Yoyogi Park and Kiddy Land in Harajuku

YOYOGI PARK

Yoyogi Park is next to Meiji Shrine, it is a place to see the locals.

A local playing with his dog.

Kiddy Land in Harajuku.

A good place to shop for souvenirs.
Sharing some of the pictures on what you can find at Kiddy Land.

Poor boy, he was exhausted. He just wanted to go HOME.

Still, he put on a smile when he saw the soft toys.

Mario Kart

My poor 25 month-old son said to us, "爸爸, 妈咪, 我要回家..." (papa, mama i want to go home...)
His father had no mood to walk around anymore, the son is always his top priority. Still, we visited Akihabara for a while because I wanted to and my son's temperature has drop to normal, but we didn't stay long in Akihabara because his temperature rose again after a while.

The "maid" in Akihabara. She will be your guide in Akihabara for a fee.

It was getting dark around 5pm. We went back to hotel to pick up our luggage and took the train to Narita airport to check-in into Excel Tokyu near the airport.



That's the end of our Japan trip!
Thank you for reading!

Aura Tachibana Ryokan - Hakone Yumoto, A disappointment.

Aura Tachibana Ryokan at Hakone Yumoto

Review and pictures of an onsen (hot-spring) Ryokan located near Hakone-YUmoto station.

Aura Tachibana 574 Yumoto Hakone machi Ashigara shimo-gun Kanagawa Japan 250-0311

TEL:(81)460-85-5541 FAX:(81)460-85-6586


Welcome teas while waiting for check-in.

Some Japanese sweets in our room.

Japanses-style room. It is very spacious. The table and chairs will be moved aside and futon will be arranged while we were out of the room for dinner.

The so-called kaiseki dinner.

The futons were laid down for us while we were having dinner at the restaurant.

The rate included a traditional Japanese breakfast. There was drawing explaining the breakfast on every table.

I quite like the breakfast.

View from our room in the morning. Not very impressive.

On the way to the private onsen on the roof.

Private onsen on the roof top, you may make the reservation while check-in, charge was JPY3,150 for 45 minutes. It was closed on that morning.

Actually the public onsens were good enough. There are big onsen indoor and a small onsen outdoor that is very cozy. I was alone there around 6pm, and truly enjoyed myself. I went there again in the morning around 7.30 am and there was already several people around. Not a problem too as I don't really bother about nudity infront of strangers (since I am not a celebrity, haha )

Overall, I must say that I am pretty disappointed with the stay. It cost us JPY31,800 (incl dinner & breakfast), the price is considered middle-range, and indeed, I do not feel any luxurious in it. While the toilet was spotless clean, the screen to the balcony was very dusty. Also, the service was not up to standard. We reserved the private onsen bath for the morning, and to our surprise, it was closed without notice. The location is also a problem to us. You have to walk very high uphill to reach the hotel, otherwise, you may have to take a taxi. The shuttle bus will only come and pick you up for check-in, no other purpose, and you have to find a public phone to call them which is another hassle.

日本最美麗村莊 北海道美瑛町 Hokkaido Biei

北海道美瑛町 Hokkaido Biei, It is awarded as the most beautiful village in Japan.
I was watching CTITV yesterday and 陳文茜 brought us a sleek peep into this very beautiful town in Hokkaido, Biei. This video is in Mandarin, but the fabulous scene is universal:-

http://www.ctitv.com.tw/newchina_video_c134v28720.html

This is like a haven on earth!

Tokyo 11 November 2010 - Sensoji Temple ( Asakusa) at Twilight

Sensoji (a.k.a Asakusa Kannon Temple) 浅草寺 is a Buddhist temple located at Asakusa, Tokyo. It was completed in 645, making it the oldest temple in Tokyo.

It's just a few steps from Asakusa Station. Turn right, walk straight after you come out from the station, you can't miss it.

Note that you can reach there by Ginza Subway Line, Asakusa Subway Line and Tobu Railways. If you have a JR pass, you may take JR line to Kanda Station, then transfer to Ginza Subway Line. It can be quite confusing when you reach Kanda Station, it's advisable to look for the information counter in the station before you start looking around. The fare for Ginza Subway to Asakusa cost JPY160 (the minimum fare).

We didn't plan to go there at night, by the time we reached Tokyo from Kyoto, and check-in to Sheraton Miyako, it was already 4pm. It took about 45 minutes from the hotel to Asakusa. When we arrived, it started to get dark and the main hall was already closed but the shopping street was still open. But to our surprise, the temple was very beautiful at night!

Hours (Main Hall): 6:00 to 17:00

Shops: close between 6-7pm

Closed Day:  None

Admission fee: Free

Shopping street, some has more than 100 years history.

The temple ground is always open.

Prayers wishing for good luck.

The pagoda.

This renown shop is more than 100 years old. Of course we have to try.

Red bean pastry, it wasn't very sweet so I was quite okay with it.

Japanese sweets?

We then proceed to Ginza from there.

My Japan Itinerary