60 Servings of Fluffy Pancake Goodness a Day

Some pancakes are dry; some pancakes are bland; some pancakes taste better once you smother them with butter and maple syrup; and then there's Cafe Gram's premium pancake. 

Halloween Madness in Tokyo

Tokyo is known to be one of the fashion capitals of the world. For the past year and a half or so of living here, I have observed how conscious Tokyo-ites are about the little details in their everyday look. They match their outfits to their umbrellas, take time to style their hair in braids or curls, and really stick to the fashion for the season (for example, once it's autumn in the calendar, expect them to be in sweaters and jackets even if it's still warm). If you go to the Disney parks, you would see groups of matching outfits, often times Disney-themed.


Given all this, I did not expect Halloween to be so intense when I first experienced it last year. 

The Turista Series: Proper Japanese Etiquette

The Japanese (more often than not) adhere to the norms of society. I think most people would agree that they are very polite and organized people. That being said, it is very easy for foreigners to stand out when they're visiting the land of the rising sun. So before your trip to Japan, it's best to equip yourself with some basic Japanese etiquette!

The Turista Series: Getting Lost in Japan

It is fairly easy to get lost in Japan. The train system, although very efficient, is also very complicated with a lot of transfers and exits. Shinjuku Station in Tokyo alone has about 200 exits (yes, TWO HUNDRED. It is the world's busiest train station after all); some trains even switch lines or skip stations, so if you're unaware, you could miss your stop easily (mind you, it's happened to me plenty of times). Then, of course, there's the language barrier. Planning where you're going and how to get there can easily save you a lot of time and money.

The Turista Series: Transportation Tips in Japan

Japan is presently opening up to the world and is attracting more and more tourists, especially since it will be hosting the 2020 Olympics. Living here for a year, I can say that it's a good destination to explore as the culture is so rich and yet you'd be fascinated by Japan's advancements in technology at the same time. Not to mention, the food is awesome and it's a shopping haven. One thing you have to expect though-- transportation can be quite pricey.

But! Have no fear. For the budgeting traveller--I have a few tips on how you can get around more (mostly in Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka) for less. 

Valentine's Day in Tokyo

A friend once told me that Japan loves events. Of course, this month of February focused on Valentine's Day. Pocky suddenly came out with ridiculously sounding names that made me scratch my head for a while (with a few giggles here and there). Okaecy, Yorocky, Ganbacky, Sukky, Lovecky, Giricky, Tomocky, Papacky... 

I obviously had to ask what this was about. So, apparently, these are simple messages for whoever is going to receive them. For example, Ganbacky is "gambatte" (something like, "do your best!"), Yorocky is "yoroshiku onegaishimasu" (there's no direct translation for this phrase but it's something like "please be nice to me"), Tomocky is for "tomodachi" ("friend"), and Sukky is for "suki"(could be "like" or "love" although I'm not sure why there's also a Lovecky box). Oh, there's also a Thanky, but that one's pretty self-explanatory.

More interesting though is is how Valentine's Day is celebrated on this side of the world.

The First Sunrise in the Land of the Rising Sun

I'm days late, but HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE! I hope everyone started the year right! It is my first time to welcome the new year in Japan, and it was definitely a unique and unforgettable experience.

Prior to midnight, I hung out with a group of travellers and we (very noisily) made our way to the Shibuya crossing... Which was apparently blocked. I found out that there used to be an official New Year's Eve countdown there but Tokyo put it to a halt just last year. Such a shame although I don't blame the government. Places get really, really trashed. It's such a big contrast to how the Japanese take care of their environment, even during major Japanese festivals. Nonetheless, there were still so many people-- some even in costumes-- persistent to have a countdown of their own.

Midnight struck, greetings were made, hugs were given. Everyone was happy although we barely knew each other. A joyful riot ensued, then the group broke into smaller groups. Most wanted to go dancing in a club but I ended up in a pub with a few people.

Disclaimer: My New Year story isn't about drinks and loud music. I had a few beers but the real celebration started at 2am when I set off for Mount Takao to catch the first sunrise of the year, which is very important to the Japanese. I fell in love with this perspective the very first time my friend told me about it. From my side of the world, people just party 'til late night and sleep in the next day. Initially, I did not know who I was going to go with on this adventure. I was mostly told that I was crazy to want to hike a mountain when I should just be celebrating under the influence of alcohol. Luckily enough, I found outliers who wanted to try this cultural experience.

The Magic of Mount Fuji

I'm only 5 feet tall but there I was, 12,000 feet high! Climbing Mount Fuji has been one of the most challenging, tiring and overly amazing things I've ever done in my life. It's definitely not an easy feat, but it was all worth it.
NOTE: This is going to be a long post. But... I have pictures and loads of information so I do hope you read on!

Ameya-Yokocho: The Last Black Market

Mention "Ueno" and, more often than not, tourists would instantly think of Ueno Park and Ueno Zoo. But not a lot of people know about the last black market in Tokyo: Ameyayokocho.


"Ame" is short for "America", and the market was originally for selling American army goods after the second world war. Now, Ameyayokocho-- or Ameyokocho for short-- has opened up to an entire range of great bargains.

Japanese locals are usually very quiet and space-conscious, so it was a nice cultural icebreaker exploring a rowdy, crowded place where you can get good deals for clothes, shoes, souvenirs, street food and fresh sea goodies (a bag of maybe 6 big pieces of juicy salmon costs only 500 Japanese Yen). My eyes were wide open as I walked from stall to stall. I was especially impressed to see fruits on sticks (for at least 100 Japanese yen) as street food. I also had the best matcha ice cream to date. Of course, I tried eating as much as my pocket could handle it. Some vendors even made efforts to speak in Filipino! How refreshing.

The market is open daily from around 10:00am to 8:00pm. Try not to go on a Wednesday as a lot of the shops are closed during that day. Getting there, just take the Ueno Park exit (signs are very easy to read as this is a popular tourist area) and just look for the "Ameyayokocho" arch (you can refer to the first photo of this post).

Culture Lessons

Not a lot of people know that I have moved to Tokyo, Japan. In fact, by tomorrow, June 29th, it will be exactly 3 months. I feel bad about not being able to update this blog as much as I should and want to, but I'm pushing myself yet again to change that (and hopefully, keep it consistent). I can't promise that things will be chronological around here, as I would love to share both recent and past adventures. It's better late than never after all!

Tokyo is actually known for having a lot of museums, and my first museum experience was at the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum, which features the British Museum's "A History of the World in 100 Objects". It was very interesting as the objects wove a story of how human creativity and innovation developed over 2 million years. What was more interesting, however, was the experience going through the whole museum with Japanese locals.

It was a Saturday, and the exhibition is only until the 28th, so it was expected that the place will be packed. And indeed it was, but it wasn't bothersome at all.

People were actually lined up in a very organized manner, going from one object to another. Nobody asked them to, they just did, and it was a very effective system. Everybody talked in hushed voices and patiently waited for their turn to view. To add, before entering the exhibition room, we were told that taking photos is not allowed inside, and I swear, I did not see a single soul defy this rule. There were even kids inside the museum and they weren't unruly or restless at all. The museum offers drawing boards to children so they can walk around to doodle the things that they see.

I am utterly amazed by the Japanese people's discipline and courtesy. Here, they stop and patiently wait for you to take a photo, voluntarily move to a different seat if your friend is sitting next to them so that you two will be seated together, keep their phones on silent mode so as not to bother others, wear masks when they have a simple cold or cough, follow traffic rules such as slowing down when there is a pedestrian lane, and always bear in mind to say polite words like "I'm sorry" (gomenasai), "excuse me" (sumimasen), "please" (onegaishimasu) and "thank you" (arigatou gozaimasu). I could go on and on but I'll probably just write more about this as we go along.

On a final note, as we embark on another busy week ahead, let's not forget to stop and be considerate to others. There are always little things that you can do to make this world a happier place. Goodnight, everyone. :)