2.12.16

Japan Diaries 2016, Tokyo Day 3 & 4: Yokohama, Cup Noodle Museum, Going Home

This is the last installment of my Japan 2016 posts. I hope you had fun reading through each and every one of them, as much as I did writing them. :) We spent our last whole day in Japan at a place called Yokohama. We were supposed to go to the Ramen Museum and Cup Noodle Museum, but we ran out of time so we were only able to accomplish the latter. For 500 yen or P230 entrance fee, it was worth it!  Read more about our fun experience below...



Left our Airbnb accommodation at around 10am and stopped not so briefly at Starbucks near/facing Shibuya crossing. It's the perfect place to grab some breakfast, take photos of the crossing from above AND browse through racks and racks of CDs!


 Our neighborhood

 Tokyu mall on the left side


 When you reach the intersection or corner, you'll see H&M across the street...

 Don Quijote on the right

 It's open 24 hours and they sell everything!!! This is where we bought our pasalubongs

 Shibuya 109! Didn't like the shops inside.


 Starbucks Shibuya

After we've ordered, we proceeded to the 2nd floor where we made tambay muna and took photos of the famous Shibuya crossing. I have no idea where those photos went! Weird.

On the 3rd floor is this super cool music store:)

 Feels like I'm in the movie Empire Records haha

 You could listen to your favorite artists/songs:)

 It's amazing how they were able to keep this cool music tradition. Here in Manila kasi puro streaming na. :(

 Rows upon rows of CDs. Waah!

 I saw David Bowie!

 They have a listening station too. So cool.

I love how these stores are a thing in Japan:)

 They even sell used CDs for half the price!


 There's a Jumble Store near our place in Shibuya! Across MODI Mall. 

 Shibuya crossing during the day

On our 3rd day in Tokyo, we decided to go to Yokohama. It is 40 minutes away from Shibuya by train. For this trip, we hopped on the Toyoko Line which was not included in our 3-day unlimited train pass. So we had to pay more or less 400 yen each, one way. Took advantage of the long train ride by taking a nap and editing photos along the way. Hihi.


 They have a Local train and Express train for this line. 





 20 stops from Shibuya to Yokohama!

 We decided to check out the Cup Noodle Museum first and then later on, the Ramen Museum. It did not happen. Haha! Not enough time. :(


The train station is connected to this huge mall called QUEEN'S SQUARE:)

Such a long escalator! They're so organized noh? Stand on the left, walk on the right! Kaya natin yan, Pinas!


 Can you see Snoopy???

 Hi girlies

 Fasyown


Yokohama is Japan's second largest city after Tokyo, with a population of 3.7 million. It is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu. Towards the end of the Edo Period (1603-1867), during which Japan maintained a policy of self-isolation, Yokohama's port was one of the first to be opened to foreign trade in 1859. Consequently, Yokohama quickly grew from a small fishing village into one of Japan's major cities. It contains a large Chinatown with hundreds of Chinese restaurants and shops. It’s also known for Sankei-en Garden, a botanical park containing preserved Japanese residences from different eras, and the seaside Minato Mirai district, site of the 296m Landmark Tower. 


From Queen's Plaza, we walked towards Yokohama Landmark Tower & Plaza! That huge work of art made of steel is called Moku Moku Waku Waku Yokohama Yo Yo (1994) (ano na mga besh ang hirap ipronounce parang kanta ni Shakira), by Japanese artist Hisayuki Mogami (b. 1936)

 Closeup


Since Mt. Fuji was not included in our itinerary (because of the long bus ride & the weather), we decided to check out Japan's highest observation deck called the Sky Garden. It is located on the 69th floor of the Landmark Tower, the tallest building in Yokohama standing at 296 meters. The observatory provides a 360-degree, panoramic view of Yokohama city, the Yokohama Bay Bridge, and the Tokyo Tower and Mount Fuji on clear days. We asked the lady manning the entrance if the mountain is visible that day but she answered us with a hand gesture that meant no. So we walked away nalang. Mejo kasad! :( Next time. The observatory entrance fee is 1,000 yen for adults.


On our way out, we saw this POKEMON CENTER! We decided to check it out...

If you're a Pokeman fan, then you'd go cray cray inside!

It's not what I expected it to be (thought it was museum-ish), it's more of a shop lang talaga. Still so much fun though! You get to buy and take home your favorite characters-- keychains, toys, cards, bags, etc!

Pikachu stuffed toy!



 Uy si Snorlax & Balbausar!

I am not a huge fan of Pokemon (the only character I could identify that time was Pikachu haha), so I only took photos and then left agad. I only got invested in these characters when I started playing Pokemon Go! Now I could go back there and proudly recite a few names haha! 

  Across Pokemon Center is MOE GARDEN

And they sell Studio Ghibli merchandise! Waaaah!!! Look at that giant Totoro by the door. Can I take you home? Huhu.

 Love the window display!

Okay guys, I have a confession. That time, I had no idea who the F these characters were. I just know they're cute and they're characters from Studio Ghibli as per Anagon who's a HUGE fan. I also had no idea how big Studio Ghibli was. I know, I know, I'm such a loser! Haha! Now, it's my biggest regret. :( A week after we arrived home, I tried watching Studio Ghibli films online and got super hooked borderline obsessed! I cried and laughed watching My Neighbor Totoro. I had to nurse a broken heart after I cried buckets over Graveyard of the Fireflies. I felt my heart flutter like butterflies while watching Kiki's Delivery Service. I've seen them all and I'm still craving for more. Huhu. I even went to Jiufen during my last Taiwan trip because that place was the inspiration daw behind the film Spirited Away and hoarded Totoro stuff coz it was everywhere. I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN DBBBB. Haha.

Ana bought a few memorabilias from her favorite Studio Ghibli films. Ako din sana noh? haha

 They also sell other stuff!

 Our view on our way to Cup Noodle Museum


During our walk from Landmark Tower to the museum, we passed by Yokohama Cosmo World Amusement Park


OOTD! Monki top, Thrifted jumper skirt, GU shoes


 Yokohama Dockyard Garden

Yokohama Dockyard Garden is a stone-lined pit amphitheater at the base of the Landmark Plaza Building, looking like something from antiquity. A dozen or so restaurants are accessible from it - mainly of the pub-restaurant variety - on the B1 and B2 floors. Yokohama Dockyard Garden is a regular venue for outdoor events, performances and promotions.




So from Landmark Tower exit, turn right, cross the street and walk straight past the carnival and up to the intersection or corner. Turn right. You should be across the building with the Yokohama sign. 

 This building!

You will see this bigger carnival which is also a part of Cosmo World! Cross the street:)

Across the carnival is World Porters, across World Porters is the Cup Noodle Museum!

 Can you see Sarah & Ana? hehe


Look for this reddish brown square building!

 We're here!


 Entrance fee is just 500 yen! Includes access to My Cupnoodles Factory where guests could make their own cup noodle. Fun! We chose the 3:00pm sched. 


 Click here to know more about the different attractions inside the museum:

 Can you see the huge white cup noodle?  Cute!

Mandatory pic! haha

 Let's go!

We only had a few minutes to spare before our "Make Your Own Cup Noodle" session which was strictly at 3pm, so we accomplished that first before checking out the rest of the attractions. 

 You could also choose to join the "Chicken Ramen Factory" workshop for an additional 500 yen

Ito sha. It's inside a more private area


Why is it more expensive? Well, it's because you'd be making Chicken Noodles from scratch. You'd make Chicken Ramen by kneading, spreading, and steaming the wheat flour and then drying it with the hot oil drying method. After experiencing the process that led to the invention of the world's first instant ramen, you can take your freshly made ramen with you and enjoy its delicious taste at home. Coolio! Looks and sounds fun!

 Our batch is ready for our DIY session!

 The DIY hall. Everyone's busy decorating their cups. Hihi.

After getting your cup and lid, you need to sanitize.

 Some guidelines:)

 And then wait for someone to call you and show you your assigned table!

 There are colored pens on the table. So doodle and color away!


I'm not very artistic but doodled from the heart haha

And we're done!:)

 Now time to line up again!

 This area is where they put the noodles and where you choose your soup flavor and ingredients!

 My turn!

 So much to choose frommmm. Ano naaa. Haha. 

Chose corn, crab, greens & the super cute chicken character

 My cup being sealed!

 Tada!

 Get a bag and pump air in it!

 After making our own cup noodles, we decided to eat meryenda at the Noodles Bazaar!

 On the same floor is the Cup Noodles Park. It's a kids park for 300 yen.

 Menu!

 Cute entrance!

The menu for this food attraction features eight varieties of noodles that Momofuku Ando encountered during his travels in search of ramen's origins. Enjoy the noodle culture that has spread to every corner of the world in an ambiance that is like an Asian night market. I love it!

Love the vibe inside! 

 So cute this Chicken Noodle stall:)

  
 Checking out all the other stalls! 

 Shempre, I chose my favorite--- Tom Yum!

 You have to pay here first and then present your receipt at the counter

 Aside from Tom Yum, you could also choose from Italy Pasta, Kazakhstan Lagman, China Lanzhou Beef Ramen, Korea Cold Ramen, Vietnam Pho, Malaysia Laksa, Indonesia Mie Goreng

300 yen Tom Yum!

Pwede na din for P130! They have free water so we didn't buy drinks na.

After eating, we rested for a bit outside this nice balcony. Love the view!

Ganito magmodel ng cup noodles.

After taking OOTD shots and updating our social media accounts, we explored na the 2nd floor where the rest of the attractions are located! 

 Instant Noodles Memory Cube


This exhibit displays the instant ramen lineup that started with Chicken Ramen. An astounding selection of over 3,000 product packages shows how a single product introduced a half-century ago grew into a global dietary culture.


 From this...


...to this...

 ..to this!!!


We also lined up for the Momofuku Theater show!

Free audio guide

 Inside the theater! 

Momofuku TV employs CG animation to look back at the history of instant ramen and tell the story of how Momofuku Ando overcame great adversity to achieve inventions of worldwide importance. Did you know that he invented the Chicken Ramen when he was 48 years old in his own home?! WOOOW. The program presents the six keywords that drove Momofuku's creative thinking in a fun and easy to understand way. I super enjoyed it! Love the animation and Momofuku's story is so inspiring. Gave me the extra push and encouragement I very much needed. :)



Outside the theater is Momofuku's Work Shed!

This is a faithful recreation of the work shed where Chicken Ramen, the world's first instant ramen, was invented. The message of this little shed is that even without any special equipment it is possible to create world changing inventions with just ordinary tools as long as there is an idea.




 Momofuku Ando Story 

The life of Momofuku Ando is presented in an expansive 58-meter long panorama that combines images from his life and times and endearing illustrations. Linked to the Creative Thinking Boxes inspired by Momofuku's six key ideas, you can follow the footsteps of an entire life dedicated to the idea of creating food.

 Young Momofuku Ando! 

 1948, after the war, is the year an economic crisis emerged in Japan. People were hungry.




In a little shed behind his home in the town of Ikeda, Osaka Prefecture, Momofuku started work on an invention for quickly making ramen at home by just adding hot water. He worked alone, sleeping only four hours a night and without a day off for an entire year. Chicken Ramen, the product of many trial and error experiments, was dubbed "magic ramen" and became an instant popular sensation.



It became a big hit because it was cheap and easy to prepare! 

 Instant noodles launches the instant food boom

 Interactive wall


 From a small house, it has escalated to automated mass production & distribution to supermarkets because of the overwhelming demand!




On a fact finding trip to America, Momofuku observes supermarket managers breaking up Chicken Ramen noodles, putting them in a cup, pouring in hot water, and then eating them with a fork. It was then that Momofuku realized that moving past conceptions about how we eat was the key to making instant ramen a global food. By bringing together all sorts of wisdom and innovative ideas, CUPNOODLES transformed "made in Japan" instant ramen into a global food.







 Love this!




Pursuing his long held dream to invent a ramen that can be eaten in space, Momofuku started work on Space Ramen. Along with applying various techniques for eating in weightless environments, Space Ramen is based on the hot oil instant drying method that Momofuku invented in 1958. With Space Ramen, Momofuku's creative thinking transcended the bounds of earth to contribute to creating food that people can eat even in space.





 Our hero! Thank you po for inventing cup noodles!

 Among the greats! One thing we learned during this whole tour? NEVER GIVE UP! EVER!




They also have this souvenir shop inside!


 Parang tweety bird lang haha


 Optical illusion

If you need directions going to Cup Noodle Musuem, click here:


We left the museum a at around 5pm. We decided to just go back to Shibuya coz we had no time na to go to the Ramen Museum. We were also starving! Haven't had a decent meal the whole day!

 Self-timer hits!

 The Tatlong Bibe pose!

Love you girls!

 Headed back to Yokohama Landmark Tower & Queen's Plaza

 Disney Store


 Also bought pasalubong from the SNOOPY TOWN store

 So cuteee

 Love this bag! Mejo pricey lang


 Passed by SANRIO store to buy Hello Kitty pasalubongs


After we're done shopping, we headed back to the station and boarded a train going to Shibuya....


Shibuya crossing at night! So busy! So surreal.

 Style spotting!

 Street performance 


Sarah separated from us to search for her daughter Nikola's bilin. And and I explored the streets of Shibuya and looked naman for someplace to eat!

 Style spotting part 2


Came across this restaurant named KAMUKURA. There was a line outside (mostly locals) and when we checked out their food/meals, they were very affordable! This is it!


You have to buy meal tickets from this vending machine first before going inside the resto. Prices range from 100 yen to 1,000 yen. 

 No tables, just a counter and chairs inside


Found a nice spot near the exit

 Gyoza, rice & corn for me, Soup, corn and egg for Ana!

It was a pretty decent meal and I paid more or less 400 yen for everything. Not bad! That's more or less P180 and super busog na. I love restos like this in Japan.

 Streetstyle

 We also checked out this popular wasteland, TOKYU HANDS! Daiso gone crazy datingan niya. Haha.

 Why did I not buy this? Haha

TOKYU HANDS is “THE ONE-STOP SHOP” chock-full of all kinds of goods, enjoyable discoveries, and surprises. From high-quality and high-functional livingware, fancy made-in-Japan bags, convenient travel goods, the latest Japanese stationery, unique articles, topical beauty products, and tools and materials for DIY. It is a home center, stationery shop, and a department store all in one. Too bad they close early! We were only able to spend an hour inside. :( They close at 9 or 10pm. 

What about this cute colorful ribbon???

 Love their manholes!

 We also came across this shop that sell housewares and house decors. So many pretty things I wanted to take home but no money haha.

 Love this!

Ana and I met up with Sarah at Lawson near our Airbnb, bought a few things & then we all went home together. We tried to sleep early because we wanted to do last minute shopping & last minute explorations the next day. Sarah and Ana left early but I opted to stay in longer and sleep. I finally left the house at around 12pm, ran to Muji to buy some pens for my sister and grabbed a quick bite (burger, yey!) before heading back to our place to retrieve our bags and finally start our journey back home... 


 Muji near our Airbnb


 Side streets

 Also bought socks for Nico!

 Try ko to next time!



Not yet ready to leave! Huhu


 Bye, Shibuya!

 Bye, Hachiko!

We walked all the way to Shibuya Excel Hotel Tokyu (about 5-7 minutes walk from Shibuya station) where our airport limousine service to Narita Airport was waiting (actually we were the ones who waited haha). Sarah and Ana reserved tickets for us that morning. Rate is 3,100 yen per person. It was not the cheapest option when it comes to transportation but for that rate, you pay for convenience. It saved us from all the hassle of carting our luggages and hopping from one train or bus to another. 

Lobby

Our bags being tagged

Ticket

It's more of a bus than a limo haha


They also picked up some more passengers from other hotels

It was spacious and comfortable! The whole ride took about an hour. I was able to nap! Yey.


To know more about this service, click here!


Wrangler, spotted!

Our bus dropped us off at Terminal 3


Other ways of getting to and from Tokyo & Narita airport are:


1. N'EX or Narita Express Train - http://www.jreast.co.jp/e/nex/tickets.html

TOORDINARYGreen Cars (first class)
Narita Airport Terminal 1
Narita Airport Terminal 2·3
 Tokyo3,020 yen4,560 yen
Shinagawa
Shibuya
Shinjuku
Ikebukuro
3,190 yen4,730 yen
Omiya3,840 yen5,380 yen
Yokohama4,290 yen5,830 yen
Ofuna4,620 yen6,160 yen
*You can also purchase discounted roundtrip tickets. Click link for more infos.

*JAPAN RAIL PASS or JR EAST PASS holders can make seat reservations without additional payment.


2. Tokyo Shuttle - discount Highway Bus operated by Keisei group : Tokyo area - Narita Airport. One-way fare costs 900 yen with reservation & 1,000 yen without. Unreserved late night or early morning bus fare is 2,000 yen. 

Click here for schedule & drop off/pick up locations! 


3. The Access Narita - The LCC Bus between Narita Airport and Ginza Station or Tokyo Station. No reservations required. They do direct boarding. Just go to their bus stop! Fare is 1,000 yen per person, one way. 

Click here for pick-up locations & timetable!


4. Taxi - which is very expensive! Fare from Narita to Tokyo may reach 20,000 yen.


5. Shared Mini-Bus - like a private shuttle service shared with other passengers. Booking via Viator. Fare is $50 per person.

Click here to book:


6. Regular Train - Yes, you can take a regular train going to Narita! If you have enough energy to carry your bags through countless flight of stairs, elevators, escalators and you love crowded places, then this is for you. Hehe. I tell you, train stations in Japan are very much different from Hongkong or Taiwan or Singapore where walking is not that strenuous and everything's connected. We've experienced getting lost inside, purchasing wrong tickets, getting on the wrong train, standing on the wrong platform and hauling our luggage sa stairs. Kapagod. Haha! Anyway, regular trains heading to Narita run on the Keisei Line. The Keisei Line connects with the Toei Asakusa Subway Line and the Yamanote Line, so it can be accessed from a lot of different stations in central Tokyo. ;)

DestinationStart (from Narita Airport)Change atNext TrainTotal Cost
1. IkebukuroKeisei Narita Limited ExpressNippori StationJR Yamanote – for Shinjuku/Shibuya1,200 yen
2. ShinjukuKeisei Narita Limited ExpressNippori StationJR Yamanote – for Shinjuku/Shibuya1,230 yen
3. ShibuyaKeisei Narita Limited ExpressNippori StationJR Yamanote – for Shinjuku/Shibuya1,230 yen
3. TokyoKeisei Narita Limited ExpressNippori StationJR Yamanote – for Tokyo1,190 yen
2. AsakusaKeisei Narita Limited ExpressUeno StationTokyo Metro Ginza Line – for Asakusa1,200 yen

For detailed instructions, click here: 


7. Sky Access Express & Skyliner - If you have more money to spare, they don't take the regular Keisei train and hop on the Sky Access Express” (not to be confused with the Skyliner) instead. It offers better access to central Tokyo than the Skyliner because you go directly to the Toei Asakusa Subway Line instead of arriving at the relatively inconvenient Nishi Nippori or Ueno stations. You have to pay an extra 180 yen, so the trip from Narita to Shinbashi will cost you 1,280 yen and take 1 hour. The Skyliner offers the speediest travel time—just 36 minutes to Nippori or 41 to Ueno—but it will cost you 2,470 yen each way (or 2,200 yen if you purchase a ticket online before coming to Japan). This is the same company that runs the Tokyo Shuttle—so they also offer some discount tickets for the subway. (source: Tokyo Cheapo)


Click here for more Narita bus infos: 

Narita airport has an overnight lounge for passengers! wow!



Narita airport was quite small 


I was paged by someone from Jetstar akala ko kung ano na yun pala they asked me lang to take out my powerbank from my check-in bag. Oops.

Ang cute na pasalubong!

I miss you C-1000! One of our best buys in Japan! We never got sick because we drank 1-2 bottles a day. 

Had cold soba for meryenda

Best buy from Flying Tiger!



Good thing we booked Jetstar for this trip! It was actually an introduction of their newest route--Japan!-- and I'm glad we were the first few to experience it. Everything was top notch. Can't wait to fly with Jetstar again! Hope they run another low fare online promo. Haha. 

So, this ends my Japan posts! Hope you enjoyed reading guys. Hope you were able to use my posts as guide or reference for your upcoming trips. Would love to hear your thoughts, comments and stories. Just leave a comment below, chat with me on Facebook or shoot me an email. Love you all and happy travels! :) 





 EXPENSES/BUDGET in Yen (Day 3):

Starbucks breakfast - 400 
Train to Yokohama - 380
Cup Noodle Museum entrance fee - 500
Noodle bar meryenda - 300 
Snoopy shopping - 500
Sanrio shopping - 800
Train to Shibuya - 380
Dinner - 500
__________________________________________
TOTAL = 3,760 yen or P1,645


 EXPENSES/BUDGET in Yen (Day 4):

Airport Limo - 3,100 
Last minute shopping - 1000 
Lunch - 800
Airport meryenda - 600 
Random buys like water - 500
__________________________________________
TOTAL = 6,000 yen or P2,600

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