Tokyo Travelogue: Singapore to Tokyo!

Tokyo Bound: First Flight On Singapore Airlines

Being a Budget Traveller previously, it’s my first time onboard a standard airline in economy class. And it’s because there was a promotion and I managed to get tickets to Haneda with insurance and everything else included at $699 per pax. Which I think is a pretty good deal as even on a budget airline to Narita goes up to $500++ with one transit. And trust me, although it’s my first time to Tokyo, Haneda is the airport you want to fly to even if it might be slightly more expensive.

Getting to Shinjuku takes only 50 minutes or so on non-peak period as compared to at least 80 minutes or so from Narita. And if you are taking the express bus, a ticket from Shinjuku to Haneda is 1230 yen while it’s 3100 yen to get to Narita. And I am talking about one-way ticket here.

Anyways, it’s my first time onboard Singapore Airlines and I’ve a pretty good experience. I think I might be spoilt by SIA this trip that it will be hard for me to go back to budget airlines for flights more than 4 hours next time!

Choice of Accommodation: AirBnb Shinjuku Kabukicho Apartment

For this trip, my choice of accommodation is Airbnb and the nearest station is Higashi-Shinjuku Station on the subway. The apartment is also walkable from the Shinjuku JR line albeit longer. It’s easy to find your way once you get used to it in 2 or 3 days. And it’s easy to get around Tokyo from Shinjuku too!

This is the outside of the Airbnb apartment. It is pretty decent but what you can’t see that it is surrounded by many hotels, love hotels to be exact. Think Hotel 81 kind but more stylish type. This is because the apartment is located in Kabukicho which is the red light district equivalent. Love hotels, Host and Hostess Clubs, Bars, Karaokes are something I see in abundance every night as I walk back to my apartment.

Of course, there is a more quiet way to walk back to the apartment, avoiding all the action. But I took several different routes back every night as I want to see what’s in the neighbourhood. Anyways, even though it’s a red light district, it’s not dangerous or rowdy. Though there are foreigners (Chinese/Black Americans) in Japan touting to get tourists to watch rated shows. There was this black guy trying to talk to me to get me to go to whichever place he’s working at.LOL. I brushed him away as I’m hungry and finding my way to dinner. Nobody stands in my way when I’m hungry!

My companion for this Tokyo trip! And also our mums!

I must say I’m not the most patient person on earth, and I get short-tempered easily with my mum around. Thanks for standing up with me and I hope you and your mum have enjoyed the trip!

Anyways, that’s an overview of the apartment. It’s pretty small with the living area and kitchen combined. There’s two rooms, one with 2 single beds and one with a double bed that’s smaller than queen sized. Not much space to walk around in the rooms. It’s just enough for us as we have quite a number of luggage.

First dinner in Tokyo, Menya Musashi! 「麺屋武蔵」

I must say this is way better than what we have in Singapore. The meat itself is very different! It’s juicy and very flavourful! Enjoyed it very much! Soup is a tad salty but that is the norm in Japan as they tend to slurp the noodles together with the soup. Unlike us where we eat one mouth of noodles followed by one spoonful of soup. (This is told to me by our one day guide in Japan who is a brother of a family friend. )

Shopping at Don Quijote after dinner. I literally wiped the shelves for the Lychee Eye drops. Lol. Sadly the range of coloured contacts here is not very impressive. I preferred the Donki in Osaka for the contact lens selection. But still, from makeup to skin care to food, you can find almost everything in Donki. Must visit whenever you’re in Japan. It will take all your money. I mean it. Lol.

And that’s all for this post and also the end of day 1 of my Tokyo trip. Ending with a selfie taken with my new camera, the Casio FR-100 which I’ve bought just couple of days before the trip. The above photo is with no edits except for resizing. Not too bad right?

Till the next Tokyo trip post!

XOXO,
Joyce.Forensia