At the Power Dome

While Yuki was at tennis practice, my host bother brought Manami and me to the Power Dome, a mall/supermarket (see above photo).  The first place we went was a 100 yen shop.  It was basically a Japanese version of our Dollar Tree, but much larger.  I bought 5 pairs of chopsticks since that was something I knew I wanted to buy and bring home with me then I walked around for a while just looking.  Near the end of my walk around the store, I found the food aisles.  Of course, I wanted to try pretty much everything and filled up a whole basket with food.  Final cost for everything? ¥2100

the 100 yen shop on the inside

a wooden box which described America with quite eloquent English 

the final receipt

bag of snacks

...maybe it was a little overkill

After spending about $20 in the first store we went into, I decided that I should try to do some things for free.  We walked through the market area on the first floor and I got to sample many foods.  

the food stand where we got lunch

I don't know what they were, but they were pretty good (mostly, anyways).  Manami was hungry after that, so we found a small food stand for lunch.  I got taiyaki, a fish-shaped cake filled with anko (sweet red bean paste).  It was very good.  That was pretty exciting, but here's the best part: the owner invited me behind the counter to MAKE taiyaki.  I think that was my favorite part of the whole day.  After letting me make the taiyaki, he gave me three as a gift.  I really enjoyed the whole experience.

one of the workers making taiyaki

the owner explaining how to put the batter in the pan

explaining that you put the batter in at the side with the fish's head 

me putting batter in the taiyaki pan

me putting anko (sweet red bean paste) in the pan

after the taiyaki were finished and he gave them to me as a gift

removing the taiyaki from the pan

trimming the extra from around the fish