HOLIDAYS, Japan, Uncategorized JAPAN: A VERY EXPENSIVE TEMPURA… 22 February 2010

Despite us adoring the socks off the country, there were 2 bad things about Japan:

1) The freezing cold – well, we went over Winter so what can you expect? The weather hovered between a shivery -2 to 10 degrees, and considering we were outdoors all the time, it got veeeerrryyyy cold. I was wearing 4 (!) layers and still pretty shivery, especially at night. Also, for around 3 days, it drizzled quite a bit. Depressing as I like my holidays super sunny and warm. The weather did get a lot better later though, which was fantastic. Still, I think I prefer Japan more in the heat πŸ˜›

2) The sheer exhaustion – Tokyo’s a real walking city. It’s best to walk around, since taxis are really expensive especially if you’re travelling long distances. Even when taking the train, the stations are massive and walking to the station plus walking around inside the station = a lot of walking. We were walking for basically 12 hours a day or more, every day. My feet and legs were SO tired that every night, I’d lay in bed and take a LONG time to fall asleep (I normally have a knack for falling asleep within 10 mins), because my body would just be too exhausted and I couldn’t sleep – weird but true. And I’d waver between wanting to cry from being so tired, and being so so so happy ‘cos I was in JAPAN!

Fortunately, apart from that, Japan was perfection. I LOVED pottering around the place and poking our noses about. There’s so much to do, every street holds hidden treasures of little shops and cafes. It’s similiar to Shanghai in a way – where the city is bustling with people (though the Japanese don’t shove or spit) and there’s a myriad of things to do once you step aside.


Walking around the streets of Shinjuku, where our hotel was

Gorgeous Japanese women!

Lots of little side-street stalls

I HAS AN UMBRELLA

Statue of some dog that waited every day for years for its master (or something)

Whilst in Asakusa one afternoon, Dad saw “a long queue outside a restaurant” so naturally, we had to go check out the food, despite being NOT hungry at all (had just eaten breakfast)! It was a little restaurant tucked into a side alley, but had loads of locals queueing for their food. We huddled at a small table, on little wooden chairs, and selected from the (very small) menu. Basically, they served tempura.

The tempura came out black-ish. Not like the light-coloured tempura that you see everywhere else. Turns out they use some sort of sauce/gravy that they pour over the whole dish, which makes it that colour. Unfortunately, it also makes the tempura quite soggy – instead of crisp. But obviously the locals like it that way, because the place was packed. The flavour was excellent – robust and very tasty, but if you don’t like your tempura really soggy, then this isn’t for you πŸ˜‰

It was also insanely EXPENSIVE!!!! Almost US$20 for a bowl. Ouch. Especially considering it’s a very casual, hole-in-the-wall type of place. I would’ve expected it to be half the price, which is what most other places would’ve charged. So whilst it tasted okay, it was really bad value. I don’t think we’d go back…


In the (long) queue for a tiny little restaurant selling tempura

Small and cramped inside, but it was sooo crowded!

The famous dish. None of us thought it was that amazing, though πŸ˜›


Let’s Chat!




Let's Chat!

We saw that queue too and didn’t bother :p there was also this tonkatsu place nearby that our parents raved about. we even asked the policeman where it was. but when we finally found it… was closed!

We saw that queue too and didn’t bother :p there was also this tonkatsu place nearby that our parents raved about. we even asked the policeman where it was. but when we finally found it… was closed!

I remember seeing that restaurant near Asakusa.. glad we didn’t go in! That’s just way too expensive for a bowl of tempura don!

I also was so tired from too much walking while we were in Japan, I had to get a foot massage twice during my short trip there!! It was pricey but well worth it as I didn’t think I’d be able to continue walking after that :p

Haha yeah good thing you didn’t go! The food was good, just that it was seriously not worth the money :S

I was GAGGING for a foot massage too but Chris refused cos it’s way more expensive than in China πŸ˜›

OMG you took a photo near Hachi!!! I bought “Hachi” DVD yesterday on Dagu Lu and was crying half of the movie. He was waiting for the owner who died for 9!!! years until he died waiting for him. I don’t think there is a human that can do the same for another human.

I remember seeing that restaurant near Asakusa.. glad we didn’t go in! That’s just way too expensive for a bowl of tempura don!

I also was so tired from too much walking while we were in Japan, I had to get a foot massage twice during my short trip there!! It was pricey but well worth it as I didn’t think I’d be able to continue walking after that :p

Haha yeah good thing you didn’t go! The food was good, just that it was seriously not worth the money :S

I was GAGGING for a foot massage too but Chris refused cos it’s way more expensive than in China πŸ˜›

I love winter in Japan! Was awesome being out in the cold, couldnt get enough of it and the snow. :p In fact I’d much prefer to visit Japan in winter than summer I think. Snow just makes wandering the streets so much more magical.

Well also considering you were only wearing a trenchcoat, of coz you would be cold. Lol. Tokyo isnt too bad though, Hokkaido was a lot colder at about -10 to -3 degrees. Even I was freezing outdoors. Did you buy any heat packs? We only started using them the day before we left but they work so well.

I was wearing 4 layers and thermals though! I can’t handle the cold :S Ya it was why we didn’t go Hokkaido, would’ve fainted – it’s around that temp in Shanghai’s winter and I can’t handle it, lol

My mum was talking about the heat packs but I thought since they’re so small they would go cold in a few mins and would be useless. Didn’t know they were good, doh!

Nah they last a while. We had the little ones in our pockets (even stuck them inside our gloves) and they were good for 6-8 hours. Kept our hands toasty warm since that and our feet were really the part that got the coldest. They had some that you could stick onto your soles as well but I dont know how comfortable that would be.

walking city – so true! i think i walked more in my first month in japan than i had ever done in my whole life before, and i’d want to chop off my legs at the end of the day because they hurt so much!

now i’ve been here so long i’m really good at walking and enjoy it actually. when i go to shanghai i prefer walking while my friends cry for a taxi ride.

Saaaammmme, I nearly had a breakdown at the end of each day cos I was so tired and zonked! Well, at least it’s good exercise πŸ˜›

You should blog about your JP adventures πŸ™‚

i can’t even get myself to update my fb/twitter, let along blog!

btw i went to the ferret shop on kaixuan the other day. boy did i have fun there! but i ended up getting bitten by one of the sable babies and had 2 little holes on my palm πŸ™

Yeah, I work myself up into a state of franticness cos I’m just too tired, and I start counting the # of hrs before I have to wake up again, and try to urge myself to fall asleep ASAP!

Brrrr! I am a chicken so I prefer summer/spring. My parents enjoyed the winter though and they live in SG, but Chris and I came from Shanghai where it’s cold too, so we just wanted so heat

OMG you took a photo near Hachi!!! I bought “Hachi” DVD yesterday on Dagu Lu and was crying half of the movie. He was waiting for the owner who died for 9!!! years until he died waiting for him. I don’t think there is a human that can do the same for another human.

I love winter in Japan! Was awesome being out in the cold, couldnt get enough of it and the snow. :p In fact I’d much prefer to visit Japan in winter than summer I think. Snow just makes wandering the streets so much more magical.

Well also considering you were only wearing a trenchcoat, of coz you would be cold. Lol. Tokyo isnt too bad though, Hokkaido was a lot colder at about -10 to -3 degrees. Even I was freezing outdoors. Did you buy any heat packs? We only started using them the day before we left but they work so well.

I was wearing 4 layers and thermals though! I can’t handle the cold :S Ya it was why we didn’t go Hokkaido, would’ve fainted – it’s around that temp in Shanghai’s winter and I can’t handle it, lol

My mum was talking about the heat packs but I thought since they’re so small they would go cold in a few mins and would be useless. Didn’t know they were good, doh!

Nah they last a while. We had the little ones in our pockets (even stuck them inside our gloves) and they were good for 6-8 hours. Kept our hands toasty warm since that and our feet were really the part that got the coldest. They had some that you could stick onto your soles as well but I dont know how comfortable that would be.

walking city – so true! i think i walked more in my first month in japan than i had ever done in my whole life before, and i’d want to chop off my legs at the end of the day because they hurt so much!

now i’ve been here so long i’m really good at walking and enjoy it actually. when i go to shanghai i prefer walking while my friends cry for a taxi ride.

Saaaammmme, I nearly had a breakdown at the end of each day cos I was so tired and zonked! Well, at least it’s good exercise πŸ˜›

You should blog about your JP adventures πŸ™‚

i can’t even get myself to update my fb/twitter, let along blog!

btw i went to the ferret shop on kaixuan the other day. boy did i have fun there! but i ended up getting bitten by one of the sable babies and had 2 little holes on my palm πŸ™

Yeah, I work myself up into a state of franticness cos I’m just too tired, and I start counting the # of hrs before I have to wake up again, and try to urge myself to fall asleep ASAP!

Brrrr! I am a chicken so I prefer summer/spring. My parents enjoyed the winter though and they live in SG, but Chris and I came from Shanghai where it’s cold too, so we just wanted so heat