Blogs from Tokyo, Japan, Asia

Have I spent so much time at LAX. I had almost 7 hours between flights. But Mr. Mike is here to monitor my champagne intake. An 11 hour flight to Tokyo is a loooong flight. By the time I arrived at our hotel, I was awake for well over 28 hours. But the hotel is nice, within a 5 min walk to Shinjuku Station. Mike is still the BEST travel companion ever, despite not traversing the world with me for at least 5 years. I can't believe we saw a cantaloupe yesterday with a 32,000 JYen price tag, well over $200 USD!! Friday, cold and dreary. The Sakura (cherry blossoms) are spectacular, and I love the symbolism they find in their short, but repetitive life. So far, no car horns honking and no sirens! Kabukicho, the ... read more

In Tokyo, sushi on a budget normally means skipping the uni and fatty tuna rolls and sticking to imported salmon and dashimaki tamago(Japanese omelette) nigiri. This isn’t the case at Sushi Tokyo Ten Shibuya, where you can drop into the Shibuya Stream sushi restaurant for a generous omakase lunch for ¥4,400 (weekdays only) and dinner for ¥8,800. A peaceful oasis in the middle of bustling Shibuya, this sleek counter-style sushi restaurant will leave you feeling pampered, calm and most importantly, satisfied by the end of your lunch break. The restaurant doesn’t have any menus, but you’re in good hands as the chef behind the counter swiftly and seamlessly forms an array of perfectly shaped sushi, including opulent favourites like chutoro (medium fatty tuna) and a mini ikura-don (salmon eggs over rice). Looking for an omakase sushi ... read more

Later start today as we just have tickets for the Samurai and Ninja Museum in Asakusa which is only a 12 minute bus ride away. We were probably a bit too relaxed as we were late so had to join a later group. The guide, Akira, took us on a tour of the small museum and was very entertaining and informative, giving us a brief history of Japan during this period of time. We were given plastic star knives and had a few opportunities to practice before a competition. We were then able to dress up as samurais which was fun. We then explored the Asakusa area a bit and spent quite a bit of time at a discount variety chain store called Don Quijote(not Quixote) and bought quite a bit. Then it already past 2pm ... read more

From its high-end restaurant showstoppers to its on-the-go convenience store offerings (and all sorts of other fantastic creations in between), there’s nowhere better in the world to sample sushi than Tokyo. Don’t miss the Japanese capital’s signature sushi style: Edomae sushi, a delicacy that combines expertly compacted, wasabi-smeared rice balls with meticulously cut fish that holds onto its seasonings, resulting in maximum umami. You can find it among the other super-fresh fish and seafood at the famous url=https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tsukiji.or.jp%2Fenglish%2F&data=05%7C02%7C%7Cdab1853c73fe4ad265b008dc55bf3d9b%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C638479527080236883%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=Zp18BjSCxzSGzl0LQxYk7U%2B7x5qIXeIBoaVmPJK%2BDbY%3D&reserved=0... read more

Started our first full day with a buffet breakfast and set off around 8:50 expecting to reach our first stop, Small Worlds around 10am but I made a mistake thinking we had to change trains, when in fact, it was a matter of staying on the same train even though the line changed. I didn’t even realise that was possible. Luckily, I realised we were going in the wrong direction after the change and Krissy noticed how Google Maps said “remain on train”. I guess it was another Seniors moment. We reached Small World’s at 10:30am and we enjoyed looking at all the miniature model scenes, especially Oscar, which was the main reason we chose this attraction. Being a Monday, it wasn’t busy so it was very easy to look around. They can even make miniature ... read more