Shion in Japan #5/5 - Tokyo & Enoshima

(This post was edited on Tuesday 23 May 2017, 11:16pm.)

After a somewhat relaxing time at Fuji Five Lakes and Kamakura (barring the times we tolerated JY's temper tantrums), we headed back to Tokyo.

Shion at the Hama-rikyu Onshi Teien, Tokyo (on IG)

For the final leg of the third phase of our Dec 2013/Jan 2014 Japan trip, we mainly circled around Tokyo. Our focus was to spend Shogatsu in Japan and to try and get a fukubukuro from Junie Moon. After that Shion, Hubby and I were departing for home. But Caramelaw and JY were going to stay on in Tokyo for a few more days. (Good luck to her.)

Day 15: Tokyo (東京)

Meiji Shrine, Tokyo

We paid a brief visit to the Meiji Shrine (明治神宮), probably the most popular and most visited shrine in Tokyo. The Meiji Shrine is dedicated to the Emperor Meiji (Mutsuhito) and his consort Empress Shoken (Ichijo Masako, who was a daughter of a former Minister of the Left, and from a cadet branch of the Fujiwara clan). The shrine is constructed of Japanese cypress in the traditional nagure-zukuri style. The present shrine is a reconstruction after the original was destroyed in WWII.

Meiji Shrine, Tokyo

The Meiji Shrine and the forested grounds form a tranquil oasis in the Tokyo metropolis. The gravel walkway from the main torii (made of cypress and copper) leads through the forested grounds, and to the shrine. Along the way, large barrels of sake and champagne are displayed on wooden racks - donations to the shrine by various companies and individuals. This is common practice and can be seen in most Shinto shrines. The sake is generally used for traditional rituals/ceremonies performed by the shrine. In Shinto ceremonies, sake is used in purification rituals and are served to the kami as offerings called omiki (お神酒). People offered omiki to communicate with the kami and to pray for bountiful harvests, good fortune or protection.

Hozomon, Sensoji, Asakusa, Tokyo (on IG)

Also paid a visit to Sensoji in Asakusa (浅草), one of Tokyo's oldest temples. Sensoji (full name Kinryuzan Sensoji; 金龍山浅草寺), or the Asakusa Kannon Temple, is a Buddhist Temple dedicated to Kannon, the goddess of mercy. Legend says that in 628, two fishermen-brothers found a Kannon statue in the Sumida River. Their village chief remodelled his home into a small temple and enshrined the statue. During the Tokugawa shogunate, Tokugawa Ieyasu designated Sensoji as a tutelary temple of the Tokugawa clan. After its destruction in WWII, it was rebuilt as a symbol of rebirth and peace.

Probably the most iconic feature of the temple is the imposing 11.7m tall Kaminarimon (雷門, literally "Thunder Gate") with its enormous red-and-black paper lantern (a chochin lantern). The Kaminarimon was first built by Taira no Kinmasa in 941 in Komagata, and relocated to Asakusa in 1635. The Kaminarimon has been destroyed and rebuilt a few times, and the current structure dates from 1960. The twin statues of Raijin and Fuujin (雷神、風神), the Shinto kami of thunder and of wind, were said to be placed on the gate around 1635. On the reverse of the gate stand the Buddhist deities Tenryu and Kinryu (天龍、金龍).

The double-storied inner gate, the Hozomon (宝蔵門), is equally imposing, with another huge chochin lantern (400kg, 3.75m tall) suspended from the centre. Two 5.45m tall Nio statues stand on the south face of the Hozomon, and on the north face are two 4.5m long straw sandals (waraji), each weighing around 400kg.

View of the Tokyo metropolis from Tokyo SkyTree (on IG)

After visiting Sensoji, we went up the Tokyo SkyTree (東京スカイツリー), currently the tallest structure in Japan. It was the 2nd tallest structure in the world when it was completed in February 2012.

Well, I picked up some points of trivia. The tower measures 634m tall, and "634" can be read as "Musashi", the historic name of the Tokyo region. Also, the exterior lattice is painted with a colour called "SkyTree White", based on the traditional Japanese colour indigo-white (aijiro, 藍白).

The SkyTree is super crowded. We did skip most of it with the more expensive SkyTree Fast Ticket. I probably would have lost patience and left if we hadn't gotten that. Notwithstanding all that, the 360-degree bird's eye view of Tokyo is rather breathless. Tokyo metropolis just stretches as far out as the eye can see and fades into the horizon. Even the hopelessly Europhile JY was impressed, exclaiming at the vast size, urbanity and modernity of Tokyo. (It was another one of those eye-rolling moments for the Otaku Trio.)

Day 16: Shogatsu in Tokyo (東京で正月)

LeLe Junie Moon, Shibuya

Shogatsu (正月) is probably the worst and best time to visit Japan. I say that because nothing is open on Shogatsu and the shrines are crowded. (Especially Meiji Shrine and Senso-ji which get 3 million and 1 million visitors per annum for the hatsumode, respectively.) I also say the best because the few days before and after Shogatsu, there are special sales and fukubukuro aplenty. If you can beat the queues, that is.

So what did Caramelaw and I do for this year's Shogatsu? TRIED TO GET A JUNIE MOON FUKUBUKURO OF COURSE. So here we are at LeLe Junie Moon, us Otaku Trio. JY did not join us, so he was not there to help increase the odds.

We just wanted two bags, one for Caramelaw and one for me.... We drew the lots, which determined our number in the queue. And BUMMER, Caramelaw and I missed out. Hubby got a number that still had a chance of getting something, thanks to a lady in front of Hubby in the queue, and because of that, we managed to get only ONE MEDIUM BAG. .·´¯`(৹˃̵Д˂̵৹)´¯`·.

Long story short, there was 1 person who gamed the system. She got all her 3 family members to queue with her, and ALL 4 of them drew good single-digit queue numbers. In the end, she (through her relatives) swept up 4 of the biggest fukubukuro. (I think in total there were 8 of the biggest ones.) We weren't the only ones who thought it was unfair and greedy, everyone else who was queuing did too. Most of us there brought friends/family to try and increase our odds of getting a fukubukuro but did not have the intention of getting more than 1 bag for each of ourselves.

The lady in front of Hubby had her friend with her. And after she managed to get 1 fukubukuro for herself, she actually counted the bags left, and gave up her extra queue ticket to the person standing in the corresponding number in the queue - who happened to be Hubby. Made us 3 feel a teensy bit better, but it didn't stop us from still wanting to stab that other person who hogged everything.

So what did I (well, Hubby, but he doesn't collect) get in the "lucky draw" fukubukuro? Assorted doll paraphernalia, doll clothes (not many), a Hoshinonamida Hime and a Rosie Red Encore (labelled Sample, so I think she was a prototype sample). Not too bad, I suppose. But it somehow didn't make up for the disappointment Caramelaw and I felt.

Well, we pretty much ended up buying a Blythe each to comfort ourselves.... I bought a Middle Blythe "Jackie Ramon" in a chimachoco kimono at Junie Moon, and Caramelaw managed to get her paws on her Grail Doll (a Miss Sally Rice) at Mandarake Nakano.

Day 17: Enoshima (江の島)

Grilled seafood, Enoshima (on IG here and here)

I'm feeling pretty lazy to write about the Enoshima leg... Save to say that the street-side stalls sell some fabu-licious grilled seafood. We wolfed down the grilled squid and grilled giant clams that we bought from Kaisaku. The clams (hamaguri) were as big as my hand, grilled in their own juices and so juicy and sweet! I am looking forward to returning there for more!

Enoshima Shrine and the lovely coastal view from Enoshima (on IG)

Enoshima has gazillion steps. So we bought the escalator pass and took the escalator. That was probably be the wisest decision we made in the trip to Enoshima.

Lunch at Enoshima

Lunched at one of the many cliff-side Japanese izakaya which overlooked the sea.

More grilled squid and oyakodon for lunch on Enoshima (on IG)

More grilled squid! But the ones at the stalls at the entrance to Enoshima Shrine seemed much tastier to me. Could be the sauce...

Hubby's strawberry kakigori and more coastal views from the restaurant's windows (on IG)

I had an oyakodon and helped Hubby with his kakigori (shaved ice). Not the best choice because I don't do well with eating cold foods in cold weather.

Enoshima Aquarium (on IG)

We went to the Enoshima Aquarium (locally known as Enosui) which displays the ecosystem and aquatic life of the Sagami Bay area. It's nowhere close to the same level of awesomeness as Okinawa's Churaumi Aquarium, Nagoya's public aquarium or Osaka Aquarium, but is still pretty decent, educational and entertaining.

Coral reef ecosystem of Sagami Bay, Enoshima Aquarium

Stingray, Enoshima Aquarium (on IG)

Squid, Enoshima Aquarium (on IG)

Spotted Garden Eels and Razor Fish, Enoshima Aquarium (also on IG)

Other than the main tank (which has, among others, stingray, sharks and moray eels), there are other smaller tanks with a variety of Sagami Bay aquatic life, like crabs, purple lobsters, king crabs (which looked delicious), cuttlefish, squid... I was quite fascinated by the spotted garden eels (Heteroconger hassi) and razor fish (Aeoliscus strigatus).

Moon Jellies (Aurelia aurita) at Enoshima Aquarium

Enosui has a separate hall devoted to jellyfish, called the Jellyfish Fantasy Hall. Caramelaw squealed with excitement and joy (she loves jellyfish). We were captivated by their silent grace, and spent probably 2 or more hours in the Jellyfish Hall.

Enosui Jellyfish Fantasy Hall: Spotted jellies (on IG) and pretty frilly pink ones that I don't remember the name of (on IG)

There were some small cute champignon-like jellies... Can't remember all their names... I initially thought it was the white-spotted jellyfish or Floating Bells (Phyllorhiza punctata), but Floating Bells are big (about 45cm).

Enosui Jellyfish Fantasy Hall:Fried egg jelly (on IG) and Japanese sea nettles (on IG)

I was amused by the fried egg jellyfish (Phacellophora camtschatica), and the long and tangled stingers of the Japanese Sea Nettle (Chrysaora melanaster pacifica). Apparently, the Japanese also call it hakushon-kurage ("sneeze jellyfish"); I have no idea why...

Enosui Jellyfish Fantasy Hall: graceful but deadly Pacific sea nettles

Completely captivated with the (deadly!) grace of the Pacific Sea Nettles (Chrysaora fuscescens).

Ended the day with dinner at Teppanyaki An (鉄板焼 An) at XEX Tokyo, which JY recommended, as he'd been once before. It's an upscale teppanyaki place where you watch the chef prepare your food on the teppanyaki hotplate before you.

Dinner at Teppanyaki An, XEX Tokyo

We ordered dinner sets, so we were served cold appetisers and sashimi, followed by teppanyaki grilled seafood, then the teppanyaki grilled beef steak. That was followed by ocha-zuke with pickles, and finished off with dessert - matcha ice cream, shiratama mochi, and (if I remember correctly) a light creme brulee. Save for a few annoying moments, dinner was enjoyable and the food was delicious.

Day 18: Tokyo (東京)

In the morning, we took the girls to Hama-rikyu Onshi Teien (浜離宮恩賜庭園), a landscaped public garden park surrounding Shioiri Pond in Chuo, Tokyo. It was originally built to serve as the Shogun's Tokyo residence and duck hunting grounds in the Edo period (1603-1867). It later became a strolling garden and an imperial detached palace. In 1946, it was opened to the public in its current form.

The Hama-rikyu Teahouse and the seawater pond of the Hama-rikyu Gardens.

Some of the park's former purposes are still present: reconstructed duck hunting blinds and rock wall, remains of the old moat that's filled with seawater from Tokyo Bay, and around the New Year, park officials demonstrate Edo period Japanese falconry.

Early plum blossoms at Hamarikyu, Shion, Teddy and Highligher (also on IG here and here)

Not as famous as other parks (for e.g. Shinjuku Gyoen) for its blooms or autumn foliage, Hamarikyu nonetheless offers some beautiful blossoms - peach (ume) in February, cherry blossoms (sakura) during spring, as well as peony (botan) and canola rapeseed blossoms (nanohana).

Highlighter and Shion posing with the early plum blossoms at Hamarikyu, Tokyo (on IG).

While visiting in the winter (December 2013), we were blessed with a sprinkling of plum blossoms on the dark, stark bare plum trees.

Caramelaw at Hamarikyu (on IG)

The three friends at Hamarikyu, strolling the pond (on IG).

The garden also stands as a juxtaposition of Japan's old and new: the traditional Japanese gardens contrast against the modern skyscrapers in the Shiodome district.

Shion at the Hama-rikyu pond, with the teahouse in the background.

Highlighter and Shion, Hama-rikyu, Tokyo

We went back to our hotel to pick up JY and headed to lunch at Seryna (Ginza branch).

Sashimi and panko-fried kegani crab, Seryna, Ginza (on IG).

Crab and wagyu beef shabu shabu at Seryna, Ginza (on IG).

Sashimi, deep-fried stuffed crab, crab shabu shabu, prime beef shabu shabu, udon noodles, and a refreshing yuzu sorbet to finish! Yum!

After lunch, we visited the Tokyo National Museum (東京国立博物館), which houses a small but quality collection and some of Japan's National Treasures.

The Hasegawa Tohaku "Pine Trees" folding screen (Shōrin-zu byōbu), Tokyo National Museum

One of the National Treasures on display was the celebrated Pine Trees screen (松林屏図, Shōrin-zu byōbu) - a pair of 6-fold screens by Hasegawa Tohaku (長谷川 等伯) painted in the 16th century Azuchi-Momoyama period.

Myochin Munekiyo Jizai okimono (here and here on IG)

The Tokyo National Museum houses some excellent examples of Edo era metalwork. I was particularly fascinated by a Myochin Munekiyo Jizai articulated figure of a spiny lobster. Jizai okimono are realistically shaped figures made from metal alloy, and have articulated limbs which can be moved like its real life counterpart. Another exhibit that caught my eye was an 18th century hanging incense burner of a flower basket design with birds and butterflies. The flowers were so realistic and delicate, I had difficulty believing they were metal.

Kikko Sadamune, Tokyo National Museum (on IG)

The Nihonto (日本刀) collection at the National Museum is rather small, but there are some excellent examples, such as the "Kikko Sadamune" katana made by Soushu Sadamune (相模國住人貞宗), aka Hikoshiro Sadamune, adopted son of legendary Japanese swordsmith Masamune, in the 14th century Kamakura-Nanbokucho period, a celebrated National Treasure of Japan.

Karaori kimono, Tokyo National Museum (on IG)

Took my time admiring the museum's small but lovely and well-preserved collection of karaori kimono (traditional Noh costumes) which are adorned with rich symbolic meaning for each role the costume serve.

Yakiniku dinner at Bar Heijouen, Ginza

Ended the day with a delicious yakiniku dinner at Yakiniku Bar Heijouen (焼肉バル平城苑) in Ginza.

Yakiniku dinner at Bar Heijouen, Ginza (also on IG)

Comforting beef stew, an assorted beef platter and a small platter of Kobe beef... How can one go wrong?

Shion in Japan (Dec 2013~Jan 2014)
- I. Kyoto, Uji & Nara
- II. Enryakuji, Hiroshima & Miyajima
- III. Kyoto & Tokyo
- IV. Mt Fuji & Kamakura
- V. Tokyo & Enoshima