Japan Trip 2008 (Part I)

ASAKUSA

This is one of the tourist attractions in Tokyo visited by many tourist and Japanese. Crowds can be seen even on weekdays. Before you reach the Sensoji temple, you will pass through a long shopping street - Nakamise where you get to buy plenty of titbits ranging from rice crackers to red bean pancakes to mochi of various sorts as well as other range of titbits. There is also ice-cream of numerous flavours, ranging from interesting flavours like sweet potato to Cherry Blossom.

AKIHABARA AND SHINJUKU

The first 2 pictures is an eatery in Akihabara serving tempura rice with nice udon. The tempura is nice and the udon is superb. To avoid the office crowd, best to visit it before 12pm. Worth while eating if you happen to be around that area. The eatery is along the main road near a building with a panda poster.

Krispy Kreme Doughnuts opposite Takashimaya in Shinjuku. Long queues can be seen oustide the store queueing up to get their hands on these soft doughnuts. While queueing, the waitress hands out a free sugar coated doughnut to each of the people in the queue. I found the sugar coated doughnut was tat too sweet for my liking and their other flavours such as chocolate had a sugar coating as well before topping with chocoate, making it even sweeter, so if you got a very sweet tooth, you may like this.


TOKYO DISNEYLAND

We went to Disneyland on its 25th Anniversary. It was so crowded even during the early hours of 7am, there was a long queue outside the gate even though it opens only at 8.30am. After we bought the tickets, we joined the queue at the enterance. A day at Disneyland is definitely not enough to completely see the whole place. Best would be to spend at least 2 days there. Didn't manage to stay till night where there will be fireworks before the closing of the place as my son was tired and we left at 4pm. We were lucky that we stayed at Keio Plaza in Shinjuku and they were one of the Disney partners and provided free transport for their guests.

Took a few of the rides there and my son enjoyed himself. Some popular rides had a waiting time of 40mins. There was a parade at 12pm and 3pm that day.

I bought many Pooh Bear items from the Pooh bear store there. And there was a stall selling Micky mouse face waffles which we had to give it a missed as we had to rush to catch the bus. I would definitely want to go Disneyland again as well as DisneySea if I visit Japan again!