Another trip to Japan with my loved ones :)

This trip was impromptu. He just asked me a question and I agreed to it immediately. Although I had been there twice before this, it would not stop me from going there again, because I wanted to spend my special day with my special ones :) So, with not much preparation (as someone planned and arranged everything for the trip), I finally went to Japan!!!

Day 1 - 19 September 2018

The flight took off from Jakarta by Garuda Indonesia at midnight. Therefore, I had to fly from Singapore to Jakarta in the afternoon at the same day.

We departed from Terminal 3 - special airport designated for Garuda Indonesia flight. It was my first time going through the Terminal 3 as usually I took other airlines from and to Jakarta. So before boarding, I roamed around the area like a tourist :D The airport was big and beautiful, but less crowded, perhaps it was too late at night. The shops were definitely better than the ones in other terminals.

Haneda VS Narita Airport in Tokyo, Japan

We reached Haneda International Airport around 7.45 am Tokyo time. Again, it was my first time flying through this airport. Before that I always flew from Narita International Airport. Haneda was much nearer to Tokyo city compared from Narita (see the Google map above - Haneda in heart sign and Narita in location sign).

Twelve-stories high Uniqlo store at Ginza - Tokyo, Japan

From Haneda we took taxi to our hotel in Ginza area and it cost us 6,490 yen or approx. S$80 with currency of S$1 = 80 yen. We put our luggage to the hotel and started shopping. Hahaha.... I know it was too early to shop, but yes we did. Our first stop was the twelve-stories high Uniqlo store!!! With 5,000 sqm floor space, it was the second largest Uniqlo outlets in the world!!! In Japan, tourist could shop tax-free when they spent over 5,400 yen (otherwise you had to pay 8% tax for everything!)

As you could see from the photo above, the sky was bright blue and the weather was so hot despite the autumn season. The sun shone so bright and I did not expect it to be like that! Most of the clothes I brought from home was thicker ones, therefore it was a good excuse for me to purchase some summer clothes there in Japan hahaha... :P

Tenichi Ginza Honten 

We shopped there until we proceeded next for tempura lunch at Tenichi Ginza Honten - known as the best tempura place in Tokyo, visited by many world leaders such as: Bill Clinton, Mikhail Gorbachev, Jacques Chirac, Henry Kissinger, Kofi Annan, and so on. Their set lunch comprised of rice bowl with prawn, fish, asparagus, mushroom with shrimp tempura, miso soup, assorted pickles, and tea, which cost around 5,000 yen.

Sleek design of Ginza Six from top floor - Ginza, Tokyo

After lunch, we went back to our hotel and checked-in. It was free time so I decided not to waste it and went for shopping again (mostly window shopping) in the area hahaha.... :P

Laduree Tokyo Ginza - Japan

At 4 pm plus we met for afternoon high tea at Laduree Tokyo Ginza at Mitsukoshi department store. It was a luxury French style cafe famous mainly for its Macaron - a Meringue based round shape pastry-like-burger filled with different flavor of sugar paste. But it was also famous for its sweet and beautiful shapes pastries to be accompanied with tea and/ or coffee.

I did not usually go to such a high class place in my daily life so I was grateful for finally experiencing it there and thank you to you know who you were for the wonderful treat! :) I tried their famous Marie Antoinette tea - a mixture of rose and citrus flavor light black tea (1,231 yen incl. tax) together with the lovely Marie Antoinette Rose Framboise seasonal cake selection (1,566 yen incl. tax) - which I called "the wedding-cake-shape tart." :D It tasted sweet, sour, and full of fragrant inside the mouth.

When leaving the place, then I realized, something was missing. My shopping bag was not there! Tried recalling where I went - reversed all the things I did before the afternoon tea - I finally remembered that I hung it inside the toilet. I went into the cubicle again but it was not there anymore.

I remembered watching video from Facebook about how honest Japanese people could be, like whenever someone dropped their shopping bag on the street, people just left that shopping bag in the original position (without taking it home with them). Therefore, I was trying my luck by asking it to the Mitsukoshi department store's staff who stood up nearby the toilet area. Luckily she knew English and understood what my question was. She tried calling to few people asking about my missing bag.

She asked me what thing was inside, which brand or shop I bought it from, etc. I could not remember the shop name as I did not take any attention when purchasing it but luckily I kept the receipt inside my wallet. I showed it to her and she was again giving the required information towards the person she was talking with. After few phone calls, she finally told me that the bag was found by someone and I could collect it back at Information counter at level 1. Wow!!!! It was mind blowing!!! I was amazed with Japanese people, for their honesty and integrity!!! I never expected to get my shopping bag back but it did return back to me! Thank you to the staff who helped me and the person who passed the missing item back to the shopping center staff. Although I did not know your name, but your kindness would remain in my heart. Thank you, thank you, and thank you!!!

Shake Shack at Tokyo International Forum building - Tokyo, Japan

For dinner, we walked all the way to Tokyo International Forum building near the Yurakucho station and proceeded to Shake Shack - the burger joint from NYC. I had not had it before this so I was quite exciting to try!!! I read the review before going there and many would complain about the price. They felt it was not balance with the thing they received, in other words, expensive.

Well, it was pretty expensive though (a single ShackBurger - 710 yen, double - 1,010 yen, SmokeShack single - 910 yen (added with bacon and cherry pepper), Shack-cago Dog (pork) - 610 yen, regular Hot Dog (pork) - 490 yen, regular Fries - 440 yen, and one pitch of ShackMeister Ale beer - 2,800 yen (all prices were excluded 8% tax)), and it all looked pretty regular. However, the meat or beef, made of 100% ground Angus beef, was really thick and tasty. I enjoyed it thoroughly :)

Ginza view at night - Tokyo, Japan

After dinner we walked back. On the way, we stopped at Bic Camera Yurakucho - a big electronic retail store - to see their electronic appliances, before going back to hotel for rest. It was such a long day and my body needed rest. That was how my first day was rolling. Will continue soon... :)