AlvinZ's Photo blog: 東京 Tokyo Trip (1

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Flight Details

Wed., 1 Apr., 2015 \| Singapore, Singapore (SIN) to Tokyo, Japan (NRT - Narita)
Depart: 06:10 Wed., 1 Apr., 2015 Singapore, Singapore (SIN)	Arrive: 14:20 Wed., 1 Apr., 2015 Tokyo, Japan (NRT - Narita)	Travel Time: 7 hr 10 mn	Flight distance: 3,328 m/5,356 km	Flight:UA804 Aircraft: Boeing 777-200 Fare Class: United Economy (K) Meal: Breakfast
Tue., 7 Apr., 2015 \| Tokyo, Japan (NRT - Narita) to Singapore, Singapore (SIN)
Depart: 17:55 Tue., 7 Apr., 2015 Tokyo, Japan (NRT - Narita)	Arrive: 00:05 +1 Day Wed., 8 Apr., 2015 Singapore, Singapore (SIN)	Travel Time: 7 hr 10 mn	Flight distance: 3,328 m/5,356 km	Flight:UA803 Aircraft: Boeing 777-200 Fare Class: United Economy (K) Meal: Dinner

Cost: $672.60 SGD
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Accommodation

1 Apr - Com Com Manga Café
2 Apr - Anne Hostel Asakusabashi - JPY 2,800
3 Apr - Khaosan Tokyo Original - JPY 2,200
4 Apr - Airbnb - SGD$31
5 Apr - Sakura Hotel Jimbocho - JPY 3,300
6 Apr - Backpackers Hostel K's House Tokyo - JPY 3,300

List minute booking of accommodation, I had to hop different hostel everyday for the trip

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1 April 15, Wed (水)

In-flight food

Flight details

Arrived at Narita Terminal 1

15°C temperature

Trying to figure out the train

Skyliner - KEISEI Electric Railway

Toilet onboard the train

Power sockets available to charge phone

PASMO card (Fare to Ueno ¥1,235) and Skyliner ticket (¥1,230)

Arrived at Ueno station

Gantry

Platform

Ginza Station

Yūrakuchō Station - Resturants and drinking places below the JR Yamanote Line

First meal in Tokyo: カツ丼 Katsudon for ¥680

The shop uses a machine that will vend out your order(s) in a ticket which you will pass to the shop

Getting dark

勝鬨橋

COM COM Cafe as recommended by Tokyo Cheapo for visiting the Tsukiji Fish Market on the following morning. This is a cubicle that allows you to lie down, however it measures about 1.6m by 1.3m, so people who are taller may have problems stretching in the tight space.

There are limited "cubicles", you may not be always lucky.

Spent ¥2,080 + ¥100 (Cup noodle) in total. Drinks such as coffee, tea and soft drinks are free.

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2 April 15, Thu (木)

Tsukiji fish Market layout. It is important to check the opening days too.
http://tokyocheapo.com/entertainment/9-things-you-should-know-before-visiting-the-tsukiji-fish-market-tuna-auction/

Waiting area, already crowded since 3.30am... Unlike what was mentioned in the TokyoCheapo website, the waiting area is not cold. And there is only 2 groups: First will depart 5.25am and second 5.50am. It will be a long wait.

Walking within the compound. Listen to the officers, as there are heavy traffic.

Carefully inspecting each piece of meat for quality

Tuna Auction

It sounded like he is singing.

Verdict: It isn't quite worth the trouble to wake up early in the morning and wake for about 2hrs for the Tuna Auction. The viewing area is relatively cramped and hardly able to see properly, needless to say getting a nice shot. There isn't much action as I would expect from an auction.

I can store my backpack in the locker for ¥300 at the metro station

Tsukiji Hongan-ji (築地本願寺)

Seafood

¥2,500 Chirashizushi (ちらし寿司) breakfast

Busy market

Chopping board

Busy people moving around

Using an electric saw to cut the frozen fish

Cutting up the tuna

Walking through the Tsukiji Fish market... Personally, I would prefer Noryangjin Fish Market (Seoul) for it's energy and actions. The Koreans store owners are engaging to get businesses than the Japanese.

Cutting up the tuna

Vending machines

自由の女神像 at Odaiba

Gundam RX-78-2 at DiverCity

Museum of Maritime Science (Fune-no-Kagakukan)

Tokyo Big Sight

A western looking site for wedding photography

Sakura

The Tokyo Rinkai Disaster Prevention Park

Visitors will be given a tablet, and it will give an interactive guide and quiz.

Tokyo Tower

大本山増上寺

Aquarium Gallery

I don't normally buy souvenir , but I still ended up spending ¥3,250 on stickers, toy magnets and rubber stamps. I bet any marine lovers will go crazy coming in here.

Stairs to climb... One of the challenges in the station in Tokyo. Travelers with big heavy luggage may have a problem as not all exits have lifts.

Nice room of Anne Hostel Asakusabashi

Washing area

Kitchen

AKB48 cafe and Gundam Cafe are just at Akihabara Station itself

Tried to look for the canned ramen vending machine, but couldn't find it.
See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCXgyRoL2_k&sns=fb for example

¥980 Ramen

Cute neko drink at Home Cafe

No English speaking maido

Instax with Maido

3D poster...

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3 April 15, Fri (金)

In the train

Khaosan Tokyo Original

Sakura

Tokyo SkyTree missing due to the mist

雷門

Multiple shops selling souvenirs and snacks as you walk North along the Nakamise-dōri (仲見世通り)

浅草寺, Sensōji

Takoyaki - It is best to visit during weekend for more street food.

Pagoda

Cat cafe "Asakusa Nekoen" (猫カフェ【浅草ねこ園】)

Just woke up look

Cat snacks are sold at ¥100 per pack

I want some too!

Cat fur everywhere!

Do price comparison between the souvenirs shops as they carry about the same items but at different price

Mochi

Hachikō ハチ公 statue at Shibuya station

Cute Hachikō mascot promoting the anniversary that will take place on 8 Apr 15

Shibuya Crossing

Daiso

Sleeping under bridge?

I walked from Shibuya to Harujuku

Nice ramen for ¥1,180

Harujuku

View from Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building 東京都庁第一本庁舎南展望室

This observatory is good for travelers on a budget because it is free while Tokyo Tower and Tokyo SkyTree charges admission fee.

Revisit when the sun is down

Night time Sensō-ji

Lanterns

Grill at 磯丸水産浅草店

Scallop （扇贝） is so good. Sazae-oni (海螺) and Hamaguri (白蛤) on the other hand were inferior.

No seasonings were used, yet the scallop taste splendid

Tuna cheek and prawns. The lightly grilled tuna cheek is so tender.

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4 April 15, Sat (土)

Panoramic view from Khaosan

The futuristic looking Sumida River Cruise

4th day of Tokyo, I am heading towards Yokohama

Shopping for bento

Bento for ¥699 which is relatively value for money because it is very filling.

帆船日本丸 - Nippon Maru museum ship

Nice waste collection vehicle

Cosmo Clock 21 is a giant Ferris wheel at the Cosmo World amusement park

カップヌードルミュージアム (Cupnoodles Museum)

The very first batch of instant noodle

Instant Noodles History Cube

Momofuku Theater provides an animation about Momofuku Ando and how he created instant noodle.

Momofuku Ando's work shed

Art work based on cup noodles

Momofuku Ando (1910-2007)

Chicken Ramen Factory - Hands-on session to learn how to make noodles from the raw ingredient

CUPNOODLES Park - Playground

NOODLES BAZAAR World Noodles Road

My CUPNOODLES Factory - Customise your personal cup noodle. Other than self-decoration on the foam cup, most of the tasks are completed by their staff.

First, buy an empty cup from the vending machine at ¥300

Decorate your own cup with the markers provided

The upside down technique of putting the noodle into the cup

Select 3 ingredients

Sealing the cup lid

Plastic wrap

Shrink wrap with heat

Put into an "air bag" as a carrier

Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse 横浜赤レンガ倉庫

Yokohama Customs building (The Queen) 横浜税関

Kanagawa Prefectural Office (The King) 神奈川県庁

Yokohama Port Opening Memorial Hall (The Jack) 横浜市開港記念会館

Chinatown of Yokohama

Panda

Pau

Yokohama Marine Tower マリンタワー

Yamashita Park 山下公園

Yokohama Doll Museum 横浜人形の家

Bus ride

Double deck train

Shinkawasaki Station

Staying at an apartment from Airbnb

Souvenirs from the Cup noodle museum for ¥1,110

Supper was my personalised cupnoodle

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5 April 15, Sun (日)

Shinto Kanamara Matsuri (かなまら祭り, "Festival of the Steel Phallus") at Kanayama Shrine (金山神社)

Candles

Grilled squid for ¥400

Candies

Priest

Long queue for the hand-made candies

The queue took about 1.5hrs

Phallus candies ¥700 each

Crowded despite the rain

Posing with the wooden penis

Squid shaped into penis

Licking the vagina-shaped candy

Posing with... the "Dick head"...

Performance

The parade

Giant pink penis

Vending machine for the meal ticket

Tempura on rice and Soba (¥690)

Yasukuni Shrine (靖國神社)

Rikugien Gardens (六義園)

Ramen ¥680

Meguro River (目黒川)

Street lights

Night scene

Taiyaki ¥210

中目黒駅 Nakameguro Station

Sakura Hotel Jimbocho. There is no power socket at my bunk with was at the top and I had to climb up and down to check on my stuffs.

Shower

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6 April 15, Mon (月)

Cafe of Sakura hotel

Drinks station

Breakfast

K's House Tokyo

The room was not ready yet

Handrail

Ueno Park

Ueno Zoo

Yanaka Cemetery

Cat

サンシャイン60展望台

View from Sunshine 60's observation deck

Bird's eye view

Spent ¥4,890 on a shark t-shirt, keychains, fridge magnet and garden eel pen.

Cats at Higashiikebukuro Central Park

Eating fried chicken

Cat logic

雞白湯

Meiji Shrine

Yoyogi park

Playing games

People continued to picnic till the closing time of the park

Harujuku

Tokyo Station

Minowa area

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7 April 15, Tue (火)

Fried chicken

Ramen with 2 different types of eggs

Imperial Palace

Fugu Sashimi

risotto

Japanese Traditional Sweet bread from Asakusa Kagetsudo - Delicious and soft, there will be long queues during weekends. Visit during weekday for shorter queue.