February 3, 2015

Osaka/ Tokyo Autumn Itinerary 2014: Day 4 (Part 1)- Kyoto’s Nara Deer Park

February 3, 2015

Since we saw monkeys the previous day, we figured today would be DEER day! This has got to be the highlight of the trip! Ever since I watched a youtube video of the ‘bowing Japanese deer’, I knew immediately that I would make it to Nara Deer Park somehow!

And make it we did! But not before brunch! 😀

Brunch was once again at Namba station before taking the train to Nara Deer Park!

After a totally satisfying brunch (the unagi don was fantastic!), we bought some bread from a bakery (because deer park = no food= FEAR. Hurhur)

This chocolate bread is my favourite! I love to bring it home and toast it so it’s crispy and hot outside and soft and full of melty choc on the inside!

WE ARE HERE!!

Long walk from train station to the park.

Deer are wild animals! They can kick, butt, bite or knock you down.

Mr Menace not sitting in the park at all but on the university grounds OPPOSITE the park. Wonder how he managed to cross the road?

We are sad because it was raining and we had to sit on a bench instead of go play with the deers. 🙁

Finally the rain has stopped!

There was a food fair going on in the park and the deer were just wandering around freely and poking their noses into things and conversations.

My first view of the deer!

At first I was super excited to see the stags fighting but after I realised that they no longer had antlers (shaved for human safety), I felt really sad. Like we were exploiting them for our own entertainment. 🙁

This guy was a deer whisperer man. Everywhere he went, the deer just obediently followed him and did whatever he wanted them to do. The deer could stand on their hind legs or spin around in circles and they were never rude to him. Most of the deer there can get very persistent and mildly aggressive because they want the biscuits. But not those around the guy! He smacks them if they get aggressive and they become really meek and gentle! Alpha male, much?

We love the sweet baby ones! 😀

Magic biscuits! Senbei for the deer!

They SWARM towards you the moment they see the biscuits!

How cool is it that we managed to take a group pic with the deer! I balanced the camera on a random ledge in the park and all I could think of the entire time was ” please don’t let a deer eat my camera”.

My friends cannot stop bowing. and bowing. AND bowing to the bowing deer!

It’s so hilarious!!!! I just stood there taking pictures of them and laughing. AHAHAH.

I’m not kidding! The deer really bow! (Okay, and me too haha)

THE SCENERY! GORGEOUS! Such a wide expanse of grassland for your to run and play!

Nara Deer Park is really a GREAT place to go especially in autumn when the leaves change, the hills are a-rolling and there are deer all a-roaming. I highly highly recommend it!

February 1, 2015

Osaka/ Tokyo Autumn Itinerary 2014: Day 3- Kyoto’s Arashiyama/ Monkey Park/ Bamboo Groves/

February 1, 2015

Day 3!

As mentioned in Day 1, we didn’t have much of a planned itinerary so every morning we would just wake up and say ‘hey, do we want to go see some animals today or some historical building’ and animals would ALWAYS win. Hahaha. On today’s agenda- Monkeys! 😀

We were really early and nothing was opened yet so we ended up at Macdonalds for breakfast. Yum! I love the Filet o’ Fish!

Then onward to the Hankyu train station for the ride to Arashiyama in Kyoto!

The trains are adorable!

There are normal, express and limited express trains. We were really fortunate to be on a limited express train so it went straight to Arashiyama with only a few stops in between!

Japan, your scenery and weather is AMAZING. I love it.

We take a long meandering walk to find us some monkeys!

How can this be unphotoshopped?! The natural beauty of Japan is just ASTOUNDING.

Yay! We are finally here! 😀

Tickets are 550yen per adult and 250yen per child!

Wear comfy shoes because there is a long long longgggg trek up the hill to the monkeys.

We. Made. It. *huff. puff*

Humans go into a cage and monkeys hang outside to get food!

Gorgeous views from the top.

Dat is an ant. Dat ant in a my mouth.

Dat is a human. He feed me a banana.

Imma be a leaf.

I really love this fellow! While all his friends were clamoring for food, he was just perched on a little log, whiling the time away and hanging out with his shadow. So zen. He lives on air. pftttt. All the others ar plebeians.

All in, I had such a great time there! The place is so worth the climb up! And so much more fun than spending your day in yet another building! SO HAPPY! And it’s a great place to bring your kids too because while the climb up is a little tedious, the kids there were so intrigued by the monkeys! Great experience, I say!

I sincerely wanted to change my FB profile pic to this. This is how I look at my mother every night before dinner. Where is dinner, mother. I am starvingggg. FEED. ME. PLEASE. PLEASSSSSEEEE.

The slide down is only for children! WHAT IS THIS AGEISM!

Kyoto is gorgeous. When I get back to Japan next time, I’m never staying in Osaka again. I’m just going to spend all my time exploring Kyoto.

We make our way down for a snack and Togetsu Cafe.

Crispy Veggie Chips!

More amazing matcha goodness.

We walk along the streets lined with shops and make our merry way to the Bamboo Groves.

SO zen. So amazing. So unlike anything else I’ve ever seen.

There was this girl who was causing quite a crowd to form around her and I realised everyone was taking a picture of her cat! SO CUTE. He looks worthy of a meme. haha.

Then lunch time! By day 3 I was craving for a salad already. So I ignored my friends excited exclamations over Tempura Udon and whatnot and forced my friends into the cafe that looked like they served the healthiest food on the street– OBU CAFE! Hehhehhheh.

Eggplant pasta. SO FREAKING GOOD. But nothing compared to…

This unassuming tofu, shrimp and avocado salad. WHAT. This salad was so out of this world (what did they put in it?!) that even my carnivorous friends were so taken by it, they ordered ANOTHER one.Amazing!

So good. So nutritious. So satisfying. Mhmmmm. Japan is a great place to get your friends to eat better. Everything tastes fantastic there, especially the vegetables!

Along the way out of Arashiyama, we found ARINCO ROLL!!!! Hve you guys ever heard of Arinco? They used to have a store in Singapore but they closed down! I was devastated. The bunnies and I used to love the rolls so much we would order and eat THE WHOLE ROLL. Just like that! I swear E shrieked in excitement and we both ran across the road towards the store (without looking out for cars) when we spotted it!

Bought a Kyoto-only cream sandwich to try and packed 2 rolls home for supper. The rolls were packed not just in a box but with ice packs in a cooler bag. T.T Japan, you need to stop doing this to me!

Bye bye Arashiyama! You are beautiful and I wouldn’t forget you!

Back in Osaka we had a massive craving for Korean BBQ so we searched the streets for a yakiniku place. Finally found one in some random back alley!

Our Yakiniku cravings satisfied and now mildly satiated, we make our way back to our apartment and realise that a new Korean restaurant had just opened! 50% off their signature dishes! So dinner was korean food… in Osaka. Haha.

We sneaked in a box of takoyaki to munch on while waiting for dinner to be served.

With our tummies curving out and our smiles curving up, we waddled home to sleep.

T’was another really good day.

xx.

April 9, 2014

Japan March 2014: 1 Day in Kyoto- Places to Eat: Kyoto Hyoto “Dashi- Shabu” & traditional Kyoto style sushi at Izuju

April 9, 2014

First up! Hyoto for shabu shabu!

The pictures from their website are so pretty- mine totally don’t do the place or the staff service at all!
Here are screen shots from their website

Private seating is available for every dining group so it was a very cozy dining experience!

Do you love Japanese spring onions? I LOVE THEM. (so much that I finished this entire container and asked for another :/)

Blurry picture because I eagerly snapped this with my iPhone before stuffing it into my mouth 🙂 Look at all the gorgeous Japanese spring onions 🙂

Look at the gorgeous beef. It was melt in the mouth tender.

Aside from the set, we ordered a plate of roast beef salad to try as well- really good! Just that it was cold. I was almost tempted to dip it into the piping hot soup. Hehheh.

YUZU sauce. Another of my favourites!

And that concludes my shabu shabu meal. I love shabu shabu meals because they are so well balanced, yoummy and light. Makes me really happy! 🙂 This was a great shabus shabu place because of the service and ambience. Food wise, I think most Japanese places serve really good food so they are they are almost the same in that aspect but this place, they bow when you enter and actually kneel when you leave– not sure about you, but I’m not used to such ‘service!’ Haha!

Hyoto Kyoto Shabu Shabu

252-4, Kugikakushicho, karasuma-iru,
bukkoji-tori, Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto, 600-8423

Phone: 075-342-2338

Opening Hours.
Lunch 11:30-14:00
Dinner 17:00-23:00 (L.O 22:00)

3 min walk from Hankyu Kyoto Line Karasuma Station
1 min walk from Kyoto municipal subway Karasuma Line Shijo Station Exit 6

* No Parking provided (although there are plenty of public carparks around the place)

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Next up was Izuju- home of traditional style pickled mackeral sushi!

I would really recommend stopping at Izuju just to sample wht traditional kyoto sushi tastes like because it’s really different from the normal sushi. Kyoto is landlocked with limited access to the sea so traditionally, they preserve their supply of fish by salting and pickling it before turning it into ‘sushi’.

Can’t remember how much this cost but it was pretty substantial for a family of four. Izuju is famous for their inari as well 🙂

THIS was really the star of the entire dish. You remove the hard kelp around it and eat just the slightly glutinous rice with the preserved mackerel. It’s mildly salted so it’s not taste bud assaulting and the fish is tender and flavourful. Very good!

If I may be totally honest, the rest were just meh. Maybe I just wasn’t hungry anymore.

This was their winter style don which is SO PRETTY!!! It’s shredded egg and seafood on a bed of rice and the egg was done so well-just light shredded and fluffy. They have smaller orders of the subazushi (preserved mackerel) and inari for about Y1500 so you can order that if you don’t feel up to a massive selection 🙂

You can read more about the place here : http://kyotofoodie.com/izuju-best-kyoto-style-sushi/

GION Izuju
祇園いづ重
住所：京都府京都市東山区祇園町北側２９２−１
電話：０７５−５６１−００１９
How to Get There
By bus: Take 100 or 206 from Kyoto Station and alight at Gion bus stop.
By train: Alight at Gion Shijo Station (Keihan Line), or Kawaramachi Station (Hankyu Line)

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Before my phone batt died, we saw a couple of ‘geishas’ posing for photos on the streets. Lots of people were jostling for a photo! I doubt they were ‘real’ geishas though as most of them don’t like to be pictured and are very private. Still, it was fun to check out their costume and watch them 🙂

We leave Kyoto and head back to Japan the day after and stopped by Nagoya to see sakura lined streets!!! Will share the pictures tomorrow! xx

April 4, 2014

Japan March 2014: 1 Day in Kyoto- Places to visit: Kinkaku-ji, Fushimi Inari Taisha & Gion

April 4, 2014

Today we spent a day in Kyoto! Here are some fascinating facts about Kyoto-

1. Kyoto used to be the capital of Japan and was known as “Heian-kyo” in the year 794.
2. Some of Japan’s oldest traditions such as tea ceremony, flower
arranging, and geisha schooling are said to originate from Kyoto.
3. Kyoto is located in a valley. It is located only 1,000 meters
above sea level. Kyoto sits on top of a large natural water basin, this
is where most of the city gets its water wells
4. Kyoto is so beautiful and fascinating because it is one of the best preserved cities in Japan due to the careful stewardship of the Japanese people and the fact that it was not bombed beyond recognition during WWII.
5. Kyoto has beautiful bamboo forests (I wanted to go see! But ran out of time to do so 🙁 ). I really wanted to go check out Japan’s forests because there are several plants that are native to Japan such as the Hinoki and Sugi and forest animals like the adorable Tanuki (also known as racoon dogs but are not related to racoons! Haha. So cute!) and the Japanese Serow.

On a sidenote,

these are the adorable Tanuki that I was talking about and these…

are super ugly re-creations of it that they always put outside Japanese restaurants! WHY!!! The Tanuki is traditionally known as shape shifters which assume a human form and trick weary travellers and monks etc. Today they are considered to be playful mischievous little cute things that like to eat and drink in vast quantities and then pay with money that turns to leaves after they made their escape!

It befuddled me then why so many Japanese bars and restaurants would want to put a statue of a Tanuki outside their restaurant. Did they want people to drop in and pay with leaves?!

Further googling led to the fact that instead of being evil and cunning, the Tanuki is now known as a harmless and amusing little fellow who is happy to encourage generous spending and cheerfulness among friends having a good time drinking and eating together. He also takes on the role similar to Maneki Neko, (you know, the fortune/ beckoning cat) to entice and welcome people into eating establishments. More interestingly, you would notice some Tanuki statues with hanging sacks in between their legs (that look like their testicles) that are painted in gold. This is probably due to the fact that in the olden days, Tanuki skin was also used to wrap around gold to hammer them into sheets and since “the Japanese for “small ball of gold” (kin no tama)
is very close to the slang term for testicles (kintama), the eight-mat
brag got stuck on the tanuki’s bag. Soon, images of a Tanuki began to be
sold as prosperity charms, purported to stretch one’s money and bring
good fortune.” (referenced from japantimes.co.jp). Well I guess now we know why they are always outside restaurants! 🙂

Anyway, (wow, I went on and on about Tanuki haha) so this is what I did have time for- visiting Kinkaku-ji, the Inari Shrine & Gion.

It was an insanely bright and sunny day. 🙂

First up, the tree lined path way to Kinkaku-ji.

This is how the entrance tickets look like. You’re supposed to keep it and within the premises there is a box for you to slip it. Sort of like a prayer for happiness and peace.

Really gorgeous up close and in real life. I love zen gardens and the really beautiful shimmering reflection of the golden palace. This was the only decent shot I could get of the place though because there were many tourists and I didn’t want to take up too much time and space. Although I love taking photos for keepsakes, it’s more important for me to just stand in that time and space and soak up the atmosphere and sights with my own eyes instead of jostling and feeling upset and anxious I cannot get a good spot for a photo. Even if I view a crap picture I took of the place after, it makes me happy to just remember the place and the image of it I have in my heart and mind. Now when I think of this place, it brings up a sense of peace and calm and beauty and makes me very happy 🙂

Budding sakura blossoms! I love the promise of new life 🙂

So green and beautiful, really 🙂

This was really cut. People could throw money at it and maybe their wishes would come true (?) but I think it’s just to derive arcade-esque amusement.

At the end of the walk round the place there are rows of stalls selling nuts and random snacks. If you have the chance too, please buy the wasabi nuts! I don’t like wasabi normally but those nuts were REALLY good. They offered a lot of free samples so I gave in to my Singaporean instincts and sampled freely. Haha. I also purchased get a pack of roasted chestnuts while my dad bought 3 packs of the nuts! (The nuts were gone before I could take a picture of them though! They were THAT good.)

Check out the packaging for the roasted chestnuts! So innovative and so pretty! It was such a joy and pleasure just sitting in the midst of all the trees and greenery in the cool spring weather and eating a warm freshly roasted chestnut. So blessed 🙂

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We then drove to our next stop- Fushimi Inari Taisha!

There was a railway track where we parked and we were just in time to see a train! No pictures because I was fascinated and just wanted to watch 🙂

Love love love all these delicate reminders of life’s beauty even in the midst of all the metal wiring and steel beams.

The famous arches!

Little Japanese kids are always too cute.

I went to the shrine not knowing anything about it so I asked my younger brother about the many dog/wolf(?)/ fox statues we saw and the purpose of the shrine and he said…

” Oh people came to this place to worship the god so that he wouldn’t sneak into their village homes in the middle of the night and EAT THEIR CHILDREN”

*horror!!!*

It was only much later that I found out that the shrine was dedicated to the Inari (that statue pictured) who is the Japanese kami of
foxes, sake, fertility, agriculture like tea and most importantly- rice. People would pray to him for general
prosperity and success as well.

-.-.

SO MUCH for eating children. Blasphemy! Being a naive sister is very dangerous. Haha.

So regal.

The entire walk would take approximately 2 + hours if you were to head all the way up. We went half way then retreated down to walk along the roadside stalls.

They were also selling these adorable adorable foxes. Foxes are the Inari’s ~~minions~~ messengers so they were sold everywhere on the premise. Only these were cute though! The rest were very very serious looking foxes that look like they would totally do a good job passing messages or ~~killing anyone that got in their way~~ carrying out the Inari’s bidding. This one looks a bit blur like it would get lost (which is what I love about it haha)

Non of the stalls selling a bunch of sugary treats appealed to me. THEN- there was this stall. The smell of freshly grilled beef was just wafting down the street. Have you ever watched those cartoons before like Tom and Jerry etc and the smell of food becomes this little white smoke wisp that curls towards you, and has a little finger beckoning you over?! This one seriously smelled like that!

Everything is freshly made upon order. SO exciting!

Can’t wait 🙂

In the mean time, in order not to stay around and salivate around The Man Very Intent on Grilling, I wandered into the shop that sold lots of fresh meat and homemade spice blends.

AND there! Amazing meat on a stick. SO tender (actually some parts were a bit undercooked) and the salt and pepper blend was so amazing I wanted to return to get it but we were quite far off by the time I ate enough to decide I was completely in love with it!

If you do go to the shrine, this stall is to the left (when you are facing the arches) of the street where the main entrance is located, a couple of stalls away from FamilyMart.

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We ended the day exploring Gion which is a MUST visit in Kyoto because it’s Kyoto’s most famous geisha district. It is a really lovely place as well- so beautiful and calm with great architecture.

Not going say much about the place- just enjoy the pictures. The place was really beautiful in the setting sun.

I love my parents 🙂 and am always in awe of the love they have for each other 🙂

This is a geisha institute where the geishas train/ entertain. It’s really rare to ever see a (real) geisha because they shun the limelight but we saw one hurrying in!! So many people immediately whipped out their cameras and tried to block her way in. You could almost see the relief on her face when she finally made it to the entrance where a man was waiting to guide her in ( You can actually tell when a geisha would be arriving if that man comes out to wait for her.) Didn’t take any photos because if she doesn’t like her picture to be taken then it’s not very nice to snap one right? Haha.

This is Kinana and it sells the best kinako (roasted soy bean) ice cream in Gion and you really should try it if you happen to be in Gion. (I love any sort of dessert that is not just pure face and sugar. Some protein into the mix is always a welcome addition for a more balanced treat!) From the outside it looks really quiet but open the door and you’ll be greeted with bustling activity and snaking queues for a table on the second floor. It’s pretty insane and we were there 15 min to closing time!

There is bar standing on the first floor and table seating on the second floor. No takeaways from any restaurant within the Gion as well because the people are trying to preserve the cleanliness and culture of the place which I think is fabulous- imagine if there was an abandoned ice cream cup in front of the geisha institute! I would be so sad!

Standing at the bar offers a view of the ice cream masters whipping up the most delicious parfaits etc
but we didn’t order any of it as we only wanted to sample the famous kinako ice cream 🙂

Here it is! Gorgeous and perfect and sooooo smoooooothhhhhhh. It’s just really unique. Please try it if you have the chance to 🙂

Kyo- Kinana (きなな)
11am – 7pm (6:30 pm last order)
http://www.kyo-kinana.com
Tel: 075-525-8300
Kyoto-shi, Higashiyama-ku, Gion-machi
Minami-gawa 570-119 (京都市東山区祇園町南側570-119)

After dinner we went to explore the areas around and the lightings were all insanely pretty 🙂 They had some sort of ‘Welcome Spring’ fair going on behind this temple/ shrine which we explored and took a small trek up the steep slopes to more elevated areas behind Gion as well. Lot of lights, gorgeous architecture as usual and a carnival-esque atmosphere. No more pictures because my camera ran out of battery so it was a good chance to just enjoy the moment there 🙂

and that’s it for my 1 day in kyoto Will share about the dining places I went to in Kyoto tmr! I can’t wait to share all the sakura photos as well!! Till then, I hope you find little pockets of beauty in your day today 🙂 See you soon! 🙂

April 2, 2014

Japan March 2014- Road Trip from Tokyo to Osaka/ Kyoto

April 2, 2014

Hi guys!

I’m back from Japan and have so many things to share I’m so excited! 🙂

Going to Japan every year is really such a blessing- it’s the only country on earth that’s captured my heart the moment I stepped foot onto it’s soil. I remember my very first trip there- I went with a girlfriend and we were both just out of university and clueless about what to do with life. I spent only 6 days in Tokyo that time but I came back totally inspired. I realised that it didn’t matter what I did but that I do it with a lot of passion. Multiple trips down the road (my brother lived there so accommodation was free – please notice the past tense 🙁 ) and each trip to Japan still continues to leave me feeling inspired and invigorated. Contrary to a lot of other holidays I take, I ACTUALLY want to return back to work after the holiday and just do my best with lots of graciousness and love. How cool is that?

I love the country (and I love Singapore too! )and even though my brother is no longer living there, I fully intend to try and go back at least once every 2 years to explore different parts of the country. Here’s my itinerary for this early spring trip in March. I can’t wait for you guys to see the gorgeous sakuras and all the FOOD! 🙂 I’ll post up another entry some time (much) later (hehheh) on my trip to Japan last November when the autumn leaves were in full bloom! Autumn and Spring are seriously the best times to visit Japan!

So here’s my trip to Japan in March 2014. I’ll be splitting posts so it wouldn’t be so overwhelming! I actually travelled Singapore > Tokyo (Narita)> Osaka > Kyoto> Nagoya> Tokyo >Singapore.
The family and I did a road trip from Tokyo to Osaka/ Kyoto so I’ll start directly from the road trip. It was a last minute decision for us to visit so we only spent 1 full day in Osaka and 1 full day in Kyoto before returning back to Tokyo. I’ll share more about Tokyo in my autumn trip instead! 🙂

Let’s go!

We rented a small Toyota car with an inbuilt GPS (so useful! And japanese technology is amazing. The GPS was updated every 30sec on the road conditions and could tell you all about the jams etc). If you are a Singaporean driver wanting to do overseas road trips, you can read more about applying for an international driving license here. To apply, you would need to go down in person to any of the AA branches located at River Valley, Kung Chong, Kallang or Pearls Centre. Just bring along your IC, 2 passport sized photographs, driving license and $22 and the license will be issued to you on the spot! (I love Singapore’s efficiency! 🙂 )

Driving from Tokyo to Osaka/ Kyoto takes about 9- 12 hours due to bad traffic. We left at 7am in the morning and only made it to our rented apartment in Osaka around 8pm due to bad traffic and multiple pit stops for toilet breaks and all our meals. Without traffic and pit stops it’s usually only 4-5 hours (but it’s rare to not have traffic). If time is precious to you, I highly recommend the Shinkansen instead. The Nozomi trains take just 2hours 10 min and costs about 150+ sgd for a one way trip. But if you have a large family, and you want the experience of a road trip then a car rental is definitely the way to go for you! 🙂