Scratching the Surface of Tokyo

I have been asked by many what is so fascinating about Japan that I keep returning time and again. To many, Japan = (expensive). Yet, time and again, I would reiterate, Japan need not be an expensive trip (with proper planning) and that there is always something new and different to explore in this country.

Tokyo is a vibrant city that never seems to sleep. From the impressive towering skyscrapers of Shinjuku to the tranquility of the Imperial Palace and its gardens, Tokyo never ceases to amaze visitors. Besides the usual attractions like cultural Ueno, shopaholics' paradise Shibuya, futuristic Odaiba to name a few, the suburbs of Tokyo are also worth exploring.

Our visits to Tokyo were more of a skip and hop. Tokyo was a transitional city to elsewhere in Japan for our past trips and we stayed only for a maximum of 3 days. However, each visit to Tokyo offered us a glimpse of the multi-faceted city that left us thirsty for more.

If you are a fan of Ghibli or Hayao Miyazaki like me, a visit to the Ghibli Museum is a must. This is located in Mitaka, less than 20 minutes by local train from Shinjuku. The nearby Edo -Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum is also a must-see. We were in "Totoro" heaven for an unforgettable day.

Yanaka was another "attraction" that left an indelible impression on us. This typical Japanese suburb made us nostalgic (having grown up on a diet of Japanese dramas).It gave us some insights of what living in Japan would be like.

Shopping in Tokyo need not be expensive. In fact, the food and fashion wear seemed more affordable here than in some parts of Japan. A bowl of udon (fast food style) costs less than ¥500 while fashion wear, accessories and shoes of good quality can cost as little as ¥1000 at warehouse in Asakusa and Ayemoko. Check out also, the discount floor of the department stores where past season's items are place there for sale at a discounted rate.

Quick Tips:

Where to go
There are many places and attractions that tourists can visit in Tokyo (or Japan for that matter) without burning a hole in their pocket. The following links are sites that had helped me in my planning:

This blog offers some useful suggestions on where to go in Tokyo for free.

Of course, the JNTO website is a must prior to a visit to any part of Japan. Never leave home before consulting here.

Where to stay
The following sites are useful and easy to navigate for booking accommodations. They have been trustworthy and efficient and have not let me down yet. Do not restrict yourself to just booking your accommodations with one website. I prefer to compare prices first across the different websites as prices differ even for the same hotel.

The ITCJ, or formerly known as the Welcome Inn Reservation Center, books accommodations free of charge for visitors to Japan. I occasionally use their services, but the upgraded website now is more friendlier to the eye, and I definitely will check it out prior to my next trip.

The Tokyo Inn is a budget hotel group that have many hotels located across Japan, including Hokkaido. Don't forget to check out their special promotions.

ToCoo! Travel is a breeze to use. Sign up for free as a member and enjoy their special promotions. However, choices can be rather limited.

Rakuten Travel has more choices, but prices can be a little higher compared to ToCoo! Travel.

If you are still lost, try the the JNTO . The upgraded website now has a great search function that includes details of the hotel/ryokan and the links to book them.

Where to eat
You will never starve in Tokyo. In fact, we found that food is cheaper in Tokyo than in Hokkaido (cheaper still is Kyushu). Forget about McDonald's or KFC, try MOS burgers or the beef rice bowls of Yoshinoya. There are many cheap Japanese fast-food places available everywhere. If all else fails, head for the food basement of the nearest department store around 5pm, when food counters start reducing prices by more than 50%. Look out too for places with queues, which usually indicates value for money, yummy food.

Best Way To Get Around:

Moving from airport to Tokyo city

There are three main modes of airport transfers that bring visitors into the city. They are the limousine bus services, the Narita Express by Japan Rail (JR) and the Keisei-line skyliner. Prices are competitive and varies on location, eg., it costs ¥3110 by Narita Express from the Narita airport to JR Shinjuku station. Tickets can be bought from counters located just after the immigration booths, self ticketing machines or at the train station office located in the basement.

If you have purchased the JR rail pass, proceed to the JR office in the basement to validate it. The pass can be used for airport transfers and Tokyo area as well.

Moving around Tokyo:
Tokyo transportation system is complex and confusing. Be sure to grab a copy of the Tokyo guide at the airport or rail stations. It comes with a map of the subway system and brief explanations of which day passes to purchase for your stay in Tokyo (not to mention discounts at various tourist attractions in Tokyo).

There are six different kinds of day passes for visitors offered by the JR, Metro and Toei transportation companies. Prices range from ¥700 to ¥1580 and are usually valid for 1 day on subways, JR trains and buses. Do take time to study the routes or you may end up purchasing a pass that may be under-utilised.

For our 1-day stay in Tokyo, we decided to forgo the day pass and simply "winged it". Fortunately, we managed to spent less than the cost of a day pass by the end of the day despite hopping between the JR trains, the Metro and the Toei subway lines.

Taxis are a no-no in Tokyo unless you have deep pockets. The meter starts from ¥660 and jumps very quickly.

There are 3 criteria that I look for in booking a hotel in any parts of Japan and they are:
a)Easy access
b)Central location
c)Budget

The Kadoya Hotel is a typical Japanese business hotel located west of JR Shinjuku station. It is a mere 3 minutes walk (5 minutes for us) from the JR Shinjuku station, 3 minutes away from Yodobashi, and 1 minute to cheap restaurants. If you are feeling peckish at night, there is a 24-hour convenience store right next to the hotel too. The central location makes for a most convenient place to stay for those intending to explore Tokyo. For those not intending to go beyond Shinjuku, this hotel is within walking proximity to shopping areas and restaurants. The perfect hotel for me!

We had booked 1 triple and 1 twin-sharing room. Both rooms were furnished in modern western-style. What surprised us was the spaciousness of both rooms and bathrooms, most atypical of the usual crammed rooms offered by business hotels in Japan.

This hotel also allows early check-ins but imposes a surcharge (by the hour) for late check outs. However, check out time is at 11am instead of the usual 10am which means we get to sleep even later in their comfortable beds. For those of you who are worried about communication, most staff speaks English.

We were given discount coupons for their in-house cafe but did not utilise them. We did take advantage of their "Pleasant Sleep Program" where guests can request for additional Tempur pillows.

*Ahhh bliss....*

We were able to negotiate our luggage easily to and from the JR Shinjuku station to the hotel. The map and directions were clear and the hotel is fairly easy to find once we got our bearings right. In all, we paid less than ¥7,000 per person per night. This is one hotel we will definitely return to should we ever visit Tokyo again.

For reservations and directions, go HERE

Torigin is another popular Japanese chain of restaurants offering casual yet inexpensive dining for salaried workers and families. Their main specialty is chicken yakitori or grilled chicken pieces on bamboo skewers over charcoal fire and kamameshi or rice with assorted meat, seafood or vegetable toppings cooked in individual small pots, similar to the Chinese claypot rice.

We tried the Ginza branch, a mere 10 minutes walk from JR Ginza station. This hidden restaurant is tucked away from the bustling main street and required some navigation, a handy map and a sharp eye to spot their signage. It is located in the basement of what seemed like an office building. The only indication of their presence is the red Torigin signage and a display window showing a sample of their menu just before the staircase leading guests downwards to the restaurant. Thank goodness we had someone showing us the way.

The décor was chic and classy; the crowd, mostly office workers still in their suits. It exudes a cosy and relaxing atmosphere with tables partitioned to give an illusion of privacy. There are however, private rooms for large parties or guests can choose to sit at the bar counter and watch the chefs at work as they grill the yakitori to perfection. It is said that this restaurant were patronized by Singapore’s Mentor Minister Lee KY (or affectionately-known as LKY by locals) and his son and current Prime Minister, Lee Hsien Loong during their visits to Tokyo.

We were very hungry and tired after walking the entire day (you would be if you had covered Yanaka, Ueno and Asakusa in one day). Everything in the menu seemed delicious. The fragrant smell of grilled meat wafting through the restaurant whetted our appetites even more. We ordered their house specials: kamameshi with salmon (shake), chicken (gomoku), mushroom (shiitake) toppings and assorted yakitori. The yakitori arrived first followed by kamameshi after a half an hour wait. We were instructed to wait a while more before trying the kamameshi as this was the proper custom to allow the flavours to blend together. The toppings were then evenly mixed with the rice before serving. Each portion served was generous and could easily feed 2 hungry persons or 1 large eater.

The torikawa-yaki or grilled chicken skin was delicious even if it seemed weird just eating the skin of the chicken. The skin was skewered such that we thought they were the regular chicken yakitori. It was juicy and the texture was not chewy at all. The tebasaki-yaki or chicken wings were well marinated and scrumptious. They were our favorite. The final bill did not burn a hole in our pockets and we left fully satisfied.

Opening hours: 11:30am - 10:00pm, 7days a week.

Watami, literally translated, it means "Harmony people". This is a chain of casual restaurants in Japan serving a variety of Japanese snacks, home-styled and seasonal dishes at affordable prices. These are family-friendly restaurants which are particularly popular among women and family (of course). The décor is homely and relaxed and the atmosphere, lively and warm.

In Shinjuku itself, there are at least 5 branches within walking distance of the JR Shinjuku station. We had our dinner at the Watami branch in Nishi-Shinjuku (west Shinjuku), located in the building just next to Yodabashi and less than 3 minutes away from our hotel. There are 4 levels in all, we requested for the non-smoking section and were shown to the 6th floor after a brief wait. Business was brisk but service remained prompt.

We were instructed to remove our shoes and place them in the provided lockers. Thereafter, we were shown to a semi-private cubicle that was more of a long bar (albeit a low one) that faces the wall. All 6 of us were seated in a row looking into a mirror that reflected our hungry greedy selves. It took us a while to decide what to eat from the large cardboard menu. The choices were extensive, from seasonal sashimi to favorites like tempura and sushi to new items like Chinese dim sum and noodles. We chose an assortment of seasonal and local Japanese favorites like sushi, sashimi moriwase (a mix of raw fish slices), fried soft shell crabs, fried/ cold noodles, grilled hokke (seasonal fish air-dried and salted) with rice set to name a few (there were 6 of us and we were hungry!). To attract the attention of the waitress, each table has a bell which diners can ring. How nice it would be for us if the restaurants in Singapore were to install that too!

The food did not disappoint, the sashimi was fresh while the portions were more than adequate. For 8 dishes plus drinks, we thought the bill would be hefty but it turned out otherwise. Each of us paid only about SGD$14 per person and left fully satiated. This place offers value for money Japanese meals in a comfortable setting and is ideal for friends who need a place to hang out or large family on an outing.

This is their Japanese website; for your drooling pleasure.

Opening hours:
5pm to 3am.

Shopping in Tokyo need not be an intimidating and pocket-emptying experience if you know where to go for good bargains.

Ameya-yokocho or Ameyoko market for short, is a bustling flea market that dates back to the end of WW II. Located just across from the JR Ueno/ Okachimachi stations, this is one market that shopaholics must not miss when in Tokyo. There are about 500 shops selling anything and everything under the sun (well almost), from dried groceries like dried fish, scallops, and seaweed to fashion wear and accessories to cosmetics and beauty products. In short, there is something for everyone.

Surprisingly, many of the Japanese shopkeepers here could speak a smattering of Mandarin or Cantonese, especially those selling dried food products. Many would call out discounts even before a customer could begin to bargain; this made us suspicious of the prices that were boldly displayed atop of the goods sold. We suspected that the prices stated were gross over-quotations to appease tourists, especially those who love to bargain. *You have been warned*

Browsing through the endless rows of shops, we came across fix-priced shops like the 100-yen shops, 1000-yen shops and even a 5000-yen shop. They are a boon for tourists like us with tight budgets. The quality of goods sold here were of better quality and of a cheaper price than those sold at home. Almost everyone in our group came away with purchases at the end of the 1 hour or so that we spent there.

There were also interesting activities ongoing, mostly gimmicks to attract customers into their shops. Keep an ear out for touts and their deafening mega-phones touting hefty discounts available for that hour or day only. There was one shop that even had a live auction with customers shouting "add on more" to the auctioneer to throw in more "freebies" into goodie bags that were being sold for a low price.

Note
Most of these shops are small, cramped and crowded so do beware of pickpockets.

Yanaka is one of the few suburbs in Tokyo that survived intact during the World War II bombings. This quiet neighbourhood managed to retain its 20th century charm through vigilant preservation of the buildings and its characteristic narrow alleyways. Yanaka is also famed for its cherry blossoms, in particularly, those found in the Yanaka Reien (Cemetery Park).

We took the subway to Nippori station and arrived in mid morning. From the station, we followed the signs pointing left of the station and exited at the south exit. Walking along the hilly road, we passed a huge sleeping cat busking in the sun. It summed up the atmosphere of Yanaka.

The Yanaka cemetery park was a quiet and tranquil place that was in full bloom. We spent some time admiring the cherry blossoms and enjoying the quietude of the place. Apart from chants from the nearby shrine and the chirping of birds, the only other sounds were that of the wind rustling through the leaves. It was a change of pace from the bustling city.

A huge archway soon informed us that we have arrived at Yanaka Ginza. This is the market street with shops on either side selling local favourites like croquettes, tempura, red bean rice, buckwheat noodles or soba, konyaku (jelly). There are also grocery and sundry shops where locals patronised. The laidback homely atmosphere beguiled us; we stayed here much longer than we initially planned to.

Most of these shops were still in their preparation stage. The food smells that wafted into the street was tantalising. We were attracted to a croquette shop, more like a hole in the wall that has clippings of magazines and newspaper reviews pasted prominently around the shop front. We tried their specialty beef croquette; it was fried to perfection, crispy golden brown on the outside, fluffy and juicy inside. Across this was another shop selling croquettes manned by a mother and son, they claimed to sell the cheapest croquette this side of Tokyo. Truly, for ¥60 a piece (a large one too), the croquette made for a warm and delicious snack.

Next was the grocery shop that was selling sweet strawberries at half the price of that found in major department supermarkets in central Tokyo. Further down the road was a French bakery that was just putting out freshly baked loaves of bread and buns. Simply irresistible; all plans for lunch elsewhere were instantly forgotten. Other interesting shops were a tea house that not only sold tea leaves but all things related and a kimono shop. We stopped to admire their exquisite porcelain tea sets and were treated to some ocha. At the kimono shop, we had an interesting conversation with the owner and his friends who graciously treated us to some candy and allowed us to take photographs of their beautiful kimonos. We left Yanaka with much reluctance.

For more details in and around Yanaka, go HERE