Monday, December 19, 2016

Travelogue: Day Eleven & Twelve, Japan 2016 December 12 Days Trip (Osaka, Kyoto, Nara, Tokyo)

Click here if you want to see the entire itinerary in one glance
Click here for Day One & Two
Click here for Day Three
Click here for Day Four
Click here for Day Five & Six
Click here for Day Seven & Eight
Click here for Day Nine
Click here for Day Ten

***

Day Eleven | 10 December 2016, Saturday

  • Gyoza Station 餃子の王将道玄坂店 @ Shibuya
  • Ra.a.g.f Rabbit Cafe @ Harajuku
  • Tamagotchi Shop @ Harajuku
  • Takeshita Street @ Harajuku
  • Goku-tan Gyu Masamune @ Shibuya

Gyoza Station 餃子の王将道玄坂店 @ Shibuya

Address: Japan, 〒150-0043 Tokyo, Shibuya, 道玄坂2-10-3
Nearest Station: Shibuya
Spent: 900yen /pax

Apparently my friend told me this is the best Gyoza so we had to try it. It was a little past 1600 and we just had Ichiran for lunch again before this so... we order side dishes to share with some Asahi to go along.

Great tea break if you ask me. Try it with some beer!





Ra.a.g.f Rabbit Cafe @ Harajuku

Address: 〒150-0001 Tōkyō-to, Shibuya-ku, Jingūmae, 6 Chome−14, 神宮前6丁目14−15
Nearest Station: Harajuku
Spent: 1250yen for 1 hour

This was the last cafe for this entire trip! We didn't make any reservations so ended up we had to wait 30 minutes before they close for us to play with the rabbits. The place is really small, and at any point of them each area (the space are separated into 2) there can only be 1 rabbit and each rabbit has to be out at least 15 minutes.

We aren't allowed to hug or hold the rabbits but we can pat on them and feed them with a bowl of treats for 150yen additional. There was a particular rabbit that was as huge as a dog!

Well, other than that it was just a normal rabbit cafe with adorable bunnies.














Tamagotchi Store @ Harajuku

Address: Japan, 1 Chome-19-9 Jingumae, Shibuya, Tokyo 150-0001, Japan
Nearest Station: Harajuku

Always been a fan of Tamagotchi since many years ago! They have their latest 20th anniversary something mix (forgot the name) but I didn't get it because it's only available in Japanese. Though they do give you an English menu to play but then again... You won't get to enjoy the entire gameplay. I didn't see any older version but if you're looking for the merchandise, then you'd find yourself in a heaven of plush toys.



Takeshita Street @ Harajuku

Address: 1 Chome Jingumae, 渋谷区 Tokyo 150-0001, Japan
Nearest Station: Harajuku

We were a little tad too late there for this bustling shopping street packed with humans! There's a 3 storeys 100yen aka Daiso shop here where we got quite a fair bit of loads. 

Looking a good place to do shopping but I didn't managed to as shops were closing when I was there.



Goku-tan Gyu Masamune @ Shibuya

Address: B1F Adachi Bldg, 28-12, Udagawa-cho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Nearest Station: Shibuya
Spent: 3,500yen /pax

One of the most expensive meals we ever had but it was good. Immersed with the locals and drinking some blueberry sake and munching on awesome beef. Don't mind spending the money? You can give it a shot at this place.

Place is really small but the food is really awesome.



This is like a compulsory side dish that they will charge you a 420yen for it. Just radish actually.


Beef tongue

And my beef set that doesn't look very appealing but taste fantastically amazing.


Day Twelve | 11 December 2016, Sunday


Final day before I depart, the only place I had the time to visit was the Shibuya Starbucks to have a feel of watching the Shibuya Crossing. Cause it was like 1000 in the morning so the sun was really sunny. Couldn't really get the best shot but well, it was the experience that counts.

I had a cup of green tea latte together with a salmon sandwich and just watched the crowd for about 30minutes or so before heading back to my apartment to do a final packing and last check before I depart 4 hours before my flight to Narita Airport.

If you're wondering where I got all my goodies (those Japan snacks) I got them all from the airport! The airport is really awesome, it's not more expensive so don't worry and you get to buy almost all of those Tokyo snacks there. So don't need to lug everywhere just get them at the airport since the price is the same!

Also, the perk is that you can go and buy first, then unload your luggage and repack them and stuff everything into the luggages and board the plane empty handed! ANA is very particular about the luggage weight and 1 luggage cannot exceed 23kg means CANNOT. So you better make sure you weight them carefully and prepare 1 additional foldable bag that you can check it in. ANA allows 23kg each, 2 baggage per person. Which means you technically have 46kg! SUPER AWESOME.

Anyway I only used about 27kg, so it's still manageable for myself to lug everything around. I managed to check almost everything in including my coat. Teehee.


Japan has been really fulfilling and memorable for me. I will definitely visit there again. Till I see you again, stay awesome Japan.

Anyway, I will share the different loots I got in Japan in another post!

Travelogue: Day Ten, Japan 2016 December 12 Days Trip (Osaka, Kyoto, Nara, Tokyo)

Click here if you want to see the entire itinerary in one glance
Click here for Day One & Two
Click here for Day Three
Click here for Day Four
Click here for Day Five & Six
Click here for Day Seven & Eight
Click here for Day Nine

***

Day Ten | 9 December 2016, Friday


  • Tsukiji Market
  • Maid Cafe @ @home cafe
  • Owl Cafe @ Akiba Fukurou
  • Tokyo Tower
  • Yoshinoya

Tsukiji Market 築地市場

Address: 5 Chome-2-1 Tsukiji, Chuo, Tokyo 104-0045, Japan
Nearest Station: Ginza

My friend told me that this market is actually going to move really soon, so if you're heading there soon, you should go to this place before it's gone! We basically spend the entire morning here eating and eating. Totally pigged out here and headed to my next destination with a happy tummy!

For the first time, I experience the kena-push-into-the-train-experience. Lol, nice experience... but once is good enough!



Warabimochi again but in Black Sesame! 150yen

Tamago 90yen? I can't recall but it was so good.

Scallop with Uni 1,000yen

Unagi and Swordfish, 500yen for both

Some crabstick with wasabi, 200yen

Dafuku, 150yen

2,680yen for this set.

It came together with this. Anyway the chef was damn cute, he told us to take photo while he was holding the dishes.


Maid Cafe @ @home cafe

Address: 〒101-0021 Tōkyō-to, 千代田区外神田Sotokanda, 1 Chome−11, --4 ミツ
Nearest Station: Akihabara
Spent: 2,500yen /pax

Same like butler cafe, photographs of the maid aren't allowed but well, they aren't that strict. If you're wondering if it's a hall of man, well I would say it's 1/2 1/2. There are actually a fair share of tourist, like us who are curious about the place and also female locals who come alone.

Dining time is an hour and entrance cover charge is 600yen per adult. You are to at least order a drink to stay in the cafe on top of the coverage charge. We chose just the dessert set which comes with a drink, a dessert and a photograph with your desired maid.

I'd probably just go once and never again because the food isn't nice. So I will recommend if you want to try, just get the drinks set will do. 


Matcha Latte for me. The interesting thing is the maid will draw the character you like infront of you. Well, I chose Kapibaran, a character that I got to know while on this Japan trip.



And this is my souvenir. Pardon the date on the Polaroid because Chitose wrote the wrong date lol.


Owl Cafe @ Akiba Fukurou

Address: Kanda Neribeicho, Chiyoda, Tokyo 101-0022
Nearest Station: Akihabara
Spent: 2,000yen /pax

I love owls, so whatever I say I am biased. Hahahahhahahahaaha. I totally love this place, going to try every owl cafe I can. Anyway, you have to book online first to avoid disappointment. The place is really small and they can't accommodate alot at once. 

You are given 45 minutes inside the cafe, no drinks, nothing. The 2,000 is purely cover charge. You can choose up to 2 owls, and they will also give you a souvenir at the end of the session. Which is a postcard of you with your choice of owl. You can get the soft copy of the photograph simply by leaving a review on their trip advisor page!

Okay, I'd just let these adorable creatures take your heart away. 


Meet Takoyaki, he is freaking 3kg. The biggest owl in the entire cafe. And if you realize above Takoyaki, there's a pink tag saying '休息中' it basically means that this owl is not available for you to carry, but you can take photographs and pet its forehead.


Left: zzzzz
Right: Aye, walao, wake up lei.

Imma just stare......at.....you.......

It's actually peeking at you, look closely. In Zen mode.

They look like brothers.

Attitude problem newbie to the family.


Meet Kabuki, the owl I chose as my friend!

Register, that was my second choice.

I literally LOL when I saw this owl hahahahahahhaa.


Meet me, and Kabuki! I told him to take a selfie with me and he really put his face close to me. 开心到爆!


Tokyo Tower 東京タワー

Address: 4 Chome-2-8 Shibakoen, Minato, Tokyo 105-0011, Japan
Nearest Station: Kamiyacho
Admission is 900yen

Beautiful night view. Tranquil and spent an hour or so here.





Yoshinoya


All Singaporeans would probably agree with me that Singapore's Yoshinoya is horrible, expensive and... well that's a good gauge of what's my view on Yoshinoya, Singapore.

However, in Japan... it-was-so-good. Cheap and good I tell you. Daebak!


Everything for 890yen. Yes, I gobbled up every grain of rice (partially cause I was hungry too. teehee)