Japan Trip Report May 21 ~ Jun 1: Tokyo, Sendai, Tateyama, Sapporo

[flame_angel]

Hi all, I am back again to share my recent trip to Japan. As always, I hope this thread will be useful to those who are heading to the same places.

Day 1-3: Tokyo
Day 4-5: Sendai
Day 6-7: Tateyama
Day 8-9: Tokyo
Day 10-12: Sapporo, Back to Singapore

 

[evilerniex]

havent seen many reports for Sendai and Tateyama, specially Sendai after the tsunami. cant wait for the photos

 

[flame_angel]

Day 0: Singapore to Tokyo Haneda

It was a mad rush, from trying to knock off work on time, getting home to do some last minute packing, and making my way to the airport. Managed to make it in time with some time to spare after spending server dollars on taxis. Ouch says the wallet, but all for a good trip ahead.

The air tickets to/from Haneda were reasonable, $790 from SQ. Hadn't taken a full service flight in years so this was a huge upgrade for me. First time taking SQ and she did live up to her name. Both food and service were excellent. The load was very light so I had both aisle seats to myself. Some passengers even took all four middle seats!

 

[flame_angel]

Day 1: Tokyo and concert (i)

View from the plane

The plane touched down on time at 15minutes past 6am. I love how tiny Haneda airport is, only a couple of minutes walk from the plane to luggage collection. The proximity to Tokyo is another very attractive factor.

Lounged a little at the airport to wait for the JR office to open. Redeemed my JR Pass and enquired if there were solo rooms available for Hokutosei sleeper train. Alas, all solo rooms were booked so shared room shall it be.

It was almost 8am by the time I was done. Didn't fancy dragging my 29-inch lugguage through the morning rush hour and decided to take the bus to Ikebukuro instead. (Bus is more expensive and takes a longer time to reach central Tokyo area.)

The hotel I chose this time is a popular option among many tourists, Hotel the B Ikebukuro. As some of the forumers here have commented, Ikebukuro is easily a favourite place for many females. Convenient, excellent shopping and great food options.

Anyway, back to the hotel.

The hotel is only a 3-5mins walk from Ikebukro east exit, the main exit of Ikebukuro that leads to Sunshine City and other major shopping areas. (If you have your lugguage with you, take the Seibu east exits for lifts and escalators.) Single rooms are around 7000yen and twin rooms for 8000yen. Good service and rooms are very clean. I definitely I will be back.

Picture of the Superior Single room taken at night.

As it was still very early, I left my lugguage at the counter, before going to St Marcs Cafe located next door for some breakfast.

Cafe latte and St Marcs' trademark chocolate coronet

 

[flame_angel]

Day 1: Tokyo and concert (ii)

It was a very rainy day. I didn't feel like stepping out of the warm and cosy cafe, but it would a waste of precious time in Japan. Managed to pull myself out of the cafe and head to Tokyo Dome for my concert.

Poor staff standing in the rain

Tokyo Dome's architecture

Lunch/dinner was Gintako's yuzu takoyaki
I stupidly poured the yuzu sauce onto the takoyakis instead of the plastic bowl provided...

View from my seat
The elevation on second level was really really steep. I would advise people who have a fear of heights to consider carefully before purchasing seats on the second level.

It was my third time in Tokyo Dome for a concert, and an humbling experience as always. Despite the huge capacity of 60k people, most fans would be seated in time and the concert will start on the dot.

The mass exodus of 60k fans when the concert ends could be overwhelming. But as everything else in Japan are, people exit and move to the train stations in an extremely orderly manner. Trains come more frequently as well to ship away the concert crowd.

 

[kifo]

Is this the first time someone submitted a concert report at Tokyo Dome? Interesting!

 

[flame_angel]

Day 2: Shopping in Tokyo and dinner in Yokohama

I woke up at a whopping 2pm the next day. (Yes, freaking 2pm) Yet another mad rush to get ready and a frantic shopping trip in Ikebukuro before meeting some friends for dinner.

Hit Uniqlo, Matsumoto Kiyoshii (drugstore), Big Camera and Otome Road all within 2 hours. Most effective and damaging (money spent/hour) shopping trip to date. OTL

Dinner was at a small yakitori place in Yokohama. I shall let the pictures do the talking.

Eggs for starters

Excellent collection of sakes from all over Japan

Delicious cheesy mess

Tofu grilled to crisp on the outside yet soft and fluffy inside

Grilled onigiri
The only dish I couldn't quite partake in. I like my rice warm and soft.

 

[flame_angel]

havent seen many reports for Sendai and Tateyama, specially Sendai after the tsunami. cant wait for the photos

Thanks for the comment. Sendai and Tateyama were easily the highlights of this trip. Can't wait to go back again.

 

[flame_angel]

Is this the first time someone submitted a concert report at Tokyo Dome? Interesting!

Really?! The Tokyo Dome concert experience is something that could never be replicated in Singapore.

I could write up a whole guide on getting concert tickets in Japan after I am done with this trip report XD

 

[flame_angel]

Day 3: Tsukiji, Akihabara, Shin Okubou, Yokohama (i)

Met a friend for breakfast at Tsukiji. The queue for the famous Sushi Dai was long as expected so we went to a random sushi shop. It was the last shop along the same row of shops as Sushi Dai. It was much better than Sushi Daiwa. And I forgot to inform the sushi chef to remove wasabi again...

The noms

Went to Akibahara to pick up some stuff after a very hearty (and expensive) breakfast.

My wallet will always be significantly dinner after a visit to Kbooks.

We got hungry so we decided that it was time for waffles! My favourite, one of the few things that I would eat everytime I visit Japan.

Hopped onto a train to Shin Okubou to shop for some Kpop stuffs!

Little Korean town in Shin Okubou

 

[flame_angel]

Day 3: Tsukiji, Akihabara, Shin Okubou, Yokohama (ii)

Dinner was at Motosumiyoshi, a housing estate in Yokohama. (Kawasaki City, not Yokohama City, to be exact).

Main street in Motosumiyoshi

Icon for Motosumiyoshi
You can see these creatures in the previous picture

Even on the clock!

Visited a famous doughnut shop for snacks. The doughnuts were average at best (they would taste better if heated up properly) but the cuteness was all that matters.

 

[flame_angel]

Day 3: Tsukiji, Akihabara, Shin Okubou, Yokohama (iii)

Dinner was Korean BBQ at a restaurant called Gyuusen. Reservations recommended. Restaurant was not very smoky, very nice meat for a reasonable price, though a wee bit disappointing. We were struggling to get the meat cooked and it was quite sometime before we realised that the charcoal was overused and requested for a change.


Food pictures!

 

[kifo]

I like your report. Stick to the less common stuff. Probably a veteran to Tokyo. Nice!

 

[flame_angel]

I like your report. Stick to the less common stuff. Probably a veteran to Tokyo. Nice!

I am extremely floored by your comment. I adore your hikes and trip reports.

Don't really like Tokyo much actually, reminds me too much of the work and stress back home. But I will always go back because the shopping there is unbeatable!

 

[kifo]

I am extremely floored by your comment. I adore your hikes and trip reports.

Don't really like Tokyo much actually, reminds me too much of the work and stress back home. But I will always go back because the shopping there is unbeatable!

ehhh I also keep going back to Tokyo... what to do, it is really a big big city

 

[flame_angel]

Day 4: Sendai (i)

Sendai.

I think many people would have qualms about visiting Sendai and the Tohoku area after the March 11 earthquake, and its relative proximity to the Fukushima nuclear plants. There were very very few non-Japanese tourists when I was there.

It could be me, but I felt that the city was quite sombre, as if people are trying very hard to move on from March 11. They did! But the scale of the earthquake and the destruction it brought was something that could not be put aside so easily. The "Ganbarou Japan/Sendai!" (Fight on Japan/Sendai) messages all over the city serves as a reminder on how everyone should stay happy and move on.


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Woke up early and met a friend at Tokyo Station. We took the second earliest train.

First time seeing a double decker Shinkansen!
Suaku me...And I took one 2 days later XD

Fight on! Japan!
Banner the Shinkansen cleaning crew hung outside the door.
I was amazed by their efficiency. 2 persons to a carriage, the team cleaned up the entire train in 3 minutes flat.

Ekiben (train bento) for breakfast!

Musubi-maru, mascot for Sendai.
Too adorable. Regretted not buying some keychains back.

Sendai Station

 

[flame_angel]

Day 4: Sendai (ii)

The easiest way to get around Sendai City is using the Loople Sendai, a bus service geared for tourists. A 1-day pass is available at 620yen. You can read more about it here.

I have to say, the bus drivers on Loople Sendai are HILARIOUS. (I can't express how interesting they were.) Armed with gossips from where the baseball stars stay, to historical facts about buildings, and even quirky complaints about fellow colleagues, they are bound to make your bus journey a very memorable one. XD The whole bus roared with laughter from start to end of every bus journey. I only wished my Japanese were better to understand more.

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First stop was at Zuihouden, the spirit hall of Date Masamune. Date was the warload of the Sendai area during Japan's Sengoku era, usually represented with a cresent moon helmet and an eye-patch. (These two motifs appear every where in Sendai.)

Probably a very nice place in autumn

Long flight of stairs to the main hall.
There are walking bamboo poles at the side available for free.

We were wondering why the main hall was closed and it turned out that the day we visited, May 24th, was Date Masamune's 379th death anniversary!

The long queue of people waiting to get in

Main building

Intricate cravings beautifully restored

Other halls housing his descendants.

 

[flame_angel]

Day 4: Sendai (iii)

Next stop after Zuihoden was the remains of Sendai Castle

This is how the Loople Bus looks like. Very retro huh.

Hirosegawa, a river that meanders through Sendai City

Rocks that fell off the castle during the March 11 earthquake

Building at the site housing a couple of eateries and souvenirs shop

Engraved map of the entire castle.

Zunda mochi
Sendai is famous for Zunda (sweetened edamame paste), so we tried zunda mochi! It was awesome. The chewy texture mochi went very well with the sweet zunda paste with only a slight hint of the taste of beans.

Random samurai promoting the mochi

Decided to have tempura for lunch
Restaurant was at the corner on the first floor. You can 100yen off for each Loople Bus ticket stub. (100yen, if my memory didn't fail me.)

 

[flame_angel]

Day 4: Sendai (iv)

The original castle ground that spans across the entire Aoba mountain is now shared with the Tohoku University. (As one bus driver said so aptly, you can think of the whole mountain as Tohoku university.)

View from Sendai castle

Azure blue sky

Our dear Date Masamune

There was a performance featuring Date Masamune, Sanada Yukimura and this other Sengoku warrior whom I can't recognise...

 

[flame_angel]

Day 4: Sendai (v)

Following stop was Osaki Hachimangu, a shrine built by order of Date Masamune.

The entrance to their shrine is in the middle of a housing estate. Kind of funny to walk into a shrine with clothes hanging above you from a nearby building.

Main gate

Shrines are not shrines if you don't have to spend some hard work to reach it.

Gorgeous. I love black and gold together.
We were chatting with one of the guides and she informed us that there was a wedding scheduled to take place at the shrine. The couple came while we were about to leave. First time seeing a traditional Japanese wedding! I must say the layers and layers of kimonos looked very heavy and hot...

We hopped onto a bus and head back towards the main city area.

Jozenji-dori.

A mutual friend was flying from Singapore and meet us directly in Sendai. Killed some time doing people-watching along the streets, a quick karaoke session and went up the AER building. (Free access, read more about the AER building here.)

Apologies for the lousy pictures. Glass windows and no tripod.