Collecting our JR passes at Narita Airport. We are heading straight to Kyoto for our first stop whereas our friend will be going Tokyo direct. We've decided to meet back in Tokyo on New Year's eve to countdown together.
The comfy and fast Narita Express which takes us straight to Tokyo Station.
Could this be Mount Fuji? As we are not going to Mount Fuji, we were pretty excited to see this.
Our little friend checks out the scenary.
Our Tonkatsu Meal highly recommended by a friend.
Kyoto Tower.
Our ryokan which costs SGD$400 per night..expensive and not much service. Have to bring our luggage and climb the stairs. Only good thing is, it is walkable from Kyoto Station. But we took a cab on our first day since we dunno the way.
Street view outside the ryokan. Love the traditional look of Kyoto.
Japanese still wear traditional kimono to visit the shrines on important occasions. Happened to meet two young ladies there.
Kyoto Tower at night
Next day, we made a day trip to Osaka to checkout the Kaiyukan Aquarium.
The main reason for this trip..they have a large Jellyfish collection.
Tickets to Kinkaguchi. Looks interesting doesn't it? The guard was very kind to let us in even though we arrived at 5pm (the shrine close at 5.15pm).
Then we proceed towards Gion. Kyoto's popular Geisha district. Hoping that we can meet some on the streets. I've heard many people did not manage to spot one even though they've been there. But we were fortunate to spot one young Geisha and her manager rushing off for a performance. They were stopped by some other tourists and we took the opportunity to ask for a photo as well. I had to help the manager carry his bag while he took photo for the other group of tourist. I was quite amazed that he trusted a total stranger like me with his belongings...well, of course all i wanted was a photo with his Geisha. Wish granted!
Tried out japan's exclusive ticket vending machine dinner. The beef bowl was yummy...better than Yoshinoya.
Bidding farewell from Kyoto, we embarked on the long journey towards Hokkaido. The bullet train journey from Kyoto to Hokkaido takes about 10 hours in total. But we din really mind as we can enjoy the scenary and chit chat with each other along the way. That's what holiday is about isn't it? Rather than rushing from point to point.
Was told that train bento is a must try in Japan. So we ordered ours before boarding the train.
Still cheerful. Something funny happened during the journey. I was separated from hubby for one journey and had to sit next to this Japanese lady. At one of the train stop, she started talking to me in Japanese...I thought she was being friendly and tried to reply her with my limited edition japanese. This went on for a while until she started to look desperate and looked around for help. It was then I realised what she was trying to tell me...this is the stop where we need to stand and rotate the seats...but silly me was still sitting down. She wanted me to stand up so that she can rotate the seats. I was so embarressed at that point..hahaa..but luckily Japanese is too polite to turn nasty on anyone.
This is what happens after 10hr train ride.
We took a day trip to Otaru the next day.
The famous musical box factory in Otaru. Almost brought this home if not for the price...
Must try foods in Hokkaido!
Found this super delicious cheese puff in Otaru. I ate one there and had to buy one back to hotel. Too bad it can't be kept long..otherwise I'll order a dozen back. Be sure to try if you ever visit Otaru.
Hokkaido is known for its fresh and cheap seafood produce. So with recommendations from the internet, we tried out this popular crab seafood buffet at SGD$70+ per pax. You get to choose from 3 different combinations of crab. We chose the king & snow crab combo with 1 serving of sushi & chawanmushi. Of cos, we saved our stomach space to fit as much crabs as possible. Even though its a buffet, the crabs were fresh and very sweet. It was a yummy meal and we will definitely visit this restaurant again if we were go back to Hokkaido.
Goodies we bought in Hokkaido.
Just like the Tsukiji Market in Tokyo, Sapporo has its own version of fish market as well with fresh catch from the sea everyday.
This is what started our day. It was not difficult to find out the best restaurant...just choose the one which is most crowded. I tasted the freshest uni and sashimi there. Even the roe tastes different from Singapore ones.
This is not ninja. He is actually a monk asking for donations. Its cool even being a monk in Japan.
We also checkout the Ramen Alley in Sapporo. There is a ramen alley in most cities in Japan. I still prefer the localised AOBA ramen in Singapore though.
Bidding farewell to Hokkaido, we left for Tokyo next. Shopping here i come!
Accomplished a small wish of mine - Sanrio Puroland! The hometown of Hello Kitty & my favourite - My Melody!
Cute japanese young girl...I like how japanese dress their kids...plain but innocent. Unlike certain parents here who dress up their kids as if they were a christmas tree. This is one style I hope to use for my future kids.
After Sanrio Land, we definitely had to accomplish a childhood dream. Disneyland! Its our first time to any DisneyLand and despite the long queues, we were glad to be able to take a few rides...including the Haunted Mansion ride which I still think is the best! Japanese are really advanced in their technology. Checkout this ride to know what I mean.
Friendly Minnie who posed for my camera.
Fukuburokos from Harajuku. Fukuburoko which means Happy Bag in japanese is only available during the New Year period. Stores pack last season's items into goody bags and sell them for a attractive price. Only thing is we can't see what is the content. But some stores are kind enough to display a sample of items you'll get and its sizes (for clothes). I went crazy buying these as I find them really value for money. The pink luggage from Liz Lisa cost 10,000Yen but has a value of 20,000Yen. Super worth it!
Check how much our luggage has 'grown' over this trip.