Spring @ Tokyo, Hakone & Fuji 2014

[xiaojing11]

我的第一次单行旅行！！

Having mixed feeling, because it is my 1st solo holiday trip to a not so near country (but luckily safe enough), I hope it is a smooth one and can know some new frens there.

Traveling date: 10 - 18 April 2014 (ANA air flight)
No. of days: 8 full days (minus flight hours, etc)

14 April
Tokyo Disneyland (bought the open ticket from NTA @ $80)

15-16April
Hakone & Fuji areas (stay 1 night @ Hakone)

The rest of the 5 days
Tokyo:
Sunshine-dori, Sunshine City, Tokyo Gov Building, Shinjuku Gyoen N'tl Garden, Taka Times Sq, Odakyu, Meiji Shrine, Takeshita-dori, Yoyogi Park, Kiddyland, Shibuya 109, Ueno Park, Ameyoko, Naramise Shopping Street, Sumida Park, Jiyugaoka, Tokyo Skytree-Solamachi, Ginza Uniqlo, Aqua City, Decks Tokyo Beach, Palette Town, Tokyo Dome City-Laqua, Tokyo Hands.

I think may not be able to c cherry blossom at Tokyo le, as the reports stated the petals have started to fall. Hopefully can c at Hakone and Fuji!

Thanks for the pple here who have helped me in a way or another in my enquiries. Arigato!

For those who are also going Japan soon, have an enjoyable trip! 'See' u all there.

 

[anyhowsaysay]

I am also going on 10 April~

Have a nice trip!

You can still catch cherry blossom at Hakone and Kawaguchiko (Fuji Lake)~

 

[salokin]

Managed to catch a few full bloom sakura trees in Shinjuku garden, very beautiful. Bring along an umbrella in case of light showers

 

[propa_smith]

can i still see cherry blossom in Tokyo next week?

 

[xiaojing11]

Back to SG on friday nite.
Finally i did my 1st solo traveling! It may not turned out as great as i expected (is it my expectation of it too high?), but i am proud of myself tht i did it!

Too much to share about, both happy and unhappy one.

I think tokyo is quite different with osaka, kyoto, nara in some aspects.

I saw cherry blossom and mt fuji!!!

Due to body unwell for the first few days, i did not eat much, no proper meals, wasted i know.
Then the cold weather made it worse, some afternoon was sunny, but somehow i canot take the coldness especially when there was strong wind. My cold tolerance is very jia lat.

Did not enjoy myself to the fullest, but still an awesome and unforgetable experience i have.

 

[leroce]

Fret not, u be better prepared the next time

 

[[M]aiev]

It's ok. I contacted the flu the moment i return back at 3 months ago. Should have gone for vaccination and wear thicker layer of clothing.

Lesson learnt.

 

[darkmatt]

any pics? =D

 

[xiaojing11]

Not say tokyo not gd, minus the unhappy ones+lost my way+cold weather+unwell here and there, i enjoyed myself! In certain aspects, i prefer osaka/kyoto than tokyo. If got chance, i will wan to go there again.

Tokyo remind me of HK, stressed face and fast pace. The way they squeezed and pushed u without saying excuse me in the train made me bad impression of japanese, so disapppinted.

Mayb becos osaka and kyoto less city, so quite different bah.

Surprised tht hotel is a service line, yet canot speak/understand eng. Talking to them really jialat. At least osaka and kyoto i dun hv such prob talking to the hotel staffs.
I asked one staff to help me call and book the timing for bus limousine, almost canot book it! In the end i went down to book, they say no seat, after knew tht i was alone, they said got seat for 1 person. When i boarded the bus, behind so many seats leh. So worried i canot go back to airport, becos i left not much money for new ticket. No left any sgd to exchange currency also.

Haiz, i expected my trip to b quite gd one loh, mayb i traveled alone so if got issues i need to solve myself.

Shopping wise, osaka and kyoto also gd, they got those long street of 2 rows, tokyo nothing special in shopping, or i missed out those gd one?

Disneyland no fireworks due to weather issue (but no raining) and pooh hut under renovation, super disappointed! No fireworks, no poohbear!

Just sharing some experiences of my trip, say too much liao. Lol. Sorry.

Got photos, but lazy to upload.

 

[kifo]

Not say tokyo not gd, minus the unhappy ones+lost my way+cold weather+unwell here and there, i enjoyed myself! In certain aspects, i prefer osaka/kyoto than tokyo. If got chance, i will wan to go there again.

Tokyo remind me of HK, stressed face and fast pace. The way they squeezed and pushed u without saying excuse me in the train made me bad impression of japanese, so disapppinted.

Surprised tht hotel is a service line, yet canot speak/understand eng. Talking to them really jialat. At least osaka and kyoto i dun hv such prob talking to the hotel staffs.
I asked one staff to help me call and book the timing for bus limousine, almost canot book it! In the end i went down to book, they say no seat, after knew tht i was alone, they said got seat for 1 person. When i boarded the bus, behind so many seats leh. So worried i canot go back to airport, becos i left not much money for new ticket.

Haiz, i expected my trip to b quite gd one loh, mayb i traveled alone so if got issues i need to solve myself.

Just sharing some experiences of my trip, still got more loh.

Got photos, but lazy to upload.

Glad you tried your first solo trip. Seems it wasn't all fun?

Japan or not, Tokyo or not, many a times it is not the destination that matters whether you enjoy the trip. The most important thing is the mindset. What do you hope to do? Why did you go?

Having an open mind for all kinds of experiences can be useful. Yes even bad experiences. I have missed my flight, lost my train pass, lost my phone, got seriously sick, got into accidents, got conned, and many other irritating stuff through all my trips, and many times I was alone. But still...

Yup go back again. Your next experience might be a different one.

 

[cpuer]

kena pushed? Its like that lah. I also kena pushed and shouted at. But I deserved it. Shouted at because we rushed into the train while the doors were closing. Pushed aside as we were hesitating to leave the train or stay on while blocking the entrance.

Also faced a grumpy JR tickets booking staff with a lousy attitude. But I assumed he had woke up from the wrong side of the bed that morning.

But they are the minority. For every bad experience, luckily, I have a few more good ones to counter them. So net net, all is good and well.

 

[xiaojing11]

Glad you tried your first solo trip. Seems it wasn't all fun?

Japan or not, Tokyo or not, many a times it is not the destination that matters whether you enjoy the trip. The most important thing is the mindset. What do you hope to do? Why did you go?

Having an open mind for all kinds of experiences can be useful. Yes even bad experiences. I have missed my flight, lost my train pass, lost my phone, got seriously sick, got into accidents, got conned, and many other irritating stuff through all my trips, and many times I was alone. But still...

Yup go back again. Your next experience might be a different one.

Wah! Tht's jialat.

Tht's y i say it's an awesome and unforgetable experience. Glad tht i did it eventually, and not jus say say only i wan try traveling alone for the experience, i really went for it, yeah!

Most imprt is come back home safe and sound.

 

[anyhowsaysay]

I went Disneyland also around the same date period

Also no fireworks although weather was fine!!

 

[xiaojing11]

kena pushed? Its like that lah. I also kena pushed and shouted at. But I deserved it. Shouted at because we rushed into the train while the doors were closing. Pushed aside as we were hesitating to leave the train or stay on while blocking the entrance.

Also faced a grumpy JR tickets booking staff with a lousy attitude. But I assumed he had woke up from the wrong side of the bed that morning.

But they are the minority. For every bad experience, luckily, I have a few more good ones to counter them. So net net, all is good and well.

But i stood there no space le, still pushed and squeezed me in. They no gentlemen one, dun care u r gal anot. My impression of jap is always gd mah, so when i encounterd such thing, i was so sian.

Ya, i told myself those unfrenly and not so nice one are only minority. Most of them tht i met were nice, frenly and helpful!

Keep asking pple to help me take photos, i am quite perfectionist when it comes to photo-taking. Luckily most of the photos they took were ok, or else i jus approached another person to retake for me one, haha.

 

[xiaojing11]

Last time went kobe, 'auntie' came, no onsen.
This time, 'auntie' came earlier date, also no onsen in hakone.
Disappointed.

 

[xiaojing11]

I went Disneyland also around the same date period

Also no fireworks although weather was fine!!

Ya loh, so many pple were waiting there for the fireworks, suddenly announced no fireworks!
I was standing there, moving around my body and legs becos super cold!!! Wore the cold wear hat, gloves also still very very cold!

Thn in the end, no fireworks. Sob!

Y pooh hut renovation at this time? Waited so long to go disneyland to c pooh! Parade in the afternoon also no pooh. :'(

Which part of japan are u at now?

I missed to eat the gd foods there, no luck, haiz.

 

[anyhowsaysay]

Ya loh, so many pple were waiting there for the fireworks, suddenly announced no fireworks!
I was standing there, moving around my body and legs becos super cold!!! Wore the cold wear hat, gloves also still very very cold!

Thn in the end, no fireworks. Sob!

Y pooh hut renovation at this time? Waited so long to go disneyland to c pooh! Parade in the afternoon also no pooh. :'(

Which part of japan are u at now?

I missed to eat the gd foods there, no luck, haiz.

After electrical parade which was great, I waited until 10 mins before the fireworks timing before they announced cancellation due to weather condition. The announcement only in English and Japanese so some of the Chinese tourist continue waiting until I told them.

I am now in Kyushu, Beppu.

Will be going kyoto next week.

 

[cpuer]

But i stood there no space le, still pushed and squeezed me in. They no gentlemen one, dun care u r gal anot. My impression of jap is always gd mah, so when i encounterd such thing, i was so sian.

Ya, i told myself those unfrenly and not so nice one are only minority. Most of them tht i met were nice, frenly and helpful!

Keep asking pple to help me take photos, i am quite perfectionist when it comes to photo-taking. Luckily most of the photos they took were ok, or else i jus approached another person to retake for me one, haha.

Next time bring a selfie stick or at least have a flipable LCD camera. can slowly shoot until happy.

 

[xiaojing11]

Fret not, u be better prepared the next time

Better prepared as in?

 

[xiaojing11]

It's ok. I contacted the flu the moment i return back at 3 months ago. Should have gone for vaccination and wear thicker layer of clothing.

Lesson learnt.

Which part of japan u went?

3mths ago? Tokyo snowed. I think the weather has changed, become more cold, especially for those who very scared of cold.

Pei fu those gals still wear skirt with bare legs, mayb they used to it, but really crazy. I even saw ang mor wear spag! (but she meaty so mayb she dun feel cold?)