Tokyo Japan Day 3: Tokyo Skytree, Asakusa & Odaiba
Good afternoon, people!
Sorry, late entry again but better late than never, right? I'm back to continue my Japan travelogues so here goes.
Day 3 started with us checking out Tokyo Skytree, a television broadcasting and observation tower. This landmark is the tallest structure in Japan and overshadows the famous Tokyo Towers in terms of height.
And nope, we didn't go up the observation tower but we did attempted to take multiple wefies with it from the ground floor.
Tokyo Skytree also has a shopping complex and loads of eateries.
We visited a Studio Ghibli shop which sells merchandises of the characters found in popular Japanese animation films.
Totoro fans can shop till they drop here because there are Totoros EVERYWHERE.
Once again, the things ain't cheap but if you really want to go home with 1 or 2 merchandises from this shop, you can always get the more inexpensive items like stationery. They're very enticing too!
Found a rack that appealed more to me than Totoro - merchandises of Japanese animation movies Spirited Away and Howl's Moving Castle.
I watched them when I was still in my schooling years and I missed them so!
At Tokyo Skytree, we chanced upon these amazing seafood crackers from Echizen Kaisen Club that tasted wholesome and addictive. If you notice, the cracker contained a prawn that was flattened and grilled thinly into a crispy snack. The locals normally pair it with beer but you can always eat it on its own.
We bought a few packs for my parents and they loved it!
Tokyo Banana is a must-try, especially if you haven't tried one.
The Tokyo Banana with the giraffe prints is actually a chocolate banana version and I prefer it more than the original banana flavour. If you missed your chance to buy Tokyo Banana while travelling, you can still get them at the airport because they're similar in price! :D
After exploring Tokyo Skytree, we visited Asakusa Nakamise Shopping Street, a pretty commercialized street that was bustling with tourists and their huge cameras.
If you want to buy very touristy souvenirs for family and friends, you can get them along this street. I wasn't particularly interested in the souvenirs though because they reminded me of the kind of souvenirs you find in Singapore's Chinatown. Prices weren't super cheap as well but definitely cheaper than departmental store prices. We bought a couple of oriental pouches for my Mum, Aunt and Cousin.
If you're visiting Asakusa, you must definitely take photos with the huge red lantern at the entrance of the shopping street. The red lantern is the icon that represents Asakusa.
As you can tell, there were lots of people huddling below the lantern and nope, it wasn't for shelter purposes. There were actually some graphics/wordings underneath the lantern but I just couldn't understand what I was seeing so I didn't bother.
If you see ladies walking around Asakusa dressed in Yukatas, know that they're not locals. HA HA!
At Asakusa, you can be a Japanese for a day by renting and adorning a gorgeous floral Yukata while exploring the street. The outfit comes complete with a Japanese bag and shoes too and if I'm not wrong, the rental shop will also help to do your hair and makeup. I saw so many pretty ladies taking OOTDs that day.
Guys are not left out too. Similarly, they can also rent and wear a Yukata, although their Yukatas do look quite plain compared to the ladies'.
Although Asakusa wasn't great in terms of shopping for me, it was awesome in terms of food-hunting.
Did you remember that I shared about Melonpan in my blog entry on Mount Fuji Tour? This is how a Melonpan looks like traditionally if it is not Mount-Fuji inspired. Tasted as great though!
We also tried Ningyo Yaki, a sweet treat filled with warm red bean paste and comes in adorable shapes. It was so dleicious that I felt like getting another one but I didn't want to join the long queue so I gave up the idea.
You can get Ningyo Yaki from Ganso Kimuraya Ningyoyaki, the oldest ningyo yaki store in Asakusa.
I saw many people eating and taking photos of ice-cream burger so when I walked by an ice-cream burger store, I exclaimed, 'We must try this!'.
I chose matcha flavour which was so yummy. The downside was that the burger disappeared into my stomach really quickly in just a few bites. I want another one!
From Asakusa, we headed to Odaiba via a futuristic-looking water bus called the Hotaluna.
We made this transport booking in Singapore prior to the trip and it costs us around S$10.88 per pax to enjoy our 20 minute ride on the Hotaluna. Alternatively, you can always take the train to Asakusa but it would be less fun and scenic.
I spent most of my ride admiring the view and enjoying the breeze on top of the water bus.
In the last 5 minutes, I decided to head down to explore the bottom of the bus and realized that the interior was quite cosy with plenty of seats and a mini bar serving refreshments in the corner.
Reached Odaiba Seaside Park and found myself surrounded by Pokemon hunters.
Apparently, there were so many lures in this area that everyone was busy swiping Pokemon GO. Even the Ojiisans and Obasans were catching Pokemon.
If you're an active Pokemon hunter, you can try your luck in catching Farfetch'd, a Pokemon that's exclusive to Japan.
You don't need to travel all the way to New York City to find the Statue of Liberty because there she is!
In fact, she's Japanese over there. Just look at her iconically Japanese hairstyle!
From the Statue of Liberty, you can also spot another landmark, the Fuji Television Network, otherwise known as Fuji TV.
We came to Odaiba specially to check out this gigantic Gundam model. It looked way better at night.
Behind the life sized Gundam model is a shop selling the latest Gundam models and merchandise so Gundam fans rejoice!
The shop accepts cash only so be sure to carry enough moolahs with you if you want to get something from there. My sister bought a Gundam model as a surprise gift for my brother-in-law.
Ventured into another mall called Aqua City where we saw a humanoid at the information counter instead of a human staff. She looked so life-like that it creeped me out.
Odaiba looked beautiful and peaceful at night. It also seemed that the Odaiba streets were well prepared for Christmas with the majestic Christmas tree and the festive lighting.
See the bridge over there? That's Odaiba's Rainbow Bridge but I'm not sure what happened to the rainbow colours that night.
One can also spot Tokyo Towers behind Rainbow Bridge, which looked gorgeous as it glowed brightly in the dark. Interestingly, Tokyo Towers didn't looked as nice in the day compared to at night so if you want to visit, please choose night time for a better view.
Odaiba's Ferris Wheel is rainbow coloured though so get your cameras ready because their colours are a sight to behold. :)
Moving on to my last Japan travelogue now. On my last day in Japan, I spent my time at Ueno so if you want to find out more, stay tuned for the entry!
Sorry, late entry again but better late than never, right? I'm back to continue my Japan travelogues so here goes.
Day 3 started with us checking out Tokyo Skytree, a television broadcasting and observation tower. This landmark is the tallest structure in Japan and overshadows the famous Tokyo Towers in terms of height.
And nope, we didn't go up the observation tower but we did attempted to take multiple wefies with it from the ground floor.
Tokyo Skytree also has a shopping complex and loads of eateries.
We visited a Studio Ghibli shop which sells merchandises of the characters found in popular Japanese animation films.
Totoro fans can shop till they drop here because there are Totoros EVERYWHERE.
Once again, the things ain't cheap but if you really want to go home with 1 or 2 merchandises from this shop, you can always get the more inexpensive items like stationery. They're very enticing too!
Found a rack that appealed more to me than Totoro - merchandises of Japanese animation movies Spirited Away and Howl's Moving Castle.
I watched them when I was still in my schooling years and I missed them so!
At Tokyo Skytree, we chanced upon these amazing seafood crackers from Echizen Kaisen Club that tasted wholesome and addictive. If you notice, the cracker contained a prawn that was flattened and grilled thinly into a crispy snack. The locals normally pair it with beer but you can always eat it on its own.
We bought a few packs for my parents and they loved it!
Tokyo Banana is a must-try, especially if you haven't tried one.
The Tokyo Banana with the giraffe prints is actually a chocolate banana version and I prefer it more than the original banana flavour. If you missed your chance to buy Tokyo Banana while travelling, you can still get them at the airport because they're similar in price! :D
After exploring Tokyo Skytree, we visited Asakusa Nakamise Shopping Street, a pretty commercialized street that was bustling with tourists and their huge cameras.
If you want to buy very touristy souvenirs for family and friends, you can get them along this street. I wasn't particularly interested in the souvenirs though because they reminded me of the kind of souvenirs you find in Singapore's Chinatown. Prices weren't super cheap as well but definitely cheaper than departmental store prices. We bought a couple of oriental pouches for my Mum, Aunt and Cousin.
If you're visiting Asakusa, you must definitely take photos with the huge red lantern at the entrance of the shopping street. The red lantern is the icon that represents Asakusa.
As you can tell, there were lots of people huddling below the lantern and nope, it wasn't for shelter purposes. There were actually some graphics/wordings underneath the lantern but I just couldn't understand what I was seeing so I didn't bother.
If you see ladies walking around Asakusa dressed in Yukatas, know that they're not locals. HA HA!
At Asakusa, you can be a Japanese for a day by renting and adorning a gorgeous floral Yukata while exploring the street. The outfit comes complete with a Japanese bag and shoes too and if I'm not wrong, the rental shop will also help to do your hair and makeup. I saw so many pretty ladies taking OOTDs that day.
Guys are not left out too. Similarly, they can also rent and wear a Yukata, although their Yukatas do look quite plain compared to the ladies'.
Although Asakusa wasn't great in terms of shopping for me, it was awesome in terms of food-hunting.
Did you remember that I shared about Melonpan in my blog entry on Mount Fuji Tour? This is how a Melonpan looks like traditionally if it is not Mount-Fuji inspired. Tasted as great though!
We also tried Ningyo Yaki, a sweet treat filled with warm red bean paste and comes in adorable shapes. It was so dleicious that I felt like getting another one but I didn't want to join the long queue so I gave up the idea.
You can get Ningyo Yaki from Ganso Kimuraya Ningyoyaki, the oldest ningyo yaki store in Asakusa.
I saw many people eating and taking photos of ice-cream burger so when I walked by an ice-cream burger store, I exclaimed, 'We must try this!'.
I chose matcha flavour which was so yummy. The downside was that the burger disappeared into my stomach really quickly in just a few bites. I want another one!
From Asakusa, we headed to Odaiba via a futuristic-looking water bus called the Hotaluna.
We made this transport booking in Singapore prior to the trip and it costs us around S$10.88 per pax to enjoy our 20 minute ride on the Hotaluna. Alternatively, you can always take the train to Asakusa but it would be less fun and scenic.
I spent most of my ride admiring the view and enjoying the breeze on top of the water bus.
In the last 5 minutes, I decided to head down to explore the bottom of the bus and realized that the interior was quite cosy with plenty of seats and a mini bar serving refreshments in the corner.
Reached Odaiba Seaside Park and found myself surrounded by Pokemon hunters.
Apparently, there were so many lures in this area that everyone was busy swiping Pokemon GO. Even the Ojiisans and Obasans were catching Pokemon.
If you're an active Pokemon hunter, you can try your luck in catching Farfetch'd, a Pokemon that's exclusive to Japan.
You don't need to travel all the way to New York City to find the Statue of Liberty because there she is!
In fact, she's Japanese over there. Just look at her iconically Japanese hairstyle!
From the Statue of Liberty, you can also spot another landmark, the Fuji Television Network, otherwise known as Fuji TV.
We came to Odaiba specially to check out this gigantic Gundam model. It looked way better at night.
Behind the life sized Gundam model is a shop selling the latest Gundam models and merchandise so Gundam fans rejoice!
The shop accepts cash only so be sure to carry enough moolahs with you if you want to get something from there. My sister bought a Gundam model as a surprise gift for my brother-in-law.
Ventured into another mall called Aqua City where we saw a humanoid at the information counter instead of a human staff. She looked so life-like that it creeped me out.
Odaiba looked beautiful and peaceful at night. It also seemed that the Odaiba streets were well prepared for Christmas with the majestic Christmas tree and the festive lighting.
See the bridge over there? That's Odaiba's Rainbow Bridge but I'm not sure what happened to the rainbow colours that night.
One can also spot Tokyo Towers behind Rainbow Bridge, which looked gorgeous as it glowed brightly in the dark. Interestingly, Tokyo Towers didn't looked as nice in the day compared to at night so if you want to visit, please choose night time for a better view.
Odaiba's Ferris Wheel is rainbow coloured though so get your cameras ready because their colours are a sight to behold. :)
Moving on to my last Japan travelogue now. On my last day in Japan, I spent my time at Ueno so if you want to find out more, stay tuned for the entry!