Ueno: Visiting Museums

Ueno Park - the Shinobazu Pond

We spent a day at Ueno!  Ueno is the cultural hub of Tokyo, with numerous attractions within the park itself.  There are numerous museums, the famous Ueno Zoo, and various temples and shrines such as the Bentendo temple in the middle of the Shinobazu Pond (see picture).  Of the many museums, we visited two - the Shitamachi Museum, a small, intimate little museum which aims to preserve a neighbourhood of old Edo; and the Tokyo National Museum, which showcases the history of Japanese art.  There is also the natural history museum, art museums etc.

Ueno park itself is a spacious, yet bustling park.  Likely because of its fame, as well as the numerous things to do within the park.  The two museums we visited were at either end of the park, so I can say we walked through the entire length of the park, from the Shitamachi, past the old Kiyomizu Kannodo temple in the middle, to the Tokyo National Museum on the other end.

Our guide at the Shitamachi Museum

“Shitamachi” means “downtown” and this museum aims to preserve a "slice of life" in old Tokyo.   It is just a small museum, but really that is part of its charm.   The ground floor presents a street scene, preserving the front room of a merchant’s shop and two other smaller dwellings, one owned by a sweet shop owner and another by a metal worker.  We were brought around by an English speaking guide, Mr Fuji, who talked to us about how people lived in days gone by, and shared his own experiences in those days.   The second floor features the entrance area of the Japanese communal bath and a more modern kitchen (from the 1970s).   Also children's toys (including ones Mr Fuji played with in his youth).  It was a very pleasant visit - especially with our own personal guide.

We went next to the Tokyo National Museum. It’s totally unlike the Shitamachi, being a huge three-building complex around a central square.  And of course, being a national museum, it has a far broader scope than just old Tokyo.  The advice was if you have only a few hours, visit the Japanese gallery so that’s what we did.  We didn't have a friendly Mr Fuji to show us around.  But the exhibition guide is pretty good and the exhibits themselves clearly labelled.

The main exhibition in the Japanese Gallery presents the “Highlights of Japanese Art” and indeed it was a well curated journey through the history of Japanese art, across different items from the traditional pottery ware, paintings and wood block prints, to kimonos, samurai armour and even a fire-fighters’ jacket.  There were also horse armour, and a room full of wonderful Japanese painted screens.  It was a truly educational visit, probably my first extensive experience of this aspect of Japanese arts and culture (as opposed to appreciating cherry blossoms or autumn leaves).  The only slight disappointment was that I was hoping very much to see some original woodblock prints of Mt Fuji, namely Hokusai’s famous “The Big Wave” taken from his “Thirty-six views of Mt Fuji”  but apparently it’s not on display.   I am however pleased to say that thanks to Youtube, it is possible to look at all thirty-six views online.  

Japanese painted screen

In between the two museums, we went for lunch at the nearby Ameyoko Market, situated under the train tracks.  We found this nice unagi (eel) restaurant, Unatoto, which sells nice little unagi based set lunches with a little bit of salad, pickles and soup on the side.

For dinner, we went to a supposedly healthy restaurant, Midori no Kitchen, in Ueno Station (the sort which prints the number of calories per meal) which was recommended by Tsunagu Japan.  Not really "authentic" Japanese, but in a way it was nice to have a change!  Thus ended our cultural day in Tokyo!

Food photos below, for more photos on Ueno and the two museums, check out my Flickr page here.

Unatoto

Midori no Kitchen

Asakusa: Visiting Senso-Ji

One of the joys of travel is that sometimes I serendipitously discover all these links between the various destinations one visits.  So for example, the day after our visit to Ieyasu Tokugawa’s grave in Nikko, we go visit Senso-Ji in Tokyo and discover that Ieyasu Tokugawa also made this temple (then already around 1000 years old as it was first opened in 645AD!) one of “his” two temples in Edo.  Asakusa was then a small humble village, Edo, then a small town.  Over the years, of course the temple has grown into one of the oldest and most visited Temples in all of Japan.  And Edo has metamorphosed into Tokyo, one of the great global cities in the world.  Ieyasu would be proud.

More on the history of Senso-Ji and on its grounds can be found on other sites, like this one and this one, so I will not go into it again here.  I didn’t in any case feel compelled to go and look at every single thing listed on these sites - we were happy to just wander around the temple and its grounds, and in the process, discover its secrets (such as the free green tea).  

The crowds at the Kaminarimon Gate

So we arrived at the Kaminarimon Gate, which marks the beginning of the entryway to Senso-Ji.  The huge red lantern hanging in the gate is a symbol of Senso-Ji, Asakusa and Tokyo itself.  It is of course the prime photo opp spot in the whole of these temple complex!  Behind the gate is Nakamise Street, the shopping street in front of the temple - selling souvenirs, food, religious items etc.

Now as we were passing through the gate, we noticed this rather enthusiastic tourist.  Often we see tourists all dressed up in Japanese kimono, the ladies all prettily decked out in floral kimono with their hair all done nicely, and the men in their duller outfits.  But this particular chap was dressed as a Ninja, and doing his best to act like one - posing in “ninja” poses, hiding behind the lantern etc etc.  Unfortunately I didn’t get a photo (too many people always in the way) but it was quite hilarious to see this ninja prancing around looking as conspicuous as possible (when one considers that the ninja is supposed to be blending into the shadows, disappearing into the night etc as they go about doing their secret work).   In fact he was happy to pose for photos, including with the kimono-clad tourists who wanted to get a little extra out of their time in costume.

The second gate - the Hozomon Gate

Anyway, we walked through the second gate (the Hozomon Gate) and approached the main temple where the golden “Kannon” statue was supposed to reside.  Unfortunately, I didn’t get to see it - apparently it is not in the public areas.   There is another large lantern just at the main doorway, above an offering box  where visitors offer donations and bow.

Next, we visited this little garden next to the main hall, a quiet spot after the bustle of the temple.  There were many little shrines here (actually there are a number of shrines throughout the complex) each with its own little friendly statue awaiting visitors, some looking very weathered as their markings had faded over the years.  This, more than anything, gives you the sense that indeed this is a very, very old temple...

For those interested, more photos of Senso-ji here.

After the temple visit, it was time for lunch.  Apparently the area around the temple is famous for its

Soba at Owariya Honten

soba, so we had soba for lunch.  We ended up in Owariya Honten, a short walk from the temple.  According to Tsunagu Japan this shop has been in existence for over a hundred years - a positive youngster compared to the ancient temple nearby but still pretty respetable for a soba restaurant!  We had the house special, a bowl of soba noodles in a tangy soup (flavoured with yuzu juice and zest) with two large, delectable tempura prawns. A satisfying meal!

After lunch we made our way to Asakusa-bashi, the nearby “crafting district” of Tokyo.  Here is where craft lovers  - knitters, beaders, embroidery fans etc - find their Mecca, with numerous little shops all over the place.  We were here to learn how to make tsumami flowers, which is the technique used to make these little flowers from Japanese crepe fabric (not a huge destructive tidal wave!).  The flowers are assembled in various intricate beautiful ensembles to make up the elaborate headdresses (Kanzashi) of maikos and geishas.  I had of course seen these when we were in Kyoto previously at the Gion Corner (as seen in these photos), and was instantly captivated.

The workshop is run by a Tsumami craft shop, Tsumamido, in a basement workshop next to the shop itself.  We were the only two in our class where we made the petals and leaves and assembled it to form a flowery brooch.  Not bad, for a first time?  But nothing compared to those in Gion Corner or indeed those on this site.

My handiwork

We went back to Shinjuku after this - walked around the shops, visited Isetan's food hall to buy some breakfast, etc etc.  A slower pace compared to the long day trip to Nikko, but it enabled us to rest and recharge for the next day's activities!

Nikko: Up the Iron Road

We had booked two day trips - and this was the first one, to Nikko.  I always like day trips - they tend to be very good value for money as the tour packs in a number of places, gives us a typically decent lunch and there’s not too much walking.  Best of all, absolutely no hassle about working out the schedule, transportation etc.  All we need to do is get ourselves to the pick-up point and since we chose tours where we get picked up around Shinjuku, we ourselves don’t need to spend too much time travelling to the pick up point. 

Anyway, the day dawned bright and sunny, what we thought was a good sign for the day ahead.  So we got ourselves to the pick up point, boarded our bus etc.  Turned out that we had two guides - the main one was supposed to be this sweet, soft spoken Japanese lady whose English wasn’t the greatest.  It was the Assistant Tour Guide, an enthusiastic Filipino guy who did most of the talking and most of the “tour guide” work of getting the group together, giving directions etc.  

We were supposed to be going up the Iron Road, Irohazaka Road, and visiting the scenic spots on top. Now this was not an easy tour to find because in the autumn leaf period, the road is jam packed and so tour bus access is limited.  As a result, many tours avoid going here altogether.  So we were actually quite lucky to find this, perhaps because the day started off with the Irohazaka and ended off with Nikko whereas most other tours do it the other way around.

Round the bend - going up the Irohazaka Road

Indeed, it was quite an exciting experience going up the Irohazaka Road.  The road ascends up the mountain, and then down on the other side.  Because the mountain is so steep (we would end up 1,600sqm above sea level - for reference Mt Fuji is 3,776sqm) it is a series of 48 hairpin bends altogether - 20 on the way up and 28 on the way down.  In autumn, this road is supposed to be beautiful - with the russets and reds and yellows of the leaves on either side of the road.  If you search online for photos of the road, it is spectacular, especially viewed from above.  Unfortunately, we were there just after the tropical storm and typhoon before that which blew away all the leaves.  Nonetheless, the view was magnificent and we were so impressed by the expanses of mountain and valleys viewed from every angle as we twisted and turned our way up the hill.  (Check out my videos, going uphill and downhill).  It was even more exciting when halfway up the hill, we were informed that it had started to snow!

The fighting fields

Our first stop at the top of the hill was Senjogahara, which is supposed to be the “fighting field” where two Gods fought their battle.  Because of the fury of the battle, the trees were all destroyed, leaving a flat grassland behind.  It is supposed to be a most scenic place, with lots of wildlife.  But quite clearly, they were not happy about the snow as there were none in sight  And neither were we happy!  Given the bright start to the day, we were not quite prepared for snowy temperatures, now for the brisk winds which sent snowflakes swirling around us.  Fortunately I had my warm down jacket but others were not so well-prepared.... one person just had a light jumper and another had only a short sleeved shirt with a vest over it.

Lake Chuzenji on a misty day

Kegon waterfall

After the visit to Senjogahara we visited Lake Chuzenji - again, it is supposed to be most scenic, this lake on top of the mountain.  But, again, the cold and cloudy conditions turned the waters of the lake a dull grey.  Not quite the best place for an after-lunch stroll.

Our last scenic stop before descending the hill was the Kegon waterfall.  This was 97m high and is supposed to be one of the most beautiful waterfalls in Japan. Indeed it was quite magnificent to see the water plunging down and it was even a little exhilarating to be out there amidst the chilly conditions.  

After the waterfall, we went on to see the Tokugawa shrine, one of the marvels of Nikko.  Built by his son and grandson, it is where Ieyesu Tokugawa, the famous shogun of Japan, is buried.  The Tokugawa shogunate which he founded would continue to rule Japan for over two centuries, from 1603-1867.    

Entrance to the shrine

 I have to say that the guides were somewhat disappointing as they didn't really impart that much knowledge or information to the group.  That was particularly marked when we were at the shrine.  Aside from some basic information (all of which could be obtained from a guidebook) they didn't really go into much more detail about the era of the Tokugawa Shoguns or the politics of the time.  Fortunately it's all covered in detail in Wikipedia.

The shrine itself is magnificent, with beautifully carved, ornate carvings.  The artist certainly took his inspiration from the animal kingdom because he has carved animals every where - the three monkeys, a sleeping cat, and imaginary elephants (carved by someone who thinks the elephant is all about the trunk and tusks) and the crane and the lion on the tomb of the Shogun.  Some parts of the shrine are under renovation, so we probably missed some of the beautiful inner halls, but I was glad that we were able to see the majestic Yomeimon Gate and hear the echos and vibrato of the acoustics in the "dragon Chamber".

Fortunately, the weather here at the shrine was really very pleasant - a lovely autumn day.  We wandered through the buildings of the shrine, and climbed all the way up to the tomb.  There was a little boy, Kenzo, on our tour, and he was happily (and not particularly accurately) counting the steps all the way to the tomb and also charming us with his childish prattle. 

Went back to Tokyo, at the end of a tiring day.  I certainly didn’t expect to experience summer in the morning, winter at noon, and autumn in the afternoon.

Tokyo Neighbourhoods: Shinjuku

So the thing about Tokyo is its many different neighbourhoods, each with its own character and street vibe.  And since we are staying here, I thought that this is where I would begin: with Shinjuku.

Shinjuku - where the Tokyo city government sits side by side with the many department stores, and the small alleyways of izakayas, drinking spots alongside the beautiful Shinjuku Gyoen park. Where the busiest subway station in Tokyo bewilders the visitor with the multiple subway lines and train lines all up and down the station.

I have to say that we didn't go to some of the more "famous" areas such as Kabukicho or the Golden Gai (somehow tramping through red light districts didn't really appeal) but we did spend time in  Isetan, Keio and other department stores in the area.  And we ate around the area quite a bit (so yes, there will be foodie reviews here).  We also spent an entire morning in Shinjuku Gyoen, just 10 minutes walk from our apartment.  In this quieter corner of Shinjuku, we found convenient little minimarts, little family restaurants, etc.  And we managed to escape the madness of Shinjuku station by going to Shinjuku-Sanchome or Shinjuku-Gyoenmae instead.  This is the part of the city I like - not too far from the city centre to make it inconvenient to get anywhere but at the same time not right in the hustle, bustle and crowds.

Shinjuku Gyoen - Traditional Japanese Garden

We had wanted to spend the afternoon in the Shinjuku Gyoen park on our first day in Japan but the heavy rain put paid to that.  So we had to postpone the expedition to another morning.  Shinjuku Gyoen park is considered one of the top parks in Tokyo and is made up of three large gardens - the Japanese Traditional Garden, the English Garden and the French Garden. There's also a greenhouse full of tropical plants - we did not see the need to go in. Of course, the Japanese Garden is the largest of all!  It is a pleasant strolling garden - with numerous ponds, winding paths, flower beds, and a view of the NTT Docomo Tower from practically anywhere in the garden!

That's one big chrysanthemum

The Japanese adore their flowers and at this time of year, the chrysanthemums are in bloom.  So there are little pavilions set up at intervals throughout the garden, each with their own display of beautiful blossoms.  Huge flowers bigger than my fist; long-petalled spidery flowers; small, spiky-petalled flowers - how could such different flowers all be part of the chrysanthemum family!   

Children "fishing"

Just so the chrysanthemums had some competition, we visited the rose garden in the French garden area.  It was quite a formal arrangement, different from the "natural" feel of the Japanese garden.  But there were shady sycamore avenues on either side; a pleasant place on a summery day.  Indeed, the park was full of families and children, sitting on the lawns and under the trees.  It so happened that we went on a public holiday, so it's likely that parents were free to take their children to the park.  But it all combined to create a warm, happy atmosphere in the park - children running, laughing, blowing bubbles; people lying on the lawn watching the clouds overhead, or sitting and contemplating the reflections in the water at the Japanese garden.  It wasn't as exquisite as the Japanese gardens in Nara or in the Kyoto temples but for a big and crowded city, it is a peaceful and restful place to spend a morning.

For more photos of Shinjuku Gyoen, ck out my Flickr.

By contrast, the rest of Shinjuku is lively and bustling.  We would go around the Shinjuku quite a bit - to shop, have meals or to get to our tour pick up points.  So we had many meals around the area (including a bento box dinner which we picked up from Isetan's food hall - a gourmet experience in itself).  Here are my three favourites:

Tsukiji Sushi

• Tsukiji Sushiko - quick, courteous service and lovely fresh fish!  I had a chirashi don, and I have to say that it did its namesake market proud. It is also a pleasure sitting at the counter watching the sushi chef at work - the quick, deft slices of his knife and the precision with which he places each piece of fish just so.  Not a big restaurant, just a small branch of a bigger chain but worth looking out for on a future visit to Tokyo.

Zen

• Zen - a quiet okonomiyaki restaurant in a quiet street just minutes away from our apartment.  Somehow okonomiyaki is a real Japanese comfort food, at least in my book.  Here the okonomiyaki is nice and thick - but perfectly cooked throughout.  We had ours accompanied by sake, edamame beans and grilled oysters.  Again the oysters were cooked just right - moist, and fully of briny flavour.  Service was friendly - the proprietor came by to show us his coin collection (we contributed a 20 cent Singapore coin) and spoke to us via his Google Translator.  Again, worth a return visit.  Neither Tsukiji Sushiko or Zen are in the heart of Shinjuku, and are closer to Shinjuku-Sanchome station.

Shinjuku Izakaya

Small little izakaya somewhere around in the Shinjuku-Sanchome area.  We were walking around looking for somewhere to have dinner when we saw the English menu in the window.  The chef standing at the grill took pity on these poor lost tourists and came out to hand us the menu to scrutinise more closely.  Small, crowded, full of the office workers stopping by before going on their way home.  We ordered tonnes of little dishes, far more than the office workers on either side who had only a light snack with their mug of beer.  We, on the other hand, were imbibing a fruity alcoholic soda.

Of course, one of the best things about dining in Shinjuku was the knowledge that we had only a short walk back to our cosy apartment after....

Tokyo: Braving the Storm

Another year, another trip to Japan! 

We arrived in Tokyo on 29 Nov (Sunday) at around 7.30am.  Of course, we had to choose the very day that Tropical Storm Saola was blowing its way past Tokyo, bringing with it warm air and rain.  Lots of rain.  Pouring down, throughout the day.  Not drops, nor light drizzles, but a thorough downpour.  And our apartment would not be ready for us till afternoon.  

The storm would continue to have repercussions on the rest of our trip.  Find out why in subsequent posts.  But that is why I am beginning this account of our Tokyo stay with info about our apartment, because to be honest that was what we saw most of on Day 1.  That and the incessant rain.

Dashi Chazuke En breakfast

Anyway, since we were at Shinjuku station at 9am and no prospect of getting into our apartment till 11.30am, we ended up going for breakfast in the Lumine 1 basement food court.  Fortunately for us, there are lots of yummy Japanese food stalls there and we found this one, Dashi Chazuke En which serves a Japanese rice porridge breakfast.  Your rice comes with a little pot of dashi on the side, which you pour on top of the rice to make a porridge.  I had sea bream with sesame sauce - yummy.  Fortunately, after this comforting yet light breakfast, we managed to get a cab to our apartment.

As in my last visit to Japan, we had decided to stay in an apartment and we got AirBnB to lend us a hand.  Reading through my earlier post, I have to say that my advice to holiday apartment renters (think location, location, location; check that all the facilities you want are available - washing machine, wifi, beds vs. futon issue) remain all quite spot-on.  Our apartment is in Shinjuku, with two nearby metro stations - Shinjuku-Sanchome and Shinjuku-Gyoenmae.  At 40+sqm, it is indeed luxurious, space-wise, compared to the average hotel room in Japan and at a cheaper price too.  Theoretically with its two sofa beds and one bedroom, it can sleep 6 pax but that would be a tight squeeze.  It’s just nice for the two of us.  There are lots of supermarkets/convenience stores around, and little restaurants for a bite of dinner should we not want to wander about too much.  

Indeed, we were not inclined to wander too much that first day.  Our apartment was still being cleaned when we got there so we left our bags and tried to explore the area.  But the rain continued to pour down so heavily that even our short visit to scout out the nearby convenience stores ended up with our shoes getting thoroughly soaked.  We ended up buying food in the convenience store and bringing it back to our apartment for lunch!  How sad for our first lunch in Japan!  Of course, with the rain continuing to pelter down, we ended up staying in all afternoon and only went out for dinner.  But it was still raining, so we ended up walking around Shinjuku Station and doing some shopping in the departmental stores and shopping centres in the area.

Not a very exciting first day in Japan.  But at least we managed to settle down in our cosy little apartment.

At Pangkor Laut Resort

Emerald Bay, Pangkor Laut Resort

Pangkor Laut is an island off the west coast of Malaysia, in the State of Perak.  It is a private island resort, once much visited by the great tenor Luciano Pavarotti.  I paid a short 3N visit there this year.

Indeed, Malaysia really has nice resorts and Pangkor Laut is no exception.  It's not just the peaceful, serene environment - the service is great and the staff friendly and helpful.  Pangkor Laut is known for its Sea Villas where the villas are built over the water in the traditional style of the Malay fishing village.  But we chose to stay in the very comfortable Hill Villas, which provide great views overlooking the resort.

Hornbill snacking on a snail

Because this is a private resort, it is also the only one on the island, leaving the rest of the island mostly untouched.  There's also a conservation expert on the island, who leads short walks to help educate we tourists on the beauties of the rainforest and the perils faced by wildlife due to the greed of human beings.  We joined him on the daily "jungle trek", where he educated us on the wildlife of Pangkor Laut.

Indeed, Pangkor Laut has its own unique indigenous species here.  Most noticeable were the hornbills, which cluster around the swimming pool and nearby cafe.  These are Oriental Pied Hornbills, and there is a veritable flock of them.  These hornbills are a little smaller than the hornbills I saw in Sabah and much more used to human company.  There is another species of hornbills on the island but we did not see them.

Hornbill nest

Our resident naturalist told us that he was trying to encourage the hornbills to breed on the island.  That was why he put up a few of these little houses, for them to nest.   In the wild, she will select an appropriate tree to nest
in and her mate will peck out the hole for her.  In this case, there is no need for any tree.   The male brings the material, the female builds the nest, enclosing herself within.  This keeps the eggs safe from predators (including man).  She lays 2-3 eggs, of which typically only one hatches.  In all, the female will incubate the egg for about one month, and then stays there for another two months whilst her loyal, loving mate brings her and the hatchling food.  Talk about confinement!  When the hatchling is big enough, she will break open the nest and they all will fly away together.

The other very noticeable inhabitants of the island are the flying foxes, which nest on the sea almond tree near the entrance to the resort.  According to our guide, they chose this particular tree because it offers a source of food (the sea almonds) and is on the right side of the island away from the sea, where it is too windy for them.  It is also reasonably far from the noisy swimming pool area.

The island is also famous for its spa ....  we had a free massage in our package so we didn't make use of any other services.  But we did go for the yoga and tai chi classes.

Where we spent most of our time on the resort was the beach.  The beach is really so idyllic, with white, soft sand, where the fragments of corals and sea shells can be found.  The water is reasonably clear and clean, and because the shore slopes every so gently downward, it is quite shallow even some way out. The surrounding trees provide shade for the deckchairs (unless you are a crazy ang moh who doesn't know enough to come out of the sun) so even in the heat of the afternoon, it is comfortable and breezy.  The nearby bar offers snacks and drinks.

On the food - well, this is a resort and there are no alternatives since the resort is the only one on the private island.  So whilst it is tasty, it is also quite pricy.  Shall we say that my favourite meal was the buffet breakfast spread (especially the Indian booth which offered roti canai or prata every morning, plus another yummy Indian pancake/bread like roti jala, apom or chapati - this changed on a daily basis).  Other than that my favourite meal this trip was the taugay chicken and kway teow we ate at Ong Kee in Ipoh just before we went to the airport.

View from our Villa in the morning

All in all, it was a great and restful holiday.  It's not that straightforward to get to (we flew to Ipoh, then took a 90-min taxi ride to the Pangkor Laut jetty on Marina Island, from which we took a speedboat to the resort).  Total travel time (including the hour we spent checking in at the jetty and having lunch in a nearby coffee shop) we spent having lunch before the speedboat left the for the resort was about 5 hours (1.25hour flight, 1.5hour taxi journey, 20 minute speedboat).  Not too bad actually.

For more photos, do check out my Flickr photos here.

Kondo - One Year On

Last year, I started off with a few posts on my experience with the Konmari method.  I proudly recorded how I managed to get rid of bags of clothes, books, and junked several bags worth of shredded bills, old cheque books, old lecture notes etc.  But the question in my mind was whether I could keep it up.  Would the neat shelves, toiletry cabinet, book shelves remain neat and tidy?

My T-shirt drawer

Well, I am pleased to report that slightly more than a year on, all is well.  My t-shirts remain relatively neat and tidy, with all the clothes folded and stacked on their end. It was such a simple innovation but indeed, it helps me pick out the clothes I want to wear easily without disrupting the rest.  And, it proved easy to maintain.

Likewise, my toiletry cabinet looks neat and tidy.  The extension rods which I inserted (to form an extra shelf) helped me separate and organise some of my smaller items from the larger containers.

And my bookshelves?  Well, aside from the fact that it took me a number of trips to the library (to put the books on the exchange shelf),  and that I've had to restrain my book purchases over the last year, my bookshelf indeed remains quite organised and not as cluttered as before.

And paper!  Organising paper!  I have to confess that it is not quite done yet and there's still about two drawers' worth of papers to sort, organise and shred.  But, there has been some (slow) progress.  And as for the new paper coming in, I just junk it all in one box rather than attempt to sort the bills upfront.  Next year, I'll go through and decide what to shred and which really needs keeping (hopefully only a few key records).

As for miscellaneous and sentimental items, they remain in their sorted boxes for now.  Maybe I'll get round to clearing those later in the year.

All in all, I can confidently say that Marie Kondo has indeed helped create lasting change in my overcrowded room.  My surfaces have remained largely clutter-free, my shoeboxes are valiantly storing my socks, umbrellas, toiletries, etc etc.  Can't say that there's been life-changing magic at work but I'm quite happy nonetheless.

Osaka: Bright Lights, Big City

Glico Running Man!

Osaka!  Our last stop this visit.  We took the train down from Nara and were delighted to find that it stopped literally at our subway stop.  We spent a fun evening walking through Dotonburi, took our obligatory photo of the Glico Running Man, and ate some takoyaki.  The next day, we made our way to Himeji Castle.  We were so tired out after our day trip (and indeed, the last day of a holiday is a sort of anticlimactic day) that we decided to pursue a very minimalist agenda.  Food and shopping!

We went first to Kuramon market, which was literally down the street (our apartment was really very conveniently located).  We moved from shop to shop, sampling the wares and had a yummy seafood breakfast of uni (sea urchin), grilled scallop, oysters, sashimi.  We had a great time eating away, and taking in the atmosphere.  

Kuramon Market

We went next to Doguyasuji which is where all the restaurants and chefs around Osaka get their cooking equipment.  It was incredible!  If you ever wanted any Japanese cooking equipment, this is definitely the place to get it.  But since I have promised myself that I'm not buying anything new till I have Kondo'ed my kitchen, I was quite restrained.  The only thing I bought was some plastic food fridge magnets.  Yes, you can get the plastic food displayed in the window of Japanese restaurants here!  It is quiet an experience

Our big breakfast at Kuramon market did not stop us from having a crab kaiseki lunch at Kani Douraku.  There are actually a few branches of this very popular crab restaurant in Dotonburi, characterised by the gigantic crab right in front.  But it is very popular, so much so that even after 2pm there was no table available for those without a reservation.  We decided, nonetheless to wait and after about 20mins we were ushered to a table upstairs. 

Truly, no one does crab like the Japanese.  The best thing about their crab is it comes with the crab

The unmistakable signboard of Kani Dourake

legs and claws cut beautifully in half so that extracting the meat is truly effortless!  We had numerous dishes, including crab sashimi, boiled cold crab (my personal favourite) served with a delicate lightly vinegared dipping sauce, grilled crab, crab gratin, crab chawanmushi, crab sushi (another of my faves), crab hotpot (house specialty) and others.  Dessert was a scoop of ice cream floating in matcha.  Ummm..... It was one of those truly enjoyable meals.

After this heavy meal, we did some shopping to walk off the food.  Specifically we found our way to the duty-free cosmetic shops.  Now, Japan has a great tax refund system for tourists.  They figured out that there's a limit to how much duty-free the ordinary shopper can buy at the airport and even in 1-2 duty-free shops in the city centre.  And that it's definitely inefficient for hundreds of passengers to clog up a small tax refund counter at the airport.  So they allow selected shops here in the city centre to administer the tax refund programme (you can tell them by the big sign which they display prominently at the front of the shop).  You buy your goodies, they pack it in one of those transparent plastic duty-free bags and charge you the amount payable before tax only.  There's a little receipt stapled in your passport and that's it.  When we got to the airport, all we had to do was hand in the receipt (the customs officer didn't even bother looking at it).  Wonderful!

Anyway, we had a great time at the cosmetics shop.  We had done all the research beforehand (actually we had spent quite some time the last two nights reading through product reviews and recommended sites such as this one) and so we were all prepared to make our purchases.  In my case, I bought some Hadalobo products, plus the AHA cleaner by Cleansing Research and Lululun masks, amongst other things.  Plus my favourite Aqualabel Moisturiser by Shishedo.  We were so burdened with all our purchases that we had to go back to our apartment to deposit them (and have a little break) before making our way out again.  We had to buy some presents for family/friends, which we got at the 300 Yen shop in Shinsaibashi.  We ended off with an okonomiyaki (an Osaka specialty) meal before going back to the apartment to pack.

As a result of all this shopping and research (both for this and earlier trips), I'm now in a good position to recommend what gifts to buy for family and friends:

1. Kit Kat and Glico products.  There are so many different interesting flavours for both Kit Kat and Glico Pocky.  Fun to try!  There are also regional specialties to enjoy, such as Takoyaki and Okonomiyaki-flavoured snacks.  It's great to bring back to the office (and is very popular!).
2. Cosmetics and make-up.  Even if you can't buy enough to make up the 5,000 Yen required for the tax refund, the prices are still better than in Singapore.  Check out the link above (and there are many others) for shopping inspiration.  Great for female relatives and friends.
3.  Stationery. I'm talking about fun, novelty and useful items such as erasable pens ("Frixion", no-staple staplers, cute post-its, etc.  Plus the best range of washi tape ever.  I've recently discovered washi tape and its great to find new designs at prices lower than in Daiso Singapore.  Go to places such as Loft, Tokyu Hands, and Ito-ya for the great range of stationery.
4. Clothing, accessories, bags.  I have not done much clothes shopping in Japan.  But I do recommend looking for the tabi socks  in shops such as 3 Coins (it is a 300 Yen shop).  I also managed to find an Anello bag, one of the latest "It" bags - again very competitively priced compared to buying it in Singapore.  I really love my little blue backpack.
5. Cooking items. Lots of novelty items. If in doubt, just buy the plastic food fridge magnets or keychains.  Brings a smile to my face every time.   

Ah, just writing all these posts really makes me feel like going to Japan again!  Glad we are planning another trip this year.  😊

Goodbye Osaka.

As always, more photos here.

Himeji: Castle and Garden

Himeji Castle

My last visit to Kyoto, I had wanted to visit Himeji Castle, one of the oldest surviving castles in Japan and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  But it was closed for renovation and major repairs, so it was not an option then.  But the castle has since been reopened to visitors and so naturally became one of the "must do" items for this visit.  

The town of Himeji is about an hour's journey from Osaka (train from Osaka station). We realised after looking at the fares that this was indeed one of those few occasions when it was worthwhile to purchase the one-day JR pass.  But it's only valid for JR, so other journeys still have to be paid for.  Since we were staying in the Dotonburi area, we had to find our way to Osaka station - easier said than done, given the numerous private railways, and the subway lines which intersect with the JR lines.  Maybe if we didn't want to "maximise" the use of our one day pass it would have been easier.... a lesson for another time...

Anyway, after adding another hour to our travel journey (to get to Osaka station), the train ride to Himeji was uneventful. Once there, it was clear that we didn't need a map to figure out how to get to the castle - it dominates the town, and the road from the railway station leads you right to the base of the castle grounds.

Himeji castle is a majestic, yet extraordinarily graceful building.  It's apparently supposed to resemble a white heron - and I suppose the wings of the building, beside the towering main keep, the white of the walls and the tiers of the roofs do support the idea of a bird in flight.   Yet, this beautiful and elegant building was very much a functional castle - built to be defended on top of a hill, with small windows piercing its sturdy walls to allow defenders to shoot cannon and arrows down on potential invaders.  A comprehensive description of Himeji Castle's history is here.  More about Japanese castles is here.

The castle is organised in several sections, with an outermost moat just in front of the castle wall.

The sturdy walls of the castle

 Once past the main gate, you enter the large open grounds right in front of the castle - a great photo opp - and walk all the way to the next section, just beyond the ticketing counters.  Here, things start to get more serious.  Internal walkways are much narrower and wind around the hill.  The sturdy walls enclose the last section, containing another courtyard and the castle well.  We went next into the keep, and climbed all the way up to the top where we admired the glorious 360 view of the castle grounds, and the Himeji region around that.  I could almost imagine myself a castle guard looking out for the enemy hundreds of years ago!

I have to say that whilst there were notices and placards here and there giving more information on the building (and also a little pamphlet) there could perhaps be more done to excite visitors about the Japan of that era.  There were not that many exhibits in the first place, and the ones which really caught my eye were the model of Himeji and the surrounding country side and the scale model done to aid an earlier restoration.  There was also a Himeji Castle app but it wasn't available in the Singapore app store and having to figure out how to switch to the Japanese store, then find the app, etc etc was just too much bother.  Which was a pity, because it was a real opportunity to learn more about Medieval Japan.

We followed our visit to Himeji with a a visit to the Koko-en Garden, just next to it.  Once part of the castle, the garden is now a separate attraction in itself.  Actually it is not one garden but nine  - each with their own name such as the Garden of Bamboo, the Garden of Flowers, etc.

Garden of the Lord's House, with Himeji Castle 

One of the most impressive gardens was the Garden of the Lord's House.  You enter via a long wooden corridor, over a pond.  On your left is a little cascade, trickling down from the rocks.  But on the right - a waterfall greets you, with its waters pouring into a large pond, with a quiet garden beyond that.  The leaves were gorgeous, glowing red. Himeji Castle rises in the background.  Indeed, a fitting sight for the lord of the manor!

My other favourite was the Garden of Summer Trees.  Indeed, it should be called the Garden of Autumn Foliage instead.  It is a smaller, more intimate garden than that of the Lord's House, meant for private pleasure rather than public show.  I could see myself sitting in the small shelter, reading a book and enjoying the brightly coloured leaves.

Garden of Summer Trees

We left Koko-en as the sun was setting, which meant also that we could watch as the skies around Himeji Castle darkened around the illuminated castle.

Where Kyoto is a city of temples, Himeji indeed stands out as a reminder of Medieval Japan.

Himeji at dusk

More photos on my Flickr album.

Going Local: Holiday Apartment Living

What we did quite differently this trip to Japan was to try some apartment living (interspersed by a night in a ryokan).  This was prompted partly by the high hotel rates (thanks to the autumn leaves) and partly because they are so much more spacious than the tiny hotel rooms you get in Japan!

Home away from home

In Kyoto, we stayed in a small house in the Gion neighbourhood (the quieter, southern part of Gion) with a sitting/dining/kitchenette area downstairs and two bedrooms (one western style i.e. With beds and one Japanese style ie with futons!) upstairs.  It is not a traditional machiya but it is a snug cosy place (thanks to the gas heater) and we liked it very much.  It is not that easy to find, being at the end of a small alleyway tucked in between two buildings on the main road.  But thanks to the excellent directions given, we were able to find it.    Our "travel angel" let us into the house - we were so early getting there that the house was still being cleaned from the last tenant (cleaner is an elderly Japanese man), so he first proceeded to give us a little tour of the area, and showed us where the local supermarket was, and gave us little tips about the eateries around us.

We took one of his suggestions later that evening, and went to eat at the local Okonomiyaki restaurant around the corner.  The shop was a one-woman-operation.  She was a bit abrupt but then we didn't speak the language.  Tried to order the grilled tofu the guy next to us was having but she pulled out her English menu and got us to order from it.  Looks as though she has her own way of dealing with the foreign tourists who turn up, as opposed to her "regulars".  Halfway through our meal a Malaysian couple arrived.  We were able to guide them through the ordering process.  And also to explain what "Okonomiyaki" was. (They were hoping for teppanyaki, I can tell).

A tea house or ochaya near our house

Another night, we wanted to have dinner at a restaurant near our place.  We wandered around the area but must have made a wrong turn, as the street we ended up in was a row of tea houses or ochaya - the sort where the geisha entertain in!  We heard music and clapping coming from one teahouse, and some samisen music from another.  Admission, clearly, was by invitation only.  We finally found the row of restaurants, but one was closing (at 8pm!) and the other was selling hamburger..... so we picked up dinner at the supermarket and went back to our little home away from home and ate it off our breakfast bar.  How pleasant it was to be able to kick off one's shoes and rest on our comfy low sofa and table, before eating sashimi and potato croquets.  We finished our meal with the persimmons and sweet pancakes we bought from the stalls at the subway station.

In Osaka, we had an apartment also but quite clearly we were only supposed to sleep there and not

My bed, and bed companion

Much more.  The entrance lobby opens up on one side into the laundry area and shower, and on the other side into the room for the WC.  Another door leads you to the main apartment, which is divided by Japanese-style screen walls into a main kitchen-cum-sleeping area, another sleeping area and a third Japanese style room with futons stacked up on the side.  So this little apartment, with one shower and one WC, can sleep SEVEN people in total!  Dormitory style accommodation indeed.  (Our Kyoto apartment at most can host four).   There was no eating area per se, you are not really meant to sit and eat in the apartment unless in the Japanese room where there was a low coffee table.  It was not as clean as our Kyoto residence and the kitchen was not as well equipped.  But it was nice and roomy, and I really liked the company of the Snoopy stuffed toy.  

There are, I realised, a few things to look out for when renting apartments in Japan.  First, the standard rule where it comes to properties - location, location, location.  Where exactly do you want to stay?  Near lots of eateries, shopping, or in a quiet neighbourhood where you can feel like a local?  Do you intend to make lots of day trips, in which case being next to the station could be very useful and important to get that early start to the day?  

Second, check on how the house is furnished and equipped.  Does it have wifi, for example, or a washing machine?  Another tip, relevant perhaps especially for Japan - to check on the type of beds.  In particular, if the apartment has western style beds or Japanese futons.  Futons are all very well for a single night but for multiple nights, give me a proper bed!  

Third, whether you want to be met or not.  Both our apartments were accessed off a small little alleyway (not a side road, an alleyway) and you can't take for granted that the directions given are correct.  So it is very reassuring to have a person to call in case of need.  It was also good for someone to tell us how to use the equipment, advise on when and where to dispose of rubbish and so on.  For example our Kyoto travel angel told us which rubbish bag was for our glass/plastic/ aluminium containers and which was for the other items.  And if there is, say, defective equipment, it can be rectified quickly or at least it is quite clear that you didn't break it.

One last point.  We went through a company, Japan Experience (google "Japan Experience Kyoto holiday apartment" and you should be able to find it) for our Kyoto apartment and for Osaka, got the booking off Agoda, where it was rented by an individual.  May be better to deal with a company, just for the more consistent service and better backup it provides.

Anyway, the more I travel around the Japan, the more I realise how convenient everything is and how easy it is to get around even for a foreigner who doesn't speak the language.  And that from a complaint-prone Singaporean, is saying something indeed!

More photos on this trip (in general) can be found on my Flickr album.

Nara: Oh Deer Me!

Isuien Garden

Nara is one of Japan's ancient capitals, situated about 45min train journey from Kyoto.  Whilst many people do it as a day trip from Kyoto, we spent the night there, and travelled on to Osaka the next day.  With about 24 hours in Nara, we didn't have much time.  So since autumn leaves were the focus of our trip, we decided to spend the time at the famous gardens and parks of Nara.

Yoshikien Garden - Pond Garden

Japanese gardens are in themselves, an art form - carefully designed, beautifully executed, meticulously maintained. It is another way the Japanese express their love and appreciation of nature, flowers, and scenery.  Indeed, I really felt that the visits to the garden really refreshed the soul and delighted the eye.  The gardens are designed so that every step presents a different view and every turn surprises the visitor.  More about Japanese gardens and the different elements in the gardens can be found here and here and here.

We were indeed privileged to visit two very famous gardens in Nara, the Yoshikien and Isuien Gardens.  The Isuien Garden dates from the 17th Century and is famous for its use of shakkei, or "borrowed scenery".  Both gardens have ponds, and the pond in the second garden is supposed to be in the shape of the Japanese/Chinese word for water or "shui" (in Chinese).  But I couldn't quite make it out.

The Yoshikien Garden is just next to the Isuien and is made up of three gardens - the Pond Garden in front, then the Moss Garden and lastly the Flower Garden.  A small hill by the Pond is topped by a pagoda, with a charming view of the water and the tea house by the water.  Another tea house looks out into the Moss Garden - which was surrounded by the russet and red of the maple trees.  Sadly, there were not many flowers in bloom this time of year but nonetheless the Flower Garden was a charming spot, with a dry rocky river, a pavilion and more autumn foliage surrounding it.  I can just imagine how lovely it must be in spring or summer, with the flowers all in bloom.

After our stroll around the gardens, we went back to our ryokan.  We stayed in Nara Hakushikaso,

Kaiseki

which is really close to the Kintetsu Railway Station and also a short walk from both the gardens and Nara Park just beyond it (in fact the gardens are on the perimeter of the park).  We had to clean up and get dressed in our yukata (an informal kimono) in readiness for our yummy kaiseki dinner.  The dinner was served in our room - you can see from the photo our sashimi, soup, hotpot, tempura, pickles, chicken cooking on a hot plate, each with their own dipping sauce (or seasoning) as appropriate.

After dinner, one of the staff came in to lay out our futon beds.  I have to admit that it was quite comfortable and I woke up feeling refreshed.

Deer are everywhere

On our second day in Nara, we decided to walk around Nara Park.  Many of the important temples and shrines are actually in the regions of the Park and so it is well worth spending an entire day there, if you have the time, visiting the temples and wandering around the park.  We contented ourselves with walking around the park, looking at the imposing temples and of course, meeting the deer!

Indeed, it is not possible to avoid the deer, even if you wanted to.  They are everywhere!  But it is also important to remember that these are semi-wild deer and hence their behaviour can be unpredictable.  We saw a notice at the park warning us to be careful and there is also a video online for visitors to the park, advising visitors to only feed the deer the specially made deer crackers, being careful around them, etc.  I should admit that we did not bother buying deer crackers but saw many people with crackers not being able to "escape" from the deer who kept on following them for more. Later on, we also saw a deer trying to get the crackers directly from "source", ie one of the street vendors selling the crackers...  .... that's one smart deer.

Bridal Couple (and deer)

But in general, we really had a lovely time in the park, just walking around, watching the people interacting with the deer, against this gorgeous background of the park and also some of the nicest foliage we have seen thus far, over a little stream. (Note: parts of the park are best seen during cherry blossom period, whilst other portions have maples planted and these look best in fall.  So not all the leaves on all the trees are red).  

My dear father, when I showed him my photos, said that the scenery was so beautiful, it made fools of photographers.  i.e., any fool can take a great photo.  But I have to say that it was really such a beautiful place that it is no wonder we saw at least three wedding couples taking their bridal shots in the park.  Of course the deer became part of the bridal party.

So, it was a short stay in Nara but looking back, I will always remember it as a really special moment in our holiday.

As a;ways, more photos here