愛してる – Holidays in Tokyo (Day 2)

Tokyo, Japan

[caption id="attachment_1525" align="alignnone" width="584" caption="Shinjuku"][/caption]

We woke up pretty late on our second day in Tokyo and left our hotel around 4pm. Our first stop was Shinjuku, which we took the complimentary hotel shuttle bus service there.

[caption id="attachment_1526" align="alignnone" width="584" caption="Neon Lights"][/caption]

One thing that I like about Japan is the neon signs which brings vibrancy and life to the streets.

[caption id="attachment_1557" align="alignnone" width="584" caption="野狼寿司店"][/caption]

We went to this sushi restaurant as recommended by the hotel's concierge to have good and reasonably priced sushi.

[caption id="attachment_1528" align="alignnone" width="584" caption="My boy is happily deciding what to eat again :)"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1529" align="alignnone" width="584" caption="It is Sushi Time again! :)"][/caption]

We ordered two different types of set meals to share.

[caption id="attachment_1530" align="alignnone" width="584" caption="Regular Set"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1531" align="alignnone" width="584" caption="Deluxe Set"][/caption]

Take a look of the fat marbling of the fatty tuna sushi (O-toro 大とろ) in the deluxe set. O-toro is the most priced part of tuna and the fattiest portion of the tuna belly. The first mouthful was so mind-blowing and the fats just melt in my mouth. OMG. IT WAS SO SO SO SO DELICIOUS!!!

[caption id="attachment_1532" align="alignnone" width="584" caption="Shibuya"][/caption]

Our second stop was Shibuya.

[caption id="attachment_1534" align="alignnone" width="584" caption="Shibuya Crossing"][/caption]

Boy is standing in the middle of the road to take the photo. This is the famous intersection outside Shibuya Station, where all the traffic lights will turn red at the same time and you can cross at any direction.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="584" caption="Standing Sushi Bar"][/caption]

This is how the concept of Standing Sushi Bar looks like - A small cramped shop where diners have to stand at the counter to eat. The sushi is freshly prepared by the sushi chef on the spot. The sushi is pretty good and definitely nicer than conveyor belt sushi.

[caption id="attachment_1536" align="alignnone" width="584" caption="Sushi again! :)"][/caption]



[caption id="attachment_1538" align="alignnone" width="584" caption="Just You & Me :)"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1539" align="alignnone" width="584" caption="So cute! :)"][/caption]



My boy was still feeling hungry so we went to this shop to find more things to eat. My boy has an amazingly huge appetite and he kept telling me that he was hungry during this trip. So cute! :)



I was really loaded with sushi but I continue to eat with him. ;)

[caption id="attachment_1542" align="alignnone" width="584" caption="Sashimi"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1543" align="alignnone" width="584" caption="Scallop"][/caption]

We ordered sashimi and scallop. The scallop is so huge and fresh! I love scallops! :D

[caption id="attachment_1544" align="alignnone" width="584" caption=""You wanna eat ice-cream?""][/caption]

I love this photo soooo much cos my boy looks so cute here! Like a little boy! :)



Our last stop was Roppongi, which is famous for its nightlife. We rested a little while in Starbucks before searching for the best club to see-see-look-look.



[caption id="attachment_1547" align="alignnone" width="584" caption="Gaspanic Club"][/caption]

As recommended by the hotel's concierge, Gaspanic Club is one of the most happening clubs in Tokyo. I was pretty disappointed when we entered Gaspanic Club cos the club is so freaking small! I am not a clubbing person but our clubs in Singapore definitely score better than the clubs here. We decided to search for a better place to chill so we walked throughout Roppongi but we came back to Gaspanic Club again cos the other clubs really can't make it at all.

[caption id="attachment_1548" align="alignnone" width="584" caption="Chilling out :)"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1549" align="alignnone" width="584" caption="Botak ang mo looking for his "target""][/caption]

Guess what I found for the descriptions about Gaspanic Club in Wikitravel.

Gaspanic. The best known of Roppongi's many meat markets, where desperate gaijin men and desperate women hoping to score congregate. Nobody ever admits to going here, but it's packed tighter than the lower circles of Hell on most weekends.

And..It is very TRUE! Anyway, the meaning of Gaijin is foreigner. For some reasons, I find that the women in the club are more desperate than the men. It is so different! In Singapore, women are usually the ones who shun away from the men. But over here, the men are the ones who shun away from the women. I do not know why but one thing for sure is Japanese girls are really pretty! If I am a man, I will marry a Japanese woman as my wife. So beautiful and demure!

[caption id="attachment_1550" align="alignnone" width="584" caption="Ang mo spotted again!"][/caption]



We got pretty bored so we headed to our favorite hang out place instead - Sushi restaurant!



I forgot to take photos of the sushi we had. Anyway, can you spot the caucasian lady in the background? She is sweetest caucasian I have ever met! She has cultivated the good virtues of the Japanese culture and she can speak Japanese so sweetly. I think women will become prettier and sweeter after staying in Japan for a period of time.



My boy is happy cos he has his sushi again! :)

- End of Day 2 -

愛してる - Holidays in Tokyo (Day 1)

Tokyo, Japan

[caption id="attachment_1456" align="alignnone" width="584" caption="Jason & Irene"][/caption]

We have been together close to 4 years and this is our 5th overseas trip together! Our previous trips include Bangkok, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Shenzhen and Genting. And I thought it would be special to spend valentines in Tokyo together and have a well deserved break for the both of us. :)



If you have been to Tokyo for holidays, you will notice a very glaring mistake in the air tickets. I have made a mistake to purchase the flight to Narita instead of Haneda Airport. Instead of spending 1,200 yen (SGD20) per person on the bus ticket and an hour of traveling time to our hotel in Shinjuku, we spent 3,000 yen (SGD50) per person and it also took 2 hours to reach the hotel. Like oh-my-goodness? Lol!

[caption id="attachment_1453" align="alignnone" width="584" caption="Hilton Tokyo Hotel"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1457" align="alignnone" width="584" caption="View from our room"][/caption]

We stayed in Hilton Tokyo for the 5 nights - Convenient location, 10 minutes walk to Shinjuku JR station and less than 5 minutes walk to Tokyo metro station. The hotel also offer complimentary shuttle bus service to Shinjuku. Two thumbs up! :)

[caption id="attachment_1458" align="alignnone" width="584" caption="Kaminarimon ("Thunder Gate")"][/caption]

Our first stop was Asakusa.





[caption id="attachment_1465" align="alignnone" width="584" caption="Nakamise Shopping Arcade"][/caption]

Once through the Kaminarimon (Thunder Gate), you will be in the Nakamise Shopping Arcade where you can find many traditional snacks and souvenirs.



We tried the amazake (甘酒), a sweet rice wine from this store. It tastes mildly sweet and a nice hot drink to have in this cold weather.

[caption id="attachment_1467" align="alignnone" width="584" caption="Grilled Rice Stick"][/caption]





A store selling fried manju with different types of fillings such as custard, sesame, green tea and pumpkin.



We had the manju with the sesame flavor and it was pretty nice.

[caption id="attachment_1471" align="alignnone" width="584" caption="Ice cream biscuit (Caramel flavor)"][/caption]



We didn't really like the ice cream biscuit (caramel flavor). Too plain for our likings!

[caption id="attachment_1473" align="alignnone" width="584" caption="Hanzomon Gate"][/caption]

The Hanzomon Gate marks the end of street and you will also see the Sensoji Temple (浅草寺).

[caption id="attachment_1500" align="alignnone" width="584" caption="Sensoji Temple"][/caption]

Sensoji Temple is a very popular Buddhist temple and it is also the oldest temple in Tokyo.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="584" caption="Five Storied Pagoda"][/caption]





We were starting to get a little hungry after all the walking. My boy's head turned when he passed by this stall cos he saw his favorite dish. Guess what was it?

.

.

.

.

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It is SCALLOPS!

I love scallops too! The scallops were so fresh! It was a good combination to cook it with butter cream sauce and black pepper. Yum yum!

[caption id="attachment_1479" align="alignnone" width="584" caption="Happy Boy! :)"][/caption]

Of cos, how can that amount of food we had satisfy our tummy? Our main purpose of coming to Japan is to stuff ourselves with loads of S.U.S.H.I!! Our heads turned together and had our focus on the same poster which is advertising on a sushi restaurant in Asakusa.

[caption id="attachment_1480" align="alignnone" width="584" caption="My boy is happily looking at the menu deciding what to eat."][/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="584" caption="Happy Us! :)"][/caption]



Both of us had this tuna set which comprises of red tuna, medium fatty tuna, fatty tuna, broiled fatty tuna and tuna roll. It was so so so so much better than the sushi in Singapore. I LOVE TUNA!!!!!! *Screams*

[caption id="attachment_1504" align="alignnone" width="584" caption="Salmon Sushi and Sea Urchin Sushi"][/caption]

And of cos, we continued to order more to satisfy our cravings. The sea urchin sushi tastes heavenly and the chef was very generous in the portion. SLURPS!



Various kinds of fish which I do not know to differentiate. Just order and eat! :D

[caption id="attachment_1485" align="alignnone" width="584" caption="Abalone Sushi"][/caption]

The sushi chef took the live abalone from the tank and sliced it on the spot for us. Woah! SO FRESH! But.. I did not like it cos the abalone was hard to bite and very crunchy for some reasons.

[caption id="attachment_1486" align="alignnone" width="584" caption="Top-Quality Sea Eel Sushi"][/caption]



And more sushi! We ordered more than I have showed but our speed of eating is faster than my speed of taking the photos. Lol!



Our next stop was Ginza.You can find many high-end boutiques here in Ginza such as Chanel, Hermes, Louis Vuitton and etc.

[caption id="attachment_1489" align="alignnone" width="584" caption="*Love love* in the streets of Ginza"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1490" align="alignnone" width="584" caption="Us in Louis Vutton's boutique"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="584" caption="Tokyo Tower"][/caption]

Our last stop was Tokyo Tower, which is a copycat of Eiffel Tower. It is so strikingly similar but smaller in size as compared to the Eiffel Tower. You can see the real Eiffel Tower in my travel post to Paris. I really love the romantic atmosphere surrounding Eiffel Tower.

I am sure one day we will get to Paris and see the real Eiffel Tower together.... Love You Boy...

-End of Day 1-