Tokyo City Tour & Kobe Beef!! - 4 April 2013

Day 1 : The only pix I took with my mobile, those in my camera...GONE! GONE! GONE!

I was supposed to be in eastern Europe but due to unforeseen circumstances, I'd to change my annual vacation to Japan minus the presence of Rocker57 who has already been to Japan some years back. This is my first time stepping into Japan and also a long time since I joined a guided tour. I had my sis-in-law; Karen i.e Rocker57's sister in tow as chaperone :)

Although it's a 7D/5N tour, the real tour is only 5 days while the rest of the time was spent on the plane, normal, right? Hmm..right. We took the midnight flight from Singapore as we were flying SIA. Couldn't sleep a wink! Nope, not excited if that is what you were thinking....just the hormones playing games with me! Sigh.

Yet, I wasn't tired at all when we touched down at Haneda airport in Tokyo at 5.30am local time. So, where are the photos? Yikes! Sadly, my 1.5 days photos were deleted due to camera technicalites. That's what to expect with a dummy camerawoman like me! Heehehe... So, first 1.5days in Japan is now a BLANK BLANK BLANK except for the vivid recollections in my 70% water based brain!

But! Being the ever positive me, I overcame it shortly after complaining to a few people, namely Karen (rocker57's sister), a photo enthusiast in our tour group and of course my Rock!! Blah blah blah....sad sad sad....OK! What's next? Anyway, these were the places I visited but no photos to show... Incidentally, how cool is it that our bus has....... WIFI!!! Yay!!! Was able to chat & send pix (later on after lesson learnt) with Rocker57 via whatsapp. So cool, man!

First stop : Asakusa Temple - the most famous and popular Buddhist temple built in the 7th century. Doesn't appeal to me much as the structure has been rebuilt and rebuilt due to two or three earthquakes disaster. In fact, it looks new! 

Facing the Asakusa temple is Nakasime Street with over 50 shops & stalls offering local delicacies and tourist souvenirs. We (sister-in-law and I) bought and tasted some local street food. Most of the shops sell similar things. It was here we ate deep fried tempura sweet potato balls similar to that of our Malaysian Goreng Pisang (fried banana fritters) where even the prince of Japan visited. And how did I know that? Simply because there was a long queue and...and there were huge enlarged newspaper cuttings of his highness visit, DUH! The visiting time given by the tour guide was way too much. So much so, we sat under the shades for over 35mins!

Next stop was Palette Town, a large shopping & entertainment complex consisting of Venus Fort shopping mall, Toyota Mega Web, Zepp Tokyo music venue & Tokyo Leisureland. YUCK YUCK YUCK! Scrap this venue! A waste of our precious time which should have been spent at Ginza instead or a park!

After our complaints, the guide took us to another park as many Sakura enthusiasts in our tour group couldn't get enough of the cherry blossoms. Earlier on, we were at Odaiba Park overlooking the Rainbow bridge, perhaps that 'sparked' the Sakura frenzy, apparently or the fact that some of them came solely to witness the blooms and nothing else! Psst...there were 4 of them die-hard Sakura fans...seriously! Now, how did I know? They told me personally, duh!

At the second park, we sat by the fountain and watched how the Japanese pass their time cycling, idling, playing with their kids or simply just strolling and admiring the Sakura (Japanese for Cherry Blossom). Weather was cooling with nice breeze and oh...the air was truly refreshing and I love the greens, what more...with a water fountain in our background...truly relaxing.

Not the original macha ice cream at the park but similar.

It was here at the entrance of the park we ate our first macha (green tea) ice cream for 350yen (RM11.80 based on 0.0337 exchange rate that I'd gotten 2 days prior to departure) from a van vendor. It was also the very same spot I took pictures with a senior citizen HOG! No silly, not the hog, hog...the Harley Owner's Group..HOG!. His Harley Davidson was a sparkling 'bling bling' that I could easily comb my hair & see my worn out make-up that was not refreshed after the 8 hours haul from Singapore a few hours ago! Unfortunately, that event will only be etched in my memory and no pictures to prove except for my sister in law who helped took the picture and the fact that I 'whatsapp' Rocker57 about it. Ah...memories in the 70% water base thingy is better than any digital or hi-tech thingy. Yuuuup...obviously its the sour puss lamenting & trying to stay as optimistic as possible but somehow you can still taste the sourness, right? hmmm...a bit-bit got-lah! :)

Final stop Ginza - the prestigious & fashionable shopping & dinning hot spot in Tokyo. In the itinerary it indicated shopping at Uniqlo and H&M outlet but it is not to be. We didn't even shopped!!! We stopped for dinner and that was it!!! I couldn't even pop by Burberry which was opposite the restaurant to check out their famed Blue label Burberry!!! *stomp stomp stomp* (internally. Cannot get too annoyed else trip is no longer fun. Ohmmm...ohmmm...meditate to stay calm...ohmmm ohmmm)

BUUUUT!!!! I had my Kobe beef to compensate for the lack of everything else. Waaah, so nice ya, the tour includes Kobe beef....YUP!...F.A.T. chance!!!! We had to fork out 10,000 yen (RM337) for 200gms of it. Sooooo, how was it? 

It was....like how the celebrity in Hollywood would say "beyond words"....The marbleized juicy beef with meat & fat interlacing each other was sweet and oh so tender after a quick BBQ....the meat literally melts in your mouth. Seriously! Karen who isn't a huge fan of beef said she wanted to share the large portion and if she doesn't like it, she will give me her portion. Alas...after the first bite....she was HOOKED, line & sinker! Hence, I only had my fair share but it was SUPERB!!! Strangely, after the specially placed order, the tour guide never offered to ask if we wanted more of it at the other places we visited.....hmmmm....I for one wouldn't mind another go at it...worth every yen!

My kobe beef receipt. Sorry don't know how to rotate the receipt...me..dum-dum!

After dinner, we stopped over at a nearby supermarket. WOWZA, you should have seen the humongous produce they had. The radish is bigger than the size of a man's arm! The leeks were like miniature sugar canes!! Seriously!...Alas, if only I had pictures as proof. But for those who's been to Japan will definitely attest to what I and my tour group had seen. Most of the produce were huge, fresh and so inviting...If I were to put my ears closer...I seriously think I could hear the tomatoes, cabbages, etc saying 'bite me, bite me"...

After the huge produce shockwave wavered down..we headed to our hotel. We stayed at Hilton Hotel :)   Nice! All 25 of us were placed within 21st & 22nd floor.

Overall, I had a weak impression of Tokyo as I did not get to see much nor get to do what I had planned...shop at Burberry for their blue label edition! Aarrrgh!!! Hey, I am not rich but I do like to collect items that are special from each country I'm visiting or have visited i.e if I can afford it. Looks like my pocket is safe this time around.

My take out from my first day in Tokyo:

• Not what I'd expected of Tokyo. Didn't like the architecture or landscape of Tokyo (perhaps due to frequent earthquakes, buildings are meant to last not for show) 
• Our tour guide Ricky tells us more of Singapore where his family is than of Japan. Hey!!!! If I'd wanted to know more of Singapore, I will go to Singapore and not come to Japan to learn of our neighbouring country! Dork!!
• I'd wanted to see how Ginza is during peak hours where thousands of people walk at the pedestrians crossing as often depicted in movies but alas, our driver and guide wanted to avoid the peak hours!!! Arrrggghh....
• Things are expensive due to high living standards but if you look deeper, just like in any other country, you can still afford to live by comfortably. That is, if only you know where to find affordable food & accommodations like how our guide shared with us how he has lived for long durations in Osaka (where he is based).
• Surprisingly, I see a lot of Japanese cycling to work or running errands in a buzzing city like Tokyo! Again, the high living standards could be one of the reasons why, not forgetting that taxis are expensive & so is parking space. Plus, with a nice weather like that, I too wouldn't mind the extra work out. The act of cycling is common in the western countries and China of course. Well, now I know that the Japanese are also in my book of countries where cycling is common :)
• I'm in LOVE with Kobe beef! Like how I fell in love with Wagyu beef burger in Melbourne's Subway Restaurant....ahhh...how easy I fall in love. Just give me good food and I'm smittened!! 

Tell you more about what's in-store the next day. Remember to follow up on my blog ya....until then...

またお会いし

Mata o aishi

"see you again" in Japanese