Tokyo Comic Con 2018

[joeson]

hi all, after a long absence, I'm back in the Japan HWZ forum again!

this time, with a new job, it was harder for me to take leaves - which is why for my annual pilgrimage to Japan, I only managed to make a 6 days trip there, one of my shortest trip ever. but #itsokey, cos i'll be attending their comic convention! yeap, it will be my first ever comic convention, so it's quite interesting.

and as such, here's my short itinerary:

Day 1 - Flight to Haneda, day trip to Enoshima, check in at hotel.
Day 2 - Tokyo disneyland (Celebrate Disney edition)
Day 3 - Tokyo comic convention 2018
Day 4 - AEON Makuhari, Tokyo Comic Con, Shinjuku
Day 5 - Nikko day trip
Day 6 - Ginza, flight back to Singapore

as always, feel free to leave any comments, and my subsequent entries will be on the trip proper.

 

[joeson]

Day 0

Because my leave was approved rather last minute, my traditional go-to airlines options (delta, JAL, ANA) were all charging sky-high prices for tickets to tokyo.

imagine my surprise when Thai Airways had offered a not-too-bad price. for the duration (we went from 27/11 - 4/12), I only paid $680. granted, there was a transit at Bangkok's airport both ways, but hey, it was still a good price.

fast forward to the day proper; flight there to Bangkok airport was rather uneventful - the food served was dinner, so it was rather heavy. had tomyum fish with rice. the SIN - BKK leg of our journey was via Boeing's 747, so the IFE and seat was rather comfortable and new.

wasn't feeling very well when I flew so decided to wear the mask for both portions of my journey.

dinner that was served on the SIN - BKK leg.

I like these cameras mounted on top of the aeroplane!

one major concern we had was the short transit time of 55 minutes at BKK's Suvarnabhumi International Airport; I had called Thai Airways' Singapore office prior to our purchase of the tickets, and the person told me not to worry and we would be able to make it. easy for her to say, seeing that she wasn't the one flying.

so when we touched down at BKK at around 2210 hrs (our connecting flight was scheduled to depart at 2315 hrs), we immediately grabbed our carry on bags and started to queue up kiasu singaporean mentality lai liao. the moment the doors opened, we hurried across the aerobridge (heng we didn't need to walk on the tarmac) and through the vast terminal.

unlike some reviews that were published online, there wasn't any aircrew holding laminated signs telling us where to go for transfers when we arrived in the terminal proper. we initially went in the wrong direction, before I realized that we were supposed to go to the Transit section. by that time, it was already a good 10 - 15 minutes when we first touched down in Bangkok, so by the time my travel buddy and I reached the security screening for our connecting flight, my heart almost stopped - there was still quite a long queue in front of us!

i was like, **** will we make it? wanted to cut queue and tell the people in front that we had a plane to catch, but the queue moved quite fast, and with like 10 minutes to spare, we reached the gate where our connecting flight was, checked in for the second time, and took off!

breakfast was served around one or two hours before touchdown.

the first time i saw this, my heart melted and i almost cried. now, when i see mount fuji in all her glory, i feel as if i am going back to my second home. and in some ways, it is.

 

[yusoffb01]

wow so 1h may not make it

 

[joeson]

Day 1a - Getting to Enoshima

Touchdown on Haneda airport!

throughout my various trips to Tokyo, this has to be the first time whereby I actually touched down in Haneda and not in Narita. which was a good thing too, for we were heading straight to the resort island of Enoshima straight away. so after claiming our luggage, we took the train to Yokohama Station.

Airport kyuko line

downtown Yokohama

since Enoshima was only a day trip and our hotel was in Tokyo, we left our luggage in those luggage lockers around the station - they were a godsend. otherwise, we would have been lugging our luggages around, not very nice.

I forgot if it was 600 Yen for a one time deposit, or that you could open and close it as many times as you wished. but even if it is for a one time use only, it's a lifesaver I tell you.

took the JR line to Ofuna Station, where we bought the Kamakura Enoshima Freepass, which, unlike it's name, isn't for free.

first stop on our Enoshima tour - the Enoshima monorail! ok, it's not exactly a stop per se, but the experience is really quite interesting! it's suspended above the roads of Enoshima, so the view you get is quite breathtaking, and like what is written on the website, it feels as if you're flying above the people and streets below.

weeee.

Shonan Enoshima station, the terminus of the Enoshima monorail.

 

[joeson]

wow so 1h may not make it

I wouldn't say you cannot make it; after all, there are other travellers who managed to make it. some of them even can say they got time to buy coffee before reaching the gate.

but for the price, it's worth the risk.

 

[darkmatt]

I wouldn't say you cannot make it; after all, there are other travellers who managed to make it. some of them even can say they got time to buy coffee before reaching the gate.

but for the price, it's worth the risk.

my plane left sg late, reached a remote gate (need to take bus to terminal) and I still managed to make it (with my checked in bags also transferred).


if there's quite a number of passengers who are also connecting, the 2nd plane will wait ba, if its a short (10-15 mins) delay.


even IF you don't make it, the airline will automatically place you on the next flight if you are flying under 1 itinerary... so not to worry

 

[joeson]

my plane left sg late, reached a remote gate (need to take bus to terminal) and I still managed to make it (with my checked in bags also transferred).


if there's quite a number of passengers who are also connecting, the 2nd plane will wait ba, if its a short (10-15 mins) delay.


even IF you don't make it, the airline will automatically place you on the next flight if you are flying under 1 itinerary... so not to worry

yeah, I was banking on that fact that there were quite a lot of passengers whom I recognized in the security queue that were on the same flight as me, so I wasn't that kancheong.

but will aso sian ma, if you miss the connecting flight, especially when my itinerary for that day was planned quite tightly.

 

[purpleberry]

Any particular attraction at Enoshima? If you are a comic fan, I suppose its to visit that particular train station?

 

[joeson]

Day 1b - Enoshima aquarium

Enoshima 'main' station

by the time we reached Enoshima aquarium's main entrance, it was close to their dolphin show - one of the main highlights that I had penciled into my itinerary. we had initially planned to stop for breakfast before reaching there, but somehow, a slight delay in getting the eno=pass cancelled that out. so we dabao-ed bread and coffee, and went to catch the show.

see that dolphin leap into the air!

our dabao-ed bread from the not-so-horrendously-overpriced shop

the other parts of the aquarium, aside from the show, weren't too bad -

I always liked seeing such dioramas of fish.

spineless creatures. no, I'm not referring to the people in my office. or maybe i am?

Me clinging on to the month as I approach payday.

entry to the aquarium doesn't come cheap - it's 2,400 yen per adult, which translates to roughly S$30. but for the dolphin show and the relatively manageable crowd (we went on a weekday morning after all), I would say it's worth it.

so enough of sea life, and onto the other attractions of Enoshima!

 

[joeson]

Any particular attraction at Enoshima? If you are a comic fan, I suppose its to visit that particular train station?

actually for me, I liked the caves at Enoshima the best. LOL. there's a strange and calming feeling that enveloped me as I entered it.

Oh yes. that station. I didn't read the comic though, hah. and i think i was sleeping on the train when we passed by the station,

 

[purpleberry]

actually for me, I liked the caves at Enoshima the best. LOL. there's a strange and calming feeling that enveloped me as I entered it.

Oh yes. that station. I didn't read the comic though, hah. and i think i was sleeping on the train when we passed by the station,

Blasphemy!! Best time is sunset to take photos. The station is also a popular spot to take photos of enoshima candle.

 

[joeson]

Day 1c - Enoshima Shrine

So how can we go to Enoshima island and not go to the shrine itself right? so after watching the marine life at the aquarium, it was a short walk across the causeway to the island proper.

Walking along the Benzaiten Nakamaise Street, the main approach to Enoshima shrine. I felt that this wasn't as touristy as compared to the shopping arcade at Asakusa shrine. gosh, that place reminded me of Chiantown.

main approach to Enoshima shrine

just a note - there are a lot of stone steps involved should you visit the shrine. i would highly recommend getting the eno=pass, which grants users access to the 4 main attractions on Enoshima - the escalator leading up to the main shrine, the garden at the foot of the observation tower, the tower itself, as well as the Enoshima caves.

the main reason why people go to the shrine is because of the goddess enshrined inside: Benzaiten, who is widely worshipped as a goddess of entertainment and economic fortun. legend says that if you wash your money inside the shrine's pond, it will come back to you tenfold. well, i dipped my S$50 note inside, haa.

after praying at the shrine, we went over to the observation tower for some rather nice views of Enoshima; once again, free entry if you bought the eno-pass.

View of Enoshima harbour, where the boating activities of the 2020 Olympics will be held at. Taken from the top of Enoshima Sea Candle's observation deck.

seeing it was still early, we had an early lunch at one of the random eateries that we passed by, before making the climb down some rather steep stone steps to the enoshima caves, one of which is said where the original Enoshima shrine was housed at.

heading down to the coastline

this turtle rock was interesting! see if you can spot it from the image above!

 

[joeson]

Blasphemy!! Best time is sunset to take photos. The station is also a popular spot to take photos of enoshima candle.

haha i was quite tired cos didn't manage to rest much during the flight there.

 

[joeson]

Day 1d - Hasedera Temple 長谷寺 (with its pretty koi pond) & Giant buddha

We left Enoshima island around mid afternoon for our next destination; since it was autumn time when we were in Japan, the daylight was fading fast, which was annoying to a certain extent. there were times when it was only like 5 plus pm, and it was already dark.

took the Enoden railway (free, thanks to our kamakura freepass) and alighted at Hase station. this privately owned railway should be familiar to anime watching fans, as well as jdrama fans.

Enoden railway train pulling into Enoshima station

snatched this pic off travelenoshima.jp website. yes, its that station that was immortalised in the Slam Dunk anime, amongst others. the reason why I didn't take a pic of this station was because I actually fell asleep all the way after boarding the railway at Enoshima station. #oops

Hasedera temple was a 8 minutes walk from Hase station, and the calm and tranquil surroundings was a welcome feel from the crowdedness of Enoshima station. And according to sources online, the temple is the one of the most well-known hydrangea and other seasonal flower spots in Kamakura. The pictures I've taken below should suffice on that claims.

Main entrance of the temple, when the flowers are in bloom. credits go to travelenoshima.jp

the temple is pretty large, so you should set aside at least an hour to explore it nicely. its split into two parts - the lower section, and the upper section (duh.)

the lower section is where the main entrance, traditional Japanese garden with two ponds, dry landscape garden, the Benten-kutsu cave, and a rather unique smiling Buddha statue "Nagomi Jizo" are located at.

this is the only pic i've taken of the pretty koi pond. :x

Meanwhile, the upper section is where you'll find all the major temple buildings, like the prayer halls and such.

Autumn leaves.

my best pic without anyone inside it.

of course, no trip to Hasedera temple is complete without visiting her neighbour next door - the giant buddha statue. you can actually enter the statue and explore its interior, but we skipped on that.

ommm

by the time we left the buddha statue, it was already 5 plus in the evening, and yes, it was already turning dark rapidly. time to head back to Yokohama to pick up our luggages!

 

[joeson]

Day 1e - Checking in Mitsui Garden Hotel Prana Tokyo Bay

Staying at the Tokyo Bay area has its pros and cons - sure, for the price we paid (40,000 yen for 3 nights), we could have gotten a much more centralised location like somewhere along the Yamanote line. But I thought that for 3 nights, would I be comfortable staying in a cramped hotel room of 12 sqm? :X

In addition, both Disneyland and Tokyo Comic Convention were placed on days 2 and 3 respectively in my itinerary. As such, it would be beneficial for me to find a Disney partner hotel that was:
- located somewhere off central, so that I could save on transport time travelling to both places (the comic con was at Makuhari Messe convention hall);
- not too far away from central Tokyo because I would be heading back there on the 4th day
- not too crazily over budget (I do want to stay at Miracosta some time though. hee.)

After much deliberation, I had decide to go with the Tokyo Bay branch of the Mitsui Garden hotel chain because of the facilities that they boasted, as well as the generous room sizes that they had to offer.

Check in lobby.

Room review

We got the superior twin room, a level above the moderate twin category. Either room was fine, if you asked me: the smallest room size was 30.4m², which is very generous for Tokyo standards. The good thing the superior twin rooms are that they are located on the 5th to 7th floors of the hotel (it only has 7 floors), so you are nearer to the hotel onsen, and that the rooms look out to the hotel courtyard.

The TV and main table where we literally dumped all our stuffs there each night.

Had to snatch this image of the beds off the website because I couldn't find the ones that I took??

Standard toilet and bathtub/shower combination off to the right where the door is.

The beds were on the firmer side, but pillows were soft enough so we had really good sleep throughout the three nights we were there.

Facilities

Facilities-wise, there's an onsen on the top floor of the hotel/resort, which we used practically every night to soak our tired legs and muscles in.

The hotel calls it the Mermaid oasis. Through the three nights we stayed there, it wasn't terribly crowded, which was nice.

There's also a convenience store at the lobby floor of the resort - do remember to get your stuffs that you want there early. As this resort is pretty popular with Disney guests, they will chiong to the store when they come back from Disneyland. We witnessed this on the first evening when we checked in - we were thinking, why this group of people running to the store? Ended up, they were buying snacks like sandwiches and drinks.

Being a partner hotel, there's also a Disney store at the 1st floor of the hotel where you can purchase any last minute souvenirs, but of course, your best bet is still the shops located within the parks themselves.

Getting to the hotel was straightforward - you take either bus 3 or 23 from Shin-Urayasu station on the JR Keiyo line; the bus stop is directly outside of the hotel.

And that marks the end of my very long day 1 in Japan, up next - Tokyo Disneyland!

 

[joeson]

Day 2a - Tokyo Disneyland: Celebrating its 35th Anniversary

I would say that the lasting reason on why Tokyo Disneyland (TDL) and her counterpart next door (TDS) manages to remain so popular and relevant in today's rapidly-changing society is because of its constant innovation and themes.

A visitor could go to the amusement park a few times a year, and not be bored during each visit, because of the seasonal changes in terms of decor, parades and even rides found there.

For my most recent trip there, it was both Christmas time, as well as the resort's 35th anniversary edition. As such, the decor and theme was quite evident.

It was Christmas period, so there were Christmas themed decorations as well.

35th anniversary decoration in the Main Plaza.

For us, since we stayed in the Partner hotel of TDL, we made use of the free shuttle service that was provided by the hotel to and fro the resort. Unlike the time when we stayed in Odaiba, this time the shuttle bus used the main roads and not the expressway. Which meant that somehow, the journey time seemed longer. And couple that with a young kid that was crying away (who on earth cries on the way to TDL?!?!?!!), you can imagine the horror. And pain.

Queue to enter the park. and it was on a weekday morning, mind you.

Upon entering, we wasted no time and ran towards Monsters Inc to snatch a FastPass. Once gotten, it was time to explore the rest of the park leisurely.

Jack-o-lantern skeleton at the Haunted Mansion ride. Can you believe that it's the first time for me on the ride???

Exterior facade of the Haunted Mansion

The Haunted Mansion is a staple of every Disneyland worldwide, and for the Japanese version, it remains a popular crowd favourite. We didn't get FastPasses for this ride cos we had our Monsters' Inc ones already, but the queue's waiting time wasn't too long, so we joined the queue and had our breakfast whilst waiting.

A special note is that during the Halloween and Christmas period, the attraction undergoes a seasonal upgrade and becomes the Haunted Mansion - Holiday Nightmare edition.

 

[joeson]

Day 2b - Tokyo Disneyland: It's a Small World + Western River Railroad

After getting the creeps from the Haunted Mansion, what better ride to calm down than the evergreen one, right? (Although some might argue and say that the kid-dolls are creepier.)

No apologies if the song starts to get into your head now.

The ride was closed for refurbishment previously for a month, we lucked out and it re-opened just a few days before we were there.

Onboard the Western River Railroad. We initially thought it would go to another part of TDL, but nope, it makes a loop around parts of the park that aren't accessible to the public whilst walking. And this was like the 2nd time I took this ride?

Don't wave back. They're not real...

Neither are they.

Grabbed some hotdogs and snacks for lunch, then it was time for the daytime parade!

 

[joeson]

Day 2c - TDL: Christmas Parade, Space Mountain

One thing about attending such parades is that you have to be really, really early. The Japanese are really patient people - they can sit on the floor along the parade route to chope their favourite/prime viewing spots an hour before the official parade starts. Thankfully, we learnt this over our past few visits, and I got my travel buddy to chope the seat whilst I went to dabao lunch.

Also, we brought along those picnic mats bought from Daiso for $2 - #lifehack, cos the floor may be cold/hot/dirty.

Daisy's not pointing her middle finger.

Chip. Or Dale. I can never tell the difference between the two.

Perennial crowd favourite. and Frozen 2's coming out late this year!

After the parade, it's time for some adrenaline-inducing activities! (No, trying to see which position is good for watching the parade does not qualify as such an event).

Random FP I got for Space Mountain.

Heng I got the FP.

Space Mountain is in my opinion, the best ride in TDL. It's both an indoor roller coaster and thrill ride combined in one, and the fact most of the ride is in pitch black darkness only adds to the suspense and thrill factor. Of course, you can easily google for first person POV videos of the ride that are illuminated, but why spoil the fun?

Another #lifehack: we did our souvenir shopping before the night time events, to avoid the mad rush during the final hour before the park closes at 10pm. Sure, this meant lugging around your souvenirs, but the vast majority of the rides allow you to bring along your barang barang on board, so you don't have to worry about leaving it unattended. IIRC, even the roller coaster that goes in a 360 degrees loop, Raging Spirits, allow you to do so too.

Nighttime illumination of the decoration at the Main Plaza, where most of the shops are located at.

 

[joeson]

Day 2d - TDL: Celebrate Tokyo Disneyland + Electrical Dreamlights

Nighttime Disneyland gives off a totally different vibe and atmosphere as compared to the daytime version - there's a romantic vibe in the area, all thanks to the warm lighting that are emitted from the lampposts and rides that are spread throughout the park.

Unlike previous visits where we had this for lunch, this time round, we had our favourite western food at Grandma Sara's for dinner!

Since TDL was celebrating her 35th anniversary that year, there was a special light/sound show at the Cinderella Castle held nightly. As taken from the website, in this show, a magical spell is cast on Cinderella Castle and guests are transported around the Kingdom of Dreams and Magic through dynamic visuals and memorable music. In addition to the images projected onto the castle, this grand spectacle features colorful fountains, vivid pyrotechnics, dramatic fire effects and lighting that illuminates the trees in the Plaza and fills the night sky. Cinderella Castle and the entire Plaza area are the stage for this dazzling nighttime entertainment.

For me, it feels like being taken back to a time when I was much younger, more innocent and less jaded with life. The music and images from classic cartoons like The Lion King reminded me of a time where all my worries seem so insignificant; I'm not ashamed to say that I teared at parts of the show.

Guess who!

Another staple of nighttime Disneyland is the Electrical Dreamlight parade; for me, it wasn't the first time watching it, so it was more like meeting up with a familiar friend of sorts.

Tale as old as time, true as it can be~

Olaf makes an appearance here!

I've no idea who/what that green dinosaur is still.

For ideas on the best vantage points, your best bet will be the viewing area in front of the Cinderella Castle. However, it is by lottery basis; the machine can be found in a booth at Tomorrowland Hall. As such, you can try your luck there - if you're lucky, do chope a spot in the hub area at least 60 minutes in advance. If you're not, (like us), get a spot that is further back at the end of the World Bazaar. Similarly, do get there about 30-45 minutes before showtime, in order to score some prime seating area.

Last pic of Mickey and friends to end off the long day and post!

 

[purpleberry]

My visit was a day after yours lol. The night show was excellent but I think slightly too long especially need to withstand the cold winds and pee.