Asymmtrcal

What is Japan without seeing the famous iconic Mount Fuji? Not only did we witness Mount Fuji in its glory but we set foot on the magnificent Mount Fuji. You can enjoy Mount Fuji in many different ways/ locations from Fuji Five Lake (富士五湖, Fujigoko) or Hakone. Hakone is the most popular for tourists as it is very accessible from Tokyo. I did up an one day itinerary for Hakone but I didn't manage to make use of it. Maybe next time I'll put up a post for Hakone. But we didn't just want to see Mount Fuji from afar so we opted to join a tour to take us up to Mount Fuji and its surroundings. I joined JTB Sunrise Tours.

JTB Sunrise Tour has a variety of tour packages for you from a day trip package to multi-day package to Sumo tours, Tea ceremony etc. From geisha to sushi to anime to even World Heritage sites, JTB Sunrise Tour got you covered. They even have different transportation options for you. The guides are really fluent in English and they are funny. At least my tour guide was and not to mention he was really good at taking photos since he is probably asked to take group photos ALL the time. JTB also offer a package for those who want to climb Mount Fuji. Yes it is possible. My guide's 6 years old son even climbed it. Kuddos. I couldn't even climb Achasan 아차산 in Korea without slipping.

I went on 1-Day Mount Fuji and Hakone tour by coach, which is ¥3,000 cheaper than the Shinkansen return. The tour includes stops at Fuji Visitor Centre, one of the Mount Fuji 5th station (Yoshidaguchi 5th Station or Kawaguchiko 5th Station), lunch at Fuji Highland hotel and Hakone (Lake Ashi cruise and Mt. Komagatake Ropeway). However, Mt. Komagatake Ropeway was closed because the weather was bad so the guide substituted it with Kachi Kachi Ropeway at one of the Fuji Five Lake, Kawaguchiko.

It was raining heavily on the morning when we were supposed to head for Mount Fuji and I given up all hope to see her.

The Fuji Visitor Centre (富士ビジターセンター) 

This was the first stop. Like the name suggests, Fuji Visitor Centre is an information centre for travelers about all things Mount Fuji. They do have exhibits about the mountain and its history. All that thingamajig. I didn't have the time to look around because it was really crowded and I needed to go the toilet before our journey up. Obviously the queue for the ladies snaked.

A Traditional Japanese wedding procession at Meiji Shrine. 

Meiji Shrine is located right next to the very busy Harajuku Station and before that you will pass by/ walk across Harajuku bridge, where you may see Cosplay kids or Lolitas on Sundays around 12pm.

Meiji Shrine is a 10 minutes walk from the first and massive Torii gate at the entrance but once you enter, the sights and sounds of the hustle and bustle of the city are replaced by the tranquility of the forest. You forget that you are at one of busiest area of Tokyo.

But the main focus of this post is Witnessing a Traditional Japanese wedding procession at Meiji Shrine. 

I was doing research for my trip and came across a blog where the writer witnessed a traditional Japanese wedding procession at Meiji Shrine. I became reaaaaaaally determined to see a Japanese wedding for myself. And so the search begun to find the date and day.

After countless google searches and days browsing through forums, I finally found THE answer.

Based on the Japanese Taian calendar, there were lucky and unlucky days. You know similar to the Chinese lunar calendar. Using this http://tn.calendar-calendar.com/, you can see what type of day it is (there are a lot of different kind) but all you need to know are the days in red 大安. In Chinese custom, we usually pick an auspicious date for the wedding. Same goes for the Japanese.

I saw 2 Japanese couples taking their wedding photos after their ceremony. I was quite upset that I missed the processions. But at that moment when I turned around I saw 2 shinto priests standing around and guards trying to get the crowd to step back annnnnnnnnd a Japanese couple in traditional wear stepped out with their entourage. Right then I knew it was a Japanese wedding procession.


To the couple, thank you for letting me witness your beautiful occasion.

About a month ago, I went on a trip to Japan. A destination I have been dreaming to go ever since my junior college days. My mother travels to Japan on a yearly basis because of her work and I always wanted to join her. However, due to conflicting schedules (exams and her trips always coincide) so I never had the chance to go. I was deciding where should I go for graduation trip —it was either New Zealand, Korea or Japan—. New Zealand was way out of my budget and I have been to Korea too many times thus, I settled for Japan. Another reason was mainly because of Universal Studios Japan (think Wizarding World of Harry Potter). And I didn't regret my choice.

I decided to blog about it because it was such a gooooood memory for me and maybe it would be helpful for others in the future (ccch ccch ccch talking like I'm a big shot). I went to 6 different places in a span of 15 days. I started in Tokyo and ended in Osaka. I decide not to talk about repetitive things that others have posted but things and places that I had a really good time at or simply, it was interesting.

Tokyo has long been a city that attracts a steady stream of admirers due to its architecture, culture, social quirks and food, from sushi, salaryman, shinkansen, sumos and skyscrapers. In this post I'm going to talk about the basic guide of Tokyo e.g. Transport, Accommodation etc.

1. Flights

There are numerous flights flying into Japan from Singapore from full fledged flights to low cost carriers (budget airlines) like Jetstar and Scoot. Budget airlines have promotions all the time so sign up for their newsletter! Full fledged flights do occasionally have promotions too like tickets at around $600-$700 for Singapore Airlines. My friend got her tickets from Malaysia Airline for below $500 and with 30KG baggage!

Choose a flight that you feel comfortable with or most convenient.

2. Narita Express/ N'EX

3. Hotels

It was my first time to Japan/ Tokyo so I don't think I'm the best person to advice you where to stay so let me direct you to Asia Travel blog where the writer talks about Best Area to Stay in Tokyo as well as her reviews.

I have started many blogs but it was more personal and I never stuck to it. This time round I hope this one stays and evolve into something more than just a blog. This is also a way for me to pass time while I try to find employment, as well as practice and improve my web skills. I'm still tweaking this and I haven't blog since my junior college days.

Asymmtrcal

Asymmetry is the absence of, or a violation of, symmetry (the property of an object being invariant to a transformation, such as reflection). Symmetry is an important property of both physical and abstract systems and it may be displayed in precise terms or in more aesthetic terms.