After visiting the Senso-ji temple in Asakusa we walked to the river and went on a boat trip on the Sumida river. There are different trips to choose from and we went for the 1 hour round trip, from Asakusa to Hinode and back again. The boat took us past Hamarikyu Japanese Gardens down to… Continue reading Tokyo: Boat trip on Sumida River
Tag: Japan
Tokyo: Senso-ji Temple
Senso-ji temple is one of the great cultural and religious icons of Japan. It is one of the oldest and most popular temples in Tokyo, dating back to 628 A.D. At that time, according to popular lore, two brothers were fishing in the nearby Sumida river and caught the catch of their lives – a… Continue reading Tokyo: Senso-ji Temple
Tokyo: Kimono wearing women in Ginza and Shichi-go-san
We saw a few women wearing kimonos while walking through Tokyo. Not on many occasions, on just a few - for instance while walking through Ginza we came across this group of women in traditional clothes. Don't they look very beautiful? Kimono are T-shaped, straight-lined robes worn so that the hem falls to the ankle,… Continue reading Tokyo: Kimono wearing women in Ginza and Shichi-go-san
Tokyo: Cat Cafe Calico
One thing I always wanted to do in Japan was to visit a cat cafe. So we looked up on the Internet if one was close to our hotel in Shinjuku and we found Cat Cafe Calico on the North-East side of the station. It is on the fifth and sixth floor of a big… Continue reading Tokyo: Cat Cafe Calico
Tokyo: Travelling by train
Public transport in Tokyo was very efficient and convenient - we found it very easy to travel on the JR trains, except for the evening rush hour around 6pm. At this time you do not “get” on, but rather “get packed” into the train cars. We only made the mistake once, apart from that we… Continue reading Tokyo: Travelling by train
Tokyo: Restaurant vending machines and high-tech toilets
So after yesterday's post you know that some cafes, noodle bars and other food outlets display their menu items as plastic food in the window. Once you've picked the dish that you'd like to eat, there is often a next step, before sitting down and eating: you have to master the food vending machine at… Continue reading Tokyo: Restaurant vending machines and high-tech toilets
Tokyo: Plastic food
Not that this is particularly specific to Tokyo, but I found it very interesting and amusing. A lot of restaurants have a showcase that's filled with fake food models to show you what is being served. Those food models were originally all made of wax, but production was mostly changed over to resins such as… Continue reading Tokyo: Plastic food
Tokyo: Food alley in Ginza
While walking through the streets of Ginza we came across a small food alley tucked away underneath elevated rail tracks. I was trying to find the location on Google maps again, but I can't - however, if I were to visit Tokyo again, I could probably find my way to the food alley again by… Continue reading Tokyo: Food alley in Ginza
Tokyo: Käfer at Mitsukoshi in Ginza
While in Ginza, we visited Mitsukoshi, one of the famous department stores in Tokyo, and had a great time exploring the different departments. Not only was there a wide choice of classic and modern designers, but there was a special kimono section (even featuring a kimono repair service) and an amazing food court in the… Continue reading Tokyo: Käfer at Mitsukoshi in Ginza
Tokyo: Ginza, Mariage Freres and Kabuki
The next morning we wanted to go and explore a different part of Tokyo and we picked Ginza. This district is Tokyo's most famous upmarket shopping, dining and entertainment district, featuring numerous department stores, boutiques, art galleries, restaurants, night clubs and cafes. One square meter of land in the district's center is worth over ten… Continue reading Tokyo: Ginza, Mariage Freres and Kabuki
bluebalu 