[Tokyo] Shibuya Sky

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if you follow me on instagram, you would’ve probably seen a similar picture like the one above with a lot of likes — not for me but for the view. and that’s Shibuya’s latest attraction: Shibuya SKY @ Shibuya Scramble Square; a new shopping mall in the heart of Shibuya.

I’ve never really understood why you should pay so much for a view; Roppongi Hills, Tokyo Skytree… etc. they all costs so much, yet you can go to some free buildings in Ebisu or Shinjuku. but this place, it’s so good that I’d pay to go there again if I were to stop by Tokyo. this was probably the most spectacular observatory deck I’ve ever been to, not to mention it’s also has a lot of picture spots which are so scenic, sofas for resting and even floor hammocks for you to chill at. shame that I forgot to take pictures of it but you just got to go there to experience it. 

Continue reading “[Tokyo] Shibuya Sky”

[Tokyo] Marukin Ramen

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hello all! hope you guys love ramen just like I do. in Japan, ramen is deemed to be a man’s food and me liking it made my friends call me a.. ramen-girl because it’s so odd to have a girl as a ramen fan. I used to eat ramen so often that I could eat it everyday! well, because it’s cheap and it’s just so slurpingly good!

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while many people thinks that Ichiran and Ippudo’s the best, the thing that foreigners don’t know is that.. there is a ramen for everyone, and I highly urge everyone to try out different ramens to find their perfect fit! Continue reading “[Tokyo] Marukin Ramen”

[Tokyo: Tachikawa] Showa Memorial Park

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planning a trip to Tokyo this Autumn but not quite sure on where’s the best place to see those dazzling golden leaves? want to escape the crowd in Tokyo? well, I’ve got you covered. and the place is: Showa Kinen Koen or simply Showa Memorial Park. just a 40minute train ride from Shinjuku. Continue reading “[Tokyo: Tachikawa] Showa Memorial Park”

[Okinawa: Manzamo, Chuuraumi Aquarium, Kouri Bridge] Day 3

so on Day 2, we rented a car at night and had it parked at the mall where we rented the car (it was free of charge if you tell the company you want to have it parked there!) which was next to the ferry peer. since Megu had to take an evening flight on the 3rd day, we started our journey from 4:30am!

the sun rose really early in summer and the skies were just spectacular.

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our first stop: Manzamo.
estimated time spent here: 40minutes
time to get here from Naha: 1hour 30minutes – 2hours (we drove really slow and even took the wrong road so..)

Continue reading “[Okinawa: Manzamo, Chuuraumi Aquarium, Kouri Bridge] Day 3”

[Okinawa: Zamami Island, Aguu Pork] Day 2

with the recommendations of friends who have been to Okinawa, we squeezed Zamami into our tight schedule because many of them commented that the Kerama (Zamami is one of them) Islands are the highlight of their trip. if you could stay a day or two in Zamami, make sure you go for the turtle watching which is around early in the morning or in the evening. but since we went for a day trip (where many Japanese does too), we had to miss out on the cute little turtles =(.

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my best friend while I was in language school, Megumi. ain’t she beautiful or what? =D. Continue reading “[Okinawa: Zamami Island, Aguu Pork] Day 2”

[Okinawa: International St., Shuri Castle, Jack’s Steakhouse] Day 1

when one thinks of Japan, they’d usually think about Tokyo or Kyoto; which yes, is two of my favourite places as ones super high-tech and another is full of traditional stuff. but near Taiwan, there lies Okinawa, an island that’s pretty under-rated and is said to be better than Hawaii by some. (it is also named the Hawaii of Japan!) lucky for me, the tickets from Seoul to Okinawa was pretty affordable and there’s a direct flight so I decided to pay a visit to the other end of Japan!

after doing some homework, I found a list of places to go and things to eat and I couldn’t fit all of it in my 4 day 3 night schedule. so I’d recommend going there at least for 5 or 6 days! what I will not be covering is the cave diving and turtle watching in Zamami (I’d recommend to stay in Zamami for at least one night!) which I would really want to see but there was just not enough time T__T.

so are you ready for day 1? let’s go! Continue reading “[Okinawa: International St., Shuri Castle, Jack’s Steakhouse] Day 1”

[Tokyo: Nishi-Ogikubo] Pineapple and Chocolate Ramen?! Papapapapine!

if you’re a hardcore rocketnews24 reader, you might’ve run across this restaurant that serves pineapple ramen so good, they came out with the instant noodle version of it and it can be found at selected convenience stores. except I’ve yet to come across it during my 7 month stay in Japan.

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so Papapapapine is known for their pineapple ramen. but what’s that above? kakakakakao. get it? well, other than its famous pineapple ramen, it is also known for its notorious innovation when it comes to ramen. they had strawberry ramen, banana ramen.. well.. you name it. while their seasonal menu changes all the time, you’d always be able to find pineapple ramen in this shop. Continue reading “[Tokyo: Nishi-Ogikubo] Pineapple and Chocolate Ramen?! Papapapapine!”

[Tokyo: Mitaka] Ghibli Museum

I am not sure if you know, but I am actually a huge Ghibli fan. other than the few latest movies I watched almost all of Hayao Miyazaki’s popular creations and I LOVE IT!!! up till the point that I need to restrict myself from going into a Ghibli store before I spend all my savings on fan items I know I shouldn’t buy.

but this time, since my sister came to visit me in Tokyo last winter, I decided to go online (you can check the availability here) and book the tickets 1 month prior to her arrival. holy cow! one month?! yeap. one month.

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so how do you get the ghibli museum ticket? well.. it’s really easy for those who’s living in Japan. and for those who isn’t living in Japan, you may want to find someone to help you get it in Japan. there’ll be a machine that looks like an ATM machine in LAWSON (a convenience store) and you can buy your tickets there! there are 4 time slots a day and the earlier ones tend to get sold out quickly. and weekends gets sold out faster than the weekdays too. Continue reading “[Tokyo: Mitaka] Ghibli Museum”