Shibuya: Taco
Bell, frozen yogurt at Partyland, and the cutest Disney store you haven’t been
to
So Taco Bell
opened up in Shibuya a few weeks ago to much fanfare and publicity, or rather
reopened, having been in Japan before but closed due to Japanese people’s lack
of appetite for Mexican food. Apparently they changed their minds, or else the
number of foreigners increased. Anyway, it’s back! Mexican food in Japan is
scarce, and when you do find it, it can be a hit-or-miss on the authenticity
(not to mention the portion sizes), as many Western foods in Japan become
Japanized to suit Japanese tastes. The day it opened people waited up to two
hours for their greasy tacos; thankfully it was only about twenty or thirty
minutes for me. (Some interesting tidbits: on the way you can pass a “whale
meat restaurant”, and right across from Taco Bell is a sex toy shop. Interesting…)
As for the food –
tacos, burritos, a crunchwrap, quesadilla, pretty normal fare. Everything can
become a set with Mexican fries – an item not on the menu at American Taco
Bells as far as I know; haven’t been to one in many long years. Pretty good,
basically really seasoned, salty, spicy fries, probably taco seasoning. Also on
the menu is beer, and a Japan-only shrimp-avocado burrito with some sort of
wasabi sauce for the more adventuresome. I would recommend trying anything
other than the plain tacos, which are pretty much the same as back home; the
other stuff looks really good.
Partyland
Most expensive frozen yogurt I’ve ever had, but frozen yogurt is rare here so oh well. When in Tokyo…
Disney store
I’ve been to
many Disney stores in Japan, but by far this one is my absolute favorite! At
first I thought it was super small, until I discovered a twisting staircase
leading up to two more floors full, all decorated super cute! Almost like being
at Disneyland. At least the prices.
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| Through the rabbit hole, on to the rest of the store! |
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| Andy's room! How cute! |
Hakone: onsens, onsens, onsens!
Hakone is full
of onsens – you could easily spend a few days there visiting each one. Biking
is popular, but looks challenging as the road is steep – it’s the mountains
here – and lots of switchbacks. Going down looks fun though! Anyway, I’m pretty
shy when it comes to onsens (everyone bathes naked in the hot springs here – it’s
divided between genders, but still, in Japan I stick out like a sore thumb…),
so never been to a real one. When I heard about this place that lets you wear a
swimsuit I was sold.
Thus: welcome to
Yunessun!
Around 20 dollars for the day, and there’s also a “Naked Zone” which
is an additional 20 dollars. You wear a bracelet and can purchase any food or
drinks inside by scanning the barcode and then pay at the end. You can also get
a massage – would have liked to, but not enough time as wasn’t staying the
night, buy local food (famous here are “black eggs” cooked in the onsen water,
apparently very “fragrant”), and dine at a variety of restaurants. The main
pool area is “Agean Greece” and the largest pool, though very shallow. A lot of
little kids on their floaties are swimming around here. There are a few shows
right in front of it, and a number of other unique pools. My favorite was the
coffee bath: a bag of coffee beans sits in the water for a natural coffee
scent! Same thing with the sake and tea bath, although the wine bath did not
seem to have any actual wine in the water, most likely to deter guests from
drinking the bath dry. There’s also an outdoor area with a water slide and some
(manmade) cave pools. It gets pretty steamy in there when you’re sitting in hot
water for so long, so make sure to step outside for some fresh air! That and
the surrounding views are spectacular. I wasn’t able to get any pictures, but
it’s green mountainside spreading in all directions. Simply breathtaking!
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| You can make your own souvenir coin! |
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| Way shinier than using a penny! Simply insert 100 yen. |
Getting there:
Try to avoid
Golden Week – if you do, avoid driving or taking the bus; it’s a one lane road
all the way up and heavy traffic. There’s a train you can take that goes pretty
much all the way up. Outside of Golden Week, the bus is a quick and affordable
option, supposed to take only 30 minutes and about 800 yen.
Odaiba: the fun never stops! At least until closing time.
Odaiba is a bit
off the beaten path from Tokyo, but that’s what makes it special! It’s its own
little island with lots of shopping and entertainment, with beautiful views of
the Rainbow Bridge (no relation to Thor, nor rainbow colored unfortunately,
although it does light up at night. A bit reminiscent of San Francisco’s Golden
Gate bridge), and Japan’s very own miniature Statue of Liberty! You can shop,
eat, ride a giant ferris wheel, see Matsuko Deluxe’s wax figure at Madame
Tussaud’s, catch a movie, check out Fuji television, snap a selfie with a giant
Gundam robot and eat at the adjacent Gundam café, and tons more! By the giant
ferris wheel there’s a shopping area called Palette town that’s made to look
just like Italy inside! Absolutely beautiful. Make sure to get a shot with the
fountain!
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| Palette town. |
For car enthusiasts MegaWeb shows off an impressive array of cars,
and you can see the latest models and even take one for a spin!
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| Toyota city showcase |
There's also a beach, although the water is pretty brown looking. Still, there are lots of boats and some parasailers out. You can also travel to Odaiba by ferry from a park nearby Shimbashi station for only about 600 yen, although you have to pay the 300 yen to get into the park.
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| Rainbow bridge |
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| One of many boat rides offered. |
If that isn't enough, there's a Lego center, science museum, onsen, indoor amusement park, and concert hall. Basically you will never get bored here. And once evening sets in everything gets all lit up, including the giant ferris wheel! Definitely recommend sticking around till evening.
Getting there:
The ride is
actually quite a treat going by train, or rather monorail. It goes over the
rainbow bridge, giving some great views of the bay and boats below.
1. Get yourself to
Shimbashi station. Yamanote line will do.
2. Follow the signs for Yurikamome station, pretty much across the street, go up the stairs, and get the train toward
Toyosu. About 15 to 20 minutes, you’re in Odaiba!
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