I did quite a fair bit of research since it was hubby and my first trip to Japan, and because we were not bringing our kids along, I planned a rather packed itinerary in hope of exploring as many places as we can within the 5 days there. If you have not been to Tokyo and are planning your first trip there, this series will be very useful for you!
Travelling by trains and subways is the best way to get around in Tokyo, and you might be interested to get the Suica & NEX package like us. This card basically covers your airport transfers from Narita Airport to Tokyo/Yokohama area on the Narita Express train, along with 1,500 yen preloaded on a Suica smart card that allows travels on all Japan Railways (JR). It's very much like our EZLink card which allows you to tap and go at the gantry, and you can top-up after you've used up the value. This is exclusively available to foreign passport holders only, so locals are not able to purchase it for their use. The whole package costs 5,500 yen (S$88) for round trips, or 3,500 yen for one-way trip from/to the airport. Travelling is generally not cheap in Tokyo (Well, actually nothing is!).
The Narita Express took 1.5 hours to bring us to Tokyo city, and the seats must be reserved at the point of purchase, so everyone who purchases it is guaranteed a seat for a train that arrives at a specific timing.
Though the travel routes can be rather complicating because there are simply too many lines and directions, if you pay close attention to all the directional signs, you can find your way easily. Otherwise, when you are confused, just ask the information counter for help.
On your Narita Express ticket, you will find the cabin number your seat is located at. Just stand on that section of the platform and wait for your train to arrive.
Train arrived right on time as scheduled. Japan is well-known for its cleanliness, so the train station & train cabins were all super clean and nice, just as expected. :)
1st sight of what Tokyo looks like! =)
Food & drinks are sold on the Narita Express. Eating & drinking are absolutely OK in trains in Japan. It's amazing how they still manage to keep everything so clean. I feel apologetic for snapping this lady at her most unglamorous pose, but it's highly likely she will never see this anyway, so it's fine.
I'm sure you already know that vending machines are huge in Japan. I was looking out for interesting vending machines, but throughout my stay, all I spotted were drinks, snacks and cigarettes. The vending machines have the most colourful and interesting drinks though.
At Tokyo station, we changed to the local Chuo JR Line to get to Ichigaya, where our apartment was located. Talking on mobile phones is considered a social taboo here in Tokyo. Most commuters are either reading, listening to music or fiddling with their mobile phones, but you hardly hear a phone ring. The rare moment one does, the commuter will look utterly embarrassed and lower his/her head to talk softly. On some trains, there're even special cabins for talking on the phones, just so that the other commuters are not disturbed unnecessarily. This strong sense of social responsibility is very admirable and can be felt everywhere in Tokyo.
When we alighted at Ichigaya station, we spotted a fishing pond right in front of it. It was a public holiday, so the whole place was packed with families.
Amazing how many Japanese love fishing - young and old alike!
More about Ichigaya area and our apartment tomorrow. But for now, I'm sharing about our first meal in Tokyo, and it was at none other than 松屋! This restaurant chain can be found everywhere in Tokyo, and they specialise in serving fast and budget meals. My brother had been raving about how yummy their food was, even though it was a budget restaurant, so we had to try it for ourselves. Turned out, the beef bowl was super yummy!!! =D
Their cheapest item on the menu is the beef bowl (very similar to the beef bowl we have at Yoshinoya) which costs 280yen (S$4.50), and you can opt for bigger portions at higher prices. The smallest portion fills me up nicely.
Just order at this vending machine (with pictures and prices clearly displayed) - Slot in coins, press the buttons for your orders , press return coins to end your ordering. Quite a lot of varieties to choose from.
Tickets will be printed and you just need to hand them to the waiters to prepare your orders.
The moment you are seated down, you are served complimentary iced water. And your food typically arrives within five minutes. This is a place where people eat and go - Nobody lingers or hangs around with friends in a restaurant like this.
Lots of sauces and condiments for you to add to your food. I like it that even though it's budget, they are not haphazard about the service they provide. The only problem was I couldn't make out what they were as the labels were all in Japanese. =.=
They even serve miso soup with every order! 太感动了！Very yummy, by the way.
And my beef bowl - with abundance of beef! Hubby commented that beef bowl should be done this way - More beef than rice, unlike those found in Singapore. LOL!
And this is the way I like mine - with chilli powder and ginger. SO AWESOME. I tweeted that it tasted 500 times better than Yoshinoya's - Totally not exaggerating.
Tomorrow, I'll be showing you my apartment that I booked with Roomorama, and the first shrine we visited. =)
Read the rest of my Tokyo entries
