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

[Lesley Wake]

Day 13 – More Temples
November 1, 2019

Part 1 – Golden Pavilion

On tap today was a few more temples on the other side of Kyoto. I had initially hoped to hop on the train and see Nara in the afternoon (where deer hang out in the park), but that would have required waking up earlier than I wanted. I know some people can be up and moving every day of vacation, but I needed a bit more rest!

On my way through the train station I stopped at a bakery and got some rolls for breakfast which were pretty good!

On the bus, just in case anyone was interested in what it looked like (i.e., a normal bus…)

My first destination was the most famous of the Kyoto temples, the Golden Pavilion.

https://www.travelcaffeine.com/golden-pavilion-temple-kyoto-japan-tips/
It was crowded (lots of Chinese tour groups with selfie sticks), but not unmanageable and with some maneuvering I was able to get “empty” photos.

You can see where the name comes from!

I love still lake/ponds!

More photos

They had these fortune machines, where you get a fortune. If you get a good one you are supposed to keep it. But a bad one you are supposed to burn it and then go back to get another one!

I also grabbed an ice cream from the machine.

And some souvenirs, including stamps (for postcards), and an ornament/keychain (which I’ll have to find one of my photos later).

Overall, the Golden Pavilion is the most famous temple in Kyoto, so definitely a must-see. But it doesn’t have the extensive gorgeous gardens other temples have.​

 

[Lesley Wake]

Up next was Ryoanji Temple. This was just a short walk from the Golden Pavilion and wasn’t as frequented, but I really liked it!

https://www.travelcaffeine.com/ryoanji-temple-info-tips-review/

This one had really lovely grounds!

Some rock and moss gardens for the temple itself.

Also this one allowed photos inside and had some lovely painted walls

I think last year or so a heavy cyclone-type storm hit Kyoto, so I assume these were replanted to make up for lost trees?

Coming up - one last temple and end of the stay in Kyoto​

 

[missjackiemcg]

All of your pictures are so beautiful, as always, but that one with the Golden temple reflected on the still water--breathtaking!!

I love that you can burn a bad fortune, and just keep going back til you get a good one Your ice cream looked super tasty!!!

 

[KEK1]

Really enjoying your Kyoto temple pics and reporting, makes me want to go. Your fortune was pretty funny.

 

[KathyM2]

If you get a good one you are supposed to keep it. But a bad one you are supposed to burn it and then go back to get another one!

Love this idea!! So did you keep you fortune? How are you feeling about it now that you know how 2020 turned out lol? That ice cream looked so good!!

 

[Lesley Wake]

All of your pictures are so beautiful, as always, but that one with the Golden temple reflected on the still water--breathtaking!!

I love that you can burn a bad fortune, and just keep going back til you get a good one Your ice cream looked super tasty!!!

Ah, thanks! I did like the way that one turned out, and I was pretty fortunate with the weather!

I thought the fortune thing was hilarious!

Really enjoying your Kyoto temple pics and reporting, makes me want to go. Your fortune was pretty funny.

Yeah, it is definitely an interesting place. Very ancient feeling!

Love this idea!! So did you keep you fortune? How are you feeling about it now that you know how 2020 turned out lol? That ice cream looked so good!!

Haha, hmm, I don't know! It almost felt like advice more than a fortune! Work hard, don't drink too much, don't have an affair... I'd say yes to the last two, not so sure about the first one, lol!

 

[Lesley Wake]

Part 2 – Ninnaji Temple

For my final temple in Kyoto, I visited Ninnaji Temple.

https://www.travelcaffeine.com/ninnaji-temple-info-tips-review/
I heard this one has a great Pagoda which the one in Epcot may have been based on? This was a lot of walking around the site to start, which had lots of old buildings.

The pagoda

In the springtime these all are full of cherry blossoms! And in a few weeks they would be such bright colors!

I did happen to see a procession of monks walking by. I stood respectfully (and when I did take a photo only did it from the back so didn’t show faces)

I stopped in one of the main buildings to walk around. I had hoped to find a peaceful spot and sit for a while, but unfortunately it wasn’t as peaceful as I would have liked as they were doing lots of renovation and construction noises!

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Some of the interiors

More of the gardens

At this point I was trying to decide what to do. I had wanted to visit Nara, and technically I could have made it work, but it would have meant rushing around and had already been so busy! So I decided to instead head back to the hotel for a bit of a rest.​

 

[Lesley Wake]

I must have stopped at a bakery and grabbed some pastries. I think the top one was a normal roll, then some sweeter Danish (maybe pineapple?) and a cheese bun. It was all very good!

I did make a brief stop at a mall/arcade. Before heading to Japan I somehow got interested in these youtube channels that visit Japanese arcades, so I wanted to give them a try! I ended up doing this gem push game (you use the claw to grab gems or items on the bottom tray, which is rotating. Drop them onto your tray which has a ledge that moves back and forth. And hope to knock things off your tray into the bucket, including the weights which control the “big” prizes for the game. I ended up getting a couple small items and the watch! Nothing crazy but it was fun!

After taking a break in the hotel I decided it was time for dinner, and might as well check out “Ramen Street”, which is within the Kyoto train station. I was confused about where it was but finally realized it was on the 10th floor. So, where is the elevator? Um…instead you take escalators up… all the way up…

It was sooo dizzying! Just worried one slip on the stairs or anything and you could fall down all the way (which I know wasn’t the case, but it felt that way, lol!)

Anyways, there are about a dozen ramen places along that little corridor. Some have super long lines and some didn’t have lines at all. I ended up picking one at random which didn’t have a line (probably mistake as the ones with lines would have been more popular and in theory, better). It wasn’t bad by any means, just not as amazing as others I’ve had!

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I didn’t want anything to do with the escalators back down, so was able to find the elevators (they are sort of hidden in the back) to get back downstairs!

Anyways, back to the hotel, pack up and get ready to head out in the morning!

Step count: 16,203

Some thoughts on Kyoto:

-It was a lovely town with lots of history. I think definitely worth a visit, though I’m not super desperate to get back there (there are so many other places in Japan and worldwide I’d like to visit).

-temples are cool to see. Though they do start to blur together eventually!



Coming up: Back to Tokyo!​

 

[wnwardii]

Though they do start to blur together eventually!

Had a close friend do a trip to Italy one year. He visited so many churches and had the same thought.

 

[StarWarsMomofGirls!]

I am amazed at how much this looks like EPCOT... Or rather how well, EPCOT looks like this picture! I know I should be suprised by how authentic they built everything in EPCOT. But it is impressive seeing the real thing!

 

[missjackiemcg]

Love your prizes! I would have been most excited by all those little gem hearts, I think. I think I'd agree with you on the temples. I loved reading your updates about the temples you visited, and especially enjoyed the pictures, but the details do start to blur together.

 

[KathyM2]

Wow, you walked a lot that day! I think I would have been dizzy with those escalators too, but how cool that there are all those ramen places up there!! I love ramen but rarely eat it because my kids aren't fans.

 

[Lesley Wake]

Had a close friend do a trip to Italy one year. He visited so many churches and had the same thought.

Yeah, each does have their unique features, but they do blur together, especially a year+ later!

I am amazed at how much this looks like EPCOT... Or rather how well, EPCOT looks like this picture! I know I should be suprised by how authentic they built everything in EPCOT. But it is impressive seeing the real thing!

Haha, definitely agree! And other areas of Epcot look similar to places I've visited - like the benches in France look like the same ones in Paris. They definitely did their research on the countries before constructing them.

Love your prizes! I would have been most excited by all those little gem hearts, I think. I think I'd agree with you on the temples. I loved reading your updates about the temples you visited, and especially enjoyed the pictures, but the details do start to blur together.

I'll have to save some of those gems for you, lol! I still have a big bag of them.

For temples, you definitely start to understand the guides which say Kyoto has 100s of temples, but here are the "must-see". Like the Silver and Gold Pavilions, each have something memorable and unique.

Wow, you walked a lot that day! I think I would have been dizzy with those escalators too, but how cool that there are all those ramen places up there!! I love ramen but rarely eat it because my kids aren't fans.

Yeah, my feet were exhausted during this trip! At least Disney trips gave me training (though now that I imagine trying to walk around the parks after this year of mostly being at home, makes me shudder, lol!)

You have to get the kids into ramen! So yummy! I was craving it right before lockdown but didn't go, and now I haven't been able to get any since my family isn't really comfortable with in-person dining, and it isn't really set up well for take away!

 

[Lesley Wake]

Day 14
Saturday, November 2, 2019

Part 1 – Shibuya, including the Disney Store

Today I was headed back to Tokyo. After checking out of the hotel, I stopped at a bakery in the Kyoto train station and got some pastries for the train ride. (I don’t think I got this first one which looks like a cheesy corn bun!

And I successfully navigated to the other side of Kyoto Station in rush hour, which was slightly terrifying as I had a rolling suitcase and was trying to keep up with the fast walking flow of the commuters!

But anyways, made my way to the bullet train tickets, where I proceeded to make an error and accidentally got tickets from Tokyo – Kyoto instead of Kyoto – Tokyo! It also was busier this time and, while I still went with the Green Car, wasn’t able to get a seat on the Mt Fuji side of the train. Still a comfy ride, with some yummy pastries and a coke (don’t judge). They have these cute aluminum coke bottles themed to each city, so I ended up getting one for Kyoto and one for Tokyo.

After checking various tips online I ended up deciding on getting a hotel in Shibuya, as it seemed like it would be close to a major train line I could use and plenty of dining options. I ended up staying at the Shibuya Tokyu Rei Hotel (I think I found on Hotels.com or priceline and got a good deal), which was literally steps from an entrance to the train station. Since it was still early, I dropped off my suitcase and headed out for the day.

A map for the day. Bottom blue circle was train station I arrived back into Tokyo; left blue circle was Shibuya station, where I stayed. The blue dashed line was the main “tourist” loop, which was what I relied on most.

My first introduction to the Shibuya Scramble, which is a pretty familiar crosswalk area from so many photos/videos of Tokyo!

First stop was lunch (despite having pastries, I was hungry). I had been wanting to try a Japanese conveyer belt sushi restaurant, so stopped at Genki Sushi in Shibuya. It was a busy place, but luckily not a long wait. And full of tourists… probably not authentic Japanese, but I was ok with the kitchy tourist stuff today!

The plates are divided by price.

I had hoped to see some plates just gliding around the restaurant and grabbing what I wanted, but it seems this one was entirely ordered and delivered direct to you. I was also at the end of a “line” so didn’t get to see plates zooming by that often, but it was still pretty cool!

While I’m used to fancy rolls in the US with lots of different ingredients, turns out in Japan it’s much more pure with a simple fish and rice. Looks like I ended up getting shrimp tempura, cucumber, and salmon (maybe more, but that is all I can see in photos)

​

 

[Lesley Wake]

Next stop – the Disney Store in Shibuya (of course I would go there)!

Lovely decorations inside! The store itself wasn’t super huge, but it was over 4 floors, so small footprint but steep stairs!

I think these sometimes have magic pixie dust lighting, but I don’t remember seeing any when I was there.

Miscellaneous merchandise – looks like Queen of Hearts and Ursula perfume, figurines, cards, washi tape, of course keychains

The Christmas merchandise came out the day before!

Nuimos. These actually arrived in the US on Jan 19th!

I know I grabbed some items, but I don’t remember what exactly! (probably some of the Christmas stuff). Also, in Japan, there are some stores which do tax-free for foreigners. There are purchase limits and you have to show your passport, but the Disney Store in Shibuya was one of them.

Coming up - Harajuku with the rest of the tourists! ​

 

[Lesley Wake]

Part 2 – Harajuku and Hedgehog Café

Tokyo (and Japan in general) is known for its animal cafes, so I knew I needed to try one! I ended up walking up and going to the Hedgehog Café. It was pretty cute, with various time limits and drink options. I think I got 30 minutes as well as a snack for the hedgehogs.

You end up being assigned a “station”. Some are stools surrounding a low table, where the hedgehog enclosure is sunken into. I was along the bar, which meant a higher stool and enclosure along that. You have to wear gloves whenever you handle them.

My first hedgehogs were not in a good mood even though I fed them a bunch of mealworms. (Though to be fair, if my life was being bugged by tourists, I’d probably not be in a good mood either!) I think one actually tried to bite me through the gloves! (And I also got pooped on... but they gave me new gloves after that, lol!)

The workers ended up coming over and giving me another little guy, who was much friendlier (and pretty much slept the whole time). I did confirm he was just sleepy!

I think I also played with this guy, who was a different species of hedgehog

I thought the drinks would be all coffee or tea (which I’m not a fan of), but turns out they had some machines at the back which gave a bunch of options, including soda. Look at the cute holders for your drinks!

They have a larger enclosure in the middle of the café and rotate the hedgehogs through there to give them breaks

I think the guy on the bottom was getting a nice massage!

Overall, this was a fun experience. I know they have lots of cat and dog cafes. Even an owl café. And I think some other animals.

Now, as to the ethics of this, because yes, I was very iffy on whether I should visit this. I did do a bunch of research on this and Harry’s had positive reviews. There were signs everywhere about how to handle the hedgehogs and plenty of workers patrolling to make sure none of them were in distress. These species of hedgehogs were also bred to be domesticated, not wild-caught. With the exception of the couple hedgehogs who were in a bad mood, the hedgehogs didn’t seem to be stressed. However, hedgehogs are nocturnal, so probably don’t love the sun coming in the windows. And in general, they would probably prefer to be left alone. So, I guess it’s one of those things you have to decide for yourself. (from my research the owl cafes are very harmful to the animals mental health, so I don't recommend those).​

 

[Lesley Wake]

Ok, on with the day. I wandered down Takeshita Street, which was just full of people! And lots of shops, but most were kitchy tourist traps, so I don’t think I got anything from there. It was weird seeing some of the stuff there though! (But overall I was not a fan of that street and really just wanted to get out of there as fast as possible. In the past it was the "center" of Harajuku, but has become overwhelmed with cheap stores, with people trying to promote their various maid cafes or stores.)

Lots of pretty treat options though! (Harajuku is big into pretty crepes stuffed with sweet/savory fillings

For my food I stopped at the Kawaii Monster Café. This was really fun, but unfortunately closed permanently at the end of January. Just not enough tourism to sustain it.

This was such a goofy place! With the craziest décor!

A cake carousel in the center of the café (it wasn't available for patrons to ride, but did get used in the show)

Baby bottle room

Enchanted forest

Butterflies

Ice cream on the ceiling, complete with ants!

Even the bathroom is kooky!

​

 

[Lesley Wake]

There wasn’t a cover charge but I did need to order a dish and a drink. Some options I considered

I wasn’t feeling like savory, so I went with the Pink Cat Food, which was vanilla soft serve, covered with some crunchy cereal pieces, cotton candy, and sprinkles. And the Shake Hip Shake “Berry & Berry”, which I think was strawberry milk shake. Both were very good and just weird to eat!

I also caught the lunchtime show. In the busier evenings there are usually 5 “monsters”, but I ended up seeing only 2. Just a goofy dance and stuff to amuse the tourists!

Overall, a fun place. (Also Oh My Café is in the neighborhood which often does super cute themes, including Disney ones, which you should check out.)

One thing I wish I had gotten was this headband with the mascot for the café! It was just so weird, it would totally fit my personality!

Coming up - Kiddy Land and Christmas Decorations​

 

[StarWarsMomofGirls!]

My first hedgehogs were not in a good mood even though I fed them a bunch of mealworms. (Though to be fair, if my life was being bugged by tourists, I’d probably not be in a good mood either!)

Ha! Right?

Overall, this was a fun experience. I know they have lots of cat and dog cafes. Even an owl café. And I think some other animals.

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!

 

[missjackiemcg]

I'll have to save some of those gems for you, lol! I still have a big bag of them.

Oooh, yes please!!

Still a comfy ride, with some yummy pastries and a coke (don’t judge).

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!!