A (2019) HalloXmas trip to Asia - Shanghai, Hong Kong, Tokyo! - COMPLETED 5/1!!!

[Lesley Wake]

Ha! Right?


I am not sure how I feel about animal cafes on so many levels.. I am not a big dog or cat fan, so no matter what those don't appeal to me. And why would you want to hang out with an owl anyway? I guess I am just not the target audience...


All of the Kawaii stuff would make Gwen's head explode!

She would go crazy with Kawaii things in Japan! There are lots of other places too, I just didn't get to explore them that much.

I think the idea of some animal cafes are fun, getting to get up close with animals you don't see that often. And I think in Japan, so many people live in close quarters, having a pet isn't that practical, so it gives them animal cuddles. But also too many are just for maximizing tourist dollars, without thinking about ramifications for animals.

Oooh, yes please!!


I never would!! Sometimes you just need a good Coke!


I know I quoted something about the Monster place, but it won't post...I think it was the bathroom counter picture I wanted to comment on. I totally love that!! Wish I could have a fun bathroom like that for my Kindergarteners!

Looks like a pretty fun place, and all the treats look like Jimmy would enjoy!!

I love that counter too! Would be perfect in a school, not just as a bathroom counter, but as a tabletop or counter! It's really too bad it closed, but maybe they will reopen eventually?

 

[Lesley Wake]

Part 3 – Toys and lights

While in Harajuku I stopped at Kiddy Land, which is a pretty well-known toy shop! And of course, I’m so immature, I love that stuff!

Pokemon capsules, cable bites, miniatures

Lots of moisturizing face masks

Nanoblocks

The star wars section was pretty small and lacking, but I think that is typical in Japan. I did love the samurai figures, but they were $$$

Personal care stuff

Kitchen accessories

Cute little girl towel/Disney dresses!

Forky!

They used to have little Star Wars figurines so you could have a whole army of marching stormtroopers! Just Disney characters now, and they were pretty expensive, but still cute!

This was the Star Wars version:

I don’t think I actually got anything! It was honestly so overwhelming because there was so much!​

 

[Lesley Wake]

Then I headed back to the hotel to formally check in and rest a bit. The room was small, but functional, typical for a Japanese hotel room! The bathroom however was teeny tiny (I’m thinking smaller than cruise ship bathrooms)!

View outside the window. During the day there were trains running back and forth, but at night they stopped. And you can see one of the Shibuya crosswalks in the background.

After a bit of rest, I headed out for dinner and another stop. I believe I took the bus and also walked a bit, but it wasn’t too far.

Knock-off Mickey made me laugh!

For dinner I stopped at Ippudo, one of the well known ramen places, where I got… ramen, duh! I’m a bit obsessed, lol!

I then headed to check out some Christmas lights which had just started. These were at Yebisu Garden Place and really lovely! I know there are some other awesome light displays around Tokyo, but most didn’t start up until mid-November.

The cutest dogs were hanging out there and the owner let people take photos and I got to pet one of them!

They are also known for this huge chandelier

I think they had some booths for artisan crafts or foods, but I was full from dinner, so instead headed back to the hotel where I crashed for the night.

Step count: 14,640

Coming up: Celebrating a National Holiday with Locals​

 

[missjackiemcg]

Are those dogs wearing blush?!

WOW, that chandelier is incredible!!!

Your hotel room reminded me of my college dorm. We are so spoiled here with our American hotel luxury accomodations, I guess, especially when it comes to the bathrooms!

 

[StarWarsMomofGirls!]

Ahh, Nanoblocks... Morgan's obession!

That Storm trooper is too short to be a storm trooper.

I don’t think I actually got anything! It was honestly so overwhelming because there was so much!

I was going to say that there is so much stuff how can you choose! I guess you can't.

 

[KathyM2]

I had a whole bunch of comments written for you and then my computer froze and lost them all!! Ugh...sorry!! I'm enjoying reading all about this, especially being in Asia and travelling to different and far away places...sigh. I'm sure as each day of lockdown goes by you are even more grateful to have done that trip when you did! But just looking at those crowded sidewalks now just about gives me hives lol

Love that toy store...the cable bites - didn't know those things had a name lol and the pancake pans!! Love them!!

Your hotel room was interesting...I bet it wasn't cheap either!!

 

[bearette]

I love all the cooking stuff! I want to make a Donald waffle!

 

[ssdeverell]

Are those dogs wearing blush?!

I was going to ask the same thing. It was like they were the Kardashians posing on the red carpet. So cute!!

 

[NancyLuvsMickey]

OMG!!! I would need an extra suit case or two with all the cute Disney items I've been seeing... I would have a hard time not buying everything!!!!!

 

[missangelalexis]

Sorry I fell so far behind But I love seeing all your pics!

Funny looking at your Disney Store pics in Shibuya and seeing Nuimos in the background since they have finally made their way here to the US!

OoOo a hedgehog cafe, how cute!

 

[Lesley Wake]

Are those dogs wearing blush?!

WOW, that chandelier is incredible!!!

Your hotel room reminded me of my college dorm. We are so spoiled here with our American hotel luxury accomodations, I guess, especially when it comes to the bathrooms!

I think they are wearing makeup! Sort of crazy. One dog was definitely eating up all the attention and one was not really excited by it all.

Definitely the room was tiny! Worked for me, maybe a couple could use it (but they couldn't have a lot of bags or else they would be tripping all over them). A family, no way!

Ahh, Nanoblocks... Morgan's obession!


That Storm trooper is too short to be a storm trooper.


I was going to say that there is so much stuff how can you choose! I guess you can't.

Nanoblocks are cute, but they can be expensive! And haha, I didn't even notice that trooper!

It really was too much to pick!

I had a whole bunch of comments written for you and then my computer froze and lost them all!! Ugh...sorry!! I'm enjoying reading all about this, especially being in Asia and travelling to different and far away places...sigh. I'm sure as each day of lockdown goes by you are even more grateful to have done that trip when you did! But just looking at those crowded sidewalks now just about gives me hives lol

Love that toy store...the cable bites - didn't know those things had a name lol and the pancake pans!! Love them!!

Your hotel room was interesting...I bet it wasn't cheap either!!

Haha, no worries! and yes, so much so about doing the trip in 2019! So many things I was fortunate timing wise, with this trip, and then doing NYE 2019-2020 at WDW and then doing a cruise in the beginning of March (second to last one before everything shut down).

They have so many pancake pans! But I prefer the organic fluffy pancakes without a mold.

I double checked the room price. It was about $150/night. Not as expensive as some other options, but not cheap either!

I love all the cooking stuff! I want to make a Donald waffle!

Haha, yeah they have the cutest kitchen things in Japan!

I was going to ask the same thing. It was like they were the Kardashians posing on the red carpet. So cute!!

Yeah, definitely not their first rodeo!

OMG!!! I would need an extra suit case or two with all the cute Disney items I've been seeing... I would have a hard time not buying everything!!!!!

I knew I would be buying a lot so I packed strategically. I got away suitcases, a large, medium, and bigger carry-on. When I left LA I had packed the medium with my stuff and put that inside the large, and lightly packed the bigger carry-on, so I had plenty of space. Of course, that didn't stop me from needing to sit on the suitcases at the end of the trip to get them to close...

Sorry I fell so far behind But I love seeing all your pics!

Funny looking at your Disney Store pics in Shibuya and seeing Nuimos in the background since they have finally made their way here to the US!

OoOo a hedgehog cafe, how cute!

Yeah, Nuimos are pretty cute; I haven't pulled the trigger though. They have some other options in Japan too, including the Aristocats. If they had a Baby Yoda one, I may need to get it so I can dress it in all the cute clothes!

 

[Lesley Wake]

Day 15
Sunday, November 3, 2019

Culture Day

During my planning, but after I chose my dates, I realized I would be in Tokyo for a national holiday, Culture Day. I wasn’t sure how it would go, because I know crowds are no joke everywhere (not just the theme parks) on national holidays. But it did seem that this holiday would be up my alley! It was pretty much all about “promoting culture, the arts, and academic endeavors”. So all the museums would be free (albeit crowded) and some other cultural displays. Also, the emperor gives out some important honors to people who are especially distinguished (and can be non-Japanese; like they gave it to the Apollo 11 astronauts).

I think most of the celebrations happen in areas outside of Tokyo, with a parade in Hakone, but I did find some other things happening.

First, breakfast. Can you guess what I had… you’d think I’d get tired of it eventually, but Ramen. This time I checked out Ichiran, another big “chain”. It was an interesting style, as you ordered via a vending machine at the entrance, then walked down to find an empty “booth”, which was a stool at the counter, but dividers between each spot, so you had privacy. You didn’t even really interact with the waiters, as you put down your paid ticket and they brought your food, but there was another divider up high, so you just saw the portion of their body from neck to stomach… it sounds weird, and was, but it worked!

If you want something else (like extra noodles or toppings), then you had a menu at the cubby, and could pay there.

It was a yummy bowl of soup! Not as fancy as some other places, but it met everything I needed – broth, meat, noodles!

On my way I saw this place which had super fancy dessert – I guess it’s called Honey Toast. Basically bread, hollowed out, caramelized, and then layered with fruits and whipped cream. (I’m thinking like Kona Toast from the Polynesian, but Kawaii, lol!) Cute designs!

​

 

[Lesley Wake]

Ok, anyways… my destination – Meiji Jingu Shrine. By a fortunate coincidence, the hub for a lot of Culture Day in Tokyo was easy walking distance from the hotel. It was also cool because so many people were in their nicest kimonos (I didn’t take their photos out of politeness)

Something cool, Barrels of Sake Wrapped in Straw. And barrels of wine from France

A flower display, specifically of chrysanthemum

A procession happened to pass by. Not sure what it was about.

Some more garden dioramas

Bonsai trees

There was a ceremony, so a lot of locals were heading here (this wasn’t the award ceremony with the emperor; I think this was a blessing of the shrine). At the main viewing area, you weren’t supposed to take photos. Just do the whole water cleansing ritual. I stepped off to the side to take some photos (after I saw other locals doing so and no one stopping them).

Some lovely kids in their kimonos (I asked before I took photos)

They also have a series of cultural displays around the park, including martial arts, horseback, dance, and archery. There was a schedule online and I knew I couldn’t see all of it, so I decided to focus on archery. (I would have done horseback archery, but it was earlier in the day.)

It was pretty cool watching the whole rituals associated with it. And seeing people walking around with their robes and harnesses for the bows and arrows.​

 

[Lesley Wake]

And ended up at a festival area, where there was a farmers market. The biggest line was for one booth, which I realized was fresh homemade mochi! I love mochi, so definitely had to stop here! (I got the ones that were just coated in soybean powder; I know there was another option which had a reddish/pink color powder, but for the life of me, I can't remember the flavor)

As I was sitting on the grass eating my mochi, I watched a stage with all these random Japanese mascots. I don’t know if they come from a known show or something, because people went crazy for them. Including the turnips…

There was also a dragon dance

Overall, a fun day, especially with all the locals.

(Oh and an off-story. I had to use the bathroom at the park and there was a relatively long line. However, once I got in, realized there was only 1 western toilet and the other stalls were all squat potties… um, nope. So the few western girls were all waving the Japanese ladies around us while we waited in line to use the toilet!)

During my research into activities happening in Tokyo this day, I also discovered there was a dance festival in Akihabara, so I headed over there to check it out. (I got a bit turned around leaving the train station in Akihabara, so did wander the area and ducked into some arcades, but looks like I didn’t take any photos)

It was interesting. More amateur groups, but still cool to see, so I stuck around for a couple groups.

​

 

[Lesley Wake]

Eventually I realized I was pretty tired. While the day wasn’t crazy busy, the previous 2 weeks had been a lot! So I headed back to the hotel to recharge.

First in Shibuya I did check out the Shibuya crossing. Lots and lots of phones out there, lol!

I also had to admire the statue of Hachiko, in remembrance of a dog who would meet his owner at the train station every day, even 10 years after the owner died.

I stopped at a bakery too to grab some snacks. A pastry that was basically whipped cream in between sponge cakes (yum). I want to think I got another one, but I only have a photo of the full display case, so I’m not sure which one, lol! Japan does have the best pastry shops!

I had considered trying to check out the Robot Restaurant this evening but didn’t buy tickets in advance (I didn’t want to be locked down to a specific day/time) and it was all sold out. Maybe next visit!

So, for dinner I ended up getting some more conveyor belt sushi. It was only a couple blocks from the hotel and I just wanted to eat and then crash again, lol! (There was a long line at the restaurant, but because I was a solo diner, I got in faster since they could fit me at an empty random chair.)

Looks like just some random sushi rolls, lol! (This one had some conveyor belts with dishes, but none that interested me, so I ordered most of them from the computer screen.) At the end you just had a pile of your dishes and they came over to scan the whole thing at once.

On my way back to the hotel I stopped at the Starbucks, which has the best views of the Shibuya Scramble. I also picked up the fall mini-ornament mug for my collection.

And back to the hotel and pack up – it was back to Disney the next day!

Step Count: 14,959

I guess I wlll do a brief wrap-up of Tokyo itself, since the rest of my time was really spent at Disney. I wish I could have experienced more of Tokyo. It was hard though as I was just so exhausted at this point in the trip! I could have really used a break day or two in there. I didn’t really see a lot of it, so maybe when I go back I will dedicate more time and really see it (there’s a part of me that wants to just go to Japan for about a month and work remote once the pandemic is over, but I have two cute kitties I couldn’t abandon.)​

 

[KathyM2]

What an amazing trip!! It did sound exhausting though, you packed so much in!! It's hard not to do that though when there is so much to see and you have no clue when you will be able to go back, and it's expensive to just take rest days...sigh...but I always find I'm too wiped out to enjoy things much after a while!!!

All that pastry looks so amazing!! We have a bunch of Japanese pastry shops popping up here in Toronto, looking at all these pics makes me want to check them out!

 

[Lesley Wake]

What an amazing trip!! It did sound exhausting though, you packed so much in!! It's hard not to do that though when there is so much to see and you have no clue when you will be able to go back, and it's expensive to just take rest days...sigh...but I always find I'm too wiped out to enjoy things much after a while!!!

All that pastry looks so amazing!! We have a bunch of Japanese pastry shops popping up here in Toronto, looking at all these pics makes me want to check them out!

Yeah, it can definitely get exhausting! Very hard to juggle taking a break with wanting to see everything!

And yeah, Japan really likes the elaborate pastries!

 

[Lesley Wake]

(Sorry for another delay in updating. I've been trying to prep some of the other Disney days, so I forget when I've actually posted on here! Lots of photos and videos to go through!)

Day 16 –
Monday, November 4, 2019

Part 1 – Back to Disney

Today I was headed back to explore more of the Tokyo Disney Resort. Before the trip I had considered doing some other things around Tokyo on this day, but as you could tell, my energy was getting zapped, so I took it easier and slept a bit more before heading out.

I don’t have photos of breakfast, but I assume I got a pastry somewhere; maybe something from the previous day? But I took the metro back over to Mahaima station. (My notes do say I got a bit lost in Shibuya station trying to find the correct platform; there was a lot of construction in anticipation of the Olympics…)

I was too early to check into my hotel, so I went shopping a bit, lol! I picked up some new things and some things I had spotted before but waited to buy so I didn’t need to repack.

Sunglasses. I didn’t get any of these, but appreciated how the purchase items were in baggies, but they had examples for you to try on.

Some random items (none of which I bought): Big Bad Wolf plush, Honey Hunt memo pad, pizza memo pad,

Things I did get: three sets of origami (Minnie clothes, prince/princess hearts, character duo bows/hearts)

Some Christmas decorations were up in Ikspiari. They put up the Christmas things starting November 1st, though official Christmas season wasn’t until the 8th.

For lunch I stopped at Ramen again, I think Ippudo, which has a larger location in the mall. I loved the interior decorations. (And this was my last bowl of Ramen for the trip, lol!)

I got the typical bowl, plus a plate of the mini dumplings, which were yummy. Though my notes say the soup was spicier, so I must have gotten a different broth flavor than the previous stop at an Ippudo.

Some murals in the monorail station

​

 

[Lesley Wake]

I was headed back to the Sheraton for the next week, which I was looking forward to. When I got there, I was still about 1 hr before check-in; at least they gave me my room key and told me to wait until the actual time before heading there, lol!

In the mean-time I checked out the hotel.

A fun miniature golf course. I can’t remember if you had to pay for this (but I assume you did to rent putters and balls)

There was also a whole kids area, which I didn’t get photos of, including a full arcade (which I played that gem push game again), and a photo studio with costumes you could rent.

The back garden; they do a lot of weddings here and you can see the chapel on the left side.

If you have a room on this side, you get a view of the ocean (it was right on the other side of the berm behind the pool)

I think during the summer this is a proper pool, though you have to pay extra to use it. (They have an indoor pool that you don’t pay extra for but I didn’t have room to pack my swimsuit so I didn’t stop by.)

Finally it was time to get up to my room (I also went to bell services and they ended up meeting me there with my suitcases which had been stored for a week). The room was all ocean inspired and was very nice!

Also the entire floor had an ocean theme, which was sort of fun!

BUT, this view from the balcony! Holy cow! I feel like this is even better than anything you’d get at the Contemporary, yet this was about the cost of a moderate at WDW (in the $200-250/night range). I mean you could almost see people in Disneyland and DisneySea, and could hear people on the rides! Also the occasional monorail drive-by!

While I was unpacking in the room (and also repacking anything I didn’t need for the rest of my trip) I had the balcony door open and realized I could even hear the parade music! It was so magical!

Coming up - A Tokyo Disney Buffet​

 

[KEK1]

Oh wow, love the view and the fact you can hear the music, too cute!
Still very much enjoying your TR, thank you!