Dream Festival! Mission!! 日本, ここにいる!!

Hi there! How's everything?

I just came back from Japan and feel like sharing with you my traveling duo with my little sister.  It is not just an ordinary trip but with a mission of getting her anime Dream Festival! merchandises. Yes. You heard me right. Sister is very fond to the anime and the characters in it, and heard from her that the anime is shutting down soon. So, it's a mission! 

Dream Festival! anime

It’s a 5 days 4 nights journey.

Day 1:

Arrived safely in Tokyo, Japan in total of 7 hours 5 minutes journey using Air Asia flight, we reached specifically at Haneda Airport, International Terminal. Getting through the immigration, getting our bags and passing through customs were convenient ad very organised. Japanese people are damn organised. I was culture shock. I think I got culture shock everytime I traveled overseas. 

If you guys ever saw a picture posted that the Japanese people who in the luggage claim area wipe your luggage upon luggage claim? True story, that one. 

Arrival time was 11.30pm Tokyo Time. Japan is +9, so it's 1 hour early from Malaysia. 

We bought our sim cards at the airport - cost about 4000¥ for two. This is only for mobile data. Speed data? Very fast I tell you!!

Instead of using train on the 1st day of our arrival, we decided to try the taxi.

Reasons? 1) luggage 2) we arrived late. 3) not sure what time is the train stop operating. 4) probably won't get lost using the convenience of train, but from the train station to our apartment, we might get lost. 
Better safe than sorry. 
Taxi fare from Haneda Airport to the location cost about 7700¥ . 

Ok. I used booking.com for our accommodation and I have paid it all. They gave us a statement saying that "the address of your accommodation is...." and also "please do not go to the office..", "please go directly to your room.". Unfortunately, the address given was actually the office. So we have to walked for another 20 minutes, to reach our 'home sweet home' for the next 5 days.

Worth. Booked from Booking.com

Day 2: 
Heading to Shinjuku Area by train. NOPE, we didn't get lost. So so so convenient. It's like you can travel halfway from one district to another, one town to another just by using the train. And it's so punctual, I am amazed..

People posting people in train are just quiet? True story. It is because everyone is on eyes with their phone, some of them doing readings, and some fell asleep. Me? Taking pictures. 

My train card. All total I credited in for my 5 days - 3000¥

I found a smoking area too. It's actually a shop selling cigarettes and there is an area provided for smokers. A polluted zone. People gather smoking together, pollution from us by 2% and mind our own business. Haha. 

We wanted to eat here but it was pack. :(

We went for makan. Never say never. We wanted to try everything but we afraid we couldn't finish it all. We tired ramen. Yummy and inexpensive. I think... Well, it's less than 300¥ per bowl though..

おいしいです!

Next to Shimamura, located in Takanadobaba. Shimamura is known as its gems of clothing stores and inexpensive too! In Japan, 100¥ probably consider cheap. 

Building view in Takanadobaba.

Tadaaa~~ Sister got the things she want!

After that, we went to Tokyo Tower in Shibakoen. 

We are heading to that tall tower, y'all~!

Per entrance is 900¥ for 1 person but the top deck was closed due to strong wind. So we can only view from the main deck. 

View from main deck.

The window to your future. Not really. 

I swear I did see Mount Fuji!!

We tried the dessert in Tokyo Tower itself. Oh Mai Gawdd, superlicious I just cannot expressed that feelings.

Green Tea Matcha Sundae something...

Before we end our time in Tokyo Tower, we went to visit our old time favourite anime, One Piece. I was so excited because I grow up with them. Lol. I mean I watched the anime when I was young and I still watch it until today. Just not as extreme back in the old days...

Let's go for an adventure!! 

This is a combination of pictures from many episodes in One Piece. :)

Magnificent View..

By the way, I spent a lot here, buying the One Piece merchandises. And it is not cheap. The cheapest thing I bought was at 450¥. Small item. 

Day 3:

I'll just fast forward my days with pictures & caption. 

First off, we went to Tokyo Skytree. Mission is to get sister's favourite anime merchandises. Whatever she can find.. As well to try out the Dream Festival! cafe, collaboration with Tokyo Skytree as the anime is shutting down pretty much soon. It's a building with shops in it though, connected to the train station. How awesome is that.. I mean, me? I am amazed with every single things I saw around me whilst I'm there..

Another day, another tower.

Some exhibition in Tokyo Skytree Mall itself. 

My Sakuraaaaa~~~

Totoro!!!! I learn about him when I learn my Japanese language in school. He is soooo fluffyyyy~~

Happy Girl. See, Emoji also so big! Haha

From here, we make our move to Odaiba (お台場), where we want to find life-size figurine of the Gundam. :P It took us quite a while to reach there, but it was worth it after all. お台場 known as an artificial island in Tokyo Bay. 

We were just want to have short visit to such place because it is one of the place you should visit while you are in Japan. Again, the whole intention of coming here to Japan itself is because of the anime. As much as we want to cover many places of interest, priorities are still in search of the merchandises. 

How cool is this??!!

Odaiba Night View..

Not the original one, but it counts. No idea why it is here. Didn't do homework on this one..

As much as we want to walk more while heading home, I mean to our apartment, we decided to have a short walk in Electric City of Akihabara itself. Where people dress in cosplay promoting their cafe/ products; games and animes merchandises everywhere. We end our night by visiting a cat cafe.

200¥ for 10 minutes, and additional charges after 10 minutes being clingy to the cats. The Cat Cafe Mocha.

Day 4:
Heading to Shinjuku again for some anime Dream Festival! merchandises hunting! Yes, we managed to find it and spend our time there. Again, keep in mind, this is a mission. Hahahahaha. Anyhow, I'm fine with anything. Being here in Japan is an eye opener for me who loves to travel. Adventurous to another country, learning culture and languages, I am grateful. 

Picture above is a building as Shinjuku Marui Annex. It offers beautiful fashion of cosplay, yukata, stationeries. I didn't get any picture inside except the place where my sister bought the merchandises. 

Happy sister, happy me. She is making a short note of goodbye?. Amen, may all is well sister. Except I am always hungry, thirsty and legs are killing me. 

After that, we went to Harajuku. It is the center of Japan's most extreme teenage cultures and fashion styles, but also offers shopping for adults and some historic sights. The focal point of Harajuku's teenage culture is Takeshita Dori (Takeshita Street) and its side streets, which are lined by many trendy shops, fashion boutiques, used clothes stores, crepe stands and fast food outlets geared towards the fashion and trend conscious teens.

The crepes are delicious~!!! 

Sugar rush!! No, I don't remember the name. There's strawberry, raspberry and whipped cream.

Heading to Takeshita Street. 

It was raining in Harajuku. We didn't expect that even though the weather forecast have warned us. We were stubborn to believe it. Lol. Before we heading to Shibuya, we managed to take a close look to cute owls. It was my 1st time touching the owls and they are soooooo cuttteee~~~!!!

600¥ per person if I'm not mistaken? Or probably more..? Urmmm...

Let's go to Shibuya say hi to Hachiko, shall we? I'm getting tired here. Haha.

Shibuya Crossing

This crossing famously known as a landmark of its large intersection. Tourists or Travelers willing to cross over from one section to another section just to get a great picture. I understand that. I couldn't move much already, I wish to cross this all 4 intersections one day. Another non-sense reason I can come out with if people ask me why I wanna go Japan again. "I haven't walk through Shibuya Crossing yet." 

Please meet Hachiko. I am so happy seeing the statue since I have watched the movie. Overwhelming. Lol. I'm an animal lover.

Hi Hachi. :)

Ok. Let's go home. Wait, let's head to Electric City again. 

Day 5:
We used taxi to go to Haneda Airport because it was raining heavily. Almost reaching 10,000¥ just by taxi meter scares me in the same time. Total amount was about 8000¥ +

At the airport, we spend the whole day here until the counter opens. 

Writing a long blog bores you.. Even the blog itself is no longer friendly with me. Eh, tetiba emo. 

Anyhow, currencies? You may convert it by yourself. Japan is great. Love it very much and I really want to go back again to explore more as there are more things to see. Since this trip is a mission, so we didn't cover much for places of interest. One day, to fly to Japan again.

Signing off, from this girl who writes too long. 

Don't forget to follow my Insta @claretengteng

Much love, Clare.