We departed from LCCT Kuala Lumpur International Airport at 2.30 pm and arrived at Haneda Airport Tokyo at about 10.40 pm after a 6 1/2 hour flight. We took a taxi to Mitsui Garden Hotel , the taxi fare was Y 2060.The taxi driver was apologetic for not having enough change for us and he decided to give us a discount. That's our first taste of Japanese hospitality.The hotel room was of a reasonable size. Our first taste of Japanese cleanliness was in the form of their WC, which are not only squeaky clean but had functions for seat warmer,several types of bidet sprays, water pressure,music to drown undesirable sounds, dryer and deodoriser to camouflage unpleasant odours !
Day 2 - 17 April 2013 (Wednesday)
We had breakfast at the hotel which cost us Y 2100 for 2 persons. The spread was adequate with Western and Japanese dishes. Immediately after breakfast we walked to the train station of Kamara which was a 3-minute walk from the hotel.The trip from Kamara to Yokohama took 20 minutes.We had earlier made arrangement for our niece to meet us outside Sogo Departmental Store at the station.A 5-minute taxi ride from the station to her apartment at Minato Mirai cost us Y 710.
Yokohama is Japan's second largest city with a population of 3 million .Minato Mirai is a newly developed seaside urban area in Central Yokohama with apartment blocks, office blocks and retail and eating outlets including Japan's tallest building, The Landmark Tower.There's also a football stadium , parks and cinema complex. As expected the whole area is clinically clean.
After an early lunch at home , my niece had to go back to work. The husband decided to take us for a quick tour of the area, with their 2 kids in tow. We took a slow walk to the Rinko Seaside Park facing the Port of Yokohama. Unfortunately we missed out on the cherry blossoms season and only azaleas were in bloom.
From there we walked to the Red Brick Warehouse , a former warehouse which has been refurbished and now has shops selling souvenirs and nick knacks and cafes. Outside the warehouse flowers of various hues and varieties were displayed in a beautiful arrangement that showcased the splendour of spring in Japan.
We stopped for waffles and coffee at one of the cafes and for the 4 of us we paid Y 3560.
As we were tired from the walk we took a vintage bus at Y 100 per person and it took us around some of the sights of Yokohama including Osanbashi,the uniquely -designed passenger ship terminal.The bus ended at the Red Brick Warehouse and from there we walked ,passing by the Landmark Tower and Nippon Maru, a sailing ship built in 1930 and now open to the public.
Dinner comprising of grilled fish set and dessert ,was at Ootoya Restaurant, costing us Y 4250 for the five of us.
Day 3 - 18 April 2013 (Thursday)
At 10.40am we board the train to Odawara and arrived 1 hour 5 minutes later.We bought the Hakone 2-day Freepass for Y 3900 each that entitled us to unlimited travel within the Hakone Area. From there a 20-minute train ride took us to Hakone Yumoto.
From Hakone Yumoto we took the Hakone Tozan Train, Japan's oldest mountain railway to Gora. For 35 minutes,the train meandered through lush green hills and valleys,over bridges and tunnels. It is said that the train track would have been lined by beautiful hydrangeas in June and July and illuminated in the evenings. Unfortunately we came too soon and had to contend ourselves with the green surrounding.
At Gora we took the Hakone Tozan Cablecar ( we call it funicular train in Malaysia) on a 10 minute ride upwards to Sounzan. From Sounzan our journey continued on the Hakone Ropeway which is a cable car. The day was relatively clear and we were fortunate to get a view of the snow-clad Mount Fuji which loomed majestically in the distance above the other mountain ranges.
After 20 minutes we arrived at Togendai and had lunch which cost us Y 1710. From there we went on the Hakone Sight Seeing Cruise on a pirate ship. As it sailed on Lake Ashinoko we admired the breath-taking views around the lake.The lake was created in the caldera of Mount Hakone by a volcanic eruption 3000 years ago.
Upon arrival at Hakonemachi Ko 30 minutes later, we checked into our hotel, Hakone Hotel which fronted the lake.The hotel building has an industrial design and the interior is spacious. We then took a walk around the area. Our first stop was the Checkpoint Museum which is a replica of the border check point. We then walked along the lake to the Hakone Detached Palace used to serve as a summer palace for the Imperial family. The palace itself was unimpressive but the beautiful park that surrounded it known as Onshi Hakone Park is worth visiting.
All the shops and restaurants were closed by then. Obviously not many people spent the night at this place. So we had no choice but to have dinner at the French Restaurant at the hotel.
Day 4 - 19 April 2013 (Friday)
After a leisurely breakfast we walked around the hotel grounds admiring the beauty of the lake from there.We decided to retrace our steps yesterday and so after checking out from the hotel,we took the 10.00 am cruise ship to Togendai. The weather was overcast and chilly. From Togendai we took the cable car and stopped halfway at Owakudani. At that altitude of 1050m above sea level ,the weather was biting cold. A walk uphill took us to the volcanic hot springs which looked like boiling cauldrons that spewed white smoke. The smell of sulphur permeated the air. The area is famous for its black eggs which are eggs boiled in the hot springs. We had to try it of course, but to my taste buds they tasted just like ordinary hard-boiled eggs.
We then continued on the cable car to Sounzan and then to Gora by the funicular tram.We walked around the small town of Gora with its various curio shops and restaurants and from there to the Gora Park.The park was beautifully landscaped, with rhododendron and azaleas in full bloom. There was also a glass house with tropical plants and trees.We stopped at the Craft House which had artisans demonstrating glass blowing and pottery. Lunch consisting of vegetable sandwich and tea, was at St Moritz Cafe at the station.
We took the 2.43 pm tram back up to Sounzan and the Ropeway to Togendai. We just missed the boat and had to wait for the 4.20 pm cruise ship to Hakonemachi Ko via Motohakone Ko which was another pier close by. From there we took the 5.13 pm direct bus to Odawara and arrived half an hour later to catch our train to Yokohama.
Day 5 - 20 April 2013 (Saturday)
We walked to Yokohama Station and took the train to Shimbashi. From there another train took us to Odaiba Station. Odaiba is a popular shopping and entertainment district built on a man-made island in Tokyo Bay.It has some of Tokyo's boldest architectural creations such as the Fuji TV Building. The weather was overcast and cold. We walked around Odaiba Park with its own Statue of Liberty. From the park we had a commanding view of Tokyo,with the Rainbow bridge as a backdrop.
Lunch was at an Indian Restaurant , Khazana. A set of saffron rice,nan,chicken tika,kebab, chicken curry and mutton curry cost Y1350.
After lunch at 2.25pm we took the Hotaluna Tokyo Cruise on a futuristic-looking boat to Asakusa which cost Y 1520 each. When we reached Asakusa it had started raining. We tried to dodge the rain by moving from one shop to another while looking at the souvenirs and curios they were selling. When the rain got too heavy we stopped at Carib cafe for coffee and cakes. When the rain subsided we proceeded to walk along Nakamise Street lined with souvenir shops and leading to the Sensoji Buddhist temple, the oldest temple in Japan.It was built in the 7th century and is also known as Asakusa Kannon Temple. Legend has it that in 628 two brothers fished a statue of Kannon, the Goddess of Mercy out of the Sumida River and despite throwing it back into the river , it kept coming back to them. Hence Sensoji was built nearby for the Goddess Kannon.
From there we took the Metro to Ginza , one of the main shopping areas in Tokyo. We were excited to see so many departmental stores with the luxury lables, each having a whole building to itself. I felt so at home and felt that this was where I was meant to be !
Day 6 - 21 April 2013 (Sunday)
The day began with a train ride to Tokyo and from there at 10.44 am we took the world-famous Shikanzen train to Karuizawa.We had earlier bought the 3-day Kanto Area Pass for Y 8000 each which allowed us unlimited travel within the Kanto area, including travel on the bullet train.We arrived at our destination after one hour and fifteen minutes.The scenery that greeted us was a pleasant surprise. Although it was spring it had snowed and the ground was covered with fresh snow. We admired the beauty of the snow-covered trees ,hills and ground. A short walk took us to the Prince Shopping Outlet selling clothes and accessories from brands like Bottega Veneta, Tods, Cole Haan, Coach, Ferragamo, Pucci, Fendi and many more.
At 4.39 pm we took the train back to Tokyo laden with shopping bags. We decided to stop at Ginza again as we were still in need of further retail therapy, before making our way back home.
Day 7 - 22 April 2013 (Monday)
We took the 11.16 am train from Yokohama to Shinjuku. We decided to ask people for directions to Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden but the three people that we approached didn't seem to know where it was, one even said that it was 2 train stops away ! We decided to figure it out ourselves and it turned out to be just a ten-minute walk away. We had tea at the park cafe and then paid Y 200 each as entrance fee to the park.The park was completed in 1906 and the entire garden was designed by Henri Martinet, the French horticulturalist .The park is huge and has 3 distinct style gardens ie English , French Formal and Japanese Traditional. We came at a time when the cherry blossom season was over and the azaleas and other flowers were not yet in full bloom. As the park is too extensive to cover in a short time, we walked mainly around the Japanese garden.
From Shinjuku station we took the train to Harajuku by the Yamanote line.It was just 2 stations away. Harajuku station building itself is an attraction as it is built of wood and has a rustic old-world charm about it. From the station we walked along a tree-lined avenue with buildings of Dior, LV , Bulgari and other luxury names.We enjoyed people watching and marveled at pretty Japanese girls with milky skin and porcelain-smooth complexion. Harajuku is the centre of Japan's most extreme teenage culture and fashion styles.Some of the girls were dressed in girly styles with frilly skirts, lace,frilly schoolgirl stockings and big bows in their hair.
Lunch was at Italian Tomato.
After lunch we took the train to Tokyo Central Station. Within the station we were overwhelmed with the hustle and bustle of people but once outside the city was surprisingly sparse in traffic. The station building itself is a sight to behold. Constructed in 1912 it was built entirely of red bricks. A short walk from the station took us to the grounds of the Imperial Palace. The Palace itself is not opened to the public so we walked around the large park surrounded by moats and massive stone walls. Modern skyscrapers formed a backdrop to the palace grounds.
From there we went back to Yokohama. Dinner that night was again at Ootoya Restaurant. After dinner we took a cab to YCAT (Yokohama City Air Terminal) and boarded the bus to Haneda Airport for our 11.55 pm flight back to Kuala Lumpur.
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