Cheesie-only winter Tokyolife.
My last trip to Japan of the year. Also my 48th visit to Japan. I was there to experience Tokyo Sightseeing Taxi and it’s super awesome! Will share more on this real soon.
This post is about random things during my week long adventure in Tokyo.
Flight
Night flight with JAL. So pretty! Bird’s eye view of Kuala Lumpur. Spotted the twin towers too. It always feels surreal to stare down at a dazzling city in the night from up in the sky. Everything feels too 渺小.
First thing was accommodation. The previous work trips I stayed in the hotels provided but this time I decided to go with HomeAway! It’s quite a long stay, it would be nice to have a bigger personal space and also be able to do some laundry so I can bring less outfits.
This is the URL to the apartment I was staying at! It looks exactly as it is in the photos. It is probably pricy for just one person (and because it is peak season), but there are two bedrooms so it can accommodate four. Also I really needed a place that’s convenient for my work and this apartment has a perfect location – Harajuku!
First bedroom.
Second bedroom.
A wardrobe for my clothes. These are all I have for one week! Haha. Not including shopping for new clothes :P.
View from apartment. If you walk straight from this little path, in 1 minute you will arrive at ABC Mart (next to La Foret) in Harajuku.
If you walk the other way out, you will walk straight into the middle of Takeshita street.
You guys can download the “HomeAway” from app store! It’s really easy to search for a listing with the filter and map to narrow down the choices. ^^
Now you can even select to draw and highlight an area you want to stay!
Like this!
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Eat Tokyo
Matsuzaka Ushi Kaiseki Shin 松阪牛懐石「真
Dinner with Pearleen my new friend haha.
I wrote about this on IG. It’s really such a luxurious meal with good value! 9 course including Matsuzaka beef sukiyaki, shabu shabu, steak and sushi at only 13,000 yen (about SGD157. I think in SG you eat a few slices of Matsuzaka beef already $200 liao.). We were telling the restaurant boss that he’s charging too cheap! Haha. Faster go visit before he increase price (just joking).
Look at that. I mean, STARE at that.
Matsuzaka beef sushi. As if that’s not luxurious enough so they must top it with caviar and sea urchin.
CHOYA Cocktail Bar
A CHOYA umeshu pop up bar in Ginza! Happening until end of the year only. Here for 4000 yen you get to order unlimited cocktails (there are a total of 50 types!!!), drink until you drop AND also enjoy a 6 course dinner at the same time!
I was telling the CHOYA manager that the pricing was too cheap lol. Japan is really too cheap for the quality it is giving to the world.
CHOYA tasting series. Did you know that there’s organic CHOYA too? (Third from left)
All the dishes are also specially created to pair with CHOYA. ^^
Cutest dessert plate! So much effort! 😀 Thank you CHOYA!
Pearleen very 强!!! Next time drink again!
Christmas Date
Tokyo is romantic in winter time full of night illuminations. My pre-Christmas date was RinRin.
But it’s really a little lonely if it’s just you under those sparkly Christmas lights. Haha.
But I’m in Tokyo. I’m thankful for that.
Off day RinRin still super cute <3.
Baby Yuria who invited me to fashion party <3
Last Autumn Scene
Also managed to enjoy a last autumn scene of 2018.
Beauty
My “Love Myself” journey continues. Eat well, look good, sleep enough. Japan has infinite beauty potential, it’s really a pity some of the best skills and technology is not well known elsewhere in the world.
This time I tried Eyebrow Art Make and Kogao Adjustment.
My new eyebrows. You like?
Kidding! Here’s immediately after Art make by Kaori at MedicalBrow Omotesando branch. It will get about 50% lighter after a week. I wanted it to be super super natural that it looks like I have no eyebrow make up on when suppin (no-make), instead of looking like I have perfectly drawn eyebrows on naked face, you get what I mean??
I have posted on IG before on 3 Dec, you can refer to it!
Next is Kogao Adjustment with Be Kogao Salon.
Get smaller face with head and face massage. Zero pain.
After just one session! The most significant difference is my jaw because it was senget (misaligned).
Also posted on IG about this on 9 Dec.
Shopping Time
I love alone shopping time. The best.
Don’t have to consider your companion’s feeling (am I taking too long? Is he/she interested in anti-shock bracelets and organic apple cider and sparkling medicated bath salt and mouth ulcer sticker?) and you can just… drown in your own world. Until your luggage (or credit card, either one.) explodes then only you start worrying about it.
Christmas presents for cheesiepetites. Poopy Hiragana practice book, Ricca Chan magnet sticker box, Christmas song book and Shinkansen sticker map book!
Brainwash time
Brainwash time – for people who still think eating in Japan is expensive. This is beef steak curry rice. It is 690 yen (About SGD8). Located inside of Ryogoku Station.
Hakata Amao for only 580 yen. All angmoh from Europe is gonna come telling me strawberries in their home country is only 2 euro for a whole basket haha. But hey, Ichigo is not strawberry. Let me just make that very clear haha.
Organic Groceries
Yeap.
You all already know I go crazy on my last day in Japan with groceries. Like REAL GROCERIES. Broccolis, loaf of bread and stuff like that.
So! Many people have asked me where I get organic groceries from. I go to Natural House in Aoyama. They have many stores all over Tokyo and the Aoyama branch is just a few second’s walk from Omotesando Station B4 exit.
(From my HomeAway apartment you can either take the train from Meiji Jingumae station to Omotesando Station but you may as well walk. (I totally did that.) OR, you can take a cab, I mean, you’d better, with all that groceries and no boyfriends with huge biceps around to help. It’s 410 yen for a cab ride. Not bad!)
Their organic selection is really extensive! From vegetables, fruits, dry food such as rice and noodle and dashi/instant food to snacks and even skin care. Even the “unhealthy food” like bacon & sausages are healthier. Low salt, no additive and all that. Recommended for a short (or very long like mine) visit.
Instant food from Muji. For emergency hunger and shit-mom moments.
The next million dollar question.
Q: How the hell do you bring all these back?
A: Liddis.
Just shove all of them in your luggage.
Q:Won’t they get squished?
A: With a bit of skill, no. Except Ichigo. I hand carry all ichigo back.
Q: Won’t the custom grill you for bringing fresh food back?
A: Never. Maybe I’m just lucky. Try at your own risk. Haha.
That’s all for this trip. Next time maybe I’ll do a live demo on how I pack and smuggle all these groceries back home haha.