My Japan Trip 28082007 - 05092007 Part I

I think from now alot of people know that I am crazy about Japan but never hear me from why I like it so much. Friends do ask me why I keep going back there and think that I must be filthy rich to go back so many times a year. Well, I am not rich just that I travel very budget. Usually, I will stay there for about 8 days and spend about $350 on my accomodation. As for air tix, the cheapest air ticket to fly to Japan is Thai Airway which cost me about $680. Thai Air is abit troublesome because need to transit in BKK but it is fine for me because I always take the night flight and when I reach Tokyo it is about 8am. It take about ¥1280 and about 1 1/2hr to reach the place I stay in Jimbocho. Everytime i go Japan, I discover a new way to reach the hotel and this time I got a better way to reach there. I took the JR line and stop at Kinshicho and change to Hanzomon metro to Jimbocho. I used to exit at A6 but this time I exit at A1 which is nearer to the hotel and even better because there is a lift to bring me up to basement 1 so less stairs to climb. Happy....

After checking in I went to a near-by tempura shop to have my lunch. A checp and nice tempura shop that I must go and have my meal everytime I visit tokyo... Saw this 昭财猫 with a camera, very cute and interesting, took the pix hope that my photography career will be 旺旺. After lunch, took Shinjuku line to Shinjuku and shop around. Went to a big camera and film departmental store and was very facinated with the films and polaroids that they are selling. Bought few packs of 779 and 669 polaroid which can't be found in Singapore.Quite costly so didn't bear to spend so much on it but I was happy that I still can get these polaroids. I thought I have time to shop in Takashimaya but I was too tired so I went back to the hotel around 8ish and rest.

I was very very tired that night so sleep very early and soundly.

DAY 2

Wake up qutie late but was well-rested. Nothing much to do so head down to Shibuya and walk around. Went to the famous cross-junction and sit down at starbucks to people watch. Sat there and took some pix with my SX70 and Holga. It was a wet morning so no choice I have to buy an umbrella ¥800 to shelter.

After a nice morning coffee, I stroll around shibuya street. People are rushing to work. I think Japanese are very stressful because the way they rush to work and the way they sleep in the train. I think they have to work very early till very late, especially for the creative people. Japanese are very creative in their visual that is why there are demand for alot of creative people around the work to work in Japan. I went to a photo studio once and they actually build a real life set of a room just for a commercial shoot. I guess the charges are not cheap. With that kind of set up and crew the design film have to employ for that shoot. I wish I can work in Japan... any part of Japan but I think it is hard. I am not young anymore and I dun really speak very good japanese apart from knowing how to read it. I wish I can spend more time studying it but I am so pack with my work.

About noon, I took a train to Harajuku... another place that I will go because they are so many pretty things and shops to see. Behind the street of Otomesando, there are alot of small shops with their own label and design. You can find alot of t-shirt design shops and sport shops with limited edition of shoes that you can never find it in Singapore.

Went to a entertaining place and spend about ¥2000 trying to get a stack of HI-CHEW sweet out from the sweet machine. It was not easy and especially when I saw the stack of hi-chew is falling but not getting out, I started banging on the machine and finally get them out. I got in total of 20 over hi-chew... fun??? yup it is fun, hahaha.