After two days of early mornings, we finally got back some sleep. I woke up with a swollen right archilles tendon and strained neck/shoulder 😓. My head could not turn or tilt to the right. All the adventures were taking a toll on me? Was it due to the popcorn hunt rush? My only relief was that at least I have completed my theme parks before those injuries!
Because of my leg injury, we cut down a lot on our itinerary. But then I realized that the plan was better so we had more time for each place of interest. Still, my speed of walking slowed down everything.
Breakfast; 24 Hours store opposite Tobu Hotel
Our breakfast was a hearty hot meal at the nearby store which is opened 24 hours for the convenience of all people staying around the area. We were there at about 9.30am, and there were ample of seats. We ordered a Ginger Pork Hot Pot (¥780), Katsu Don (¥890) and Fries (¥160) My my, the fries are cheaper and taste better than Macdonald's.
The ginger pork hot pot is like a classic Chinese soup with sliced yellow ginger and coriander topping. The pork is tender and the nappa cabbage is a compliment to the slightly spicy soup base. The Chinese believes that ginger is a natural food for clearing trapped wind, so it is a good way to start the day with that. The breaded fish that comes with it is crispy and good. It's the type of fish you always eat in Japanese cuisine but I have no idea what fish is that.
For the katsu don, it taste different from the ones I had in Singapore. It might be due to the difference in sauces used but it is a refreshing change. While it is really delicious, it may be a tad too salty.
Tokyo Skytree Tower
We started the use of our 72 Hour Tokyo Subway ticket and took one stop to Oshiage station. The metro station is not actually the one I thought was near the hotel. It is a short walk further down. Before the trip, I was confused over the difference between JR and Metro. They are different lines operated by different companies and their stations are located separately. In fact, most of my itinerary was wrongly planned as I took JR exits as metro exits (only for those stations that the JR and metro have in common, eg. Kinshicho). The JR line is more extensive, but for our trip, the metro was good enough. Therefore, the 72 hour concession is a great deal! One thing to note though, is that the change of lines within the metro can be confusing. Most of the time, we had to tap out, walk a distance towards the other line, and then tap in again.
To go to the Tokyo Skytree Tower from Oshiage metro station, you have to walk to the next building. Check with the information counter because you may get a bit lost. As per reviews, the queue was indeed long if you don't go there sharp at the time it opens. We queued for about an hour? They have a fast queue for tourists but the cost of ticket is higher. We bought the tickets to the deck (¥2060 per pax) and then queued to take the lift up.
At 634m tall, you get a magnificent bird's eye view of the buildings and landscapes. For those with fear of heights, this may cause your knees to wobble. Our fun came from finding the location of our hotel, which is quite visible due to it being higher than its surrounding buildings. The length of the road, if we had walked to the Skytree, does not seem too very long from above. There were quite a considerable number of visitors there and they all seemed very excited about snapping photographs of the background. It would be good to come on a weekday instead.
To go up a higher level, you can purchase the galleria ticket (¥1030 per pax) at the ticketing counter at the peak level. Once you go up, you won't be able to get back down the same level. There are more interactive things to see upstairs, although it is harder to capture a picture without the window panes showing.
The building that we walked from has lots to shop and see. This includes the popular Pokemon Centre and Disney store. I spent so much time at Disney store and spent a total of ¥7128! We bought Tokyo Bananas as well. As per the sales lady, the chocolate banana flavour (¥515) can only be found there while the strawberry flavour (¥560) one can be bought at the airport. While I do not find Tokyo bananas exceptionally delicious, the strawberry flavour appeals more to me.
Lunch; NANA's Green Tea
I was excited when I saw their outlet because I love the food! It is definitely cheaper there but they operate in a different way. We browsed the menu, ordered and paid for the food before we find a table. Not sure if we could sit down first because nobody was doing that. Since the menu is in Japanese, we can only rely on the pictures to guide us.
I tried the rice with fish roe and salmon bits. When eaten stirred together, it is salty and sweet as the juice of the orange roe pops when you chew the food. His meal is rice with savoury minced pork and egg, which is tasty as well. Both were ordered as a set and the whole meal was ¥2592.
Akihabara
For the evening, we planned to go to Akihabara area. Akihabara is an area popular for its plethora of electronics gadgets and video games. If you go by the metro, you can take exit 5 and walk a distance to the main area. If you take the JR, you would be in the center of the buzzing district, which is definitely more convenient.
When the sun went down, the street brightened up from the colourful lights of the tall buildings. There were several levels in one building with so many possibilities of electronic devices and games. One popular and prominent building is the Sega building which is definitely a paradise for gamers or arcade lovers. We also went to M's Pop Life sex department store and it was an interesting time there 😜. I am amazed by the seemingly infinite amount of games available there!
Dinner; IPPUDO
We did not have a good experience in the Singapore's outlet, so we had to try out the authentic one. Took the metro down to Asakusa's outlet since it was along the way back to the hotel. The walk to the restaurant is a little long though.
Along the lane where Ippudo is situated, there is this awesome Taiyaki store which is really popular with customers. There is always space for a tiny Taiyaki! My bf had the standard red bean flavour (¥160) while I opted for the pumpkin alternative (¥180). I can actually still remember the taste now! The crust is hot and slightly crispy, and as you bite down, it is soft and sweet. I recall a tiny bit of burnt taste on the crust but that makes it even better. As we observe how the chef made the Taiyaki, it seems as though the batter for the crust is too little, but the final result is quite fantastic. Pumpkin is less sweet than the red bean so it is a good option for those who do not take sweetened red bean paste.
Our dining experience at Ippudo was a pleasant one. The staff cannot really speak English so we had to figure out ourselves on the type of soup base. They specialize in Tonkotsu soup base but they do provide Shoyu and Miso options. We ordered a spicy (¥1080) and non spicy special (¥1020) tonkotsu ramen and 5 piece gyoza (¥220) to go with it. The special includes all of the ingredients and for this price, just go for it! The noodles is really springy and with the non spicy soup, it taste like wanton mee! My bf agrees on that too. The soup is flavourful but light, so you will not get tired of it. The gyoza is tenderly juicy, hmmm. When we were back in Singapore, we tried Ippudo again and the verdict is that the soup base here is too rich. We got gyozas at less than S$3 there but it is S$9 here.
We were meant to explore the Asakusa area that very day but because of my injured foot, we took the plan off. Still, I can say that we have visited right?
When the sun went down, the street brightened up from the colourful lights of the tall buildings. There were several levels in one building with so many possibilities of electronic devices and games. One popular and prominent building is the Sega building which is definitely a paradise for gamers or arcade lovers. We also went to M's Pop Life sex department store and it was an interesting time there 😜. I am amazed by the seemingly infinite amount of games available there!
Dinner; IPPUDO
We did not have a good experience in the Singapore's outlet, so we had to try out the authentic one. Took the metro down to Asakusa's outlet since it was along the way back to the hotel. The walk to the restaurant is a little long though.
Along the lane where Ippudo is situated, there is this awesome Taiyaki store which is really popular with customers. There is always space for a tiny Taiyaki! My bf had the standard red bean flavour (¥160) while I opted for the pumpkin alternative (¥180). I can actually still remember the taste now! The crust is hot and slightly crispy, and as you bite down, it is soft and sweet. I recall a tiny bit of burnt taste on the crust but that makes it even better. As we observe how the chef made the Taiyaki, it seems as though the batter for the crust is too little, but the final result is quite fantastic. Pumpkin is less sweet than the red bean so it is a good option for those who do not take sweetened red bean paste.
Our dining experience at Ippudo was a pleasant one. The staff cannot really speak English so we had to figure out ourselves on the type of soup base. They specialize in Tonkotsu soup base but they do provide Shoyu and Miso options. We ordered a spicy (¥1080) and non spicy special (¥1020) tonkotsu ramen and 5 piece gyoza (¥220) to go with it. The special includes all of the ingredients and for this price, just go for it! The noodles is really springy and with the non spicy soup, it taste like wanton mee! My bf agrees on that too. The soup is flavourful but light, so you will not get tired of it. The gyoza is tenderly juicy, hmmm. When we were back in Singapore, we tried Ippudo again and the verdict is that the soup base here is too rich. We got gyozas at less than S$3 there but it is S$9 here.
A MUST TRY IN JAPAN!
We were meant to explore the Asakusa area that very day but because of my injured foot, we took the plan off. Still, I can say that we have visited right?
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