Monthly Archives: June 2013

Hiking in Mount Takao Outside of Tokyo

30 Sunday Jun 2013

Posted by in Asia, Japan, Tokyo

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , , ,

The gym that Mr. Selfish and I found in Tokyo was closed on Mondays, so we decided to take a day trip to Mount Takao on a Monday for some easy hiking. It takes about 50 minutes and 370 yen to reach Mount Takao (aka Takaosan) from Shinjuku. On a clear day, you can see Tokyo, Mount Fuji, and Yokohama from the top.

Mount Takao has seven clearly marked trails. Mr. Selfish and I decided to hike up the Biwa Waterfall trail and down trail #1, which passes the monkey forest and the Yakuoin temple.

Mount Takao 01

The Biwa Waterfall trail takes you along the limpid waters of the Biwataki Stream through a forest of low cedars. We saw the Biwa Waterfall from a distance but weren’t too compelled to come closer since it seemed quite small.

HikingMount Takao 06Mount Takao 07

Continue reading →

Searching for the Best Ramen in Tokyo

29 Saturday Jun 2013

Posted by in Asia, Food & Drinks, Japan, Searching for the Best . . ., Tokyo

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , ,

Mr. Selfish and I knew that as soon as arrived in Tokyo, we would start our search for the best ramen there. We went to three new ramen shops, as well as an Ichiran, which we loved in Fukuoka.

Kyushu Jangara

First, we went to Kyushu Jangara, which is located in Harajuku (located at Shanzeru Harajuku II 1-2F, 1-13-21 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo). They serve tonkotsu (pork bone) ramen with a boiled egg, pork chashu, and thick slices of pork belly.

Ramen 01Ramen 03Ramen 04Ramen 06Ramen 07Ramen 08

Verdict: The ramen was quite tasty, especially with the two different types of pork. The broth was porky and flavorful but the noodles were just standard.

Score: 8.0.

Continue reading →

Godzilla!!! and Other Parts of Tokyo

28 Friday Jun 2013

Posted by in Asia, Japan, Tokyo

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , ,

Japan is known for its cultural oddities – girl groups, cosplayers, robots, and advanced toilet technology to name a few.  Since our last trip to Tokyo only scratched the surface of bizarro-Japan, Mrs. Selfish and I vowed to find some of the weirder parts.

Starting with a pilgrimage to find a statue of one of Tokyo’s oldest icons: Godzilla.

Yeah, couldn’t resist taking that photo.

Searching for Godzilla

A quick search found that Godzilla was close to the Imperial Palace, in the adjacent Hibiya Park.  With map in hand, we quickly set off to find the giant mutant.

While the park was lovely, Godzilla was no where to be found!  Mrs. Selfish decided to ask the local park information – and discovered that Godzilla was actually in a much smaller park to the east.

Apparently Godzilla is no longer big in Japan.

If you’re trying to find the guy, Godzilla is located right next to the Starbucks behind the Hibiya station.  I guess the guy is down on his luck.

Continue reading →

Nerdy Tokyo: Akihabara, Harajuku, and Shibuya

27 Thursday Jun 2013

Posted by in Asia, Japan, Tokyo

≈ 7 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , , ,

Tokyo has a large nerd culture. Colossally large. So large, that the Japanese seem completely oblivious to how strange it is. While spotting someone dressed in costume Stateside is an oddity outside of Halloween, it’s par for the course in Tokyo.

As part of our nerdy Japan explorations, Mrs. Selfish and I decided we would visit some of Tokyo’s unique neighborhoods – in particular Akihabara, Shibuya, and Harajuku.

What were we looking for?

Cosplayers.

Continue reading →

Big in Japan: Heading to a Sumo Tournament

26 Wednesday Jun 2013

Posted by in Asia, Japan, Tokyo

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , ,

With 43 days to allocate in Japan this time around, we decided to end the Japan portion of our trip with a two week stay in Tokyo. As one of the largest cities in the world, I figured the sites and food would be enough to keep us perpetually running from one side of the city to the other.

So it was very serendipitous that we happened to catch the tail end of May’s Sumo tournament at Ryoguko Kokugikan.

Continue reading →

Visiting the Other Park: Tokyo Disneyland

25 Tuesday Jun 2013

Posted by in Asia, Disney, Japan, Tokyo

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , ,

Mr. Selfish and I were looking most forward to visiting Tokyo DisneySea but when we looked at the ticket prices, we figured we would also go to Tokyo Disneyland.

A 1-day pass to either park costs 6,200 yen. However, there is no park hopper option for a 1-day pass. Nevertheless, you can buy an after-6pm pass for the second park, which costs 3,300 yen. Together, a 1-day pass and an after-6pm pass costs 9,500 yen, whereas a 2-day pass costs 10,700 yen. Since it wasn’t much of a price difference, we decided to purchase a 2-day pass.

Tokyo Disneyland 01

Tokyo Disneyland is very similar to California’s Disneyland and Florida’s Magic Kingdom. It was built in 1983 and is the third most visited park after its stateside counterparts. The park has seven areas: the World Bazaar, Fantasyland, Adventureland, Mickey’s Toontown, Tomorrowland, Critter Country, and Westernland.

Continue reading →

Sailing the Seven Seas of Tokyo DisneySea

24 Monday Jun 2013

Posted by in Asia, Disney, Japan, Tokyo

≈ 8 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , , , ,

Mr. Selfish and I were quite psyched to visit Tokyo DisneySea since we had heard so many wonderful things about it. We had very high expectations for this park, and amazingly, it did not disappoint.

Opening in 2001, Tokyo DisneySea is the most expensive theme park ever built costing over $4 billion USD. It is currently the fourth busiest theme park in the world – just after Disneyland in California, Magic Kingdom in Florida, and Disneyland in Tokyo. However, the park was so well-planned that it actually did not feel that busy.

Disney Sea 01

Mr. Selfish and I found Tokyo DisneySea to be distinctly Japanese. First of all, the vast majority of the attendees (probably 95%) were Japanese. Second, most of the attendees were adults. Third, attendees were very cutsey and adored the Disney Bear – Duffy. Our first introduction to Duffy was back in Epcot in 2011 back when Mr. Selfish and I were still taking vicious photos for our annual Christmas card.

Oh no Duffy

While Duffy isn’t that big in the States, he is HUGE in Japan. Even the men were sporting Duffy merchandise. We ran into couples that had over thirty Duffy bears.

Disney Sea 02Disney Sea 03

Continue reading →

Izakaya Showdown in Tokyo: The 35 Steps v. Gonpachi

23 Sunday Jun 2013

Posted by in Asia, Food & Drinks, Japan, Tokyo

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , , , , ,

Mr. Selfish and I certainly enjoyed dining at izakayas while in Japan. The casual atmosphere and the abundance of drinks and food undoubtedly lead to a good time. We visited two well-known izakayas in Tokyo to see which one was better.

The 35 Steps

First, we went to the 35 Steps (B1 Shibuya City Hotel, 1-1 Shibuya), which is located near the love hotel district in Shibuya. As you may have guessed, the 35 Steps is in the basement, and you have to walk down thirty-five steps to get to there. But it’s certainly worth the trek. The 35 Steps is known as one of the friendliest izakayas around, and it didn’t disappoint. The service at the 35 Steps was impeccable, and it was clear that the staff enjoyed their jobs.

Izakaya 01Izakaya 02Izakaya 14

Continue reading →

Touring the Main Sights in Tokyo: Meiji Shrine, Asakusa, and Imperial Palace

22 Saturday Jun 2013

Posted by in Asia, Japan, Tokyo

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , ,

Mr. Selfish and I had visited Tokyo in 2009, so this time, we decided to take it easy during our 2-week stay. Nevertheless, we still had to visit some of the main attractions.

Meiji Shrine

First, we visited the Meiji Shrine, which is near Harajuku. The Meiji Shrine is dedicated to Emperor Meiji and his consort, the Empress Shoken. We had already been here in 2009 so we just casually wandered around. Soon after walking through the large wooden torii gates, Mr. Selfish and I happened upon a wedding.

Tokyo 06Tokyo 10Tokyo 11Tokyo 12Tokyo 13

Continue reading →

Other Eats in Kanazawa

21 Friday Jun 2013

Posted by in Asia, Food & Drinks, Japan, Kanazawa

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

, , , , , ,

While I would have gladly spent every meal at Otomezushi, sadly that option was not open to us.  Fortunately, Kanazawa has a number of good eateries around town.

The Omicho Market

Our first stop on Kanazawa’s eating extravaganza was the Omicho Market – an outdoor shopping arcade for fresh fruit, vegetables, meat, and seafood.

Man those hairy crabs look good.

The market is also home to many small restaurants.  Since the seafood was a local specialty Mrs. Selfish and I decided to try a rotary sushi restaurant.  The fish was fresh, and tasty – though more expensive then the rotary sushi in Kyoto.

We ended up special ordering a few orders of tuna belly, since I couldn’t get enough after Otomezushi.  Unlike our last rotary experience, they added up the bill by a color-coded system.  The color of your plate indicated the cost.  While I’ve seen that done in a few rotary sushi joints, I’ve never seen them add it up via the use of a sushi-plate scanner.

The total came to around 1700 yen (~$17), which was pretty good for a sushi lunch.

Verdict: Tasty and well priced, but nothing special.

Continue reading →

Visiting the Diverse Sights in Kanazawa

20 Thursday Jun 2013

Posted by in Asia, Japan, Kanazawa

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , ,

Mr. Selfish and I spent three lovely days in Kanazawa. While I initially thought that three days would be too long, it proved to be just the right amount of time in Kanazawa, which had quite a few sights to visit.

The most notable sight in Kanazawa is Kenroku-en Garden, which is considered to be one of the three best gardens in Japan. Admission was only 300 yen a person, and you can definitely spend at least half a day strolling around.

Continue reading →

Otomezushi: The Best Sushi in the World

19 Wednesday Jun 2013

Posted by in Asia, Food & Drinks, Japan, Kanazawa

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

, , , , ,

When Mrs. Selfish and I started our Selfish Year, we decided we’d try to eat the best of what every country had to offer. After watching Jiro Dreams of Sushi, what better place to eat than Jiro Sushi in Tokyo?

After all, the man does have 3-Michelin stars. It’s gotta be good at $350 a head, right? That’s what I thought at first.  I even went as far as to make reservations via the Park Hyatt Tokyo.  But then we started talking to a friend about sushi in Japan, and she clued us in to Otomezushi in Kanazawa.

Nestled in between the ocean and the Japanese Alps, Kanazawa is in the perfect location for sushi.  The Pacific Ocean’s proximity ensures an abundant supply of fresh fish, while the alps provide the area with fresh spring water, and near-perfect conditions for rice.

Whatever the reason Otomezushi is good.  Really good. Wake up in the middle of the night like a food-crazed maniac good.

And man, that meal did not disappoint.

Continue reading →

Heading to Kanazawa: Geisha, Samurai, and Ninjas

18 Tuesday Jun 2013

Posted by in Asia, Japan, Kanazawa

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , ,

After spending 23 days in scenic Kyoto, Mrs. Selfish and I packed our bags and boarded a train for Kanazawa, a delightful city on the northern coast of Japan.

Kanazawa was home to the second most powerful clan in Japan during the Edo period and was one of the bigger cities to come out of World War II largely in tact. As a result, Kanazawa is a beautiful city with a number of historic buildings including: Kanazawa castle, the ninja temple, samurai houses, and a historic geisha district.

Kanazwa is also home to one of Japan’s three best landscaping gardens, and arguably some of the best sushi in Japan.  While I’d like to tell you we went for the culture, the sushi played a large role in our decision making.

That is until I saw pictures of our ryokan.

Continue reading →

Slurping Udon, Soba, and Ramen in Kyoto

17 Monday Jun 2013

Posted by in Asia, Food & Drinks, Japan, Kyoto

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , ,

Mr. Selfish and I certainly enjoyed our fair share of noodles while in Kyoto. We loved the variety of udon (thick wheat flour noodle), soba (thin buckwheat noodle), and ramen (thin wheat noodle) shops all around the city. In particular, we enjoyed the following three noodle shops.

First, we loved the customizable udon at Marugame Udon (located at Kyoto-shi, Nakagyo-ku, Kawaramachi-dori, Sanjo-sagaru, Daikoku-cho 54-1). The first step is to choose the type of udon you want from ten different types. Mr. Selfish and I tried three types: (1) udon with a raw egg and a dipping sauce, (2) udon with a curry broth, and (3) udon with broth. They were all delicious and made fresh on the premises.

Noodles 01Noodles 02Noodles 03Noodles 04

Continue reading →

Visiting the Temples in the North: The Golden Pavilion, Ryoanji, Ninnaji, and Myoshinji

16 Sunday Jun 2013

Posted by in Asia, Japan, Kyoto

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , , , ,

Mr. Selfish and I visited the iconic Golden Pavilion (aka Kinkakuji), which is a Zen temple covered in gold leaf. Just like everything else in Kyoto, the temple has burned down several times during its history. This latest version of the Golden Pavilion was built in 1955.

Golden Pavilion 06Golden Pavilion 03Golden Pavilion 04Golden Pavilion 05

Continue reading →