Only in Japan... Part V

I've caught up with my Japan food photos but there are still several Japan-related posts lining up in draft form, like this one in the Only in Japan series for example. I didn't do a post in this series throughout our time in Tokyo but it's better late than never.

Spotted this cool-dude-who-gives-zero-f*ck outside the Marunouchi Cafe Kai on the ground floor of the Kitte Building, across the street from Tokyo Station. Let's just say when you were minding your own business and then looked out the door to see guy sporting samurai hair, outfit, and hiking shoes, you just couldn't help but sneak a photo or two. I do wonder if there were a theater or film studio of some sorts nearby. Then again, he didn't look like he had any stage or film makeup on.

Tokyo Eats - Ginza area Part III

Wow, has it really been more than a year since my last Ginza post?! Anyway, here's the last of the Ginza series and a long post ahead. I'm almost through with the rest of the Tokyo food photos too. I guess I should be happy to finally be done with the gigantic photo backlog, but coming to the end of the Japan pictures makes me so sad and nostalgic :(

Mum-in-law visited us back in early April 2016 with her older sister, aunt D. Aunt D. was the one who took this pic, with me photo-bombing hubby and his mum ^.^

Afternoon Tea at The Lounge, Aman Tokyo, Part II

Back in July, our Tokyo afternoon tea club was taken breathless with the space and the atmosphere at The Lounge on the 33rd floor of the Aman Hotel Tokyo. So despite the chocolate overload in the afternoon tea service, we voted to come back for a second time in mid September for a last hoorah, just one more tea session before we all part ways and return home after a year in the capital of Japan. We figured it's been two months and their menu has probably changed, so it won't be the same death by chocolate as with the July session.

Afternoon Tea at The Lounge, Aman Tokyo

Happy New Year!

Meanwhile, I'm still catching up with photos. For July, our afternoon tea club tried the tea service at The Lounge on the 33rd floor of the Aman Hotel Tokyo, in Otemachi, north of Tokyo Station and west of Nihonbashi.

I have to say, the building may seem unremarkable from the outside, but inside it was rather breathtaking in terms of design and decor. Our group of six were mesmerized the moment we stepped inside The Lounge and I have a boat load of photos to prove it ^.^ The whole place is vast and airy and well-lit. In super dense Tokyo, there's nothing more luxurious than space itself. Just look at that ceiling!

Afternoon Tea at the Lobby Lounge, Shangri-La Hotel Tokyo Part II

After the failed afternoon tea at Piacere, my friends and I agreed we'd give the Lobby Lounge Shangri-La Hotel one more try. So when J. had friends visiting, we took them back here. Thankfully, they didn't mess up this time and we got seated where we should be :)

Tokyo Eats - Tokyo Station Part II

Since discovering the Kitte building in the spring, I've been bringing hubby, friends, and visiting family back again and again. Of course, Tokyo Station is huge and this is just a tiny sliver of it, I'm just slow to explore, that's all :P

This is the inside of that red dome. Pretty, huh?

Afternoon Tea at Piacere, Shangri-La Hotel Tokyo

In my last post on afternoon tea at the Shangri-La Hotel Tokyo, I mentioned hubby and I would bring our friends back for the monthly tea club. We did, and the most frustrating, funny-not funny thing happened: they switched restaurants on us!

I'd called and made a reservation for afternoon tea at the Lobby Lounge, but when we showed up, we were led away from the Lobby Lounge and deeper into the back of the hotel. To our surprised, they sat us at a table in the Piacere, an Italian restaurant in the hotel, which also offers an afternoon tea service. We were all pretty confused.

Afternoon Tea at the Lobby Lounge, Shangri-La Hotel Tokyo

During their visit, mum and aunt-in-law love their tea time at the Mandarin Oriental so much they wanted to go again. We immediately called around for a reservation, but given it was the second week of April, everybody and their mothers and sisters were out having high tea, plus it was very last-minute and most places were booked full. We counted our lucky stars when we got a table at the Lobby Lounge on the 28th floor of the Shangri-La Hotel Tokyo. Even better was that the tea session had a sakura theme, given it was sakura season.

Tokyo Eats - Tokyo Station

I know I titled it "Tokyo Station" but it's really just the Kitte Building on the west side, the Marunouchi side. Hubby and I've been coming here a lot, for one because it's quite easy for us to get here and also because there are a few special stores inside this building.

But first, photos of the newly renovated building that's now 102 years-old! The original was sadly destroyed during WWII :( In 2012 when hubby and I were here last, much of this building was still covered up for construction and so we couldn't see much. So we're so glad to be back now to see it.

A Late Afternoon Stroll, Chiyoda, Tokyo

After our afternoon tea date at Ekki Bar & Grill on the 7th floor of the Four Seasons Hotel Marunouchi, hubby and I took a long walk around the area since I never get to see it and we'll be leaving Japan soon.

The grand Marunouchi entrance of Tokyo Station on a late and cloudy afternoon. Too bad it was partially closed up for maintenance and even then, hubby said it was almost entirely boarded up back a couple of months ago.


Walking around this area of Tokyo, I couldn't help but notice these sakura manhole covers. It seems each part of town does their own thing too as the ones in Yokohama have different designs. I wish the ones at home were as nice looking as these!