Sunday 24 April 2016

Japan 2016, Day 1 & 2 : Hakone -> Mount Fuji -> Osen Rkyon -> Gotemba Premium Outlet -> Toyko

Day 1 :

Finally time to go Japan! It's actually my first time to Japan and I'm totally excited about it!
Book air tickets from Scoot at $550 including meals and luggage. Why Scoot? Cause at the point of time when I book ( Feb ), Scoot offer the cheapest tickets ( It's $230 cheaper then SQ! ) that I can find but need to transit at Taiwan Tao Yuan international airport for 1 hour before we depart to NRT airport. It's only 1 hour so it's fine for us. 

I have rented a wifi route from Changi airport through their website, www.changirecommend.com.sg at $8 per day, so basically is $4 per person per day with unlimited usage of data. It was suppose to be $10 per day but I just happen to found out that there is a promotion so all I have to do is to  key in the promo code 'FJP8' and it will become $8 per day. If you got more people it will be even more worth it. Anyway the price is about the same as what I found online that we have to rent in Japan like how I did it in Korea. So for the convenient, I decided to try renting from Changi airport.
 They provide different promotion every now and then so just check out their websites for more information.



Booking is easy, collecting is easy too. The counter opens 24hrs to collect and return. Told the staff my booking number and very quickly she got my item ready. I just need to charge $1 to my credit card and the rest of the payment will be done when we return the device.
So the wifi route comes with a pouch, device and a charger. Device is already fully charge when we collect.

Waiting for boarding so let's welfie first!



Finally board the plane. Leg space to me is consider as enough already ( basically it's bigger then other budget airline ) cause I'm only at 1.63m tall so no need to pay extra for the extra leg space. Pearlie is smaller size so she have no issue with leg space too.
Everything in the flight is good except for the slightly delay due to last min changing of one cabin crew so we need to wait for 20 mins for the next crew to come. Oh ya... by the way, Scoot is the only airline that allows people to continue using our Mobile and iPad ( of course on airplane mode ) even while taking off.
I'm actually writing this blog while they are preparing to take off!

 Time to sleep! Good night!


Woke up for my flight meal. Ordered light meal because it's pass midnight, we shall not eat something too heavy!

Reach Tao Yuan International airport at 5.20am in the morning. My 2nd time to this airport within 2 months! Haha although this time round is just passing by.

Got my transit card and again ready to board the plane.


 Second meal after boarding the plane. Consider as our super early breakfast?


Yeah! Finally reach NKT airport! Time check : 10.30am local time ( Japan is 1hr ahead Singapore ).

Went to basement 1, bought a Skyliner ticket to Nippoli from the Keisei ticket counter at 1230¥ ( SG$15 ) per ticket. The staff told us that if we need to go to Shinjuku, we need to change to the normal train at Nippoli, and therefore we need a pasmo card too (a.k.a our Ezlink card ). The pasmo card can be purchase at the vending machines next to the Keisei counter.

Follow the signboard for the skyline to Nippori.

 I got mine personalize with my name! But of course you can choose not to. The price is the same anyway, with or without name will be 500¥ ( SD$6 ) as deposit and you can choose how much you wanted to top up.

Passing through the gate require to insert the skyliner tickets and tap the pasmo card. Why? Not very sure cause I don't really understand the counter staff although she tried her best to speak English.

Big and clean cabin just like those in Taiwan! Journey is about 30mins. There is also another way of traveling from airport to Nippoli which is using the pasmo card to take the old train which takes about 74mins and of course we will not choose that!

Reach Nippori, gonna take the JR train to Shinjuku.

This is not a exit, but just a transit point to the JR train.

We are taking the Yamanote Line at platform 11 towards Shinjuku.




Takes about 21 mins to reach Shinjuku.

So far so good... We survive our way to Shinjuku.

Had a hard time looking for the express bus terminal because people here couldn't speak English. I could only find my way by reading online on how to walk there and also using google map.

Walking to the west side bus terminal.




Finally we saw a information counter, they use their very limited English and with a not very happy face and include a BIG sigh before the staff tell us how to walk to the bus terminal. 
I always hear people tell me Japanese is very polite and helpful, but so far, I have not encounter any yet. So people, stop telling me Japan is better then Korea because Japanese is more friendly then the Koreans. I can tell you that I encounter more friendly Koreans then Japanese. 
But of course I am not going to hate this country because of the people I met.




I think there is a faster way to the Shinjuku bus terminal from the subway station since the station is just opposite. I guess we really walk a long way! Haha! Don't blame the first timer!  

Finally we reach, bought the tickets for Odakyu Highway Bus ( platform no. 35 ) to Onsenso bus stop. We had a hard time telling the staff ( maybe a new staff ) where are we going because he doesn't seems to understand where is Onsenso bus stop until I show him the direction that the hotel send me and he then bring out a directory to check. After he found the bus stop, finally he issue us the ticket.
Ticket is 2010¥ (SD$24.50) each.

Bus is not here yet so I had my "high tea" and also my left over bread from the plane as my lunch.
The journey takes about 2-2.5 hrs to reach.

 Saw Mount Fuji while still on our way to our destination.

 Heard that it is not easy to see Mount Fuji cause if the weather is not good, the Mount Fuji will choose to hide herself up. I guess we are still lucky enough to see her!

While on the way there, I received an email saying that the paragliding session I book tomorrow is cancelled due to 80% might be raining! So sad! My second time that the paragliding got cancelled due to weather! Once in Korea and now Japan! Argh!!!



 Like finally... We reached this Osenso bus stop and called up the hotel to pick us up. While waiting for the shuttle van, walking around to take pictures.

Our hotel shuttle. Takes about 5 mins ride to reach our hotel.

Here we are at the Hotel Green Plaza Hokone! Book this hotel through www.japanican.com. We booked a room with private bath. Since it is our first time to Japan, we shall experience the local ryokan ( japanese-style inn ). The hotel is expensive but since we save about $230 on air tickets, we decided to use that money to book this hotel!

The hotel lobby.

Shops at the lobby.

Checked in! This is how our rooms look like!




No bed yet but they will come in n set up the traditional bed when we are away for dinner.

There is private hot spring bath! We purposely pay a little bit more for this so that we can enjoy in our room and not in the shared bath.


The view outside our little garden area.

 Hello Mount Fuji!

Went to walk around the hotel before our dinner time. Shops at the lobby that sell their own facial product, souvenir and some snacks. But it's not cheap as usual since its selling in a hotel.

Saw the spa center but it's kind of expensive so we give it a miss although we really feel like having a massage!


Dinner time! Dinner is include in our hotel booking so we do not have to go out of the hotel to hunt for food. Anyway there isn't any restaurant nearby too.


 Dinner is buffet style so here starts my round 1!

Round 2!

Forgot to take my round 3 but it was just miso soup and shabu shabu. And here comes the last round. Dessert!

After dinner, nothing else we can do so we went back to our hotel room to dress up in the tradition costume and start taking picture! Haha!
Oh ya! Look! Our bed is prepared!

Traditional costume is provided in every room, most of the guest wear in to the dinner place but we didn't so we only wear within our room to take pictures! Haha!


After 2 hours of resting, we went to have our hot spring bath. It feels so good dipping in the hot bath with a cold weather!


My 'me' time in the hot spring bath while Pearlie went to bath first.

 
After a relax bath, time to tuck in after a long long long traveling day! Good night!



Day 2 : 

Good morning! True enough it's raining heavily!

 Anyway buffet breakfast time!

Went back room, continue to take picture in the day light and the feel of the raining day. Since we paid so much for the hotel room, we shall stay until it's time to check out. Haha!


Wear back our traditional costume and continue our photo taking session!

Checked out, the hotel staff give us a time table of the bus arrival time so that we will not miss the bus to our next destination, Gotemba Premium outlets.

 The hotel staff drives us out and back to the Osenso bus stop to take the express bus to Gotemba premium outlets.

Love the vintage look for the bus stop so take a picture while waiting for the bus to come.

Bus is here! Bought our tickets when we board the bus at 950¥ ( SG$11.50 ).

We stops at the Gotemba station and from there, we took the outlets free shuttle bus to the outlets village.

 Shuttle bus comes every 15 mins.

Here we are at the Gotemba Premium outlets! First thing we do is to go to the information counter, show our passport and grab the coupon book in order not to miss any good discount deal! 

Operating Hours :  Mar.-Nov. 10:00AM-8:00PM 
Dec.-Feb. 10:00AM-7:00PM
Closing Day: Once a year, on the third Thursday in February.


Put our luggage in the locker and ready to shop! Price of locker range from 500¥ ( SG$6 ) to 700¥ (SG$8.50 ) depend on the size of the locker. 


The rain doesn't seems to be stopping anytime soon so we have to buy an umbrella ( from the vending machines! ) as the whole place is not totally sheltered.



The outlet village is quite big and this bridge will lead to another wing of the outlet village.


The first Sakura we come across so we have to take picture with the tree!

Many different brands here! This remind me of the outlets village that I visited in Paris and London. Almost the same concept but have to say that the things is not cheap here. I only manage to get 3 Adidas tee shirt for my dad and friend's kids.

Had our lunch at the food bazaar and I guess it's a food court.

First thing I see is Singapore chicken rice! Haha! Feel so home but nobody eating it! Haha! Who will go Japan and eat Singapore food right?


Had my first Raman in Japan. Not that fantastic but can't say much because it's a food court style anyway.

And the shopping continues...

Finally stop by Fauchon cafe to have some pastry and tea as it was highly recommended by one of my friend who just went there a few days ago.
The pastry there is indeed yummy! 

After a happy high tea, took our luggage and just nice there is shuttle bus waiting already so we hop on the bus and off we go back to the Gotemba station.

The rain is really crazy! Look at what the rain and wind did to our umbrella!!

And my hair!! Haha!



Very cute cafe and they display different type of vintage camera there! 


Anyway bought the bus ticket from the small station that is next to the cafe and sat inside to wait for the bus as to prevent my hair fly like crazy again.

Bus is here!


Reached Shinjuku station after 1.5 hour ride. 


 Took the train to ShinjukuSanChome, where our apartment is at. The host, Nori is so nice to take pictures of direction from the train station to his house and we totally have no problem in finding!

Tada! This will be my home for the next 1 week! It's bigger then I expected! Clean and unique interior design!

Check Nori's house at : https://www.airbnb.com.sg/rooms/9220270

 The sleeping and living room area.

" Entertainment " area. Nori left many comic books there for us to read too but too bad all in Japanese only.


Dining and kitchen area.

 Nori left us some coffee, fruits and chips for us too!


This petite bathroom comes with bathtub too!

Toilet is very clean too!

After settling down, time to hunt for some dinner. After some research, we decided to go somewhere really near our apartment as we are both very tired already.

Walk about 5 mins to this Japanese BBQ, shinjuku-kobeya ( 焼肉神戸屋 )
but they only sell beef and both of us don't eat beef so we have to change to somewhere else. 
There is another Japanese BBQ which is about 6 mins walk away from this so we decided to go and have a look.

Here we are at the other BBQ restaurant call the Yakitori No Tetsujin!

They do have pork and chicken meat! ( Yes! I am a super meat eater! ) So we decided to have our dinner here.

It's a very small BBQ restaurant.


The best part is this is a eat all you can Japanese BBQ restaurant! Woohoo! We took the Takumi course for 70 mins at 1980¥ ( SG$24 ) as we are very sure we will not exceed  70 mins. The different between Tetsujin course and Takumi course is that Tetsujin can only order food that is above the red line and Takumi can order everything on the menu.

BUT! They had only 1 English menu, we had to share that piece of menu with another table of guest. The staff there do not speak English too! So it's more like a body language game when ordering. Haha.

Sometime I think I can understand the Japanese menu more then the English menu. Haha! 

Everybody will start of with a plate of chicken and then we can slowly order the rest of the meat or vegetable that we want.

Food here is not bad. We had almost all the different type of chicken and pork meat to try. Haha!

After dinner, went to the supermarket, 旬鮮ダイニング 新宿御苑店
  which is below the beef BBQ restaurant to get some water and also see what we can get there.


 Are they serious?! 1280¥ ( SG$15.60 )? What a expensive and small water melon!
After getting what we want from the supermarket and we slowly walk back to our apartment.


Dessert for the night! Bought this mochi strawberry cake from the supermarket. It's good and not too sweet! I am not a sweet tooth person but since it's look so nice, I thought that I shall get one to try. Luckily it ended up not sweet if not it will be in the bin after the first mouth.

Anyway time to sleep! Good night!

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