Thursday, April 23, 2015

Inspiration from Japan

Sharing some of the most enduring images in my mind from the recent trip to Japan in March/April 2015.

Collage of cherry blossoms against the bright blue skies over Kyoto (by Joanna Yeoh)


Collage of sakura trees along Philosopher's Walk in north Kyoto (by Joanna Yeoh)


First view of Mt Fuji from Lake Ashinoko in Hakone (by Joanna Yeoh)


Magnificent Mt Fuji (by Joanna Yeoh)



Ancient cedar woods around Lake Ashi (by Joanna Yeoh)


Ancient bamboo forests in Arashiyama, west Kyoto (by Joanna Yeoh)


Close-up of cherry blossoms (by Joyce Cheam)


Colourful kois (by Joyce Cheam)



Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Japan Travel Itinerary - Spring 2015

I had a wonderful time visiting Japan again this spring during the cherry blossom season, and shared the experience real-time via Facebook.  This triggered a host of requests from my friends, asking me to share the itinerary of my recent visit.  Which I'm very happy to do now via this post.

First and foremost, I must thank my wonderful travel companions, Li Ki and Joyce, for all the fun, laughter, patience and hairy moments that come with travelling overseas on our own - especially when we don't speak the language.  I love that we used our strengths to the max!


(L-R) Joyce, Joanna and Li Ki

Now for our travel itinerary…

1) Tokyo (3 days)

Hotel:  Prince Hotel in Shinjuku.  Only 10 minutes walk from the Shinjuku Station which was super convenient to get around Tokyo, and beyond via Shinkansen (bullet train)

Shopping:  Shinjuku is THE shopping mecca in Tokyo with all the major department stores having their flagship outlets here.  I liked Isetan and Mitsui OIOI best.  The range of cosmetics stores was surprisingly limited in Shinjuku.  Head to Harajuku for a dose of cosplay and shopping bargains.  The 5-storey Daiso store there has an interesting range of affordable household gadgets and souvenirs.



Cherry Blossom spots:  Ueno Park is a lovely spot to see the flowers in bloom.  While it was extremely crowded, everyone was relatively well-behaved.  People tend to move along without blocking others from viewing the cherry blossoms.  Lots of cafes and restaurants around Ueno Station for bentos, coffees and ice cream.


Surprise Find:  Roof Garden on Level 8 of Isetan flagship store in Shinjuku.

There's a huge food hall in the basement of Isetan with an amazing range of affordable Japanese and international food - everything from sushi, sashimi, tempura, yakitori, salads, croquette to French pastries, Chinese dim sum, Indian curries and Italian pasta.  We bought our lunch from the food hall and went up to the roof garden for a picnic feast.

Don't be put off by the lift that only goes up to Level 7.  Climb that one flight of stairs to the roof garden.  It's worth it!


2)  Hakone (2 days)

Hotel:  Hotel Okada is comfortable with a choice of western beds or Japanese tatami for sleep.  Choose the tatami.  Opt for the catered Japanese dinners, which are delicious and come in extremely large portions. Every set has 2 main courses with 6 dishes each.   Might want to consider sharing 2 sets between 3-4 adults because we couldn't finish our individual sets.  Breakfast is so-so.


Hakone is one of the best places from which to view Mt Fuji.  This was taken at Lake Ashi.

Getting to and around Hakone is super easy if you get the all-in Hakone Free Pass from Shinjuku Station in Tokyo.  Go to the international travel counter at Odakyu Shopping Centre next to Shinjuku Station and they will sort you out.

The Hakone Free Pass by Odakyu Railways is a special pass for exploring Hakone, and includes: 
1) One round trip from the Tokyo area to Hakone by Odakyu Railways, unless you purchase the pass inside the free area, e.g. at Odawara, Hakone-Yumoto or Mishima Stations. 
2) Unlimited use of Odakyu affiliated buses, trains, boats, cablecars and ropeways within the Hakone free area. 
3) Discounted admission to selected tourist attractions. 

Hakone Free Pass (as of April 1, 2014)
2-day pass
3-day pass
From Shinjuku Station 
5,140 yen 
5,640 yen 
Purchased inside the free area
(e.g. Odawara Station) 
4,000 yen 
4,500 yen 
Reduced rates (almost 75%) apply for children. 


3) Kyoto (3 days)


Ryokan (Inn) : Kikokuso is the ONLY place I'd stay in Kyoto.  The Yoshimura family has owned the inn for four generations and the level of hospitality is sublime.  We stayed with the family in 2013 and it was the highlight of our trip!  Grandma Yoshimura literally squealed in delight when she saw us again this time.

Book early to get the room with ensuite bathroom.  The other rooms with shared bathroom facilities are good too.


Cherry Blossom Viewing:  For my favourite spots, read this blog post.





With Grandma and Grandpa Yoshimura outside Kikokuso


Food:  You MUST try the keiseki (imperial set) dinner at Kikosuko.  It will be the most beautiful and delicious meal of your entire trip.  Mrs Yoshimura is so beautiful and graceful in her kimono, you will be thoroughly spoilt by her hospitality.


Honke Owariya is one of the oldest soba shops in Japan, dating from 1465 - when Kyoto was the royal capital.  The set lunches are reasonably priced and the cold soba is delicious.  There are 2 branches and we've tried both.  I think the original one is better.

From there, you can walk to Nishiki Market which has a good array of Japanese foods for sale.  Good place to pick up tea, seaweed condiments and Japanese pickles. A little touristy but still worth a visit.  Lots of macha (green tea) desserts to try.


4) Osaka (1 day)




Osaka is just a 30-minute train ride from Kyoto so it's easy to do a day trip.  If you're flying from Kansai Airport in Osaka, you can store your luggage in the lockers at the train station and see the city in a day before heading to the airport.

Shopping/Sightseeing:  Dotonburi is the place to see and be seen.  If nothing else, come and take a photo with the giant crab.  The other shop signs are quite outlandish too.


Food:  The only reason we come to Osaka is for the food, especially okonomiyaki, which is a delicious egg omelette stuffed with seafood, pork and vegetables.  Mizuno in Dotonburi is very popular and rightly so.  They cook the okonomiyaki on a grill right at your table, and it takes every ounce of willpower to wait for the food to cook and avoid drooling.  Just keep yourselves occupied by taking lots of photos!

For fans of takoyaki (grilled octopus balls), you'd be happy to know that the dish originated in Osaka too.  I'm told the stall opposite Mizuno is quite good (sorry - I don't like the taste of takoyaki so I really can't vouch for any vendor)

Market:  Try Kuromon Market for an authentic experience of a Japanese market.  Lots of fresh fruit, sushi, sashimi and Japanese pastries to try.  I personally found it more authentic than Nishiki Market in Kyoto and the stallholders seemed friendlier too.  Iburi Coffee House is a cute little 1920's art deco shop serving great coffee, hot chocolate and waffles.  This market totally rocks because they provide a large seating area for tourists to eat their takeaway meals while enjoying FREE WIFI.

Wednesday, April 01, 2015

Sakura Springtime

What an absolute delight it is to experience Japan during the sakura (cherry blossom) season!  We were so blessed to arrive at all the main attractions just as the flowers came into full bloom, and experienced perfect springtime weather.

Here's are my three favourite Hanami (flower-viewing) spots:

1) Philosopher's Walk, Kyoto *

This is a beautiful path along a canal lined with hundreds of cherry blossom trees.  It's a 2km walk from Ginkakuji (Silver Pavilion) to Nanzenji that's so breathtakingly beautiful, it's almost surreal.  It was so hard to just put down the camera for a minute and take in the splendour of the moment:  the pink blossoms against the blue skies juxtaposed against the natural green plants that lined the canal.







2)  Gardens at Tenryu-ji Temple, Arashiyama (Kyoto) *

The Tenryu-ji temple was established in 1339 by shogun Ashikaga Takauji, and presided over by the eminent Zen master Muso Soseki.  This is a World Heritage Site and there's a 500yen fee to get into the gardens, which I highly recommend because the cascading cherry blossoms create walls of fragrant pink flowers every where you turn!  I'm told the autumn scenes are equally stunning.







3) Around Hakone *

Hakone is an area famous for its hot springs, located about 100km away from Tokyo.  The mountains, bridges and streams provide a very pretty backdrop to the cherry blossoms that dot the landscape.


Photo courtesy of Khaw Li Ki, which was taken on a moving bus.  Well done Seester!



* Please click on the individual links for more travel ideas and information from Japan-Guide.Com