My Japan Travel: Tokyo Travel & Kyoto Travel Stories

Extended Singapore Airline (SQ) promotion to Japan

2012-02-17T00:12:00.001+08:00

For those of us (me included) who missed the last SQ airfare promotion to Japan, here is our chance again. SQ is having another round of promotion to various countries, including Japan. So we have a chance to visit Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka and Fukuoka at a reduced price, meaning more savings for quality time in Japan!

The airfares are still attractive (from S$668 onward) though slightly more expensive compared to the last round (from S$628). The good thing is that the travel period this time round is much longer, from 1 April 2012 to 31 August 2012 (5 months!). This means we can get to view sakura in some parts of Japan in April and early May, summer sales in July (The sales is really good... comparably to their normal prices..), Mount Fuji climbing in July and August.... Nice right??

(Photo credits: Singapore Airlines)

Heard that rising oil prices are going to push up airfares further... It might be a good opportunity to plan your travel now and lock in the airfares.. if your schedule allows.. I must confess that I'm also looking at airfares to other countries as well. Nevertheless... Japan is always on my mind.. a wonderful place to travel.. nice memories and opportunities to create new memories :)

Promotion will end on 15 March 2012... Still have some time to consider.... But don't wait too long.. Cos I think the seats will be limited... Hope no one will fight with me for my desired travel period!

The Top 11 Tips for Life & Love

2012-01-16T14:09:00.002+08:00

1. It hurts to love someone and not be loved in return. But what is more painful is to love someone and never find the courage to let that person know how you feel.

2. A sad thing in life is when you meet someone who means a lot to you, only to find out in the end that it was never meant to be and you just have to let go.

3. The best kind of friend is the kind you can sit on a porch swing with, never say a word, and then walk away feeling like it was the best conversation you've ever had.

4. It's true that we don't know what we've got until we lose it, but it's also true that we don't know what we've been missing until it arrives.

5. It takes only a minute to get a crush on someone, an hour to like someone, and a day to love someone - but it takes a lifetime to forget someone.

6. Don't go for looks, they can deceive. Don't go for wealth, even that fades away. Go for someone who makes you smile because it takes only a smile to make a dark day seem bright.

7. Dream what you want to dream, go where you want to go, be what you want to be. Because you have only one life and one chance to do all the things you want to do.

8. Always put yourself in the other's shoes. If you feel that it hurts you, it probably hurts the person too.

9. A careless word may kindle strife. A cruel word may wreck a life. A timely word may level stress. But a loving word may heal and bless.

10. The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything they just make the most of everything that comes along their way.

11. Love begins with a smile, grows with a kiss, ends with a tear. When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling. Live your life so that when you die, you're the one smiling and everyone around you is crying.

WOW! Singapore Airlines is having airfares promotion to Japan!

2012-01-15T00:02:00.000+08:00

This is the time of the year to plan a trip to view sakura in Japan! To add attractiveness to this idea, Singapore Airlines is having great deals to Osaka, Nagoya and Tokyo from S$628 (tax included) onward. The travel period is from 1 March 2012 to 31 March 2012. Wooohooo!! Spring time!!

(Photo credits: Singapore airlines)

I think this will be a good deal to consider cos I have travelled to Japan by a few airlines before and I must say that Singapore airline is still the best. Slightly pricer but peace of mind and quality travel are important too :) This offer ends by 23 January 2012.

P.S. I'm also considering this offer if I can arrange to take leave in March. Keeping my fingers crossed...

Tokyo Tower

2010-11-07T11:44:00.000+08:00

Tokyo Tower appeared in many Japanese dramas like Overtime (my fave!). Hence it is a popular tourist spot and you can actually see Tokyo Tower in many locations within Tokyo like Roppongi, Odaiba, Megoru and etc. Just some background on Tokyo Tower, it was initially meant to use for tv broadcasting so they installed radio antennas like around 50 yrs ago. Japan wants to change to digital broadcasting and Tokyo Tower is not tall enough for this purpose so another tower - Tokyo Sky Tree is built.

It is a rather tourist place so some of my friends chose to give it a miss but as a Japan fan, I made it a point to try all tourist places within my mean. So I ventured to a trip to visit this famous tower by myself one fine late afternoon. I set off at around 3pm from Meguro and took a train to Daimon Station. This was not the closest station to Tokyo Tower cos I wanted to visit Zojoji Temple first. The closest station to Tokyo Tower should be Onarimon Station on the Mita Subway Line and Akabanebashi Station on the Oedo Subway Line. Zojoji Temple is just beside Tokyo Tower and it is one of the biggest temples in Tokyo. You will realise that the Japanese take their temples seriously and most temples usually come with a nice garden so it is quite worthwhile to visit their temples (barring religion reasons though). For instance, Zojoji Temple was constructed based on contemporary Chinese Tang Dynasty style.

See some photo of my journey below:

This is not at the temple yet. It is just a gate that I saw on my way to the temple

There are signs to guide people to Zojo-ji Temple and Tokyo Tower

You can see Tokyo Tower clearly from the temple

Zojo-ji Temple with Tokyo Tower

It is really a big temple

Saw a lot of students there. Praying for good results?

Look at the greenery in the temple

Pretty flowers!

After spending some time in the temple, I remembered walking through Prince Hotel to get to Tokyo Tower. It was a flowery journey. Suitable for a nice little evening walk. See photo below:

Look at how pretty are the flowers!

Look at how colorful these flowers are.

And finally... the foot of Tokyo Tower.....

So exciting!

It was around 6pm when I reached Tokyo Tower (that was in May). The tower was not being lighted up yet. So I went to explore the shops at the base of Tokyo Tower and settled my dinner as well. There were quite a number of souvenir stores and most of these items are relating to the tower. I bought two crystal Tokyo Tower for memory keeping as well :) You can also visit the Aquarium Gallery as well. There are a number of cafes and restaurants too. For more info, you can go to the official Tokyo Tower website.

Such a mechanical photo of Tokyo Tower

Tokyo Tower before sunset

A lovely model of the area around Tokyo Tower

You can see Hello Kitty everywhere in Japan :)

I had a simple meal at the ramen station at Tokyo Tower. It was quite nice but i didnt take any photo cos my mind was totally focused on the lighting of the Tower.

Soon, darkness prevailed and tada... the Tower was being lighted up. Wow. I took a few photo in various degrees of darkness. I'm no professional but I thought I did a good job in taking the photo without the help of a tripod and my camera isn't even a SLR (too heavy to carry a SLR for travel).

Upon nightfall, I went to purchase tickets to go up to the main observatory which is 150m tall for the view as well as the ticket for the special observatory (250 m). The view was great at both levels and there is a club (Club 333) at the first floor of the main observatory where there will be music and drinks. As there is glass flooring on the main observatory (not the whole area) so you can peek from the glass flooring to the club.

I know that some people are not willing to pay to go up to the main observatory as there are a lot of other observatories in Tokyo where you can admire the nightview and some are free. I would still say that it is quite an experience to go to Tokyo Tower especially with its structure, you will feel a sense of danger and excitement. I like the fact that you can have a 360 degree view area the city which is something that not all observatories in Tokyo can provide. See some of my moments in time from the Tower:

I like this starfish here!

You can even see Rainbow bridge from here. Pardon the unclear photo

Zojo-ji Temple is just below but rather hard to see from this photo

From the special observatory, the view is great but I think it does not necessarily add a lot to the experience and the floor area is actually very small due to the shape of the tower. Personally I think making a visit to the main observatory is good enough. Of course this is just my personal view.

Tokyo Tower is actually very near to Roppongi so night owls might want to continue the night at Roppongi. There are a lot of pubs and clubs there and not to mention the shopping malls (but of course the shopping malls close relatively early inline with rest of Tokyo). So my next entry shall be on Roppongi... stay tuned....

Shibuya - Shopping (Part 4)

2010-10-03T23:28:00.005+08:00

It was only during my fourth visit to Shibuya that I discovered the Disney Store. I wasn’t particularly looking out for it and it was not really mentioned in any tour guide (not that I read a lot of them though). But you won't miss the store even if you see it from a distance. I mean, who can miss a castle in the midst of the buildings. Yes, the Disney Store is really in form of a castle. Take a look at the photo below if you won't believe me.

Disney Store at Shibuya

For those friends who decide to give Disneyland/Disneysea a miss but still like to buy some Disney merchandises, this will be a place to fulfill your wish. There are all sort of Disney goodies inside, like stuff toys, stationaries, clothings, mugs and etc. I'm sorry that I was too focused on doing my shopping that I forgot to take much photo :p But this also tell you that there are indeed quite a fair bit of things that you can buy there. One thing that you might want to take note is that you can also purchase tickets to Disneyland/Disneysea from the store. This will be useful for people who want to make a dash for the rides at the resorts and don't want to waste time queuing up for tickets. (P.S. So far I have always made a trip to either Disneyland or Disneysea everytime I go to Tokyo. And I'm thinking that I would want to stay at the Tokyo Disneyland Hotel during my next visit so that I have the energy to explore both Disneyland and Disneysea concurrently.)

(P.S. This is totally irrelevant but I just read that my fave show at Disneysea - BraviSEAmo! will end on November 13, 2010)

Other than Disney Store, I also like to shop at Tokyu, OIOI and Seibu at Shibuya (other than the small clothing boutiques).You may wonder what is so special about these departmental stores as you may think that departmental stores in Singapore should be about about the same (since we have quite a few Japanese departmental stores like Takashimaya and Isetan). My friends and I agreed that the way the products are being displayed in the departmental stores is so stylish that it is indeed a delight to simply do window shopping even if you have no intention to buy anything. (Things there are more pricey as compared to Singapore but the quality usually makes a product a good buy)

OIOI

A shopping street at Shibuya

To sum up, Shibuya is really a place for ladies who love fashion and good food. Of course, men are very welcome to join us as well :)

Shibuya - Mark City (Part 3)

2010-09-30T17:41:00.004+08:00

Sorry for breaking the Shibuya entry into so many parts. Firstly it is because I have spent a fair bit of time in Shibuya and hence would like to share more stuff on Shibuya. Secondly it is because I am rather busy so instead of posting one entry per month like what I have done in the past, I hope to update my blog more frequently. Hence my posts might be shorter but my blog will be updated more frequently.

Back to Shibuya, I think most tourists more familiar with Shibuya 109, Tokyu, Starbuck@ Shibuya Crossing and etc. Some people might not know of Mark City which is situated next to the JR Shibuya Station. This is actually consist of 2 buildings with the hotel building "East" and the office building "West". Mark City opened in 2000 and their main audience is the women.

Exit from JR Shibuya to Mark City

As mentioned, the main audience of Mark City is women, so we expect to see lots of stores for (apparels and accessories) as well as restaurants and cafes. I will recommend a visit at Mark City in the afternoon and take the opportunity to enjoy a cup of coffee and some nice desserts for a lazy afternoon.

Some nice pastries at a shop that specialises in chocolate items

Yummy

A cafe in Mark City

Everytime I go to Mark City, I will surely go to Cold Stone for the yummy ice cream. I think its the best ice cream I have ever eaten Tokyo. *slurps. For interested parties, Cold Stone is located on Level 4 of Mark City. Exact address is as follow:

Shibuya Mark City

Restaurant Avenue 4F

1-12-3 Dogenzaka, shibuya-ku,

Tokyo 150-0043

Exit from Mark City into the streets.

Outside the Mark City, you will find yourself out on busy streets. Take a walk around the area and you will find all types of stores such as pharmacies, sports, restaurants and etc. To my pleasant surprise, I actually found an outlet of my fave donut - Krispy Kreme. Gosh.. it was a real treat for me. I went in and got myself a chocolate glazed donut. Yummy! It is actually in cafe setting so you can sit down and enjoy your donut over a cup of coffee if you want. However, I was rushing to the Disney Store that day so I did not take that option.

Restaurants at the street near Mark Street

My all time fave donut

OK, folks. Stay tune for more of my adventures at Shibuya...

Shibuya, Tokyo - Shibuya 109 (Part 2)

2010-09-19T23:18:00.001+08:00

Shibuya, Tokyo. Another obvious landmark in Shibuya is Shibuya 109 (You can do a translation of the page via Google). Nope. Despite the name, the building is only ranges from B2 to 8 Floor. Still, there are a fair number of stores within the building, mostly apparels, shoes and accessories related theme. It is said that Shibuya 109 is catered mainly for teenager gals and ladies in early twenties. But I think ladies in late twenties/thirties will also find trendy things that are suitable for them. Just think of all the heels in various colours... bright and shiny. Wow. I still remember the bright yellow heels that my good friend - Winnie bought from one of the stores in Shibuya 109.

I like to buy accessories from the stores like bags, belts, necklaces and even crystals for nail art. I also like to shop for beauty care products at the basement stores.Sometimes I will find some stuff that interested me though I usually buy most of my beauty care products from the mega pharmacies.

To conclude, Shibuya 109 is worth visiting if you are interested in trendy fashion in the local scene at a reasonable price (As far as I recall, there are few designer brands in the building).

Shibuya, Tokyo - My fave spot in Tokyo (part 1)

2010-07-24T15:03:00.000+08:00

Shibuya, Tokyo... well well.. I think this will be a long long post.. So i decided to break it down into 2 or 3 parts. Recently a friend asked me to suggest places for shopping in Tokyo. She was there for business and only had 1 day for shopping. She wanted to buy Burberry Blue Label clothings as well. So I suggested for her to consider making Shibuya the main target for her shopping day on the following 2 main reasons:
1) My friend is a sophisticated working lady in late twenties and the type of fashion that Shibuya can offer is suitable (of cos you must be willing to pay)

2) There is a Burberry Blue Label between Omotesando and Shibuya. Omotesando has all the designer stores which meant potential shopping opportunities!

Other than shopping, there are actually a lot of nice food in Shibuya (including my all time fave - Krispy Kreme!! But I still think that the best Krispy doughnut I have ever eaten is in Sydney).

Lets start by the most obvious landmark in Shibuya which is the Shibuya Crossing just outside Hachiko exit (There is a story behind Hachiko.. I'm sure most pple will know so I shall not spend too much time on this.. basically it is about this faithful dog who had been waiting for the return of his master - Prof Ueno who had passed away for many years. A statue of a dog has been set up to honour this wonderful dog for his faithfulness). A unique feature of this Shibuya Crossing is that when the traffic stops, the pedestrians can cross in any directions at the intersection.

A photo of the Shibuya Crossing taken from the second floor of the famous Starbuck

A lot of travel guidebooks will recommend tourists to do people watching from the second level of Starbuck at the Shibuya Crossing. I tried and I like it. I have done it a few times by now. But it is kinda hard to get a window seat as you can imagine the high demand after this activity has been made famous in travel guides.

I took a video of the Shibuya Crossing when traffic stopped and crossing took place.

Behind the Starbuck is HMV, music lovers can chill there for a long time. You can buy some good Japanese music there which you cannot find back at home. If you explore further behind HMV, you will discover a lot of fashion stores as well as nice eating places.

A photo of the shopping street at night.

Lot of stores at the alley behind HMV

My current fave ramen stall at Shibuya

Yummy ramen.. *slurp

K.. i shall stop now.. Shall continue again...

Shopping experience at Harajuku - Part 2

2010-04-02T18:21:00.000+08:00

Harajuku, Tokyo... After the enriching visit to Meiji Jingu, the best thing to do next is of course to shop. Shopping is a must do activity for gals at Harajuku. The main street for shopping is of course Takeshita Dori. It is a colourful street that is almost always crowded with people but it is not too messy (as in, people will not be pushing around). So no worries.

(Look at the crowd)

There are a lot of fashion boutiques along the street, selling all sorts of fashion related items such as apparels, shoes, assessories, socks, stockings and lingeries. This is a big attractions for teenagers as the prices are on the low side and hence more affordable. There are also a few of stores that sell cosplay costumes (typically they don't allow you to take photo of the store or costumes). A set of costume (eg. maid) typically costs around 10,000 yen. The price range can be rather wide depending on the type of designs.

(A store selling assessories)

(Store selling apparels)

(This shop sell all sort of idol stuff)

(A store selling Halloween costumes)

(Crepes. These are very common at Harajuku these days)

(yummy!)

Other than Takeshita Dori, there are a lot of stores to shop in the area. You can really shop till you drop. Being near to Omotesando also means that there are a lot of international brands in the area such as GAP, Agnes B and etc. More on Omotesando in my next post.

The Harajuku Style - Part 1

2010-03-28T23:35:00.000+08:00

Harajuku, Tokyo is one place that I doubt anyone will miss if they ever visit Tokyo for the first time. Of course this is partially due to the fact that Harajuku is near to Meiji Jingu and Omotesamdo (which are themselves popular tourist attractions). However, Harajuku does have a special charm in itself especially have a weekend where you will see a lot of youths dressed up in various characters (mostly based on anime). These cosplayers typically hang around in group and it is common to see them bringing their little trolly luggages with them (as some of them travel to Tokyo over weekend from other parts of Japan). Do feel free to take photo of these colourful subjects as generally they love attention showered upon them.

(One of the exit of Harajuku station)

(Snoopy Town. Selling all sort of Peanuts stuff. Used to be opposite one of the exits at Harajuku station but now has closed down)

One common gathering point for these cosplayers is the Jingu Bridge which will lead to Meiji Jingu (but trust me, please be prepared to walk a fairly long distance). Sunday is usually the best time to catch these cosplayers. Sometimes, there will also be performance by the street artists (like singers and bands) at the area as well as stalls selling stuff like food and posters (of the teenagers' idols of course) etc.

(See all these youths that gathered at Jingu Bridge. Loo at their colourful costumes)

(Note all the luggages that they brought with them?)

(Stalls selling posters and other idols stuff)

While you are at the area, you should of course go and visit Meiji Jingu. This shrine was built in honour of Emperor Meiji and Empress Shōken. From Jingu Bridge to the rocky pathway (covered with stones) leading to the shrine.

(Rocky path to Meiji Jingu)

(You can stop to admire the greenery on the fairly long pathway to the shrine)

(All these sake barrels were donated to the shrine)

(Before you enter the shrine, you need to rinse your mouth and hands)

(Nice green tree just outside the shrine)

(People can put their wishes on the tablets and hang out here.)

I would suggest for travellers to consider visiting the shrine first and then shopping around Harajuku. First of all, it is a long brisk walk to the shrine. So you might want to start fresh when you have the strength. Second, if you might to shop in Harajuku, I'm sure you will prefer not to bring your shopping along to the shrine. Third, if you are tired and around the shopping area, you still have the option of finding a nice cafe or eatery for food and drinks. You might not have that many choices at the shrine.

P.S. As this entry is rather long, I will break them into 2 parts. Part 2 will focus on shopping :)

Ultimate Japanese drama experience at Odaiba

2009-04-26T11:06:00.000+08:00

Odaiba is located within Tokyo Bay and it is absolutely one of my fave places in Tokyo. It is a rather tourist place, a little bit like Sentosa (in Singapore) but so what, as long as it is fun :) The main reason for my obsession of Odaibai is cos of Japanese dramas. Well.. it is not simply cos of Fuiji Television building is located there. More importantly, it is also where the famous Rainbow Bridge is found.. woooohooo.. yes.. the beach where Uesugi Riko (starring Matsu Takako) pretended to throw out her diamond ring from her previous relationship and ended up dropping it and the dear Rainbow Bridge was the backdrop. Cool.

(See Fuji Television building at the back of Aqua City)

(In front of Fuji Television building)

(Inside the Fuji Television Building)

(See Tokyo Tower as the backdrop)

(Statue of Liberty)

I have been to Odaiba a number of times but I still love it. I love going to Fuiji Television building and do a tour at its studio for those latest items from the latesst drama.

Even if you are not a drama fan like me, you will still love the place if you are into shopping. I did most of my shopping at Odaiba, there are a lot of international brands within Aqua City and Venus Fort Complex (which is modeled after Venice and it is really very pretty)

(A shot at Venus Fort Complex)

(Beautiful fountain which is a fave photo taking spot of tourists)

(A cute little car at the car show)

Even if you are a guy, there is still something for you. There is a mega Toyota showroom where you will get to see the latest Toyota car models. Little children will absolutely like to have a ride at the largest ferris wheel in Japan.

Not to mention that there are a number of nice restaurants and cafes in the area. If you explore the area carefully, you will be able to discover little interesting stores like a store selling old coca cola glass bottles and etc

(There are a number of Chinese restaurants in the area as well)

(Great place for souvenirs)

2009-04-25T23:15:00.000+08:00

Ikebukuro, Tokyo is one place that I enjoy going for shopping. I won't say that the fashion products are very hip over there. I think the fashion trend tends to be more down-to-earth (maybe I should say... similar to my dressing sense :p ) as compared to places like Shibuya, Harajuku and etc etc.

I still remember some of my friends visit Ikebukuro during their last part of trip in Tokyo and they blamed for not highlighting the place to them or they might be able to spend more time doing their shopping in Ikebukuro. Well, I guess this is what you called the birds of the same feathers mix together... or great minds think alike :)

From Ikebukuro station:

See how crowded it is...

A night scene in Ikebukuro

Another night scene in Ikebukuro

Sunshine City (60 floors worth of shopping. wooohoo)

Inside Toyota Amlux

A lot of technical stuff shown in the showroom.

The main attractions in Ikebukuro is obviously the Sunshine City as it is a huge shopping mall. There are 60 floors together. Wow. Imagine how many stores are there.. though not all the floors are designated as shopping area. But it is enough to keep me occupied for hours. There are a number of nice little stores within Sunshine City so if you are someone who like to explore little stores like me, you will probably like it. There are a number of restaurants there as well. For some reasons, I always frequent the italian cafe at the basement. The food is fine though not exactly fanastic. Could be due to the fact that I always shop till late hours where most restaurants are closing already. :p

There is another huge department store in Ikebukuro. It is Seibu Loft which also has 29 floors. Shoppers should have a fine time here.

Apart from these 2 shopping malls, there are a number of boutiques along the streets of Ikebukuro. I still remember that some of the stores were having a sale when I passed by and the prices are amazing. I mean you cannot be expected the similar sale price level as compared to Singapore but definitely affordable. I had some great buys. I must warn that though clothings in Japan may seen kawaii while you are there. Perhaps you will feel differently when you are back home. Still you could easily find chic, stylish clothings if you are prepared to pay or look hard enough.

Another place worth visiting is Toyota Amlux which is one of the largest car showrooms in the world. You can see all sort of Toyota car models and engines on display. There are also some stimulation games that you can try.

Though for a typical tourist with only a few days in Tokyo, you might not want to spend too much time in Ikebukuro. But trust me, Japan is an addictive place. You will likely want to go back again & again :)

Lets shop in Ginza, Tokyo.

2009-04-18T23:34:00.000+08:00

Ginza is definitely one glamorous place to visit in Tokyo, Japan. A lot of department stores, restaurants and night clubs are located here. I think it is a very happening place in Tokyo. Full of life & energy. I realised that I did not take any photo of the place despite going there twice and perhaps passing it a few times. Somehow it did not strike me to take photo. I tried to check with some other friends who are also frequent travellers to Japan but realised that they did not have any photo of the place as well :p But I managed to get a photo from a sweet junior of mine who went Ginza recently. See below:

One striking landmark of Ginza is the Sony Building, which mainly showcase the latest products of Sony. wooohooo. I simply love going there to view these new products. I don't really buy stff there though (except basic things such as headphone) since the instruction manuals are likely to be in Japanese.

I remembered that there is this shopping mall - Seibu that I like to go and shop in Ginza. There are around 8 or 9 floors that buy a lot of fashion stuff. Worth a while if fashion is your cup of tea.

Try to go on weekend afternnon as the main road (Chuo-dori) will be closed to traffic and become a haven for the pedestrians.

Places to visit in Tokyo, Japan - Akasaka

2009-03-23T00:35:00.000+08:00

There so many places to visit in Tokyo, Japan. I shall go by alphabetical order.

Akasaka (赤坂) – This is one of the city areas in Tokyo where a lot of commercial buildings, hotels, restaurants, embassies and even the TBS television station are located. It is also near to governmental offices, Nagatacho and very close to the Imperial Palace (Chiyoda).

There are also some residental buildings in this area. One of my friends is staying in this area as it is near to his workplace. He is a very fortunate man to be neighbour to the classy geisha as there are geisha houses in the area.

I went there thrice but not to visit my friend. The first time I visit Akasaka is when I accompanied my good friend - YY to the TBS television for a tour. She is a big Japanese drama fan.

(At the entrance of TBS)

The second and third time was when I visited the Hie Shrine (日枝神社) in the area. The shrine is located on a little hillstop and we did have some problems locating the shrine as there are a lot of buildings in the area, making it a bit confusing. It is a shrine with a long long history, as far back as 1478. Apparently its original location was inside the Edo Castle and only moved to Akasaka in 1659.

(The board outside the shrine that shared the history)

(We were fortunate to witness a wedding ceremony at the shrine. Bride & groom in tradition wedding costumes)

Well, that time we went there was beacuse we knew that a lot of weddings took place in this shrine (which we saw one) and their love charms were so kawaii.

What to eat in Tokyo, Japan?

2009-03-16T14:54:00.000+08:00

Eating is such an enjoyment in Tokyo, Japan and Kyoto, Japan.

I can safely say that I do not have experience of lousy food in Japan. I must admit that some meals are just average but I finished every meal I have in Japan with great contentment. *yummy* Even the fast food tastes nicer. Some friends are surprised when those who went Japan shared that some meals were settled in fast food chains such as MacDonald. But as like most fast food chains, there have been some changes in the menus to suit the locals’ taste buds. Let’s just say that those changes appeal to me.

So how’s cost of a typical meal in Japan? Well, it varies a lot but some people might be surprised that it is possible to find good food at very affordable cost in Japan. In fact, when I checked with some of my Japanese clients who relocated to Singapore on the cost of living as compared to Japan, they told me that it is generally lower except the food. I imagine that it is because we have to pay a lot for quality Japanese food in Singapore whereas quality food is everywhere in Japan.

(Meal set from our fave fast food chain - Wendy's)

I do have some favourite eating places. There is one which I like: this ramen place called 一杯入魂. I think it is a franchise cos I saw them at various regions in Japan. But the one which we think is the best is the store at Shibuya. Align at Shibuya Station, walk out from Hachiko and cross over to HMV and then turn left and the ramen place is just around the area. I remembered that we had dinner here the second day when we reached Tokyo. Soon after we left for our Kyoto trip and 2 weeks later when we returned to Tokyo, it was already evening. Surprisingly Missy suggested going back to this ramen place again and with her good memory, we actually managed to find the place again.

(Declicious ramen from 一杯入魂. => 2 different flavours)

One sushi restaurant that I like is Oedo: Okachimachi 大江戸 (Address is 6-2-1 Ueno, Taito-ku, Tokyo). The prices for this conveyor belt starts from around 136 yen per plate. The sushi is very fresh though the variety is rather limited. But it is really value for money and I always come back to this restaurant whenever I am in Tokyo.

(All sushi are freshly made and those that have been on the belt for more than 1 hour will be thrown away)

(They are really nice. A satisfied Missy with her "V" sign)

Another restaurant that I like is Gonpachi ( http://www.sushi.gonpachi.jp/en/xxx/yyy ), which was supposed to be the set for Kill Bill. They serve good yakitori. I think they have a few locations. The one which I went to is in Ginza, we went in a group of 6 and we did make reservation prior to that. Hence we have a nice room to ourselves. It was cosy and warm especially when it was cold that spring night. But I did not take photo cos I was dining with my boss and other Japanese colleagues so must appear professional.

There are a lot of other nice eating places in Japan. I don't know if they are really great by the standards of Japanese. I think the food is nice in my opinion though. See below for some photo for your viewing:

(This is a popular dish in Osaka)

(This is the best raman I tried in Japan. It is the famous "Golden Dragon" Kimchi ramen in Osaka.

Where to stay in Tokyo, Japan?

2009-03-15T01:01:00.000+08:00

Well, Tokyo, Japan can be an expensive place and so are the rest of Japan... if you are as fortunate as me, with friends in Tokyo, there is little doubt where you will stay in Tokyo. Accomodations in Tokyo is generally expensive. However, there are affordable accomodations around if you look hard enough.

Off hand I can recommend Toyoko Inn. They have a network of hotels over Japan and I think they cater to business travellers on budget basis (cos we saw a number of gentlemen in suits in their hotels). Apparently it is a favourite choice of Singaporeans as well cos we met a number of fellow Singaporeans.

Other than Tokyo, I use their hotels in most of my destinations in Japan (Quality services for their prices. I paid about ¥6,000 to ¥7,000 a night for twin-sharing) . The rooms are small but fully equiped. They have internet socket and wireless ALN in lobby. You can use the phone in lobby for free local call (well they used to allow overseas call..no kidding... restricted to 3 min per pax each time though. But I guess they realised that it is a costly service) They even provide you with very comfortable night wear.. Check this out

(Me in the nightwear)

If you prefer better accomodation, there are a lot of international hotels to choose as well. I stay in ANA InterContinental Tokyo before. It is good with very nice view (My room was facing the Tokyo Tower). Of course, you need to pay a premium for such good rooms (I think I paid about ¥28,000 a night). another recommendation is Hotel Hyatt Regency Tokyo Check out some photo below.

(From the window in the morning)

(Another angle from the window)

(View below the hotel)

(Nightview. Very pretty)

(A picture of me working in my hotel room)

Depending on your budget, there is something for everyone :)

Arrival at Narita Airport.. what's next?

2009-03-09T12:35:00.000+08:00

Now you reached Narita airport in Tokyo, Japan. What should you do now? Well there are a few ways of getting to the city (for me, it will be the Tokyo area). See the following for your consideration:

1) Take the train from Narita station to Tokyo Station (Need to do some transfers at certain stations). But think it is the most cost saving and you should be able to get to Tokyo with a ¥2,000 budget.

2) Take the airport limousine bus (About ¥3,000). They will stop by major hotels and even if you don't stay there. It is easier for you to make your way to your accomodation venue in a cab.

3) Take a cab. Well, I tried that before (out of no choice but this is a story for another day). At that time, japanese yen was at the low side (S$1 will give me ¥70) and I still need to fork out about ¥28,000 for the 1.5 hour ride.

Frankly, I think airport limousine bus works the best for me especially if you have a number of luggages like us. I must warn you that you might need to walk quite a fair bit even with the train stations in Japan as they can be huge.

If you need help, just ask at the information counter at the airport. The staff speak English and will be happy to assist you.

JR passes (Tokyo, Kyoto and rest of Japan)

2009-03-08T21:46:00.001+08:00

I would advise travellers for Japan-Travel to purchase JR pass prior to their trips (most of these passes are not available for sale within Japan as the savings are meant for non-Japan residents). Transportation costs make up a large part of my travel budget. JR pass will help you to save a lot on transportation cost if you plan your trip well. For instance, a train ride from Tokyo station to Kyoto station will cost you around ¥13,300 already. (The first time I went Japan, I bought the ordinary 14 day pass for ¥45,100)

Take a look at the rates of the JR passes in http://www.japanrailpass.net/eng/en003.html

You can use the JR pass on most trains within the Japan Railways network and even on certain JR buses and ferries. (Note that I haven't have a chance to use the pass on bueses and ferries yet. I blame it on the railway system being too comprehensive.) Honestly, it is so easy to move around between cities via bullet trains (aka shinkansen).

Another good thing about using JR pass is that you can make reservation for your seats. There are a number of cars within the train that are reserved. Without reservation, you will need to grab a seat within the unreserved cars on a first come first serve basis. It could cost a few thousand yens just to make a reservation. But this service comes free with the JR pass, which is really a big bonus, considering that you are getting your money worth even without this service)

The above JR pass is applicable for the whole of Japan but if you are focusing on certain areas such as eastern Japan (mainly the Tohuku region). You can also get the regional JR passes. For instance, a 5-days consecutive pass or 4 days flexible (to be used within 1 month) costs ¥20,000. More information can be obtained from the website of Japan Railways Group http://www.japanrail.com/

However, if you want to try out the Naomi (one of the fastest train type), you will be disappointed to know that it is not covered by this JR pass. I remembered there was once when a Naomi passed us at a train platform, you can literally feel the swiftness of the train as if a bullet has been shot out. Wow. One day, I will go and give it a try :)

Anyway if you want a feel of how fast is the train, you can take a look at the video below (taken by Missy on the platform).

Would there be a problem if we don't speak the language in Japan?

2009-03-08T18:05:00.000+08:00

Well, you don't need to speak Japanese for Japan-Travel.

We did have some concerns about our inability to speak the language initially. In fact, Missy (my travel mate cum gd friend) bought a book to pick up some common phases for use during travel. YY (another travel mate cum gd friend) also brought along her electronic dictionary.

Despite making a few trips to Japan, I can only speak a few words like “konichiwa (hello/good afternoon)”, “sayonara (goodbye)” and “mizu (water”). Well, I guess it is because you don’t need to know the language to make your way around. As long as you did some research on your routes beforehand and have a map on hand, it is relatively easy to find your way around. Even when you get lost at times, you can still “ask” around for help. Japanese are very helpful people. Usually I just need to point the place I want to get to on the map, they will try their best to direct me. Body language is the best way of communication. Sometimes they may even accompany us for a short distance to ensure that we are on the right track.

(P.S. People in Tokyo area are usually not as friendly or helpful. I guess it is because they are too busy rushing about. Good thing is that Tokyo is a city with the proper infastructure in place so it is almost impossible to get lost)

There was once when Missy and I were making our way to Mt Fuji from Nikko. We were supposed to take JR from Nikko station to Kawaguchiko Station (the train journey is about 5 hours). But we made a mistake and gotten ourselves to Kawaguchi Station (over 2 hours from Nikko Station). At first, we thought that Kawaguchiko Station and Kawaguchi Station should be near to each other. To our horror, we realised that they are about 3 hours in journey apart.

Though it was our fault for the mix-up, the station master was very nice about it. He asked one of the senior officers to company us on the journey to Kawaguchi Station, which involved some transfers. The officer escorted us all the way till Otsuki Station for more than one hour. I suspected if not the fact that the train from Otsuki Station to Kawaguchiko Station is operated by another railway company, he will company us all the way till Kawaguchiko Station. (Should have taken a photo with him.)

There is a very useful website which we find very useful for planning our routes in Japan is http://www.hyperdia.com/ (The main website is in Japanese but you can just click on the English tab for the English version) It is a database with the complete list of train schedules. As long as you know the stations of your location and your destination, you can simply input these information and the date and time that you are looking at, it will provide you with the possible routes to get to the destination based on the time you are looking at. The duration of the various routes and the cost will also be reflected so that you can assess and make your best choice.
This is more useful for longer journeys and I don’t think you really need to use this if you are just travelling within Tokyo.

The beginning of the love affair....

2009-03-08T17:47:00.000+08:00

I love Japan, especially Tokyo, Japan and Kyoto, Japan. I think it's all started because of those Japanese dramas (think Heaven's Coin, Long Vacation, Love Generation and etc). Exciting plots, pretty gals, cool guys, the sound of the language, the almost artistic appearance of the words and the theme songs that keep running through my head.

(Photo from Love Generation.. I even bought the glass apple before =))

(Long Vacation.. I really like the OST.. )

(Think this story was rather sadzz)

These are the things that made me enchanted with Japan since my teenage years. Due to the perceived high living standards in Japan, I only started my tours to Japan a few years back but my love affair with Japan has never ended since then.

It was also my first free & easy trip that lasted for 1 month. The year was 2006. That time, I was trying to decide for the next holiday destination that was both economical yet fun. One of my colleagues had been relocated to Tokyo and a friend suggested that we could save some costs on accommodation if we stayed with him for a while. This also helped that it happened that there was an air fare promotion to Tokyo at that time. So we did not have a hard time concluding on holiday venue. With the free accommodation in mind, we decided to maximise our stay there – one month (that is the maximum stay allowed by our air tickets).

See below for some photo during my flight to Japan and upon arrival.

(My flight took us from morning till sunset)

(YY and Missy with their heavy backpacks)

I must say that I enjoyed myself so much that Japan becomes a destination for annual trip since then. I am not the only one. I can safely say that about two-third of my friends who made 2 trips to Japan within 3 years. Why is that so? I have no doubt that the nice food, friendly people, clean environment and good shopping have to do with it :)