire time and my heart melted. She didn’t want to let go! She and I don’t even speak the same language, but somehow, I can read her energy and she could read mine. Does this day have to end? When can we see each other next time? 10 years later when she’s a young adult? Will she still think I’m cool? ? She asked Dad if I could sleepover their house in Slovakia next week! Um… don’t mind if I do! I can sleep on the couch!
Thank you to the Riava Family for allowing me to be part of their special trip in Japan <3
It was actually Peter’s son’s idea to come to Japan because he is influenced by anime and aspires to become a chef one day. Maybe he watched Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma ? Peter showed me photos of his homemade ramen and it looked absolutely delicious! This kid’s got talent!
I hope the kids enjoyed our time together, so when they become adults, they can feel inspired to re-visit Japan one day and feel nostalgic of the unforgettable memories we made during their wonderful childhood.
Not only do my Bunny Tours include showing guests to cool curated places and experiencing Japan from my local perspective, but it’s about making lasting personal relationships. You never know! It’s Peter’s son’s dream to open up a shop either in Japan or Slovakia. Dreams do come true and I hope to help make it a reality for him some day with my bunny power magic! Until next time!
