Japan Trip 2015 (19th Oct- 30th Oct)

It was my 3rd time to the Land of the Rising Sun...Japan. We took off via KL to Tokyo and arrived the next morning at Narita International Airport on 19th October.
Upon arriving, we bought the JR Narita Express train to Shinjuku. It took an hour and it was fast but it shows the airport is so far from the CBD. When we arrived at Shinjuku station, we checked into our IBIS Shinjuku Hotel which was closeby. Next we went to activate our 7D JR Pass at the nearby exchange station and we got lost rounding around various exits! The station was so huge and we had to ensure we took the right exit to get towards the Odakyu Shopping Mall. 

The first 5 days at Tokyo was merely shopping and sight seeing around the nearby districts such as Harajuku, Odaiba, Shibuya, Asakusa, Tsukiji Fish Market, Tokyo Skytree tower...etc. I could remember the tiny restaurants were so packed with

tourists in front of Tsukiji Market. I couldn't be bothered to queue up so we went to another sashimi restaurant and had fresh sashimi set. It came with a hefty price tag for the freshness of the tuna and salmon. Odaiba is purely on Aqua City and Diver City where big Gundam robot statue stood and looked great with the majestic Fuji TV station's background and replica Statue of Liberty and Rainbow Bridge. 

Tokyo Skytree was a highlight because it was one of the newest attraction. Tokyo Tower

used to be the tallest building in Tokyo until Skytree stepped in. With its attraction Tokyo Solomachi building consists of shops and restaurants, it was definitely a new spot to visit. The elevator to shoot up to the top was expensive so we gave it a go. And how could we forget Asakusa Kenon Temple as it was lined up with tons of shops selling rice crackers, souvenirs and ice cream. We started buying souvenirs and ice cream. Sunny as it is and it was cooler at night since it's early Autumn.

And it's a must to visit Meiji-jingu Shrine near Harajuku area since it is free of charge to visit the shrine and if you are lucky you get to witness a Japanese wedding ceremony. The place is filled with serenity, shaded with tall trees and nice walk to ring the bell and asked for good health and prosperity. Nearby the Takeshita-dori Street, one can savour the beautiful crepes made fresh for your palate, more souvenirs, jewelry, cosplay costumes, ice cream and Daiso is almost everywhere! 

One thing you will see a lot in Japan is the famous pachinko parlour. They are some kind of gambling den- very noisy inside with the game sounds and people smoking inside. One can easily spot a Pachinko parlour with its colorful ads and LED displays outside the shop. 

And not to forget Mount Fuji- the main icon of Japan. Fuji-san is an important landmark in Japanese history, paintings and in souvenirs. Even companies have Fuji including the fruit Fuji apple. We boarded the KEIO Highway Bus from Shinjuku to Lake Kawaguchi. There are 5 lakes surrounding Mt. Fuji. Lake Kawaguchi is one the largest lakes and provides the most beautiful scenery to Mt. Fuji. However luck was never on my side whenever I visit the place. I have not once witness the mountain before my very eyes. Though it was sunny but the clouds were hindering the mountain so we couldn't see it. We took the Mt Kachi Kachi Ropeway hoping to catch a glimpse but no luck. 

Since it was quite warm up in the mountain area, we bought some icy poles (ice cream) that looks like Mt. Fuji. Whatever....I couldn't be bothered to hang around any longer as there was nothing much to do unless one stays overnight at the hotels to enjoy its hot springs/spa (Onsen).