...was the last day we had in japan...after 2 whole weeks, we were finally headed home...
but before we departed, we just had to make another quick dash down to shibuya in order to sample MIDORI again...just couldn't leave without another meal of fabulous sushi...
well, to sum it up, long time to plan, long time to wait, 2 weeks of utter pleasure and a vow to return again...but maybe next time to other cities like osaka, nagoya, hiroshima, kobe etc...too much to see, too little time...
outside shibuya station
didn't turn out too well this photo...damn moving escalator and lousy lighting conditions...slightly blurred
hachiko crossing
elevated view of hachiko crossing from inside shibuya station
...we decided to take things easy again...after all, it was close to the tailend of what was one of our longest holidays in many years and we were getting a bit tired, truth be told.
started the day off a bit later then usual, headed for shinjuku. i was anticipating lunch, actually...greedy pig that i am...cos today was the day we finally went to KATSUKURA @ takashimaya times square...they serve only one of the best tonkatsu (fried breaded meats/seafood) in town...the missus had tried it on her last trip and months later, she was still raving on and on about it.
and hell yeah it was bloody good...not cheap but for the quality of the meat and the delicacy of preparation, it was good value for money! in singapore, you'd pay easily 30% more and still not get that quality...it was totally delicious...
shopped around in takashimaya for a couple of hours, picking up some luxury goods (the missus and i went a bit apeshit in burberry) and had coffee, and it was at this time that we decided to give roppongi hills a miss (supposed to go late part of the arvo)...just too lazy to push it anymore. therefore we explored a lot more of shinjuku and i even had the chance to hit BIC and YODOBASHI to drool at electronics...
dinner was at the Shinjuku branch of Tengu (see day 8, i think)...
outside Shinjuku station...it's really massive and stretches for a kilometer or so...it's the busiest train station in the world (something like 3.6 million users PER DAY!) and at last count, had something like 200 exits! to learn more see HERE.
sesame seeds to be added to the sauce...we had to grind them up ourselves to release the oils and fragrance to maintain the freshness
rousu tonkatsu (it's not the lean part of the cut for sure!)
check out the even layer of fat on top of the meat...it was delicious!
having coffee at starbucks...they were a reliable source of caffeine for us...japanese coffee in general is too damn weak and in many cases, badly roasted...
moi
ain't she chubby??? the lil tot's face looks like a dumpling!
flowers
espressooooooooo.....i lurve you!
mirrored
cute chick
weirdo parade continues
why's there a castle on top of a building?
dinner @ tengu
waiting for the bus back to gotenyama...all tired out
...was probably one of the best days that we had on this holiday
started off with us heading to Harajuku station on the Yamanote line, which was the best way to access the Meiji Jingu shrine, Omotesando Hills and Harajuku...
we headed straight into the Meiji Jingu shrine first as we were fairly early and wanted to avoid the usual tourist crush into this place which is one of the most popular sights in Tokyo...the sense of calmness as you walk into this shrine is palpable and we had fantastically blue skies...perfect for photo-taking...
after that, we ran across the road into Omotesando Hills. now this is a fairly new shopping district with wide boulevards that reminded me somewhat of Champ Elyssee in Paris...no surprises since the Japanese have been admirers of things French for a long while already...upmarket shops on the main boulevards were complemented by fascinating small shops selling cult labels and esoteric stuff in the back alleys...
then off to Harajuku...little that i say about this place hasn't been said before...it's a complete mess of "crazy" people...chock-a-block with teenagers and youths in all forms and sizes...and some in strange outfits to boot...you could literally sense the buzz and energy that emanated from the whole area...very cool!
that night, we had our most expensive meal in Japan...a quality table BBQ with loadsa Matsuzaka beef (many different cuts - ribeye, filet mignon, short rib, tongue etc) plus tontoro pork, king crab, scallops, squid, chicken, prawns....the list goes on...
and yes, i had to waddle home...
couldn't this actually be a scene from a railway station in france??
big wooden torii guarding the entrance to the Meiji Jingu shrine
i was soooo into the photo-taking that i didn't care about dirt...
