Showing posts with label ramen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ramen. Show all posts

Thursday, June 22, 2017

How I Spent Spring 2017 in JAPAN

I'm back at my favorite country! Spent three weeks in Japan visiting multiple cities:

Yokohama, Tokyo, Suwa, Matsumoto

Highlights of my trip:
-Coldplay concert in Tokyo Dome City
-family time at Matsumoto Castle
-Ramen Museum and Red Brick Building in Yokohama
-Ichiran Ramen, Yakitori Alley, and more pigout sessions in Tokyo w/ friends
-exploring Yokohama w/ my Japan-based friend, Cheny
-pre-birthday celebration in Disneyland
-sakura aka cherry blossoms everywhere!!!

It's one of my most relaxing and rewarding trips in Japan. I love travelling alone and visiting family and friends. It's really therapeutic! 

Anyway, here's a short video of my trip:

Wednesday, May 25, 2016

Osaka, Kyoto, Nara, Kobe, Nagoya in 4 Days!

Well the title actually sounds crazy. How were we able to visit 5 cities in 4 days and spend only less than Php 20,000? Here's how...

From Nagano, I took a night bus to Osaka. My friends were already there in the Airbnb apartment that we booked (I think that cost us around Php 1000/pax/night), so I went straight from the Umeda Bus Station to our apartment somewhere like a few stations away from Umeda. Had I contacted my Osaka-based aunt earlier, we could've stayed at her place and saved from spending on accommodation. Anyway, although a bit sleepless, we headed straight to the Universal Studios Japan. It was my second time there, but first time to visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. I had so much fun this time with friends 'cause it felt different the last time I was there with family.

Harry Potter!!!
Oh Christmas Tree!
feeling like a kid again with Elmo
the light parade
The next day, we went to Nara via train. We bought a discounted 2-day unlimited Kintetsu (line) pass for our Osaka-Nara-Kyoto-Osaka route. At the first day of its usage, we went to the Nara Deer Park and played with the shikas (shika = deer in Japanese), checked out the Todai-ji (temple) then headed back to Osaka for shopping at Shinshai Bashi.

autumn :)

Todai-ji
of course, food!! 
Shinshai Bashi

sushi dinner
 On the third day, we went to Kyoto and visited the Arashiyama Bamboo Forest and the Fushimi Inari Taisha (temple). We tried our best to make it to the Kinkaku-ji (Golden Temple) but we got there at 6pm just after it closed. It's really not possible to explore Kyoto in 1 day. I promise to be back and do the temple hopping and geisha hunting. There are really a lot more tourist spots I want to visit there. We headed back to Osaka and just spent the night packing our stuff because we're about to go home the next day.

in the train 
Kyoto Tower 

Arashiyama Bamboo Forest
souvenirs handcrafted by an old man
groufie!!!
tonkotsu ramen for late lunch
Fushimi Inari Taisha


it took me so long to get a shot without a photobomber (haha)
our cute apartment c/o AirBnb
On our last day in Japan, we woke up late. We failed to explore Osaka's tourist spots such as the Osaka Castle and the Rinku Outlet Stores (oh shopping...), but there will always be a next time. Anyway, I rushed my way to the Osaka station to meet up with my Osaka-based aunt and she brought me to Kobe, yeah the home of the famous Kobe beef. But besides, Kobe, what I was more eager to have was the Matsusaka Beef but we didn't have time to get ourselves to Matsusaka. Luckily, I was able to have a taste of this beef in Manila at Smith Butcher and Grill. Sorry, that's quite off-topic haha. Anyway, we've gone to the Kobe Harbour Park. We've gone window shopping, we've viewed the Kobe Tower, and we had sumptuous lunch buffet at The Canary Warf. Everything was sponsored by my generous aunt. 


Kobe Tower
my aunt and her son
we're the first customers
this was only my first round and I had a second one haha

I am a certified matcha addict

shinkansen
off to Nagoya Airport from Osaka for our trip back to Manila
From Kobe, we headed back to Osaka to meet up with my friends and we all took the bullet train (shinkansen) to Nagoya International Airport. Too bad we didn't have time to explore Nagoya for a bit. The entire trip was tiring but truly fun and exciting. I've been to Japan 4 times already but there were still a lot of places for me to explore and activities to try. I would never really get tired of coming back to this country. On my next trip, I plan to explore Nagoya, Osaka, and Kyoto further plus include the historic city of Hiroshima. And on a winter trip, I must visit Sapporo in Hokkaido. I heard beer and food are extra yummy there! Oh, can't wait!

Nagano Quick Shopping and Food Trip

On my trip to Japan last November 2015, I was lucky enough to squeeze in a 4-day trip to Nagano, where my relatives live. It is actually where I usually stay whenever I'm in Japan. But since I was only there for 4 days, I wasn't able to do much. In fact, I opted to stay home and prepare FIlipino dishes for my family because I knew they really missed them. But as a reward, I got treated like a real guest.

From Shinjuku, Tokyo, I had to take a 2.5-hour bus ride to Suwa Interchange in Nagano, where my family picked me up. They immediately brought me to my favorite kaiten sushi place, Sushiro for lunch. Of course, I had the grandest time eating all of the sushi I could.



The next day, we drove to Karuizawa to go outlet shopping at Prince Shopping Plaza, where the biggest brands of apparel are available at really cheap rates. I got to score a Levi's dress that only cost Php 500 (if converted into Php) and a Nike FlyKnit at only Y10,000 or around Php 3,700 (because exchange rate at that time was really low).




Before shopping, we had soba for lunch. It's located 30 mins away from the outlet shops. There, I was able to see how soba noodles were being made and I was able to taste the best soba I've had in my life. For dinner, we had "yakiniku" near our home in Suwa City. In Japan, the things I love to do are: shopping, taking photos, and of course, EATING! They have the best food in the world (at least for me).









The next day, my cousin and I visited one of my favorite and most authentic ramen places in our city. I had miso ramen and I was truly satisfied.



I spent my last day in Nagano at home, cooking Filipino food for the family and packing for my trip to Osaka. I didn't spend anything while at Nagano, thanks to my family! Can't wait to be back! :)


Thursday, February 6, 2014

December 2013: A Weekend in Tokyo

Tokyo is probably my second favorite Asian city (next to Seoul). It's a place I'll keep coming back to because of my love for fashion and the city life. I've been to Tokyo for a couple of times in the past years with my family, but I haven't experienced it with a friend yet. So when I heard that my friend who's based in Singapore would be on a business trip in Tokyo, I felt the need to travel almost 3 hours by bus from Suwa to Tokyo just so I could spend time in the city with my friend.

At around 8am of December 8, I took the highway bus from Suwa City, Nagano to Shinjuku, Tokyo. From the bus station in Shinjuku, I took the train to Royal Park Hotel Shiodome Tower where my friend was staying. Good thing my cousin lent me beforehand her preloaded Passmo card (the subway card in Tokyo). Anyway, the hotel is pretty nice but quite pricey.
 photo IMG_0662_zpsd004c573.jpg
inside the bus

My friend, Pam and I started our Sunday with ramen for lunch. It's just a small ramen place at the subway connected to the hotel. We shared in one miso ramen and a plate of gyoza. I think our bill was around 1,500 yen.
 photo IMG_0667_zpsbca621f0.jpg
 photo IMG_0666_zpsecc89909.jpg
lunch


Then we proceeded to the Tokyo Imperial Palace. Entrance was free but apparently, almost nothing's left in that area. When we went out of the gates and walked towards the nearest subway station, we got a view of the Edo Castle from afar.
 photo IMG_0757_zps12e8d76f.jpg
garden at the Imperial Palace
 photo IMG_0760_zpse01ddbeb.jpg
autumn leaves
 photo IMG_0782_zps02207023.jpg
old Japanese house inside the Imperial Palace
 photo IMG_0767_zpsddfec1a0.jpg
Edo Castle

We headed to Asakusa where we had a view of Tokyo Sky Tree from afar. It's the tallest tower in the world. We followed some groups of tourists following a tour guide and it led us to the Senso-ji Temple. There were a lot of both tourists and locals there.

 photo IMG_0669_zps66c05d80.jpg
Asakusa (Tokyo Sky Tree right there!)
 photo IMG_0676_zpse7f34ad8.jpg
 photo IMG_0671_zps91e9c34e.jpg
Senso-ji Temple

We're too tired so we headed back to the hotel to rest for a bit. At the subway, we found a kiosk of Almond Cafe and we bought and eclair and a croughnut. So far, those were the best I have tasted. We also got some hot chocolate and coffee from the nearby vendo, which were so perfect for the freezing weather.

 photo IMG_0683_zps024e284e.jpg
Christmas illumination at Shiodome
 photo IMG_0689_zps16f790d8.jpg photo IMG_0691_zps9a8ca0c3.jpg
super yummy!:)
 photo IMG_0685_zps69078c34.jpg
Pam enjoying the bed

Sunset was kind of early, like around 4:30 to 5pm. When the sun set, we headed to Harajuku, supposedly to go shopping but when we got there, we're too budget conscious so we were only able to shop at Daiso. haha! From Harajuku, we walked towards Omotesando Hills where we found Heiroku, a "kaiten" (conveyor belt sushi) sushi place. We paid around 3,000 yen for dinner.

 photo IMG_0706_zpsc2247a88.jpg
sushi dinner

We walked from Omotesando Hills to Shibuya crossing. That popular crossing is one of my favorite spots in Tokyo. I like seeing how organized it is for a bunch of people to cross the street. We went window shopping at Shibuya 109. It's the center of Japanese fashion. However, those local brands were kind of expensive.

 photo IMG_0849_zpse903fb62.jpg
Shibuya crossing
 photo IMG_0702_zps24cc73e4.jpg
Day 1 OOTD without the coat

We're supposed to go out and have some drinks somewhere in Roponggi but we're too tired for it so we headed back to the hotel instead. It's so relaxing in our room at 37th floor, overlooking the city lights.

 photo IMG_0688_zpsac5e0c5e.jpg
no filter!

That night I found out that another Singapore-based friend was in Tokyo as well. We got to communicate via Facebook and Viber and we agreed to spend the next day at Roponggi. The next day, I woke up early and met with my friend, Kidjie at the Roponggi Station. We went to the Suntory Museum of Art at Tokyo Midtown, which is connected to the station. We paid a discounted admission fee since we presented our student IDs. After a quick look at the museum, we walked towards Roponggi Hills. We reached Mori Tower but we didn't go up. From there, we got to see the Tokyo Tower, but I still prefer seeing it at night. We headed back to the station and passed by Almond Cafe so I bought eclairs and croughnuts again so I would have something to take home to Suwa.

 photo IMG_0719_zps0a674400.jpg
Day 2 OOTD without the coat :)
 photo IMG_0806_zps7efbc3d1.jpg
not all stations here have gates like these
 photo IMG_0737_zpsde291ebd.jpg
Tokyo Midtown
 photo IMG_0749_zps7fc13a14.jpg
BMW i8!!!
 photo IMG_0741_zps46eaa09b.jpg
Kidjie buying postcards at the museum
 photo IMG_0744_zps4e9fcbb1.jpg
the view outside the museum
 photo IMG_0801_zps08a483c7.jpg
some random zen garden in Roponggi


From Roponggi Hills, we took a train to Harajuku where we had lunch at my favorite western  restaurant, Wolfgang Puck Express. We paid around 2,000 yen for our meals.

 photo IMG_0809_zps050ad834.jpg
 photo IMG_0810_zpsd123fee1.jpg

Then we headed to Meiji Shrine, which was just next to Harajuku Station. After a fun half day tour, we headed to the Shinjuku station where we parted ways. Kidjie went back to his hotel while I walked to the bus terminal where I took the highway bus back to Suwa.
 photo IMG_0812_zps0a7fe923.jpg
entrance going to the Meiji Shrine
 photo IMG_0817_zps6cc097b1.jpg
 photo IMG_0824_zpsb4222dba.jpg
Meiji Shrine
 photo IMG_0838_zps8261bd5f.jpg
drinking fountain
 photo 1546017_10152198498121369_1720196276_n_zpsc39b71ba.jpg

It's been a fun overnight trip. I got to explore Tokyo with my friends and it made me realize that Tokyo could be a fun city to live in. However, the lifestyle would really cost a lot. but who cares, I love Tokyo!:)




xoxo,


city girl

Showing posts with label ramen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ramen. Show all posts

Thursday, June 22, 2017

How I Spent Spring 2017 in JAPAN

I'm back at my favorite country! Spent three weeks in Japan visiting multiple cities:

Yokohama, Tokyo, Suwa, Matsumoto

Highlights of my trip:
-Coldplay concert in Tokyo Dome City
-family time at Matsumoto Castle
-Ramen Museum and Red Brick Building in Yokohama
-Ichiran Ramen, Yakitori Alley, and more pigout sessions in Tokyo w/ friends
-exploring Yokohama w/ my Japan-based friend, Cheny
-pre-birthday celebration in Disneyland
-sakura aka cherry blossoms everywhere!!!

It's one of my most relaxing and rewarding trips in Japan. I love travelling alone and visiting family and friends. It's really therapeutic! 

Anyway, here's a short video of my trip:

Wednesday, May 25, 2016

Osaka, Kyoto, Nara, Kobe, Nagoya in 4 Days!

Well the title actually sounds crazy. How were we able to visit 5 cities in 4 days and spend only less than Php 20,000? Here's how...

From Nagano, I took a night bus to Osaka. My friends were already there in the Airbnb apartment that we booked (I think that cost us around Php 1000/pax/night), so I went straight from the Umeda Bus Station to our apartment somewhere like a few stations away from Umeda. Had I contacted my Osaka-based aunt earlier, we could've stayed at her place and saved from spending on accommodation. Anyway, although a bit sleepless, we headed straight to the Universal Studios Japan. It was my second time there, but first time to visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. I had so much fun this time with friends 'cause it felt different the last time I was there with family.

Harry Potter!!!
Oh Christmas Tree!
feeling like a kid again with Elmo
the light parade
The next day, we went to Nara via train. We bought a discounted 2-day unlimited Kintetsu (line) pass for our Osaka-Nara-Kyoto-Osaka route. At the first day of its usage, we went to the Nara Deer Park and played with the shikas (shika = deer in Japanese), checked out the Todai-ji (temple) then headed back to Osaka for shopping at Shinshai Bashi.

autumn :)

Todai-ji
of course, food!! 
Shinshai Bashi

sushi dinner
 On the third day, we went to Kyoto and visited the Arashiyama Bamboo Forest and the Fushimi Inari Taisha (temple). We tried our best to make it to the Kinkaku-ji (Golden Temple) but we got there at 6pm just after it closed. It's really not possible to explore Kyoto in 1 day. I promise to be back and do the temple hopping and geisha hunting. There are really a lot more tourist spots I want to visit there. We headed back to Osaka and just spent the night packing our stuff because we're about to go home the next day.

in the train 
Kyoto Tower 

Arashiyama Bamboo Forest
souvenirs handcrafted by an old man
groufie!!!
tonkotsu ramen for late lunch
Fushimi Inari Taisha


it took me so long to get a shot without a photobomber (haha)
our cute apartment c/o AirBnb
On our last day in Japan, we woke up late. We failed to explore Osaka's tourist spots such as the Osaka Castle and the Rinku Outlet Stores (oh shopping...), but there will always be a next time. Anyway, I rushed my way to the Osaka station to meet up with my Osaka-based aunt and she brought me to Kobe, yeah the home of the famous Kobe beef. But besides, Kobe, what I was more eager to have was the Matsusaka Beef but we didn't have time to get ourselves to Matsusaka. Luckily, I was able to have a taste of this beef in Manila at Smith Butcher and Grill. Sorry, that's quite off-topic haha. Anyway, we've gone to the Kobe Harbour Park. We've gone window shopping, we've viewed the Kobe Tower, and we had sumptuous lunch buffet at The Canary Warf. Everything was sponsored by my generous aunt. 


Kobe Tower
my aunt and her son
we're the first customers
this was only my first round and I had a second one haha

I am a certified matcha addict

shinkansen
off to Nagoya Airport from Osaka for our trip back to Manila
From Kobe, we headed back to Osaka to meet up with my friends and we all took the bullet train (shinkansen) to Nagoya International Airport. Too bad we didn't have time to explore Nagoya for a bit. The entire trip was tiring but truly fun and exciting. I've been to Japan 4 times already but there were still a lot of places for me to explore and activities to try. I would never really get tired of coming back to this country. On my next trip, I plan to explore Nagoya, Osaka, and Kyoto further plus include the historic city of Hiroshima. And on a winter trip, I must visit Sapporo in Hokkaido. I heard beer and food are extra yummy there! Oh, can't wait!

Nagano Quick Shopping and Food Trip

On my trip to Japan last November 2015, I was lucky enough to squeeze in a 4-day trip to Nagano, where my relatives live. It is actually where I usually stay whenever I'm in Japan. But since I was only there for 4 days, I wasn't able to do much. In fact, I opted to stay home and prepare FIlipino dishes for my family because I knew they really missed them. But as a reward, I got treated like a real guest.

From Shinjuku, Tokyo, I had to take a 2.5-hour bus ride to Suwa Interchange in Nagano, where my family picked me up. They immediately brought me to my favorite kaiten sushi place, Sushiro for lunch. Of course, I had the grandest time eating all of the sushi I could.



The next day, we drove to Karuizawa to go outlet shopping at Prince Shopping Plaza, where the biggest brands of apparel are available at really cheap rates. I got to score a Levi's dress that only cost Php 500 (if converted into Php) and a Nike FlyKnit at only Y10,000 or around Php 3,700 (because exchange rate at that time was really low).




Before shopping, we had soba for lunch. It's located 30 mins away from the outlet shops. There, I was able to see how soba noodles were being made and I was able to taste the best soba I've had in my life. For dinner, we had "yakiniku" near our home in Suwa City. In Japan, the things I love to do are: shopping, taking photos, and of course, EATING! They have the best food in the world (at least for me).









The next day, my cousin and I visited one of my favorite and most authentic ramen places in our city. I had miso ramen and I was truly satisfied.



I spent my last day in Nagano at home, cooking Filipino food for the family and packing for my trip to Osaka. I didn't spend anything while at Nagano, thanks to my family! Can't wait to be back! :)


Thursday, February 6, 2014

December 2013: A Weekend in Tokyo

Tokyo is probably my second favorite Asian city (next to Seoul). It's a place I'll keep coming back to because of my love for fashion and the city life. I've been to Tokyo for a couple of times in the past years with my family, but I haven't experienced it with a friend yet. So when I heard that my friend who's based in Singapore would be on a business trip in Tokyo, I felt the need to travel almost 3 hours by bus from Suwa to Tokyo just so I could spend time in the city with my friend.

At around 8am of December 8, I took the highway bus from Suwa City, Nagano to Shinjuku, Tokyo. From the bus station in Shinjuku, I took the train to Royal Park Hotel Shiodome Tower where my friend was staying. Good thing my cousin lent me beforehand her preloaded Passmo card (the subway card in Tokyo). Anyway, the hotel is pretty nice but quite pricey.
 photo IMG_0662_zpsd004c573.jpg
inside the bus

My friend, Pam and I started our Sunday with ramen for lunch. It's just a small ramen place at the subway connected to the hotel. We shared in one miso ramen and a plate of gyoza. I think our bill was around 1,500 yen.
 photo IMG_0667_zpsbca621f0.jpg
 photo IMG_0666_zpsecc89909.jpg
lunch


Then we proceeded to the Tokyo Imperial Palace. Entrance was free but apparently, almost nothing's left in that area. When we went out of the gates and walked towards the nearest subway station, we got a view of the Edo Castle from afar.
 photo IMG_0757_zps12e8d76f.jpg
garden at the Imperial Palace
 photo IMG_0760_zpse01ddbeb.jpg
autumn leaves
 photo IMG_0782_zps02207023.jpg
old Japanese house inside the Imperial Palace
 photo IMG_0767_zpsddfec1a0.jpg
Edo Castle

We headed to Asakusa where we had a view of Tokyo Sky Tree from afar. It's the tallest tower in the world. We followed some groups of tourists following a tour guide and it led us to the Senso-ji Temple. There were a lot of both tourists and locals there.

 photo IMG_0669_zps66c05d80.jpg
Asakusa (Tokyo Sky Tree right there!)
 photo IMG_0676_zpse7f34ad8.jpg
 photo IMG_0671_zps91e9c34e.jpg
Senso-ji Temple

We're too tired so we headed back to the hotel to rest for a bit. At the subway, we found a kiosk of Almond Cafe and we bought and eclair and a croughnut. So far, those were the best I have tasted. We also got some hot chocolate and coffee from the nearby vendo, which were so perfect for the freezing weather.

 photo IMG_0683_zps024e284e.jpg
Christmas illumination at Shiodome
 photo IMG_0689_zps16f790d8.jpg photo IMG_0691_zps9a8ca0c3.jpg
super yummy!:)
 photo IMG_0685_zps69078c34.jpg
Pam enjoying the bed

Sunset was kind of early, like around 4:30 to 5pm. When the sun set, we headed to Harajuku, supposedly to go shopping but when we got there, we're too budget conscious so we were only able to shop at Daiso. haha! From Harajuku, we walked towards Omotesando Hills where we found Heiroku, a "kaiten" (conveyor belt sushi) sushi place. We paid around 3,000 yen for dinner.

 photo IMG_0706_zpsc2247a88.jpg
sushi dinner

We walked from Omotesando Hills to Shibuya crossing. That popular crossing is one of my favorite spots in Tokyo. I like seeing how organized it is for a bunch of people to cross the street. We went window shopping at Shibuya 109. It's the center of Japanese fashion. However, those local brands were kind of expensive.

 photo IMG_0849_zpse903fb62.jpg
Shibuya crossing
 photo IMG_0702_zps24cc73e4.jpg
Day 1 OOTD without the coat

We're supposed to go out and have some drinks somewhere in Roponggi but we're too tired for it so we headed back to the hotel instead. It's so relaxing in our room at 37th floor, overlooking the city lights.

 photo IMG_0688_zpsac5e0c5e.jpg
no filter!

That night I found out that another Singapore-based friend was in Tokyo as well. We got to communicate via Facebook and Viber and we agreed to spend the next day at Roponggi. The next day, I woke up early and met with my friend, Kidjie at the Roponggi Station. We went to the Suntory Museum of Art at Tokyo Midtown, which is connected to the station. We paid a discounted admission fee since we presented our student IDs. After a quick look at the museum, we walked towards Roponggi Hills. We reached Mori Tower but we didn't go up. From there, we got to see the Tokyo Tower, but I still prefer seeing it at night. We headed back to the station and passed by Almond Cafe so I bought eclairs and croughnuts again so I would have something to take home to Suwa.

 photo IMG_0719_zps0a674400.jpg
Day 2 OOTD without the coat :)
 photo IMG_0806_zps7efbc3d1.jpg
not all stations here have gates like these
 photo IMG_0737_zpsde291ebd.jpg
Tokyo Midtown
 photo IMG_0749_zps7fc13a14.jpg
BMW i8!!!
 photo IMG_0741_zps46eaa09b.jpg
Kidjie buying postcards at the museum
 photo IMG_0744_zps4e9fcbb1.jpg
the view outside the museum
 photo IMG_0801_zps08a483c7.jpg
some random zen garden in Roponggi


From Roponggi Hills, we took a train to Harajuku where we had lunch at my favorite western  restaurant, Wolfgang Puck Express. We paid around 2,000 yen for our meals.

 photo IMG_0809_zps050ad834.jpg
 photo IMG_0810_zpsd123fee1.jpg

Then we headed to Meiji Shrine, which was just next to Harajuku Station. After a fun half day tour, we headed to the Shinjuku station where we parted ways. Kidjie went back to his hotel while I walked to the bus terminal where I took the highway bus back to Suwa.
 photo IMG_0812_zps0a7fe923.jpg
entrance going to the Meiji Shrine
 photo IMG_0817_zps6cc097b1.jpg
 photo IMG_0824_zpsb4222dba.jpg
Meiji Shrine
 photo IMG_0838_zps8261bd5f.jpg
drinking fountain
 photo 1546017_10152198498121369_1720196276_n_zpsc39b71ba.jpg

It's been a fun overnight trip. I got to explore Tokyo with my friends and it made me realize that Tokyo could be a fun city to live in. However, the lifestyle would really cost a lot. but who cares, I love Tokyo!:)




xoxo,


city girl