我和东京の约会- 2014夏日版, or, J's Solo date with Tokyo, 2014 Summer version

[joeson]

我和东京の约会- 2014夏日版, or, J's Solo date with Tokyo, 2014 Summer version

Hello all!

Decided that I will do a trip report of my own so to share my experience with the other forummers in the thread, and to keep it as a record for my own. it's the first time I'm doing such a report, so please tolerate any of my mistakes that I may, and most likely, will make.

My trip was from 3/5/14 to 11/5/14.

Destinations covered:
Tokyo
Hakone
DisneySea

 

[joeson]

Preparation work

- Bought tickets from Scoot, which was on promotion, $320(!) for Scootbiz
- Booked my accommodation through airbnb
- Changed sgd for JPY at Mustafa Centre, think around 78 Yen for 1 SGD
- Ordered my portable wifi device from japan wireless, to be delivered to the post office at Narita
- Purchased DisneySea tickets from the official website.

 

[joeson]

1st day:

Flight was scheduled to leave at 0045 hours on 3rd May, but due to a delay, it only took off at 0330. :x ended up taking a nap on the carpeted floor in the check in lounge.

reached Taipei's Taoyuan International Airport. instructions were very clear from the stewardesses on where to go through for customs. had an hour's layover there, so had lu rou fan at a random cafeteria there. note: there's hot, warm and cold water dispenser at the gate before boarding the plane, so bring an empty bottle to fill water and even make your own drinks! =)

2nd part of the flight from taipei to tokyo was short, around 90 minutes or so. finally touched down at Narita around 12pm. cleared customs smoothly. went to pick up my portable wifi device at the post office, which was located just outside the arrivals area.

Took N'EX into Shinjuku. There's a package that I bought: 1 way N'EX ticket + Suica card for 1,500 Yen.

interior of the train. quite few people, considering the timing.

Reached Shinjuku at around 130pm, went to my apartment to get the keys that was placed in the postbox on the ground floor of the building. I booked my apartment through airbnb, which was very good. there's even a sitting bathtub!

after a quick shower, went out to explore Shinjuku area.

Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building:
FREE Admission! =) Exit A4 of Tochomae station, Oedo line.

Spent the evening at Takashimaya and Tokyu Hands (Southern Terrace of Shinjuku station). Dinner was settled at Menya Musashi.

Walked at the Kabukicho area after dinner- was quite an eye-opening experience, but didn't go into any of the clubs. :x the touts were quite aggressive, so have to be really firm. walked back to my apartment after that and slept.

and thus, that ended the 1st day in Totoro city.

 

[mockngbrdy]

how was the airbnb experience? how much did u pay? more pics of the apartment?

 

[joeson]

2nd day (AM) : Studio Ghibli Museum, Meiji Shrine (明治神宫)

Breakfast was simple: a chocolate crossaint and peach tart I bought the night before at the FamilyMart a block away from my apartment, and some milk tea. the convenience stores are nothing like Singapore's- the ones at Tokyo stock all sorts of things! they even have Muji stationery, which I stocked up alot on, especially the notebooks, pens and random stuffs. but anyway...

Studio Ghibli museum:

bought tickets beforehand for the Ghibli museum, from a website called voyagin, and was sent to my apartment. there are other stuffs on that website too, like japanese archery lessons, and sumo wrestling practice sessions, so go take a look. alternatively, you can choose to buy the tickets at any Lawson convenience stores in Japan.

ghidli museum is for those who are fans of Hayao Miyazaki and his works, most notably Spirited Away, My Neighbour Totoro, Castle in the Sky. To get there:
Nearest station is Mitaka (I took the JR Chuo line from Shinjuku station). From Mitaka, walk along a footpath called Kazenosanpomichi for about 10-15 mins, before reaching the museum.

say hello to Totoro!

the robot on the rooftop.

the exterior of the museum- photography is strictly prohibited inside the museum, and the staff WILL tell you to not take photos if you try to take photos.

spent the good part of the morning at the museum, before leaving it for my next stop:

Meiji Shrine (明治神宫)
Nearest station is Yoyoji, which was on the Chuo line as well.

Was quite crowded, due to two reasons: there was a wedding going on that day I visited, and it was during the Golden Week period too.

say hello to the bride and groom!

the famous barrels of sake that was donated to the shrine.

the main prayer hall. can tell it was very packed!

there's the 100 Yen tikum tikum fortune thing, something like those scenes in Hongkong dramas, where the people shake the tin until one bamboo stick come out. Once a stick comes out, you see the number and take the fortune paper from a drawer at the area. =) no fuss, no need to worry about translations since the fortune paper is printed with traditional japanese words on one side and english translations on the other. you keep the good fortune, and for the bad fortune, you tie it to a nearby branch.

Note: I didn't do the tikum thing here, but did it in Asakusa the next day.

part two will be continued in the next post...

 

[joeson]

how was the airbnb experience? how much did u pay? more pics of the apartment?

airbnb was quite easy- you browse through the website for an apartment u like, with the prices all clearly displayed on the site. once you confirm an apartment, you contact the host through email on the website, then they will reply you. payment is done through Paypal, or credit card.

i paid $75/night, and there's a cleaning/service fee of around $15.

will post more pics of my apartment, but didn't take much. haha.

 

[joeson]

2nd day (PM): Shibuya
to get there: Shibuya is a major interchange station on different lines.

After a quick lunch at Gogocurry in Shibuya, it was time for sightseeing! shibuya is something like Dhoby Ghaut and Bugis Village combined: their target audience is clearly the youths, with the entertainment complexes, shopping centres all catering more for the young people.

he needs no introduction. Hachiko, the ever faithful dog.

Shibuya (JR) station and the billboard ads.

Shibuya 109 Men's- rather over-rated I feel, the clothes were expensive, and the brands were more of those local ones. In Tokyo, the things that are relatively cheaper are the international brands- brands like Coach, Burberry, Agnes B are all much, much cheaper than in SG. They carry more designs and stocks as well.

Shibuya in the evening, with neon lights. the Starbucks outlet is 1 of the best places to take photos of the scramble crossing.

scramble scramble.

the whole intersection.

Dinner was settled some random ramen shop at my apartment's neighbourhood.

night time view from my apartment's balcony.

and with that, my 2nd day ended.

 

[joeson]

Apartment Pics

in case anyone is interested in my apartment pictures...

the bathroom. the sitting bathtub is on the left.

mini kitchen. there's a kettle and microwave oven, along with a mini bar as well.

the balcony. which was almost as big as the bedroom.

 

[joeson]

day 3: Asakusa (AM)

started day 3 with a difference: went to the small eatery at the foot of my apartment for breakfast. apparently, the breakfast set consisted of the following: a bowl of rice, miso soup, a sausage, sunny side up egg, salad, and a side dish, of which i chose sesame tofu. needless to say, i was totally not used to having rice in the morning, and didn't manage to finish the whole bowl of rice. :x

anyway. after that, set off to Asakusa- the famous temple complex.

Asakusa
Getting there is easy- the nearest station is, well, Asakusa.

was raining when I went there, but it didn't deter the crowds from going there:

the main entrance to the complex- Nakamise Shopping street. a boulevard lined with souvenir shops along both sides of the street, selling all sorts of stuffs, from the famous red bean pancake (which they pack in vacuum bags so you can throw inside your carry on) to kitschy souvenir stuffs.

this is the 100 Yen bamboo fortune thing I was mentioning about in my previous post.

chanced upon this random parade just when I was leaving for lunch!

lunch was at Tempura Daikokuya. very famous with tourists, so be prepared to wait at least 45 mins if you happen to go during lunch time, but it's very good. the tempura is NOTHING like the ones we eat in SG, thats for sure. it's in front of Senso-ji library, which is just off the main temple in the complex. if you can't find it, just ask around or follow where the crowds congregates. ^^

 

[joeson]

day 3: Akihabara (PM)

GEEK MODE! one of my highlights of the trip was of course, going to Akihabara, geek/otaku-central. bought my share of gundam models there, IT gadgets and stuffs, and erm, adult novelty toys there too. and oh, met up with an online friend there too! ^^

Akihabara
Getting there: Akihabara has its own station, but its rather big, so you will have to find out which exit is nearer to wherever you want to go. Yodobashi Shopping Centre, where all the IT gadgets and equipment are, is located at the Showa-Dori exit, whereas Tokyo Animation Centre, animation shops like Animate (!!), Comic Toranoma, and M's, is located at the Electric Town exit.

btw, M's is a 7-storey shop there which sells all kinds of adult novelty toys. things from bondage equipment, lubricant, costumes, cuffs, etc are all found there. and not to worry, purchases are all wrapped in a brown paper bag with no marking or anything.

OMGOMGOMG.

spent a few hours there, before heading off to my next destination.

Pokemon centre! friend brought me there to buy pokemon stuffs. things like plushies, placemats and other random pokemon stuffs can be bought here. getting there was abit troublesome- its located at the 1st floor of an office building. Nearest station is Daimon, Exit B1. The building is called Shiodome Shibarikyu Building.

a little sightseeing after that, even though it was getting dark. for fans of The Wolverine, the next place should not be unfamiliar:

Tokugawan shrine. or, where the funeral procession and fight scene was filmed at in The Wolverine movie. and since we were nearby..

unfortunately, since it was a last minute addition, I do not have directions to get to Tokugawa shrine or Tokyo Tower. but Tokyo Tower, being a tourist attraction on its own, should be familiar to most Tokyoites, if not all. and Tokugawa shrine is not exactly a must-see, unless you happen to be in the nieghbourhood, or am a big movie fan of X-men/ The Wolverine.

had yoshinoya for dinner (their beef bowl is superb!) before heading back to the apartment for the night.

 

[hoshiyume]

you went disneysea alone? Want to go too but think of queue halfway need to go toilet then how...How is the queue like? Need to wait very long? That time i queue USJ single rider need around 1 hour coz too many students in pairs. Then how you buy the tix online? Delivered to where? any diff in price?

Hope to see the rest of your trip.. Planning my solo trip soon.

Oh yeah may i know which location to stay is the best for travelling/accessible?

 

[cpuer]

I think the shrine with Tokyo Tower as backdrop is Zojoji. It's related to Tokugawa indeed, its their family temple..
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zōjō-ji

Nice trip report BTW

 

[Deathskull88]

Nice report, learned a few tips here, hehe.

Please continue!

 

[joeson]

I think the shrine with Tokyo Tower as backdrop is Zojoji. It's related to Tokugawa indeed, its their family temple..
Z

Nice trip report BTW

ahh yes! its zojoji! I remember the unborn children garden part. was rather creepy, no thanks to the timing when I was there. :/

 

[EmPtYsOuLz]

hi bro, you mind pm-ing me the airbnb link for the apartment you stayed in?
thinking of booking airbnb for my dec trip too

 

[cpuer]

ahh yes! its zojoji! I remember the unborn children garden part. was rather creepy, no thanks to the timing when I was there. :/

yes, cute as they looked, these jizo represent the unborn children. so the creepiness rise from that understanding
Mizuko kuy

 

[joeson]

you went disneysea alone? Want to go too but think of queue halfway need to go toilet then how...How is the queue like? Need to wait very long? That time i queue USJ single rider need around 1 hour coz too many students in pairs. Then how you buy the tix online? Delivered to where? any diff in price?

Hope to see the rest of your trip.. Planning my solo trip soon.

Oh yeah may i know which location to stay is the best for travelling/accessible?

yup, went to disneysea alone. hmmm, I made sure to visit the washroom before queueing up for rides, haha! the lines weren't very long for most of the rides that I've been on- partly cos it was due to the fact that I went there on a Friday. The crowds will peak on the weekends, school holidays and public holidays like Christmas and Golden Week.

I made use of several tactics too- will share more in my future posts.

went to disneysea's official website to purchase the tickets. no diff in price, but u're guranteed an admission ticket, which may get sold out if you're going on a peak period.

location choice for accomodation: if you're basing your stay mostly in Tokyo like me, somewhere centralized and convenient will be Shinjuku, Harajuku, since they're pretty centralized and well-serviced by the major lines.

if your trip is a few cities kind, like Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, then staying near the shinkansen stations will be a better option. like Tokyo Main Station.

Have fun for your solo trip! =)

 

[joeson]

Day 4: Odaiba (Part 1)

Odaiba was another major highlight for my tour- mostly because of life-sized Gundam statue and the various attractions that were there.
Getting there is a journey by itself- the nearest JR station is Shimbashi on the Yamanote line. From there, switch to the monorail, called the Yurikamome line, that will take you onto the artificial, man-made island of Odaiba, going on the Rainbow Bridge itself. IF possible, get the front seat. The views are spectacular.

Alternatively, Tokyo Teleport station on the Rinkai line will get you to the heart of Odaiba itself. But being an underground line, this means that you will not be able to view the nice scenery as compared to being on the Yurikamome.

The views from the front seat of the monorail. I cannot throw face; must show the kiasu-ism spirit in order to get such nice views. The night pictures are even better!

Basically, Odaiba is something like Sentosa island- the monorail will stop at different stations and each station is within walking distance from each other. Thus, the following stations are all on the Yurikamome line:

Daiba station:
- 2 mammoth shopping centres: AquaCity and Decks, one with a Venetian theme. Decks is the one with the Trick Art Museum and Madame Tussauds wax museum, if u're interested.
- The Odaiba seaside park is here, along with the miniature statue of liberty.
- Fuji TV headquarters is here too, on the opposite side of the tracks from AquaCity. The HQ will have some exhibits on popular Japanese TV programs and an observatory deck (payable, which I didn't go).

and OH OH!! just behind Diver City...

LIFE SIZED GUNDAM STATUE! =) it's a 1:1 life sized model statue of the most classic and identifiable Gundam out there, how cool is that?

ok, I must admit I'm quite the gundam-otaku. anyway... on to other pictures, shall we?

The Statue of Liberty.

Fuji TV Headquarters.

Fune No Kagakukan:
- home to Mirakan, the Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation. Quite interesting exhibits, and there's English translations for most of the exhibits. Much better than SG's Science Centre.
- Oedo Onsen Monogatari: an onsen theme park, where you get to parade around in yukatas. quite an interesting concept, but I didn't go there due to a lack of time. there are both indoor and outdoor baths, and you can stay overnight there if you wish to. reduced admission prices are available after 6pm.

The interior of Mirakan.

Part 2 of Odaiba will be continued in the next post.

 

[cpuer]

your Odaiba bring back fond memories. The pic here was taken from Yurikamome train. Night views of the Rainbow Bridge was a sight to behold, but my camera just could not handle dim light and a moving train:

 

[joeson]

your Odaiba bring back fond memories. The pic here was taken from Yurikamome train. Night views of the Rainbow Bridge was a sight to behold, but my camera just could not handle dim light and a moving train:

oooh nice! I'll upload some night pics later! ^^