Tokyo Disney Sea

Going to Disneyland is something special for children, but in Japan young adults enjoy it too: girls dressed with Disney merchandise, couples on a romantic date, high school and university students... Still, I never went there when I was young and living in Tokyo, and then I went a few years ago with my children (one in Tokyo and once in Hong Kong) and I loved it (I didn't think I was going to like it, but I really did!). This time we went to Tokyo Disney Sea (Tokyo Disney is divided into Disney Sea and Disneyland), it was cold and not so crowded, but definitely fun!

I did all the scary rides (and screamed a lot), ate in a fake Venice restaurant, did not buy expensive merchandise (the tickets and food are expensive enough) but enjoyed looking at the shops, and most of all I realized that the kids are growing up and are becoming very selective about the rides they like to do (i.e. the scarier the better!)
One of the best things (after the tower of terror, that was soooo scary!!!!) was the show on water, with floats, dancers and performer, and of course Mikey and friends! I am not one for amusement parks, but I do like Disney!!

Have you been? Did you like it?

Photos by Alessandra Zecchini ©

Lunch at Yagenbori in Tokyo, with delicious Yudofu, rice and pickles

Bence and Judit took us to Yagenbori, a traditional Japanese restaurant that specializes in high class Kyoto cuisine. The pickles come from Kyoto and the rice is just perfect, and we had the perfect dish for winter: yudofu, fresh tofu simmered in a light kombu broth. The tofu is then dipped in another broth, this is usually made with fish flakes, but for vegetarians just ask for some soy sauce and then use some of the stock from the simmering tofu to thin it down. 

The restaurant entrance 

Kyoto pickles and yudofu

All gone!

Photos by Alessandra Zecchini ©

Asakusa and Shibuya

The view from Asakusa, tall and strange buildings: Tokyo Skytree and the Asahi Building with the Philippe Starck's The Asahi Flame (Flamme d'Or) (when I was living in Tokyo we used to call it the golden sperm, but I am sure that a number of names are used for it!

Sweets filled with azuki bean paste, just bought piping hot from one of the many stall in the Asakusa Sensō-ji Temple.  Below, three more images from Asakusa Temple.

Shibuya, so many memories here, nice to be just looking at the famous scrambled Shibuya crossing without having to rush somewhere!

Photos by Alessandra Zecchini and Arantxa Zecchini Dowling ©

In Tokyo today, and it is snowing

In just a few hours we had so much snow that tree branches in Yoyogi park started breaking. So strange to pass from summer in New Zealand into winter in Japan, but so lovely to see the snow! These are some of Arantxa's photos.

Photos by Arantxa Zecchini Dowling ©