The Mikans of Wakayama, Japan.

What is a Mikan?



Mikans being sold outside the train station at Wakayama.

5 for JPY100 which is about S$1.25.

I thought they were a tad pricey then but I am always more easy going with money when I am on vacation. Bought some to try. They were pleasantly sweet.

Well, now, I think they were cheap. Why?

These were on sale in NTUC Fairprice supermarket. I thought of buying some but $5.45 for 6? Yikes! I will have to make a note to buy more Mikans when I visit Wakayama again in future.

Took these photos while travelling on the train:

So many Mikans! Looking at these photos make me smile. Cheery!

Osaka: Dōtonbori.

Sharing some photos of Dōtonbori in Osaka. This is also where Luz Shinsaibashi, a mall owned by Croesus Retail Trust, is located.

If you are interested, you could read more about Croesus Retail Trust in my investment blog: here.

Dōtonbori is a single street, running alongside the Dōtonbori canal between the Dōtonboribashi Bridge and the Nipponbashi Bridge in the Namba ward of Osaka. Source: Wikipedia.

Since I stayed in a hotel in Namba, this was just a stone's throw away for me. If you are interested in the hotel I stayed in, see the photos and comments: here.

Giant neon sign of the Glico Man, a famous landmark.

Dōtonbori is the main destination for food travel in Osaka and is always crowded at night. What is it like in the morning?

Since my hotel was just a stone's throw away, I went for an early morning stroll along the river one day.

It was definitely a very different feeling as you could probably imagine from the photos above. A very refreshing experience.

Osaka: Hotel Monterey Grasmere.

Hotel Monterey Grasmere is in Namba, Osaka.

A full size tub. Not bad.

With three double beds!

City view from hotel room.

Not a bad size for a hotel room in Japan.

Board rates. Go to ZUJI for better prices. I did.

This pass gives access to our floor and our floor only. Security is good.

Corridor. Nice!

This is a first for me.
A chapel on level 22 where the hotel lobby is located.

The hotel occupies the upper levels of this building in Namba.

Well located, spacious and clean, I much prefer this to Hotel New Hankyu located in Umeda, Osaka, which I stayed in twice before.

The building has a huge supermarket in the basement. This opens till 12 midnight daily.

The JR line and city subway have stations in the basement too. Umeda is just 4 stations away. Take the Yotsubatsu Line to Nishi-Umeda. How is that for convenience?

As always when in Osaka, visit the information centers for tourists and buy the Kansai Thru Pass if you are going to do some extensive travelling by rail.

Information center for tourists in Namba.

This covers all the subway lines as well as some train services to cities like Himeiji, Kobe, Nara and Kyoto. A 3 day pass will cost JPY 5000 per person. Children pay half the price.

If you are not planning to make day trips out of Osaka, then, a one day subway pass is probably a cheaper option at JPY 800 per person.

There is also the option of getting a JR pass but this is purchased at the JR station in Osaka. Remember to bring along your passport at all times. This will allow rides on some Shinkansen services!

This 4 day pass was relatively inexpensive at JPY 7,000 per person. It allows travel from Shin-Osaka to Okayama on the Shinkansen too.

Apart from the fact that most Japanese do not speak English which makes communication an issue for me, the country is really tourist friendly. Also, many young people are able to speak some English much better than I could speak some Japanese now.

Yokoso Japan!

Dec 2011 in Japan: Enoshima.

The beach in the foreground. Enoshima in the distance. We can see the Enoshima Observation Lighthouse perched on the island too.

"Enoshima is a small island at the mouth of the Katase-gawa River that flows into Sagami Bay. The island is approximately four kilometers, and it is linked with the opposite shore of Katase by the 600-meter-long Enoshima-ohashi Bridge." Source: Japan National Tourism Organisation.

Taken from the Katase end of the Enoshima-ohashi Bridge. See the Lighthouse?

The beach on mainland. During summer, it would be packed with people.

The start of an upward journey.

Halfway up, you could pay to take the escalator. Yes, it is not free. I didn't bother with the escalator.

A shot I took of the yacht harbor as I continued the climb.

Entrance to the Tropical Botanical Garden. Buy your entry tickets here.

Inside the garden: A Chinese style pavilion and the Lighthouse in the background.

Enoshima Observation Lighthouse up close. That's my hand holding up a brochure and the entry ticket.

An avenue of trees in the garden.

Many roses in the garden.

The French Toast here is to die for! Make sure you stop here for some.

French toast! Delectable. What's all the stuff on top? See the next photo.

This was what I had!

Lon Cafe's entrance.

Enoshima-ohashi Bridge connecting Enoshima to Katase on the mainland. See the beaches of grey sand on either side of the bridge?

Rice crackers made with whitebait! Remember to get some if you see it. Bring some back. It is simply delicious! I got some as I was leaving the island.

Now, how do we get to Enoshima from Tokyo? Take the JR Yokosuka Line to Kamakura. Then, take the Enoden Line to Enoshima Station.

On board the Enoden Line.

Enoshima Station.

The train I took.

Kawaii! Enjoy Enoshima!

Dec 2011 in Japan: Hotel Sunroute Plaza Shinjuku.

I stayed in a pretty well located hotel in Shinjuku. I booked 3 months in advance and got a pretty good price from ZUJI. I also stayed for 6 nights or more and got a 30% discount.

Take the Airport Limousine to the hotel from Narita Airport for JPY3,000 per person.

Airport Limousine ticketing counter at Narita Airport.

My ticket.

My "limousine".

Hotel Sunroute Plaza Shinjuku.

Room. Photo 1.

Room. Photo 2.

The bathroom.

Vending machines on every floor.

Hotel Lobby.

Outside the hotel on ground level. The entrance is on the left while the floor to ceiling glass windows belong to a restaurant.

Diagonally across the road to the left of the hotel is Family Mart (a convenience store) while diagonally across the road to the right is a post office.

From the hotel, turn right and on the same side as the hotel is an entrance to the subway.

Turn left from the hotel entrance is a one minute walk to a 24 hour McDonalds outlet

The window seats on the second floor are not bad.

and a couple more minutes of walking would bring us to a busy crossroad where we would see First Kitchen (with a gigantic clock on the building's facade), Lumine and MyLord.

First Kitchen serves relatively inexpensive fast food.

Diagonally across the traffic junction would be Lumine and MyLord (with a star on the building's facade).

This shot was taken from ground level outside First Kitchen. These shops are diagonally across the road from First Kitchen. Just beyond the left border of this photo would find my favourite pharmacy, Daikoku. ;)

This shot was taken from where I was seated in First Kitchen on the second floor.

A hot meal in First Kitchen.

Across the road from the hotel, a few flights of steps up would bring us to a bridge above the busy tracks of Shinjuku JR lines. On the far side is Times Square where we would find Tokyu Hands and Takashimaya. We would find Krispy Kreme, a very popular donut place on the near side.

This shot was taken from my hotel room. It shows the flights of steps we climbed to get to a platform before climbing yet a couple more flights further in. (See the post office with its orange signboards on the ground floor facing the road?)

The first thing we would see once we are done climbing: Krispy Kreme. At night would find a long queue snaking outside the establishment. An amazing sight!

Early morning photo.

Another early morning photo.

Krispy Kreme and its nightly queues.

All lit up for Christmas.

A really convenient and comfortable hotel. Book early to get better prices.