Tokyo // Day 1

My flight was 12:45am on Sep 1 which means I had to leave home for the airport on Aug 31 night. I am so lucky to have my family drive me there!

Hannah doing what I told her to do haha. I made her fake-sit on the chair to play chess with the 爷爷 but she sit until very funny, all of us were laughing like mad behind the camera.

Insisted on sitting on the luggage but it was empty! So I had to hold the luggage very tightly cus there was no weight to support her at all!

Cutie pie, I wished I could bring you along with me!

Trying her best to do the peace hand sign cus I asked her to, but she can't do it lol.

We settled our dinner at Fish & Co. in Terminal 2 before meeting the bf’s mother to check in together. Yes, this flight is only his mother and me cus he has already reached the day before my flight and why? Because it was his company trip, an opportunity for him and his supervisor to visit the brand in Japan to learn from them and this opportunity was what they fought super hard for the past few months before the trip.

It was very nerve-racking for me this trip cus there was a transition in Taiwan Taoyuan Int’l Airport and I’ve never been on a flight with transition! I had so many questions before the flight and I googled a lot regarding that issue haha. I remembered I chanced upon a blog and it actually cleared a lot of my questions but I was still very worried. In the end it was just super super simple and smooth procedure.

Once we’ve reached Taoyuan Int’l Airport, we took all our carry-on baggage, leaving absolutely nothing behind, we exited the airplane and followed the signs to transit but not too long after the walk, we heard the airport crew ahead of us calling for passengers transiting to Tokyo NRT airport. We went up to them and took the transit card then went to the gate that we were supposed to go to.

There was a security check once again and after that it was just waiting to board the aircraft time. I don’t know about the bf’s mother but I was super thirsty by the time we reached TPE but we didn’t have any Taiwanese Dollar with us so I couldn’t get anything from the vending machine just right in front of me. So if there is any next time, I must prepare some Taiwanese Dollar just in case!

After we reached Tokyo NRT airport, we were starving and thirsty!! Went to a random convenient store and grabbed some onigiri to fill up my tummy first. Oh and of course a bottle of water!! The bf’s mother wasn’t too used to the selections at the convenience store, so she just picked up some sandwiches. I also bought the October issue of Vivi Magazine! Ever since I left Bugis I have not bought it anymore. Miss the feeling of checking out the trend in Japan and pretty faces in the magazine every month.

吃饱了就启程了～ Bought the bus ticket from one of the counter in the airport near the entrances. Just look out for Airport Limousine signage! 1 ticket costs 3100yen (S$36.30). There are several stops to alight, check out here for more details.  Initially we wanted to drop off at The Ritz-Carlton Hotel but the next bus was almost an hour later!! So the staff there recommended us to alight at the ANA Intercontinental Tokyo Hotel, which was the nearest stop near to The Ritz-Carlton Hotel. We then took a taxi to our hotel, Tokyu Stay Aoyama – Premier (nearest metro line would be the Ginza Line – Gaien-mae Station. (1a Exit) – 2 mins walk) for less than S$20 if I never remember wrongly. I have no idea how long it took us to reach the hotel from the airport cus I was snoozing all the way lol…

Settled in the hotel for a while and off to explore our surroundings! Actually I didn’t want to head out initially cus I feel damn tired, lazy and just plain sianz but when I asked the bf’s mum whether she is tired and want to rest in hotel or go out to walk around she said she’s okay to go out if not stay at the hotel do nothing meh. Like that then go out lor…

So we freshen up and while I was doing my make up I realised I forgot to bring my eyebrow pencil and eyeliner! Specifically this 2 cus I purposely left it with me so that I can still do my make up for work on Aug 31 as the Bf’s flight was on the Aug 30 night and he volunteered to bring my luggage along with him first that’s why I had to leave that 2 essentials with me and ended up forgetting them haha. So how did I settle this issue?! I used my dark brown eyeshadow to fill in my eyebrows and black eyeshadow as my eyeliner haha! The black eyeshadow was not very pigmented so it was like a very soft shadow only. #fail

Mentaiko Onigiri / #ootd / #fotd (eyeshadows for eyebrows and eyeliner) / Vivi Magazine

Anyways, headed out to walk around the Omotesando area. Since we were around there, which are where most of the branded boutiques are located, I brought the bf’s mum to the Celine store to check out the price for the Trio bag I wanted. Anddd, I bought it! Super duper happy with my first purchase in Tokyo! The sales consultant was super shocked to hear that Celine was the first shop we visited haha. Anyways, price wise, it is about the same as Singapore’s but the thing is, it is always not available in Black? I don’t know is it just me having no luck with this bag. Haha. The one I got in Tokyo was also the last piece by the way.

After my first purchase, we just walked around randomly until it was time for dinner. We settled our dinner at a restaurant named Maisen and why we chose it, it was solely because of the plastic food display on the shelves outside the restaurant that was really appealing that’s why! Haha.

Our first proper meal in Tokyo went well. Like what everyone said in their blogs, in Tokyo, you can just walk into any restaurants and it will always be good!

After dinner, it was time to continue our exploration haha. Saw Gyre shopping mall opposite us so we went towards it but kena cheated, it is such a boring place!! Continue walking down and we chanced upon Kiddy Land! I just had to go in!! Bought a couple of items for friends and then just continue walking and we reached Harajuku. Haha didn’t expect Harajuku to be so nearby! It was kinda late by that time, actually not very late, but cus most of the shops there closes around 8pm so that’s why we felt that it was late haha.

We entered the Takeshita Dori Street although some of the shops were closed and I happened to see a backpack that I really liked! Snapped a photo of it but didn’t buy it cus I wanted to ask the bf’s opinion first hehe.

Halfway down the Takeshita Dori St, I decided to head back as I thought might as well come the next day and 一次过走到完 when all the shops are open.

So we intended to walk back and on the way I saw the Santa Monica Crepes stall! How can I not try the crepes at Harajuku right!! Bought 1 for auntie and 1 for myself, stood there and finished it before walking back to the hotel cus I want to do it like the locals haha… I read somewhere that it was considered rude to be eating and walking in Japan? Not sure at first but realised the person ahead of us in the queue stood around the stall and finished the crepe before leaving too. So we better follow haha!

Santa Monica crepes / Night view from our hotel

Turns out both of us cannot finish the crepes lor… The whipped cream was really good but it was too much? We totally cannot. I think I threw it away before finishing half of it. Sorry for wasting! #mottainai

Back to the hotel and the bf was still not back yet, so we took turns to wash up and got ready to call it a day. Oh before hitting the sack, I had a shiok bath in the hotel’s bathtub for about an hour plus watching my drama on my phone and without any warning, my phone dropped into the bathtub!! Luckily my phone is alright if not I think I will cry haha.