K a g u r a z a k a

I have no idea where Kagurazaka is and did not know what to expect when I planned the itinerary. On the recommendation from Japan-guide, I decided to pay it a visit since I was running out of new places to go. I am pleasantly surprised that it is a beautiful town, and it has a nice park that is close to the Imperial Palace. We had the longest walking tour on the last 2nd day of our trip, and it was worth it.

Scenes captured on Kagurazaka-dori.

Large supermarket selling fresh produce.

Out of the ordinary.

Popular toys...

...for the adults too.

The town is well served by the local Metro Line.

Presence of God's army in the vicinity.

This guy was yakking non-stop.

Daiichi (Great) Torii Gate.

Pathway leading to Yasukuni Shrine.

I chance upon Yasukuni Shrine by accident as we wanted to reach the nearest train station. After google it, I realised it has a history shrouded with controversies.

To me, it is just a beautiful park and I enjoyed the slow walk around the Shrine ground.

Overhead bridge leading to Kitanomaru Park.

Entrance to Kitanomaru Park.

Know your bearings.

K-pop is so popular, even Japanese love them. Fans gathered to watch...

...2PM, who was performing for 2 nights in Tokyo.

The matching of EM5 and the 50-200mm lens. Love it!

This blog marks the end of my 7 days winter holiday to Tokyo. I have been here several times, and in comparison, I must say this has been the most fruitful trip. We came when the exchange rate is favourable, stayed in a nice hotel near the train station, visited many new places, had some delicious meals, bought a new camera, and importantly, spent a wonderful Valentine's Day here. We will be celebrating our 15th wedding anniversary soon, and I am looking forward to more holidays with my lovely wife.

And another travel trip awaiting....


    

N a k a n o

Nakano is just a 4-minute stop west of Shinjuku. I have read that it is a great place to shop for manga & anime collectibles. 

Besides collectibles, you can find Japanese eateries & drinking pubs on the side streets of Nakano.

Inside Nakano Broadway, which houses the manga, games, figurines & anime shops.

Mandarake is considered the pioneer and biggest 'otaku' shop inside Nakano Broadway.

Chogokin, Transformer, Ultraman, Machine Robo, Getter Robo..., you can find them here.

Too bad that photography is not allowed inside the shop.

Up to 1 grand for a piece of monster! Will you buy it?

Shop after shop of toys would make any fan go crazy.

Collectible playing cards.

Die-cast cars, some of the models are a rare find.

Movie posters...

...some are classics from the past.

Anime pyjamas, T-shirts & spreads.

Although it is near to Shinjuku, Nakano is totally different from the former. It has a laid back and casual feel, just like other towns westward of Shinjuku. Ask any fan and they will tell you Nakano is the holy land of otaku. So, did I buy anything? I have no interest in these products, but it is here where I found a large selection of cheap camera stuff. Unfortunately (or fortunately), the only piece of my interest has a flaw, so I saved myself some money from this trip.

And another travel trip awaiting....

 

Y o k o h a m a

I did say that I wanted to visit new places when I am in Tokyo, and Yokohama is one of it. It is less than an hour from Tokyo and is easily reached via the rapid train. We arrived at Chinatown and since it is 3rd day of the Chinese Lunar New Year, I hope to catch some 'celebration'. Not that I like CNY but being a tourist, anything familiar in a new place can be considered as refreshing.

Japan's largest Chinatown is located in Yokohama, and it has numerous restaurants, eateries and shops in its narrow and colourful streets.

 Most of the products on sale here have been 'Japanised', and cater more to the local market.

Red lantern is a common sight in Chinatown.

Familiar?

It's the trademark clothing of legendary fighter Bruce Lee.

When I least expected, we came across this shop that sells everything K-pop.

I must say it has a wide collections of K-pop memorabilia.

In fact, this shop has so much more than any shops in Seoul. I am impressed!

Arhhhh....Kara! Daebak!

We left Chinatown for Motomachi, a high-end shopping street.

Motomachi has a lot of European influences, from architecture to the mechandise that the shops sell.

Brilliant colours.

Off road, literally.

Trying her luck with the grab machine.

Lady 'walking' her cat. You don't see this often.

These hounds are well clothed, like their owner.

Thanks to Eliza Scidmore's persistence, USA got its first cherry trees when Tokyo donated a batch to Washington DC in 1912.

 
Hikawa Maru, a massive liner, has since been retired and is now a museum.

Cruise ship docking at the harbour,

More berths with Minato Mirai 21 in the background.

Yamashita Park is a popular park along the waterfront.

Yokohama Marine Tower, standing tall near the park.

Cosmo World Ferris Wheel.

Cosplayers getting ready to show off their costumes.

How long more do I have to wait? My hair is turning red!

Are we late for the cosplay gathering?

Let's cuddle up to keep warm.

The once Red Brick Warehouses have been converted to a shopping and dining haven.

A skating rink in front of the warehouse.

Old and young come here to enjoy themselves.

Girls just wanna have fun.

Let's rah rah for a good time tonight. Whoever falls pay for dinner.

With careful guidance, the next Mao Asada is in the making.

There are many places to visit in Yokohama. With just a day, we could only visit places that are popular and accessible. We did a lot of walking, and I am grateful the wife was up to the challenge without a single complaint. We visited shops, but unfortunately, nothing caught her eyes. The visit to Yokohama has become more of a sightseeing trip ultimately. Will I return? Only the wife can answer that.

And another travel trip awaiting....