Tokyo Day 2 and 3
Saturday, 9 May 2026 23:23![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
elusivekDay 2 - Ashikagawa Flower Park
This place was on my go-to list all along. In fact, it was because of this place that I decided to go to Tokyo last year and then didn't (the whole Dad business). I did not expect for it to be this small, and as it was pretty far away I had planned a full day trip, but apparently just a morning was enough.
Had to take the Shinkansen which I found out was pretty nifty but the thing with how the tickets are sold is still a mystery to me.
Anyway, I was here for the Wisteria, and everything was purple here, even the ice cream was wisteria flavor. At least, it didn't taste like hand cream (as rose flavored ice cream does).
The roses here were mad large lol. It's as large as my whole hand!
The Wisteria though, has mostly dried up already. I came too late. No worries, this just gives me a reason to come again!
I even went totally à la Japonês and brought onigiri and a drink and had a picnic type rest and snack.
I was lucky too - it wasn't exactly too sunny but I think I still got slightly sunburnt.
Running out of things to say here lol
So... many.... flowers!
Very nice indeed!
I didn't really buy much. I sort of misread the information on Google Maps - it told me to leave by xx time, but I thought it meant the train departed at xx time, so I went there earlier and had to wait a bit.
But it was alright. With an extra half day available, I wondered what to do.
Had to sort out something for the Boss, so as I was on the phone I stood outside of Tokyo station to sort that out. Went to pick up my tickets for the Ghibli Park. I'll be going on Monday. The lady at the counter asked where I was from, to make life easier for me I said "Austria", and then she started to try to speak German (just the usual thank you and please). At the end she asked "how's your Japanese?" And I think I managed to fool her into thinking I actually knew more than I did lol. 大学でちょっと勉強しましたけど、今は大体・・・ I think what I nailed was the getting softer and softer at the end of daitai lol.
Since I was at Tokyo station, I decided to roam the area. Itoya is amazing!
I managed to not buy any crap, just 2 postcards which I've written up and just waiting until I see a post office.
Still had a lot of time on my hands, so I went hunting for some Pokémon related thing....
Pokelids! There are a few more but after checking on the map they are super far away, so, I'm letting it be. After this I went to hunt for dinner then went back to the hotel to retire for the night.
Day 3 - Kawagoe Day Trip
A friend suggested this place and it was a wonderful suggestion and I loved every second of it! Train ride was a little lengthy as there is no Shinkansen service for this place.
Hikigawa shrine, first thing in the morning and something wonderful happened to me lol. So first this part you can release a paper "doll" into the river, it's said it'll bring all your bad luck, spirit and air away from you. (You need to blow on the paper doll 3 times). I did that.
Then there's this Fishing Omikuji thing...
Daikichi! (The best luck!) Though I didn't read what the rest of it says. It
The shrine is a bit small, but I still managed to make a loop around it.
Since I'm a tourist i might as well do the touristy thing. I went to the City Museum, Art Museum, and then the Castle since they were all just across the street from each other. I don't have much to say, so I'll just zoom through the photos. No photos allowed in the Art museum and the interior of the castle though.
Next I went to Kashiya Yokocho by bus. It really was a beautiful day, but it was too sunny. Oh, yes, I bought a new UV jacket the previous day from Uniqlo. I already had something similar, but it was some China no-brand and it tended to trap the heat so I'd run hot. This one from Uniqlo is mesh I think so it's airy. Anyway, where there is food there is (are).... pigeons!
Snagged a fish pancak and a sweet potato and taro soft ice.
Oh the Kawagoe Matsuri Museum was also pretty nice. The old man there also asked where I was from, after I said Austria I think he thought it was Australia (again). After some back and forth, with me keep saying Europe ヨロッパ, I gave up and just let him think it was Australia. But then suddenly he went あっ！スイスの隣の？Next this Switzerland? Also technically yes but it's just that little bit of land, most would say next to Germany? But anyway, it was still a win, so I didn't argue.
Another old guy helped me take a photo with a very weird angle.
Then it was walking down along the Kurazukuri street. You can't imagine how much street food I got lol.
The cut of this dog just cracked me up.
An Unagi-don restaurant but I did n't eat here.
Hands-on made a pair of chopsticks!
The sweet potato was yum!
That's not a purple Woodstock. That's Raymond. (I don't know, don't ask me lol)
Snoopy Cha-ya.
Bought some stuff in this shop.
Kumano-jinja.
So I bought this Goshuin book at the shop I mentioned above. I saw this shrine did the goshuin on-spot so I decided to take it out and this is my first Goshuin.
Next went to Kitain, just so I could complete my trip here.
Still managed to get back early enough and had a quick snack.
Decided to roam Harajuku, but I am so sad to see these cafes. I'm against these because the poor animals, but then again, if they have no business, then it's the dogs/animals that will be affected. I didn't go to any of them
I remembered too late I wanted to go to Puma to have a look, but shops here close pretty early!
On my way back to the hotel...
This place was on my go-to list all along. In fact, it was because of this place that I decided to go to Tokyo last year and then didn't (the whole Dad business). I did not expect for it to be this small, and as it was pretty far away I had planned a full day trip, but apparently just a morning was enough.
Had to take the Shinkansen which I found out was pretty nifty but the thing with how the tickets are sold is still a mystery to me.
Anyway, I was here for the Wisteria, and everything was purple here, even the ice cream was wisteria flavor. At least, it didn't taste like hand cream (as rose flavored ice cream does).
The roses here were mad large lol. It's as large as my whole hand!
The Wisteria though, has mostly dried up already. I came too late. No worries, this just gives me a reason to come again!
I even went totally à la Japonês and brought onigiri and a drink and had a picnic type rest and snack.
I was lucky too - it wasn't exactly too sunny but I think I still got slightly sunburnt.
Running out of things to say here lol
So... many.... flowers!
Very nice indeed!
I didn't really buy much. I sort of misread the information on Google Maps - it told me to leave by xx time, but I thought it meant the train departed at xx time, so I went there earlier and had to wait a bit.
But it was alright. With an extra half day available, I wondered what to do.
Had to sort out something for the Boss, so as I was on the phone I stood outside of Tokyo station to sort that out. Went to pick up my tickets for the Ghibli Park. I'll be going on Monday. The lady at the counter asked where I was from, to make life easier for me I said "Austria", and then she started to try to speak German (just the usual thank you and please). At the end she asked "how's your Japanese?" And I think I managed to fool her into thinking I actually knew more than I did lol. 大学でちょっと勉強しましたけど、今は大体・・・ I think what I nailed was the getting softer and softer at the end of daitai lol.
Since I was at Tokyo station, I decided to roam the area. Itoya is amazing!
I managed to not buy any crap, just 2 postcards which I've written up and just waiting until I see a post office.
Still had a lot of time on my hands, so I went hunting for some Pokémon related thing....
Pokelids! There are a few more but after checking on the map they are super far away, so, I'm letting it be. After this I went to hunt for dinner then went back to the hotel to retire for the night.
Day 3 - Kawagoe Day Trip
A friend suggested this place and it was a wonderful suggestion and I loved every second of it! Train ride was a little lengthy as there is no Shinkansen service for this place.
Hikigawa shrine, first thing in the morning and something wonderful happened to me lol. So first this part you can release a paper "doll" into the river, it's said it'll bring all your bad luck, spirit and air away from you. (You need to blow on the paper doll 3 times). I did that.
Then there's this Fishing Omikuji thing...
Daikichi! (The best luck!) Though I didn't read what the rest of it says. It
The shrine is a bit small, but I still managed to make a loop around it.
Since I'm a tourist i might as well do the touristy thing. I went to the City Museum, Art Museum, and then the Castle since they were all just across the street from each other. I don't have much to say, so I'll just zoom through the photos. No photos allowed in the Art museum and the interior of the castle though.
Next I went to Kashiya Yokocho by bus. It really was a beautiful day, but it was too sunny. Oh, yes, I bought a new UV jacket the previous day from Uniqlo. I already had something similar, but it was some China no-brand and it tended to trap the heat so I'd run hot. This one from Uniqlo is mesh I think so it's airy. Anyway, where there is food there is (are).... pigeons!
Snagged a fish pancak and a sweet potato and taro soft ice.
Oh the Kawagoe Matsuri Museum was also pretty nice. The old man there also asked where I was from, after I said Austria I think he thought it was Australia (again). After some back and forth, with me keep saying Europe ヨロッパ, I gave up and just let him think it was Australia. But then suddenly he went あっ！スイスの隣の？Next this Switzerland? Also technically yes but it's just that little bit of land, most would say next to Germany? But anyway, it was still a win, so I didn't argue.
Another old guy helped me take a photo with a very weird angle.
Then it was walking down along the Kurazukuri street. You can't imagine how much street food I got lol.
The cut of this dog just cracked me up.
An Unagi-don restaurant but I did n't eat here.
Hands-on made a pair of chopsticks!
The sweet potato was yum!
That's not a purple Woodstock. That's Raymond. (I don't know, don't ask me lol)
Snoopy Cha-ya.
Bought some stuff in this shop.
Kumano-jinja.
So I bought this Goshuin book at the shop I mentioned above. I saw this shrine did the goshuin on-spot so I decided to take it out and this is my first Goshuin.
Next went to Kitain, just so I could complete my trip here.
Still managed to get back early enough and had a quick snack.
Decided to roam Harajuku, but I am so sad to see these cafes. I'm against these because the poor animals, but then again, if they have no business, then it's the dogs/animals that will be affected. I didn't go to any of them
I remembered too late I wanted to go to Puma to have a look, but shops here close pretty early!
On my way back to the hotel...
