So as I mentioned before, the first night we went to the Tanabata Matsuri in my city, things were a bit quiet. The decorations were in full force, and there were girls running around in scandalously shoulder-baring yukata (shocking!) but there was one major thing missing from the festival. There was no food.

A festival without festival food is practically unimaginable. It’s like a Reese’s Cup without peanut butter, a novel without words, an ocean without water. It’s just wrong. Inherently, interminably wrong. If I made the rules, festivals without food would be a crime, punishable by being deep-fried like kara age, or perhaps being drowned in a vat of Ramune. Wrongity, wrong, wrong!

So we ended up at the unusually busy KFC (I think everyone else there was expecting some yakisoba and takoyaki to fill their bellies that night too!) I ordered a combo meal, but I didn’t realize until they were assembling the box that I’d ordered the kiddie meal!

I’m not complaining though–who doesn’t love the omnipresent One Piece? This anime is CRAZY popular here, and merchandise is available everywhere. Many of my students are obsessed, and I actually started watching the show to use as an ice breaker with them. They may be too cool for school, but they will happily debate the merits of Sanji vs. Zoro–in English, no less!

My happy meal even came with a toy! It’s a mini beach-type bag–cute! I don’t know if I need it personally, so maybe I’ll give to a student? Or toss it into the next Giveaway we do here on Super Happy? Hmmm…any One Piece fans in the house?