Category: Japan

Tokyo, Japan 2014: Mata ne, Tokyo!

After four times of saying “Ohayou, Tokyo!” out loud, I had to say “Mata ne, Tokyo!” on morning of November 28 as I took the first shinkansen trip from Tokyo to Osaka. I left Tokyo with the knowledge that, someday soon, I will come back and check out the places I wasn’t able to. Tokyo Disneyland, perhaps. Maybe have a HanaDan moment at Ebisu, or go around Ropponggi. Darn, I haven’t even gone around Shinjuku! And, most importantly, I have to climb Mt. Fuji. THAT is an absolute must. So never a “Sayonara~”, just “See You Again~”. Continue reading “Tokyo, Japan 2014: Mata ne, Tokyo!” →

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Chiba, Japan 2014: Chinahouse Keikarou

Another week, another bout with work, another batch of deadlines. Despite that, we have to start it right, and what better way to do that than to greet it with rainbows? Yes, rainbows. Granted, it’s just going to be one-fifth of a rainbow (….you don’t know what I’m talking about, do you, you-who-have-no-idea-who-Arashi-is? That’s all right, you get a free pass. This time.), but we all know there’s a lot of sparkles to go ’round, even from a single Arashi member. I’m talking about Aiba, and his family’s Chinese restaurant, Keikarou.
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JapanEats: Okonomi Yukari (Akihabara)

Japan is quite possibly the WORST place to be for anyone who’s dieting. It’s a good thing that word does not exist in my vocabulary. Imagine having to restrain yourself from giving your palate a workout when you’re in the land of the most amazing (and appetizing-looking) sweets, takoyaki, all kinds of sushi, taiyaki, and okonomiyaki, to name a few. It’s a crime, I tell ya. A crime, which is a punishment in itself.

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Tokyo, Japan 2014: A Dip at Akihabara

If I could sum up Akihabara in a couple of phrases, it would include “geek heaven” and “fanboy(girl) trap”. Oh, and you could also throw in “gachapon” in there for good measure. If I were a gaming addict or a hardcore anime fan, I’d say Akihabara – shortened to “Akiba” – deserves all four of my four-day stay in Tokyo. As it were, the few hours I got to spend in the area (and only a small part of it, too!) were already overwhelming, at least to me.

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JapanEats: Ramen @ Ikebukuro – Tairyuken Tokyo Ebisu

During my Tokyo trip, I opted to stay in the Ikebukuro area, which is a good decision, methinks, because it gives you easy access to everywhere. I only wish I had more time to explore the area, though, because it turns out to be quite huge (and has a lot to offer). One of them…. is that “cure-for-the-mother-of-all-hangovers”: ramen. And I first had my taste of Ikebukuro ramen at this small place called Tokyo Ebisu.

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Japan 2014: Kawaguchiko

Me and my love for mountains. While planning this trip, when it came to choosing between any Disney-related jaunt to checking out Mt. Fuji, I went for the latter. So it was really no contest between Tokyo Disneyland and a Fuji-san sighting. In fact, I’d pick a nature-related sojourn over any amusement park ANY TIME. So it was with so much excitement that I included a side trip to Lake Kawaguchi, or Kawaguchiko on my second day in Japan. Continue reading “Japan 2014: Kawaguchiko” →

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Tokyo, Japan 2014: Yoyogikouen

The area around Meiji Jingu is packed with many other interesting places to check out, which is why I suggest you devote an entire day around this area. In fact, if I had more time, I would have gone to Takeshita Dori too, but I didn’t and I also didn’t want to have to breeze my way through it since I am pressed for time. There are things that are meant to be savored, and this is one of them. So is a visit to Yoyogikouen, also called Yoyogi Park. Continue reading “Tokyo, Japan 2014: Yoyogikouen” →

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JapanEats: Genki Sushi (Shibuya)

When you say “Shibuya”, the first things that come to mind include shopping, Shibuya 109, the “scramble”, Hachiko, Tsutaya and Starbucks. Places to eat are almost an afterthought. But while checking out blogs of those who have been there, I stumbled on one that mentioned Genki Sushi. True, it’s not the traditional sushi place, with a “conveyor belt”-like mechanism, but it is more than enough motivation for me to check it out. Besides, I was keen on making sure I try out as much Japanese food as I can for the duration of my trip. Continue reading “JapanEats: Genki Sushi (Shibuya)” →

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