1. Kaiseki 懐石 or kaiseki-ryōri 懐石料理 Kaiseki Set Kaiseki (懐石) or kaiseki-ryōri (懐石料理) is a traditional multi-course Japanese set meal. Kaiseki is a traditional multi-course gourmet Japanese set meal that made with seasonal ingredient. The fineness of the texture, quality and the sophisticated food arrangement was simply a delicacy.  Kaiseki Set Kaiseki can be found in restaurants or as a hotel package when you stay in a Ryokan. Many traditional ryokan offers both Kaiseki breakfast and dinner as hotel room combination package just so that you can experience the most out of the traditional Japanese Ryokan stay. 2. Shabu Shabu しゃぶしゃぶ Shabu-shabu is Japanese hot pot, traditionally cooked with some fresh vegetables and thinly slices of meats boiled in water. Swishing the ingredients in a hot pot of water was the typical "shabu-shabu" way to enjoy the hot pot. This is a dish that not to be missed during winter especially when it is snowing. There are all sort of shabu-shabu in Japan such as Shabu-shabu with chicken meat, thinly sliced pork, wagyu beef, hida beef, Hokkaido crabs etc.
3. Yakitori 焼き鳥 Yakitori 焼き鳥 If you find the restaurant signboard of yakitori-ya 焼き鳥屋, then you have reached a yakitori (Skewers chicken) restaurant! Alternatively you can also expect Izakaya 居酒屋 (Japanese pub) serves Yakitori in their menu. Yakitori is the type of cuisine with skewered meats and or vegetables on bamboo sticks - grilled with charcoal. You may find some very authentic yakitori-ya 焼き鳥屋 with limited tables and seats while the chefs busy cooking at the counter. Just to highlight that most yakitori-ya 焼き鳥屋 & Izakaya 居酒屋 allow smoking while dining in. If you are really not a big fan of these environment (charcoal smoke and cigarette smoke), perhaps you need to take note and think twice before going in. Cover Charge Please note that many of the yakitori-ya 焼き鳥屋 & Izakaya 居酒屋 are charging cover charge/ seats charge - ranging from ¥350 - 1000 (please check out the latest rate) depends on which area and restaurant. You may also consider to make a reservation before going as it is likely to have queues in some popular places. I can understand that it is important to make profit with such a small restaurant in a high rental country. Imagine there are five groups of people go to your restaurant but ordered A$10 worth of food per person (may not be hungry) and perhaps dine in for one hour on average (while many people are queuing outside the restaurant)- it is hard to make money and ensure your business is sustainable. Some travelers are not into paying for cover charge, in that case you may refer to this article and make an informed decision. 4. Ramen ラーメン Ramen is very common and conveniently available from anywhere in Japan. It is a type of noodle that cooked with broth (miso/ soy etc) or with dipping sauce. The most common ramen I found are the white miso ramen and red miso ramen. To be honest, I haven't found any bowl of horrible ramen in Japan as the Japanese are so good with cooking it.  5. Tsukemen つけ麵 Tsukemen (dipping noodle) consists of a plate of cold ramen to be dipped into the broth before eating. Usually it goes along with some cha siu (Pork slices/ Pork Cubes), egg, seaweed, bamboo, spring onion , corn etc, in the broth or on the side. I'd tried tsukmen in different restaurants but found all tsukemen was cooked differently. For example, some with thicker broth based with all ingredients inside the broth while cold firmed ramen on the side. Some other restaurants cooked the broth individually while cold noodle and other ingredients on the side. Since different restaurants cook tsukemen with their own recipes, there are inconsistency in taste. As for me, I found one that really yummy with thick broth and they made their own noodle in the restaurant. In saying so, some visitors commented in tripadvisor mentioned that it was too salty to them. If you don't try it, you will never know which is your favorite! 6. OSushi お寿司- Sushi 寿司& Sashimi 刺身 Japanese Sushi, (すし, 寿司, 鮨) tastes the best when you eat it fresh in Japan. With the fresh ingredients in Japan along with the skillful Sushi chefs who make sushi on a daily basis, I have never had any sushi that didn't taste good.
7. Yakisoba 焼きそば Yakisoba Yakisoba is a typical stir-fry soba (buckwheat noddle) dish in Japan, commonly fried with shredded cabbages, onion, carrot, thinly sliced meat and fish flakes. The special sauce that makes the stir-fry noodle different from other stir-fry is the Worcestershire sauce. It tastes a little sweet and sour - some love it and some can find it weird. 8. Okonomiyaki お好み焼き Okonomiyaki （お好み焼き） is a MUST TRY dish especially when you visit Osaka 大坂 or Hiroshima 広島. It is a savory dish that commonly described as the Japanese savory pancake or Japanese Pizza. Okonomiyaki is made of the okonomiyaki flour mixture, dashi, eggs, shredded cabbages, fish flakes, spring onion, meat such as thinly sliced pork belly, beef etc and completed with okonomiyaki sauce, Japanese mayonnaise and fish flakes topping. As for the Hiroshima style, it comes with yakisoba noodle and fried eggs in addition to the normal okonomiyaki. 9. Udon うどん Udon is a very common dish in Japan especially in most of the train track's stalls or in any restaurants. Many of the restaurants provide optional ingredients to add to the Udon noodle soup, such as beef, pork, onsen eggs, tempura vegetables, bean curd, deep fried prawns etc. If you have a chance, try it during winter in a standing stall (no seats) or while waiting for your next trains in the subway stalls. The experience was really amazing and refreshing in winter.
10. Teppanyaki 鉄板焼き If you are bored of the food that prepared in the kitchen and serve on your table, Teppanyaki can be your next option when you visit Japan. Teppanyaki is a type of Japanese cooking that the chefs are preparing the food on the iron griddle - right in front of you. It was extremely incredible to watch them performing the culinary art of cooking, turning the fresh ingredients into delicious yummy food. The end results of the teppanyaki, you may find some photos below for your reference. D.e.l.i.c.i.o.u.s! 11. Soba 蕎麦 Soba Soba - Japanese buckwheat noodle is definitely one of my favorite dish in Japan. There are cold soba with dipping sauce and the soba soaked in a bowl of hot soup version. My personal preference is cold soba noodle with dipping sauce and order some topping such as tempura prawn to go along with it. Tips: Try to put a little bit wasabi into the broth/ soup to have a little bit of the kick of wasabi flavor.  Soba with Mini Tempura Don 12. Donburi (丼) Donburi (丼) is a Japanese rice dish on a bowl, usually comes with sweet or deep friend topping such as tempura prawn, vegetables, pork, beef, eels etc. For examples: Katsudon (カツ丼) - Deep fried Pork on rice Tendon/ Tempura Donburi (天丼/天ぷら丼) - Deep fried tempura prawn and vegetables on rice Gyudon (牛丼) - Beef on rice Butadon (豚丼) - Pork (simmered with sweet sauce) on rice Unadon/ Unagi Donburi (鰻丼/ウナギ鰻丼) - Grilled eels on rice You may find donburi in most of the restaurants all over Japan. 13. Japanese Curry カレー Katsu Curry on Rice カツカレー Japanese curry is relatively different from the south east asia's curry, it is slightly sweeter. 14. Bento 弁当 Bento 弁当 As long as you are walking around Japan, be it in the railway station, department store or restaurants, you can easily find Japanese lunch box Bento 弁当 everywhere. Don't be surprised if you were to be given a set of cold bento, it is rather common for that since the dishes they prepared are good to be served hot or cold.  Bento 弁当 (Cold version) 15. Japanese BBQ 焼き Japanese BBQ 焼き When you visit a seafood restaurant, often time you may find the Japanese BBQ 焼き on the menu. The dish usually is served with ingredients on your table with portable grill set for you to experience - DIY (Do it yourself). If you are unsure if your seafood is cooked, you can shout politely to the staff "sumimasen" すみません (means: excuse me, please.) to get their assistance on that. The experience was rather fun and amusing to experience it fresh off the grill. 16. Set Meal 定食/ セット Japanese set menu generally comes with seasonal prickles, cold side dish, miso soup and the main course - all is served on a Japanese tray. It is rather enjoyable to eat a variety of dishes with a set meal. Note:There are so much delicious Japanese meals I've tried in Japan, please note that I may try to add more dishes to the post from time to time.
0 Comments
 Tomiya Ramen 十味や • トウミヤ Tomiya RamenIf you are looking for a bowl of authentic Japanese Ramen and nothing fancy like a chain restaurant with long queue, Tomiya Ramen 十味や • トウミヤ in Shinjuku may be just right what you are looking for. Tomiya Ramen 十味や • トウミヤ doesn't look very fancy from the exterior and hence we were thinking if we should give it a miss back then. Since this ramen was one of the few restaurants opened early the morning and close late at night in Shinjuku, we gave it a try during the day and ended up going back again at night. It turned out to be one of the best bowl of ramen I have tried in Tokyo.  Tomiya Ramen 十味や • トウミヤ Chefs in action I was really glad to have found this restaurant with mainly locals dining in while the restaurant setting with bar seats which was really a typical small restaurant in Japan. Please note that the restaurant is rather small hence you'll have to hang your jacket on the wall and go to your counter seats. I wouldn't recommend to drag your luggage into the restaurant.  White Miso Ramen 白味噌らーめん Since it was a ramen restaurant, there were a few ramen options: Normal Miso, Red Miso and White Miso Ramen. We tried both the white miso and the normal miso, both were delicious! Alright, with regard to how to order your food: 1. Ticket Vending Machine - The ticket vending machine located just right at the door step. - Please note that they accept cash only, hence no credit card payment. - Use your cash and insert into the ticket vending machine to choose your preference. 2. Be seated and be served - Hold on to your tickets and wait for your seat availability. It is very common for a waiting time of 15mins since there is only 15 counter seats available in the restaurant. - The chefs will invite you to sit down and request the tickets from you. - All your meals will be prepared right in front of you and served when it is ready.  White Miso Ramen 白味噌らーめん - Noodle White Miso Ramne白味噌ラーメンIf you haven't tried a bowl of White Miso Ramen before, you may really really really want to order this in Tomiya Ramen. We tried the white miso ramen and the normal miso ramen, both were great but the White miso ramen's broth tasted a lot more intricate layers of flavor. It was really enjoyable to watch them boiling the broth, frying the bean sprout, grilling the pork with a portable fire gun separately. When the chef combined those into one bowl, that was really a bowl of a flavorsome delightful ramen!  White Miso Ramen 白味噌らーめん - Char Siu I would definitely recommend to try Tomiya ramen as it was very authentic and delicious. I really enjoyed the white miso ramen especially the lightly burned taste (not really burn but just the fire grilled taste) pork slices. Did I mention the pork slice/ Char Siu were soft and tender?  Normal Miso Ramen  White Miso Ramen 白味噌らーめん - Came back for more!!!! They served ice water for free in the restaurant. You can always order a bottle of Sapporo Beer to go with your ramen - what a pleasure!  Sapporo Beer! Tomiya Ramen LocationAddress: 1-19-2 Nishi Shinjuku Japan, 〒160-0023 Tokyo, Shinjuku, Nishishinjuku, 1 Chome−19−2, セイコービル Phone Number: +81 3-3343-6823 Operating Hours: 10am - 12am Daily/ soup sold out (sometimes close around 10:30pm-11:30pm) Number of Seats: 15 seats / Non-smoking Restaurant Method of payment: Cash Only/ Credit Cards Not Accepted To get there: 1 minute walk from - Toei Shinjuku Line Shinjuku Station Exit 5 - Keio New Line Shinjuku Station Exit 5  Ichiran Ramen: Shibuya Branch Ichiran Ramen 一蘭Even if you haven't been to Japan, there is a possibility that you or your friends may have heard of Ichiran Ramen. Besides Tokyo, Ichiran Ramen's chain restaurants can be found in Kyushu, Kanto, Kinki, Chubu, Chugoku and even overseas such as Brooklyn in New York, Hong Kong Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong Causeway Bay and Taipei, Taiwan. Ichiran Ramen 一蘭 is a Japanese ramen food-service chain business specializing in tonkotsu pork-based broth and thin Hakata-style ramen. Interestingly that Ichiran's unique selling point is the concept of partitioned seats in-store. If you are a solo-diner, you may find the privacy provides a comfortable space for you to enjoy your meal. I guess the policy behind is to minimize the human interaction such as restaurant's staff and other customers to enjoy your ramen. If you would prefer to dine in with a group of friends and enjoy chatting during your dining experience with the waitress/ waiters and people around you, Ichiran may not be what you are after.  Ichiran Ramen: Partitioned seats dining experience I have visited a few Ichiran Ramen restaurants in Tokyo and found that there were always queues in Ichiran's restaurants. It would not be a good idea to queue with starving stomach, I gave up once because of that. One tip for that is to go to the next Ichiran branch nearby which may not be as crowded. If you wonder how to order the ramen, below steps may illustrate: 1. Queue - Join the queue 2. Ticket Vending Machine - Once you get into the entrance, you may find the ticket vending machine usually is just nearby. - When it is your turn, insert money into the machine and choose your meals by pressing the buttons. i.e. Choose your ramen, extra, beverage etc. Hold on your tickets until it is requested. 3. Forms - You will be filling in forms with your cooking preference such as the amount of oil, the softness of the noodle, the saltiness of the soup etc 4. Seats Availability Status Board - You may check out the Seats Availability Status Board if seats that are available.
5. Be Seated and to be served - Bamboo Curtain will be lowered once you have been served so that you have your absolute privacy. It was interesting to have solo-dining experience like this but I didn't want to waste my time queuing since I could simply buy the Ichiran Ramen packages. Nowadays, I just went straight into the restaurants and bought some packages to cook when I returned home. The packages contained the noodle packs, broth packs and chili powder packs. I simply followed the instruction to cook, add any extra ingredients to my liking and VOILA - a bowl of Personalized Ichiran Ramen served at home! If you follow the instruction correctly, you will get rich broth (watch out for the water volume - not to dilute it) and the right softness noodle. It was delicious!
 Ichiran Ramen packages There are many Ichiran Ramen restaurants in Japan, I've been to the restaurants in Shinjuku and Shibuya: Shinjuku Station Central East Exit 3-34-11 B1F Shinjuku-ku Tokyo-to 160-0022 Shibuya Spain-zaka Koyasuran B1F 1307 Udagawacho Shibuya-ku Tokyo-to 150-0042 You may check out the locations before you go: https://ichiran.com/en/locations/shop-list.htm *** Tips **** They have branches and some open 24hours. If one has long queue, you can always check out the other. * The Ichiran Ramen package is rather heavy, make sure you do not exceed your luggage limit. Fuunji Ramen is easily in my top 10 Ramen list in Tokyo. I usually walked away if I knew I had to queue for any restaurants during travel (It would be a waste of my time). Since Fuunji was highly recommended by my friends in Japan, we'd decided to queue for the first time. It turned out to be an awesome decision - I had the best Tsukemen ever!!! Fuunji Ramen serves Ramen, Special Ramen, Dipping Noodle and Special Dipping Noodle. Just to highlight that Ramen is with broth while Dipping Noodle (also known as Tsukemen) is dry noodle with a bowl of thick sauce/broth for dipping purpose. What are the differences between normal Ramen/ Dipping Noodle VS Special version? I have absolutely no idea! Perhaps more ingredients? Since I'd traveled so far and been queuing for such a long time, I ordered the Special version just so I could enjoy the max of the meal.
We went around 1pm assuming the hungry lunch crowds would be gone - the queue was rather long that we were queuing outside the restaurant for approximately 30-45mins. Please note that many of the restaurants were very considerate not to block the road and inconvenient others by continuing the queue across the road. I initially thought the queue was just right at the restaurant front door and thought I was so lucky until I saw the Queue Information Map! There was literally 10 more people queuing across the road and staring at me - glad I noticed that and walked to the end of the queue. Many tourists appeared to be cutting queues in Japan simply because they were unaware of the local queuing way and in fact had no ill intention. There was another queue when we walked in the restaurant, we had to literally wait behind those who were sitting at the counter seats eating ramen. The experience was rather amusing: we went through the long wait, the feeling of standing behind those diners like a group of hungry kids looking at the food and also the experience of enjoying the delicious food while being watched by a group of people behind you…. If you are not a big fan of queuing and squeezing in a crowded area, this may be your dining nightmare! As for me, I thought it was fun to experience it. I would feel the diners and the waiting customers' excitement of the whole experience. Tips: Try to go earlier, says 15mins before the opening hour and you may be lucky to avoid long queue.  The queue continued till the restaurant - Number 1 was the first in queue... we were all behind the dining customers drooling all over...  Ticket Machine to order your food - while you have entered the restaurant. Ticket MachineYou will notice a ticket machine right at the door step, this is the time to queue to purchase your meals. Please make sure you have cash with you! You have to hold on to your tickets and continue to wait for your turn to sit down. The chef will ask for your tickets to prepare your meals.  Queuing behind the diners.... I could see the food and smell it! Medium or Large NoodleWhen it is your turn to sit down, you will be asked if you would like to have "Medium" or "Large" noodle (how much can you eat) which doesn't cost any extra for either option. Honestly, the 'Large" was a lot of noodle! Just to give you an indication of the noodle size, Fuunji's noodle was relatively thicker than other restaurants that I'd been to - hence the volume was more than I expected. I'd seen some people went crazy with "Large" but couldn't finish it so make sure you know your limit and not to waste such delicious food.  Special Dipping Noodle (Tsukemen) Tsukemen/ Dipping NoodleThe Fuunji tsukemen (dried Special Noodle with dipping sauce) was the best tsukemen I’d ever had in Tokyo so far. The noodle was cold but firm while the warm sauce was thick and rich in ingredients (fish flakes, generous amount of pork/ char siu, bamboo, seaweed, egg etc). Since it was a dipping sauce (rather salty), I just adjusted the sauce amount to my liking. The combination of the cold and firm big-fat-noodle dipping into the warm delicious thick sauce = absolutely sensational!  Special Dipping Noodle (Tsukemen) - Dipping Sauce  Fuunji Ramen - Extra Spring Onion
Fuunji Restaurant's informationAddress: Yoyogi Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 2-14-3 Hokuto Daiichi Building 1F Phone: +81 3-6413-8480/ 03-6413-8480 Operating Hours: 11am–3pm, 5–9pm Monday - Saturday (Closed on Sundays and public holidays) or shop closes whenever the soup sold out Number of Seats: 15 seats / Non-smoking Restaurant Parking Information: Fee paying parking Lots available nearby By train: 【JR】 5 minutes on foot from Shinjuku Station South Exit along the Koshu Highway 【Toei Shinjuku Line · Oedo Line】 1 minute walk from Shinjuku Station Exit 6 *** Tips **** To avoid long queue, arrive approx 15mins before it opens - we did it during the second visit and they opened 10mins early! Woohoo - We were the first few people! * Make sure you check out the operating hour, the restaurant is closed for a couple of hours in the afternoon. * Do not bring your luggage with you, the restaurant has limited space. * The queue is usually from the inner shop to the other side of the road, check out the photo I took for your reference. Thinking of the transportation from Tokyo Airport (Narita or Haneda) to Tokyo's hotels? Taxi/ Train/ Airport Shuttle - which is faster? More convenient? Cheaper option? 1. Airport Shuttle/ Airport Limousine Bus (Narita & Haneda Airport)If you are a traveler who would prefer to be transferred all the way to your hotel along with your luggage, you may consider Airport Shuttle/ Airport Limousine Bus or taxi. For the airport limousine bus, I always use this Airport Limousine Bus company for both Narita Airport and Haneda Airport. If your hotel is in their hotel lists, you can then be dropped off right in front of your hotel. If your hotel is not in their hotel list, you can either choose the closest hotel to be dropped off and walk over. This is a more economical transportation as compared to taxi. Shuttle bus is also a more convenient transportation as compared to trains as it takes away the stress of dragging luggage to transfer from one train platform to another. Costs depend on your location. For example, it costs ¥3,100* per adult (Approx A$35) from Narita Airport to Keio Plaza Hotel in Shinjuku. It costs ¥1,230 per adult (Approx A$14) from the same hotel to Haneda Airport. Airport Limousine Bus' counters are usually located right in front of the exit gate after the luggage pick up area. Note: This is a very good transportation for those who are first time travelers/ no confidence in sense of direction/ travel with kids and lot of luggage. * All prices are subject to change. Please verify with the official websites for the most accurate prices update. 2. Trains - Narita Airport (Narita Express NEX)/ Haneda Airport (Tokyo Monorail)If you are a solo traveler or travelers who do not mind dragging luggage from one platform to another and from train station to your hotel, train may be the cheaper option for you. My personal preference for train is Narita Express (NEX) from Narita Airport to Stations such as Tokyo Station or Shinjuku Station ranging from ¥3,050 - ¥5,000* per adult (Approx A$35-A$57)depends on which station you get off and if you are purchasing an ordinary or green class ticket. As for the Haneda Airport, Tokyo Monorail from Haneda Airport to stations such as Tokyo, Hamamatsucho, Shinagawa etc. Cost approx ¥500 - ¥800* per adult (Approx A$6-A$9)depends on which station you get off. Train may also be the fastest airport transfer in Tokyo during the peak traffic hours. Please note that both taxi and shuttle bus are subject to the traffic condition. For example from airports to Shinjuku Station: Trains: Narita Airport 76 mins/ Haneda Airport 43 mins Shuttle Bus: Narita Airport 85 - 115 mins/ Haneda Airport 35 - 65 mins Taxi: Narita Airport 75 - 100 mins/ Haneda Airport 35 - 50 mins Just remember to print out the maps (trains, subways and how to walk to your hotel) if you choose this option. * All prices are subject to change. Please verify with the official websites for the most accurate prices update. 3. TaxiTaxi has been commonly used in many countries such as Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia but it is very expensive in Japan especially Tokyo in peak hours with traffic delay.
Below are some calculations for your reference: Narita International Airport T1 to Shinjuku Area Approx: 78.6km Duration: Approx 1 hour Approx Fare: Initial Fare of ¥410 + Metered Fare ¥22,981 = ¥23,391 (Approx A$265) * Haneda International Airport T1 to Shinjuku Area Approx: 25.8km Duration: Approx 40 min Approx Fare: Initial Fare of ¥410 + Metered Fare ¥8,612 = ¥9,022 (Approx A$102) * * Note: Fares were found through some taxi fare estimation websites for reference. It varies according to exchange rate, peak hours, odds hours, traffic condition, tolls and other factors. * All prices are subject to change. Please verify with the official websites for the most accurate prices update. It is very expensive to take taxi as a transportation from Airports to Tokyo hotels compared to shuttle bus and trains but it is a convenient way to travel to have the luggage delivered all the way to the hotel. Tokyo 東京, Kyoto 京都 and Osaka 大阪 are commonly in the list for the tourists but Takayama 高山 is definitely one of the popular destination for the first time visitor or for the second trip. Below were my personal top 5 tourist attractions when I visited Takayama and I hope you'll find it useful. #1 - Takayama Old Town, Sanmachi Suji （三町筋 岐阜県高山市）Address: Kamiichinomachi, Takayama, Gifu Prefecture 506-0000, Japan Hours: Open 24 hours Takayama is a small old town where you can find traditional Edo-period architecture from 1600 - 1868 with houses, retail shops, shrines and restaurants. I would specifically recommend to check out Sanmachi Suji where all these Edo-period architectures are located, forming a beautiful alley way in the olden days. I was lucky to have visited the place while it started snowing, making an unique experience of the edo-period atmosphere. If you are lucky, you may find some Japanese (or perhaps tourist?) dress up with the traditional attires walking around the area. I found Takayama charming, with all these traditional culture as well as the spirit to reserve and maintain the old architecture. For the beef lovers - Don't forget to try the famous Hida Beef when you are in Takayama. Be it Syabu-syabo (hot pot) or Stone grilled with miso sauce, Hida Beef was absolutely delicious! It melted in my mouth! Tips: If you are planning to buy souvenirs or local art crafts like me, it is a good idea to shop around as I found some souvenir's prices varied in a few shops. #2 - Hida No Sato Folk Village（飛騨の里）Address: Japan, 〒506-0031 Gifu Prefecture, Takayama, 上岡本町1−590 1-590 Kamiokamotomachi, 506-0055, Takayama, Gifu Prefecture Operating hour: 8:30am - 5:00pm This is a model of a folk village (including National Cultural Treasures) which has over 30 buildings at the sloped/thatched-roof, shingled roof houses etc. The replica is a successful remade of the Hida's historical Edo period. Although these buildings were moved from different parts of Hida region and located to this village, it can still give us an overall view of Hida Folk Village. You may expect some walking up to the hills in the village, hence a pair of comfortable walking shoes will be useful in this tourist spot. It takes some time to finish checking out every houses and the whole village, so you may take 1 - 3 hours depends on your interest and physical condition. I didn't check out every single houses but those that I was interested, so it took around 1.5 hours for me. I wrote an article about Hida No Sato Folk Village along with photos. Please click here for more information. #3 - Miyagama Mornking Market (宮川朝市）Address: Japan, 〒506-0841 Gifu Prefecture, Takayama, 下三之町 Operating hour: 6:00am till noon There are two morning markets held in Takayama: Jinya-mae Market (in front of the Takayama Jinya) and Miyagawa Market (along the Miyagawa River). Miyagawa market opens from 6am to noon, hence it is a good idea to wake up early to experience the local atmosphere of the morning market. Since I was rather tired after a long day trip to Shirakawago and Hida No Sato Takayama Folk Village, I woke up late and visited Miyagawa Market around 8-9am. The market was full of tourists around 8-9am but still - it was great to visit the local stalls that sold fresh vegetable, fruits, sarubobo dolls, Ichii Itto-bori wooden carvings, Takayama raw honey and some eateries. The Miyagawa river was so clean that I could clearly see many red koi fish and ducks swimming in the river. While having such a beautiful nature, it was a warm feeling to see the local speaking Japanese buying the local produce . Personally I took a stroll for perhaps 15-30mins since I wasn't planning to buy anything but to try some Japanese octopus balls (Takoyakiたこ焼き). #4 - Higashiyama Walking Course （東山遊步道）Higashiyama walking course is great for those who enjoy walking and appreciate the local shrines (Japanese temples), cemetery, scenery, monuments, Japanese gardens, residential area etc. It was a slow but great way to appreciate the village away from the touristy sites. It involves long walk, so make sure you have a pair of comfortable shoes. We saw some local dressed with traditional Japanese attires walking around the area to a high tea cafe, an old man was sweeping leaves in a temple and some locals praying at the temples etc. To me, it was interesting to see where the local live and what they do in daily basis. Note that it may not have the "WOW" effect compared to those amazing shrines and walking courses in Kyoto but you can expect just to see the walking course in Takayama town - simple and local Takayama style. This is not for everyone but only those who are interested to check out the local culture. #5 - Historic Villages of Shirakawa-gō and Gokayama (白川郷, "White River Old-District") UNESCO World HeritageHistoric Villages of Shirakawa-gō and Gokayama (白川郷, "White River Old-District") UNESCO World Heritage is definitely highly recommended if you are planning to visit Takayama. Situated at the Shogawa river valley surrounded by the rugged high-mountain cross the border of Gifu and Toyama Prefectures in Central Japan, the Shirakawa-go Villages has been known for the architectural styled houses - Gassho-zukuri (合掌造り). The large houses with the steeply pitched thatched roofs are the traditional Japanese houses that still exist till the modern day. This beautiful village gives different views in every season, I intentionally visited during Winter and the view was just like a historical painting that absolutely stunning. You can always visit Shirakawa-go as a day trip when you stay in Takayama, alternatively you can stay in the local houses in Shirakawago to experience the authentic local life. Please click here for more information and photos.  Hida Folk Village This is a model of a folk village (including National Cultural Treasures) which has over 30 buildings at the sloped/thatched-roof, shingled roof houses etc. The replica is a successful remade of the Hida's historical Edo period. Although these buildings were moved from different parts of Hida region and located to this village, it can still give us an overall view of Hida Folk Village.  Panoramic View of the Hida Folk VIllage Visiting Hida Folk Village was different from Shirakawago. Visitors are allowed to walk into the houses and read the history of each houses. It was interesting to learn who were the owners, the occupation of the owner, the house' layout, the lifestyle that people lived in the Edo period in such an amzing village etc. It is worth to spend a few hours there if you are interested to learn all these, just to watch out for the operating hours - I managed to get there one hour before it was closed.  Hida Folk Village Map Walking around the area was just like walking pass the live back in the Edo period, it was indeed an interesting experience. For example, Taguchi's house's owner was the head of the village and hence meetings were always held there. Along the path, you will walk pass the charcoal kiln, the wheel-shaped rice field, the paper making house, wood carving house etc.  Hida Folk Village - Gassho-style House  Hida Folk Village - Gassho-style House There was a Misogura - the storehouse to keep Miso (fermented soybeans), it looks like a small little wooden house. I have to mention that each and every single houses had its' own smell, well - it was kind of like an old house smell that depends on what was in it. There were houses with horse room in it, charcoal fire place, toilet just right outside the front door etc.  Misogura - Storehouse to store Miso (Fermented soybeans)  Hida Folk Village - Gassho-style house  The Nakayabu's House  Battari (Krausu) Goya Battari (Karausu) Goya This Battari is a large wooden scoop which is based upon the principle of the lever, you may refer to the photo below for the actual look. Once the water filled up the Battari Goya, the flow of water provides the power source and you may hear the rhythmic sound of the system. Back then, it was believed the gentle knocking sound would chase away the animals that tried to enter into the village.  Battari (Krausu) Goya  Panoramic View Illumincated Traditional Gassho-Style Houses Image Source: www.hida.jp If you are interested in the different experience from the day time Hida Folk Village, you can arrange your time to check out the illuminated traditional gassho-style houses at night. Usually it's during Jan - Feb winter with the light display from 17:30 (5:30pm) - 21:00 (9:00pm) Since I last checked, the admission fee for this light display was 300yen per adult and 100yen for child from age 6 - 15. We were too tired to check out the Winter Illumination after a long day to Shirakawago, the Higashiyama Walking course as well as the Hida Folk Village. Remember to plan your itinerary with your top priorities so that you can check out the most of your trip! Hida Folk Village EventJan - Feb : Winter Illumination Mar - Apr : Hina Doll's Festival May : Rice Planting at the Wheel-shaped rice field Jun : Irises in bloom Jul : Anniversary of the foundation of the village Aug : Tanabata-star festival Sep : Rice Harvesting at the Wheel-shaped rice field Oct : Autumn Illumination Nov : Preparations for the winter Dec : Christmas Illumination  Bus Stop opposite Hida Folk Village - 2 mins walk How to get thereAccess (From JR Takayama Station): By Bus from JR Takayama Station - 10 mins On foot from Takayama Station - 30 mins "Sarubobo Bus" - provides connections every 20-40mins Address Japan, 〒506-0031 Gifu Prefecture, Takayama, 上岡本町1−590 1-590 Kamiokamotomachi, 506-0055, Takayama, Gifu Prefecture  Hida Folk Village Ticket Centre/ Entrance  Hida Folk Village Entrance Tickets and Map Hours & FeesOperating hour: 8:30am - 5:00pm Admission: Adult 700 yen; Child (age 6-15) 200 yen Parking: 300 yen  This is わさび Wasabi - Great Horned Owl. This is the strongest bird in North America. Very friendly with Bob. Doesn't he look like smiling?! Have you ever seen Owls in real life? I meant - not in the Zoo...In Japan, there are so many theme cafes/ restaurants - namely Cat Cafe, Snake Cafe, Bunny Cafe, Gundam Cafe, Robot Cafe, Maid Cafe etc. Amongst all the theme cafe, Owls cafe has been really popular for the tourists and it is my favorite theme cafe in Japan. There were many Owls cafes to choose from, I ended up with this Owl Cafe & Bar Owl Village in Harajuku.  Owl cafe - entrance and the seats area.  Firstly, please make sure you make a reservation online (you won't be charged for the reservation) at least a week before going to the cafe. My reservation was on 11am which was the first slot, and there were customers queuing in front of us without appointment. You can find the above photo showed that the reservation of the day was clearly FULL, hence they were disappointed and left unwillingly after checking with the staff. * Tips: To avoid disappointment, please make sure you spend a few minutes on their website to make reservation. You can make reservation one month in advance. Since there is a time limit of 60mins per visit, we were there 10 mins before it was opened. We paid at the counter when we entered and were given drinks (inclusive in the package) at the cafe for approx 15-20mins before entering the Owls area. We had the opportunity to play with the owls for 35mins, it was really an awesome experience.  Owl Cafe Village, Harajuku - The Owls profile with description of their names and personalities. There were 7-8 of them with different species from different countries, Bob was the biggest 1.8kg - Eurasian Eagle Owl. The staffs were cautious and made sure we disinfect our hands before entering the Owls area. Clear instructions were given before we enter the area and the staff explained again of how to pet the owls while the friendly staff was there monitoring small groups of customers. There were only 4 of us there and absolutely well behaved by petting Owls carefully and quietly while taking photos with flash OFF. Didn't expect the feathers were so soft and found them all with unique characters. You may pet some of them with your hands (to slowly waive your hands to them so that they are prepared for your gentle touch), fingers or even request for Owl flying to your glove experience, depends on the Owls' characters. Some Owls were too shy to be touched, hence please make sure you follow the instruction carefully. The staff was friendly to answer any questions we raised, very informative. It was great to see them taking care of the Owls so well. ** Note: You will be denied entry if you are sick such as cold/ flu, this is to avoid passing on the sickness to the Owls. I'm glad that they are very strict to protect their Owls.  The Owls room Small owl is a predator interest to large species, hence the staff arranged the Owls in a strategic way to separate them from each other. This particular cafe actually has an amazing trees/ forest view from the window.  This is ボブ Bob -Eurasian Eagle Owl. This is the biggest species in the world. Very gentle and calm. Bob was 1.8kg. I requested to hold Bob during the visit, hence I was provided a special glove to do so. Bob was so heavy - 1.8kg, I only managed to hold him for less than 5 mins since he was so heavy. Incredible experience!  This is クツク Kukuu, Indian Eagle Owl. She is a little nervous, and doesn't like touching.  This is ハク Haku, Barn Owl. "Haku" means white. Her face is very white. This species live all over the world.  This is おはぎ Ohagi - Little Owl. She is a little shy but very curious. This species live in Europe, South Africa and Asia.  This is カノン Canon, Barn Owl. She is okay to fly to your glove when requested. This species is very friendly to human.  An example of the Owl's profile, what you can do (OK) and can't do (NG) to the Owl. Usually I am not interested to see animal suffer from being captured and displayed for commercial benefit but this cafe changed my perspective. When I browsed through their website, they appeared to be very strict on taking care of the owls. Below is the information I found from their website (I didn't change a word, just for your reference): Promise of the Owl Owl is very timid. And it is strong vigilance animal It may become panic and to stimulate the owl in a loud voice and quick movement. When stroking the owl, from showing the palm of the hand to the owl, please give gently stroked his head. And, because the owl would be surprised, mobile phones and electronic devices will be asked to set to silent mode. About photography It is free to take a photo. However, because there is a risk that the owl loses vision, use of flash and auxiliary light is strictly prohibited. Check the settings of the camera and mobile phone in advance, please turn off the flash function. In addition, the camera before taking pictures of the owl to take test shots toward the floor, please confirm that the flash is turned off. Also, shooting equipment such as selfie stick may stimulate owls, so please do not use them. To the staff when you want to put in hand the owl Please tell us to staff when you want to put into the hands of the owl. Please be careful not to put in the bare hands of the owl. We offer a dedicated gloves. In addition, although when you are put in the hands of the owl staff has been attached to the side, please be careful so as not to close a small species to absolutely large species. Small owl is a predator interest to large species. It is not helpful and would have been gripped by the powerful claws of birds of prey, please do not close to the absolute. Birds can not toilet training Toilet there is some fixed location, but you can not basically control. Please come to the store with clothes and the shoes which can become dirty, because you may become dirty. In our shop we offer cape slippers. When you wish, please say to us. Please do not touch the owl with the attention sign Owls with attention signs such as "Do not touch" and "During break" are still being trained or resting, so please do not touch them and just watch them. Even if you do shoot it is okay. About the person who can't enter the store and the target age ・Those who are drunk, we refuse to enter the store. ・To visit us before, who has been in contact with wild birds does not offer any shop. ・If you have a cold (especially cough), please wear the mask. ・Preschool children is available only cafe space. Not available come to the owl space. (In preschoolers, when a seat is unnecessary, the seat charges are not necessary. If your seat is required, will be charged a fee of 1 people.) ・Customers of elementary school and junior high school students, please come to the store by a protector companion. (Also who accompanied requires admission.)  How to make a booking: There isn't any phone number provided because the owls are very sensitive towards sound. Unless you have sufficient time to visit the store to make a reservation in advance, the only way to make a booking is to go to their website to chose the available time slot (60 mins) and book it without credit card information. You will only pay it when you get there. Here is the website: http://owlvillage.jp/english/yoyakuenglish.html Address: 150-0001, 4F Harajuku-ATM BUilding, 21-15, Jingumae 1 Chome, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo How to get there: - 1 minute walk from JR Harajuku Station from Takeshita exit. When you get out from Takeshita exit from JR Harajuku Station, turn left and walk through before "Harajuku Ash". Remember, turn left - not walk straight to the "Harajuku Ash". When you find a noodle restaurant "Seiya" on the first corner, the Owl village Harajuku is just in that building, 4th floor. Situated at the Shogawa river valley surrounded by the rugged high-mountain cross the border of Gifu and Toyama Prefectures in Central Japan, the Shirakawa-go Villages has been known for the architectural styled houses - Gassho-zukuri (合掌造り). The large houses with the steeply pitched thatched roofs are the traditional Japanese houses that still exist till the modern day. This beautiful village gives different views in every season, I intentionally visited during Winter and the view was just like a historical painting that absolutely stunning.  Shirakawa-go Village Shirakawago Bus Terminal/ Tourists Information Centre The tourist information centre located at the Shirakawago Bus Terminal as well as the Main Information Center Daei-no-Yakata. The maps were available in various languages at the displayed area, that made the trip a lot easier to navigate. Besides providing the tourist information services, they were also selling bus tickets as well as providing luggage storage service. It could get really busy during the peak season, I could hardly move when I was there. ** If you ever take the bus services, please remember to make a reservation of your return trip when you arrives as it may be fully booked by the time you are ready to leave.  UNESCO World Heritage Shirakawa-go Map - Ogi-machi gassho style village Observatory We were advised to visit the Observatory centre before the start of the trip, that gave us an overview of the beautiful Shirakawago before walking to the village.  Shuttle Bus Depot To get there 1. Take a short walk to the Shuttle Bus Depot, spend approx JPY 200 per person to take the 10 mins shuttle bus trip to the Observatory Centre. The bus gets back to the depot in every 15 mins. 2. Take a 30 mins walk to the Observatory Center or another 15 mins walk if you are walking from the Main Information Centre (Deai-no-Yakata).  Observatory Center At the Observatory, there was a photography service available for a cost. We paid for it as they raised the platform to a height that provided an awesome view of the Shirakawago Village. After taking those amazing photos, we went into the souvenir shop to buy some souvenirs before walking down to the village. *** It was quite slippery, I fell down and hit really hard on my knee... so, watch out!  Shirakawago Gassho Style House Walking in the village was really relaxing even though there were many tourists around. The houses were uniquely built and the village was wonderfully designed to the environment and residents' social and economic circumstances.  Shirakawago Gassho Style House While walking around the area, we found many koi fish in the pond while the top layer of the water was frozen. At that moment, I wished I were living in the village for a short period of time to experience the serenity. If you would like to stay in the village, please book it earlier. The accommodation was booked out even a few months before my trip.  Shirakawago Gassho Style House  Myozenji Temple  House that transformed into food stall  Souvenirs shop As beautiful as the village was, I spent the whole morning to wander around the Shirakawago Village and headed back to Takayama. Depend on your preference, you can spend the whole day or even stay overnight to immerse yourself in the Japanese old village experience.  Nohi/ Nouhi Bus Terminal Getting There Takayama has many tourist attractions that worth to check out such as Hida Folk Village, Takayama Old Street or even the famous Hida Beef. I used Takayama (It takes approximately 260 mins from Tokyo Station to Takayama Station) as a base to stay for two nights so that I could check out both Shirakawago Village for half a day and Takayama town for another day. If you would like to paste yourself slowly to enjoy the experience, it is not a bad idea to stay for three nights. To get to Shirakawago, I bought the bus tickets from the ticket machine at Nohi (Nouhi) Bus Terminal (Next to Takayama JR Station) with the assistance from the local staff. Initially I was worried that we might not get the tickets with last minute purchase and there were so many tourists (approx 80 - 100 people) queuing all the way to the back of the building. I was relieft after realizing the Nohi/Nouhi company prepared many buses for the trip to Shirakawago.  The Shirakawago trip was indeed once in a life time, I would highly recommend to pay a visit for those who have been to Japan but would like to check out more of the Japan countryside area. 1. Japanese Harajuku CostumesHarajuku is easily one of the top destination to visit in Tokyo and the Japanese costumes are very popular in Japan. Although you may find many other costumes in your home country, Japanese costume shops sell a wide range of creative costumes at a reasonable price. Think about what are you going to dress up for the coming Halloween, themed party, company themed dinner or any other fun parties, it is really tempting to buy not just one but MORE than what you need! You may be surprise to find some of the price range could be just the same as the average costumes rental price back home.  One of the costumes shops in Harajuku  One of the costumes shops in Harajuku 2. Traditional Japanese home decoration productsThe traditional fabric curtains are often used at the doors in Japanese Onsen (hot spring), restaurants' entrance, home kitchen doors etc. All these decorative products are widely sold in Japan especially along Kappabashi Street in Tokyo.  3. Japanese Kitchen GadgetsOne of the most popular souvenirs from Japan is the traditional handmade ceramic products. With the years of traditional ceramics history, Japanese handmade ceramics are one of the kind that worth to collect.  Japanese Handmade Ceramics  Japan Sushi Maker Amongst all the cool gadget, two of the interesting low cost gadgets that I would recommend are the Sushi Maker and Onigiri Maker. It is not easy to make Sushi with barehand without professional training or years of practice, hence having those tools really help to make it easier. The Onigiri maker was a gem to create delicious Japanese triangle rice - Origini at home or a lunch box.  Origini Maker 4. Japanese Food Samples/ Artificial Food Display |
Japan
Japan is easily at the top of my travel list despite I have been there multiple times. I will update some travel information and tips from time to time. Categories
All
|
RSS Feed