HazelDiary

I finally visit Tokyo Disneyland during my recent trip to Tokyo, Japan. My last visit was to Hong Kong Disneyland few years ago. I was told that Tokyo Disneyland is the classic of all. I was contemplating whether to go for Tokyo Disneyland or Tokyo Disneysea initially. I ended up choosing Tokyo Disneyland for this trip. Read More

After exploring Kamakura, Nikko, we found another less touristy place, Mount Nokogiriyama. Nokogiri Yama (aka Sawtooth Mountain) is located in the Boso, Penisula in Chiba. It is known for two giant Buddhas, over 1500 arhats, temples and quarry caves. The mountain is also ideal for hiking with rewarding top view. If you are not into hiking, there is a cable car to the top to save the trouble and time. Read More

Since we got the 5-Day JR East Pass, we decided to explore Nikko, Japan this time. Nikko (日光, Nikkō) is a small city in Japan’s Tochigi Prefecture. It is also a center of Shinto and Buddhist mountain worship for many centuries before Toshogu was built in the 1600s. There are many attraction places to explore in Nikko itself but we only managed to explore limited places during our day trip there. Places like Nikko National Park, shrines, hot springs, hiking trails, monkeys and many more. Read More

Instead of spending time in Tokyo city, I decided to plan day trip out from Tokyo for few days this time. E & I did some research and decided to explore off the beaten path destination. So, follow my Japan travel posts for the updates. The first destination is Kamakura day trip. Read More

We made our way to Pokemon Café at Nihonbashi for our lunch but it was fully reserved. In fact, the whole month of December is fully booked. So, if you are heading there, please make your reservation to avoid any disappointment. So, we saw this old Showa building that caught our attention. It was lunch time and we saw people queuing for it and so we decided to give this place a try. Read More

During my trip to Tokyo, Japan, E & I had the opportunity to experience kaiseki dining experience at Soujuan Kaiseki, Keio Plaza Hotel. My last visit to Keio Plaza Hotel was 2 years back where we experienced the Japanese Tea Ceremony session. Time flies indeed! Read More

Buchiumaya is a small restaurant that is located at some alley in Tokyo. The restaurant is known mainly to the locals and it is quite hard to find if you are a first-timer. Thank god I have E with me. He introduced this place to me when we travelled to Tokyo last December. Buchiumaya is a hidden gem that serves Hiroshima-style Okonomiyaki. This place is definitely worth checking out if you have time to queue for it. Read More

During my last Tokyo trip, E was asking to decide whether to go Tokyo Disneyland or hiking. I was contemplating between two options and finally decide to explore Mount Takao. So, that is another reason for me to visit Tokyo again because I haven’t been to Tokyo Disneyland yet. Read More

Yes! Fugu (pufferfish or blowfish) and this time I get to try it in Tokyo, Japan. My first experience was at Fugu Fine Fugu Kaiseki Restaurant in Singapore. Torafugu Tei is a chain of restaurant specializes in fugu dishes in Japan. We were attracted to the restaurant because of the live puffer fish tank displayed. And finally we decided to go for it on the last night in Tokyo (if I remembered correctly). Read More

During my recent visit to Tokyo, Japan, I got the opportunity to experience a 20 minutes Japanese tea ceremony at Keio Plaza Hotel. In Japanese culture, matcha green tea is more than just a drink. The Japanese tea ceremony also known as Way of Tea is a Japanese cultural activity involving ceremonial preparation and presentation of matcha for centuries. It is a quiet and refined tea ceremony which is meant to demonstrate respect through grace and good etiquette. Read More