My annual affair to Japan - Winter/Spring 2017

[joeson]

Had initially posted this thread on EDMW, but it seems that my efforts are wasted there, with people commenting useless posts like "not another japan trip" and "inkies really all same mindset like sheep". Since I'm not going to be appreciated there, let me do up a trip report here in the Japan thread then, where I'm more confident of being appreciated here.

[it's not that I'm looking for posts like 'wow great posts', I just want to do a report for myself to remember my past trips and for others who are clueless or don't know where to start to plan or who wants to read reports like I do. sometimes, I ask myself why am I doing all of these when I'm not being paid. Maybe this shall be the last report I'm going to do.]


Anyway, on to my trip report proper -

Just like how some people go to Thailand / Taiwan for their annual pilgrimages, friends and family know that in my case, my annual holiday destination is to the Land of the rising sun. For 2017, I chose to travel on the winter and spring months of February, so as to escape the hot and humid weather of Singapore.

Not doing a solo trip this time, as I am travelling with a fellow cosplayer friend. Since it's my travel buddy's first time to Japan, I curated the itinerary as such - Tokyo (naturally), Tokyo Disney Resort (both Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea), as well as my personal favorite, Manza onsen.

We spent around $1.6k for accommodation, which will be elaborated further on. Flew on ANA once again, which was great as usual. Paid around $600 for a return ticket, which was surprisingly affordable. Changed around S$1.3k, at the rate of 1 sgd :79 Yen at suntec city fountain money changer.

I hope that my humble trip report will be useful for those who are planning their trips to Japan, my 2nd home!

As I am in the midst of editing my photos, the report will be updated periodically. Do check back from time to time to see the updates!

 

[joeson]

Day 0 2nd Feb 2017

Since I was working a full day, I only met my travel buddy at around 8 in the evening at the airport, when our flight departed at midnight. Checked in our baggages and went to the airport lounge for my dinner.

Some warm pizza and hainanese chicken rice. The foods were good! Or maybe it's just because I'm hungry.

Sashimi area, watercress soup and red bean dessert.

Walked around the Sunflower Garden at 3rd floor after dinner

After awhile, it was time to fly!

We flew the midnight flight to Narita, departing at 0005 hours, and it was a Dreamliner flight! Seats were comfortable as usual. The not so positive thing, I feel, about flying into Narita is that it is further away from Tokyo itself as compared to Haneda airport, which is much nearer. However, there's the airport express trains that will whisk you in an hour (or less, depending on which part of Tokyo you're going to) into the city centre proper, so that's a saving grace.

I chose the Domestic option for the ANA breakfast menu. Salmon porridge and soba noodles. Tasted great, as compared to other national carriers. *nudge nudge wink wink*

Onboard was service was very good as usual, since it's ANA after all. Stewardesses were all smiles and friendly, unlike SQ's whereby I've met some who were not really happy.

Slept after the breakfast, and woke up an hour before landing into Narita. Was served a light meal, and before we knew it, we were touching down into Narita airport proper.

There was a slight queue at the immigrations, and then waited awhile for the baggage, but once we've settled those, we're in Japan proper!

 

[Ruriel]

Post here better if you can't take those sour grape posts in edmw. It's easier for those who are heading to Japan to ask the details of the restaurants/places you went too.

 

[joeson]

Post here better if you can't take those sour grape posts in edmw. It's easier for those who are heading to Japan to ask the details of the restaurants/places you went too.

yeah sia, it's like, my main aim for posting the thread is not to hao lian but to provide knowledge and help, since i experienced first hand on not being able to find information when I'm doing my own research, but oh wells.

 

[deodorant]

yeah sia, it's like, my main aim for posting the thread is not to hao lian but to provide knowledge and help.

If you want to help then you're right, must post here.
Posting in EDMW really is to haolian de, lol.
Like if you fly first class stay grand hyatt that kind of trip then is damn nice to post in EDMW and see those sour grapes replies

Anyway your ANA flight was it the 9 across dreamliner seat? I heard that ANA seat doesn't recline backwards but instead the seat shifts forward, is that true?

 

[evilerniex]

yah, post here to share with others who enjoy japan, and to give back and help others with their planning. and ur thread will be automatically updated to the compilation thread

post in edmw if u want more readership and more comments

 

[joeson]

Day 1 3rd Feb 2017

One of the advantages of a red eye flight is that you get to arrive at the destination in the morning, thus saving you a night's accommodation. Of course, this means that you won't get a proper bed to sleep in - unless you're rich enough to afford business class.

We almost forgot to purchase our Tokyo Wide Passes and N'EX tickets as a result of a lack of sleep - it was only at the JR office when I overheard a group of Singaporeans talking about the passes when I realized we forgotten to do so. A misfortune luckily averted, we got our passes and boarded the 940am train to Shinjuku direct!

The Narita Express, as always, was barely occupied. Seats were spacious and there were USB ports for you to charge your electronic devices. Tully's coffee was a welcome booster.

Reached Shinjuku station at half past ten in the morning, and dumped our luggages at the front desk of the aparthotel - Citadines Shinjuku. There were two branches of the serviced apartments in Shinjuku; one was nearer at the red light district of Kabukicho, whilst the further one, which was the one we stayed at, was near the Shinjuku Gardens.

Since we couldn't check in yet, we went for some sightseeing around the area first.

Celebrating Setsubun at Hanazono shrine

This festival popped up in my research for my trip - according to Japan Guide, Setsubun marks the beginning of Spring, and people would often gather at shrines to throw out beans as a mark of getting rid of their bad luck. Howveer, it wasn't a major public holiday like New Year's Day, but celebrations, whether large scale or not, were still being held at shrines throughout Tokyo. Much to our delight, there was one being held at Hanazono shrine [花園神社] which was a 10 mins walk from our hotel, and so, we made a beeline for there straight.

This was the clearest picture I could get from my vantage point.

They were giving out lucky bags at the end of the ceremony, but we didn't get tickets for them. darn.

Slightly #nsfw, but we were cutting through the area with the host clubs to get back to our hotel to check in. haha.

I'm getting hungry after seeing this. Lunch was at their Yoshinoya - the beef was sooooo much tender and flavorful than the one we have in Singapore. And a great thing is that they separated the green onions from the beef bowl itself, which means I can taste the natural flavor of the beef bowl. ^^ the salad was crisp, and the sesame dressing made it so much more delish.

Our tummies filled, it was time to check in!

 

[joeson]

If you want to help then you're right, must post here.
Posting in EDMW really is to haolian de, lol.
Like if you fly first class stay grand hyatt that kind of trip then is damn nice to post in EDMW and see those sour grapes replies

Anyway your ANA flight was it the 9 across dreamliner seat? I heard that ANA seat doesn't recline backwards but instead the seat shifts forward, is that true?

wahaha! that part about flying first class and staying in grand hyatt sounds like some forummer I read about before, hehe.

yes, its the 9 across dreamliner seat. and yes, the seat shifts forward! so it was kind of cramped for me because my legs are long, and the person in front of me didn't move. grr.

 

[ah_leetw]

your post is definitely helpful as i'm heading to japan next mth... pls post more on your trip

 

[sevensomerset]

Day 1 3rd Feb 2017

I'm getting hungry after seeing this. Lunch was at their Yoshinoya - the beef was sooooo much tender and flavorful than the one we have in Singapore. And a great thing is that they separated the green onions from the beef bowl itself, which means I can taste the natural flavor of the beef bowl. ^^ the salad was crisp, and the sesame dressing made it so much more delish.

Our tummies filled, it was time to check in!

the YOSHINOYA? really?
that miso is totally different thing compare to YOSHINOYA here! LOL
what's the damage?
weather in TOKYO is jin cold? how much layer u wear?
got rain or not?

 

[joeson]

the YOSHINOYA? really?
that miso is totally different thing compare to YOSHINOYA here! LOL
what's the damage?
weather in TOKYO is jin cold? how much layer u wear?
got rain or not?

oh yes! of course, the yoshinoya there is worlds apart from the ones we're having here. the set i ordered was around S$7.

when we went, the weather was around 0 - 3 degrees in the city. 1 x thermal innerwear, 1 x normal tee shirt and 1 x bazhang jacket.

didn't rain.. but it snowed a few days.

 

[joeson]

My review for Citadines Shinjuku: there are actually two branches of the serviced apartments in Shinjuku itself - one is at Kabukicho, the red light district, and the other is further away, nearer to the Shinjuku Gardens.

Location
For convenience's sake, and if you are not carrying large luggages, I'd say go for the one at Kabukicho because it's nearer to Shinjuku Station itself. However, do note that the rooms there are smaller and nearer to the typical Japanese hotel sizes (their smallest is 18sqm). The Citadines that we stayed in was further away; although the website said it was a 8 minutes walk from the East Exit of the station, we felt that it was more of a 10 - 15 mins walk, especially with our luggage.

Rooms
For ours, we booked the studio double (25sqm), and it was barely enough for us to open our luggages, after some creative rearranging of the furniture. Facilities-wise, it was pretty ok for a serviced apartment at Tokyo - the rooms had a mini kitchnette for you to do some light cooking (which we did on the first night). There was a two seater sofa and a coffee table, empty mini-bar, and a screen door which blocked the bedroom section from the kitchen section.

Bathroom was normal, with standard toiletries provided. TV channels were quite substantial, with both local channels, as well as foreign ones like Nat Geo. The bed was a bit on the firm side though, and pillows were rather soft for my liking. And oh, each room provides you with 2 x bottles of water PER STAY, and not per night. So do take note of it and get your water from the many convenience stores located near the hotel.

pictures of the seating area, basin, toilet, kitchen area, bed

 

[Wood41]

Yoshinoya Japan has no broccoli,unlike here.

Narita Express rides I took were also so empty too.

 

[sevensomerset]

Yoshinoya Japan has no broccoli,unlike here.

Narita Express rides I took were also so empty too.

that $7 price tag, hearty miso soup anytime, bro!
here gv veggies also like scrap veggies also!

 

[joeson]

Continuing from where I left off, we had checked in and took a half hour's nap. But due to the accumulation of a lack of a proper bed to sleep in the previous night, coupled with the winter weather and everything, our half hour's nap turned into an hour's one. LOL. so it was already sunset by the time we went to our next destination - Tepco.

Since it was travel buddy's maiden trip to Tokyo, I figured that the best place to start off was from high up - the free observation floor at Tokyo Metropolitan Government building. It was pretty crowded when we got there - a 10 minutes walk underground from Shinjuku Station. There are signs that will direct you to it, so you shouldn't miss it. It's located at the West Exit, where the skyscraper district is located at.

Well, a late arrival meant we managed to catch the sunset and capture Tokyo at dusk.

The place itself was pretty crowded, but we still managed to get good vantage points to capture those photographs I took. Guess this place is not a secret after all, judging from the different nationalities that I've encountered here. But anyway, it's free!

Queued up to take the lift down to the basement, where we walked back to Shinjuku Station for some shopping at Mastumoto Kiyoshi, one of the highly recommended shops for buying daily necessities like shampoo, cleanser, soap, facial cream, etc.

Welcome to Uniqlo! Their range of products at the Shinjuku branch is surprisingly... normal. Designs are similar to that of Singapore's flagship branch at 313.

Long queue to make payment at Matsumoto.

Up next, owl's cafe!

 

[joeson]

I'm in a dilemma as to whether I should post this entry about the owl's cafe in Shinjuku or not - it wasn't as fun as its website claims to be, nor is it like other's whereby you get to have foods to order and eat. But well, it got featured in timeout tokyo , so I guess it's worth mentioning.

The name of the cafe is called Mohumohu, although its much of a misnomer - for 1,500 yen, you get to spend an hour with the owls in the 'cafe'. Why I say its a misnomer is because there is absolutely NO foods being served there. You're really paying for spending time with owls. and owls. you do get a pet bottle of oolong tea, but otherwise, that's it. Do have something light to eat before going there, like us. and oh, there are NO seating area in the place at all. unless you're an owl and you can perch on the stands.

The good thing about it is that the owner of the 'cafe' is pretty friendly, and he will engage in conversation with you. Of course, for a local, his English is pretty limited, but it gets the job done. And yes, the owner will perch a few owls on either your shoulder or on your hand. It makes for great phototaking opportunities... but usually, the photos will turn out to be super candid. HAHA. anyway, here are some pictures of the birds.

Strolled along Shinjuku after our hour's was up, and settled dinner at one of the ubiquitious konbini's, before heading back to the hotel to rest. And that marks the end of a very tiring day 1.

 

[FireEmblem]

Thanks for this thread and about the tokyu wide pass, i almost forgot bout this pass and will be useful for my next trip.

bout edmw, it is only cos too many people post haolian thread there every few months thus ur post recieved disdain.

 

[joeson]

Thanks for this thread and about the tokyu wide pass, i almost forgot bout this pass and will be useful for my next trip.

bout edmw, it is only cos too many people post haolian thread there every few months thus ur post recieved disdain.

u're welcome, and yes, the tokyo wide pass is super useful! I used it for my trips to Karuizawa and the onsen at Gunma, which made it super worthwhile.

yeah, edmw is just.... too messy la, i feel. like a marketplace.

 

[joeson]

Day 2 Feb 4th 2017

The second day saw us waking up slightly after 9am, which was a bit of a scare because we had booked the 10am campus tour at University of Tokyo, which can be done through their website here. Hurriedly washed up and settled a quick breakfast at the Lawson's a few block's away, before taking the metro to the university's Hongo campus.

Although the university of Tokyo, Todai for short, encompasses 5 campuses around Tokyo, the free tour, run by students of the university, only covers sights around the Hongo campus. Accordingly, our student guides brought us around to see sights on the campus, whilst introducing the history of the university, as well as sharing little anecdotes about their student life.

Do note, that while the website states that tours are available in both Japanese and English, it wouldn't harm to add in a remark that you wish to request for an English speaking guide during the application for the tour itself.

Application for the tour is simple - just find the dates that you want to go on, fill in the form on the website, and wait for an acknowledgement email and show up on the day itself!

And so, on the day itself, we reached the Akamon, or Red Gate of the university, just after 10, where the students were waiting for us. There were other tour participants too - a few families with kids that looked like they were enrolling into a university soon.

Without much ado, here are pictures!

Building facade for the Faculty of Engineering.

The story of the coins is interesting. It is a bust of a prominent founder in the Faculty of Medicine, and our student guide told us that medical students would donate to the bust just before their examinations in hope of getting a good grade.

Main auditorium of the campus, where students would go for their graduation ceremony.

Since it wasn't autumn season, the tree-lined avenue looked...bare.

This wasn't part of the campus tour, which was surprising. A statue of Hachiko finally meeting up with his professor at the Faculty of Agriculture, located towards the west end of the Hongo campus.

Our tour was from 10am-12pm, so the students suggested to us to grab lunch at the school's cafeteria, which was open to public. The foods being served there were pretty good!

All in all, the tour was pretty comprehensive, and I would highly recommend it to visitors to Tokyo who are looking for something slightly off the beaten track. Getting to the campus is relatively straightforward - the meeting point for the tour is teh Red Gate of the Hongo campus, which is a 8 minutes walk from Hongo-Sanchome station, on the Metro Marounouchi/Oedo line.

Headed off to Asakusa after lunch, since travel buddy hasn't been to Tokyo before.

Asakusa

Asakusa has become super touristy, if you ask me. IT is now something like Bugis, with its Guan Yin Ma temple and the shopping streets lined with souvenir stalls. Don't get me wrong, Asakusa, with its Sensoji temple, is still worth a visit if you're a first timer to Tokyo, but for seasoned travellers like me, it is wayyyy too touristy.

Just look at the crowds.

Spent less than half an hour there, before catching a cab (!) to the shinkansen station. Up next, Tokyo's amazing backyard - Omiya.

 

[joeson]

Omiya

Omiya was included in the itinerary for one sole, selfish purpose - being a rail fan, I had wanted to travel down to the Railway Museum at Omiya to see what the hype is about. (I know there's one in Kyoto too, hee) Thankfully, it was just a short train ride away from Ueno station, where we went after Sensoji.

Located in neighboring Saitama prefecture, Omiya Station has excellent train connections with Tokyo: there was a choice of taking a shinkansen and the normal JR line; since we were on our Tokyo Wide Pass, we of course opted for the shinkansen. Otherwise, the time difference isn't really all that big - 19 mins, as compared to 27 mins.

The shinkansen we took. It was actually two trains coupled together!

Once at Omiya Station, you would have to switch to the 'New shuttle', located just across the fare gates, and ride it to Tetsudo-Hakubutsukan Station [鉄道博物館駅]. Similarly, the Tokyo Wide Pass covers this short journey too.

The museum is just a 5 minutes walk away, with some exhibits located along the passageway towards it too!

No, this is not the Hogwarts Express. Neither is it Platform 9 3/4.

According to the website, the railway museum educates visitors with the industrial history of the development of the railway system, while also introducing the historical background of each period with displays of actual models. It also has on-site train simulators where you get to control trains such as shinkansens, subway trains and even the steam locomotives.Here's some pictures:

Heeheee

View from the open air observation area on the 3rd floor, which has an excellent view of the train tracks. There's even a plaque that lists the timings of every shinkansen that passes by daily.

Play area on the first floor, with mini, one car cabins for children to play-drive.

One of the mini one car cabins.

On the left is a mini shinkansen model that visitors can actually get to sit in for free. It travels from one end of the museum to another, in a like, less than 2 minutes ride? It's like one of those kiddy train rides you see in shopping centres, haha.

The interior of a stationary train next to the kiddy train, where visitors can purchase bentos from the cafe in the museum, and eat it in the train car.