Japan Descends on Pavilion

The inaugural Japan Expo was held in 2017 at Pavilion Kuala Lumpur. That all-Japan event kinda escaped my notice. In 2018, they managed to lure me to the 3-day event with a lucky draw prize via LINE Messenger. I got it after the 7th try. Right after church, mum and I headed to Pavilion Kuala Lumpur. Traffic was quite good that day. Starting out at the crystal fountain, we spotted several cosplayers. Can't say that I could recognize any of the characters. Out of those few cosplayers, there was one guy in the Grade A category with great hair, makeup, and handsome features. Youngsters were lining up to get an autograph from him. Can anyone name him?



As one of the main sponsors, Oyoshi had several stalls outside promoting their drinks, and selling some Japanese snacks like gyoza and ebiko bread. Air Asia also had their own kiosk to promote their airfare and tour packages. The main hub of activity was the centre court with more stalls and a  performance stage that had back to back performances for three days! When we arrived, Ryūji Aoki (impressionist and singer) had just started his show. The first order of business was to collect the free gift which was a small LINE Brown plushie from a gacha machine. Tokyo Street on the 6th floor was also a hive of activity. Mostly were booths promoting various Japanese prefectures, education, and also arts and crafts. Many were lining up to get B1F1 Universal Studio Osaka tickets (spotted Vinz in the queue). Girls particularly liked the booths offering free yukata dress-ups.



Headed down to Food Republic for a simple lunch of bakzhang. Supplemented it with a large coffee and curry puff from Toastbox. While I was eating, Jerry walked up to me to say "Hi". Been 8 years since we actually met in person. Such a coincidence because we were already making plans to meet the following weekend. The highlight of the day was Pikotaro's appearance at 3:00 PM. The crowd had grown in anticipation. As he cut a path from the main entrance to the stage, everyone was cheering. Garbed in his trademark leopard print clothes, he addressed his fans and made some jokes.



In the allotted thirty minutes, he performed several short jingles and of course his famous PPAP. The crowd went wild. Ten lucky participants were also invited on stage to perform with him. The 54-year-old comedian also presented his new song, "Can you see? I'm SUSHI". He tried very hard to get the crowd to dance with him, but as usual, Malaysians are a bit uptight about these things. Watching him perform through my zoom lens, I finally realized that Pikotaro actually wears a wig. Not quite breaking news. Haha.



The next performance was by Ryoma Quartet, a fusion instrumental music group comprising of four guys. The main instruments that they play are the Tsugaru-Shamisen, Shinobue flute, Tsuzumi drum, and a violin. From this combination, they create a powerful sound that makes traditional music more appealing to the modern audience. In addition to instruments, they also use traditional vocal calls like those in Kabuki performances to provide a sort of punctuation.



There was also a fashion show of sorts by budding designers, but we didn't sit through all of it.

By 5:00 PM, we left Pavilion to visit my uncle at Tung Shin Hospital. Not much improvement in his condition yet. In the evening, had dinner with my cousin brother at Restoran Mun Kee at Happy Garden. It was packed during dinner time. We were quite lucky to secure a table. The staff scrambled up and down to handle the demand. Unfortunately the food was a little off that day. I really think that when ordering steamed fish head, it's best to get something more flavourful. And as luck would have it, dad's heng dai whom mum had not seen for 21 years also turned up at the restaurant. Sad to say that he was not well after suffering a bad fall.

Although we were stuffed from dinner (ordered a little too much for dinner), mum suggested that we go for coffee nearby. Just a hop away from the restaurant was Café FortyOne which also has quite a following. A large flat white was only RM10. Value for money. A long day out. Sunup till sundown.