*WARNING: Another Photo Intensive post*
Finally woke up and had time for MacDonald's breakfast!
This was Yong's order. I'm not a morning breakfast person so I took the Egg McMuffin.
I love bacon (ya, call me fat) and this looks like the ultimate combination!
I've scheduled a more relaxing day today but that doesn't mean less walking.
First up, Asakusa temple to see the big red lanterns!
Took the Chuo line to Kanda Station and than exited the JR station for the Ginza subway line to Asakusa Station. This is the nearest station to Asakusa temple.
Just to show you how complicated their railway and subway line is:
Not that bad once you get the hang of it.
In the subway, I look so sleepy!
It looks more magnificient in real life.
The lanterns are huge!
Kaminarimon is the first of two large entrance gates leading to Sensoji Temple.
First built more than 1000 years ago, it is the symbol of Asakusa.
The Nakamise shopping street leads from Kaminarimon to the temple grounds.
For those of you that like the 'Fortune Cat', there's a shop here that sells loads of them in all shapes and sizes.
Just a comparison to show you the size of the lantern.
For many centuries, Asakusa used to be Tokyo's leading entertainment district. During the Edo Period, when the district was still located outside the city limits, Asakusa was the site of kabuki theaters and a large red light district. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, modern types of entertainment, including movies, set foot in Asakusa.
Large parts of Asakusa were destroyed in the air raids of World War Two. While the area around the rebuilt Sensoji has regained its former popularity after the war, the same cannot be said for Asakusa's entertainment district.
My photo doesn't do this justice as it was too dark.
The fountain had a statue of a warrior on top of it.
One of the more elaborate fountain I've seen after visiting so many temples and shrines.
See the people crowding around the incense area?
The legend says that in the year 628, two brothers fished a statue of Kannon, the goddess of mercy, out of the Sumida River, and even though they put the statue back into the river, it always returned to them. Consequently, Sensoji was built there for the goddess of Kannon. The temple was completed in 645, making it Tokyo's oldest temple.
Interior of the temple.
The area was divided by the glass panel.
Those devoted Japanese went inside to pray or pay respects.
For tourists like us, we stayed outside to pay respects.
I feel that their temples and shrines gives one a very calm feeling whenever I step in to them.
Despite the hustle and bustle outside, the inside becomes quiet and calm.
Just to let you know that they are renovating the temple so its covered with scaffolding.
It should be done by the end of this year.
I never did pray for guidance in Singapore before but for the fun of it, I did it there.
Not going to share it here but it's 'The final Small Fortune' lot.
So all (if not most) of the good things will happen to me at the end of the year.
It also mentions that my hair will change gray due to too much hard work and care (probably as in troubles).
So, all I can do is probably to maintain a happy outlook this year!
Here I go again - this was really yummy!!!
Those going to Asakusa - please please try this!!!!
It's like mochi fried with red bean filling.
Not too sweet or oily. Just nice!!
The Fortune cat store that I mentioned.
This is only the exterior!
Was tempted to try the sweet sake but it wasn't that nice.
It had a weird taste to it but after getting use to it - it was ok.
We left to walk around the area - Shin-Nakamise Shopping Street which is perpendicular to the Nakamise Shopping Street.
Yong bought a pair of shoes there for about S$32.
Before leaving, I had to bring Yong to the Asahi Beer Tower.
Flamme d'Or were, completed in 1989 and host the headquarters of Asahi Breweries.
Looks kinda weird from another standpoint.
I had wanted to go to Sumida park which is along the river further down.
But time didn't permit is as I still wanted to visit Ueno and Ginza.
So maybe for my next trip, I'll factor the park in for Cherry Blossom viewing.
Heading down to Ueno.
However, instead of going to the Ueno station, we headed 1 station further to Uguisudani Station.
I've read about the Tokugawa clan's fall and one of the main battle was at Kanei-ji.
We passed by some really interesting places in the park.
National Science Museum.
National Museum
This was the building that collected Children's books.
Many of the buildings here have a very western style.
I guess the reason was that after the Tokugawa clan fell, the westerners gathered in Edo - resulting in these buildings.
Main hall of Kanei-ji
This wasn't the original temple as it was probably destroyed in the great Kanto Earthquake or the great fire.
At Ueno park, relaxing on the swing.
This was the place where when cherry blossoms bloom in April will be packed with people for hanami.
It was too early and too cooling for the blossoms to bloom so all we saw were branches.
We were so excited to see this tree!
I clarified with Chi-chan that evening and she told me it was probably plum blossom.
To distinguish, the blossoms were darker than cherry blossoms.
Nonetheless, we took many photos.
Temple of Benten.
There's also the Toshogu Shrine is a shrine dedicated to Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Edo shogunate, which ruled Japan from 1603 to 1867.
At the park's south entrance stands a statue of Saigo Takamori, an important personality of the late Edo and early Meiji Period. He played a central role in realizing the Meiji Restoration of 1868.
The movie ' The last Samurai' was modelled after him (as I read from Renzze's blog).
At Ameya-yokocho Market eating what resembles Okonomiyaki.
After buying, the vendor ran to the street behind as the 'police' was coming..hahah...
So all the customers stood there eating but the stall was missing!
Train to head to Ginza.
Since it was shopping in Mitsukoshi in Ginza for my Agnes B bag (they offered tax rebates), there's no photos.
Before leaving, I saw this store!!!
Bought a piece of strawberry shortcake to try.
Headed back to Shinjuku to wait for Chi-chan since we were meeting at 7pm at the hotel lobby.
Chi-chan found a restaurant just opposite the hotel.
She looks so cute with the bangs!
Looking at her photos..
The table full of food!!
Outside the restautant - looked at how warmly wrapped she was?
It's really cold ok!?
After that, we sent her to the train station and I went on my last minute shopping spree.
Covered fancl, lush and drugstores.
I had a hard time buying things at fancl and lush as the SAs couldn't speak English.
Like 1 chicken and 1 duck trying to communicate.
I don't blame them as I know the SA at lush was trying so hard that she kept apologising.
She said she didn't comprehend English well and apologised.
Yong and I said we don't comprehend Japanese well too so it's really ok.
We saw Krispy Kreme!
So we decided to get some for breakfast the next day.
They had special vday donuts!
See the queue in the store?
That day the queue was outside and people were still queuing to get the donuts!
Yong was sitting outside smoking and snapping photos.
The trees were all lit in blue lights.
The building with the clock is Docomo building.
Very victorian like building, my guide was saying that it was vampire building.
The strawberry cake that I got at the Ginza store.
The spoon looks really cute eh?
