I’m been putting off blogging recently due to a heavy and busy schedule on both the work and social fronts. I guess blogging comes in bouts for me =)

Anyways, back to where I left off. One of the days in Japan was spent at Ueno 上野. At Ueno station 上野駅 is one of my favorite stalls called ” Afternoon Tea”. The girls had a gorgeous time shopping there.

After spending quite a bit of time (and money) over the sweetest stuff, koji went to the Hard Rock Cafe to pick up some gifts while I figured out how to walk to Ueno Park 上野公園.

We came across this flower shop on our way to pick up brunch at Atre. The blooms were amazing! I was so tempted to take the whole store home with me! Why can we have such pretty flowers back in Singapore!

I know I’m flooding my page with countless of flower pictures but I can’t get over how perfect and vibrant they look. They actually look fake! And I love admiring flowers even though I would prefer it in the garden then in a vase.

Ueno Park 上野公園 was our chosen destination for a Japanese bento picnic. I look extremely tired in these photos because I really was tired. The night before was spent chit-chatting and debating if we should head out to the famous Tokyo fish market since it was already 5am by the time we decided to hit the sack. Definitely not one of my choice days to be captured on film… lol.

Here is a look at our picnic kit! I love how cute Japanese bento sets are!

If you have time on your hands, Ueno Park 上野公園 is worth exploring. Ueno 上野 is a cultural hub rich with history and stories. Uneo Park 上野公園 used to be the grounds of  a temple built by the shoguns because it was a very unlucky area and they wanted to suppress the evil spirits. But it was destroyed in the Battle of Ueno.

There are 3 museums in the park, Tokyo National Museum, The National Science Museum and The Museum of Western Art. The Gojo Shrine and Benzaiten shrine found in the middle of the Shinobazu Pond which is covered by lotus leaves during the summer can also be found in Ueno Park 上野公園.  Another major attraction in the area is the Ueno Zoo 恩賜上野動物園, Japan’s oldest and most famous zoo.

We had our picnic in the area of the  famous statue of  Saigō Takamori 西郷 隆盛 walking his dog.  Saigō Takamori 西郷 隆盛 is a very influential samurai during the late Edo and early Meji period of the Japanese history. He’s also widely known as the last true samurai. If you remember the 2003 movie, The Last Samurai which had Tom Cruise as the lead actor, then you’ll remember Katsumoto played by Ken Watanabe. Katsumoto role in that movie was modeled after Saigō.

Ueno 上野 in general is the less glitzy side of Tokyo. Rich in culture and also a more real side to the ugly side of urban life. Ueno 上野 has the largest population of homeless people, gathering and sleeping near the many ponds.

Clara was in need of a new luggage and we all wanted to buy some dried foodstuffs and cheap souvenirs so we headed down to Ameyayokocho Street at Ueno. It’s sorta like a flea market and the place where the locals shop for good deals.

This place started after WWII as a black market for all sorts of goods especially American products. But these days, you can find everything and anything here! From bags and clothes to dried foods, from yummy snack stalls to fresh life sea urchins. It’s kinda like a huge Bugis Street with more variety and a bargainer’s paradise.

Those strawberries were delicious! I even bought some home to Singapore! We manage to score some hats, hello kitty merchandise, dried food stuffs and Japanese goodies among other things. I wanted to get this huge traditional umbrella but it was impossible to carry back to Singapore but I did manage to score myself an extremely pretty cabin luggage.

Despite my half-dead-not-enough-sleep state, we all managed to shop from day to night! How we did that I never know but I attribute it to the adrenaline that comes when you are in a place of constant amusement and the high that surprises from finding little hidden treasures .

I regret not taking more pictures of the place but when shopping, the camera is always forgotten. Here’s a video for you.

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Budding talents, finally there’s an outlet for you! A possible way to fame, wealth and glory. And I’ll like to do my part and spread the good news around.

If you’re a natural born performer and want to take a chance on an incredible opportunity read on! Students and seasoned performers are both welcome to apply.

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The tour dropped us off the station to catch the Shinkansen 新幹線, also known as the bullet train.

We were headed back to Tokyo! Standing on the platform next to the rushing trains was quite an experience.  The high speed of the train was enough to make me stand a step back! But incredibly, in spite of their super speeds, in the almost 40 years since it opened, the Shinkansen network has carried over 6 billion passengers without a single major accident.

The Shinkansen network boasts not only high speed -up to 300 kilometers per hour-, but also high frequency. For example, at least six trains per hour (not per day!) operate between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka Stations during daytime hours.

From the inside of the Shinkansen 新幹線, it was comfortable and smooth. So much so that I was a tad disappointed that going at 300km/hour felt so slow! Lol. But if you stare out of the window long enough, those passing buildings and trees can make you a little dizzy!

We headed straight to Harajuku 原宿 to catch up on some unfinished shopping. Didn’t take much shopping photos but I wanted to share this gorgeous shop entrance to a hair salon at Harajuku. Isn’t it pretty! It was located next to the Fancl store.

And on our way to Shibuya 渋谷区, we saw these lovely macaroon displays! I would so love to take one home with me!

On the streets of Shibuya 渋谷区 were a row of expensive luxury sports car parked at the side, probably waiting for an illegal street car race to start! This particular Lamborghini caught our attention cause it was so bling-ed up! Both inside and outside! I had no idea what the owner was trying to tell me but when he did the camera action, I was more than happy to pass him mine for a snapshot with his baby. The yellow Ferrari next to it must have felt lonely with all the girls attention focused on this red Lamborghini.

Dinner was at this restaurant in Shibuya 渋谷区 that specialized in black pork. We were so hungry that we didn’t even take most of the food that we ate! They were long gone before we remembered to whip up the camera.

After dinner was more shopping at Shibuya 渋谷区. The crowd here never seems to stop and at 11pm there seem to be even more people on the streets!

Here’s the video!

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We went down to Togendai for our Hakone sightseeing cruise on Lake Ashi 芦ノ湖. Ashinoko Lake, is a scenic crater lake of Mount Hakone ( a volcano).

Lo and behold! Our transportation on the lake are pirate ships!

There are only 4 pirate ship replicas that serves this lake. These 2 are the newer additions. We took the green one called Vasa - Lion of North Europe.

Don’t I look like a part of the crew! LOL!

The scenery was really beautiful and the whole cruise gave a very surreal feel.

You’ll see a lot more photos of Sushi and I rather than Koji and Clara cause it was pretty cold and the 2 of them left the deck to sit indoors after the first 5 mins of the cruise. Sushi and I stayed on the upper deck the whole 40 mins ride to take in as much of the scenery as we could. I find the coldness rather refreshing.

The lake was formed 3000 years ago after Mount Hakone last volcano explosion. The calmness of the lake and the tranquility that surrounds it makes it so hard to believe the devastation and force from which it was created.

We were told that in winter the whole landscape is white and even more beautiful! Or imagine this area with autumn red,gold and brown during the autumn months!  This lake had inspired countless of people with its beauty.

As we neared to the port on the other end, shrines, castles and other buildings can be seen.

On the lake we spotted the oldest full replica man-of-war pirate ship, Victoria.

If you are going free and easy, it’ll be advisable to buy the Hakone Free Pass for ¥5000 from Shinjuku Station which will include your round trip transportation expenses as well as the rides for the Lake Ashi 芦ノ湖 cruise and the Hakone Ropeway 箱根ロープウェイ. I would love to have explored Hakone further but given the time constrains on our trip, the one day tour with Grey Line Japan made sure we were able to make the most out of the one day we had.

One of the more prominent landmarks along the shores of Lake Ashi 芦ノ湖 is the red torii gate of the Hakone Shrine. The main building of the shrine cannot be seen from the lake as it is located in the thick forest of Moto-Hakone. This is where a lot of japanese go to pray for blessings of good health and longevity.

A few last looks from the top deck of Vasa the pirate ship before we went down to the cabin below to look for Clara and Koji.

We finally arrived at the port of Hakonemachi-ko.  And proceeded up the coach for our journey to the train station.

Here’s the video for the Ōwakudani 大涌谷 and Lake Ashi 芦ノ湖 section of my trip in Hakone 箱根町.

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We took the Hakone Ropeway 箱根ロープウェイ to get to Ōwakudani 大涌谷.

The view of the mountainous Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park 富士箱根伊豆国立公園  landscape below us was gorgeous! This is the most visited National Park in Japan!

The girls were all happily cam-whoring in the little cabin! We looked so happy, some ang mo tourist also wanted to take photos with us! LOL…

My cute little Fujisan (named so cause he is a souvenir for this Mt Fuji trip) was happily sitting in the bag when the girls decided that he needed to be tortured! Sometimes I think my friends are absolutely crazy and sadistic!!!

Koji is probably the most vicious~! Look into her evil eyes!

Here’s Sushi showing fujisan dead with rigor mortis.

And finally Clara just wants to have a hot dog… dead or alive!

And here I am to save fujisan from the  zombie girls!!! I think they must have played too much left4dead.

Here’s a picture of our ruined footwear! A small tip. If you wanna climb Mount Fuji be prepared for your shoes to be covered in black ashes. My rainboots are easily washable but they stink of sulfur!

Finally we can see Ōwakudani 大涌谷 in the distance!

In Ōwakudani 大涌谷 you’ll come across the statue of  Enmei Jizouson ( a Buddha) , pictured above.

The Jizouson is famous for its surpassing spiritual power and it is known as a guardian deity of longevity and child-raising. According to legend, the Jizouson was made on the order of the historical monk Kobodaishi over a thousand years ago. It says that the monk was shocked and distressed by the wild landscape with fuming vents and boiling mud-water of Owakudani, which reminded him of a vision of hell in his buddhism thoughts, and decided to leave a Jizou for salvation of people suffering in the hell.

We cleansed our minds with water from the hot springs before hiking 1 km to the Kuro-tamago hot springs site. This whole area has got sulfur smoke spewing from all the vents and was known as the gateway to hell in ancient Japan. That was until an Emperor wanted to visit, and the idea of visiting a “hell hole” was frowned upon so they changed the name to Ōwakudani 大涌谷 , Great Boiling Valley.

The sulphuric smell can be too much for some to handle.

For the strong and adventurous ones who would like to view the volcanic activities of  Ōwakudani 大涌谷 first hand, you can hike up to the actual site where the local eggs are cooked in the sulphuric mud (which makes it black with a tinge of sulfur flavour) to participate in the ritual of consuming those special eggs.

You will see fuming volcanic landscape on your left and the Great Mt. Fuji on your right

We of course wouldn’t miss the chance to see it all and gamely hiked up! Sushi and I with our little run and hop, reached first with Koji and Clara right behind our tails.

Right at the top is the authentic Tamago-chaya (Egg store)! The kuro-tamago (Black eggs) are cooked there.

According to Japanese legend, every egg you eat will prolong your life by 7 years.
Kuro-tamago are very popular as a life-prolonging food.

One black egg for adding 7 years to your life.
Two black eggs for adding 14 years to your life….

No more than 2 and a half eggs we were warned!

Since these eggs, boiled in hot sulfurous mud water which is a speciality and only available at Owakudani. We bought a packet of 4 eggs to share among us.

Instead of consuming them immediately like most other patrons, we decided to take the time to take photos and leisurely walk back down.

At the base of the area, there are several gift shops. Those who cannot or choose not to make the climb can also buy the Kuro-tamago from these gift shops.

And only in Owakudani, you can find this special hello kitty character goods in the black eggs motif. I find it extremely cute!

So cute that I based my special Hakone banner on it!

There are whole ranges of Hello Kitty Black Egg products in the stores! A collectible!

Back in the coach heading towards our next destination, we started to eat our Kuro-tamago.

The egg is pretty soft and very well cooked but I don’t really fancy the sulfur smell.

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Hey all, I’ve changed my banner again to be more in tune with what I’ll be blogging. For those who missed out on my last transformers banner which I had up for only 3 days, click here to view.

I’m sure there are many of you out there who are sadden by Michael Jackson’s death yesterday.  I’m an 80s child and Michael Jackson’s CD was one of the first few CDs my family owned. I was amazed by the quality of CDs over cassette tapes and would play MJ’s music over and over again while I gyrated to the music.

Quoting Anita Kapoor:

” … you taught us to tell people to Beat It,
that life was a Thriller,
to look at the Man in the Mirror,
that it don’t matter if you’re Black or White,
that once in a while you gotta be Bad,
but You Are Not Alone,
that it’s Human Nature to Wanna Be Starting Somethin’,
and right now,
we all wish we could have Rocked With You,
just one more time.”

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We had to pass small towns at the base of Mt Fuji.

Soon we were on the winding paths up Mt Fuji herself! We could see some small blooms of cherry blossoms… but were actually a week too early for the full cherry blossom bloom as they bloom much later than those in Tokyo city.

The forest at the base of the mountain is named Aokigahara. In Japanese folklore, Aokigarhara is a  forest inhabited by many demons, spirits and goblins. In the past, poor families will abandon their young children or old aged folks should they have no means to feed them. Till this day, Aokigahara is the number 2 top location in the world for sucides. ( The top spot goes to the Golden Gate Bridge at San Francisco, US). The idea of a difficult and haunted forest has had some thrill seeking hikers try to hike the forest, hoping to catch a glimpse of the paranormal.

Mount Fuji is the tallest mountain in Japan at 3,776 m and is surrounded by 5 lakes. It is an active volcano.

The summit of Fuji Mountain is regarded as scared and was forbidden to women till the Meji Era. Nowadays climbing Mount Fuji is a very popular sport. The local saying goes “ You would be a fool not to climb Mt. Fuji once—but a fool to do so twice.” The climbing season is in July and August.

In no time, we reached the 5th station. The highest point the coach can take you and the starting point for which climbers will start their accent up the mountain summit.

Sushi and I were first to get ourselves on the slopes of the mountain, bounding up steps and rocks like mad women. While Koji and Clara took their time taking photos at the base of the 5th station.

We all wanted to have our pictures taken on the snow capped Mount Fuji! It was a little tricky to navigate the slippery volcanic ash and melted snow slopes. Luckily I had on the rain boots I bought the other day.

Poor Clara wore flats and probably had the hardest time climbing.

Sushi was going all gaga from the mountain air… lol… but I have to say she dressed most appropriately for the trip!

If you’re wondering why crazy Renzze is wearing a dress to climb, well, I’m actually really tolerant to cold and I wore frilly shorts beneath my skirt so I won’t zao geng (run light). Of course the shorts made my middle a little bulkier than normal under the thin cotton dress… but when you’re having so much fun… who cares!

Sushi slipped and fell a couple of times, pretty gleefully though… lol. And we had a mini snow fight. Tried to take video of the snow fight but it was a lot easier to snow fight without having to hold the camera or focus on not damaging the camera in the process! Hehehe.

Even frozen Koji had a adrenaline rush! She took out her gloves so she can better take photos!

Here I am with my new companion! He looks perfectly happy against the white snow. I would so love to bring Louis and Emmie but since that isn’t possible, a representative has gotta do.

See how Sushi and I are carrying bags from the same cruise collection? Geez! The 2 of us have such similar tastes! I have the exact same bag as her and almost brought it on the trip with me but I figured the speedy version would be more compact for my suitcase.

Clara had lots of small stones in her flats! I ended up being her tongkat (walking stick) for the descent. I guess being short meant that I had a lower center of gravity and thus have no problems with balance.

One last look at the pretty landscape and the peak before heading into the coach! We were really lucky cause the sky was so clear that we were able to see the peak. That moment passed quickly and soon the peak was enveloped in clouds.

We were taken down Fuji Mountain and towards Hakone for lunch in a hotel resort up in the mountain.

We certainly looked forward to lunch after expanding all that energy on Mount Fuji. The hotel restaurant was surrounded with glass that allowed us to appreciate the greenery and the beauty of the nature around us.

That is the view from my table. So calming right?

There was a choice of western (catered) or japanese (self-order) cuisine. We took the japanese one. However, on hindsight, while the western one may be more expensive, it would have been much more filling and thus more value.

I would have love to have more time to explore the hotel surroundings cause we passed a beautiful garden coming in. But since we were on a 1 day tour, we had to be on schedule.

Our adventures are far from over but I need my beauty sleep so I’ll leave you all with a video from the Mount Fuji visit and continue in my next post.

PS - I’ve already watched Transformers 2 and it’s fantastic! Don’t wanna spoil the show for you guys so go watch it soon! I even changed my banner with a transformers theme… =)  Do be patient and give it some time to load. Let me know if you like it!

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