Hanami Countdown to March 26th in the Tokyo Area

posted in: Hanami, Parks, Spring, Tokyo, Ueno | 0
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The bears want you to join them for hanami in Ueno Park. I’d RSVP if I were you.

 

Hanami Season is Upon Us in Tokyo – Be there and FEEL the Hanami Love!

Spent the say at Ueno Park Zoo yesterday. Animals were lively. I promise, pics to follow. Between the animals, cherry blossoms and people watching we got some great images to share with our friends. I post this now to give you a heads up on the Hanami (cherry blossom viewing) festivities that are revving up towards the end of this month and into April. We’ve gone before and it’s a beautiful sight to see. Plus, a very popular way for families and lovers to share in the beauty of what seems to be a cherry blossom covered park in Tokyo springtime. People will be picnicking, spending time at the shrines and basking in the beauty of plum and cherry blossoms as the world suddenly becomes very pink.

This is a MUST SEE event, so don’t miss it. If you know of hanami opportunities around Japan please leave your comments or contact us and we will be happy to post information and photos. I know we plan to make a run out to Chichibu to their gorgeous cherry blossom viewing season. Lots of cosplayers out there which is an added beauty.

More information here. Follow one of the images to the Official Ueno Park Zoo web site. The link takes you to an English page. The web site offers multiple languages for international visitors. If you live in Japan or you are visiting for an extended period, consider an annual pass. In 4 visits the pass has paid for itself and it offers a years worth of fun and joy for the pass holder. The Zoo also offers discounts to schools and groups. It is also possible to book special events or special programs for large groups. Cameras and video cameras are allowed. Please do not use your FLASH though. It can be very disturbing to the critters. Especially the marsupials.

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A great map and guide for the park and the zoo and points of interest for hanami visitors.

Thai restaurant Khao San in Shinjuku brings back memories of Thailand

posted in: International, Shinjuku, Thai, Tokyo | 0

My partner and I were planning a trip into Shinjuku the other day to buy some camera and computer gear. We discussed having lunch or dinner there and she asked me about a Thai restaurant I glowed about after visiting a couple of times with a former colleague. I told her where “I thought it was” lol, I am usually lost in Shinjuku…and she did the rest.

She found a place she was pretty sure is “the place.” She rattled off the address and I said, “yeah, I think so. Sounds right.”
We wondered around the maze that is the eki Shinjuku and after 10 minutes or so Miura announced we were there. It wasn’t the place but it looked like a lot more fun.

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We found Khao San (Named after the fun and lively Khao San (Chao San) Road area in Bangkok, Thailand, using the links below. They have English, Japanese and Chinese search pages and make finding a nice “table” “eazy peezy.”

en
http://tabelog.com/en/tokyo/A1304/A130401/13091892/

jp
http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1304/A130401/13091892/

Or, you can use their card. I always pick up a card for a place I want to return to.

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It was around dinner time so we decided on going with a set meal. Set A and Set C which are shown below.
Basically I got a green curry with soup, rice and dessert and added in an order of fresh spring rolls. Everything was pretty tasty.

Partner got the Phad Thai and Gao Po chicken. We were both stuffed at the end of it. We enjoyed the atmosphere though it is not a place to hang out in for hours. They are busy and a constant flow of customers, (mostly women, very cute women), keep the place hopping.

Dinner for both of came out to about 2600 yen. Not bad. Khao San also offers take away and bento boxes for those on the run or folks who want to take it home.

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Khao San is in the basement of Lumine 1 and is surrounded by other restaurants, bakeries and markets. You can easily spend some time in the area and found some of the bakeries to be quite affordable. Up market taste and look with a mid market price. Not bad at all.
Enjoy the pics and head on over to Khao San.

yamato, spirit, travel, in Japan, visiting Japan, eating in Japan, international, tourists, temples, parks, museums, art, kimono, green tea, sushi, Akihabara, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Okinawa, Hokkaido, Kyushu, Honshu, Hokkaido, tech, games, manga, anime,

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yamato, spirit, travel, in Japan, visiting Japan, eating in Japan, international, tourists, temples, parks, museums, art, kimono, green tea, sushi, Akihabara, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Okinawa, Hokkaido, Kyushu, Honshu, Hokkaido, tech, games, manga, anime,

yamato, spirit, travel, in Japan, visiting Japan, eating in Japan, international, tourists, temples, parks, museums, art, kimono, green tea, sushi, Akihabara, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Okinawa, Hokkaido, Kyushu, Honshu, Hokkaido, tech, games, manga, anime,

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yamato, spirit, travel, in Japan, visiting Japan, eating in Japan, international, tourists, temples, parks, museums, art, kimono, green tea, sushi, Akihabara, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Okinawa, Hokkaido, Kyushu, Honshu, Hokkaido, tech, games, manga, anime,

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Yasukuni shrine, Beautiful, peaceful and popular with Japanese

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We visited Yasukuni shrine on a weekend. Their was an antique market going on in front of the shrine; we wanted to see both. The market was great but the shrine was even more so. There is a power there that some people do not like. Personally, I think every country has a right to honor their dead. There are no innocent countries or armies anywhere as far as I know. They do good, they do bad.

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I enjoy going to shrines throughout Japan. Yasukuni has been on my list for awhile. We came through the main dori, washed our hands and mouths and entered the shrine’s main compound. We prayed and stopped for a few moments to reflect on the peace and quiet, the birds singing and the beauty of the place.

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I recommend visiting Yasukuni if you have the chance. It is situated in a beautiful part of Tokyo, not far from the Tokyo Dome.

Spring is Close and the Sakura Are Coming Alive

posted in: Spring, Tokyo, Ueno | 0

Sakura trees are blooming now. Really glad spring is finally coming to Tokyo. We have been lucky as the winter was mild compared to last year…but it has been long. Sometimes I thought it would never end; the cold days and short nights. But on a recent trip to Ueno Park to visit Bentin Summa and see the lake coming back to life…I was surprised to see the cherry blossoms sprouting and the trees filling the twilight with a pink hue against a blue sky. I love this country.

Everyone Loves the Ikebukuro Park Neko

posted in: Animals-Widlife, Cats, Ikebukuro, Parks, Winter | 0

IMG_2893Everyone loves cats. Well, at least cooooooooooool people love cats. 😉 We found this little girl feeding a huge family of Neko and their friends in a small park in Ikebukuro. Actually, it is a park with a dark history. But now it is a cat loving hang out and a place for local Japanese people and tourists to come and visit and play with these way cool cats.
Visit our blog dedicated to the street cats of Japan.
http://rojiuraneko.com/