If you only have a few hours in Tokyo, where will you go?

It's my fourth time in Tokyo, and Cea's second, so we've been to the usual must-sees. Although our main agenda for this Japan trip is to go to Hokkaido, we both agreed that we will not leave Japan without spending a day or two in the big bright city.

If, like us, you can't get enough of Tokyo but want to steer away from the usual Harajuku, Ginza or Shibuya, here's an alternative itinerary that we did on our latest trip.

Hay nag hihinayang ako. I lost some of my Japan phone pics. I have a whole lot more in my phone compared to my camera for those "instant" moments where I don't need to fuss so much about composition, but just to keep a piece of the memory. I think hindi ko nasave yung photos ng maayos sa laptop kong mababa ang memory (Macbook probs huhu). Mabuti nalang talaga most of these pictures and videos landed on my Instagram, IG Stories, or my family's private FB group. The more that I am grateful na I am the real time poster that I am!!

Anyway, moving forward!

We arrived in Tokyo and the sun was already down. It was dark out as I peered through our taxi's window, I think it was even drizzling. It was cold, but not as cold as Hokkaido. Bright lights of Shinjuku greeted us to Tokyo's modern city. I love it, every contrast our next stop is lending us from where we just came from were perfect.

I had my phone's Google Maps out just in case our cab driver starts to do something fishy, but I doubt it coz we're in Japan. As we were nearing the capsule hotel that I pre booked via Agoda, I felt more and more excited and even at home! Hahaha! Welcome to the KOREA TOWN of TOKYO!

A few weeks ago, a dear friend posted an online status that says how much he missed the good old days of blogging when bloggers actually write and not just post heavily filtered Instagram photos. Although I agree with the lack of "writing bloggers" as I myself sometimes find my Macbook's Reading List meh on days when I just need to feed my brain through reading, is it just the bloggers to blame?

I've only been to a Disney theme park 3x in this lifetime.

First one is in Hong Kong Disneyland with two of my long-time friends from high school. It was a little bit delayed as we went there when we were already working and can afford an out of country trip, but we enjoyed our Mickey Mouse-shaped ice cream and indoor thrill rides as if we were kids again.

Second time was in America, in Disneyland California with my family during our 2013 holiday trip. Again, we were too old in age but still young at heart.

The third was still in Hong Kong, but this time I went alone early morning on the last day of our trip just so I can try Disneyland Hotel's buffet breakfast with Mickey Mouse and friends, and of course to see the giant maze I only see on Instagram!

Fourth time, and already in my 30s, I still look forward to my Tokyo Disney Sea Day with Deegee! We agreed on setting it on our second to the last day, and came in our twinning swag Mickey hoodies that we bought the night before in Harajuku. I thought it was just going to be a chill theme park day, but I did not realized I was in for a looooong day with a millennial boy who just loves thrill rides as much as I do back when I was his age HAHA!

I've been to Shinjuku before, but it's almost always during nighttime. One time, Sarah and I went there for the Robot Restaurant. Another time I went there to meet up with Gervin after his work, and had dinner in a hole-in-the-wall ramen place. I think that one time I went to Shinjuku during daytime was with my Ate, to see the cherry blossoms and have hanami in the park. It was, for me, the best view of sakura blossoms in my whole life!

This time, I wanted to see Shinjuku while it's autumn. Deegee and I went there early in the morning to put a big check in items from our Shinjuku list:

On our 7th day, we said goodbye to "the library". Just when we were already getting used to it, it's time to move to our next hostel.

This bar is actually Book & Bed's receptionist area:

Early morning at the train station:

By Day 5, I felt that we've covered most of our Japan itinerary by being the hyper kids that we were since our first day in Tokyo. I was just waiting for the days when we've booked an activity or tickets for Disney Sea. For now, we decided to go back to some of our Tokyo favorites and linger more to see these places during daytime, on a weekend, without the rush (the real goal of this trip).

As I went from merely a travel buddy to a travel organizer during the past years, I learned more and more on how to strategize how one should create an itinerary--thanks to so many trial and error.

I used to just research the must-visit places, and then copy-paste all these interesting Googled information in my Word document before arranging them to fill up all the days on my trip--complete with time and number of hours we should stay on one point. I am a bit of a "just wing it!" person not in terms of just going with the flow and not listing places I wanna go, but more of just relying on asking people for directions and mode of transpo on the day of the travel. But all these mistakes I made along the way, wasted money on taxi fares because I didn't know they don't have trains in Jeju to go around the city, or wasted time in Japan because I didn't know that some places are just too far IRL, made me learn my lesson. Be prepared, yes, but also be a little bit more forgiving for your travel mistakes.

I can't seem to pick just one memory that I think is the best for me during my recent Japan trip. Every moment stood out, they glow like a beautiful autumn day in Shinjuku Gyoen Park (naks ang poetiiic!). I am so so excited to finally start with this blog series which I feel is super duper long overdue. I usually just take 1-2 weeks to finish my travel post series para fresh pa ang memories, but this time, I was swamped with work and other responsibilities so I had to set aside my blog ka-oc-han. Now that Christmas is approaching and the only thing left in my calendar are the Christmas parties... I can finally start with you Japan.

Okay, so I am now on my last post for the whole Japanagon Season 2 Serye, hehe. I realized that I haven't given you guys concrete tips, tricks, and budget (sorry!). I am not a travel blogger after all, HAHA, I am just here to tell my stories. Personal blogger? I think I'll take that title any day. :)

This is me while travelling: big humongous maleta, magastos (I love buying little things for my family and friends back home), loves her coffee breaks, and photo taking here and there. HAHA. I don't think there should be ANY RULES in traveling, anyway. Hindi pamurahan ng nagastos or pagandahan ng shot. Just make the most out of it, the best way possible for you. No right or wrong answers, pass your papers! Lol.

I can't believe I'm finally down to our last few hours in Japan (not my final blog post though, I will have just one more for summary + personal budget). The rush isn't because I have a deadline, I just want to lay everything down before I go on and move on with my life (haha!).

The Japan hangover is real! My friends and I catch ourselves still dining in Japanese restaurants here in Manila, and wear high socks like most of the teens in Harajuku. :p

Still reading my new Kinfolk Travel where it says that travel is ideal in stimulating creativity because we're immersed in a variety of unfamiliar all at once.

"You're interacting with people who may not speak your language and might have a different code of dress, form of money, food and a totally different environment --all those things can be very beneficial to the brain."
- Paul Nassbaum, psychologist and professor

Welcome to Tokyo, where everything's so different from what we are accustomed to, you will not leave the city the same person again.

The limbo. After an exciting 2 days in Kyoto, on our second night we made a more economical and adventurous choice: To take the night bus.

Ahhh.. Japan! There's a reason why I brought a "pang States" maleta and automatically adjusted my baggage limit to 30 kilos for this trip. I will endure lugging this around train stations' staircase down to every street, because I know myself too well: Gagastos at gagastos ako! Lol.

I just transferred all 2000++ photos I accumulated in my camera for my 8-day Japan trip. And just like the last time, I will start my intro post with the easiest kwento: My Japanagon Round 2 Haul. 

Hope you enjoy! :)

Down to my last Japanagon post (I will miss this!).

Almost done with my Japan posts, and almost ready for my next trip! For a moment, napaisip ako if this impulsive flight is a good idea, but after creating the itinerary last night, excited na ako and namiss ko na agad mag travel! What to use as Singapore personal hashtag kaya, haha! Hindi na siya fit like #Taiwanagon and #Japanagon! :D

Anyway, this post is dedicated to Shinjuku.

I left my Ate at Ginza after she painfully toured me for hours at what she called "the biggest Uniqlo". I LOVE the brand so much, but that time I was already feeling antsy-anxious for my first commute alone in Tokyo. I was going to the Studio Ghibli Museum in Mitaka!