09.04.2008, NARITA AIRPORT, TOKYO

9th April 2008. The day finally came when my dreams came true; that was stepping into the land of the rising sun, Japan. The 7h 20 min ride on JAL from Singapore to Tokyo was kinda strenuous but the feeling was gone immediately when I arrived at the Narita Airport. The whole atmosphere was totally different from Singapore and the weather was C-O-L-D! Everybody started putting on their thick jackets (yes I dun think we have the chance to do that in our hot island) and we were whisked off to a bus which did airport-hotel transfer to our hotel for the first night; Hotel Narita Marroad.

After putting down our luggage, we headed to AEON shopping center to have dinner. Yes, our first dinner in Japan and it was located in a food court at the basement of the shopping center. As we chose JAL over SIA (which was an overnight flight), we had to settle the dinner on our own. Thus, we chose to eat bento set because we wanted to ‘experience’ the Japanese culture. And we got to encounter the first communication barrier with the stall owner. Haha. It was pretty amusing as we spoke to her in English and she replied back in Japanese. (!!!) Nevertheless, after some ‘pointing’ and nodding, she finally understood us and ta-daa, here’s our bento set dinner.


Since it was too late to go any places of interest, all we could do was shop around. OMG, I gotten to see LOTSA(YES I mean LOTS) gachapon machines IN THE SHOPPING CENTRE! God I was excited. (In case you are wondering what gachapon machines are, it’s a kind of machine where you put in the coins, turn the knob and anticipate what toy you are going to get from the capsule. Also known as Tikum machines in Singapore. Heh heh..)

So I started digging coins and try my luck. See the ones I gotten! But it’s actually more expensive than Singapore, so I decided to wait and get the toys back in SG instead. Hur hur hur…

We managed to visit the DAISO in Japan, which sells much more variety of goods than what we get in Singapore. The best part is the goods are only 100¥ (=SGD$1.40) each! That’s really CHEAP; we have to pay like SGD$2 in Singapore. But the catch was not ALL items are of the same price. You have to see carefully if they have additional price tags; else the items can be quite expensive.

I gotten some Stitch keychains for only 100¥ (=SGD$1.40), aren’t they cute?
Alas, the shopping center closes at 8.00pm, so we had to leave after a short while. So back to our hotel, and guess what we interesting thing we found in the toilet?
YES an automated ‘clean your butt’ toilet bowl. I was like ‘WOAH’. Question, how do you use it?
My guess was there’s sensors installed because whenever one sits on it, it will automatically be on ‘ready’ mode (You can hear the machine sound) and you can press the buttons to wash. You can select different pressures as well as the height you want the water to reach your butt. AMAZING. Heeheeheee.

Another thing about Japan Hotel rooms was that ‘Yukata’ will be provided as your pyjamas. Hah, obviously I would not miss the chance of trying (being the curious me)! So how do my sister and I look?

Okaayyy…maybe acting cute isn’t our cup of tea, but who cares as long as we’re having fun! Haaa. And yes, it was time for us get enough rest for the highlight on the next day, Tokyo Disneyland.

10.04.2008, TOKYO DISNEYLAND

AHHHHHHH Disneyland!! Where I have ALWAYS wanted to go ever since I was a child. After going to the smallest Disneyland in Hong Kong 10 months ago, I knew I had to go a bigger one. So this was my 2nd Disneyland within a year. Hahaha..but the not so good thing was, Tokyo has two Disney theme parks, DisneyLAND and DisneySEA. I could only choose ONE with a 5800¥ (=SGD$82.10) ticket.

As I’m a Cinderella fan, I decided to see the majestic Cinderella Castle in Disneyland. And I wasn’t ready to get myself wet in such a cold climate. Heh heh.

A little small history of Disneyland…
‘Tokyo Disneyland (東京ディズニーランド, Tōkyō Dizunīrando) is a 115 acre (466,535 m²) theme park at the Tokyo Disney Resort located in Urayasu, Chiba, Japan, near Tokyo. It was the first Disney park to be built outside of the United States and was opened on April 15, 1983. The park was constructed by Walt Disney Imagineering in the same style as Disneyland in California and the Magic Kingdom in Florida. It is owned by The Oriental Land Company, which licenses the theme from The Walt Disney Company. It, along with its companion park, Tokyo DisneySea, are the only Disney parks not owned by The Walt Disney Company.
There are seven themed areas, each complementing each other yet unique in their style. Made up of the World Bazaar, the four classic Disney lands: Adventureland, Westernland, Fantasyland and Tomorrowland, and two mini lands, Critter Country and Mickey's Toontown, the park is noted for its huge open spaces to accommodate the massive crowds the park receives on even moderate attendance days. In 2007, Tokyo Disneyland hosted approximately 13.9 million guests, ranking it the third-most visited amusement park in the world, behind only its two American sister parks, the Magic Kingdom and Disneyland.
Tokyo Disneyland will celebrate the 25th Anniversary of its grand opening in 2008.’
(Source from Wikitravel)

Ok, I have taken like 170 pictures in the theme park. I don’t think I can upload them one by one, it will take me forever. So let me display them in the slides as attached.

THE GOOD AND BAD OF TOKYO DISNEYLAND...

Well, some nice and not so nice findings:
For thumbs up,

(1) I found a Piglet (*screams*) mascot!!

This is one I totally can’t find in HK Disneyland. I only saw Pooh and Tigger there. But the weird thing was I only saw Piglet and Eeyore in Tokyo Disneyland. HUH? They split to different lands? *Haahaa*

(2) I wore a Stitch hairband for fun. Heh.

(3) I went to Big Thunder Mountain and Splash Mountain

Yeh the rides here are MUCH more exciting! And they are prettier, longer and more detailed than what you get in HK Disneyland. But that also means longer waiting…:(

(4) The restaurants are very cute and detailed

They put a cake inside this cup which you can actually bring home and keep as a souvenir. It was inside a plastic container so that your souvenir cup will not be dirtied. Best of all, they will give a plastic bag so that you can carry your cup around the themepark. INTERESTING!!

(5) I found Cinderella Castle…YEAH!

Look at the mosaic! It was wonderfully done; piece by piece.

The ‘glass slipper’ shop in the castle. They have many glass ornaments made on the spot for buyers. Really good handicraft! But the price was very steep.

(6) Land of the rising popcorn Tokyo Disneyland offers a myriad of flavoured popcorn: Curry Popcorn, Hunny (Honey) Popcorn, Chocolate Popcorn, Soda (Cream Soda) Popcorn, and Caramel Popcorn. They are stored in commemorative refillable Disney bucket (See mine below). The flavours reflect the area you are in. Stitch Container Obviously mine would only be a Piglet, Cinderella or Stitch one…..but they only have Stitch (and other characters which I’m not interested…) so I gotten it at 1200¥ (=SGD$16.80). Expensive but it’s only available in Tokyo Disneyland. And the container is REALLY cute. What you do is hang it around your neck and eat as and when you like. Is air-tight so you dun have to worry about it turning bad and you can even carry it to rides! Cool huh! And best of all, the container is so big you can use it to store food (YES AIR TIGHT!! HOORAY!!) again. However, I can’t help thinking it as a waste paper basket..haahaa… (8) It’s a small world

Enjoy the small clip I managed to record!

(8) The themepark is BIG. And yes one day is definitely not enough. You need at least two days WITHOUT queuing in order to finish the attractions. Their services are really good, so that is one I REALLY MUST GIVE THEM THUMBS UP!

For thumbs down,
(1) Everything is in Japanese, which is quite intimidating as I dun really understand what they are conveying
Well, I guess HK Disneyland out win Tokyo Disneyland as they have 3 languages for you to select. There is no way you won’t understand anything. For me, probably I will really enjoy the themepark if there is some English in it. Heh. I totally look like an idiot during those interative sessions.

(2) They are such ‘law-by-law’ people
Yes. Everything is according to PROCEDURES. No negotiation, no nothing. Even if you are 1second late and they have yet to close the gate of the attractions or there are still places in the rides, they will ask you to wait for the next round. Why? Because is against their rule. What can you do? WAIT. And wait. ARGH. So again, HK Disneyland is better..I dun have to wait that long. HAH.

(3) THERE’S NO SNOWGLOBE!!!!!
I flew all the way and paid so much for the Disneyland ticket. One main reason is to buy the snowglobe. BUT there was not even one. Because they did not sufficient snowglobes and the goods are still on the way. SOB!
And that concludes my second day in Tokyo. My take? The theme park is pretty nice overall, but language is a barrier. Better to choose English-speaking Disneylands so that you will be able to understand and thus enjoy more! However, I’m still planning to go back but to DisneySEA the next time round as it is the only water-based theme-park in the whole world!

11.04.2008, TOKYO TOUR

After some fun in the theme park, it’s time to really visit some of the famous areas in Tokyo. Tokyo (東京), being the capital of Japan, is the most populated urban area in the world. Located geographically at about the center of the Japanese archipelago and in the southern part of the Kanto area, Tokyo shares borders with Chiba prefecture to the east along the Edogawa River, Yamanashi to the west along a mountain range, Kanagawa in the south along the Tamagawa River, and Saitama in the north. Tokyo is vast: it's best thought of not as a single city, but a constellation of cities that have grown together. However, due to time constraint, we only managed to see Tokyo Tower and the Asakusa Temple. There are still many interesting places in this city, but I guess it has to be left till the next trip.

11.04.2008, TOKYO TOWER

One of the famous icons of Tokyo, this is the place to see view of the whole Tokyo. Well, we did not go up the tower as the sky was quite misty and the entrance fee was quite expensive. So we just took some photos at a park which oversees the tower.

And guess what, we saw some sakura trees! PRETTY! We will definitely not miss the chance of taking photos with them…

11.04.2008, ASAKUSA KANNON BUDDHIST TEMPLE

Asakusa (浅草) is a part of Tokyo's downtown Taito district best known for its many temples, particularly Sensōji. Sensōji (浅草寺), also known as Asakusa Kannon, is Tokyo's largest Buddhist temple and a major attraction for Japanese and foreigners alike.

First of all, everybody has to go to the fountain cleanse oneself before going into the temple.
There’s a procedure in doing it; first using your left hand to hold the washing cup and clean your right hand, then vice versa and for a second time clean your right hand once more. Lastly, scoop some water into both hands and drink the water.

Kaminarimon

Up first is the Kaminarimon (雷門) or "Thunder Gate", featuring a much-photographed giant lantern and statues of guardian gods Raijin (god of thunder) and Fujin (god of wind). First built in 942, the gate has been destroyed numerous times and the current incarnation dates to only 1950.

Hōzōmon

At the end of the arcade is the main gate Hōzōmon (宝蔵門), notable for a giant straw sandal (waraji) hung up on one side. This gate too is guarded by ferocious guardian gods.

Kannondō

The perennially busy Kannondō (観音堂, Kannon Hall) is behind the gate, with a steady stream of worshippers wafting incense over themselves and trooping up the steps to pray and donate. According to legend, the hall was originally built in 628 to house a statue of Kannon, the Goddess of Mercy, fished out of the Sumida River by two brothers.

Gojūnoto

To the west is the Gojūnoto (五重塔, 5-Story Pagoda), reputedly containing some of the ashes of the Buddha.

Nakamise

The shopping street leading from the Kaminarimon gate to the temple is the covered Nakamise (仲見世) arcade, selling all sorts of Buddhist paraphernalia as well as assorted Japanese souvenirs and food.

Throngs of people looking at the shops…Looks like a much more high class ‘pasar malam’ huh? But the things are not cheap here.
Next up, we headed to Yokohama for small walk at their Chinatown and try their Ramen.

11.04.2008 YOKOHAMA

Located on the western coast of Tokyo Bay directly south of Tokyo, Yokohama (横浜) is the second largest city in Japan and one of the cities most used to seeing foreigners.
Yokohama was the first port opened up to foreign trade after the opening of Japan in 1854. At the forefront of the Meiji restoration, the first train line in Japan connected Tokyo and Yokohama. However, Yokohama was devastated by the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 and again by the firebombings of World War II, and never really regained its prominence. It remains a maritime city to this day and retains an international flavor.

We spotted a really cute motorcar on the way! Hah, wonder is it one of the transport vehicles that save energy?

11.04.2008 YOKOHAMA CHINATOWN

Chinatown (中華街 Chūkagai) is the largest in Japan and dates back to the Opening of Japan in 1859.

Yes, he is a pamphlet distributor…I dunno why is he dressed in this manner. But he is real friendly when I asked him to take a photo with me.
Lotsa SEGA machines out there…and YES THEY DO NOT CHEAT like what we have here. Therefore as long as you have the skills, you will get a toy with one try. I saw an 8 year old kid who gotten it easily!

11.04.2008 SHINYOKOJAMA RAMEN MUSUEM

Shinyokohama Raamen Museum (新横浜ラーメン博物館 Shin-Yokohama rāmen hakubutsukan). Paradise for noodle lovers, but not just because of the informative exhibits of the history of instant ramen noodles:; the centerpiece here is the basement, which contains a recreation of 1950s-era Tokyo done in incredible detail, complete with operating branches of 10 famous ramen joints. An admission of 300¥(=SGD$4.20) applies.

While queueing to get into one of the joints, I managed to transform into a magician! HAH! Ok, that’s pretty lame…

The machine for you to order a bowl of Ramen and they will issue you a ticket.

Yep, again you have to queue and pay at least 1050¥ (=SGD $14.70) for a bowl, but it's worth it. LOOK AT MY RAMEN!!!!! YUMMY!!!!!!
The rule? Slurp the noodle AS LOUD AS POSSIBLE. That is to let the cook knows his/her Ramen is SUGOI! And yes, it’s really yummy-licious. I’m still missing it now! The Ramen is really different from what we get in Singapore. The soup is thick, the Ramen is really tasty and the pork is GOOD! Sigh..can I have some of real JAPANESE Ramen soon??

After that, we went to the shop above to kill sometime while waiting for the bus. Look at the cute products they sell!

And I gotten myself this black pig softtoy. Apparently, pork from black pigs are the nicest meat around…..woooo……yum yum…

11.04.2008 HAKONE-FUJI NATIONAL PARK

The volcanically active Fuji-Hakone(箱根)-Izu National Park, centered around Lake Ashinoko, is a popular tourist attraction well known for its onsen (hot springs) and its views of Mount Fuji.

Great Boiling Valley
The Great Boiling Valley (大涌谷 Ōwakudani) is a volcanic hot spot full of sulphurous springs.

There is continous smoke coming out and the small craters have liquid that are actually boiling. You can see the water bubbling.
And we’ve finally reached the centre of the peak where black eggs were sold.

The black eggs (黒玉子) at Owakudani are boiled on site, their shells are a mottled black due to a chemical reaction with the sulphurous water, but the inside is quite tasty. According to Japanese legend, every one you eat will add seven years to your life. 6 eggs (and hence 42 years) will set you back just ¥500(=SGD$7).

Erm, I think that is pretty expensive for six eggs…So I did not buy any. Hah.
Of course, when you walk all the way up, you have to make your way down. Haa. The view I saw when walking down…

The Boiling Valley’s Hello Kitty!

Lake Ashi

Lake Ashi (Ashinoko) offers beautiful views of Mount Fuji but only on a clear day. But we only got to take a quick snap at this lake and had to move on to what all girls had been anticipating for, Factory Outlet Shopping

11.04.2008 FACTORY OUTLET SHOPPING

All sorts of brands located in this whole place! In case you think it looks like some factory with goods thrown all over the place where you have to literally DIG for bargain goods, you are so wrong! The place looked like some new theme park and the items were placed so nicely. It looks better than any departmental stores! I really take my hat off Japanese. The best is the whole place is full of Sakura and it makes the place even more pretty.

However, the things are not THAT cheap after all…Only the sports brands such as Nike and Adidas are considerably cheap. Heh. So if you wanna get other branded goods like Gucci, Coach, LV, maybe this is not exactly a good place to buy…

11.04.2008 ~ 12.04.2008 HOTEL SAIKO LAKE

So many activities for a day is really tiring. Thus, we stopped over at one of the hot springs hotel in the region; Hotel Saiko Lake. When we reached, we were welcomed by the sumptuous home cooked food provided by the Inn:

I think they really spent a lot of effort making dinner. Look at the plates they have to wash later on!
…And of course, the ¥11000(=SGD$154) Raw seafood plate which they caught on the spot and made it. IT’S REALLY FRESH AND TASTY!!!!!!!!
Us enjoying the boat of fresh seafood…..YUM YUM YUM! SUPER THUMBS UP!
Me getting ready for my hot spring bath aka the onsen…And yes you have to be totally naked with the other females. Heh. But it was really comfortable! The water was around 50 degree Celsius (Natural temperature as the water was tapped directly from the springs) but you can feel your skin very smooth after that. Best of all, you will sleep very well after that. ;)

Again, the next day was another home cooked style breakfast. Look at that! J Makes my day eh!

12.04.2008 IYASHI NO SATO NENBA

This is a village which is still in the midst of rebuilding as it was destructed in the early 60s. Sad but true. However, I’m glad that they decided to re-construct it. A very nice little village, so enjoy the slide show~

12.04.2008 MOUNT FUJI

After a quick visit at the re-built village, it was time to go up the highest mountain in Japan; the Mount Fuji.

Mount Fuji (富士山 Fuji-san, 3776 meters) is Japan's highest mountain and the focal point of the sprawling Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park. Visible from Tokyo on a clear day, the mountain is located to the west of Tokyo on the main island Honshu.
A perfectly symmetrical volcanic cone, the mountain is a near-mythical national symbol immortalized in countless works of art, including Hokusai's 36 Views of Mt. Fuji.
The Japanese always refer to Mt. Fuji as Fuji-san, but the -san (山) here simply means "mountain", and has nothing to do with the honorific san (さん) for people's names. "Fujiyama" is a misreading of the name, and is never used by the Japanese themselves — except in the set phrase Fujiyama geisha, a lament at how Japan is misunderstood in the West.
For merely seeing Mt. Fuji, it's better to maintain some distance. The most popular places for sightseeing tours of Fuji and surroundings are Hakone, to the east of Mt. Fuji towards Tokyo, and the Fuji Five Lakes, located just north of the mountain.
The Fuji Five Lakes (富士五湖 Fuji-goko) are a group of five small lakes in Yamanashi, on the north side of Mount Fuji. From east to west, they are Lake Yamanaka (山中湖), Lake Kawaguchi (河口湖), Lake Sai (西湖 Sai-ko), Lake Motosu-ko (本栖湖) and Lake Shojiko (精進湖).
(Source: Wikitravel)

Alas, we did not get to the 5th station, which will give the best view of the mountain; because it was snowing at the peak of Mount Fuji! So we only managed to go 4th station and played with the snow. The thickness of the fallen snow was about 1m!! It was a really beautiful sight!!

And yes, it was so cold, this make-shift stall was actually selling barbequed food. HEAVEN! The BBQ squid tasted really good in this cold weather. Heehee.

SELF MADE CRAZY VIDEO

Yes, I had this video(in Mandarin..haha) where we can see ‘smoke’ coming out of our mouths when we we go ‘haaah’. Imagine how cold it was!!! But playing with snow was really fun. Too bad there’s none in Singapore!

12.04.2008 LAKE KAWAGUCHIKO

As we went up Mount Fuji from one of the five lakes; Lake Saiko, we went down the mountain from another route, which was the Lake Kawaguchiko. This was where we had our lunch.

Another Japanese lunch! But this is with rice, Ramen and their side dishes. Looks delicious huh!

That’s my sis enjoying her food..hahaah
Again, Japan is full of very cute sweets packaging..Look at that!!

12.04.2008 .YAMANASHI WINE BREWERY

While on the way down to take the bullet train, we had a quick stop at one of their finest wine brewery shop and experience their local western wine. Well, we did not exactly understand what the host was saying as it was in Japanese but we did had a good time tasting their wine and food….haahaa…of course we purchased some of their wines back as they were very nice and actually cheap. And the best thing is they do not taste bitter like normal wine.

12.04.2008 SHINKANSEN, BULLET TRAIN RIDE

Next up, we headed to the Shinkansen station to experience their Bullet Train Ride. Our destination was Toyohashi and it would take exactly 12 minutes to reach there, whereas this would take about 45 minutes if you were to travel by car. Amazing!

Another thing which I think what our country must learn from them is that their public transport always arrives ON TIME. Not even one minute early or late. And if the destination takes 12 minutes, it would be exactly 12 minutes. So you can actually have your plan going smoothly and not be disrupted by any delays. That’s really what I need! So I hope this will be implemented here as well so that I will not wait for ages at the bus stop like an idiot every morning due to the irregular timing of the stupid bus.

VIDEO-BULLET TRAIN

Look at the speed of the bullet train! OMG! I think is worse than roller coaster. But when you sit in it, you dun feel the speed at all
Look at how comfortable the seats are! And the interior looks so futuristic.

Our arrival stop.

12.04.2008 TOYOHASHI

Out pit stop for the day, Toyohashi. Toyohashi, centrally located between the main metropolis cities of Tokyo and Osaka, is known for its port, the largest for the import/export of automobiles in Japan.

As it was getting late, we only had time to go to the shopping arcade beside our Hotel Nikko Toyohashi. They have everything in the mall; be it gachapon machines, soft toys, and even arcade which we dun get to see in Singapore!

Look at the cute Japanese boy playing with the machine…I seriously dunno what he was doing…he just keeps putting coins inside…

The small cubicle outside which we can get ice and drinks.

The view from our hotel room.

13.04.2008 KYOTO, KIYOMIZU TEMPLE

After a hearty breakfast, it was time again for us to move on…to one of the traditional cities of Japan, Kyoto.

Nestled among mountains in Western Honshu, Kyōto (京都) has a reputation worldwide as Japan's most beautiful city. Kyoto was the capital of Japan and the residence of the Emperor from 794 until the Meiji Restoration of 1868, when the capital was moved to Tokyo. During its millennium at the center of Japanese power, culture, tradition, and religion, it accumulated an unparalleled collection of palaces, temples and shrines, built for emperors, shoguns, and monks. Almost alone among Japanese cities, Kyoto escaped the Allied bombings of World War II, although it could be argued that the concrete redevelopment that turned city centre of Kyoto into an ordinary metropolis did just as thorough a job.
(Source: Wikitravel)

Guess what I saw, Geisha! However, you are not allowed to take photos with them but you can take from a distance. HAH. Quite lame but true!

So we walked up a long slope of shops to Kiyomizu Temple.


Kiyomizu-dera (清水寺). This temple complex, with a spectacular location overlooking the city, is a deservedly popular attraction, approached by either of two tourist-filled souvenir-shop-lined streets, Kiyomizu-zaka or Chawan-zaka. Admission to it is 300¥ (=SGD$4.20).

Jishu-jinja, the love-themed shrine selling countless charms to help you snag the one you love, and featuring two "love stones" positioned around 18m apart which the lovelorn must walk between with eyes closed to confirm their loved one's affection.

Next, we walked down the stairs to Otowa-no-taki. T he temple's waterfall, which gives it its name (Kiyomizu literally means 'pure water'). Visitors stand beneath the waterfall, and collect water to drink by holding out little tin cups.

More picturesque scenery in the temple.

Time for our traditional Japanese lunch where we had to bend our legs and eat like the Japanese. See how low the tables are. This shop is famous for it’s Ebi Tempura (aka Fried Prawns) but as I am allergy to it, mine was the Katsudon (Pork).

They offer unlimited rice and Ramen…and I must say the Ramen is OYISHI! Because I ate two big bowls of it. HAHA.

13.04.2008 KYOTO, NISHIJIN TEXTILE CENTER

We had a quick visit at the Nishijin Textile Center where it is a tourist spot for people buying Kimono related goods. As mentioned; it is a tourist spot, so the goods are not very cheaply priced. Heh heh. However, I spotted some cool looking items the shop has offered.

And we were presented by their very own Kimono Show! Look at how the Kimono were beautifully sewn.

13.04.2008 KYOTO, HEIAN SHRINE

Another representative for Kyoto; Heian Shrine was built relatively recently in 1895 on the occasion of the 1,100th anniversary of the Heian Capital foundation. It is dedicated to the first and last emperors that reigned from Kyoto, Emperor Kammu and Emperor Kome.

The shrine buildings are a partial replica of the Imperial Palace of the Heian Period, but only about two thirds of the original buildings in scale. Several events are held on the shrine's spacious inner court occasionally. And we had the chance to see a traditional wedding held in the temple that day. Sweet~
Also, some kids asking for donations. They are really cute!

If you get a bad lot, you are supposed to tie it at the trees so that it won’t befall onto you.

However if it is a good lot, you can put your wishes on these wooden board and hang it for a duration of a year; I realized many were looking for LOVE! HAaaa
One of the important gates in Kyoto.

Finally, it was time for us to bid goodbye to Kyoto and proceed to our last place of interest in Japan, Osaka.

13.04.2008 ON THE ROAD TO OSAKA

The ride from Kyoto to Osaka was LONG. 4 hours straight! But the good thing about this country is there’s a highway stop in the middle of your long destination for you to take a rest, buy some food and the most important of all, go for toilet break. HAA…And guess what interesting things I found at the highway stop?

YES, THRONGS OF VENDING MACHINES!

So being the ‘all we must try’ people, we tried vending for a traditional red bean fish cake, an ice cream and a coffee.

The fish cake was hot off the machine. They actually timed 3 minutes to re-heat it on the spot for you!

The ice cream was really NICE. It’s not like some cheap and nasty tasting you’ll get from those low budge machines.

The coffee was good too! Like what you get from Coffee Bean or Starbucks. Just that it wasn’t very cheap; 250¥(=SGD$3.50). Erm…well, that can be the cost of my lunch meal in Singapore…

The wonderful pastries selling in the shops! Look at how much effort they spent into the overall packaging! I must really salute them~

The toilet at the highway stop. The cleaner was actually very proud of it that she decorated the toilet with Pooh bears and even a fish aquarium. And in case you must be thinking the toilet will be very dirty, you are so wrong! They are as clean as what you get in hotels and are installed with ‘clean-your-butt remote’! WOW!

And finally what we were searching for on this entire trip: SAKURA! And yes, rows and rows here. It’s so pretty!!!!! More on the next destination!

13.04.2008 OSAKA CASTLE

Ōsaka (大阪) is the second largest city in Japan, the central metropolis of the Kansai region and the largest of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto trio. Some history of the city:

Osaka and the "808 Bridges" (八百八橋)
Many districts in Osaka derive their names from the Tokugawa-era bridges that were built during the city's reign as transportation hub for the country. Today, Yodoyabashi (淀屋橋) and Kyobashi (京橋) still retain their crossings, while the bridges in Yotsubashi (四ツ橋), Nagahoribashi (長堀橋）and Shinsaibashi (心斎橋) are long gone.
橋 (hashi, often pronounced -bashi, when affixed to a preceding name) is the kanji character meaning 'bridge'.
Osaka dates back to the Asuka and Nara period. Under the name Naniwa (難波), it was the capital of Japan from 683 to 745, long before the upstarts at Kyoto took over. Even after the capital was moved elsewhere, Osaka continued to play an important role as a hub for land, sea and river-canal transportation. (See "808 Bridges" infobox.) During the Tokugawa era, while Edo (now Tokyo) served as the austere seat of military power and Kyoto was the home of the Imperial court and its effete courtiers, Osaka served as "the Nation's Kitchen" (「天下の台所」 tenka-no-daidokoro), the collection and distribution point for rice, the most important measure of wealth. Hence it was also the city where merchants made and lost fortunes and received repeated cheerfully ignored warnings from the shogunate to reduce their conspicuous consumption.
(Source: Wikitravel)

Well, who will miss going to their famous Osaka castle? So we had to take a leisure walk at the park to get a view of this magnificent structure. But this was where we spotted Rows and rows of Sakura trees.

Pretty sight huh!

The best part is the petals will start flying down when there’s a breeze. The feeling was so magical!

OSAKA CASTLE

A little history of Osaka Castle…Osaka Castle (大坂城) is a Japanese castle in Chūō-ku, Osaka, Japan. Originally called Ozakajo, it is one of Japan's most famous castles, and played a major role in the unification of Japan during the sixteenth century of the Azuchi-Momoyama period. Osaka Castle is situated on a plot of land roughly one kilometer square. It is built on two raised platforms of landfill supported by sheer walls of cut rock, each overlooking a moat. The central castle building is five stories on the outside and eight stories on the inside, and built atop a tall stone foundation to protect its occupants from sword-bearing attackers.(Source: Wikipedia)

Well, we did not go inside as it was already approaching night time. Also, it was not feasible to do that as the entrance ticket was not worth the price and I dun think many of us wanna visit a museum. Heh heh heh…

13.04.2008 SHINSAIBASHI

Osaka's most famous shopping district is Shinsaibashi (心斎橋), which offers a mix of huge department stores, high-end Western designer stores, and independent boutiques ranging from very cheap to very expensive. Well, this was the region where we had our Japanese steamboat dinner. After which, we had one hour to do some quick shopping; And I think everyone knows Burberry Blue is a MUST GET when you go Japan…and off we ran to the store!!!

We snapped up 3 handbags and a wallet. Hehehe. Mad but true! SO which one is your favourite? :)

After a long day of running all over the place, we were pampered by staying in their 5 star hotel, Hyatt Regency Osaka.

13.04.2008 ~ 14.04.2008 HYATT REGENCY OSAKA

Hyatt Regency Osaka, a hotel opposite the World Trade Center and one of the higher end hotels in the area. This hotel is an official hotel for the Universal Studios Japan and one of the most expensive hotels in the city. A bit far away from the city centre with no direct subway line. Houses a chapel on its grounds too. I have to feature this hotel because IT IS REALLY G-O-O-D! Look at the luxury we got to enjoy!

And also, the breakfast is really good…Oh man I felt like a princess there! :)

14.04.2008 UNIVERSAL STUDIOS JAPAN

Universal Studios Japan (ユニバーサル・スタジオ・ジャパン)

Universal Studios Japan is located in the Konohana waterfront district. The entrance ticket costs the same cost as Tokyo Disneyland. One main difference is that the locations in the theme park are named after US states and are more realistic.

The attractions are in nine areas of the park, namely:

1. New York

Terminator 2:3-D

The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man - The Ride

2. Hollywood

Shrek's 4-D Adventure

E.T. Adventure

Sesame Street 4-D Movie Magic
Universal Monsters Live Rock and Roll Show
Animation Celebration 3D
Hollywood Dream - The Ride

3. Jurassic Park

4.Snoopy Studio

Snoopy's Sound Stage Adventure
Snoopy's Playland

5. Amity Village

Jaws

6. Land of Oz

Wicked
Toto & Friends

7. San Francisco
Back to the Future - The Ride
Backdraft

8. Lagoon
Peter Pan's Neverland

9. Water World
Waterworld

Well, I have taken almost all the rides except some which I think I have a weak heart. Haha! Again, many pictures are taken in this theme park, so I had placed them as a slideshow above. Enjoy~

Well, as I am more of a fantasy person and I like Disney characters more, hence I am more prone towards Disneyland theme parks. It’s not as colourful as Disneyland. Also one negative point is that again everything is in Japanese. Sigh! Maybe I should wait for our own local Universal Studios coming in 2010. :)

Next, our BBQ dinner...

Our dinner after a whole day of fun in USJ! BBQ! Is really nice as they use charcoal fire….Wooooot!

15.04.2008 KANSAI AIRPORT

Well, time for us to leave Japan after so many days of fun. The interesting thing was our hotel (Hotel Nikko Kansai) was located right beside the airport and all we had to do was drag our luggage cross a bridge and TaDaa! We reached the airport! How convenient!

Us and our tour guide, Kitty

Of course, we had to do our REALLY LAST MINUTE SHOPPING; buying delicious pastries for our loved ones back home.

We were approached by a friendly staff who distributed free Starbucks coffee to us.
See our stupid we looked…haha.. The triangular Japanese rice.

And we missed the Ramen so much, we ordered one bowl again before we got on the plane…

This is the beeper which will vibrate and ring when your Ramen is ready; so you can walk around the airport and shop whilst waiting; how innovative!

Even though it was considered a convenient store, the Ramen was as good as what you get in restaurants! THUMBS UP!

Last but not least, bidding goodbye to Osaka…and Japan….

FINALE: MY TAKE ON THIS COUNTRY

Well, although it costs quite a lot to go Japan (air ticket is expensive, the food and goods there are expensive), I think that it is worth the money as it is a relatively safe country. The people there were very courteous and friendly, the customer service was excellent! The place was really clean despite not finding many rubbish bins around (Dun ask me how they did that, but I’m really amazed) and the weather was really nice! And you get to see really beautiful scenery which are by nature (something you won’t get to find in Singapore…argh). However, what I would recommend is go with the tour group if you can’t speak Japanese. You will really be frustrated if you lose your way and they can’t understand you (and vice versa, of course…); you may spend more than what you had because meals are so expensive there! Everything there is money, money and more money. Another thing is if you see something you like, you have to get it immediately because once you miss the place, you will not be able to find the same item again in another city. Dun worry about being cheated as most of the shops have almost the same price for the same item. Oh yah, no bargaining of prices too, heh heh heh…However, I would recommend staying in a city and not going to various places in such a short time as you will spend a lot of time traveling and rushing to do your shopping and visits. It would be more enjoyable if more time is allowed to explore the many things available in a region.

So if you are looking for a place for a vacation, Japan is one you can really consider! I can’t wait to go back to this country again!