A Little Walk at Shibuya

Here are some snaps I took when I had a little walk at Shibuya, Tokyo, which is well-known for its super crowded yet neat crossings and Hachiko statue, the dog famous for its loyalty to its owner. I believe my kids will love to see this statue and hear more about the story of Hachiko.

Don't miss Shibuya when you are around Tokyo. 
Very interesting to see this spot with its eclectic crowd.



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WW: Japanese Food I Love

When it comes to Japanese food I love, I certainly have tons of choices :)
Not only that they are delicious, they look super cute as well.

And we have some halal options as well!

Super happy!

my soba with vegetable fritters..super yuuum!

starting from 300 Japanese Yen ..

Original crepe with cream cheese ..

See...so many choices and I guess I need to write one dedicated post for all these yummy food and snacks! 
Well, I don't drink alcohol so that cuts down some extra options on beverages.

Which one is or are your favorite(s)?
I have to admit I love them all :)

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Almost Cherry Blossom at Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden, Tokyo

It was almost cherry blossom season at Shinjuku Gyoen Park, Tokyo, when I had another transit stop at Tokyo for the second time.

The weather was beautiful and balmy, making me decide to visit one of the famous gardens in Tokyo when you can enjoy cherry blossoms.
Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden

Surely it wasn't really packed with people but I saw some tourists like me trying to get the best snap of the flowers.
I saw some sakura and many other trees and flowers that I don't know the name of.

Besides the blooming flowers and wonderful fragrance, I really enjoy the clear blue sky!
Such a great sight to see those colorful flowers against the blue sky backdrop.  

Regardless the fact that I don't know the name of most of those beautiful flowers (it was written in Japanese :)), I really enjoy my morning walk in Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden.
And the garden is indeed huge, encompassing  French Formal Garden, English Landscape garden and Japanese traditional garden all in one big area.
Because of the time constraint, I only roamed around the Japanese garden, as I still had Shibuya, Ginza, and Odaiba areas to explore at that time.
I guess I need to go back when the trees are all fully blooming.
Maybe next time :).
Here are some more photos I took there, all using my iPhone X #shotoniphone.

So if you happen to be around, don't miss this beautiful garden.
It's reachable using JR Chou Line and Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line from Tokyo Station to Shinjuku station, with some 10 minutes walking.
The ticket is 200 Yen per adult which is so cheap.

Enjoy the garden and have a lovely spring.

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Ueno Park and the Surroundings - Photo Album

Before coming back with more stories, allow me to share some more colorful photos taken at the Ueno Park and its surroundings.

I really enjoyed walking around the areas and observing the peaceful morning.

I stopped at Bentendo Temple and paused for a while.

The colors and the intricate details of the temple is amazing. 

But of course, the main attraction of Ueno Park is the cherry blossoms.

Although it was not yet fully blooming, some of the trees shown the pinky petals already and  that's enough for me to have a taste of the Japanese spring.

Hope you enjoy it as much as I do and happy spring!

WW: Ameyoko Market, Ueno, Tokyo, Japan

Some colorful snaps from Ameyoko Market, Ueno, Tokyo, Japan

Ameyoko market is one of the busiest markets in Tokyo.
Ameyoko market is also uniquely known as the 'American' market as Ame here is the abbreviation of America, since back then in the years after the second world war, this place was famous as the black market packed with American goodies.

some of my favorite cartoons. Doraemon :)

But as I read on the sign, this market is originally named Ameya Yokocho, Ameyoko in short, or literally translated as candy store alley. And I have to admit there are so many cute stores selling candies, cookies, chocolate and many other Japanese traditional snacks. 

Not to mention the souvenirs. We can get a lot of cute Japanese  items in here as well.

We can find many restaurants and fresh meat and veggies as well in some corners of the market.

 

fancy some Japanese candies?

Pokemon socks!

pardon my selfie

Again, Japan is so fascinating indeed and I have to admit I have so many drafts from my last traveling notes.  So bear with me and happy traveling!

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Cherry Blossoms at Ueno Park, Tokyo, Japan

Before enjoying spring in New York City, I was privileged to see the cherry blossoms at Ueno Park, while I was Tokyo, Japan.
Click here to read my little story in Japan : Hello Tokyo

Ueno Park has been famous to be one of the most favorite places to enjoy cherry blossoms.

And I chose this place to stay over as it is the last stop of Skyliner, the fast train taking us to and from Narita International Airport.

Located at Japan, 〒110-0007 Tokyo, Taitō, Uenokoen, ５−２０(as I copied from Google Maps), Ueno Park covers quite a huge area to explore. It have several museums in the surrounding area and more temples as well as shrines to explore. It also has big pond and famous Zoo here. Too bad I only have limited time so I didn't manage to see them all.
But if you want to see the 'old' Japan, with more traditional houses and temples and less skyscraper buildings, then Ueno will be the perfect place for you.

And back to the cherry blossoms!
Be it in the morning, or at night, sakura is forever beautiful.

Those pinkies, rather small petals are fully blooming in a beautiful way.

It looks fragile, yet it stands the test of the wind.

For only the strong one stay and bloom.
Pretty much the survival test of nature.

When I arrived in Ueno on the first leg of my flight, it was already dark. It was only 5.30 but the sun set already and it was dark. Yet as I stepped out of Ueno Park, it was bright  as lights from the neon signs illuminated the pinky flowers dotting the trees. I stopped there, lining up with others as people started taking photos and selfies with the cherry blossoms.

Here's the map of Ueno Park:

Some tips for enjoying cherry blossoms:

1. If you happen to be around, make sure you come down here early in the morning before the park is packed with people, especially in beautiful, warmer days. I came to the park at 7.30 AM and it was beautifully serene, with a few joggers and runners joining me. 

2. Makes sure you wear your comfortable shoes as you can walk along the park and it was quite a distance. And mind you, Ueno park is huge, covering many temples, museums, statues, shrines, ponds and even Zoo. As for the cherry trees, it is lining up from Shitamachi Museums to Tajo-Ten jin Shrine/Hanazono Inari Shrine.

3. Get ready to line up. Many people want to enjoy the cherry blossoms as well so people tend to line up neatly and take their turn politely, considering that many people love to do the same.

4. If you have allergies to pollen or similar substances, better stay away of course. Or if you still can tolerate it (and I do know people who have allergies but still can enjoy cherry blossoms to certain extent), better get yourself prepared with the medicine needed.

5. Thinking of having a picnic? Bring the mat and the food you love to have or snatch them from the nearby restaurants or cafes. Well, when I came here the cherry blossoms were not fully blooming so I didn't see too many people yet. By the way, I found the Ueno Station has a great bakery and the pastries are exquisite. I bought some from there and they are yummy indeed.

4. And finally, don't forget your camera and/or your phone. Sometimes we get so excited about seeing something new we forget the important things. Well, that happened to me before.

So, enjoy the cherry blossoms and cheers.

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