My "When in Tokyo" series begin! Click here to see the map!
Let's start with Daikanyama (代官山), Daikanyama to me is a high class, fashion forward, hipster town. If you want to check out the famous "Shibuya", I recommend for you to check Daikanyama along with it! It's a nice walk - especially if you're interested in exploring (~25 minutes). When in Daikanyama, I usually check out:
Don't forget to check out my OOTD for this day here!
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Japanese Curry Bread, which we call "Curry-Pan" is a deep fried pastry doughnut filled with Japanese curry. It's not soupy curry - It's more of a curry paste. Since Japanese curry is sweet, the doughnut and curry combined are a perfect match. These pastries are known to be a Japanese creation - A bakery in Tokyo thought of it in the 1920s. You can get these beautiful pastries in most bakeries in Tokyo/Yokohama as well as conbinis (convenience stores)! They're affordable so you mustn't leave Japan without having a taste. One of my favourite bakeries in Tokyo/Yokohama is "Pompadour" - it is a popular bakery so you may find it at your closest station/mall. My advice to you is to put the pastry in the toaster oven before enjoying it. This makes the dough crunchy again....Mm! P.S. Yokohama city itself is also known for their curry-pan as well. My recommendation to you is to go to the "Red Brick Warehouse" in Yokohama to purchase one of these delicious pastries :) カレーパンって 1927年にはじめて作られたみたい。 結構新しいクリエイションだと気づいて関心。 アメリカにはないので 日本に帰るたびに買い漁ってます。 Japanese Quality: Even Italian tomato experts were surprised. This is Japan's tomato industry.5/17/2015 While catching up on my Japanese TV episodes, I ran into 1 which concentrated on Japan's tomato industry. Japanese tomatoes (and vegetables in general) are very high in quality where ever you go. The colour, shape, shine and taste turns out to be perfect even without "picking" at the supermarket. How do they do this? This TV program asked Italian tomato experts to discover the "How" and here's what they found:
Super detail oriented - right? But this careful Japanese detail results in great customer experience throughout the country. Customers know that they can trust Japanese tomatoes. I must say that this high expectation from customers can result in spoiled customers and in extreme negative comments if the products are not up to par, but this helps in a healthy competition! This may be why Japanese products are so high in quality. Passion coming from suppliers and trust coming from consumers.. More "Japanese quality" series comin' up! Let me know if you have a specific product/service you would like to learn more about in terms of quality. Tokyo Skytree is the tallest structure in Japan, and is the 2nd tallest structure in the world (as of Jan 11, 2015)!
Not only is the architecture impressive - it's a fun place to go since there are so many shops & restaurants. Check out my past article for the most important recommendation I discovered :) 東京スカイツリー やっぱりまだ 大人気! Kimono rental in Kyoto is something every tourist should experience upon visiting!
I went to "Yume Yakata", located conveniently in the downtown area of Kyoto. For just $60 (USD), I was able to rent a whole winter outfit + perfect hairdo! The experience was one which was quite interesting...First of all, the rental place is located in a building - Surprinsingly enough, the inside of the building was a fully functioning factory! Here's how it went:
The whole experience was super efficient (Yep, we're in Japan) and my boyfriend ended up having to wait only 40 minutes. You can rent the kimono for the whole day (until 7pm) and they also have sets for men :)
Tokyo Skytree is the tallest structure in Japan, and is the 2nd tallest structure in the world (as of Jan 11, 2015)!
Not only is the architecture impressive - it's a fun place to go since there are so many shops & restaurants. Don't go to the dining area on the 6th and 7th floor though - due to the fact that the price range is rather low (~2,000yen for lunch) it's very crowded and when I went, every single restaurant had a 30+ minute wait. Instead, I highly recommend you to go to the 30th and 31st floor! The price point is slightly higher (maybe, 1000yen more), but no lines, good food and a better view! I visited an Italian restaurant called Brasserie Aux Amis on the 30th floor. An amazing lunch course (w/ all you can eat fresh bread) for just 2800yen! We also did not visit the observation deck (2000yen) since we thought that the view from the 30th floor was free & wonderful. :) Every New Year, most Japanese families start their first meal with "Osechi". Boxes of goodness filled with traditional Japanese dishes! These are traditionally made at home, however, now many families (especially those living in the city) pre-order and purchases these boxes from department stores and pick it up on the 31st.
The history of Osechi: Osechi boxes are originally for women to rest during the first 3 days of new years. People believed that a calm kitchen during the new years showed appreciation to the gods. The foods packed in these boxes are usually dried, simmered, grilled and are tasted with soy sauce and sugar so that it can be kept well during the 3 days. The food is packed in a fine box to wish for a great year. Some ingredients and dishes included in the boxes wish for a good year too - for example, the dish which includes fish eggs wish for good fertility within the family. Now, Osechi comes in all shapes and sizes. The one my family purchased from "Sogo", a department store included Japanese traditional dishes as well as Chinese ones for fun :) Happy New Year! As I mentioned on my instagram (@jpinsider), I wanted to thank you all for your support in 2014!! In 2015, I plan to revamp jpinsider.com in order to continue to deliver updated, fun information to you :) Before celebrating New Years Eve tonight, we visited the game center in Yokohama. Game centers are a place to go to play UFO games, driving games, all sorts of games + photo booths. We also call them "Ge-sen", short for "Ge-mu Cen-tah". Many teens, young professionals and even people older than that enjoy these places. It's a fun, casual place to go to when you're on a date, or with a friend. Fun attractions for those tourists out there visiting Japan: The SUPER-power users of games such as Dance Dance Revolution, Guitar Hero, Pop'n Music....It's amazing. I recommend you to take a peek! Also note: If you are trying to get an item from the UFO catcher, ask one of the employees for hints & advice! He/she will help you get the item you want. I got my snack after 3 tries thanks to the employee! (See my proud photo below :) ) Click "Read More" to see more photos...:)
A beautiful walk and a gorgeous Zen garden inside of a Zen Buddhist temple established in the 1200s. An interesting waterway built by bricks as well. Highly recommend!
Fee: $4 to get into the Zen temple to view the Zen garden Click "Read More" to see more photos :) We spent 1 night in a ryokan (旅館) in Kyoto. A wonderful experience. Felt very nostalgic for me since my father took the whole family to various ryokans growing up.
A ryokan, is a Traditional Japanese style inn. Rooms with tatami mats (shown above), a public hot spring for guests to enjoy (usually natural springs), Japanese style dishes served for all meals and amazing guest services. Our ryokan was located in Kyoto city, in the middle of a residential area. It was a wonderful retreat :) and we found a very good deal for it. 12,000yen (approx. US$110) a night each with dinner & breakfast! Dinner was served in private rooms. Also, keep in mind that you can head to dinner with the inn provided yukatas in most cases! Dinner was a Kyoto cuisine also called "Kaiseki ryori". Kaiseki ryori focuses on the visual beauty of the dishes, taste, the season and of course the ingredients. These dishes not only look beautiful but also take the elements of the current season to enjoy. For example, we enjoyed this meal in the winter so we saw many root vegetables such as "gobo". There is a focus on "dashi" since it is Japanese style as well. Given that we are in Kyoto, there were lots of tofu served too. Yes, Kyoto is known for their tofu! Not just the regular tofu we see in American supermarkets, but different kinds such as "yuba"; tofu skin. Many small dishes are served. During our dinner, we counted 17! Let us share with you some dishes.... After dinner, if you go back to your rooms, you'll be pleasantly surprised to see that your beds are made :) So then, off to the hot spring and time to rest :) Day 2 in Japan!
Off to Roppongi to renew my US visa - on Christmas Eve. Christmas in Tokyo (both Even and the day of) is a celebratory day for lovers. You see couples everywhere you go. I mean every-where. Since I am here with my boyfriend this year, I got to take advantage of this event :) In order to celebrate Christmas Eve, we spent lunch at Shiodome city in a restaurant called "Seiyuzan" and had Korean BBQ a.k.a. "Yakiniku" (which literally means to cook meat). $40/each for a full course Korean BBQ. It included:
If you haven't already checked out my article on Sankeien Garden, a beautiful traditional Japanese garden located in the middle of the city in Yokohama, please do.
Click here for the link, I promise it will soothe your mind :) Right by Mt. Fuji, there is an amusement park just like Six Flags here in the USA (just a little more intense).
Why? All the Guinness World Records!
There is a bus operating from major stations (e.g. Shinjuku station, Yokohama station). Usually you can buy a package which includes the bus ride + ticket. Usually costs around $100. You'll get to enjoy the view of the beautiful Mt. Fuji, recently named a world heritage. Great food courts (mostly fast food, but we all know fast food shops in Japan are amazing) and clean fresh air. Make sure you stop by the service areas (on the highway) if you are driving there. Japanese service areas on the highway are superb. Great restaurants, fun street food and is the best place to buy gifts for your coworkers. More on that later :) "Hatsumode" is a term we use in Japan when we visit the shrine for the first time in the New Year. People start lining up at to pray for a good New Year even before the countdown. Many people go during the day of the 1st. If not, the day after. The good part about going on the 1st or the 2nd is that you get to enjoy all the food stands. If you go later on, those stands may be closed but you won't have to suffer the massive crowd. This year I went to Yasukuni shrine located in the middle of Tokyo, right by the emperor's palace. We went on the 5th so the crowd was gone and luckily all the food stands were still there. "E-ma" (絵馬) - When you go to pray to the shrine or when your wishes have come true, you give the "ema" to the shrine to show your appreciation. In the Nara period, people considered horses animals which the gods used for transport. However, since horses were expensive, people started to draw horses on the wooden boards instead to give to the shrines. Now, we not only draw horses, we can draw other animals too. This year, since it is the year of the horse, the photographs show all horses. People were bowing before entering the shrine and when leaving the shrine too.
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