TO JAPAN V OUR LO! PART 1: TOKYO, KYOTO
April 21, 2016This is more of a 'family-oriented' trip. Super excited as this time round we're able to arrive in time to see the sakuras in full bloom (Checked the predictions from https://www.jnto.go.jp/sakura/eng/index.php). We missed that during our trip to Korea. Though we've a full itinerary planned out for this trip, we still adopted the 'play it by ear' strategy, depending on our LO's mood and our condition (Well, carrying a 10kg toddler around together with the diapers bag and camera bag IS a huge challenge after all!) I've also explained why we chose Airbnb over hotels and shared some of my experiences/tips in my previous post: 'How we survived the 10-day Japan trip v our LO'.
Indeed luck was on our side. The sight at Ueno was awesome and truly breathtaking. Check out the photos! Plenty of stalls selling beer, sakura ice creams, yakitori and fried stuffs. Everywhere was packed with people strolling, taking photos, picnicking under the sakura trees, enjoying their food with draft beers, sakes and champagnes. You could also pay ¥3,000 to rent a kimono to wear for fun and take pictures in it.
Swarmed by sakuras! |
There were pink ones as well! |
Closeup shot :D |
After spending almost half a day at Ueno park eating, enjoying the premium malt suntory draft beer while admiring the beauty of the sakuras, we had some uni or sea urchin and steamed snow crab legs with sake (Yumz!) at the nearby Ameyoko shopping street and shopped for some fruits and veggies before heading to Sensō-ji temple in Asakusa.
Seafood at Ameyoko. Yumzzz |
Sensō-ji temple. |
Sensō-ji temple. |
Sensō-ji temple. |
Nishiki market entrance |
Lotsa food stalls |
Tako tamago - chewy and savory with a hint of salty and sweet |
The quail egg inside gave a different flavor-twist |
Amazing! |
Seeing them at night all lit up gave a totally different feel! |
Thick green bamboo stalks seem to continue endlessly in every direction |
Particularly attractive when there is a light wind and the tall bamboo stalks sway gently back and forth. |
Kiyomizu-dera Temple |
Kiyomizu-dera Temple |
Kiyomizu-dera Temple |
Cherry blossoms at the temple |
We settled our dinner at a restaurant with sushi belt on the way down. Called it a night after that. We were tired but judging from all the walking since morning, surprisingly our legs weren't feeling as painful as we expected. Seemed the Phiten insoles and power tapes did work their magic. Haha. *We walked an average of about 15,500 steps per day during that 10-day period, as recorded in our iPhone's Health app. S.E.R.I.O.U.S.L.Y.
Extra Tips:
- Get a Suica/Pasmo card (like our Touch N Go) for subway/train rides when you reach the airport. It can be used in convenience stores and vending machines too.
- Be prepared for long queues/waiting time at restaurants during lunch/dinner peak hour.
- A lot of the restaurants/eateries close in the afternoon after lunch time and reopen again for dinner, so plan your meal times properly.
- We didn't come across many child-friendly restaurants or restaurants with baby chairs. Some even rejected us upfront when they saw us carrying a toddler. Most eating places are tiny, so it would be hard to navigate/park your strollers if you bring one.
- For those who are as picky as me when it comes to LO's food, I brought some rice, oats, raisins, whitebaits and chia seeds over, and we prepared most of her meals when we were there. Buying fresh veggies, fruits and meat there weren't a problem at all.
- Some restaurants incur a fix charge the moment you sit down, or make it compulsory that you order a set each/a certain minimum amount, in order to be able to sit and dine in it.
- You could choose to stay in Kyoto and take daily trips to Osaka, or vice versa since the JR Tokaido shinkansen ride takes only about 15 mins to reach Shin-Osaka station and from there, transfer to JR line train to Osaka station (4 mins), OR you could take the JR Special Rapid train (30 mins' ride) straight to Osaka station. In doing so, you can save the trouble of packing and moving.
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