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8D Avia Japan Tour: Tokyo Skytree and Ueno Park

Cherry blossom viewing at Ueno Park Tokyo

Jim Beam Highball Truck at Ueno Park on weekend

Japanese cemetery on the way to Tokyo Skytree

Cherry blossom viewing near Tokyo Skytree Japan

It’s already November and I haven’t finished documenting my travel log from March. But the good news is we are coming toward the end of the travel log and I’m gonna start a new one in December. After our challenging walk at Nakamise Street, we boarded the tour bus again to go to our next destination Tokyo Skytree and Ueno Park. However, the tour does not book a visit to Tokyo Skytree for us so it’s more like photo stop with Tokyo Skytree as a background. Thankfully I’ve been to Tokyo Skytree before although I did not want to spend $ to go up to the observatory deck since I have been to one at Tokyo Tower. But I feel it’s really a pity not to at least stepping into the tower and take a look around the shopping mall underneath the tower. There’s even a huge Totoro shop there.

Oh well, the tour participants seem to be happy enough to pose with Tokyo Skytree as its background so what can I say. After spending 20 minutes here to take picture, we made our way to where the bus could park and then boarded the bus again to next destination, Ueno Park. The road between these two popular tourist destinations is heavily congested especially since that day was a Sunday. So we were stuck for nearly 30 minutes with Japanese cemetery view from our bus window. We saw that each tomb seems to have names imprinted on the wooden sticks. Our local tour guide explained that usually the tomb consists of a family of 4 so you will see many sticks at the top of one tomb. I suppose they layer the casket on top of each other inside one tomb plot.

Someone asked what if the family is huge, would they be able to be buried together? In this case, the tour guide explained that it is common for a big family to be buried separately or even, cremated. Hmm, I suppose land is also scarce and expensive too here in Japan. Not just in Singapore. Haha.

45 minutes later we finally reached Ueno Park and since back then we were at the last week of sakura season, festivity vibe could still be felt right at the centre of Ueno Park where people have picnic while viewing the sakura tree. In addition, there are many food/ drink stall (which is mostly offering beer I dunno why) and also, street performances because it was Sunday. Not sure if the weekday vibes of Ueno Park is that jolly though. There is no entrance fee to Ueno Park so you can just stroll inside to enjoy the beauty of the park for free. To be honest, I prefer Shinjuku Park to Ueno Park for sakura-viewing but the entrance free to Shinjuku Park is not free and you are not allowed to bring alcohol inside the park. Plus minus I suppose.

8D Avia Japan Trip: Asakusa Temple and Nakamise Street, Tokyo

Kaminarimon Gate at Asakusa Temple in Tokyo Japan

Nakamise Street in front of Asakusa Temple in Tokyo

So I have finally decided to use my subliminal amount of leaves to go for 9 days 8 nights trip to Osaka. But when I think about Japan, I remember that I haven’t even finished updating my travel blog about my spring trip to Japan. Oh wait, that means I will be in Japan 2 times in a year, man, I should have gotten that multiple entries visa. But then, I only decided this trip like few days ago and you will need to have your air tickets ready for those two trips if you want to even try your chance to apply for multiple entries visa so yeah, that’s out I guess.

Actually my last write-up about Japan was right about when I was about to enter Tokyo from Mt Fuji. You know you have reached Tokyo when you can see the view of Tokyo Skytree from your window bus. However, a visit to the top of Tokyo Skytree is never in any tour group itineraries in Jakarta so the bus continues to bring us to Asakusa Temple. We were in Tokyo on a Sunday and if you are wondering how’s the weekend crowd is like at Nakamise Street, the street leading to the main gate of Asakusa Temple, you will see head and head of human trudging toward the same direction. In other words, be prepared to get...well, squeezed with some strangers along the way.

Our tour guide did not allow us to make detour or pit stop to buy food because she wanted to dismiss us right at Kaminarimon Gate, the main gate of Asakusa Temple. The main gate is actually pretty impressive but taking picture there without getting any photo-bomber in your picture needs superhuman skill. I did not even feel like trying, to be honest with you. However, if you are not intimidated by the crowd, you should give Kaminarimon Gate closer observation. The huge lantern is especially the famous landmark of Kaminarimon Gate and Asakusa Temple which seems to be the favourite photo-taking spot amongst tourists.

If you are joining a tour, I recommend not to spend too much time at Kaminarimon Gate because there are a lot of food street to explore at Nakamise Street and its neighboring alleys. The problem with enjoying food street at Nakamise Street is that you are not allowed to eat and drink while walking along the street. I’m not sure if there is police to watch over you and summon you fine if you are caught doing that, but I suppose it’s just polite to follow other country’s law and regulation when you are in one. That, and I suspect the food vendor may just scold you right there (especially if they are not youngsters) for eating and walking at the same time.

Cheese Garden is a very popular restaurant originated from Nasu area. It offers a wide variety of cheesecakes which is one of the souvenir that makes Nasu famous. The problem is I don't even know where Nasu is so it is indeed a good news that Cheese Garden has opened a restaurant inside Tokyo Skytree in Tokyo.

10D9N Spring Japan Trip: Cheese Garden, Tokyo Skytree

The restaurant was pretty busy even though we came at an odd timing (around 2.30 to 3PM-ish). The main star of the menu served in Cheese Garden is well, cheese. Cheese does not have to be boring though. After all, you can make cheese into food, dessert, snack, pizza and fondue.

The most popular item in Cheese Garden is the cheesecake platter. It consists of a combination of 4 cheesecakes and the accompanying cream cheese served beautifully on one plate. You can see the price of each type of whole cheesecake. They are in Japanese though so I don't really know which one is which. The top left one costs much higher than the rest though.

Cheesecake Tasting Platter at Cheese Garden Tokyo Skytree

Here come the cheese platters. The different cheese cakes taste lighter than the usual New York cheesecake which I tasted before (well, from Starbucks, not from the famous Cheesecake Factory unfortunately). As the taste is lighter, the whole platter is just nice to share among two persons.

Cheese Garden Cheesecakes Platter Tokyo Skytree

Uhm...right, to be honest with you. The cheesecake platter was not enough for us, the two hungry ~~monsters~~ ladies. In our defence, we have not had our lunch yet (hehe). So...to cut story short, we ordered another dish, the cheese fondue. The fondue is served inside a bowl of bread with potato wedges at its side. Yummy!!! I just love eating cheese, really.

Cheese Fondue at Cheese Garden in Tokyo Skytree

Once you have finished eating, you may want to proceed to the souvenir store which is located near the entrance. You can buy a whole cheesecake if you would like to. The cheesecakes are stored in a super nice packaging.

Whole cheesecakes at Cheese Garden at Tokyo Skytree

But if you are a light traveller like me (or you still have a lot of stuffs left on your to-buy-list), you can buy smaller souvenirs from Cheese Garden. The cheese cookie and cheese fruit tarts are superb. I really regretted the fact that I only bought two cheese tarts *cry*.

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Wandering Fel

8D Avia Japan Trip: Tokyo Skytree and Ueno Park

8D Avia Japan Trip: Asakusa Temple and Kaminarimon Gate, Tokyo

10D9N Spring Japan Trip: Donguri Kyowakoku Solamachi Store, Tokyo Skytree

10D9N Spring Japan Trip: Cheese Garden, Tokyo Skytree