day 7 - mount fuji

day 7 (fri): shinjuku(新宿) --> mount fuji

started the day extremely late today. the view from the window indicates a clear day, but it could probably be an illusion. was actually toying with the idea of postponing the trip to fuji, however reports from the weather forecast seemed to indicate otherwise. and so the trip continues, albeit late!

headed to east shinjuku for lunch. was walking around and saw a poster with this word: 食べ放題　（eat all you can）for around 1400 yen, or sgd20 (tax-inclusive). immediately we decided on lunching there. i simply love their buffet concept: drinks and desserts included!!

the buffet lunch

thereafter we purchased the train tickets to mount fuji. we got lost in the numerous platforms and at the end of the day managed to find it. took the train to otsuki, but along the way, we had to switch another train.

it was during the train switch that i realized tokyo's train efficiency does not extend to the countryside. the next train was a 30 minutes wait in the cold!! once on board the train, it was heaven! cushion seats, leg warmers provided below the seats, and the train doors do not open when no one is alighting or boarding to preserve warmth.

we switched to the fujikyu line and along the way, snow started falling. shit!! by the time we reached the kawaguchiko station, it felt like christmas! tried to claim the ticket for the retro-bus rides, but was told they had stopped operating. part of the reason given was we were too late! crap! what a waste of my money.

sakura tree outside the train


view of the mountains from a stationary train


temperature around -1 deg

another sakura tree in kawaguchiko

snow snow snow... went over to the other side of the station and managed to get some souvenirs for office and some exotic-tasting kit-kats for my friend. explored the area. due to the snow, mount fuji was completely not visible. depressed! felt like a dumbass wasting money for nothing.

snow, snow snow...

left: the curry soba
right: the kit-kat (strawberry cheese cake, wasabi and blueberry flavored)

honestly speaking, i prefer snowing to raining. it was way less messier and the sight of falling snow makes the environment surreal. went to try a small family shop to try some curry soba and sake to preserve warmth.

as night falls, we returned to shinjuku. lo and behold, now the damn beanies are starting to make their appearance again!! nvm... had some krispy kreme for dessert and concluded this depressing day.

day 3 - nishi-shinjuku, tochomae

day 3 (mon): shinjuku (新宿) / kabuki-cho (歌舞伎町)

today was supposed to be shibuya day, but due to a heavy downpour, we decided to stay near and spend a day in shinjuku instead.

the first stop was the tokyo metropolitan government building. we ran quickly to the toei-oedo subway entrance, which was luckily situated right beside the hotel. finally get to try their subway, and hey, their subway seats are cushioned - fantastic!!!

we alighted at tocho-mae station, and luckily the building is connected to the station via an underpass. the visit was f.o.c and if not for the horrendous downpour, the view would be so much better. i cannot even see tokyo tower, needless to say mount fuji too.

look! their seats are cushioned with warmers...


a view of shinjuku skyscraper district from the observatory deck

left: a view of yoyogi park
right: a view from the southern deck

a bmw building


left: all blurred by rain beyond yoyogi park
right: park immediately the building

we bumped into a big tour group from china. for some reason they annoyed me. sorry for the rant but it seemed like they were unable to queue properly, like to talk in people's face and cut people's path as if there's a prize for cutting your walking lane suddenly. worst still, i find it pretty amusing that they like to turn on flash with a mirror behind them! grrr...

the observatory deck

enough of ranting. we headed to the ground floor, where a nice lady from a building tour recommended lunch at a certain floor in the building. she said it would be cheap so we gave it a try!

it was actually a foodcourt for the employees working in the building. their concept was interesting! there was a big menu at the entrance, and after the patron had decided on what to eat, he/she would proceed to a ticket vending machine to pay for the food. in return the patron gets a food voucher which can then be exchanged for food at the respective stall.

the menu of the foodcourt


a patron deciding on his meal in front of the ticketing vending machine

i ordered a sushi set meal for 660 yen (around sgd 10). drinks are free flow - i loved this concept! anyway the sushi was great and i was glad i enjoyed my first sushi meal in tokyo. the taste is just superb! fyi the sushi set was one of the more expensive item on the menu.

my humble sushi set meal

it was still raining by the time we finished our meal. took the train and proceed to shop around north shinjuku. got myself a japanese-styled jacket from uniqlo again. temperature fell further, and by the time we were in the open, we all had misty breaths.

left: takashimaya and times square
right: eastern shinjuku, jr central exit

once adjusted to the temperature, we headed over to east shinjuku to hunt for isetan! after a few turns here and there, we found it. my first impression of isetan was, it looked run-down lol. actually i was expecting a blue-building just like singapore... oopps!

went to the isetan men's building. yes, they have like 9 stories of only men's stuff. we committed a "crime" unintentionally. unaware that the merchandise at each floor must be paid for before moving to another floor, we actually carried our items from basement all the way to the 6th floor until a staff came and politely told us of the situation and settled it for us.

anyway, the shopping experience is great. NEW FINDING OF THE DAY - shopping bags have raincoats!! i would have to applaud the japs for being so considerate. they actually put a rain-coat like thing over our purchases so that the bags and the contained items would not get wet in the rain. and thus i bought an expensive diesel bag...

left: my shopping bag with raincoats
right: night view of eastern shinjuku

tired of shopping, it's dinner time! we stumbled upon a sushi place, which we were to discover later, served great sushi and sashimi!! again, the meal comes with a complimentary roasted tea and a serving of an interesting soup. we order a great assortment of sushi=) the bill finally came up to 3700 yen for 2 pax.

after the meal we decided to explore kabuchicho, and find golden gai (ゴールデン街). the strong wind proved a strong resistance against walking, and making a wrong turning, we were lost. we seeked help in a convenience store, and glad they were able to assist. another interesting point to note was, that all the stores visited had their own locality map to guide lost customers. cool!

golden gai is an area with a confusing array of streets and small bars and pubs and eateries. the place looked deserted, probably because it's weekday and the rain was still pouring down. moved around, exited the place and finally entered the main red-light district.

their brother bouncers reminded me of gang-fights. tall, strong-built and dressed in full-black suits all over the place, it was intimidating. walked around the area and after exploring, we head back. we end up in another part of shinjuku.

anyway we found our way back again via the subway.