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Summer'1516 EP3: Japan Trip 2015

Helllooo it's me!

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I'm back again for the annual post JK I will try to blog more from now on. There are so many nice photos that are just sitting in my phone/tablet. Plus, it is nice to look back on the previous posts and see how much my life has changed.

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Last summer break was the most eventful ride of my life. Okay, it wasn't... but travel-wise, it was super intensive and packed. I made sure that my summer wouldn't go to waste just like that (yeah, just like my summer break after first year uni). My family encouraged me to register for OCAC Tour in Taiwan during December. I also applied for a 4 week intensive language summer course in Chiang Mai. In between these two original plans, I managed to slot in a trip to Tokyo with Victoria (thank you gurl for inviting me). xoxo. 

I made it back to ANU the day before uni began and needless to say - every single day was planned, no joke. I'm pretty proud of myself for not screwing up somewhere in between HAHAAHA but it was so stressful planning for everything, making sure that flights connect, dates worked out and time was made worth. A lot of savings were spent but it was worth every cent of it.

The original plan was to post in a chronological order:

1.  OCAC Tour [Taiwan] 
2. Japan Trip [Tokyo]
3. Summer Exchange [Chiang Mai, Thailand]
4. Fam visits [Taiwan]

But I still haven't sorted my OCAC photos yet so it's really messy and everything. I'll get around to that one later on. I plan to do it in this order: 2-3-4-1 .... but yeah please excuse my poor writing skills. I'm just typing what's coming from my mind and normally it doesn't come out right.

PLANNING

Like I was saying, planning is a pain. I don't understand how some people enjoy planning...I just want to go out there and do things! Then again, I don't want to miss out on seeing some important places. For those who are interested in looking at our full Tokyo Schedule (including schedule time, POI/places, budget, transport & bookings) you can ask me on FB and I'll share it with you! Victoria and I worked on it online for a bit then spent a day at SLQ finalising everything. 

So we thought it was finalised. JOKES. While I stayed over at mom's in Taiwan for a few days before OCAC, I told mom and Jin about our Japan plans. Jin offered to help us out since he's Japanese himself and know his way around Tokyo. SO YES, this plan is legit. We printed out the schedule and filled in some undecided venues. He also suggested alternative routes (like shown in the above photo) and it saved us more time! We also made reservations for two traditional restaurants on the spot. Jin called them and since it's traditional and "indie", we had to make the booking in Japanese. While everything was happening, I just kept Victoria updated and asked for her preference on the spot. All in all, it was just absolutely purrrrfect.

WE HAD MAPS. Routes were drawn for some areas so we won't get lost. It saved us a lot of data and helped us exercised quite a bit.  

DEPARTURE

I left the morning after I left OCAC Tour on the 26th of December 2015. My flight was from Taoyuan to Shanghai, then from Shanghai to Haneda International Airport. Ended up spending the entire trip from Taoyuan to Shanghai playing bejeweled ayyy. I also had a lot of leg space since they put me in the first row <3

I had only a few minutes to transit and it was CRAZY. I was SO NERVOUS because I just made it in time. My mom was actually quite worried about connecting flights in Shanghai with limited time. Her experience tells her to NEVER trust the times because they'll always delay. Turns out my flight to Tokyo didn't delay at all (which meant I had to RUN). What made it more difficult was that the plane was really far from the airport and waiting for those shuttle buses took ages. What made it worse was that transit immigration officers took AGES to get people through. I was literally about to break while I waited for them to slowly process everything. Like betch I have a plane to catch in 15 minutes can you please hurry up. Yes eventually I managed to make it in time and boarded this little plane.

It wasn't the most comfortable plane ride. Too many turbulence and food was ew. Would not suggest/10 but it does get you to your destination so I guess it's ok.

FIRST NIGHT 

By the time I arrived, it was already quite late in the afternoon. When I went into the airport bathroom I was convinced 100% that I've actually managed to travel all the way here alone. THE BATHROOMS IN JAPAN ARE SO NICE! #muchtechnology. I also tried to get a SIM card at the airport but they didn't let me buy one since I wasn't 20. Or 21. Can't really remember. Luckily they had free wifi at all stations so I could kind of find my way to Shimbashi Station.

I did make it to Shimbashi Station but I went out on the wrong exit so I ended up being under a bridge and it was the wrong bridge #toomanybridges. So then I kind of just..strolled around with my suitcase. I didn't bother going down to the station again to find the right exit because my suitcase was too heavy and my arms would fall off if I had to go through those stairs again. Then smart me went to ask these Japanese working men (that just had their dinner in a small restaurant near the exit) how I could get to the hotel. Yeah I did some pointing and kanji writing but none of them know the "Ginza Hotel". Okay. I thought this hotel name would at least not sound so foreign to them..HAHAHAH. Anyways don't ask me how I found my way to the hotel but I was soooo excited and relieved that my inner compass and instincts have not failed me that night. 

By the time I arrived, it was already quite late and Vic would arrive in 30mins-ish so I decided to wait for her to check in together.

 

First selfie in Tokyo hehe

We were so tired and exhausted so we decided to have a chill night and buy dinner at the convenient store downstairs. It was greaaat since we haven't met each other since winter break in July. I'd like to take this chance to say how grateful I am to have her as my closest-but-not-physically-close friend. She's sooo amazing and are always there for me and my dramatic life. It just felt like she's been my friend for all my life but tbh we only met in high school. You dabes!

Yes, we went down to the convenient store and they had SO MANY options and we were there for about half an hour just deciding on what to get. I ended up buying some snacks as well! These snacks are sooo cute! I didn't really know the concept of japanese yen so I spent quite recklessly throughout the trip.

They all look very delicately made and asdfghjkl; so delicious. It was really hard for us to choose because this would be the only night where we'd eat at a convenient store #makeitcount.I bought instant noodles because I wanted soupy/noodles and it was greaatt! Japanese instant noodles have the best soup base I must say :)

Sooo tired from OCAC & flights

Oh and of course, hotel room pic!

The room was really compact but we had enough space to put two massive luggage down. The lighting was horrible at night though. There's a chair and coffee table at the corner. We raided the place before I got a chance to take a proper photo :x

Annnnd here's the bathroom. YES BUTT WARMING SEATS LOL

DAY ONE

We had complimentary breakfast at the hotel and it was sooo nice. I wouldn't mind eating here for all my meals throughout my stay! Excuse my tired face but here you can see the fooooood mmmMMmmM delicious. 

IMPERIAL PALACE

The place was really nice but the walk was super intense and tiring so don't venture there unless if you have good footwear and stamina. I thought I was going to get cramps from going up and down hills #unfit. The flowers were really pretty though.

YUSHIMA SHRINE

I think.

Remember watching this anime about a girl with a tail and being able to see gods. So when I came here I thought of Tenjin with that cheeky/jerk-like personality HAHAH Anyways, we were here to pray for Vic's success for GMAT!

oops my finger in the corner HAHAHAHA

UENO ZOO / 韻松亭
We went to Ueno Zoo after and rode the swan boats it's soo cute HHAHA but our legs were so tired after. It was also really cold so you can imagine how runny my nose went :'c

Victoria please don't kill me <3

After our ride, we went to 韻松亭 for lunch. This place was recommended by Jin. He said that he takes his clients here for meals and the food here is authentic, views are stunning and services are a solid 10/10. I can tell you that the food was amazing... as for views....see it for yourself!

****Cash Only**** 

The set that we booked was 2,600 yen per person.

Extremely hard to find in UENO AREA. You'll have to walk around a bit and watch out for this traditional looking house. It's not very obvious on the outside but just have a closer look. #goodluck HHAHAHA it took a while for us to find it too.

EKI BIRU EKIMISE / KIMONO EXPERIENCE
We arrived at Eki Biru Ekimise to go hire/buy Kimono afterwards. The shop name is called "Nadeshiko" and basically, just like other services, we pick the fabric and buy that. The shop will rent us the rest of the Kimono for a few hours as long as we return by 7pm.

So.tight.around.the.waist. I guess it improved my posture quite a bit. Spot the cat socks HAHHAHAHHA 

ASAKUSA SHRINE

We left our belongings at the shop and walked to Asakusa Shrine nearby. Only 2 streets down! The weather was really cold but I'm glad that I wore heat tech underneath all of this so it was bearable.

Eyebags so heavy. Such tire.

There were soo many people and we had to push through crowds. We bought some presents here as well! We walked back to the shop afterwards and returned everything (except for the dark purple cloth that I bought) and left to go to Tokyo Sky Tree for dinner! Was so tired and hungry by then :P

TOKYO SKY TREE / LA SORA SEED FOOD RELATION RESTAURANT
We walked around for a bit in Soramachi (Sky Tree Base) while we waited till our reservation time. They had anime shops and what not but I couldnt find what I wanted :( To get to La Sora Seed Food Relation Restaurant, we had to go across to another building that was linked to the base. Although it was quite far, but we were able to see these splendid night views <3

Thought this wall was really cute and pretty at the same time. Now I look at it and fear it slightly because I'm now lactose intolerant. Funny how things can change so much in a short amount of time /sobs.

Yess finally waiting in queue to go on top of the sky tree!

This place was sooo nice! We were the only non couple table actually. Who cares! We're here on a girl date! :D

Let the food photos roll in!
Note: it was really difficult for me to find a good angle because there was a light bulb right behind me so the shadow was really difficult to work around :(((((( I only picked out the okay looking ones so it's not everything on the menu.

Can't really remember how many courses we had but the meal took HOURS because they would serve them slowly. Here's our cute menu!

 The dessert was SO NICE. I would go back to have the dessert again!
Wish we got the table by the windows though. Next time, next time :)

DAY TWO

We made sure that today would be a chill day! 

We also had to change our schedule for the day and push some POI's to the next day #hairtooktoolong.

Another healthy start to the day! Maybe not that healthy but definitely nutritious...

Meiji Jingu

We took the train and got off at Harajuki Station and walked to Meiji Jingu. I didn't expect the walk from the entrance to be this long but it was sure a trek. The pebbles were hard to walk on and it felt like I was sinking every step I took and that the path was just never ending. Meanwhile people are wearing heels and still walking fine like w0t. 

I'm not sure what I asked but this was what I got.

We walked to Takeshita Dori after.

TAKESHITA DORI

Oh my golly gosh this place is great! It's really crowded though....and I feel so much older here because everyone's either a tourist or high school student.

Feels like you could dive down the lane into a crowd of people HAAHHA

Other than just coming here for the sake of it, we wanted to try the crepes here! It's a must. There were SOOOo MANY OPTIONS! From sweet to savoury!

I got berry mix and puff pastry !

It was really nice! We stood on the side of the road and ate it with all these strangers. 

Not sure what we had for lunch ... oops..

GOESWELL HAIR SALON

 YESSSSS We took ages trying to settle on a hair salon to do our hair. I wanted to get my hair dyed and Vic wanted to get it permed. This place was really well decorated #designonfleek

Entrance/reception area
mad lighting
11/10

Pic before I destroy my hair.

Taro couldn't speak english so Vic had to translate everything for me.
I studied Jap for 2 years in middle school.
I have several Japanese relatives.
My mom went to Tokyo Uni and even opened a Japanese cram school in Taiwan.
but
I don't even know how to speak Jap.
This was the moment where I wish I actually put in some effort into learning this language and continued learning it. Like I get the gist of it. I get some simple things and I can guess a bit but still not good enough to hold a casual conversation...

I didn't really know what I wanted either. I just said I wanted ombre. So yeah.

I almost cried when I saw this. Yeah he bleached it in strands. I was like, is this it? HAHAHHAHA oh my gosh. KMS. Vic and I both finished around 8-9pm at night. It took 4 hours longer than we anticipated so we had to push our schedule WAAY back. We still went to shibuya for dinner anyway because we were starving by then.

SHIBUYA
We didn't look at restaurants in Shibuya because we figured that this district should have plenty of restaurants (which is has)..BUT that was the very reason why we couldnt decide on what to eat. So we just walked into this nice looking restaurant on the Shibuya Crossing.

Now I can't remember what happened after this, did we go to big camera? I think so... I think so... YES we did! We bought it before the store closed. Listen folks, buy your technologies in Japan because it's cheap and we don't need to pay tax.

Anyways, I wanted to buy a tablet because my uni mini laptop is SUPER SLOW and annoying to take notes on...to the point where I reverted back into pen-style note taking.

The tablet itself costed around $900AUD. 

$350 difference compared to if I were to buy the tablet in Australia.

#worth

I didn't even feel anything when I swiped that commbank travel card at the counter.

#sooooworth

DAY THREE

Ginza Day!!! Have you noticed that we started our trip from the furthest destination and slowly narrowing down to the area where we stayed at? YES! That was our strategy because we know that we'll get lazy and slack off and get tired as each day passes. So we put day 3 as our SHOPPING day. YESS more spending. Exchange rate was good as well! 

I didn't take a photo of all the places we went but here are the ones that looked good hehe

I bought so many gifts from itoya for friends and fam omg

We had tea at this mocha/tea place and it was so classic and shit HAHHAA it made me so self conscious when I was pouring my tea.

the colours were so pretty under the sun!

COMICON / DIVER CITY / VENUS FORT / DAIBA

Man made land.

This place honestly didn't feel very Japan-like.

Here's a selfie of us crying with the polar bears. #climatechangeisreal

Comicon was quite underwhelming... there's just a bunch of people taking photos of cosplayers and BILLIONS of tables with artists' works. I did buy this pretty folder. We didn't come here for a specific artist so I think that's why we weren't too into it.

Diver City and Venus Fort was meh. We liked Shibuya more HAHAHHA #moresales #moreoptions 

SHIBUYA ROUND 2 / CAT CAFE

We decided to go back to Shibuya and spend more time there to shop for things suitable for our age.

We also went to visit the cat cafe and played with the cats for a bit <3

They were so cuuuute but most of them were sleeping since it was late.

DINNER GINZA

Another place recommended by Jin! They have really nice Japanese BBQ and reallly really reallly really cool interior design. It's basically underground and the place looks like a small Japanese village. The only downside is that they allow people to smoke here so it can smell a bit strong if you dont sit close to a vent.

Food was sooo nice! Would come back/10

DAY FOUR - LAST DAY

Disneyland!

I've been to Disneyland in the U.S when I was young but I don't really remember anything other than having to walk a lot. We arrived at Disneyland pretty early. How? We avoided Tokyo station because we would probably get pushed to a random platform at peak hour anyway HAHAH #jin'sadvice

It's time to be kids again!

isthisadream

I was so happy that I looked so derp in all the selfies we took but I guess some are okay for public eyes.

i am a meme

sorry vic please dont kill me

please let me keep that photo on i'll sacrifice my reputation with this photo. 

whatyoulookingat

eating that churro

LUNCH

Alice in wonderland restaurant.

V cute.

It took us 30mins to wait in queue for this cute meal <3

We didn't really DO much or go on rides (except for the ferris wheel) because the queues were massive. So we left disneyland and went to grab dinner close by (forgot where) and planned to come back for fireworks at night. Planned.

DINNER

Spontaneous location again!

Was pretty good though

After dinner I kind of just died because my blisters were getting really bad. So I actually went back to the hotel while vic stayed out for longer to shop for her things. 

Yes we did miss out on fireworks :(

Sighghhghghg 

But then I got the chance to take this photo hehe

I shopped very hard in 4 days.

I tried to finish all the cash I had so I bought some Sakura Kitkats at the airport

BYE JAPAN

Last meal in Japan <3
Thanks for treating me well.

and you're welcome

to some stranger out there

WHY?

because I lost my first suica (travel card) somewhere in ueno zoo on the second day.

I had 20,000 yen on it

Yeah I'm a disgrace omg

I was SOOO SOOO SOO SOOO DEVASTATED for the rest of the day

AND I STILL AM.

I just threw $250~ AUD down the drain like wtf.

lesson learnt: do not ever put too much money on a travel card. ever. or at least register the card so you can get it back.

Vic told me to think of it as a gift to Japan.

I think I'm just pure retarded to even think that it was a good idea even though suica could be used in many stores....

sigh

pretty depressing ending to my post right?

no worries at all

no worries

no

o

.

Congratulations for finishing the entire post <3

Till next time :)

p.s. thank you vic for making this trip happen xoxo