TOKYO DAY 2: ASAKUSA & AKIHABARA
Monday 4 September 2017
Good morning!!! In the train to Asakusa this morning!!!
From Shinjuku, we took the Yamanote line again (green line) to Ueno and switched to Ginza line! (orange)
2-3 stops later is Asakusa! This is the exit that we left from
Staircase modelling lololol jk
Walk out and you should see this - on the right (not in this pic) would be the famous and crowded Sensoji temple
On the left there are a few shop houses!! I didn't explore deeper in but anyways the kimono shop I made a booking at is the one with the kimono mannequin outside, pink signboard!
They have 2 shops along this same street actually, just a little further down at where the purple banner is at? Can see not
So from this 1st shop they brought me to the 2nd shop to actually see the yukatas and change into it
Asakusa Rental Kimono Koto
This is the name of the shop I went btw!! I won't put address here bcos I don't know if I'm writing it right either LOLOL so I just include the link ya
Prices wise also check the website directly bcos I don't remember hahahahaha just remember I had to pay for sandals socks and other add ons and stuff like ornamental hairpins
You comb through their selection of kimonos/yukatas (yukata is just thinner and what they wear in summer - so TECHNICALLY im wearing a yukata) and let them know when u've decided which u want!
Honestly the selection wasnt hugeeeeeeeee but good enough
Btw if I rmb correctly its just curtains that separate women side, from the foyer (with the clothes), to the men side
So you are expected (at least for this shop I went) to just undress to ur undergarments together with other women who happen to be in the shop w u hahahahahahhaaha
I think they v open in Japan la with the saunas and stuff also so dont be shocked
Anyways they make u wear the basic stuff urself like undershirt??? I dunno what are they called but just first piece of clothing u wear. Then they (the elderly women - BUT VERY STRONG LOL) do the rest for u!
If u can see from my pic...... the obi (sash around my waist) has to be tied tight af and there were like 6 layers of stuff around my waist I thought I gonna come out w a 20 inch waist alr
Very very tight but its necessary! So just 忍LOL
After that they attach some ribbon or tie it there la behind ur back and u r done!!!!!!!!!
Tada the hair they did for me!!! If u can speak Japanese u can request what hairstyle u want but I'm not that advanced lmaooo (我学了一下后放弃) so I did a braid on my hair and told them that I liked this lololol
Also requested I dont want hairspray bcos I hate it! I don't even use hairspray myself. So got a bit of flyaways but it's ok my hair is never neat ya
When they put the flower in my hair I wanted to ask them if they had a lilac or pastel one to better suit my yukata but once again the language barrier lololol so its ok! Pink also nice!
OH YA CAN U SEE MY SOCKS LMAOO suaku is my first time wearing socks that separate ur big toe from others. So hard to get suited to in the beginning lol!!!
Where the ~real action~ be at
HOLA we at the entrance
Sun is shining directly in my eyes lolz
Very iconic lantern but don't even need to think of getting a solo pic w it lolol
人山人海!!!!!!!!!!
Don't know if u can see but this is the road to the temple (all the way at the very very end) and its filled with a lot of stalls like a market!
They sell stuff ranging from souvenirs to all sorts of foods
Sadly we didn't try a lot bcos don't understand so never 乱买LOL which I regret. Shouldve just been adventurous!
Actually nvm we were adventurous bcos we took a pic on the 马路?!
THE VAN IS DRIVING PAST US AS U CAN SEE?! LMAOO 不知死
Actually not purposely la it was empty when we set our tripod on the road but when we posed this van just turned into the lane lololol
Only in Japan u can do this pls dont repeat in other countries lol drivers are not so kind
Tempura Daikokuya
Anyways we found the tempura restaurant we wanted to try!
Just recognise the 大黑家 sign lol
Actually I'm not sure if they have 2 outlets bcos after I left and walked down the street, I saw another 大黑家...... but YL said that could be just another door to the restaurant instead - we dont know bcos we were sent upstairs lmao
They had those seats that u sit on the floor leh so cool but they didnt offer us to sit there so.. I think also bcos they are generally 4-people tables and we only have 2 pax thats why
Served us tea and towel. I dunno why YL's face look so unimpressed here
Anyways until now idk whats the towel for hahahahahaha acts as a serviette is it?
Oh no!!! My worst enemy- backlight!!!
So excited for food lmao
They're here!
HONESTLY CANT RMB which is which LMAO but they have 3 bowl options:
1) 1 prawn, 1 mixed-tempura, 1 kisu fish
2) 2 prawns, 1 mixed-tempura
3) 4 prawns
We ordered bowl 1 and bowl 2 for the sake of being different
Its very different from the usual tempura we eat in SG tho! It's not crisp- in fact its soggy bcos its drenched in sauce. But not oily-soggy kind of soggy
The color is quite dark bcos they use soy sauce so a bit salty but its ok with the rice!
From what I read online this type of Tempura is more influenced by the Edo period (earlier days of Japan)
Now we are at the temple proper!! It's called Senso-ji
Our attempt at a pic among 1000 tourists lmao
They have these 抽签 (draw lots) booths!
No staff is situated there la but you're supposed to drop 100 yen in yourself
I don't think people will 骗 the temple 这种小钱 if they want a good lot also LOLOL
Quite self-explanatory
Shake until your lot comes out!!!
Take your lot accordingly from the drawers
FML I got a bad lot so YL is tying it there for me hahahahahaha bcos according to the 'instructions' there they say to leave your bad luck behind lololol i dunno
So much phototaking
I read online before that this is some water that will cleanse you something hahahaaha
However when I saw all the tourists reusing the bowls over and over again I was like nevermind maybe I won't do it after all LOL.....
BUT YL SAID HE STEADY!! HAHAHAHA
With one hand stretched out
I can't believe he put his mouth to it HAHAHA
Later I asked him how was the water he said it just tastes like normal water LOLOL
This is a smaller garden beside the main area we were at just now
I think they have a few shrines in the whole temple zone? Thats why got a lot smaller gardens too
Anyways over here I saw this too and nobody was there
So I did it too LOLOL say others say ownself
Here are the instructions....... in Japanese wtf
I asked YL to interpret for me (from the pics) and he told me to pour the water in my palm.. and drink it up wor
I did as he said la but after that I a bit skeptical bcos I dunno whether I'm supposed to drink that water down or just rinse my mouth with it?!
BAHAHA SO THIS IS ME LOOKING AT HIM IN GREAT DOUBT LOLOLOL I WAS CONVINCED THAT HE SABO ME
Aiya even if its not meant to be drank I alr drank it down la so 不多讲了
I think this is read as no bicycle or something LOL
At another garden!! So pretty
My casual ootd lolol
YL found another area to get lots... look at his face as if use a lot of strength will get good lots wtf
Do you see that blue shirt uncle???
After we got this shot with our tripod, he came to ask us for a pic LOLOL
I was mid vlogging so this is us posing for him lmao
下次我要收钱哈哈哈哈
Many pretty shrines
We were looking for where to write messages and stuff and we finally found it
Its near the place I drank water from LOL
Go to the shop nearby and purchase the wooden board you want. They have a few designs
I got this because there is a pink monkey on it LOLOL
Mine was 800yen (I can remember because I said it on my vlog keke)
They provide you with markers to write with and while we- I mean me wtf bcos YL is
all about the mouth service -__- a random old uncle was just standing around watching us
After we were done hanging it up, he approached us and offered to take a pic for us LOLOL
WHERE TO FIND SUCH PPL?! 自动帮你拍照
Mind u he's not staff or anything he just looked like some old man on his daily stroll or something lolol
Uncle angle a bit low but mai hiam la lolol
Maybe he saw us and got reminded of his younger dating days or something hahaha arigatou uncle!!!
When we were finally leaving the temple we saw this crowded place from far away.... as we got closer I realised its some cooling point?! LOLOL think they spray some cold mist inside or something
It was summer la thats why so many people inside!
Look at the school girls getting a pic with the figure lmao!!! So kawaii
Many of their buildings have random samurais sitting on them I would think its to remember their samurai roots during Edo period
Anyways we went out of the main temple went towards the roads to take a stroll in the neighbourhoods
A lot of food stalls along the street
We saw quite a few school girls queueing for this ice cream so our kiasuism took over
We got mango sorbet!
Actually i thought it was gonna be ice cream but i couldnt read the menu so when it came out to be sorbet i was quite disappointed sobs where is my gelat ice cream?!
But ok la very refreshing for summer! YL liked it more than me too so alls good
I love Japan's neighbourhoods :')
So pleasing to the eyes
OH one thing I want to share is that dustbins are rarely found in Japan
From what I read online, people apparently carry plastic bags around to throw their own trash
I think its probably got something to do with the way their classify their trash?
Tourists (like us) may not be as well-informed so we may classify wrongly ah.. so anyways when we spot a bin we literally stand there until we finish our food/drink so that we dont need to hold on to it later LOLOL
^ case in point
Some vending machines come with bins so stay alert lolol
We went back to return our yukatas in the late afternoon and are on the train to Akihabara now!
I think we just took the train back to Ueno and changed to Yamanote line again to continue to Akihabara. About 5 stops away
We're here!
Akihabara is famous for their anime/manga stuff and maid cafes but actually when I first stepped out of the station it felt more like a electric town to me LMAO
Dunno how to describe unless u see it urself. There's a lot more office buildings than I imagined. Maybe I went out via the wrong exit but i wasnt bombarded with anime like I thought I would lolol
First things that we spotted other than the buildings were themed cafes
I went into one of them wanting to look around but immediately I got served and asked how many pax for my table so I walked out again LOLOL LOSER
Selfieing on streets of Akihabara
I saw people queueing for takoyaki this time and when in Japan ofc try their takoyaki!!
I used to like takoyaki when I was younger but there was once I ate too many balls at one go I felt so nauseous and from then on I never bought takoyaki again LOL
I also felt like takoyaki in SG was just full of flour so I never bothered
Pls rmb this shop Gindaco
If im not wrong think they should have outlets over Tokyo
BEST TAKOYAKI IVE HAD IN MY LIFE
I mean it's Japanese takoyaki by Japanese in Japan.......... how are u gonna go wrong??
Lolol me fervently biting it!!! Takoyaki in Japan (the basic one that i bought) doesnt have mayo OMG HAHAHAHA SHIOK!!!
LOOK!!!!! AT THE SIZE OF TAKO!!!!
It is a real octopus ball and not a flour ball WTF
Super yums 外酥内软 T__________T
Do urself a favour and eat takoyaki when u're in Japan. I will honestly never eat takoyaki in SG again esp since I never liked it anyways
This is their famous 'donki mall' or Don Quijote
They are a lot of other outlets over Tokyo this was just the first one that I went to
It's kind of like a discount store but its not Daiso because their items are differently priced
They usually have a few floors and they sell seriously a HUGE range of stuff
Makeup, food, homeware, toys, clothes, bags, etc they have everything
I was busy vlogging so I didnt picture everything lmao but ya
I can't rmb which outlet was it but one of the outlets I went I even stumbled into a sex toy section hahahahahhahaha they were playing adverts for condoms and everything BUT i cannot read Jap so i didnt know it was it lah I rmb standing there watching the ad feeling very confused
I was like whats this weird ad with men touching women and stuff and like......... OH
LOLOL lightbulb moment while I was holding a vibrator that looked like a deodorant
Immediately I burst out laughing and ran off to look for YL to tell him where I just stumbled into and he was like wtf HHAHAHA
Anyways we've seen a lot of adult shops along the streets of Japan so I think it's their norm
Anyways! Like I said donki mall really has everything so this Akihabara outlet had an arcade on one of the top levels wtf
This is me failing to catch a pikachu after 100 attempts omg I WASTED SO MUCH $$$$ gek sim
Us being tourists right smack in the middle of the streets of Akihabara LMAO
I literally plopped our tripod on the pathway to take this pic and there were soooo many people getting off work hahahahahaaha damn embarrassing la but then again HOW MANY TIMES AM I GONNA BE IN AKIHABARA IN MY LIFE!!
Saw a huge building near the train station as we walked back so I pulled YL upstairs and wow so nice here!
I think this is what this building is called? Akiba Square
We didn't go in but I forgot why. Either it was closed or we weren't interested
Last tourist pic.... in an attempt to photograph the train behind hahahahahaha wtf
After this we went back to Shinjuku alr!
Maybe it was because we didn't really enter any game shops in Akihabara but I felt like this place was so-so! If I didn't had time I would've skipped here.
Very much prefer our messy yet lively Shinjuku LOL
Today we decided we will find our way to isetan and while we were walking in the underground station we passed by this stand!!
It's called Croquant Chou Zaku Zaku
(I have seen another outlet in Harajuku and they even sell ice cream there!)
Omg there was a queue too so it must be good??
They are individually packed
!!!!!!!!!!!!! SO GOOD OMG
The pastry is warm and crisp as you can see from the 一粒一粒 ya lolol
And then the custard inside is cold omg SHIOK!!!!!???!!!
This is a must buy! The cream can be slightly gelat if u're not into dairy so share one instead
While walking (STILL underground) I passed by yet another shop selling sweets hahahahahaha
I immediately got their banana crepe cake hehe
I only had it for breakfast the next morning but I will insert the pic here instead for easier reference
Banana and cream crepe cake!!!!!! YUMS!!!!!!!
Anyways we finally reached isetan hahahahaha and we are buying a snack
(i learnt that 200 yen stickers mean discount of 200 yen, not that it is 200 yen lmao)
Chopsticks AND DRY ICE for ur sushi somemore. Are u sure u are a supermart?!
T__________T SO GOOD
I dont even know what we bought bcos its all in Japanese but its SOOO GOOD somebody pls tell me what fish this is if u can recognise lol
We are out in the open now lmao trying to find our way to takashimaya this time
FOund it after SOOO LONG we got lost several times FOL
Also went to their food hall immediately lmao and i took away yakisoba for my dinner from taka (pic below)
WOW pancakes
SOOOO generous filling
When I was buying it I was so tickled by the name of white common bean HAHAHAHAHHA
I didnt get a pic of those that I bought but u can watch me eat it on my vlog lmao I preferred red bean but the pancake was mostly filling couldnt taste much of the pancake LOLOL OTHER WAY ROUND FROM SG
Walking again through confusing Shinjuku again!!
YL wanted maccas for dinner so we walked and walked and walked then i also dunno how we found it hahahahahaaha 很 heng
Tadaaaa
We have learnt to ask for english menus!!! Keke
Its not avail in ALL the restaurants la but can always try asking
Anyways isnt it interesting that there's nothing spicy in their maccas menu???
I dont take spicy food anyway la but so different from SG bcos mcspicy is such a hit
Successfully found our way back to the train station so commemorating lololol
We ALWAYS drop by the convenience store near our hotel every night and guess what I remembered
Family mart also got bentos and yakisoba at half the price la dont need to go until isetan taka to buy wtffffff
I love combini drinks laaaa packaging so kewl and most of them (i say most bcos ive had one that i disliked FML) are super yums
This is what I bought from taka. It wasnt even that nice sobs emo
I ended up sharing YL's maccas lmaooo and he bobian have to eat my yakisoba
Look at their ketchup!!!!! Kawaii!!
What teriyaki burger looks like. Anyway YL told me he doesn't like teriyaki to make me feel better abt me exchanging our food again loloolol on the other hand i LOVE TERIYAKI
If this burger was avail in SG I would have maccas weekly no joke. So yums!!!!
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