The photos above are from Pokemon Center MEGA TOKYO that is located in Sunshine City (Ikebukuro). If you or anybody you know loves Pokemon, you must visit one of the many official shops which are located across Japan.
Tokyo also has tons of parks where you can play Pokemon Go. I took the screenshot above a little after Pokemon Go was released, and I was able to level up really fast by going to parks with nests and walking endlessly.
For those playing Pokemon Go, I used to play a lot at (click on the links to go to Google Maps) Kinshi Park, Odaiba (I liked Odaiba Kaihin-Koen), Yoyogi Park, and Shinjuku. Make sure you stop at a convenience store for water and some onigiri to replenish your energy, but also be careful not to use all of your smart phone’s battery or pocket wifi’s battery & data!
Following our last post which was a brief introduction of Ikebukuro, Part 2 is about Sunshine City.
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Sunshine City is a huge area that encompasses an entire block of the Ikebukuro area, and it has shops, restaurants, an aquarium, and the Prince Hotel is located in the same block.
The alpa Shop Guide is very detailed with a list of recommended shops & restaurants that include descriptions.
The Play & Watch link on the Sunshine City webpage has “Recommended Courses” that show plans depending on your interests.
For example, you can go to the aquarium in the morning, have a quick lunch on one of the lower floors, do some shopping, and then have dinner while looking over the city in the Sky Restaurant Area (Japanese website).
If you’re in Ikebukuro, definitely check out Sunshine City even for just a few hours.
For the first leg, second part of their first leg, Brandon and his friends stayed in Ikebukuro.
Ikebukuro is located kind of in the north part of Tokyo’s 23 special wards. It doesn’t have the greatest access to and from airports for first-timers with luggage, but it is quite conveniently located for travel to other parts of Tokyo: Shinjuku, Shibuya, Ginza, etc.
The thumbs up and thumbs down in the access to/from Haneda and Narita is based on whether or not a first-time traveler with luggage would have to change trains. If you are comfortable with the transportation system in Japan, changing trains once or twice might not be too much of a burden, depending on which station you are transferring at, of course.
As for shopping, Seibu Department Store, Lumine Department Store, Tobu Department Store, Parco, Sunshine City are a few major places people go shopping.
For those who want to eat and drink the night away, Ikebukuro has no shortage of places, including a lot of authentic Chinese restaurants near the station’s west gate.
Here is an update version of the “Recommended Areas to Stay in Tokyo” table.
It’s still New Year’s Eve here in Hawaii, but it’s already New Year’s Day in Japan, so…
Happy New Year!!!
Bringing in the new year is definitely the most important holiday & event in Japan, so there are various customs when doing so.
Toshi-koshi soba
For example, toshi-koshi soba (New Year’s Soba) is eaten on New Year’s Eve. Soba is long and thin, and this represents longevity for oneself and one’s family.
Red & White Song Contest from 2017
This isn’t a traditional custom, but it’s something that many people still do, despite declining viewership over the past few years ー watch the Red & White Song Contest (紅白歌合戦). In Hawaii, this is shown on New Year’s Day, but it’s shown live on New Year’s Eve until a few minutes before midnight in Japan. There’s even an app you can download to receive alerts of when your favorite artist will perform, but of course, you have to be in Japan for alerts.
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Hatsumoude is the first visit of a shrine or temple of the year. Shrines and temples have vendors selling food and drinks (alcoholic drink also) from well before midnight. When the clock strikes 12, many temples strike the bell (joya no kane) to signal the new year. The photo of Ookunitama Shrine was taken a few days after the New Year, but the photos taken at Zojoji were taken on the morning of New Year’s Day.
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Hatsu hi no de is the first sunrise of the year, and crowds of people gather on mountains, along the ocean, tall buildings, or anywhere there is a good view of the sunrise. As the sun starts to peak from the horizon, many people put their hands together in prayer to pray for good health and/or decide their goal for the year.
Osechi Ryori (traditional New Year’s Day Meal), Ozouni (New Year’s Day Mochi Soup) on the top, and some other side dishes
Osechiryori is a traditional New Year’s Day meal where the various dishes and colors have a significant meaning.
Ozouni is a mochi (rice cake) soup that is eaten on New Year’s Day. Depending on the area of Japan, the ingredients, toppings, and taste will be different, but the one thing in common is the mochi. Even if the shape of the mochi used, round or square, is different throughout Japan, mochi is sticky and stretches, so it’s eaten for longevity.
These are just a few customs for New Year’s in Japan, and it’s interesting to see how some of these things have been carried on from one generation to the next here in Hawaii.
From Jet-Set Japan, we wish everybody a Happy New Year!!!
Christmas lights in Tokyo start a little after Halloween, so it considerably early, but it’s nice to enjoy the beautiful holiday scenery for almost 2 whole months.
Also, I’m sure some of you have read articles that Japanese people eat KFC for Christmas. It’s so busy that you even have to reserve your order in advance! I guess chicken is the best alternative for turkey in Japan, and there seems to be some history behind it.
In addition to KFC, Christmas cakes are in extremely high demand. Most people make an order in advance and cakes which are not sold on Christmas day are discounted.
For the most part, Christmas in Tokyo (and perhaps most of Japan), is a time for couples and families to exchange gifts and spend some time together.
Jet-Set Japan 