Japan’s Secret Garden

December 24, 2014

This day was yet another one of those dragging myself out of bed at the crack of dawn.. before everyone else in the room did and going out to do stuff, days. Well at least this time I was checking out of Tokyo for good (okay, not really, but at least for this trip) so I didn’t have to chase for last trains anymore. Little did I know, I was going to take back whatever I said about chasing for last trains at the end of this day. Sigh.

Anyway, I had things to settle before meeting the boys that morning. One of the two important things to do was to settle my hostel fee. For the past two nights I’d been arriving after the reception has closed and leaving to explore before it opened, so I definitely had to put my foot down and said, “Boys, I don’t care what time you guys are planning to head out, but I’ve got shit to settle.” The bus to our destination leaves at 1030-ish. I had more than enough time to do stuff before meeting them.

Paid my fee, checked out, sent my fat duffle bag to Narita and battled the morning rush hour to meet the boys at Tokyo Station’s Yaesu South Exit. We stocked up on food and snacks to last us the afternoon and boarded the bus that would take us directly to Hitachi Seaside Park. Also today was special because it was the second last day of our trip, and we’re all going to spend it together after a week of having different agendas, and travelling to various parts of Japan.

It’s a hidden gem as the population were generally Asians. Didn’t think that Western tourists would have discovered how to get here yet. The park is located 2 hours away from Tokyo, in the Ibaraki Prefecture, and it was MASSIVE. The main attraction was the vast field dotted with bushes that changes colours with the seasons. They were called KOCHIA. Unfortunately while we were there, it was still green but it was due to turn red and it’ll look pretty magnificent. We hired a bike to go around of course, walking wasn’t an option. We took tons of pictures, did jump shots after jump shots and even came across pretty Japanese girls whom the boys were pretty excited to take photo with but was too shy… hence it was my duty as a friend to approach the girls and asked if they wanted to take a photo with these crazy boys. Lucky for them, the sweet girls were happy to.

1. This train takes its riders to various parts of the park. Didn’t get to go on it though.
2. The view of the field from the base. Check out all the fluffy bushes!
3. Tinges of red are seen on the bushes. It was to turn red at the end of the month.
4. Failed jump shot.
5. After getting tired of the boys shying away despite wanting a photo with the cute Japanese girls, I stepped in.
6. Then it was my turn to be literally at the centre of their attention. (I kid.)
7. Ummar told us to pretend to look natural. Don’t know what that means, but it seemed like we did a great job didn’t we?
8. My very own jump shot.
9. The view of the fields from afar.

From the top of the hill, I noticed a field of flowers that I definitely had wanted to check out. No regrets there! They were ZINNIA, the flowers that bloomed from late July to late September. More photo taking opportunities, and being amongst the flowers was like a dream come true. Ummar took one look at the picture below and went, “That looks like Tellytubby Land.” Much to my surprise. This man had a childhood! *pops confetti*

After wandering away from the field of flowers, it was when we discovered a place where they featured traditional Japanese old school toys. We spent quite a bit of time there, tossing the kendama, throwing around tops and me getting creamed by Ummar in a game of ‘badminton’ with wooden paddles and a feathered wooden ball. While he was a natural at stuff, I take some time to get used to things. Joseph and I had a blast trying to get that thing to stay on our paddles while skidding, shuffling, yelping and laughing around.

1. Arafath was very skilled at top spinning.
2. Still pretty peeved that his ice cream is bigger than mine.
3. Me, Manoj and Joseph enjoying a leisurely ride.
4. The awesome vertical wall.

The entire park was kid-friendly too. The playground was one of the best I’ve ever seen… EVER. If I were a kid, I’d be totally excited to climb up the vertical wall, slide down the roller slide and jump on the rope bridge. Which was exactly what we did. The child in me never died. After scaling up the vertical wall (didn’t know I still had it in me), Ummar grabbed my arm and dragged me across the suspended rope bridge. It wasn’t the best idea because my clumsy feet got caught in between ropes and I tripped and fell flat on my face… much to the rest of my other friends’ horror. I picked myself up, jumped off the course and brushed sand off my knees.. that was when Manoj exclaimed, “You have blood on your leg!” While the boys fussed over me, I brushed them off, wiped away the blood and sped off on my bike. Hurt like a bitch, but I felt really great. Haven’t had that much action and fun in a really long time and getting to experience that was totally worth it.

There was a mini amusement park, with rides and mini go-kart course for tiny humans and even a water park. I wished we had the time to stay and play for awhile, especially the roller coaster or the fast, spinning superman contraption but we had to get out of there so as not to miss the ONLY bus back to Tokyo. Alas.

Ummar got to check something off his bucket list, and we got to enjoy it with him. I would recommend everyone to visit this place at least once in their lifetime. Different types of flowers bloomed every single month, so check out the website to see which ones you really want to immerse yourselves in and just go! The website also tells you how to get there, but we took a route that was less of a hassle but it meant a little bit of rushing.

Getting to Hitachi Seaside Park our way:
1. Train to Tokyo Station
2. Head towards Yaesu South Exit
3. The counter for the highway buses should be on the left.
4. There’s only one timing for the bus that goes to Hitachi Seaside Park which is at 1030
5. There’s only one bus back from Hitachi Seaside Park that departs at 1630

Cheers!

Lake Kawaguchi

December 1, 2014

I was the last to fall asleep in my dorm that night after a hell of a time trying to get to Tokyo from Osaka, and the first to rise and scoot out the next morning. That’s quite a feat because I’m not normally an early riser. Last night I was given two choices: head to Kawaguchiko to see Mount Fuji with Arafath and Manoj or explore Tokyo city with Ummar and Joseph. I picked the former of course. I can explore Tokyo during my layovers.

Left the hostel and hopped on the train, got a feel of Tokyo’s rush hour. It wasn’t as bad as the videos and photos I’ve seen, but I was never a fan of squeezing in public transport. Got off at Tokyo station to meet the two boys and booked tickets for the bus that would take us straight to Lake Kawaguchi. I was incredibly excited to finally be able to spend time with friends after being alone and in the company of strangers for the past week. There was a lot to catch up during that 3-hour journey, including some shut eye. Ummar didn’t believe that I’d wake up early to join them, so I sent him a picture as proof.

The Kawaguchiko area boasts spectacular view of Mount Fuji at certain times of the day…. and unfortunately not when we were there. Our beloved Mount Fuji had been perpetually hiding behind the clouds the entire day, alas. Thankfully there were enough things to do and see while we were there to keep us occupied.

The first thing we did when we got there was to survey the packages available for sightseeing. There were a few options and we decided to take the one that included a hop-on and off retro bus shuttle that takes us to all the attractions offered, a ropeway trip and a little boat ride around the lake. Before buying the tickets, we needed to tackle a more important matter: the ride back to Tokyo city. I had an errand to run before our evening activities so I scoured for a bus timing that suited my fancy. Unfortunately, most of the time slots were fully booked and we managed to score the last three tickets a little bit later… that meant I had lesser time to run my errand. NOTE: If you intend to take the direct highway bus back to Tokyo station from Kawaguchiko, let securing a seat be the FIRST thing you do. Or you can take the train, which is way more complicated than your problems.

First stop was the highly photogenic Oishi Park located at the very end of the shuttle bus route. It was a flower haven. The sight was like nothing I’ve seen. It probably would be a sneak peek to the Hitachi Seaside Park, a place we intended to go the next day. We spent most of the time camwhoring, and tried our very best to cut short our time spent so we could see more. But there was always enough time for jump shots.

Next stop: Kawaguchiko Music Forest Museum. This was Arafath’s idea after the bus went past the area on the way to Oishi Park. What made the place more special lies beyond the fence. The place was MAGICAL. If it weren’t for the place teeming with Asians, I wouldn’t have thought I was in Asia.

Next stop was a toss between the rope way or the boat ride. But first, we were all starving and needed food. Lawsons to the rescue! At that time I wasn’t as sick of konbini food as I am sitting here typing all these out now. I got my usual haul from the store, onigiri, crab sticks, cream cake, bottled green tea and a Japanese Yakult-like drink in a carton. We chomped on our quick lunch while waiting for the boat ride which wasn’t due for another half an hour. The weather was marvellous; it wasn’t too hot or too cold, but it wasn’t sunny. It was a gloomy, grey with a hint of sunshine type of day. When it was time for the boat ride, we hopped on the boat and were least bothered about the commentary because it was in Japanese. We took the time to enjoy the scenery. The wind was vicious though. Cold.

Our last stop was the ropeway. By this time, the driver of the shuttle bus knew us well enough already and didn’t demand for our bus passes. The ride reminded me of the tram ride I took in Penang, retro, clanking piece of metal and all. The climb to the viewpoint was about 3 minutes long and from there you could hike up to a higher altitude for better view. We were lazy and tired so we stuck to the area where we could see the tram. We had a beautiful view of the lake from the viewpoint, but Fuji-san was still feeling shy that day.

All the sightseeing took a whole day, and the journey back to Tokyo station was uneventful, except when the bus went past the Fuji-Q amusement park. The rollercoaster was by far the longest I’ve seen. Sucks that we didn’t get to go and check it out. Made a mental note to drag the crew along if we ever had a Tokyo two-nighter.

We got to Tokyo city at around 8 pm, and that gave me zero time to go back to my hostel and run my errand before meeting Ummar and Joseph at Roppongi. I was to send my big, fat Country Road duffle bag to International Garden Hotel in Narita because I was too cheap to purchase check-in baggage for my flight home. Plus, I was too lazy to carry such a huge thing filled with goodies from the Wizarding World of Harry Potter around. So I decided to send my duffle bag to the hotel I usually stay at for work for temporary safekeeping till my next work trip… which would have been in less than two weeks. Didn’t happen.I got distracted by the idea of going up to the the Tokyo Metropolitan Government building’s observation deck, that’s why.

From there we headed to Shinjuku in search of Kabukicho, the entertainment and red light district of Tokyo. Arafath was hell bent on finding the damned place, and when we finally did I realised I’ve been there with my crew before. I just never realised we wandered into a red light district. The place was vibrant, loud and colourful.. littered with R21-themed parlours and decorations. I was lucky to be with the two boys, or I wouldn’t have survived.

We got so caught up in the scene, we were 1.5 hours late for our meeting with Ummar, Joseph and Manabu-san in Roppongi. I had insisted that we went to Roppongi together. What I didn’t expect was the fact we were only going to stay there till the last train. Which meant, we had less than 2 hours to party. Yes, Roppongi was the party district of Tokyo, and we spent less than 2 hours there before I had to run, yet again, for my last train to Asakusa.

I experienced the craziness of Roppongi with the crew a few months back. Craziness involved staying out all night and club hopped. We stayed out till the sun came up and slept walked all the way back to Narita. While we didn’t get to do that this time, I would recommend anyone to head to Roppongi for a great night out with friends.

The hopes of a semi-early night for me diminished as soon as I stepped into my hostel building that night. I was still recovering from the scare of barely making it for the last train to Asakusa. All these running for trains ain’t good for my health. But there was a party going on. Great. It was going to be another long day for me tomorrow, but what is sleep, right?

Why I regretted not buying the Japan Rail Pass

November 17, 2014

When researching for my Japan trip, I toyed with the idea of getting the Japan Rail Pass because I was going to be doing some intercity travelling. I was going to be there for at least 11 days, hence I would have to shell out the minimum of 46390 JPY. That’s a whopping 520 Singapore dollars. I ain’t have the budget for that! What happened to me on September 11th made me wanna encourage all those heading to Japan TO GET THE DAMNED RAIL PASS.

The Japan Rail Pass is a cost effective train pass for long distance train travel in Japan. That’s how you get around mostly, trains. The pass can be used on almost all the JR network around Japan (and boy, the JR network is extensive) and more importantly, your shinkansen (bullet train) train rides inter cities are free.

When I arrived in Osaka on the 6th, I purchased the JR East pass which set me back 22000 jpy (that’s almost half of what the actual rail pass costs) but I used it to get around Osaka, then to Kyoto and a day trip to Nara. It was definitely worth every yen spent. On the 11th, I was to fly from Kansai International Airport to Narita International Airport,Tokyo on Jetstar Japan. This was to be my very first experience in the downside of staff travel.

I had quite a day planned. Upon arrival into Narita, I was to hop on a shuttle bus to the hotel I normally stay at for work and drop a huge bag off. I couldn’t take it home with me because I was too cheap to purchase check in luggage allowance. I was going back to Tokyo for work in less than a week; I would be able to dump them in my luggage. Then, I would train down to the city and check into my hostel at Asakusa, take a shower and then meet my Japan friend Manabu, and Ummar for dinner. ’twas quite a day, but I had to go through hell before I met the pair of them.

My tickets from Osaka to Tokyo was cheap. I paid 13 SGD at most, but it wasn’t a confirmed ticket. I purchased the ticket 8 hours before I was due to fly and when I checked, there were still plenty of seats available. But when I hopped on the Haruka Limited Express train bound for the airport and checked the availability, to my horror I found that the numbers have dropped to ZERO. In the span of 8 hours, all the tickets for the flight had been snapped up. I had to hope for the mercy of the no show-ers then. But it wasn’t to be.

Apparently there was no such things as ‘no show’ in Japan. All these Japanese are not only punctual, they actually turn up for their flights and not have their mind changed by last minute plans. Because I was on staff ticket, and there were no available seats on this flight, I was kicked off but put on the next available flight… which was another 5 hour-ish wait. I hung around near the Jetstar counter, charging my phone and just waiting around with no appetite to eat. About 2.5 hours into the wait, a Jetstar ground staff approached me with an apologetic look on her face. “Sumimasen…” she began softly. The flight I was supposed to be on got cancelled, and the NEXT flight out would be at 7 the next morning. GREAT. With a cancelled flight, all the passengers from this flight would be put on the next one and it would obviously be full with no room for a staff travel ticket. I was never going to leave Osaka.

I texted Manabu-san telling him the situation and wondered if we could take a rain check because I was sure as hell not going to be able to meet them in Tokyo station tonight. But I wasn’t one to sit still. I wasn’t going to wait to be bumped off the next flight, neither I want to stay in the airport nor I wanted to spend money I didn’t have to head back to the city. I thought of getting on the night bus from Osaka to Tokyo that will cost 8000 jpy, but I was still going to reach Tokyo the next day. Taking the shinkansen was the next option, but it was 18000 jpy, I didn’t have that kind of money nor I wanted to spend as much. With the rail pass, that journey would cost next to nothing.

I was freaking out. So I did what I do best when I am freaking out; I went to the food court to get some comfort food. We almost always ate there after a tiring flight, and I loved their pan fried salmon. It was familiar, and comforting.. which was what I needed most then.

Eventually, I decided to go for my very last cost-effective option. Staff travel. Again. You must think I’ve gone completely mad for revisiting the option that screwed me over in the first place, but I wasn’t going to look at Jetstar. There were other airlines I could enjoy staff rates, this time I went straight to ANA’s check in counter to enquire the availability because the numbers on the portal didn’t look promising. After a long, frustrating conversation with a check in staff who didn’t understand what I was asking: I asked if the flight from Osaka to Tokyo was full and if I booked it on a non-confirmed staff ticket, will I get bumped off like I had with Jetstar. Okay, not really. But you get the point. I finally took a step and booked a ticket, went back to the check in counter and had my bag checked!

FINALLY. I could sink my tired ass down on the lounge chairs and count my blessings.

The flight turned out to be half full and it was a seamless journey to Tokyo, except for one huge air pocket. We got into Haneda airport after 10-minute delay and I ran to grab my bag, praying that the shuttle bus to Asakusa was still available. NOPE, the last bus departed FIVE freaking minutes ago. I give up. I texted Manabu-san who was waiting at Tokyo station for me that I was finally coming.

They waited at the one exit I was familiar with, the Yaesu South Entrance and I couldn’t get it any more wrong than how the rest of my day had been. I spied Ummar and Manabu-san amongst the crowd after coming out of the station. I broke into a run and jumped on Ummar’s back, forgetting I had a fat bag in front of me that wasn’t exactly very soft. Probably killed his back for an hour. Ooops, sorry honey. HAHA.

Calculating my travel costs after the trip, I saved maybe 100 SGD from not purchasing the Japan Rail Pass. But if I wasn’t fortunate enough to utilise my staff travel benefits, I would have blown that 100 dollars and some. If you still have reservations about buying the JR Pass, plan your routes carefully. There are other lines that do not come under the JR pass coverage, but trust me.. if you’re in big cities like Tokyo and Osaka and even Fukuoka, you’ll need to get on a JR train at least twice a day. So get it.

Fushimi Inari Taisha

November 10, 2014

After being slightly disappointed by the Bamboo forest, I still needed to cover one more place before sundown. The Fushimi Inari shrine is a place I’ve been wanting to visit in the longest time, way before I watched the kid run through the thousand torii gates in the Memoirs of a Geisha… it’s part of my bucket list. I needed it not to suck, because well, I’ve travelled all the way to be in some place I’d really wanted to go in the longest time. Thankfully, it hadn’t disappoint.

It was a 10-minute walk from the Bamboo forest to the JR Saga-Arashiyama station (20 if you’re like me, getting distracted by a local hidden bookstore selling unique, handmade postcards). Take the train on the JR Sagano line back to Kyoto station (15 minutes) before hopping over to the JR Nara line which will take you to JR Inari station on the Nara line (5 minutes). The famous shrine is just a 5-minute walk away and the thousand torii gates are another 5 up a thousand stairs.

From what I’ve gathered reading and asking around, Inari is the God of rice. The Inari was seen as a patron of business, where abundance of wealth and prosperity were most sought after. Therefore, merchants worshipped it. The Fushimi Inari shrine sits at the base of a mountain, also called Inari, that has a trail that takes approximately 2 hours to trek before reaching the peak.

Kitsune, or Foxes were regarded as messengers and were supposedly found in the inari shrines though I had been fortunate/unfortunate enough not to have ran into them during my trek. The foxes and the bright orange shrine gates were something that’s unique to the Fushimi Inari shrine. I’ve been to a couple of shinto shrines in Japan where people will write their wishes and prayers on a piece of wood and hang it in the temple grounds. None of the shrines I’ve been to had the offerings in the shape of the iconic orange torii gate. There were even prayer offerings in the shape of fox heads. Most didn’t have prayers written on them, just pure creativity and a teeny bit of genius.

During my hour of exploring the temple grounds and hiking up the stairs through the torii gates, naturally I made a bunch of friends. There were Aris, Ari and Bobby from Indonesia whom were snapping pictures with their fancy schmancy cameras. They were surprised to find out that I speak a little bit of Bahasa Indonesia and they were even more surprised to know that I was travelling alone. Our encounter was short as I was racing against the sunset to cover more ground. It was great to meet fellow travellers from Southeast Asia.

There were too many tourists at the base of the trail, eagerly snapping pictures and waiting for their turn for their own photo op. PRO TIP: There are THOUSANDS of those torii gates. Chances are, if you bother walking a little deeper, you’d find less people and still the same number of majestic toriis behind you. If you are travelling solo like me, good luck trying to get someone to take a photograph for you. Thankfully, I met Ammar. He was photographing a Coke bottle when I chanced past him. We struck up a great conversation and he offered to take some photos of me with the toriis as a background. Yay. The dude haz mad photography skillz. You should check out his Instagram here. Trust me, he knew how to make me look decent on camera.

I didn’t manage to hike up to the peak because the mosquitos were killing me. They were vicious and their bites were so painful I was tearing up and scratching my skin off till it bled. ANOTHER PRO TIP: BRING INSECT REPELLENT. Other than the mosquitos causing the experience I will never forget, it was a pleasant walk. The sun was setting, the weather was cool and the further you hike, the less people you see and the more cats you find minding their own business. Even when it was semi dark the trail was beautiful.

I hiked back down the trail after surrendering to the wrath of the mosquito bites and tried looking for the stalls selling fortune cookies, alas, it was too late and all the stalls were closed. Oh wells. Back to Kyoto City.

Part of the reason why I am totally delaying my posts was because I am reliving my trip through writing these travelogues. Every post I publish marks a day less and this post signifies the end of my stay in Kyoto. I was going to catch a plane to Tokyo the next day to meet my friends who were already there. As much as I didn’t want to leave beautiful Osaka and Kyoto, I had to. My vacation time here is up. Someday I’ll come back during work time, but it’s gonna be different.

I took advantage of the all-you-can-ride bus pass and went back to Gion for one last chigiri mochi and a walkabout before finally boarding that bus and headed back to the hostel. It was perfect timing because the moment I stepped into the machiya, it started pouring and the storm lasted all night. Thank God.

Standing by the Kyoto station staring up at the tower I didn’t have the budget for this time, I bade farewell to Kyoto. Tomorrow the Haruka express awaits me to take me back to Kansai International Aiport for my flight to Tokyo.

Yudofu Sagano : The Tofu-centric lunch

October 14, 2014

I am quite the carnivore, though I’ve been raised to eat all kinds of veggies too. Except chye sim, I really hate those. I must have some kind of meat in every meal that I eat, or I won’t feel satisfied. Once upon a time, Ummar took me to Delivege, a place specialising in all things vegan. Mock fish, mock meat, mock sushi. Though I enjoyed it, I don’t think I’ll abandon my love for meat any time soon. A full vegeterian meal? Only when I have absolutely no choice. But I was in Arashiyama, and I’ve got to try that quinessential Buddhist speciality which was the yudofu.

Yudofu Sagano is one of the restaurants that offers this all-tofu kaiseki menu. It was slightly cheaper than the crab kaiseki I had at 3,800 JPY (~SGD40), and no less delicious. The tofu set came with 8 different side dishes ranging from konnyaku jelly to itty bitty fish. Without further ado…

Course #1: Onsen Tamago

Essentially soft-boiled egg Japanese style in light soy sauce. As always, I am in awe at how the yolk’s been cooked. Not too runny and not too hard. Perfect starter to the meal.

Course #2: Konnyaku sashimi

It was printed as ‘Devil’s Tongue Jelly’ on the menu. I’ve never kissed a real devil before, hence I didn’t know what to expect. The friendly lady who served me said it was ‘konnyaku jelly’ and my fears were immediately eased. It was almost transparent and flat, very chewy and crunchy at the same time… like jellyfish. The sweet yellow sauce had an interesting tangy flavour to it.

Course #3: Goma tofu

Goma, or sesame tofu was my favourite of the lot. This tiny little square of goodness was not like the normal tofu. It was slightly dense, somewhat chewy and packed with sesame goodness. I was too shy to ask for another piece.

Course #4: Raw Wheat Gluten

Raw Wheat Gluten also known as seitan in Japanese (I had to stifle my giggle at this, because it sounds like what we’d call the devil in Malay) tastes like meat. I had absolutely no idea what it was till I asked my best friend, Google. Turns out, the gluten is indeed used as a meat substitute. The texture was like mince beef but slightly chewier and sweet.

Course #5: Fried tofu mixed with vegetables

More like tofu mixed with spices, it was delicious but my least favourite of the lot. I have a tiny dislike for fried tofu, unless it’s smelly tofu with yummy sauce or the Indonesian tahu telur. This tofu had tiny bits of veggies in it. I took a little bit longer to finish this one.

Course #6: Gori boiled with soy sauce

These tiny little fish reminded me of anchovies, tasted like anchovies. There was nothing special about them, just a good accompaniment to the tofu dish.

Star of the meal: Yudofu

Yudofu translates to ‘hot water tofu’. It’s tofu boiled in a hot pot with a piece of konbu and some dashi added for a hint of flavour. The tofu is left to boil for 15 minutes, and eaten with spring onions and shoyu. The tofu wasn’t like any of the store bought varieties I was used to. Each tofu was freshly made, silky smooth and had a clean taste. I took my time with the six pieces of tofu, and by the time I was done, I was stuffed. Before today, I would have never imagined being satiated by just tofu.

Course #8: Tempura Vegetables

Because I was such a pig, I forgot to take a picture of the tempura variety. It consisted of egg plant, sweet potatoes (my least favourite veggie) and sweet Japanese ginger. They were coated very lightly in batter but were crispy and not greasy at all. Yum.

Course #9: Chilled Silken Tofu Pudding

I was hoping for the dessert not to be ice cream because I was already stuffed. Imagine my relief when this little plate of goodness was presented before me. The tofu pudding was chilled, sweet, smooth and super duper yummy. The berry sauce topping was perfect too. Again, I was too shy and too full to ask for one more.

I’ve never had so much tofu in one sitting, and I must say I was totally impressed. What I experienced was a simple, lovingly prepared and a delicious shojin ryori, overlooking a pretty bamboo garden. Still, even though I enjoyed every bite of the meal, I won’t be giving up my carnivore status any time soon.

Yudofu Sagano
45 Sagatenryuji Susukinobabacho, Ukyo-ku, Kyoto,
Kyoto Prefecture 616-8385, Japan
Opening Hours: 1100 – 1900

Tip: It isn’t very easy to find, as the restaurant is kinda blocked by a row of statues. My best bet was Google Map, and/or ask a local where ‘Sagano’ is. They’ll point you to the right direction. I literally circled the restaurant TWICE before figuring it out.

Arashiyama and the Bamboo Forest

October 8, 2014

Today was an unplanned extra day in Kyoto, hence I had to pack my stuff up from First Cabin Karasuma where I’ve stayed for three nights and moved to Hostel Haruya BOOK, about 5 minutes bus ride away from Kyoto Station. This was my first encounter with the bus services in Kyoto. The Kyoto City Bus is useful for getting around places within Kyoto. TIP: Get the day pass, you won’t regret it. Fares within the city area is a flat rate of 230 yen for adults, and with the bus pass, you get unlimited rides on the buses for the whole day! A comprehensive map of the different places of interest in Kyoto is given free when you purchase the pass at 500 yen. The city bus now goes to Arashiyama, about 1 hour away from the city itself. Do the math, it’s definitely worth the price.

And that was where I went first! I took bus 11 and sat for an hour to the end of the route. Leo told me about his, and I quote ‘legendary’, kaiseki experience at Shoraian and I just had to experience it for myself. It was rather inaccessible and quite a hike from where the bus stopped us. You’ll have to walk down the river till you can’t go any further and you’ll come to a couple of uneven stone stairs. Go up said stone stairs till you find the sign below.

Alas, while Leo could have lunch there without making a reservation, I was out of luck. So, to everyone else… MAKE A BOOKING PRIOR TO HIKING, or you’ll regret it like I did. I went to Yudofu Sagano instead for an all-vegetarian kaiseki lunch, but that’s another post for another time.

I wish I had more time in Arashiyama so I could properly explore the place on a bike, or go on one of those boat rides. I wondered what lies across that long ass bridge, I never found out. I loved how peaceful it was, and though it was hot out, the weather wasn’t unforgivable. I’ll return to explore someday.

See the tiny boat in the middle of the two large boats? When I first saw it, I thought I was seeing things. But it was indeed a miniature replica of the big wooden boats that take people on a sightseeing trip up and down the river. I had the privilege of seeing it up close when it was ‘parked’ by the river bank next to the owner, and the details down to the tiny rower and the food on the table were amazing.

The Arashiyama Bamboo Forest was a little further away from the river, in the middle of town. I wasn’t as impressed with it as I thought I would be. The place looked magical in photos but in real life, not so much. Not that I’m discouraging a visit, but going there once would be enough for me. You need to have mad skillz and a good eye to capture the magic of the bamboo forest, one I didn’t possess at the time.

BRING MOSQUITO REPELLENT.

After checking the bamboo forest off my bucket list, I made a mad dash to the nearest JR train station. I needed to make it to Fushimi Inari before sundown even though Leo thought hiking Fushimi Inari at night would be a whole new experience altogether. No thanks, I don’t wanna bump into any yuurei (ghosts) or monsters that might be lurking out there in the dark.

Issen Yoshoku and nights in Kyoto

September 23, 2014

Having woken up close to 2 in the afternoon and had a bite of onigiri and my daily dose of ocha in a bottle before setting off on my exploring for the day, needless to say I was STARVING. I couldn’t afford another kaiseki meal so I walked past those, and I didn’t feel up for sushi or udon… so I decided to go for a dish that originates in Osaka. OKONOMIYAKI!

Okonomiyaki is essentially a savoury Japanese pancake containing various ingredients. The name derives from the word ‘okonomi’ means ‘what you like/want’ and ‘yaki’ means grilled.

Issen Yoshoku is one of the popular establishments serving okonomiyaki at pocket-friendly prices. Located in Gion, in a street just off the main road it was pretty easy to find because of its kitsch shop front decoration. Upon entering the restaurant, we were presented with a menu. Eager to see what they’ve had to offer, we flipped it open and stared at a huge picture of an okonomiyaki. Just one. Yep, they had an elaborate menu for just one dish they served in the entire restaurant. Well played.

The okonomiyaki served here consists of a wheat-based flour batter cooked like a crepe on the griddle, with scallions, shrimps, konyaku jelly and egg as some of the many ingredients stuffed into one yummy pancake. When I requested mine with no pork, they said they didn’t use any. Whoopee! I wasn’t entirely sure about the addition of konyaku jelly in my okonomiyaki, but it was a unique experience. The egg is hidden under the batter and is still runny, bordering on raw, but that’s the way I like it. It was PERFECT. This delicious monstrosity priced at just 630 yen (SGD7) is worth every penny and sure to keep you filled till breakfast. (if you’re not constantly hungry like me)

Check out the yolk porn, you drooling yet?

Kyoto after sunset is no less magical when it’s bright out. The streets are clean and safe, just don’t venture into any dark, formidable looking alley alone and you’d be fine. I walked into Pontocho and it was a really long and narrow stretch of road of restaurants serving food at both street and high-end prices.

Not much sightseeing could be done after dark as the temples would have closed by then, but the nightlight in Kyoto is vibrant. Though not as impressive as Osaka’s Namba, Kyoto at night has its own charm too. The Kyoto station is huge and a great place to be at if you want to do some shopping at an established shopping mall. There’s also Kyoto Ramen Koji on the 10th floor of the building, where there are restaurants specialising in a different regional style of ramen. It’s a ramen haven for all you ramen lovers. Plus, you get to choose your ramen out of a vending machine, that makes a good story to tell too!

If you’re as obsessed with rice cakes like I am, you have to try chigiri-mochi, a miso-flavoured rice cake wrapped in seaweed. I came back to Gion area on my last night in Kyoto JUST for this. I’m a huge glutton, I know.

There were many places and temples I couldn’t visit while I was there and I hope that work will roster me some nights in Osaka so I could clear them all. My sister recommends the Nishiki Market for all your fresh food and street food goodness. I was bummed I didn’t get to go there, because I was covering the harder to reach places, but if you’ve been there… do let me know how it was!

The stroll to Gion

September 22, 2014

The hostel I stayed for 3 nights in Kyoto was located literally a stone throw away from the Central Business District. That meant tall buildings, main roads, cars and renowned banks lining the street. Turning away from the hustle and bustle of the city I could associate with back home, I walked towards Gion, the famous geisha district of Kyoto. The walk was long, but I loved what I saw.

The city was a mixture of old and new. Walking through the alleys, I encountered a really old-school convenience store and bookshop, and when I turned into the main road, I saw the swanky Takashimaya and large, branded stores. I made a u-turn back into the alleys. I preferred the old Kyoto charm than the busy city atmosphere I was so used to.

The Kamo-gawa separates the CBD from the Gion district and is arguably the most famous river in the whole of Kyoto. While it doesn’t look as significant as it would be in spring when all the blossom trees are in full bloom, it makes a good dating spot. Unfortunately, I didn’t have a bicycle with me or I would have loved to ride down the river and take in the sights.

Riverside restaurants nearby offers a beautiful view of the river, which I didn’t get to experience first hand, but I would imagine one would be paying more for the view than the food itself. I shall be contented with what the street has to offer, considering my very limited budget. In the evening, the Kamo-gawa makes an even more romantic spot to chill at, with the lamps lighting up the path.

Turning into Hanami-koji Street from the main road, I’ve stepped into a whole different world altogether. Built as a district to cater to the needs of visitors to the Yasaka Shrine during the Middle Ages, it has developed into the most exclusive, and one of the most well-known Geisha districts in Japan.

Traditional Japanese shophouses called machiya lined the streets and some of which were restaurants and ochaya (Japanese tea house). There was something about Japanese restaurants that seemed prim and proper on the outside and a whole different kind of wild once you gathered enough courage to slide open the door and cross the threshold. Tourists, armed with their cameras were everywhere along this street, hoping to catch a glimpse of a Geisha. What I’ve noticed was, where there was a whole mob of people with the cameras up, there’d be a Geisha.

I came to Gion with the intention to soak in the atmosphere of the place, and hopefully to see a geisha up close. Lucky for me, I did! I was standing right in front of the door to the machiya she was visiting, trying to decipher a map and when I looked up, there she was. We had a brief eye contact and she smiled at me before disappearing into the machiya. I was still too shell shocked to smile back or to register what I’ve just seen. The stranger next to me went, “Why didn’t you take a picture? You had your phone in your hands!” Sorry mister, I’m not as jakun (read: mountain tortoise) as the rest of you are to take a photographic evidence to show the world that I’ve seen a Geisha. I’ve seen one, right in front of me with my own two eyes and that’s enough for me.

Getting bored of the Geisha-chasing crowd, I wandered away from the main street of Gion and into the streets less trodden. The architecture blew my mind away. Occasionally, I’d see an oba-san in a kimono shuffling to her house, or kids kicking a ball or playing their game consoles on the streets. Later, I walked past a man in a suit flirting with a pretty woman in a kimono while she was watering the plants. I couldn’t understand a word they said, but from the way the man gazed at the woman, and her coy smile, I knew what was happening.

Admiring the machiya and local houses, watching the slow-paced lifestyles of the locals made me feel like this wasn’t 2014. Such calm is hard to find in a city as developed as Japan. I was glad Kyoto retained its old-school charm. People I met along the streets were friendly, and I wished I took up Japanese back in school instead of the brief stint I had with Korean. I would have loved to strike a conversation with them, one that doesn’t involve asking if they wanted beef, chicken or vegetarian… or woulld they like sugar and milk with their coffee and tea.

A Crabby Kaiseki Lunch | Kani Doraku Honten

September 17, 2014

You can’t possibly miss this huge ass crab upon walking into Doutonbori Street. I saw it the first time I came to Namba, and wondered what was so awesome about the multi-level restaurant that one would have to take a queue number just to get in. This time, my curiosity got the best of me and I decided to get a queue number (and kill time at F21) to see what the hype was all about.

Kaiseki is a traditional multi-course Japanese meal. Depending on the restaurant, it could be simple… or extravagant. Lunch is usually much, much cheaper than dinner. I personally enjoy a variety in my food and in small quantities, so a kaiseki meal is perfect for me. Let’s begin!

Course #1: Boiled Crab Claws

It was a simple and fresh start to an elaborate meal. I love how easy it was to get the meat out, and while chopsticks were provided, I wasn’t afraid to use my hands to get through the difficult to reach bits. The meat was flaky, chewy and rather flavourful. I preferred it on its own than dipping into the light, tangy sauce that had been served with it.

Course #2: Crab Sashimi

As much as I love my sashimi, I was a little hesitant with these. I love crabs, but.. raw crabs? Oh what the hell, this was Japan. If I could eat raw shellfish that was still moving on the plate.. I could handle some raw crabs. It turned out to be my favourite dish of the lot. The meat melts in your mouth, and it was sweet, slightly salty and just pure heaven. Even now, 10 days on I can still feel the texture on my tongue and that is bad. Real. Real. Bad. I WANT SOME CRAB SASHIMI NAOOO.

Course #3: Chawanmushi

After a heavenly experience with the sashimi, the chawanmushi was quite a letdown. There was nothing entirely special about the egg custard, more than I am used to anyways. It was like every other chawanmushi, soft, silky and savoury. I do enjoy the two ginko nuts hidden somewhere in the cup.

Meanwhile, the rice in the steamer cooks.

Course #4: Tempura

Next up, I was served a plate of tempura. There was crab leg, sweet potato and ginger (with a pink tip). The sweet potato was the only thing I didn’t like, but that’s because I am not the biggest fan of it. The ginger was yummy, sweet and crunchy while the crab leg was what crab legs were. Yummy.

Course #5: Pasta and Cheese with Grilled Crab

I getting a little full at this point and was horrified when they brought in a bowl of carbs. Great. The pasta and cheese dish was served in a hot plate that kept it nice and warm till the last bite. The best part about this dish was the grilled crab. One bite, and the flavour exploded in my mouth. I wish it was cheesy crab bits instead of pasta. That would be PERF.

Course #6: Kani Claypot Chazuke

More carbs. -insert horrified expression here- This dish was the hardest work. I had to scrape boiled crab meat onto the rice and give it a good mix… and also, I was really, really full. I didn’t want to waste any food for the price I am paying for this lunch so I had to finish every single bit of rice in my bowl. The process was simple. Scrape some meat on the mountain of rice in your bowl, pour a generous serving of tea, add pickles… EAT!

Course #7: Matcha Ice Cream

A perfect closing to a perfect lunch. Nothing too heavy, and I love that it wasn’t too sweet. The matcha tasted so good, I couldn’t help but to slurp it all down after I was done with the ice cream. It had a slightly bitter aftertaste, but I LOVE it.

It was overall an interesting experience, sitting through a 7-course lunch. The food may not be as mind blowing as I expected it to be, considering I paid about 4,700 yen (SGD 55) for it, but I walked out of the restaurant feeling really satisfied. Plus, it kept me full way past dinnertime too, so I got to save some cash. Heh heh. The experience was enjoyable, and the view of the shopping street below was great to look at. I finally can say that I’ve dined in one of the iconic restaurants in Namba.

Osaka City

September 16, 2014

Sunday, 7th September 2014

After recuperating from the flight and the build up fatigue prior to the flight, it was time to go out and explore the city! My initial plan was to head to Universal Studios Japan today, but went against that idea because it was a weekend and it sure as hell going to be crowded. Hopped on a train to Namba city instead, hoping to find some food at Dohtonbori.

It turned out I’ve already been there once before, with my crew during Christmas time. We didn’t spend a lot of time there, heading to Shinsaibashi for the beautiful Christmas lights. The atmosphere was warm and vibrant, the streets were teeming with people. There were lots to see, and lots to window shop (at least for me). The Forever 21 and H&M stores were MASSIVE, I had to exercise strict self control not to splurge on beautiful but unnecessary clothing.

Made a pitstop at the Pokemon Center at Osaka Station, found it waaaaay bigger than the one that we went to in Tokyo. Still, I couldn’t find the Togepi I’ve been searching high and low for. Sigh.

After lunch, walked down the crowded shopping street of Shinsaibashi with the intention of heading to Amerikamura, the place I’ve only read about but never got to see. It’s a shopping district in Osaka that featured alternative lifestyle and fashion. You can find stores that sell vintage clothing, cool skate sneaks, and the overprice American Apparel store here. People here were more expressive in terms of their fashion. Girls and guys had coloured hair, mismatched clothes and crazy cool accessories. It was like Harajuku of Osaka. Triangle Square sat in the middle of the district, and it was the most convenient meeting point, or a place to catch a breath, eat takoyaki etc.

I spent almost half my time at Ame-mura, exploring strange shops like Alice on Wednesday. It was an Alice In Wonderland-themed shop, selling the cutest accessories and heart shaped lollies and cheshire cat-shaped cookies. Despite the clamp I had on my wallet, I couldn’t resist getting a tote bag that said EAT ME. Too cute.

I started making my way back to Namba when it got dark (and I got hungry), queued like a typical Singaporean at a famous Takoyaki store. Waited almost half an hour for 8-pieces of takoyaki that was so-so, but I made a new friend while queueing. Leo was a solo traveller from Malaysia, and I’m jealous he gets to spend more time in Japan than I could.

Namba at night was no less vibrant. More people were out on the street, shopping, snacking on Takoyaki or okonomiyaki and cradling their Starbucks cup in their hands. The curious me wanted to venture past the famed street into the places less traversed, but my legs were begging for me to head back. I gave in to my legs and hopped on the train back. I’ll do more exploring next time.