Part 2 Tokyo

Started this post but it's been so incredibly difficult to get back to it for some reason. I keep starting and stopping and before you know it it's already been 3 weeks and so much has happened since my last carefree holiday. I'm supposed to be working right now, it's Sunday (20th Jan) but procrastination strikes and here I am so back to Japan it is! 

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Something I wanted to talk about is our morning routine. Usually on family holidays me and E share a room and stay up late watching movies, making a mess, waking up late, fighting over who answers the door when ma comes in to yell at us for being late in the mornings. This time though, there were three of us sharing a room and it's probably the fact that we've all grown up a little but it was so easy! No morning fights, everyone gets up and does their own thing in their own time, all of us getting ready around the same time and we're ready to leave by 8am! This would not have been possible a few years ago. Truth be told, E and A are alot more organized and disciplined and easy to manage then I was at their age. 

Fish market (Tsujiki)

Started of the day at Tokyo's famous fish market. Tsujiki's fish market is right by a harbour (or port?) and the fisherman unload their day's catch and take it straight to the market, slice it up right in front of you, pack it in ice and it's ready for sale. Restaurants send their chefs to buy the fish daily and so do the locals. Quality is so important here in Japan, and it doesn't get any fresher than this. There's also tons of quaint little sushi shops around the area, as well as tiny speciality stalls that do finger food like shrimp on sticks or fried squid for you to snack on whilst you're doing your shop. There's also a tuna auction that can go up to the thousands for the most premium fish at 5am! They take their product very seriously. 

The only issue I have with the fish market was the crowd! I don't know how they fit that many people in such a confined area. It felt like you were at a fish concert. That being said, there was absolutely no fishy smells and the whole area was so clean. The Japanese take organization to another level. No surpise that this culture produces the likes of Marie Kondo. There was even a tourist information centre in the market.

The crowd at 8.30 am. And it doesn't die down all day!

Fresh shrimp, salted and torched to perfection. 

Lunch! Got separated in the crowds and couldn't actually find each other so me, E and baba had lunch here and Ma and A went for conveyor belt sushi. 

Got coffee and coffee coffee-custard ice cream at the littlest cafe before we left. It was divine. 

Shinjuku 

Next up, we went to Shinjuku which I'd describe as a techies haven. Five storied tech departmental store buildings with all the latest gadgets and whatnots. A and Baba were super excited and we spent about 2 hours in one shop looking at cables. Thankfully they had a beauty floor right above so me and E got cheap facemasks. Quite excited to try the lot out when I'm back home.

Another thing they're known for here are their arcades. I'm not that into arcades because it's so easy to get sucked in, and they're designed in such a way that you think you have a chance but really you don't. (clearly I'm still bitter I didn't win that wreck it ralph plushie i spent 20 bucks on). One thing that was quite cool was their photo booth stall in the arcade. OU used to have a similar one ages ago, not sure what it was called, that you could go in and take a picture with your friends and then design it adding stickers and what not and then it prints as tiny little pictures that you could keep in a locket or in your wallet. Didn't want to try it but ma made us, and it turned out so nice. You could add all kinds of edits and the end result turns out to be a cross between a insta filter and a manga character. 

Got on the train with our JR passes and a couple stops later ended up at LUMINE in the Ikebukuro district. Walked around Lumine a couple times, Ma wanted to check out Japanese boutiques (she is honestly the most fashionable person I know), E wanted to check out the stationary, A wanted to see sporting goods, and Baba just wanted out. Shopping is his least favourite activity and I can only be in a shop for so long before I get antsy. 

Wandered into Kate Spade, I always liked browsing but never bought anything because it felt way out of my budget. I love their designs because it's the right mix of classy and young, but not too out there and 'runway' that it looks tacky. They were having a massive christmas and new years sale at the time so bags that were in the thousands were discounted to a couple hundred ringgit, and tourists got further tax discounts but I'm so picky when it comes to anything above myr 50 so I was a little unsure about getting anything. But then I saw her! This beautiful leather, navy-blue and beige mix satchel bag and I was in love. It's so practical and most importantly, it's something I would never have bought normally. 2019 Sarah's motto when it comes to buying things is what would ma buy and what would I normally avoid because looks need to evolve and I don't think anythings changed in the last 10 or so years. 

There she is!

Henry's @ Shibuya 

It was getting pretty late at this point so we headed to Henry's Burgers for dinner. Ma had seen this somewhere years ago and was like we need to try this! It was a basic burger joint, only one thing on the menu, cheeseburger with chips and a drink. The Japanese wagyu patty was so light and meaty at the same time. 

Headed back to the hotel and sleep time! 

Facemask count: 4 (Lululun Blue for hydration) Okay definitely not a placebo because even in the super drying weather my face feels hydrated. In love with Japanese skin care.