Category Archives: Japan

Autumn in Japan (VIII)


Day 9: Harajuku (Final day in Japan)

I spent the last day of my awesome Japan trip in Harajuku where I wanted to catch a glimpse of the infamous Harajuku girls (thanks to Gwen Stefani) who only make appearances during weekends. Kenix and I arrived at the seriously crowded Harajuku train station late morning that Saturday. Kenix then brought me to the best ramen in Japan for lunch – Kyusyujangara Ramen.

The toppings menu outside of Jangara Ramen

The queue outside the little stall was unbelievable! Our orders were taken when we were queuing and when we were finally seated about 15 minutes later, our ramen arrived almost immediately. Jangara ramen – as the locals call it, is special because you get to have unlimited toppings of your choice with your ramen…well you’re charged per topping of course! Kenix ordered identical toppings for both of us. It came to 900 yen a bowl and it was Kenix’ treat :)

Jangara is number 1 see?

The crowd inside Jangara Ramen

It was the most delicious ramen I have ever had! The most flavoursome broth, springy ramen and delicious toppings of pork, mentaiko (crab roe I think, so yum!), wood-ear fungus and pickled vegetables. Oh the thought of it makes me crave for it now….!

The creme de la creme was the heavenly red-coloured dollop of mentaiko!

With our tummy filled with awesome ramen, we walked towards the Harajuku station again to meet Ryan and Danny. Ryan was the only who knows where exactly to go to if we wanted to spot Harajuku girls. Kenix had no idea (tsk!). On our way, we saw a pair of very weird street performers. The man was playing his saxophone and his partner was dressed like …..erm corpse bride! And she was doing this body bending and her hands was at weird angles. Her face was creepily made up white. Perhaps she was trying to look like a puppet..?

The corpse bride

Ryan and Danny joined us and we head towards Takeshita Street. It was packed like mad! We saw a few Harajuku girls dressed in Lolita dresses but they were walking so swiftly and seemed very reluctant to be photographed. There were a few interesting street performers who were happy to be photographed in the area though.

Takeshita Street

A street performer happy to pose for photographs

The only blurry shot of a Harajuku girl in Lolita dress

Interesting Harajuku fashion

After braving our way through the crowd on Takeshita Street we walked towards Harajuku station again because I only have another to go before I have to catch the train to the Narita Airport Terminal. At the vicinity of the station, Ryan pointed towards a line up of “Free Hugs”. Many passers-by were just taking photographs from a distance. I felt bad for them and gave each a big hug! It was bizarre and fun :)

I hugged each of them!

Another cute street performer nearby claimed he can sing in your language, any language. I checked and yes, he can sing a song in Malay, wow! He also put up a notice at the upper right corner of his impressive song list that says “Marry Me”!

"I can sing a song in your language!"

Click to enlarge the impressive songs list (Check out the notice at the upper right corner!)

Before I knew it, it was time for me to leave Japan. Kenix and I hugged and we said our farewells at the Harajuku station where I would be heading to Shinjuku station to board the Narita express to the airport while she headed home to Kawasaki.

It was a very memorable trip. Japan is a wonderful holiday destination. I would love to go back someday…..! And this time, I must go for Onsen :)

Thanks for everything Kenix, I miss you already!

Previous posts:

Autumn in Japan (VII)


This post combines Day 7 and Day 8 in Japan.

Day 7: Shinjuku and Shibuya

Day 7 was also a working day for Kenix. I decided to spend this day in Shinjuku and Shibuya. I wanted to experience the busy Japanese city life and also check out some shopping spots :) It was a relaxing and uneventful day except the fact that I bought a gorgeous winter coat in Forever 21, Shinjuku which I wore the very next day.

Shinjuku

My next stop was Shibuya 109 to window shop. This is a narrow building with 8 packed floors of fashion boutiques. I was just amazed at the variety of items in Japanese shops. Franchise shops aside, there were no two shops selling items of any similarity! And may I say all the shops were insanely attractive. Salesgirls greeting you every time you pass by their shop, kowtow-ing and thanking you for your purchase repeatedly until you disappear from their sight! The girls were very attractive themselves. Beautiful brown or blonde hair (yup, never black), wavy or stylishly tied, trendy fashion and shoes plus doll-like make up. And I observed that leopard prints are very in in Japan. I saw this girl with a leopard print top, leopard print shorts, leopard print boots and a leopard print bag. All I could think was “Rrrrraaawwwwrrrr….!!!”

Shibuya

Shibuya 109

Although Harajuku was in the vicinity, I chose not to go there. I was told that Harajuku girls only make appearances in weekends so I was saving my visit until then.

That night, back in Tokyo, Kenix brought me to have authentic Japanese barbecue dinner, called Yakiniku. Ryan and Danny joined us too. Every table was set with a little barbecue stove where you grill strips of marinated beef, chicken, scallops and mushrooms. Very expensive but so good!

Day 8: Okutama and Machida

On my eighth day, Kenix, Sue, Ryan and I took a train to meet Danny and he drove us up to Okutama dam. We had a nice day out enjoying the sights of the dam, more red leaves and surprised by the sight of winter Sakura! Not as impressive of the full bloom in spring, but I was happy enough to catch a glimpse so unexpectedly.

Me in my fabulous new coat *ahem*!

Winter sakura

Danny was nice enough to prepare everything for a Sukiyaki meal at the dam. Sukiyaki is the Japanese equivalent of a steamboat, but with the special Sukiyaki soup. Sukiyaki was perfect during the chilly weather at Okutama dam which was slightly elevated from sea level.

Ryan, me, Sue and Danny

Setting up for Sukiyaki

After a satisfying meal and warm chats by the lake, we visited the local museum just across the road. It has all the information you need about the damn – how it works, its capacity, history and everything. Everything in Japanese however.

Then, we moved on to Machida for some shopping and dinner. The supposedly 20-minute drive stretched to almost 3 hours due to heavy traffic! By the time we arrive, it was already 8.00pm; which means only one hour shopping time before the shops close! The girls – Kenix, Sue and me managed to look around UNIQLO, Japan’s most popular budget clothing outlet and a 100yen shop. I bought a wool dress and 2 packets of Japanese curry seasoning :)

Dinner was sushi…..we were starving! Believe it or not, this was my first sushi meal in Japan since I arrived.

Look at our plate stacks!

Next up, the final post: Harajuku

Previous posts:

Autumn in Japan (VI)


Day 6: Disneyland

On my sixth day in Japan, Kenix and I went to the happiest place in the world – Disneyland!! We pre-bought our tickets and boarded the train there early in the morning. It was a Thursday and believe it or not, there was already queues at the entrance! People were camping there, waiting for the gates to open. Kenix told me that the Japanese were big fans of Disneyland. They would return and return and return for more of Disneyland….both adults and kids!

And so Kenix and I joined in the queue, sat down and waited. As I expected, a lot of parents were bringing along their small children along. I noticed trams everywhere. Many were wearing Disney merchandise – mouse ears, Disney costumes etc. Boy, the Japanese really love Disneyland! I saw a few little girls in full on princess costumes – Tinkerbell, Cinderella and Snow White.

10 minutes before the gates were supposed to open, we saw Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy and the whole bunch ran around near the gates waving at us. The crowd went crazy! Everyone was screaming and cheering, calling out to the Disney stars. Kids were reaching out to their beloved characters through the gates. It was such a teaser, it got everyone restless and anxious to go into Disneyland. Then the gates started opening. There were a row of I think 4 to 5 gates? The main gate was opened and people were literally running in. Yes they were running! It was kind of funny. The sight of parents, running inside Disneyland, pushing their trams  in front and dragging their kids with them. I can’t help but laugh out loud! Kenix said they must be rushing in to start queuing for the rides.

Anyway, our gates were still not open. Perhaps they were doing it one gate at a time.  Everyone was getting excited to go in. There were two teenage girls queuing behind us. Suddenly they started jumping and shrieking behind, “Kawaii, kawaii…..!!!!! Hihihihihihi…..!!!” Yes….they were that excited. Finally our gates opened and we got in. There was Disney music playing everywhere, in Japanese of course. I can’t help but feel the happiness. I couldn’t stop smiling :)

Guess who we spotted once we walked into Disneyland? Mickey! The queue to take a picture with him was forming quickly and we joined in. Kenix said his friend went to Disneyland thrice and never met Mickey. And I got him at the moment I stepped in…ha! We spent 40 minutes waiting in queue to take a picture with him, it was worth it. Once I got the shot, I said, “Bye Mickey, I love youuuu….!!!” Its been ages since I felt so good…just like a kid…. :)

We walked further in and I saw the statue of the man behind it all….Walt Disney, sitting on a couch talking with Minnie. Another statue of him holding hands with Mickey made me warm and fuzzy inside for a while. Don’t know why. I guess I was reminded how I loved watching Mickey and friends when I was little.

Then I saw Cinderella’s castle, the sight that must not be missed at Disneyland. Simply beautiful.

We spent the day getting on rides, watching shows, parades and taking loads of pictures. Everything in Disneyland looked and felt magical….the colours, the architecture, the christmas decorations, the music. I really felt like I was in the happiest place in the world. From Adventure Land to Space to Toontown….pictures say a thousand words:

Pinocchio

This is where you board "The Happiest Cruise in the World"

Kenix and Fairy Godmother

Pirates of the Caribbean (Captain Jack Sparrow was there!)

Look at the trams!

I got myself a pair of Mickey ears!

Queen of Hearts Restaurant

Another shot of the castle (in my new boots!!)

Kenix at Toontown - she got a pair of cute leopard print Mickey earmuffs

Daisy Duck

At Toontown

If you’re wondering why people were camping on the ground outside of Toontown, well they were waiting for the Christmas parade.

Buzz Lightyear

Peter Pan and Tinkerbell on ice

Mickey and Minnie on ice

Pooh and friends

Alice

The chipmunks on ice

Santa Claus with his reindeers and elves

Even though all the rides and songs were in Japanese and were meant for kids, I still enjoyed myself very much! All the animatronics and design were impressive, very attractive and appealing even to grown ups like me. I would love to go back to Disneyland again someday, truly the happiest place in the world!

Next up: Shinjuku and Shibuya plus Okutama and Machida

Following post:

Previous posts:

Autumn in Japan (V)


Day 5: Kawaguchiko

How can you not go see the Mount Fuji when in Japan? However, when Kenix suggested I include a 2 days 1 night trip to climb the Mount Fuji, I declined. I asked if there was an option of viewing the Mount Fuji without actually climbing it? You see I am a big no-no for any form of hiking uphill! And so, Kawaguchiko it was. The day trip to Kawaguchiko was a solo one as it was another working day for Kenix.

Kawaguchiko is a resort town about 3 hours train ride away from Tokyo and 800m above sea level. It is a very popular hub for Mount Fuji climbers known for its 5 lakes with views of the magnificent mountain. In Autumn, I was expecting to view Mount Fuji with a lovely snow cap. Kawaguchiko is also a very popular town for onsen - Japanese natural thermal spring baths. The catch is, you must be completely naked for the onsen!

The train ride accessing to Kawaguchiko station was very empty, I could see only one other couple other than myself. The ride allowed viewing of suburban residential houses in Japan, many with their own little vege farm. And then I saw it, the tip of Mount Fuji, right in front of my face. It was so big and clear! Simply beautiful.

A view of Mount Fuji from inside the train

I arrived at the small and lovely Kawaguchiko station at about noon time. It was very chilly. After a short visit to the tourist information centre, I decided I can only choose to visit one of the 5 lakes to view Mount Fuji during my short half day trip. I chose Lake Kawaguchiko which was nearest to the station by bus.

Kawaguchiko Station

The view of Mount Fuji at Lake Kawaguchiko was breathtaking.

More red leaves at Lake Kawaguchiko

After spending some time enjoying the sight at Lake Kawaguchiko, I hopped on the bus and stopped by the Mount Kachi Kachi Ropeway to catch a cable car ride up in order to get a better view of the Kawaguchiko town from an elevated observatory and a clearer view of the Mount Fuji. Unfortunately, by the time I got up there, the weather got cloudy and Mount Fuji was no longer visible. Nevertheless, the view up there was still very enjoyable. I met Alexis from France who was also travelling alone.

The cable car station

At the top

Mount Fuji hiding behind clouds

Alexis and me

It was a shame I did not get to try out the onsen at Kawaguchiko. By the time I got back down the cable car ride, the sun was already setting and I decided to catch my bus back to the Kawaguchiko station and bade Alexis goodbye. I reached Tokyo just in time for dinner and Kenix brought me to have this great value 500yen tempura rice complete with tempura prawns, fish and vegetables. Yum!

Next up: Disneyland

Later posts:

Previous posts:

Autumn in Japan (IV)


Day 4: Asakusa, Odaiba and Tokyo Tower

After my 3 fully packed (no joke!) first days in Japan, Kenix planned a more relaxed day around Tokyo on day 4 for me. By the time I reached Kenix’s place from Hiroshima the night before, it was nearly midnight, and pretty flat-out. My fourth day in Japan started at a more godly hour of 10am. Kenix brought me to the Asakusa temple smacked right in the middle of Tokyo city. The highlight of Asakusa is the huge red lanterns and a busy market area filled with colourful souvenir and snack stalls.

After a good browse around the stalls, we decided to stop by for lunch at this authentic Japanese restaurant cum bar. We had this really nice sushi-on-bowl set lunch. I cannot recall what it’s called in Japanese….but its basically a selection of seafood sashimi, tamago and pickles served on sushi rice in a bowl and accompanied by a serving of miso soup. All for 1000yen. Simply divine!

We moved on to Odaiba, which houses iconic buildings like the Fuji Television Studios and the Telekom Centre building. We took a nice walk at the park with fantastic views of the sea, Rainbow Bridge and a replica of the Statue of Liberty. Then we spent most of the afternoon inside the Aqua City shopping mall nearby….where I bought a pair of boots :-) We moved on to Venus Fort , a beautiful Venice themed shopping mall 10 minutes walk from Aqua City.

Fuji Television Studios

The Telekom building far...far behind me

The view at night

It was night time by the time we were done. Our last stop of the day was the Tokyo Tower, a train ride away. The tower was nicely lit up with orange-hued lights. Kenix brought me to have my first ever Japanese McDonald’s meal at the base…..the Ebi Burger (Prawn Burger) McValue meal, unique only to Japan, and it was good! I decided not to pay 800yen to access the observatory at the top of the tower and settled with a few shots in the vicinity.

With my new boots, worn as furry ankle boots

Ebi (Prawn) Burger McValue Meal

Next up: Kawaguchiko (Mt Fuji)

Later posts:

Previous posts:

Autumn in Japan (III)


Day 3: Hiroshima

I had wanted to include Hiroshima in my travel itinerary because I felt that it was one of the places I wanted to visit in Japan, remembering its history as one of the two only cities in the world where the atomic bomb was ever dropped. The other being Nagasaki. My day started early morning at the Kyoto hostel I was staying in the night before after a tiring and fruitful day exploring Kyoto and Nara. Kenix and others had boarded the overnight bus back to Tokyo as it was a working day for them. I took the local train to Kyoto station where I boarded the Kodomi Shinkansen bullet train to the city of Hiroshima. It was a 4-hour journey.

Upon arrival, I noticed the Hiroshima station was very busy and huge. My plan was to spend a day here visiting the memorial park and museum, or the A-bomb Dome as the locals call it. I was equipped with not much information because I was too tired to do much survey when in Kyoto. Plus, I was assured by Ryan that a one day trip was more than enough in that city. I was relieved to find a tourist information centre with English speaking attendants at the Hiroshima station. So after a little chat and being provided with city map and tram route, I was ready to go.

The first stop was the A-bomb Dome, the remains of the tragic bombing in 1945 during World War 1. It was a tram ride away. As if to add a sense of sadness to the memory of the bombing, it was drizzling the whole day I was there in Hiroshima. I had to purchase an umbrella at a nearby 7-11 shop for 399yen.

The A-bomb dome was the only original damaged building structure at the memorial park still left standing until today to commemorate the fateful day.

A-Bomb Dome

The memorial park houses numerous monuments built in remembrance of the innocent people of Hiroshima who died and affected in any way by the horrible bombings. I did not get to take a lot of pictures of the monuments because of the rain and it was a little difficult balancing the umbrella using my chin and shoulder while my handbag hung from my other shoulder, one hand holding the camera with my feet hurting from the blisters due to too much walking in Kyoto and Nara the past 2 days…..well, you get the picture! I decided to save my energy in enjoying my moment sight-seeing in the park.

Memorial Park Hiroshima

I met Luisa, a young solo traveller from Germany and we decided to walk together as we both speak no Japanese! We paid 50 yen each admission fees each to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum. We were greeted by an introductory 10-minute video about the background of the bombing and then a section about the history of Hiroshima city before the bombing. I liked the layout of the whole museum where it traced the whole story right from the days when Hiroshima was at its peak, to its lowest point during the bombings in its first section. A replica of the A-bomb Dome was placed right in the middle.

There were also some very very interesting “facts” about the reasons behind the bombings by the Americans. There were original confidential documents depicting that the bombing of Hiroshima was already in the planning, even before the surprise attack on Pearl Harbour by the Japanese. See, I’ve always learnt in history books that the bombing of Nagasaki and Hiroshima was a respond to the surprise attack on the Americans in Pearl Harbour…..? Ah well, the Japanese insisted otherwise. And the ambience within the memorial museum was indeed very sombre. The videos and posters in the museum sends a very strong message that the Japanese is all for peace and against any form of nuclear weapons.

Interesting “fact”

My personal favorite artifact from the atomic bombing was a pocket watch collected from the bombing area. It was stopped at 8.15am, the exact time the atomic bombs were dropped onto Hiroshima on 6 August 1945.

Now that all visitors were well informed of the background and history of the bombings, the next section focused on the science and aftermath of the bombings. There were videos explaining the science and mechanics behind the atomic bombs, how it works with a lot of numbers on temperatures,  impacts, circumference of the “fblast” etc. A number of case studies were summarised on posters, pictures and videos showing documentaries of some of the medical conditions suffered by some survivors due to exposure to radioactive irradiation from the bombings….very heart wrenching stories. Tumors, internal bleedings, deformed babies, cancers…….just heart-wrenching. The after effects are still suffered by survivors up until today. You may find more information here.

I was informed that when in Hiroshima, the Okonomiyaki is a must try. Okonomiyaki is a Japanese savoury pancake with fillings like beansprouts, cabbage, noodles, meat, eggs and sometimes even cheese. Sometimes, its known as Japanese pizza. Its specialty lies in the Okonomiyaki sauce topping, a thick brownish dark sauce….reminds me of oyster sauce.

Luisa and I settled for this cute little stall, a bar-like layout with stools seated round a large frying pan, somewhat like the teppanyaki pan for the grilling of okonomiyaki right under our noses. We sat there dumbfounded staring at the Japanese menu written on a wooden board right above us. We spoke no Japanese, the chef spoke no English!

I ended up pointing to what the girl beside us was eating and signalled to the chef for one piece. The chef was understood that we meant to share that piece and took the liberty to cut it in half for us. It was a vegetarian okonomiyaki with noodles and lots of sauce……not very impressive but worth a try!

Our Okonomiyaki
Luisa and me

After lunch Luisa and I found a place to sit down and chatted since it was still raining. Plus, my feet was really hurting and I did not feel like walking anymore! We parted and exchanged e-mails an hour before my Shinkansen was due to arrive at about 6.00pm. Took a tram back to the Hiroshima station and bought bento for dinner on board the train. The journey back to Tokyo took more than 5 hours or so. I was literally exhausted and had a nice nap on the train. I was missing Kenix already….. :-)

Next up: Tokyo

Later posts:

Previous posts:

Autumn In Japan (II)


Day 2: Kyoto and Nara

After a good night’s rest, we head to the Tokufuji temple which is in the outskirt of Kyoto, a train ride away. The queue outside its entrance simply reflect that this temple is a must see. The queue was long but moving forward fairly swiftly. Tourism in Japan must be making lots of money. Admission fee is 400 yen per person, you do the math!

The queue at Tokufuji

Upon entering we were on this wooden and elongated pathway, overlooking its maple tree garden. Yes, more red leaves (and bigger crowds)! The view was very pleasant though it would be better with fewer people. Nevertheless, it was still a worthwhile visit.

The maple tree garden and the crowd
The crowded observatory from afar
All of us – Fuiming, me, Sue, Kenix and Ryan
Interesting shadows

We moved on to its main building which is a wooden castle. We were only permitted to mingle and take pictures at its vicinity. It was locked and looked deserted inside. There was a little zen garden. I especially loved the wooden door textures and colour.

The Zen garden
Beautiful wooden doors

Next stop was another temple, Fushimi Inari. Kenix said the temple houses two foxes to which the Japanese prays for agricultural harvest. The fox statues were seen everywhere. However, the most eye-catching feature of this place was its numerous shrines. It was quite a sight!

The shrines at Fushimi Inari

Look what I found at the temple!

We then took a train to Nara, arriving by noon time. The main attraction in Nara is their deer park where deers roam freely and you get to feed them with biscuits and pet them. From the train station, we took a bus to the deer park. The first thing I noticed was the horns of the male deers were all cut off, which I thought was sad. Perhaps it’s for safety purposes. Well anyway, we started walking around the park feeding deers with biscuits bought there. It was after lunch and quite a number of the deers were lazing around minding their own business. Some just did not bother to eat, even if you shove the food to their mouth. Had too much to eat I guess.

This one reminded me of Bambi

We made our way to another huge temple within the park, the Todaiji temple. It was simply beautiful! Unlike the Tokufuji, this temple is still active. There’s a gigantic statue of buddha inside and many were praying. There were also few other statues beside buddha which I did not recognise.

The magnificent Todaiji temple
Buddha

Then, Kenix and I and started lining up to wait for our turn to crawl through some hole which would bring good luck. The queue was pretty long and since we paid the admission fee, might as well try out everything there is! Ryan who didn’t join us in line, went further up to take pictures and came back telling us that it’s actually for kids and we won’t be able to crawl through the hole because it’s too small! Ah well, we went up the line with him and indeed it was a very small hole, through one of the wooden pillars.

A kid crawling through

We took a bus back to Nara city centre and had dinner. There, I parted ways with everyone because it’s a working day the next day for them. I took the train back to Kyoto alone and spent another night in the same hostel as the previous night. It had been a very long day and my I could already see a few big blisters on my foot due to excessive walking for 2 days straight!

Next up: Hiroshima

Later posts:

Previous posts:

Autumn in Japan (I)


Day 1: Kyoto

People say Japan looks entirely different each season. White snow in winter, pink Sakura in spring, holidays in summer and red leaves in autumn. What better place to witness the incredible and infamous red maple leaves of autumn in Kyoto, Japan’s historical and one of the oldest city of Japan. I thought by “red leaves”, people really meant the brownish color of whitering leaves, a sign winter is near. Boy was I wrong. The maple leaves were bright chilli red and simply stunning! Apparently, the green maple leaves turn a bright yellow before turning bright red in autumn. The red leaves set against some yellow and green plus the clear blue sky, it was every photographer’s dream come true.

Kenix and me

We walked through this “bamboo jungle” and caught a glimpse of 2 geishas on a trishaw. Kenix said they were probably not real Geishas but tourists who paid to be made up like geishas and taken around for a ride as part of their package.

Bamboo
Geishas (Not…?)

I noticed that Japanese temples usually have a little board of some sort to display little wooden plates written with wishes. Of course you have to pay to write one and hang it on. Somewhat like a wishing tree. I thought it looked very interesting and Japanese.

Japanese “wish board”

Our day in Kyoto was spent visiting magnificent ancient temples and castles, set against the backdrop of amazing red maple leaves. It was impossible to stop by each and every temple/castle in Kyoto. Firstly there were heaps of them and secondly, we were charged admission fees. Since Kenix had been here in Spring, she recommended her favorites which she thinks are worth a visit. Next stop, the Golden Pavillion “Kinkaku-ji”.

Kinkaku-ji: The Golden Pavillion

We took a bus to Philosophy, a touristy spot featuring stalls selling Japanese souvenirs and snacks. It was super crowded! Ah well, Kenix said Kyoto is crowded at all times due to excessive marketing campaigns attracting tourists to Kyoto from all over Japan and beyond. I bought myself a 4 flavoured soft serve sundae (always yes to ice cream!) - sweet potato, red tea, green tea and vanilla for 250yen. Not yummy per se, but worth a try for its unique Japanese taste. Oh did I mention Japanese love their teas? They even infuse it into ice cream flavours, that’s how much they love tea!

The crowd at Philosophy
Some Japanese confectionery
Quadruple flavoured sundae

Our next stop was supposed to be another temple up the hill, the Kiyomizudera temple. But due to seriously bad traffic, it was almost sunset when we arrived by bus. No sunlight, no views. However, we noticed a poster announcing there will be night illumination starting from 6.30pm at the said place. Apparently this only happens rarely and the lights depicted in the poster was spectacular. And so why not? We made our way up the hill and the more we walked, the crowd became denser and denser…… At one point, we were just stuck, puzzled at why everyone was just standing there because the entrance was still a few hundred meters away.

“This isn’t the queue, is it?”

You bet! It was unbelievable!!! Even if you managed to get a ticket in, how do you suppose a crowd like this to fit into the place and “enjoy” the scenery? With that, we decided to go off for dinner and called it a day.

Next up: Nara.

Previous post: Autumn in Japan (Prologue)

Later posts:

Autumn in Japan (Prologue)


When my good friend Kenix invited me to visit her in Japan this year, I jumped at the chance! Like (almost) everyone else, I enjoy travelling for leisure a lot. Read: HOLIDAY! :-) Japan was never on my list of must-go places simply because I never thought it was possible due to its reputation of being one of the most expensive holiday destinations in the world. Free accommodation was a bonus *wink* but the company of a close and localised friend sealed the deal for me. From impossible Japan to “why not?” Japan! I discovered travelling to the Land of the Rising Sun does not necessarily need to put a hole in your pocket, you just have to do some homework and fish for bargain deals which are exclusive to foreign tourists like me (and you!). Probably I’ll cover my preparations prior to arriving to Japan in another post. For now, this will be the first of a series of posts documenting the places I’ve seen during my unforgettable 10-day stay in this amazing country.

I arrived at the Tokyo Narita Airport about 7pm local time and by the time I made it to Kenix’s apartment by train, it was already after 10pm. So I figured I wouldn’t count this as Day 1. I couldn’t sleep the first night, jet lag probably and I had to be up and ready by 5.30am to catch the earliest train to Kyoto, my first destination. I spent the night alone because Kenix would be catching the overnight bus to Kyoto with 2 of her friends joining us, and I’d take the Shinkansen bullet train which would cut the journey down to about 2 hours! Of course, the Shinkansen fare is a few times more expensive than regular highway buses and therefore, its more economical for Kenix to not choose this route. As for me, well….what did I tell ya about cheap bargains for foreign tourists in Japan?? ;-)

I was very nervous about taking the train all by myself initially. Kenix was really helpful planning the train transfer routes and times beforehand and giving me clear instructions and directions to the train station from her place. So, armed with all the printouts of the train routes and zero Japanese language skills, I braved myself to catch the train, make 1 transfer and finally board the Shinkansen to Kyoto to meet Kenix and her friends, my very first adventure in Japan!

I am very proud to report that I arrived in Kyoto as planned the next day, in one piece. And may I say, I was very very very impressed with the Japanese railway system! Even if I cannot read or speak a word of Japanese, getting around the train stations and platforms was very straightforward and clear. All I needed was the train route plan in my hands and just follow the departure times of trains to make sure which train to take at each platform. All trains arrive on the dot…..like the DOT! One minute late and you’ll miss the train. In addition, the transfer times of trains are very well organised and you do not need to wait longer than 10 mins for your next train to arrive. If the platform of your next train is quite a walk away (some stations are huge!), be assured the arrival time is more than 10-15 minutes away. By the time you get to the right platform, the train is always less than 10 minutes away……WOW!

The Shinkansen bullet train line is the pride of Japanese transport system. The Japanese are the pioneers of this technology which now are adopted in Shanghai, Taiwan and some European countries. I felt privileged to have an opportunity to ride this high-speed train. The built and look of the Shinkansen is very modern and futuristic. The journey to Kyoto was fast and surprisingly smooth, literally. I think it was travelling at speeds over 300 km/hour. I rode the Kotomi Shinkansen which stops at a few major stations before arriving in Kyoto. I hardly felt the train stopping or speeding up after stops, that’s how smooth the Shinkansen was. Clean, comfy and spacious seats made my 2-hour ride to Kyoto very pleasant indeed!

Next up: