Tokyo is one of my favourite places to visit in Asia - and it is also very easy to visit with a baby. In fact, it is so easy (compared to Hong Kong) that we visited it twice within three months. Let me post a little bit about the different places we visited over the… Continue reading Tokyo: Strolling through Akasaka (Hie Shrine, New Otani Garden, Toyokawa Inari Shrine, Nogi Shrine)
Finally, on our last day, we visited the Imperial Palace East Garden. We had already been here the day before, on a Friday, when the entrance was closed. So we had to come back the next day, a cloudy Saturday. But we still enjoyed the visit. The entrance to the East Garden is the Ote-mon,… Continue reading Tokyo: Imperial Palace East Garden
Tokyo Station is the main rail terminal in Tokyo and the busiest station in Japan in terms of number of trains per day (over 3,000). With the Narita Express, Shinkansen, JR and private rail lines, plus the Tokyo Metro passing through, most visitors end up transiting at Tokyo at some point during their trip. Recent… Continue reading Tokyo: Station
Finally blue sky and sunshine over Tokyo... and what better way to make the most out of this weather then to visit the observatory deck on top of the two towers of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building? The best is that the observation decks are free of charge to the public! We walked a few… Continue reading Tokyo: Metropolitan Government Building
Our final temple during our visit to Kamakura was my favourite one - the Hasedera Temple. It is famous for its large Kannon statue, the goodness of Mercy. It is one of the largest wooden statues made from camphor wood and gilded in gold in Japan. It has 11 heads, each of which represents a… Continue reading Kamakura: Hasedera Temple
From the Kenchoji Temple we walked downhill to the main site in Kamakura. The Tsurugaoka Hachimangu shrine is about 15 mins by foot and is the most important Shinto shrine. Therefore it is also the most crowded and packed place that we visited in Kamakura. Everyone wanted to see the lucky charm in the shape… Continue reading Kamakura: Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine and Great Buddha at Kotokuin Temple
After we left the Engakuji temple, we continued our journey along the rail tracks. They took us to a small street, from which we followed the signs to the Kenchoji temple, which is all together 1km away. It won't be difficult to miss, you just follow the tourists! The Kenchoji temple was constructed in 1253… Continue reading Kamakura: Kenchoji Temple
Finally, the rain over Tokyo stopped and the forecast for the next day was blue sky and clear view. We decided to take a JR train from Shinjuku on the Shonan Shinjuku Line to Kamakura, which is about 50 kilometres south-west of Tokyo (the train takes about 50 minutes). Kamakura is a small city but… Continue reading Kamakura: Engakuji Temple
I did not make it to the tuna auction, but if you are willing to wake up early enough then go to the Tsukiji Fish Market at around 4am. Foreigners who wish to view the auction have to apply at the Osakana Fukyu Center (Fish Information Center) at the Kachidoki Gate, starting from 5am on… Continue reading Tokyo: Tuna at Tsukiji Fish Market
It was still raining the following day and we decided to visit the most famous fish market in the world. The Tsukiji Market is the biggest wholesale fish and seafood market in the world and also one of the largest wholesale food markets of any kind. We left the hotel at 6.30am in the morning… Continue reading Tokyo: Tsukiji Fish Market
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