endless rambles » Japan

Japan 2011 – Fukuoka – Dazaifu

chaz — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 00:49:39 +0000

Dazaifu is a small quiet city on the outskirts of Fukuoka. The city was once the capital of Kyushu island and is home to some old temples and shrines. It takes about 30 – 40 mins by train from Hakata Station to Dazaifu. And upon exiting the station, you can feel a quaintness about the [...]

Japan 2011 – Fukuoka

chaz — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 05:45:22 +0000

Fukuoka is the largest Japanese city in their west. Not many would think of visiting the city as compared to Tokyo or Osaka, but it’s a beautiful place and close to other sites on Kyushu. We took the shinkansen from Osaka to Hakata Station in Fukuoka, taking about 2hrs 40 mins. Hakata station had just [...]

Japan 2011 – Osaka – Universal Studios

chaz — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 00:59:08 +0000

Like Tokyo, Osaka has it's own popular theme park, Universal Studios. And it's heaps of fun!

Japan 2011 – Osaka

chaz — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 00:24:05 +0000

We arrived in Osaka after a week in Kyoto. We planned to stay for a week checking out the shopping, eating and other sights in Osaka. Osaka is a city buzzing with activity. And apart from the shopping and sight seeing to Universal Studios and the Osaka Aquarium (Kaiyukan) we ate heaps!

Japan 2011 – Hiroshima

chaz — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 00:49:31 +0000

Hiroshima is most popularly known for the atomic bombing on 6 August 1945. But the city also offers many other locations for sightseeing. We took a day trip to Hiroshima from Kyoto, with the shinkansen (Japanese bullet train) ride only taking about 1 hr 45 mins. Of course this depends on which train and the timing of the train.

Fukuoka Toy Shops

chaz — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 00:15:19 +0000

Fukuoka is a great city, but not for toy shopping. There aren’t any popular toy shops that I could find except for Mandarake. Can always trust them to be around. Mandarake is not too far from Tenjin Station, about 5 – 10 min walk. Where the main shopping area in Fukuoka is. There is a [...]

Osaka Toy Shops

chaz — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 00:15:54 +0000

Osaka’s Den-Den Town is comparable to Tokyo’s Akihabara where electronic and toy shops line the streets. Though I feel Tokyo’s Akihabara has a better edge and more variety of toy shops. One of the better places to visit is Herogangu.com. It’s at the corner of the block as in the picture above. The shop has [...]

Japan 2011 – Kobe

chaz — Fri, 27 May 2011 00:57:18 +0000

Kobe is a port city not far off from Osaka and it’s famous for it’s Kobe beef! We decided to take a day trip to Kobe from Kyoto to check the place out. The train ride from Kyoto to Sannomiya station in Kobe took just under an hour. We purchased the JR Pass prior to [...]

Japan 2011 – Nara

chaz — Tue, 17 May 2011 03:15:06 +0000

Another day trip, this time to Nara. About 30 mins south from Kyoto. But first, to start the morning right with breakfast. And for today, Yam soup! In a nice purple colour. Getting to Nara is a breeze, with a straight train ride there. At the station, follow the signs towards Nara Park and keep [...]

Japan 2011 – Kyoto – Something Something of a Geisha

chaz — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 00:25:02 +0000

Another bright and sunny day in Kyoto. Perfect for a day trip! There’s nothing better than waking up to a great breakfast made out of freshly baked breads and homemade jams, fresh fruit and yogurt, homemade soups, a hard boiled egg, fresh grapefruit juice and a hot cuppa kopi! Every morning we were pampered with [...]