Japan 5-11 June 2008
Cold! Who said Japan in June would be hot???
1Y = $0.0134
Day 1 Sg - Tokyo - Osaka
- 7h ANA flight to Narita Airport.
- 1h coach to Haneda Airport to catch a domestic ANA flight to Osaka.
- At Haneda Airport, we had our very first dinner in Japan, in a lovely Chinese restaurant with full view of the runway.
- After that, it was a 1h flight to Kansai, Osaka.
Hotel: ANA GATE TOWER HOTEL OSAKA (flight attendants aplenty as it was near the airport)
Day 2 Osaka - Kyoto - Awara
- Osaka Castle.
- Shinsaibashi - Shopping alley that is a straight road of shops, shops, shops. Bought my first Burberry Blue Label black, heart-shaped coin purse for 13,650Y at Daimaru Dept.
- The whole group then rode the subway train to get to the bullet train station. One stop to Kyoto.
- At Kyoto's train station, we were given a few minutes to walk and so we bought purses as souvenirs.
- Kiyomizu Temple, where its main hall extends out to a veranda that commands a paranomic view of Kyoto.
- Souvenir shops lined both sides of the street leading to the temple. Black seseme ice-cream was popular. Taste was alright, nothing special. Bought a flute.
- 3h coach to an onsen resort in Awara, a famous hot spring region. It was quite late by the time we arrived, and we had a late but intricate dinner of shabu shabu & stuff. We were introduced to wearing the yukata.
Hotel: PLAZA HOTEL SHORAISO (onsen)
Day 3 Awara - Kanazawa - Takayama (gao1 shan1)
- Kagahan, a place of desserts and sweet treats. Red bean mochi was very sweet! Ate lots of sample :)
- Visited a pottery outlet. Given a free porcelain green tea cup.
- Tojinbo, which features magnificent pillar-shaped rocks created by sea erosion. As usual, there was a shopping street, selling toys and seafood.
- Kenrokuen Garden in Kanazawa, acclaimed as one of Japan's 3 great gardens. Lunch had tofu with gold on it!
- Long ride to Shirakawa-go Village (bai2 chuan1 xiang1), a well-preserved UNESCO World Heritage Site. Old farmhouses with steep roofs resembling two hands folded in prayer. Croquette cost 200Y, beef bun cost 350Y. So shiok to eat them hot in cold weather!
- 1.5h coach to Takayama, a samurai town, deep inside & up the mountain. Takayama Castle Town of sake breweries.
Hotel: HIDA HOTEL PLAZA (onsen)
Day 4 Takayama - Mt Fuji
- Visited a fresh produce market. Bought strawberries. Walked the streets with shops selling Hida souvenirs, confectionery, & sarubobo good luck charms (gao1 shan1 jiu4 jie1). Also called Hida, fei1 dan4. Bought castanets and Monkey umbrella.
- Ramen House that showed how ramen was made. Visitors had a little bowl for free sampling. Expensive: 5 packs with soup base for $14!
- Visited a waterfall. There was a pond to soak our feet. Again, it was great to feel the hot water with the cold wind blowing on our faces.
- Swiss-mura Winery, a small shop selling wine. Fruit juice was good.
- Daio Wasabi Farm.
- 2.5h coach to the hotel that overlooks Mt Fuji. We didn't get to see Mt Fuji as it was totally covered by the mist, but buffet dinner was great! Crab legs!!!
Hotel: FUJINOBOUKAEN HOTEL (onsen)
Day 5 Mt Fuji - Tokyo
- It was still misty this morning, so ... ... oh well, this will be an excuse to come back to Japan!
- 2h coach to Asakusa Kannon Temple, over 1300 years old. A shopping street leads to the temple, called Nakamise Avenue. Shops on both sides of the street (again) selling souvenirs. At the end of the street to the right, the guide told us there was a 100Y shop.
- After lunch, we went to Odaiba Park, a shopping district. There was Toyota Mega Web, a showroom where you can see modern & future Toyota cars. At VenusFort Shopping Mall, I bought my second Blue Label wallet for 22,000Y.
- Had an hour at Ginza. Saw the Swaroski store as advertised in Her World magazine.
- After putting our luggage at the hotel, we took the JR Yamanote Line to Shinjuku. Went to Isetan where I bought the rest of the Blue Label accessories - white heart-shaped purse 13,650Y, card holder 11,550Y, black wallet 25,200Y, while mom&dad were at food basement.
- As it was raining, we took a train from the Shinjuku Line (light green) back to JR Shinjuku Station, before taking the JR. At JR Shinagawa, we bought stuff at the food & supermarket basement for dinner. Walked the hotel shops. Bought umbrellas and plum tea cans.
Hotel: PRINCE HOTEL SHINAGAWA
Day 6 Tokyo
- Went to Disneyland. I left Disneyland at 10.30am to take a 1h train from Maihama Station to Shibuya. Mom&dad stayed on for the rides.
- Saw the famous crossing!
- Seibu Dept Annex A & Annex B - labels, labels, labels... ...
- Parco Part 1.
- Chanced upon Tokyu Hands! Sold Porter bags. Bought Pat's fishing hat for 3129Y, hp straps, umbrella covers.
- Accessories store. Bought umbrella and slippers.
- Ate ramen for 750Y = $10 at an authentic ramen house (opposite was Mac). You order and pay via a vending machine.
- Walked down Center Gai Street. Shoe shops.
- Drug store. Bought lipstick, SATAQ10, cover pores make-up. Meiji Collagen tin going for slightly less than 3000Y.
- Shibuya 109 Building - JAPANESE AH LIAN! 8 floors of them! Bought 2 LeSportsac purses.
- From B2, walked out into the subway station. Walked underground back to JR Shibuya Station.
- Discovered FoodShow right under Tokyu Dept -> Obanyaki wasn't as sweet as Taka's.
- Left Shibuya at 4pm, before the working crowd crowds!
Maihama <-> Shibuya 16 stops 380Y = $5
- Back at Maihama Station, I went to the shopping mall on its left, Ikspiari. Bought a Porter bag for 8925Y at Kura Chika Yoshida Kaban.
- Walked back to Disneyland to buy 3 tins of fortune biscuits.
- Walked to Ikspiari again to see what I could buy with 210Y. Nothing. Ate my red bean dessert.
- Went back to Disneyland to wait for the rest.
Hotel: GARDEN HOTEL NARITA
Day 7 Tokyo - Sg
Interesting points:
- Sun rises at 4am. By 5am, it was bright and cheery.
- There are shops EVERYWHERE. Outside the train station, inside the train station...
1Y = $0.0134
Day 1 Sg - Tokyo - Osaka
- 7h ANA flight to Narita Airport.
- 1h coach to Haneda Airport to catch a domestic ANA flight to Osaka.
- At Haneda Airport, we had our very first dinner in Japan, in a lovely Chinese restaurant with full view of the runway.
- After that, it was a 1h flight to Kansai, Osaka.
Hotel: ANA GATE TOWER HOTEL OSAKA (flight attendants aplenty as it was near the airport)
Day 2 Osaka - Kyoto - Awara
- Osaka Castle.
- Shinsaibashi - Shopping alley that is a straight road of shops, shops, shops. Bought my first Burberry Blue Label black, heart-shaped coin purse for 13,650Y at Daimaru Dept.
- The whole group then rode the subway train to get to the bullet train station. One stop to Kyoto.
- At Kyoto's train station, we were given a few minutes to walk and so we bought purses as souvenirs.
- Kiyomizu Temple, where its main hall extends out to a veranda that commands a paranomic view of Kyoto.
- Souvenir shops lined both sides of the street leading to the temple. Black seseme ice-cream was popular. Taste was alright, nothing special. Bought a flute.
- 3h coach to an onsen resort in Awara, a famous hot spring region. It was quite late by the time we arrived, and we had a late but intricate dinner of shabu shabu & stuff. We were introduced to wearing the yukata.
Hotel: PLAZA HOTEL SHORAISO (onsen)
Day 3 Awara - Kanazawa - Takayama (gao1 shan1)
- Kagahan, a place of desserts and sweet treats. Red bean mochi was very sweet! Ate lots of sample :)
- Visited a pottery outlet. Given a free porcelain green tea cup.
- Tojinbo, which features magnificent pillar-shaped rocks created by sea erosion. As usual, there was a shopping street, selling toys and seafood.
- Kenrokuen Garden in Kanazawa, acclaimed as one of Japan's 3 great gardens. Lunch had tofu with gold on it!
- Long ride to Shirakawa-go Village (bai2 chuan1 xiang1), a well-preserved UNESCO World Heritage Site. Old farmhouses with steep roofs resembling two hands folded in prayer. Croquette cost 200Y, beef bun cost 350Y. So shiok to eat them hot in cold weather!
- 1.5h coach to Takayama, a samurai town, deep inside & up the mountain. Takayama Castle Town of sake breweries.
Hotel: HIDA HOTEL PLAZA (onsen)
Day 4 Takayama - Mt Fuji
- Visited a fresh produce market. Bought strawberries. Walked the streets with shops selling Hida souvenirs, confectionery, & sarubobo good luck charms (gao1 shan1 jiu4 jie1). Also called Hida, fei1 dan4. Bought castanets and Monkey umbrella.
- Ramen House that showed how ramen was made. Visitors had a little bowl for free sampling. Expensive: 5 packs with soup base for $14!
- Visited a waterfall. There was a pond to soak our feet. Again, it was great to feel the hot water with the cold wind blowing on our faces.
- Swiss-mura Winery, a small shop selling wine. Fruit juice was good.
- Daio Wasabi Farm.
- 2.5h coach to the hotel that overlooks Mt Fuji. We didn't get to see Mt Fuji as it was totally covered by the mist, but buffet dinner was great! Crab legs!!!
Hotel: FUJINOBOUKAEN HOTEL (onsen)
Day 5 Mt Fuji - Tokyo
- It was still misty this morning, so ... ... oh well, this will be an excuse to come back to Japan!
- 2h coach to Asakusa Kannon Temple, over 1300 years old. A shopping street leads to the temple, called Nakamise Avenue. Shops on both sides of the street (again) selling souvenirs. At the end of the street to the right, the guide told us there was a 100Y shop.
- After lunch, we went to Odaiba Park, a shopping district. There was Toyota Mega Web, a showroom where you can see modern & future Toyota cars. At VenusFort Shopping Mall, I bought my second Blue Label wallet for 22,000Y.
- Had an hour at Ginza. Saw the Swaroski store as advertised in Her World magazine.
- After putting our luggage at the hotel, we took the JR Yamanote Line to Shinjuku. Went to Isetan where I bought the rest of the Blue Label accessories - white heart-shaped purse 13,650Y, card holder 11,550Y, black wallet 25,200Y, while mom&dad were at food basement.
- As it was raining, we took a train from the Shinjuku Line (light green) back to JR Shinjuku Station, before taking the JR. At JR Shinagawa, we bought stuff at the food & supermarket basement for dinner. Walked the hotel shops. Bought umbrellas and plum tea cans.
Hotel: PRINCE HOTEL SHINAGAWA
Day 6 Tokyo
- Went to Disneyland. I left Disneyland at 10.30am to take a 1h train from Maihama Station to Shibuya. Mom&dad stayed on for the rides.
- Saw the famous crossing!
- Seibu Dept Annex A & Annex B - labels, labels, labels... ...
- Parco Part 1.
- Chanced upon Tokyu Hands! Sold Porter bags. Bought Pat's fishing hat for 3129Y, hp straps, umbrella covers.
- Accessories store. Bought umbrella and slippers.
- Ate ramen for 750Y = $10 at an authentic ramen house (opposite was Mac). You order and pay via a vending machine.
- Walked down Center Gai Street. Shoe shops.
- Drug store. Bought lipstick, SATAQ10, cover pores make-up. Meiji Collagen tin going for slightly less than 3000Y.
- Shibuya 109 Building - JAPANESE AH LIAN! 8 floors of them! Bought 2 LeSportsac purses.
- From B2, walked out into the subway station. Walked underground back to JR Shibuya Station.
- Discovered FoodShow right under Tokyu Dept -> Obanyaki wasn't as sweet as Taka's.
- Left Shibuya at 4pm, before the working crowd crowds!
Maihama <-> Shibuya 16 stops 380Y = $5
- Back at Maihama Station, I went to the shopping mall on its left, Ikspiari. Bought a Porter bag for 8925Y at Kura Chika Yoshida Kaban.
- Walked back to Disneyland to buy 3 tins of fortune biscuits.
- Walked to Ikspiari again to see what I could buy with 210Y. Nothing. Ate my red bean dessert.
- Went back to Disneyland to wait for the rest.
Hotel: GARDEN HOTEL NARITA
Day 7 Tokyo - Sg
Interesting points:
- Sun rises at 4am. By 5am, it was bright and cheery.
- There are shops EVERYWHERE. Outside the train station, inside the train station...
- Porter bag 8925Y, Blue Label heart-shaped purse 13,650Y, wallet 23,100Y
- Gifts for family & relatives & colleagues = About $470
- Rest of the 2K was spent on myself, food, transport & parents
posted by Auntie at
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