Japan Trip Day 2: Sanrio Puroland, Harajuku, Tokyo Bay Fireworks Festival.
Day 2: 10th August 2008 Sunday
Sanrio Puroland, Harajuku, Tokyo Bay Fireworks Festival.
Weather: Sunny/ raining at night
Related links: Sanro Puroland website: http://www.puroland.co.jp/english/welcome.html
Print and present their e-coupon to save 300yen.
Took these photos while waiting for Vania who is bathing.
* Day 2 of our stay and our room is already turning into a Nodame-style room
* The scenery from our room
We left the hotel at around 9am for Sanrio Puroland, taking the Keio Line from Shinjuku, transiting at Chofu and alighting at Tama-Center.
* Walking towards JR Shinjuku South Entrance, the clock also show the day’s temperate
* Inside of the Keio Line Train, where Vania refuses to talk to me on train.
* Scenery of the train ride, you know you’re in Japan when you see houses like this XD
It’s a short 5 minute walk from the train station at Puroland and wow, the sight of this fantasy theme park sure blew me away.
* Walking up this steep slope (pant pant pant)
* Turn left to see a Warner brother’s shop and go down at this street
* TA TA~ I was going WOW at the scene till I walk closer and notice the peeling paint work =A=
Even though we plan to arrive on the dot at its opening hour, there is already a crowd ahead of us. While purchasing of the admission fee, the cashier even handed us a free gift! How nice! The theme park is pretty small though.
Our first ride is the Boat Ride, which is like around a 20 minutes wait? The theme is the ride seems to be the cinnamonroll and friends are organizing a party and invite all Sanrio characters to a party. There’s the smell of sweet cinnamon at the beginning of the ride and as the ride progress, we can see how each character prepare for the party.
During the Sanrio Character Boat Ride
Most of the photos I had here are blur so here are some select better ones.
* The moment we saw this door, we got ready our camera. It seems to be EPIC behind these doors …
* and it sure is! ‘ Gets blinded by a dazzling sparkles and shimmering of the display’
* I never seen this Sanrio character before…
* Little Twin Stars! One of my favorites XD
* Next, a must visit to the Hello Kitty house herself!
* The shops of theme park
* I wanted to sit on it~ but in the end I’m embarrass to try oTL
* Closer shoot of Hello Kitty House
After a five minute wait, it’s our turn to enter the house.
Hello Kitty’s House
* Statue at the entrance part of the house
* Dining room, the fireplace looks emoish.
* Dresser table
* Hello Kitty Bed looks poor compare to the rest of the display and hey I even wore pink for Hello Kitty!
* While queuing up for a photo picture with Hello Kitty, I was amused to see kids trying to push the books in place at the shelves. You see, when one book is in place, another book will tilt outwards! So you see these kids running around, trying to push the books in time XD
Inside the largest shop in the theme park: Festival Plaza
* An interesting alternative for Hello Kitty! Rawr!
While I was on the way to the toilet, I saw…
* Daniel! Vania wasn’t by my side so I had to ask the father of the family queuing behind me to take a photo for me (“Sumimasen, photo please? ‘point camera to Daniel and me’)
At the shop Vivitix at second level where they sell more practical items like watches/ clothes for adults etc
* Hey guys, will you wear this? Admit it, I know you do >=D
Click to viewWhile debating to have lunch within the theme park or going outside, we notice there’s a parade of small children and mascots marching towards this stage, and there was a performance where kids have fun dancing with the mascots.
We went to have a quick visit to the food center of the theme park where they sold ramen and hotdogs and … it does not really look appetizing with its instant ramen appearance and hello kitty shaped fishcakes.
Actually I was hoping to watch a dance show at Marchen Theater, but we decide to skip it due to time constraint.
* One last photo before we leave the theme park
We didn’t see much interesting restaurant at the area outside so we bought some bento at a supermarket and sit by the street. It’s a new experience for me to sit under the shades of the trees, watching people briskly walking pass and tucking in a yummy bento *bliss*
* YUMMY!
Still… it’s very difficult to look for a dustbin! Can’t believe we spend such a long time to look for a non-existent dustbin. In the end, we become inconsiderate tourists and stuff the trash in a recycle bin for cans. I’m so sorry for begin so considerate!! But we really have to leave!
Next stop is Harajuku, we took the wrong exit and have to walk a distance to the correct exit. Our destination is Meiji Shrine, where we pass by the area where cosplayers are supposed to gather. But we didn’t get to see any so I console myself by thinking they come later in the afternoon.
Meiji Shrine, in my opinion is not a good place to go! True, we need to walk through a beautiful dense forest but the gravelly path makes my leg hurts! Worse I feel there’s nothing much to see Meiji shrine! (Y_Y) Maybe we should have visit the gardens but we didn’t really have the time (Y_Y)
Meiji Shrine
* Entrance of Meiji Shrine
* Even though it’s hot as hell, it’s pretty cool under the shade of the forest.
* Sake Barrels
* and English Wine Barrels
* These gates are over a thousand years old! (in awe)
* A real life Miko! So excited to see her but she is so far away~
* Buy a wooden board for 500yen and write your wishes to be grant!
* The water is so cooling~ (shiok)
The gift shop have charms for sale at 800 yen and above which I think it’s quite expensive so I didn’t get. (How wrong I am). The shrine maiden look pretty bored too
Once again we walk the wrong direction and end up at the wrong exit oTL . We had to walk double the distance to return to the original exit. *leg pain and dead*
* Close up of the sake barrels as we left.
We return to the Harajuku area and spot a few cosplayers! I was quite disappointed to see only 3 groups of cosplayers, one group even decline to be photograph. Where’s the ultra cool J-rock/ visual Kei cosplayers!?
Ladies and Gentlemen, I like to apologize in advance. To say the truth, I was debating to myself “should I take his photo!? It’s so retina burning but this is the one and only chance I can take his photo but but but … ARGH, TAKE LAR.”
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* I’m really sorry if I scar your eyes oTL
* Street busker playing, they’re pretty good!
* On the bridge towards Omote-sandō, the view of the bridge across the train tracks
* Entrance of JR Harajuku, look at the crowd! (Heat + crowd = dead Gin)
We then visit Kiddyland, seven stories full of anime/ cartoon goodies.
* I love Kiki the Delivery Witch!
* Display of Naruto , I wanna pengz because after one second after this photo is take, the wording “NARUTO X SASUKE” appear on screen.
* Tikam Tikam, I WANT NELL~~~~~~~~~~~~!!! But the possibility rate is too low and I can’t guess which packing have Nell oTL
* No idea what is this but it looks pretty!
* Think it’s Studio Ghibli new movie, cute in anime, ugly in toys.
We also visit Oriental Bazaar where I got a Japanese outfit for my baby nephew <3 Next we rush to Laforet but we didn’t have time to visit this fashion outlet at all and only managed to window shopping a bit.
We then rush towards the train station but instead we choose to walk by the Takeshita Dori. On it way, we also pass by the Harajuku Daiso where we bought a mat to use at our later destination.
* It’s quite common to see people wearing Yukuta and LOOK AT THE CROWD! *dead*
* #@%#&%$@ SO CUTE, I WANT TO TAKE THEM HOME~! A guy beside me was asking to take a photo and the kid in left nod while pressing his lips together #@!%$#&
* School girls! Wanna take the photo on sly but think they notice me ^_^;
The reason why we’re rushing through Harajuku is because we promise to meet Vania’s friend at Shinjuku station to go to the Tokyo Bay Fireworks Festival. We rushed back to the hotel to put down our shopping bags and rushed out again. We took the Odeo Line from Shinjuku to Kachidoki Station.
And we forgot our mat *face plam*
When in Singapore, Vania was asking me if do I know how to get to Harumi pier (the site of the event) and I was going , “Hmm… I was planning to follow the crowds.”
And so we did.
* Policemen
On it way, there are stall vendors selling from beer, pizza, fried noodles etc (I should had bought some thing from them, oTL) I think we walk for 45 minutes until we reach a gravelly space (again!?), without a mat, I use our paper which print our plans to sit. Man my butt hurts from sitting on the rocky floor!
After the fireworks display, we follow the crowds again. I must simply rave about the orderly manner of Japanese people. Even though it’s crowded toe to toe, everyone did not push or rush and simply follow the line. The police keep the crowd with barriers and shouting something, I would imagine “please keep in order” etc.
Around half way, it actually start raining! I quickly whip out my umbrella and we three gals have to squeeze into the tiny umbrella. The rest of the passerby use cardboard boxes, towels or mats to shelter from the rain. Vania’s friend was saying it hasn’t rain in days and today it finally rain! So in a way, we’re lucky to encounter a rain in Japan *sparkles*
Following the crowd blindly have it’s troubles, we totally miss the Kachidoki Station and was blindly following people for hours. The long walk, the aching back and butt pain from sitting on a rocky floor for far too long, the rainy weather makes all of us black face till we found a department store and we run for it.
We had a katsu dinner. OMG, the meal is sooo much better compare to Singapore. The skin is soooo crispy/crunchy and the meat so tender and the plum sauce add a aromatic sweet sting to juicy pork *in heaven* Actually I didn't know I'm suppose to dip the pork into the plum sauce but I went ahead and pour all of the sauce onto the dish (^_^;;)
After the dinner, we make our way to a nearest train station and went back to hotel. What a tiring day!
* Did I mention how impressed I am to see people standing to the left of the escalator? There are thousand of people at the station but once they reach the escalator , all of them stand to the left!
[ Day 1: Shinjuku ] || [Day 2: Sunday Sanrio Puroland, Harajuku, Tokyo Bay Fireworks Festival.] || [Day 3: Disneyland]