Inari Shinto Shrine Kyoto

A must visit .. when one is in Kyoto.  The Fushimi-Inari Taisha jinja (shrine) in the south-eastern suburbs of Fushimi-ku, Kyoto is one of most recognizable icons of Japan, and the 4km long corridor of reddish-orange gates called torii that snake their way up Inari Mountain were featured in the 2005 film Memoirs of a Geisha.

Fushimi-Inari is a Shinto shrine dedicated to the spirit Inari, who’s name was derived from ine-nari, or “growing rice” or “grain.” The Fushimi-Inari shrine is the oldest and most prominent Inari shrine, and the founding of the shrine in 711 AD coincides with the earliest recorded worship of the spirit Inari.

Roller Coaster Ride Japan

In japan for a vacation or for work, one must never missed riding the roller coasters there.  It is unlike any .. that I’ve been on. .even the ones in Ocean Park Hong Kong is nothing or the gulf shores condos. The Thunder Dolphin is an impressive roller coaster to look at. It is 3,500 ft (1,100 m) long, 262 ft (80 m) at it’s highest reach, and drops 218 ft (66 m) at an 80 degree angle. It passes through a hole in a building as well as through the Big-O, a center-less ferris wheel. It reaches a maximum speed of 80.8 mph (130 kmh) and a complete circuit runs about a minute and a half.

I truly enjoyed my ride.. and never looked back.  Everytime, I’m back in Japan.. Tokyo Dome is where i head out to first.

Ninjas On Train

I kid you not ..! i saw ninjas on train last year.. in Japan..  :)  well.. actually they were celebrating Japanese popular ninja fest. And anyone dressing up in ninja costumes were given free rides along the Iga Tetsudo line.  Trust the Japanese to come up with all these fancy stuff - while i was doing my online backup , i saw the ninja come up on the train.. and i went like .. “wth!” .. muahahha!! i didn’t know whether to giggle or just stare. And i wasn’t the only one doing the staring though - the kids loved it .. seeing someone come on the train all dressed up - i found it fascinating as well.

Crazy About Hello Kitty

If you are like the japanese friends that i know.. you would love this handbag by hello kitty.  Super cute.. and at $60 .. but it’s not real leather .. but looks like it.  You don’t have to go to Japan for it now.. there is a shop in LA .. that sells all sorts of Hello Kitty stuff.. and cuties.

Mt Yotei @ Hokkaido

Hokkaido is another place in Japan that I loved very much.  Great for those who loves the outdoors.. but don’t go during the winter - winter is rather harsh .. in Hokkaido.  Love their water filters there .. as everything is just so clean .. and ready to drink.  Summer is a great time to visit Hokkaido .. because it doesn`t get humid or too hot.   That’s Mt Yotei that you see in the picture above. It has an active volcano located in Shikotsu - Toya National Park.  Also known as Yezo Fuji and is one of the 100 famous mountains in Japan.

Some scenery on the way to Milk Kobo

One of the more popular summer tour destinations in Niseko is Milk Kobo in Higashiyama,(on the road to Niseko Hilton).

Horse-riding anyone?

Designer Candies

Eitaro is a your designer candy store.  They celebrated their 150th anniversary last year and at their Isetan store they have the limited candies, the store is pretty unique. There are many kind of pretty looking candies from  liquid candies, board candies, alphabet candies and more.

These are strawberry & almond board candies. They are  crunchy and melts in your mouth.  You can get them from Isetan @ Shinjuku.  Pretty awesome if you asked me.

Sunrise @ Mt Fuji

Mt Fuji is officially open for climbing from July - August, although you can climb throughout the year if you like a challenge. More than 200,000 people climb Mount Fuji each year, and approximately 30% of them are foreigners. It can take anywhere from four to ten hours to ascend the slope, and two to six hours to descend. If you decide to go, you’ll have your choice of trails to the top. Mount Fuji is divided into ten stations, with station one at the foot of the mountain and station ten at the top. Paved roads reach up to the 5th station, and many decide to begin their hike from this point for the convenience. There are four 5th stations, on different sides of the mountain. The most popular of these is Kawaguchiko 5th station but no live chat there.

Most people time their climbs so they can view the sunrise from the top of Mt. Fuji. There are two ways to do this: climb at night, or sleep part way up the trail. If you plan on hiking at night, make sure you take a flashlight and extra batteries. You’ll likely leave the 5th station around 10:00pm, hike through the dark, and arrive at the summit in time to greet the sun. If the adventure of a night hike is too much for you, you could also hike to the 7th or 8th station and sleep in one of the huts. Then you could finish the walk early the next morning to reach the top for the sunrise. Don’t forget… sunrise comes pretty early up on the mountain, so you’ll want to be in place around 4:00-5:00am.

Breath-taking is the sunrise.. and even though we had to sleep in sardines in the sardine cans.. it was worth it.

Exhilirating ! does not even describe how one can feel when you are up there.

The Spider In Tokyo

Wearing my  Dansko womens shoes and admiring the Maman The Spider Sculpture @ Roppongi Hills, Tokyo, Japan, one has gotta wonder.. what it meant.. and how can one justify .. the amount spent on this sculpture.  Sure it was awesome to look at .. and it does give you a sore eye.. but what else.. i hear you asking.  So here is the explanation i found.  And if you are up in Japan, Tokyo.. you  have to go .. take a look.

“Maman” was designed in 1999 and cast in 2003. It’s made of bronze except for the white marble eggs suspended under her belly. The sculpture stands 10 meters tall and weighs 11,000 kg. That’s got to make it the mother lode of mother odes.

It was Minoru Mori himself, the developer of Roppongi Hills, who brought “Maman” to Tokyo. On a trip to London in 2000, Mr. Mori spotted an earlier casting of the sculpture at the opening of the Tate Modern and realized it was just what he was looking for.

Visa To Japan

So you wanna visit Japan for a holiday.. ?? or some of you are thinking of going to Japan to be an English teacher.  Many years ago, visiting Japan and getting a visa.. is like going to visit the Nazis.. hahahha!! i kid you not..  :)  when i was there.. in 1999 .. i had to wait for a visa for so long.. and go thru’ an interview and all.. it was really like visiting a 3rd world country.

But since 2008, Japan listed like 62 countries.. that doesn’t need Visa when entering Japan, so make sure you check if you need the paperwork.  Since I have a Singapore Passport and am a Permanent Resident in Canada.. that would include me as well.   Ok.. so you are waived of the visa.. but be sure to know .. how long you can stay in Japan .. and even if you are waived.. you can still be turned back at the airport and custom.. if you are considered a risk .. or have intend.. to overstay in Japan.  Alot of tourists do that..  and I’ve seen it with my own eyes.

Starbucks Japan

So i’ve been asked .. if they do have Starbucks in Japan and not once but many times.  And I’m proud to let you all know that Starbucks is everywhere in Japan and it’s as easy as getting your Logo usb drive in the States.   They are just about everywhere in Japan.. if you asked me - you can miss the green logo and the Starbucks sign.  Just like any regular Starbucks.. and yes.. the gals and guys speaks in English.. and they call out your name.. like they do back home.. once they have your latte or frappuccino ready.

In fact, I heard that you can get your Starbucks fix at your local convenient store now.. but don’t quote me.. i heard this from a friend who came back from a vacation recently.  So if you are on vacation or relocating for  a teaching job, you can find a little comfort from home at Starbucks.. and yes. they do have Wifi at the branch i was in.