Tokyo 2014 Day 1

2014/05/18

First Stop: Asakusa Kaminarimon 雷門

Our first destination today in Asakusa, the Kaminarimon shrine. On our way there, we ran in some trouble at the subway station. There was constructions going on, the signs were unclear, so everything was quite confusing. We literally walked around the block 3 times until we found the right entrance to our transfer...

After some time, we finally arrived!

This place is packed! There's even a few girls dressed in kimonos taking photos at the front.

Since it is so busy, I recommend you guys to come during night time if you can for picture taking. The market inside would be closed and the tourists would all have gone home, that would be the perfect formula to take pictures with the massive lantern.

here's my best attempt lol.

Once you walk past the lantern and the gate... is a market! Kind of similar to a food street or a daytime night market, this street is filled with food vendors and memoir shops.

Today's plan for lunch is to eat bits and pieces from different vendors.

Our 1st pick : きびたんご AZUMA

Kibidango is kind of like a skewered mochi (ricecake), these are mini dangos and covered in soy bean powder. They are chewy and pairs perfectly with the cold matcha drink. (which were amazingly refreshing!!😆)

ommm~

2nd pick : ちょうちんもなか

We had something called a monaka ice cream. Which is ice cream of choice sandwiched in a thin hollow biscuit, similar to the an ice cream cone pastry, light and crispy. There was many flavours to choose from, but since we are in Japan, I had the matcha and red bean flavour.

3rd pick : 豊福

As the giant banner states, this place specialises in wagyuu beef curry bread! how yummy does that already sound.

We stumbled upon this shop on one of the side streets on the left side. The bread is freshly fried in small batches, so it does not become soggy. When I ordered they were making a new batch, and while I waited, a long line started forming behind me, in a span of a couple minutes...

It was weird lol, is it one of those asian moments where one just go to a place that has a line up because line = good food? Idek.

soo crispy & hot!!

In Japan it is considered rude and unsanitary to eat and walk at the same time, at least in most places? So they prepared some benches beside the store for the customers to enjoy.

...but all the people waiting keep staring at me while I eat, soo stressful lol...

4th pick : 人形燒

Read ningyouyaki, is an Asakusa specialty, so you can find it pretty much everywhere around the area. It literally translates to person shape cake, but in reality they are small cakes shaped as famous attractions around this area. It is stuffed with red bean paste and is on the sweeter side, best paired with some green tea.

On the side, the kitchen hosts an open concept with glass windows on all sides, so we can have a peek at the makings of these pastries.

At the end of the road is the actual shrine itself.

There are instructions on how to prepare yourself before you "meet" with the shrine god.

& on the two sides of the shrine are omikuji stands (fortune telling). It is 100 yen each, just shake the tin, and your stick will fall out with the specified number. You then just find the drawer with your number and there is your fortune.

The one I got was 末吉 (suekichi) which means minimal good luck, not the best, but well, good luck is good luck haha.

However, if you happen to get 凶 (kyo) meaning misfortune, or anything worse, it is best to tie it on the rack provided nearby. It is believed, you are tying your misfortune and leaving it behind, in hopes for good luck to come.

Second Stop : Sky Tree

YAY 到着しました!

We're here at Sky Tree, which is actually pretty close to Kaminarimon, around 15mins walking distance.

This year is their 2nd year anniversary since opening, so still considered a new attraction.

wonky photo lol.

We decided not to go up to the observatory deck because the weather wasn't that nice, a bit cloudy, we wouldn't be able to see much anyway. Thus we just shopped at the Sky Tree Mall (solamachi), it was surprisingly pretty big.

Not much to say but we just shopped and took a bunch of photos haha.

Third Stop : Gion Tsujiri 祇園辻利

After wandering for a few hours, our feet were pretty much dead, so we found a place and sat down to have some ICE CREAM! 🍨

We didn't know at the time but, this place is actually a famous matcha shop in Kyoto, so their green tea products is on. point.

very Japanesque decor

We ordered a 3 colour green tea ice cream. It consists of matcha, genmai cha, and hojicha, three in one combo goodness. It is topped with anko (red bean paste) and some shirotama (mochi). && on top of all that, what we actually came for lol, was the souvenir Sky Tree only sky tree tower shaped spoon! hahah.