Tokyo/Kyoto Apr12 - Day 7 8 9 10 11

Fushimi Inari Shrine, Kyoto

Rows and rows of Torii gates that lead into the wooded forest of the scared Mount Inari. It stretches so far in that we had no idea where it ends. Had to turnaround half-way (or was it less?) Interesting sight but if you're not big on hiking, just venture in for awhile and be ready to move on to your next destination. Bought a miniature torii gate on which we wrote our names & well wishes. Hung it on a rack together with several others, all in hope of good health and luck. See my kiddish handwriting? :p

"The torii gates along the entire trail are donations by individuals and companies, and you will find the donator's name and the date of the donation inscribed on the back of each gate. The cost starts around 400,000 yen for a small sized gate and increases to over one million yen for a large gate." - japan guide

Soon enough we caught a bus to the Nishiki Market.

"錦市場 (Nishiki Ichibai) is a narrow, five block long shopping street lined by more than one hundred shops and restaurants. Known as "Kyoto's Kitchen", this lively retail market specializes in all things food related. Nishiki Market has a pleasant, but busy atmosphere that is inviting to those who want to explore the variety of culinary delights that Kyoto is famous for. Some of the shops freely give out samples or sell sample dishes and skewers meant to be eaten then and there. The market has a history of several centuries, and many stores have been operated by the same families for generations. It all started as a fish wholesale district, with the first shop opening around 1310. A larger variety of shops moved in later, and the area changed from a wholesale market to retail. Today it remains an important market for Kyoto and is often packed with locals and tourists alike." - japan guide

Colorful and vibrant yes, but it was more window marketing than anything else. Mainly dried produce and hardly any food stalls. A little bit of a disappointment as we were very hungry at that time, but still worth walking the long street from end to the other.

Moved on to the Philosopher's Path in the evening.

"The Philosopher's Path (哲学の道, Tetsugaku no michi) is a pleasant stone path through the northern part of Kyoto's Higashiyama district. The path follows a canal which is lined by hundreds of cherry trees. Usually in early April these trees explode with color, making this one of the city's most popular hanami (cherry blossom viewing) spots." - japan guide

However it was the tailend of the sakura season already. With the trees almost bare, and with rarely any cafes open, this place looks really plain & impressionless. Of course everything's relative. Google 'philosopher's path' and you'll know what I mean. Needless to say the walk felt like any walk along any canal.. Which is a pity because people come here to be inspired!

Returned to Tokyo and stayed in Ginza. What a change.

"The Ginza (銀座) is Tokyo's most famous upmarket shopping, dining and entertainment district, featuring numerous department stores, boutiques, art galleries, restaurants, night clubs and cafes. One square meter of land in the district's center is worth over ten million yen, making it one of the most expensive real estate in Japan. A visit is most pleasant on a weekend afternoon, when the central Chuo Dori street gets closed to traffic and become a large pedestrian zone. The closure takes place from 14:00 to 17:00 on Saturdays and from 12:00 to 17:00 on Sundays (until 18:00 from April through September)" - japan guide

Found the 12-storey high Uniqlo. Like wow.

With this I finally finally conclude our Japan trip 2012 =)))

Tokyo/Kyoto Apr 12 - Day 4

Went back to the Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden again as S' parents have yet to experience the real sakura atmosphere. It was apparently the last Sunday for Hanami and we expected a large picnic crowd. True enough some trees were beginning to "shed" and they look quite different from what we had seen 3 days ago. Hardly any full and plump trees left. Nonetheless, the remaining sakuras still hold their beauty and we were once again mesmerized by the sweet dreamy colours.. Not much of a crowd so we were quite comfortable strolling around.

Here's an interesting sight. Do you realize that there are 3 different colours of sakura flowers branching out from the same tree? Pretty cool right? No wonder it attracted a crowd. Photo on top right shows a zoomed in shot of this one tree. On bottom right, flowers still waiting to bloom. So rare for this time of the month. What a late bloomer!

Glad that the oldies loved it. Who wouldn't? One thing I love about the end of the season is the carpet full of fallen petals that looks so soft you feel like you can open your arms wide & fall back onto all that fluff . Romantic ttm ;)

Moving on to Roppongi Hills, we dropped the oldies at Mori Tower so that they could go up the observatory deck (S and I had already been) and enjoy some ongoing exhibition. There was a separate ONE PIECE exhibition that seems to be hugely popular with the locals (meaning long queue). I read the comic before and I enjoyed it but not to the extent of wanting to wait in a queue. Oh, you can read more about Maman (the spider sculpture) here. S and I stopped by the Joel Robuchon bakery as the pastries look so colorful & fancy. Tried the No. 1 popular bread (some curry bread thing) but it wasn't good. Perhaps their desserts are better. Spotted sakura macarons at Starbucks! Wanted to buy some back to sg but I couldn't find them anywhere else :l

Sashimi dinner in the hotel again. Favourite. But given our greediness, it wasn't enough. So we ventured out to find some yakitori supper that we've been craving for. It's not bad but not the best. We need to go back Yokohama again for THAT best yakitori that's always etched in our memories!

Tokyo/Kyoto Apr12 - Day 2

When your trip is so long it's really a drag to blog all about it. But I must persevere. Don't wanna go searching for lost memories when I'm old.. Ok let's continue. Early in the morn we walked from our hotel to the Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden to do "Hanami" ( which means flower viewing). According to a website this is supposed to be the best place to Hanami in Tokyo. It's supposed to be the tailend of the sakura season already but luck was with us. Some trees were still in full bloom while some were starting to bare. Overall, very satisfied with the outcome. This is exactly what we're here for! (other than the food of course) Such a mesmerizing sight. More so with the sakura shower (petals raining down when the gentle wind blows). 太美了！Too bad they didn't allow alochol in the premises (we actually brought our own champagne). I'll leave the rest of the talking to the photos...

After about 2 hours we left for lunch. Booked this 2 Michelin-starred restaurant a few months ago. Haven't been to a starred restaurant in Japan so was quite excited...and it didn't disappoint! Albeit French cuisine, there's a slight Japanese touch to it; there were even sakura petals added to one of the dishes. Nothing too fancy or inventive and each course suited our tastes very well, especially since it's more geared towards seafood. Paired with a nice bottle of Burgundy white. Ichiban! Definitely will be back.

Name: Les Créations de Narisawa 

Location: Minami Aoyama 2-6-15 Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-0062

Expenditure: ~29,000yen (7,350yen pp for set lunch + a bot of wine)

S' parents arrived a day later than us. It's their maiden trip to Japan so I, as the appointed tour guide, was a bit nervous. Took them out to experience the lively Shinjuku night atmosphere. Dropped by a traditional-looking beer place where lots of businessmen in suits gather after work and stand around makeshift tables drinking beer and ordering beer food non-stop. This was followed by a satisfying sushi dinner.

Tokyo/Kyoto Apr12 - Day 1

Arrived Haneda airport at 5am. Took airport limousine bus to Shinjuku station West Exit ~30mins. Got pretty lost in this huge station; took us a long while before we figured out the right exit (Exit B9) that wld lead to our hotel - Best Western Shinjuku. Too early to check in, so we left our luggages at the counter and went to Tsukiji Fish Market. On our previous visit we only managed to have a sushi meal but this time round we ventured further in and walked the aisles and aisles of fresh seafood on sale. This part of the market is open to public at 9am so if you're thinking of shopping, do come on time. (Fyi they now open the 5am tuna auction to a limited number of visitors only so do check their website for more details). As an avid seafood lover, this was definitely an eye-opener because of the endless variety of sea creatures on display - many of them in the most qwerky shapes and unthinkable sizes! Haven't seen so many types/grades of uni (photo below) before. Yums. Bought some sashimi, then went to a sushi shop for lunch. Will never have the patience like other tourists to queue for some of the sushi shops that offer really cheap options. Chose the one that we patronized last time (signboard says 市場 something) . Short queue but suits us fine.

Back to hotel for check-in. Decent size by Tokyo's standard. New, modern and clean. Location can be slightly better but good enough for me. Worked on the sashimi we bought at Tsukiji earlier in the morning. Caught a wink then headed out at night to walk around the vicinity. Settled for a tempura dinner but I suddenly fell very sick so couldn't enjoy at all. Pity.