Two Days-Two Nights In Fujinomiya

July 4

We left Tokyo for Fujinomiya, a small city in Shizuoka with views to Mt. Fuji, with another Shinkansen ride. But first, we dropped off our luggages in Tokyo station. The trip to Fujinomiya was quite easy, and the hostel where we were staying, Yado Cabinhouse, was near the station and probably the best hostel I've ever seen during my stay in Japan this time.

The sleeping area. We chose single beds with a semi capsule bedroom situation

The toilet

The communal area, with lockers, hot water and microwave

After checking in, we went out to explore our surrounding. We went to a small cafe and had matcha ice cream. I noticed a good-looking uncle (40-something man with black-rimmed eyeglasses, totally my type, lol) who was waiting on the tables, and I told Wda as we left the area. Wda said that she saw a cute guy too. So we quietly walked back and pointed the guys we meant, it was the same guy. And even worse, the guy saw saw coming back and looking at him! He raised his eyebrows, probably thinking that we have forgotten something. We just grinned sheepishly, waved our hands and quickly left the cafe.

As we walked towards our hostel, we shared information on the good-looking uncles that we have seen during the trip. Lol, it seems that our preference in men have switched from ikemen (good-looking guy) to ojisan (uncle). Perhaps it has something to do with our age. But seriously, why do middle-aged men look so good in Japan? Most middle-aged Japanese men that I saw during this trip were slim, well-dressed and have good posture. Why can't we have these kind of middle-aged men in Indonesia?

July 5

Today, we went to Shiraito Falls and Lake Tanuki. We took a bus from the terminal, based on a notification we found there. Although we decided to take the day slowly, we managed to log in to those spots. 

 

Shiraito Falls is majestically beautiful. I didn't expect it to be that beautiful, so it was a nice surprise. I didn't browse any images, we decided to visit this place after getting recommendations from the hostel's receptionist.

 

 

After munching on a long-shaped onigiri bought from a local shop, we headed to Lake Tanuki. Tanuki means raccoon, but we didn't see any raccoon around the lake. Wda walked around the lake, following the trail for visitors, while I sat on the fishing dock and had some sun-bathing. We met a few hours later on the parking lot. The weather was nice, not too hot, not too cold. However, the sky was cloudy and Mt Fuji was hidden behind the white fog.

It was raining lightly on our way back, and then heavily as we approached the terminal. We had dinner in a restaurant that was near the terminal (I forgot the name).

July 6

As we left the hostel and headed to the station, Wda spotted Mt. Fuji made an appearance. We freaked out with the opportunity, and quickly snapped the famous mountain. A passers-by thought we needed help and offered to take our photos. This really shows how kind and thoughtful are the Japanese.

We could still see Mt. Fuji from the train. It was as if the mountain bidding us goodbye and wishing for our return. I do hope I can come back again.

 

 

When we reached Tokyo station, we repacked our luggage. Then we went to Asakusa Senso-ji for a brief tourist visit, bought some souvenirs, and had a halal lunch at a roadside food stall in Ueno. We got back to the station to take our luggage, headed to the Haneda airport and prepared for our flight back home.

It was a wonderful trip. Although I had to work for four days during the trip, I could still walk around and enjoy the Japan vibes in the afternoon. 

Fourth Job Of This Year And A Travel Plan

A few days before I departed to Japan, an office contacted and asked my availability to join them in July. The offer came totally unexpected as the interviews were done in April, I thought that they had moved on with another candidate, which was why I took the opportunity to go to Japan. 

I told them that I already had an appointment until the first week of July, and the fastest date I would be available was on the second week. Would you wait until the date, I asked. The office was about an entrepreneur project, in which I would be a consultant and did not have to come every day, or come a full day. Lo and behold, the office said that they would wait for my return. 

This meant it would be my fourth job in this year. Wow. And alhamdulillah for everything.

The reasons I applied for this job were (1) I needed to see other humans beside my parents and preferably about my age, and (2) I believed this project would make a good CV update. The remuneration did not exactly in my favor. I did try to negotiate, but they said they could not raise the budget. So I guess, I should see first if the remuneration matched the work load.

Anyway, I had been working for around three weeks in that office as of today.  So far, the job has been quite manageable.  I am not really sure how the job would evolve in the next few months. I will give update in this space. And next week, that office would assign me to attend an event in Blitar, East Java! It's been a while since I was last assigned to another city, so I am excited.

Apart from that Blitar trip, I will also travel to Yogyakarta-Solo-continuing to Blitar-before finally embarking on the last leg of the trip: Malang and Semarang.  The Yogya-Solo legs would be with my high school friends, the Blitar trip was from that office, the Malang part was an assignment from my professor, and the Semarang would be a quick transit before going back to Jakarta.

Tokyo Disneyland And Late Night Ichiran Ramen

July 3

I already bought my Tokyo Disneyland before we knew that Wda would be allowed to extend her stay. And the ticket should be used today. Wda told me to have a good time in Disneyland as she wanted to enjoy a quiet morning after all the works she did. Seriously, it didn't feel like we shared a room back in Osaka because she was always out.

A little bit after 9 am, she informed me that she decided to go to Kamakura. At that time, I was already humming to Aladdin's A Whole New World in the happiest place on earth.

Yeay, Tokyo Disneyland, here I come!

The map guide leaflets are available in many languages, including Indonesian

When you asked help from a random tourist to take your photo, and they did not know good composition for photography (sigh)

It was a hot day, so I bought an ice cream

Space Mountain

Such cute foods at Queen of Hearts Banquet Hall

I chose the salad. See that cute Mickey Mouse-shaped boiled egg that peeked from under the greens :)

Unfortunately, there was no fireworks because it started to drizzle. The visitors dutifully left the themepark.

As I boarded the train, I asked Wda if she wanted to try the halal outlet of Ichiran Ramen in Shinjuku. She said that she already had dinner, but would love to try the ramen. Signs of true friend (lol). So we decided to meet in Shinjuku. However, there was slight misunderstanding. There are two Ichiran Ramen outlet in Shinjuku, one is in Shinjuku Kabukicho and one in Nishi Shinjuku (the no-pork outlet). I accidentally went to Kabukicho.

My cellphone battery was below 10 percent, and there was no way I could get to the other outlet without my Gmap. So I asked Wda to pick me up at Kabukicho. From there, we walked to the other outlet. We got to the outlet at around midnight, it is a 24-hour outlet.

Ichiran Ramen is a ramen shop that gives each customer the customized ramen bowl. Customer can choose the thickness level of the soup, the tenderness of the ramen, etc. Another unique point of Ichiran Ramen is the customer is given separated seat, with bamboo blinds that cover the cooking area. To ask for more dish or additional items, customer can press on a button and a magic hand will appear (lol).

Despite the separated seating arrangement, Wda and I sat next to each other and we chatted during our meal. While the other customers sat calmly and finished their meal quietly. Dining at Ichiran Ramen shows how Japanese appreciate each customer's request, independence and solitude.

Another Two Days Of Working As Freelancer In Tokyo

July 1

Ok, as I said in the previous post, I had to work for gold and glory! After a half day of work, I went to Narita airport to take my Disneyland ticket (it just had to be taken in person, damn you Klook.com). Today was not exactly a touristy day. I only went out to check the transportation system in Tokyo, which is far more complex than Osaka (but of course, Tokyo is the capital), and alhamdulillah, I survived the first try out. 

What I liked about my hostel in Minami Senju: there are two convenience stores nearby, it is close to bus station (although a bit far to the train station), and it is more residential area instead of tourist area. So I get few glimpses of Japanese daily life.

I saw this small cafe in the neighborhood, planned to try its coffee, but ahhh, could not make it. I guess it means I should come again.

I really want to see how they put the car on top

After getting the ticket in Narita airport, I had a brief reunion with Mbak Bby and Echi (again). We had ramen in Ebisu area, then I went back to my hostel.

The facade

Halal sign

The ramen

Extra: the hostel provides yukata for the guests. It makes for a great coverage if I need to go to the toilet, which is several doors away from my room.

Trying to achieve the look of elegant Japanese woman, but I guess I look like a shogun servant girl here, lol

July 2

I went to Shibuya to meet Hachiko and watch the Shibuya crossing. Hachiko, a symbol of loyalty, is a dog that keeps waiting for its master Hidesaburo Ueno at Shibuya station although Ueno-san had passed away. The story has been turned into a movie, then adapted to a Hollywood movie starred by Richard Gere.

I tried to find people with the kindest eyes to ask help with the photos

Shibuya crossing is amazing. People stand behind the traffic lights patiently, and as soon as the light turns green, they claim the roads.

Then I went to Meiji-jingu shrine. Located in Shibuya, Meiji-jingu is a Shinto shrine that is dedicated to the defined spirits of Emperor Meiji and his wife, Empress Shoken.

Rows of sake barrels

Meiji-Jingu shrine is surrounded by trees, making the atmosphere feels so peaceful

For dinner, I went to Sushi Ken, a halal eatery that specializes in sushi near Asakusa. Although it is a halal restaurant, it is frequented by many Japanese. I also saw some foreign tourists (Caucasians) when I was there.

The halal sign

The view from my table

Last Day In Osaka And The Shinkansen Train Ride

June 30

We started the day easy, because both of us had days off! Yeay! After breakfast, we went to Bic Camera, which is located right across our hotel. I needed a new SIM card, because the one I bought from Klook.com was only valid for 8 days. I still had another 7 days in Japan. Guess what? I found a SIM Card that is valid for one month, at the same price as the 8-day card I bought from Klook.com. Lessons learned: buy SIM Card at BIC Camera, which turns out available in Osaka airport.

After purchasing the card, I put the card by myself and followed the setting manual to activate the card. The salesperson said that if I wanted to ask for help with the card installation, I needed to pay for the service. In Indonesia, this kind of service is free.

It was raining outside and our train to Tokyo was still several hours later, so we went window shopping in BIC Camera. As a fan of Apple, I felt huge temptation during the window shopping, because the devices are relatively cheaper than in Indonesia. I even found a pink (!) MacBook Air. The only things that stopped me were: (1) the keyboard and operating system are in Japanese, (2) I think I have to pay tax in the airport (in which I couldn't afford to pay), but I am just too lazy to make up excuses (if I don't want to pay it).

 

Wishful thinking 

From BIC Camera, we went to Sunset Owl Cafe, an owl cafe that is also near our hotel. We have spotted the cafe since the first day, but due to our busy schedule, we could only make it on our last day in Osaka. Customers can spend 50 minutes with the birds of prey by buying a glass of drink. The drink options are limited. But after spending some time with the owls, I would say that it was worth the experience, the owls are so cute.

From the cafe, we went to the station. Wda and I discussed several things prior the departure. We decided that I would not stay at her hotel in Tokyo, because (1) I had to pay extra fee (in some cases, the hotel implements per person rate, not per room rate), and (2) the headquarter office is nearby. It would be too inconvenient to explain to her bosses about me sharing the hotel room. I decided to book a room in Minami-Senju area.

Although I would not stay with Wda in Tokyo, I decided to take the same shinkansen train with her. First, I don't go to Japan everyday, so I thought, well why not. Second, as a train head, I have been wanting to board the train since I heard about it years ago. Third, it would be more convenient to arrive in a new city with someone who is already familiar with the area.

There are three shinkansen train types that serves the Osaka-Tokyo route: Nozomi (Wish), Hikari (Light), and Kodama (Echo), and the names represent the speed of each shinkansen. Nozomi travels between Osaka and Tokyo in two hours, only stops at major stations, while Hikari in three hours and Kodama in four hours. We took the Nozomi train.

Wda was in the booked seat car, while I was in the free-seating car (cheaper ticket). Although we were in different car, everything was safe and comfortable for me to enjoy the two-hour train ride. The toilet is even more comfortable than the airplane's toilet. I will try to insert the videos I took in the station and in the train car, I hope they turned out okay.

Wda and I reunited in Tokyo station before bidding our temporary goodbye. She took a taxi to her hotel, which was quite near from the station. I checked with some officers, who told me to take Bus number 12. I had a difficult time to locate the bus shelter, so I asked a woman, who kindly helped me find the shelter. Japanese people are too kind.

I arrived at my accommodation at around 10.30 p.m. The room set up was similar with the Osaka's hostel. I checked the WiFi and ensured I could log in before falling asleep because I needed to work tomorrow.  

A Tale of Two Cities: Nara And Iga-city In Mie Prefecture

June 29

If you think that I have learned my lessons after the cramped leg fiasco post-Kyoto trip, you are wrong. Because this day, I did an even crazier thing: visiting two cities - Nara and Iga City - in one day.  Today was Saturday, but Wda still had work events (poor girl), so I went by myself, as usual.

Let's start with...

Nara

As you can see from the sewer top, Nara is famous for its deers. It is a pretty small city and easy to navigate. As soon as I stepped out the station, I saw the throng of people walking into one direction. I figured they must be going to the deer park, so I followed them.

The attack of the deers

I met a solo traveler, and we took turns in taking photos. I had to admit that she took better pictures than I did.

The deers keep coming

Hello, there! 

I didn't have to walk all the way to the park, because the deers were already coming to get you. They sniffed at my bag, trying to get some snacks. Oops, I did bring something for my lunch and snacks. Visitors can feed the deers with senbei (a kind of crackers).

This one has a rather odd antler configuration

Then I went to Todai-ji Temple, a Buddhist temple in Nara. I took a walk around the park and just enjoyed the fresh air, the greeneries and the quiet solitude.

I remembered seeing this statue in one of my manga collection

An empty path in the temple compound

Todai-ji temple

The red-barked tree behind me has the freshest smell. I just love leaning on that tree

Iga City


From Nara, I went to Iga-city, which is also known as Ninja City because there is a ninja museum. If you asked me which train I took, I would not be able to reply because this trip was a decision made on the spot. I simply followed the direction on Gmaps.

What I did remember was the amazing view along the railway tracks that connect Nara - Iga City. After around one-hour  trip by train, I arrived in Iga City.

The train that took me to Iga City

View of the station from outside

Signage outside the train station

Small shrines

A small shrine on a sidewalk

I saw a small snake slithering its way up a stone wall. Can you see it?

Ninja Museum

The ticket office area

The ninja performance began! Unfortunately, audience is not allowed to take video or photo.

We also get to tour the house of a ninja, which usually has secret storage for supply...

Or weapon

You would never know there is something hidden below. Great carpentry work.

Sayonara, ninja

As I approached Osaka, I asked Wda whether she had dinner, because I had yet to have dinner, and if she hadn't have dinner, would she have dinner with me. She already had dinner, but she said she would accompany me. I thought I would just grab anything that was still open. We went to a small sushi eatery. Then we also tried the fish-shaped red bean paste-filled cake that was still open to almost midnight.

Oyasumi-nasai

Two Days Of Working As Freelancers In Osaka

June 27

As planned, I worked from the hotel while Wda went to the convention center where the big event was held. In the middle of work, I could not log in to Internet. It got so bad that I checked with the receptionist to ask if something wrong happened to the Internet connection. She said that it was due to the high usage, after all the hotel was one of the official accommodations for the G20 Osaka. 

After the daily work was submitted, I browsed for local Internet cafe and went out to work on my weekly report. It took me a few walks and turns before realizing that the Internet cafe was on the second floor of one of the buildings that I have passed. 

Just like the Internet cafe in Shin-Imamiya, this one also served free flow drink. The staff directed me to an empty booth. Next to me was a man, who looked a bit older, but I couldn't be sure because Asians always looked younger than they really are. As I started to work, this man disturbed me with his gas production. Seriously! I believed he farted five times while sitting there. I tried to hold my breath everytime he did it. 

I was having difficult time to work with this keyboard in the Internet cafe. Finally used my laptop. But the Internet connection was still a bit slower compared to the hotel.

After I completed the reports, I went back to take a few hours of rest. Then I scrolled IG and saw  that yesterday Finance Minister Sri Mulyani was having dinner is Naritaya, a halal restaurant in Namba. I jumped onto my feet and headed to the restaurant.

The restaurant's facade

Signage on the front of the restaurant

Donburi and gyoza. Alhamdulillah for the halal meal.

Since it had been a tough day, I went with rice meal. Actually, today I tried to do fasting in summertime. For me, it was the first time to do a 16-hour fasting from dawn to dusk, plus I had to work. It is not easy. I salute all my Muslim brothers and sisters who have to do the summertime fasting. I feel totally blessed being able to live on the equator, where the day and night always have equal hour timetable.

When I was there, a group of Indonesians was coming in. They were in Osaka also for the G20. I finished my dinner quickly and left to give them seats.

June 28

The Internet was in trouble again today. But this time, I did not go to an Internet cafe. I simply went to the hotel lobby and worked there. Last night I tried logging into the WiFi on the hotel's lobby with my cellphone. The signal reception was better there compared to the room. So I figured that I could work in the lobby to save myself from being bombarded by farts.

When I told Wda about the fart incident, she apologized profusely. She said that most Japanese were polite. However, the Osakans are more laid back compared to the Tokyonites. She also said that I would not experience those fart incidents in Tokyo. I was like, hmm, ok, we would see about that.

This afternoon, I met with Echi, a journo who works for a Japanese media. We got acquainted in Jakarta more than 10 years ago. She moved to Tokyo with her family (husband and two sons) a little bit over a year ago. Since she would be assigned to cover G20 Osaka, we decided to meet in Osaka first. And if her schedule in Tokyo allowed it, we could meet again there.

We decided to have dinner at Chibo, a restaurant that specializes on halal okonomiyaki. FYI, okonomiyaki is a dish that originated in Osaka. Okonomiyaki is basically a savory Japanese pancake, made with flour, eggs, shredded cabbage, meat/protein, and topped with condiments.So if you're in Osaka, be sure to have a sample of this dish. 

We went to Chibo in Namba and found a long queue. We asked the waitress who stood in front of the restaurant if there was a table for two, and no, we did not have any reservation. She told us to wait while she checked. Then she said that there would be an empty table for us in 5-10 minutes. So we waited. When we were told to enter the restaurant, the people who still waited in the queue line glared at us. The waiter explained to them that we had special seating for halal dishes.

It turned out that the seventh (or was it the fifth) floor was dedicated to Muslim customers. The menu on that floor did not use non-halal ingredients. Also, there is a praying room. The Japanese is truly a kind host who will go the extra mile to make the guests feeling comfortable.

We had okonomiyaki and fried soba. The waiter was an Indonesian student who works part time in the restaurant. He helped us with the hot plate stove and then left us to enjoy our meal. The stove got hot quickly, so we had to finish the dish in a hurry.

Okonomiyaki

Fried vegetarian yakisoba