10 random things about Tokyo

What's with all those bottom?!?

1. Toilets with seat warmer

I heard before that the toilets in Japan are totally out of our league. I even thought I would need a guide for it. Actually all those buttons on the side are features. They still work like our toilets do. The thing that totally made me speechless were the seat warmer. I mean like seriously that's somehow really cool, but still kind of wierd.... That's sooo Japan. =)

2. Puricura

Ever heard of that??
They are really popular here in Japan. Basically they are pass pictures you take with your friends. The cool part about it is that you can add many features, like stickers, texts, emotions and much more. It's a lot of fun. Somehow you always look good on these pictures. It's really worth trying them out, because it's a really good memento from Japan.

3. Sweet Crepes

I don't know if other countries have them too. In my country we only have Crepe with Nutella. But they can not be compared to the Crepes from Japan. They basically are Crepes that come in different flavors. I only knew them through animes. They really are delicious. I really looove them. There are a lof of Crepe stands in Harajuku.

Entrance to the Meiji Shrine

4. Visiting Harajuku

Sooo many people in Harajuku

Harajuku is one of my favorite places in Tokyo. It's awesome for shopping. There are sooo many different stores. There are also the basic stores like H&M, F21 and Topshop. Also a lot of other stores.
Harajuku is known for it's fashion. There are a lot of people that are really styled. It's a lot of fun watching them. I think this quarter is really fun. On the other side of the station, there is also the Meiji shrine, the biggest Shintō-Shrine in Tokyo. Next to it, is the Yoyogi park. It's a really cool park to hang around or for Hanami.

5. Crossing in Shibuya

Seriously this crossing is really impressive. It's sooo much fun to see all those people cross the streets at the same time. Wooooow!!! There are sooo many. It's always like this. It's not like once a day. It's the entire day long. Really impressive.

Oppa Gangnam Style!!! =)

6. Shin-Okubo Tokyo's Korean town

K-POP stairs in Shin Okubo

Yess!!!! I'm a K-POP fan and find paradise there. My school is situated there and I didn't know that it was the korean town in Tokyo. Imagine how my eyes were shining as I arrived there for the first time. ;) There are many korean restaurants and fan stores there. It's a really cool street, definitely worth visiting it.
And while you are already there you have to try Hottok. They are really yummie.












7. Karaoke

I'm not a good singer. I never sing in public. Only at home, in my car, under the shower but I'm always alone.
I still wanted to go to Karaoke, because it's sooo Japan. I wanted to know what they love soo much about it. Seriously it's soooo much fun. Actually it's not that easy to sing karaoke. I needed e few songs until I got the hang of it.


8. Izakaya

No plans at the weekend? No problem just go to a Izakaya. There are a lot of Izakayas all over Tokyo. There you can drink and eat for good prices. It's really lively in there. Pretty much fun. I like to drink cocktails and eat Yakitori there.

9. Hanami / Parks

It's really popular in Tokyo to go to the park. There are a few big parks in Tokyo, like the Ueno park or the Yoyogi park. They both are really pretty and big. I prefer the Yoyogi park thought. It's better located.
There are always a lot of people in the park. Most of them are in groups. They play, eat, sleep or do whatever they like. It's really nice. Especially because it doesn't feel like you are not in Tokyo anymore.

10. Just try to walk around

It's crazy but most of the time your traveling around with the train or subway. You don't really get to see a lot of Tokyo like that. This is why I sometimes just leave a station and walk around for a bit. It's really impressive what places there are in Tokyo. It's really worth walking around sometimes.

The sun sets in paradise...

Finally found the sea in Yokohama

Tokyo Sky Tree view by night

Still made it in time to see the beautiful Sakura

First day.. First impression... Tokyo

This morning around 10 a.m. I landed in Narita. I feared that I would suffer a total jet-lag but until now it's totally ok. I feared I couldn't sleep in the plane, but I slept most of the time. I went from Zurich to Amsterdam. There I had to switch plane and went with a bigger one to Narita. While waiting in Amsterdam I already made my first contact with a japanese. He was sitting next to me and just started to talk with me. It was really nice.

The flight with KLM was great. Except that my skin broke out really bad... Right now I have a huuuge pimple on my cheek, even thought I didn't wore makeup, only concealer and powder. I even took it off before I slept and I even moisturized my skin regularly...

The cabin crew member were really friendly and there were a few who could speak in japanese. the passengers were almost all japanese.
There was a japanese cabin crew member that looked exactly like Dara from 2ne1, soooo pretty.
...and there was also a good looking guy that looked like Siwon from SuJu.

At the airport in Narita was everyone really nice and helpful. They all speak english so there shouldn't be any problem.
I decided to go on my own to my sleeping place which is called Hippo House. The school was so nice to give me a description with the details of where do I have to pass..
At Narita there were different possibilities. I went with the JR Skyliner to Nippori. From there I had to take the JR trains and that's when it became complicated.
I had to change 3 time the train but I didn't know, if I had to pay again for my ticket, since the first time I only paid for Ikebukuro but I had to go until Kitatoda. I tried to ask and officer that worked at the station, but he couldn't speak english and my japanese was too bad to explain. I just tried and went on the next train. Accidentally I went on the wrong one and only realized that after 5 stations. I immediately left the train and tried to ask another officer. He also couldn't speak that well english but I managed to ask in broken japanese which train I have to take to get to Kitatoda.
In the end I had to pay more for my ticket. The officer at the station in Kitatoda just calculated the difference and I could pay it to him.
In Kitatoda I still had to walk 5 minites until the house, but I couldn't understand how the address systeme here in Japan, so I asked someone and she even took me to the place. I'm really fascinated by the peoples kindness. It's thanks to those people that I found the place.

Just random thought.....

I feel like I'm in a manga!!
No joke as I arrived at my sleeping place, which is in Saitama in north Tokyo near Kitatoda station, I felt like I was a manga character.
Everything looked exactly like in a Manga. It was so amusing. I'm looking forward to see more.

Before leaving I heard that Sakura was already blooming and was really disappointed that I wouldn't see them, since I planned my trip that way so I could see them.
Still as I went with the Skyliner to Tokyo I saw sooooo many Sakura trees blooming and was sooo happy to see them. They are sooo beautiful and there are so many of them.
Right in front of my home there is a street with Sakura tree and I fell in love with them.

Let's talk about something fun:
Those vending machines are in every corner of Tokyo. I see them everywhere. They even have ice cream machines and I always wanted one for my office in summer.

Actually I couldn't take a lot of picture today because I first wanted to go to my sleeping place. There they were already worried about me, because I came so late. I thought that was really cute.
There are a lot of japanese staying there. That's great so I can practice my japanese.Until now I only saw another girl from Switzerland. There should be about 50 people living here, but it's really quiet.

My room is really pretty. I love the color of the blanket. It's so girly.
The bathroom is clean and we have Wi-Fi in the community room which I'm going to check out later.

After I organized myself in my new home I went to a grocery store to buy some food for dinner.
Actually they were so many unknown products and the descriptions were all in japanese, that I didn't buy something decent. I was too tired to try to read them.
In the end I decided to buy chicken that was already had prepared.

I'm sooo excited about the comig days. There are going to be so many new things. I'm soooo excited.
Tomorrow I have school. I have class in the afternoon from 13:30 until 16:30.