Day 3 :
Good morning!
Had our breakfast and coffee fixed at the Doutor cafe which is just between our apartment and the train station.
We are going to meet our korean friend, Gemma Unnie who fly in to Japan
from Korea to meet us so we didn't went far, just shopping around the
area. Went in to Komehyo and realise that they sells new and some second hand branded bags. Price are quite reasonable too.
Operating hours : 11am to 9pm daily
Beside branded bags, they still sells other things like watch, jewerly, clothes and even music instrument.
Bring Gemma Unnie back to our apartment and went roaming around Shinjuku before heading to our next destination.
Saw the famous Yichiran Raman but too long queue so we give it a skip but we will come back for this for sure!
Off we go to Harajuku for food hunt and shopping!
First we walk through the Takeshita Street ( women's street ) which is just outside the train station exit ( Yamanote line ).
Erm.... her fashion sense amaze me a lot... oh ya she was dancing happily at the entrance of Takeshita street!
Pearlie search online that there is a shop call the Calbee + which sells
freshly fried Calbee potato chips and you can choose sauce to go with
it.
They do sells Calbee potato chips in packet and boxes as well. Most of the taste you will not see in Singapore.
We had ours with Royce chocolate.
Actually nothing fantastic about the potato chips...
Pass by this black and dark shops and saw a long queue. As a
Singaporean, we believe if there is a queue, most likely there is
something good there. Haha!
We are totally right about it! They sell only the custard stick and soft ice cream and BOTH is so good! Like seriously good!
The custed stick is so crispy on the outside and custard was so good! It's selling at 250¥ ( SG$3 ) per stick.
And the ice cream which is selling at 500¥ ( SG$6 ) is so rich but without those strong milk taste! Yummy!
So the food hunt continues...
Was highly recommended to have the lobster roll at Luke's lobster which
is located at one of the small ally of harajuku, so we decided to have
lobster roll for our lunch! Not easy to find but lucky we have google
map.
Operating Hours : 11am - 8 pm daily
So here's the queuing game again. And we have more confident in the food
since its having long queue. Haha! Weird mentality but somehow it's
works.
The lobster roll is no doubt very yummy! The lobster is cold but it goes
so well with the warm bread! We had the regular one which is at 980¥ (
SG$11.90 ) and I totally regret not getting the US size which is bigger!
Took a train to Ebisu and went over to a hip and arty place for the
locals.
This Tsutaya books store consist of 3 building! It's really a huge book
store with cafe inside as well.
Operating Hours : 7am - 2am daily
Love the environment within the book store building!
Cute display outside the book store! Big cat or leopard? Or is it dog? Haha!
Pass by a lot of unique shops!
Next, Heading off to the famous Meguro river park to see the Sakura.
Sakura look different and yet is another type of beauty at night.
Beautiful Sakura behind us and how can we not have some welfie right?
Cafe and bar along the side of the Meguro River.
View of the Sakura from the other end of the Meguro River.
Ok, bear with us... Last welfie before leaving the beautiful place.
Dinner time! Walk over to Afuri which is famous for their Raman for dinner. It's just located just beside the river.
Operating Hours : 11am - 5am daily
Order by using the machines at the corner, take the tickets and wait for
our turn to get seated. While ordering, there is a rude Japanese man
that ask us to hurry up! I'm quite surprise as I always hear people
saying that Japanese are the most polite and friendly people! Well... there is always a exceptional case right? Haha!
Ordered theYuzi Soya raman at 980¥ (SG$11.90)
Anyway, finally it's our turn! Before the food come lets welfie first!
Welfie for our Raman too.
The raman is good!
Tada! All gone!
Went to Shibuya next but realize most of the shop and mall is closing
soon as we reach about 8pm+ so we only manage to shop a few shops.
Here we are at the famous Shibuya walk! Soooooo many people crossing the road from all direction!
The
shops and mall in Japan basically close at 9pm or the latest 10pm which
is very early compare to Korea or even Singapore! Many people told me
after 9pm in Japan, either you go drinking or you go back home. True
enough, we got nothing to do so we head back home.
Went to the Lawson convince store to get some drinks and some dessert for the night.
Bought cream puff and ice cream.
The cream puff is not bad!
Had dessert, chit chat and watch TV before bathing and hop on to the bed to end the day!
Good night!
Day 4 :
Good Morning! time for breakfast! Heading off to a most recommended place for a specifically 'pancake'.
From ShinjukuSanchome, We took the brown line to Meji-jingumae ( Harajuku ) station and transfer to the green line to Nogizaka station.
Exit from exit 5, turn right and 2
mins walk.
And so, here we are at the most recommended brunch place, Giza West Ayoma Garden.
Operating Hours : 11am - 8pm daily
They open at 11am, we reached at 11.10am and to our surprise the cafe is already full and with a queue!
Wrote our name and let's wait. Singaporean love to queue for food anyway.
We wanted to sit outside so we have to wait a little bit longer.
Finally from the last in the queue to the first! Soon will be our turn!
Waited for about 45 mins for our table!
We had our table at the Terrace.
Daily coffee fixed!
Ta da! This is the famous almost perfect shaped fluffy pancake!
After a fluffy brunch, head off to the Ueno park, one of the park famous for Sakura.
From Ayoma-Itchome station,
Alight at Ueno station,
Exit 7 and from there we can walk over to Ueno Park.
Ta da! Ueno Station.
The park is opposite the station exit.
Reach Ueno park and it was so crowded! A lot of people having panic under the Sakura tree.
Beautiful Sakura above us!
This lady was wearing the Japanese traditional costume and was standing there and it really adds on a strong feel of Japan in my picture! ( thanks to this lady! Haha! )
Hit the bell for luck? I think so... Seeing everybody hitting so we join in too without knowing what is it for. Haha! But I believe it's for good luck!
Welfie again before heading down to see more Sakura.
Even the small river are filled with Sakura petals!
I manage to pick up a few from the ground but of course I didn't bring home with me.
Not easy to take a picture with the Sakura tree without anybody beside you!! Argh...
Walk over to the food stall to grab some yummy food!
So many stalls to choose from!
Doraemon and Hello Kitty egglet!
They sell kebab too!
They way they display the fish is so cute! Looks like the fish is dancing.
Having our eye on this big fat crab!
And of course we had it and also the dancing fish!
The old school marble soft drink!
There is a place for us to wash our hand! Or is there other purpose for this water like for luck? Haha! Not sure again but since other people are doing it so we just follow!
Following the local culture.
So crowded! I guess this season is the popular ( and romantic ) time of the year to visit this place.
Sakura all above our head!
River activities available there too.
Happen to pass by this group of local ( maybe age of 50s - 60s? ) having picnic there and playing music! It's so nice that we have to stop by to enjoy their happiness!
Welfie time with the beautiful river!
As the season is ending, most of the Sakura had already fallen.
A book stall at the end of our river tour that seems to be selling second hand books. Those books look vintage to me.
Having a few friends playing mahjong with you under a Sakura tree seems fun!
Bump into another lady with the traditional Kimono.
Next, after having a scroll at the Ueno park, we walk over to the market
street of Ueno to see what they have there. Mainly food here but there
is still some fashion shops in between.
The market street is call Ameyayokocho.
Mainly food here but there
is still some fashion shops in between.
This stall sells local snacks and the boss is very funny and cheerful boss! He is also very generous on free gift!
Finish shopping at the Ueno street, off we go to Asakusa, where the
famous Senso-Ji Temple is.
Alight at Asakusa station, Exit 3 and it will lead us to the Senso-Ji Temple.
This is the Senso-Ji temple where the big red lantern is and
which everyone will take picture with to show that they came to Japan
before. Haha! I am definitely going to do that too!
Ta da! I did it! * Typical tourist *
A street of food and souvenir stalls before reaching the temple.
People use to wear their traditional Kimono to temple during festival but now even non festival season, they will still wear their Kimono.
There is stalls selling Kimono too! I guess for tourist to get one and wear during their visit to the temple?
Another picture with the other red lantern.
Saw a lot people doing the fortune stick.
So I tried as well to see if my luck is good or bad. Oh ya, 100 per fortune.
First we shake the metal tin with the stick inside, shake till 1 stick with drops out.
Follow the number written on the stick, look for the same drawer number, and the paper inside is the luck of yours! They call the fortune paper as Omikuji.
I had mine and it's good so I will keep it!
Don't understand Japanese? ( The big words there is actually is Chinese, but it's too difficult to understand! Haha! I thought my Chinese is very good but still not good enough to understand those! )
Don't worry, there is English explanation at the back.
But if yours is not a very good one, not to worry! You can just tie your
paper at the racks there, to be believe as leaving your bad lucks
behind and not bringing back!
And now it's Gemma unnie's turn to see her luck.
The temple is close already but people are still queue up to pay some respect and also wish under the red lantern.
Welfie in front of the red lantern!
While posting photo on Instagram, one of my Japanese friend, Miyuki saw
it and message me to meet up as she was near the temple. What a
coincidence! So we met up for a really short while in front of the red
lantern! Taking picture is a must since its so coincident!
Miyuki and her friends recommended as this sushi place, Sushizanmai, which is located
at a min walk from the temple, so we decided to have our dinner there.
They had lunch at the same place too! They had something on so they
couldn't join us for dinner but will meet up again other day!
This is the second level of the restaurant.
No sushi master at the sushi bar at level 2 so we went back down to level 1 and requested to seat the the sushi bar.
Wanted to sit at the sushi bar and so we could see how the sushi master make our sushi!
The sushi master doing our sushi for us!
Gemma Unnie and Pearlie each ordered a set and they look so good!
Most of the food on the menu is sashimi sushi so I actually could order
just 4 type of sushi which is cooked and 1 roll. But they are yummy! I
didn't order set but the master still serve me a big bowl of miso soup
and told me it's free! Haha! That miso soup cost 400¥ ( SG$4.80 )
though.
Miyuki told us that we can go over to the roof top of the building
opposite the temple to have the night view of the Senso-Ji temple and
the Tokyo skypark.
Nice view!
The Tokyo skytree seems to be very near so we decided to walk over.
Walk through the small ally. The Skytree seem so near yet so far...
Skytree is just right in front of us but before that selfie first!
Welfie at the road side before reaching the Skytree! Many people is looking at us but we don't care! Haha!
Here's the Tokyo Sky tree!
Operating Hours : 8am - 10pm
Before reaching the skytree, met some cute fur balls outside the Dog Dept Cafe! They are so cute! I miss my dog...
The entrance tickets to the top floor is much more expensive then we expected so we decided to give it a miss.
This is how it will look like! So we took picture in front of this picture to pretend we went up already. Haha!
By the time we reach back our apartment, I am already hungry... ( as expected ) My sushi
are already all gone! Went to the 7-11 downstairs to get some cup
noodle and it's Gemma unnie's last night in Tokyo so we decided to have
some supper party! Ok, that's a excuse for us to eat! Haha!
Onigiri + Raman = Best combo!
Gemma unnie's beef steak rice!
Had a good supper, wash up and good night!
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