Life Without Boundaries 逍遥自在

Saturday, April 6, 2013

Eat Pray Love - Tokyo Trip Day 2 - Harajuku

Tokyo Trip - Eat Pray Love - Day 2 - Harajuku

Plan for the day : Shinjuku - Harajuku - Shibuya.

From Shinjuku, take the JR Yamanote train to Harajuku station. From Harajuku Station walk to nearby Meiji Shrine(明治神宮). And then go to Takeshita Dori(竹下通). Continue walk to Ometosando(表参道) and then walk to Shibuya.

Shinjuku station is getting crowded compare to earlier. Can't find a seat in the train. Luckily it is just a short ride to Harajuku station.

My favourite Riko run out from this train station in the last episode of Buzzer Beat. So this is one of the shooting location for the drama Buzzer Beat.

The gate leading to Meiji Shrine. Start for "Pray" in my Eat Pray Love - Tokyo Trip.

It is amazing to see such a secluded area in a busy city. The road to the Shrine is well maintained.

The tree in this road should be Ginkgo tree. :)

Old wine barrel.

Sake barrel. Most visitor to this shrine must take photo here.

There is flower festival here. The chrysanthemum is so pretty.

Pray for family health, pray for my career, and pray for my love.....

A pair of couple having their wedding ceremony here.

The Takeshita Dori entrance. It is a road similar to Hong Kong Woman Street 女人街. Can see many youngster hang around here. Harajuku girls?

I can see lots of girls like this. Wear thick sweater to cover the body from cold. But leave their leg to the open air. I wonder is it they don't feel the cold? Or they want to look pretty. 要美不要命

This bicycle remind me of Shin Chan. Shin Chan mother always carry the kid using bicycle like this.

This lane look like leading to some secret hidden shop. The feel is so different from the surrounding.

Crepe for the lunch today. 500 yen gone (Almost RM20).

This is a new mall in this area. I read a book that introduce this place. Found some cute "LINE" character shop.

Mickey Mouse is having anniversary celebration. A special decoration is setup on top of this shop.
There is Starbuck at top floor too. But too bad, the Starbuck Free WIFI need to register first and login to enjoy. I not able to do it because can't understand the Japanese word.

View from the top. Look nice but I notice a small shop at opposite.

Heheheh... I guess it is a shop that is full of "sex toys". Yamade.....

While walking towards Shibuya I pass by this restaurant. It should be a very good restaurant.

Cause you can see the long long queue of customer.

Eat Pray Love - Tokyo Trip Day 2 - Shinjuku

Tokyo Trip - Eat Pray Love - Day 2 - Shinjuku

Plan for the day : Shinjuku - Harajuku - Shibuya.

Need to leave luggage at hotel and then find a Lawson to purchase the Museum Ghibli ticket and purchase Hakone trip ticket. Then head to Harajuku and Shibuya for shopping.

Only have a little nap. Wake up around 5am use the washroom to do some cleaning.
Then start my journey to Tokyo city.

The subway is almost empty. The train looks old but still well maintained. Advertisement is put everywhere. But all in Japanese.

Takuya Kimura advertisement at the train station. I thought he is less popular in Japan. So kind of surprise to see his advertisement.

Reach Shinjuku train station, sun rise at outside. Feel like morning when it is just 6am.The weather is great. A bit cold but not too cold for me yet.

Now is look for the way to the Hotel I booked so that I can leave my luggage with the hotel concierge. But where should I go? The Shinjuku JR Train station is a very big complex. This is one of the busiest train station in the world with 3.64 million passenger per day. For first time visitor, it is not easy to find your way. I manage to find a policeman that speak basic English and he help to show me the direction. I guess many tourist have ask direction from them, thus most policeman can speak basic English. :)

Pass by the famous Kabukichō(歌舞伎町). This is the red-light district in Shinjuku, Tokyo. Appear in many drama and movie before. For most chinese people, you have seen this area in the movie Shinjuku Incident (新宿事件).

With some luck, I manage to find the hotel. The map that I got is kind of confusing when compare to real road and shop. The hotel reception is very helpful and can speak good English.

Japan McDonald breakfast meal. The menu look interesting compare to Malaysia. But too bad, the shop assistant cannot speak or understand English. So I can't be sure what meat is each burger. I can only guess from the photo.

Turn out to be same like Malaysia sausage burger but with 2 bacon at the top. Pork burger. (^___^)

Next to the McDonald shop, is a 24h bento shop. The bento is freshly made and not something made and put to display. So it is a good choice for family meal.

Price is almost the same as McDonald or the Japan Bento in Malaysia.

There is a Lawson mini mart opposite the road. Can see the japanese guy look at porn magazine in early morning. I guess it is common for them.(Red face....)

Bento and desert can be found in most mart. And it look delicious.

There is a ticket vending machine here that sell the Museum Ghibli ticket. But too bad, I choose the wrong date to come Tokyo. The ticket is sold out for the day I wish to go. Even if change to different date, I still can't make it. So sad. I can't see my Totoro.

I decide to use a different road to walk from hotel to Shinjuku JR Train Station. Pass by a shop that sell Fugu Putter Fish. Fugu is a great delicacy but also poisonous if the fish is not cut correctly.

Walk pass some night club in Kabukichō area. The night club is not just for male customer. Lots of female also come here and find some handsome guy to happy. Japan culture is very differ from other country.

Continue to walk to Shinjuku train station and find the Odakyu Sightseeing Service Center. Purchase the train ticket for Hakone trip that I will go on Day 4. The train pass is valid for mot train and bus ride in Hakone. There is 2 Days Pass and 3 Days Pass. But this train pass do not include the Romacer car. Recommend that you get the romancer car to enjoy the scenery on the way. Some onsen/hotel at Hakone include this day pass and the romancer car in their package. So you can find out this too when you book onsen for a night stay at Hakone.

Things to take note | Pre Tokyo Trip | Tokyo Trip Day 1 | Tokyo Trip Day 2 - Shinjuku |
Tokyo Trip Day 2 - Harajuku | Tokyo Day 2 - Shibuya | Tokyo Trip Day 3 - DisneySea |
Tokyo Trip Day 4 - Hakone | Tokyo Trip Day 5 - Odaiba | Tokyo Trip Day 6 - Ueno |
Tokyo Trip Day 6 - Akihabara | Tokyo Trip Day 6 - Roppongi | Tokyo Trip Day - Hotel Room | Tokyo Trip Day 7 - Tsukiji | Tokyo Trip Day 7 - Ginza | Tokyo Trip Day 7 - Ciba |
Tokyo Trip Day 7 - Asakusa | Tokyo Trip Day 8 - Aoyama | Tokyo Trip Day 8 - Tokyo |
Tokyo Trip Day 8 - Haneda

Sunday, March 31, 2013

Eat Pray Love - Tokyo Trip Day 1

Tokyo Trip - Eat Pray Love - Day 1

Plan for the day : Take Air Asia flight to Haneda Airport and spend a night at the air port.

A bad day and looks like a start for a bad journey. I can only pray for the good in Tokyo.
The Air Asia insist passenger to use online check in, yet online check in do not allow me to choose my seating. And I still need to queue up to check in my luggage just like the rest of the passenger that did not online check in. I wonder what is the point for online check in. Waste of my time doing it.

As I begin walk to the plane, I can see dark cloud approaching. Sign of a heavy storm.

After I go into the plane cabin, I can feel extremely hot. Because the air condition fail to turn on.
But there is more passenger following my back and thus I can only sit at my seat and prepare for the take off. Very soon the Air Stewardess inform that the plane engine fail to start and some technical issue. All passenger is stuck in the plane for almost 40 minutes without aircond. Heavy rain outside of the plane cabin. Bad sign....

The plane finally take off but through out the flight, lots of air turbulence causing a very uncomfortable flight experience. Considering this is a large plane that carry almost 400 passenger, it must be the pilot trying to make up the lost time in KLIA to reach Haneda Airport on time. Thus going thru the air turbulence instead of taking a longer route. This is a bad decision and one of the passenger become extremely uncomfortable, vomit and faint in the lavatory during the landing in Haneda Airport. I can't blame her considering the flight is almost like riding a roller coaster. I keep my belt on all the time except for when the nature calls.

This is a long long flight. And Air Asia is famous for charging high price for all other service, so I preordered this in flight meal during booking. Food is serve twice in the flight due to this is a 8 hour flight. So if you feel full, you can request the air stewardess to keep your preordered meal first and have it later.

After going thru the custom check, I walk around the airport and found this open deck at top floor. Can directly see the plane without blockage by glass. And the air feel so cold. I have reach Tokyo. Feeling the autumn air and compare it with hot weather of KL, it is a big difference.

Although it looks very small, but that is the famous Tokyo Tower. The tower is build in 1958. Insipired by Paris Eiffel Tower, thus there is a lot of similarities between both tower. But just like Eiffel Tower an iconic for Paris, Tokyo Tower is iconic for Tokyo megapolis. Lots of anime and Japan drama include scene of the tower.

Weather is cold, even though I wish to stay longer, but I have to keep myself warm. Can't fall sick on the first day in Tokyo. Off to find a nice place for me to sleep. But it turn out to be a mission impossible. The light is on in most area and the elevator and lift all have speaker that warn the people. But it is on all the time. So not a good location to sleep. Maybe I should have booked the hotel for this night too instead of trying to save a night of hotel fee accommodation. No next time.

Eat Pray Love - Pre Tokyo Trip

Tokyo Trip - Eat Pray Love - Planning stage

Should have write this post earlier but always can't find time.
Or lazy to do it. ><

The decision for a trip to Tokyo is made in a harsh.
I actually considering Bangkok or Seoul trip but end up with Tokyo.
I guess this is usual for me.
Every time when I plan for a nearer distance, I end up going ever further from Malaysia.

Tokyo, a place of dream for me.
But a dream come true.
I still can remember when I finally see the light of Tokyo Tower.
Feel so excited that I have reach Tokyo.
A city that I can only learn from Japan Drama and Anime.
A city rich of culture and latest fashion trend.
A city full of pretty kawaii sailor uniform school girl.

The whole trip planning is done with help of a few website.

http://paulstravelpics.blogspot.com.au/search/label/Tokyo%20Japan
http://www.gnavi.co.jp/en/cuisine/japanese/
http://loca.ash.jp/indexyear.htm
http://www.emachi.co.jp/location/
http://forum.lowyat.net/topic/545818
http://www.ghibli-museum.jp/en/
http://tabelog.com/tokyo/

Special Thanks to the blogger. Created a very good guide for Japan travel.
http://kunghc.pixnet.net/blog/post/23298485
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2164.html

For subway guide, print out the map below. It is the most complete subway map I can find.
http://www.livingasian.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/07/jrmap.jpg

But for the best guide on which subway to take and change subway at which station, best reference site that I find is
http://www.hyperdia.com/en/

The whole planning is done to with target to keep budget below RM4000. But for anyone that wish to really enjoy Tokyo, I advise you to prepare RM6000 as budget. If planned to have dinner at high class restaurant or have a shopping free of luxury good, you may need to have RM10,000 as budget.
By the way, I did not manage to keep the budget below RM4000 in the end. Too many place that I wish to cover and too many nice food that I wish to try. If I can skip Hakone, and Disneyland, maybe I can do it below RM4000.

The luxury good such as Pearl, Designer handbag and super cutie anime soft toys, is everywhere in Tokyo. In fact a lot of designer or branded goods is limited only at Japan. Almost all famous brand have a gallery shop in Ginza area. So for guys, keep your other half away from this area.

Also due to the time of my visit is Autumn, thus some of the area I visit is great for autumn scenery such as Ginkgo Tree yellow leaves and Maple Tree red leaves. But different season have different unique scenery. For any visitor to Japan please do some research. If you plan to go Tokyo for cherry blossom, can visit the Ueno Park, Shinjuku Garden etc. Or if you go during summer, visit temple on certain date, time and you can see girls wearing kimono/yukata walking around and fireworks too.

Things to take note | Pre Tokyo Trip | Tokyo Trip Day 1 | Tokyo Trip Day 2 - Shinjuku |
Tokyo Trip Day 2 - Harajuku | Tokyo Day 2 - Shibuya | Tokyo Trip Day 3 - DisneySea |
Tokyo Trip Day 4 - Hakone | Tokyo Trip Day 5 - Odaiba | Tokyo Trip Day 6 - Ueno |
Tokyo Trip Day 6 - Akihabara | Tokyo Trip Day 6 - Roppongi | Tokyo Trip Day - Hotel Room | Tokyo Trip Day 7 - Tsukiji | Tokyo Trip Day 7 - Ginza | Tokyo Trip Day 7 - Ciba |
Tokyo Trip Day 7 - Asakusa | Tokyo Trip Day 8 - Aoyama | Tokyo Trip Day 8 - Tokyo |
Tokyo Trip Day 8 - Haneda

Monday, March 11, 2013

SS2 Night Market - Every Monday

SS2 Night Market - Every Monday

This is a night market that I used to visit after work. Some of the best food to hunt here is the Taiwan Fried Chicken, Baby Octopus, Salt Baked Chicken, Lok Lok, Hot Wok Thin Cake and most of the common small snack that the 70s to 80s youngster will be familiar with.

The Taiwan Fried Chicken that I like. Local name is called Uncle Bob fried chicken.
But it is similar with Taipei Shi Lin Night Market Big Fried Chicken.

The baby octopus. RM 2.50 per stick.

Lok Lok. You can find one stall like this in Night Market everywhere in Kuala Lumpur. The food is normally raw. When you want, dip one stick into the hot boiling water, wait till it is cooked, and then put some sauce on top and eat it. Different type of fishball, meatball is available. And all have different price.