How It All Began
I wasn’t planning to make a trip to Tokyo this year but when my friend JK told me in late December 2018 that Janet Jackson would be bringing her State Of The World Tour to the Nippon Budokan at Tokyo for two nights in February 2019, I jumped at it. JK is an even bigger Janet fan than me, right from the Control days, and he was planning to catch both nights of the concert. I would have done the same if not for the fact that the tickets were quite pricey.
The top tier seats were going for 30,000 JPY (S$375), followed by 18,000 JPY (S$225), 15,000 JPY (S$187.50) and 12,000 JPY (S$150). For us, there was only one option since we were flying all the way to Tokyo for the concert. It’s top tier or nothing. Luckily, JK managed to secure the tickets and it was game on!
For my flight, I had some KrisFlyer miles so I used them all to offset the cost of my Singapore Airlines return air ticket. The remaining amount was S$481.40, which was even cheaper than flying on Scoot, so I was fortunate to have some savings there.
Accommodation in Tokyo is expensive and hotel rooms are tiny, so I decided to go for a cheaper option and stay at a capsule hotel instead. I’ve actually stayed in one before (Green Plaza Shinjuku) during my visit in 2013, and I enjoyed the experience. When I checked again this time, I discovered that it has already closed down.
I found another one through Agoda called Anshin Oyado. It is part of a chain of luxury capsule hotels and they have branches at Shinjuku, Akihabara, Shinbashi and Ogikubo in Tokyo and another one in Kyoto as well. Click here for the website. The one I booked was for Tokyo Shinjuku Ekimae (Shinjuku station) and I paid a total of 18,418 JPY (S$226.65) for three nights, i.e. average of S$75.55 per night.
With my concert ticket, flight and accommodation sorted, it was just a matter of counting down to the watching Janet live in Tokyo!
(Exchange rate: 100 JPY = S$1.25)
Day 0 – 8 February 2019, Friday
After rushing home from work, I took a quick dinner and shower before heading out again, arriving at Changi Airport Terminal 3 at 8:45pm. After bidding farewell to mum and dad, I went into the Departure Hall alone and visited the SATS Premier lounge before boarding my SQ636 flight, taking off at 10:45pm.
The flight was not full and the seat beside me was not occupied. To get myself in the mood, I watched the Japanese film Shoplifters, which has been nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at this year’s Academy Awards. I’ve actually been wanting to catch this film in the cinemas but didn’t have the chance to do so. I was glad I could watch it on the plane as I really enjoyed the film. Unfortunately, I had difficulty falling asleep after that and wasn’t able to have a good rest on the plane. Before I knew it, breakfast was served and it was time to land.
(Time difference: Japan is 1 hour ahead of Singapore)
Day 1 – 9 February 2019, Saturday
I touched down at Haneda Airport (International terminal) at 6:13am local time. Immigration clearance was a breeze but my luggage took some time to come out of the belt. Luckily, I was still able to make it in time for the 7am Airport Limousine Bus departure.
I did not pre-book my bus ticket so I headed to the bus ticket counter located just outside the arrival hall. I had done my research beforehand so I knew that there was a Limousine & Subway Pass (click here). It is a discounted combination of Limousine Bus + Tokyo Subway Ticket that lets you take unlimited rides on all Tokyo Subway lines. Note that the Tokyo Subway Pass is valid on all Tokyo Metro Lines and Toei Subway Lines only, and it does not include the JR Line.
There are three variations for the Haneda Airport Set and I bought the one with two bus tickets and 72-hour Tokyo Subway Ticket. It costs 3,500 JPY (S$43.75) for the set. A one-way Limousine Bus ticket already costs 1,230 JPY and a Tokyo Subway 72-hour Ticket costs 1,500 JPY. The total cost if bought individually is therefore 3,960 JPY, so the set gives you savings of 460 JPY (S$5.75).
After getting my tickets, I quickly made my way to the bus bay. I made it just in time too, reaching there 3 minutes before 7am. Japan’s transport system is famous for being super punctual so I did not even dare to risk making a trip to the toilet. After checking my ticket, a staff member tagged my big backpack and issued me a coupon before storing my bag in the bus trunk. You’ll need to present the ticket to redeem your bag when you reach your destination later, so don’t lose the ticket. It’s all very systematic and I love it.
In case you’re having visions of grandeur, the limousine bus is not a fancy stretch limousine car but a normal coach bus. Nevertheless, it is a comfortable and smooth ride. This is my first time at Haneda and it’s so much better than Narita airport because it’s much closer to the city. The bus ride from Haneda to Shinjuku takes just around 30 minutes, half the time of Narita. That was one of the reasons why I chose this particular SQ flight.
At 7:35am, the bus stopped at Shinjuku Station/West and I alighted. In actual fact, I should have alighted at Shinjuku Expressway Bus Terminal instead, which would be nearer to my hotel. Nonetheless, it wasn’t that much further and I reached my hotel at 7:47am.
It was way too early to check in (official check-in is at 3pm) but I was able to deposit my big backpack at the hotel. After putting on more layers of clothing and reorganising my bag, I headed out to explore the Shinjuku area.
At 8am, everything was still closed so there wasn’t much to see. As I walked around aimlessly, I spotted a bright red torii, which is a traditional Japanese gate commonly found at the entrance of a Shinto shrine. The torii symbolically marks the transition from the mundane to the sacred. I was surprised to see it here in the heart of Shinjuku so I stepped in for a look.
This is Hanazono Shrine, founded in the mid-17th century and constructed in the Edo period. The shrine is dedicated to Inari, a god of fertility and worldly success. A few locals dropped by to pay their respects when I was there. It is small and simple, and very quiet and peaceful. Admission is free and it is a nice spot to escape from the hustle and bustle of the city.
After exiting Hanazono Shrine, I found myself in the Golden Gai, aka Golden District. It comprises of a few narrow alleyways of tiny bars where Japanese salarymen gather each night to have drinks or sing karaoke till the early hours. Many of the bars only accept regulars but some of them are open to foreigners. In the day, it is a picture of calm but I can imagine it is a totally different scene at night.
As I walked further along, I came across Thermae-Yu, a 24-hour premium onsen spa. Click here to visit the website. It is a large establishment with a variety of hot springs, saunas, bedrock baths and lounges, where you can relax and pamper yourself after a long day. I was quite tempted to visit but the entrance fee was quite expensive so I didn’t. A signboard at the entrance states that the entrance fee (up to 12 hours) is 2,050 JPY, but the website says that it is 2,364 JPY, so I am not sure which is correct.
I then walked around Kabukicho, which is the entertainment and red light district in Shinjuku. Here, you’ll find plenty of clubs, love hotels, restaurants and massage parlours. Of course, it is very different in the day and nothing is open yet at this hour.
I then stumbled upon CoRi-CoRi, a 24-hour men’s sauna. Click here to visit the website. At that point, I was feeling quite tired because I didn’t get much sleep during the flight. And since all the shops were still closed and there was nothing else to see, I decided to pay the 1,300 JPY (S$16.25) entrance fee for 90 minutes’ use.
As with most Japanese establishments, you’ll have to leave your shoes at the entrance, keeping them in the shoe lockers provided. After that, you’ll go to the counter to pay the entrance fee and exchange the shoe locker key for a personal locker key. Once inside, you’ll need to disrobe and take a bath before you can enter the hot spring.
CoRi-CoRi is quite small and there are only three hot baths, a cold bath and two sauna rooms. All the other patrons were locals. It felt really good to soak in the hot spring especially since it was so cold outside. After the dip, I went to take a short 30-minute power nap in the lounge. The lounge was full of other people napping as well. I felt much more refreshed after the bath and the nap.
When I emerged from CoRi-CoRi at 10:30am, I saw that it was snowing outside. I had checked the weather forecast before the trip and I knew that it would be close to zero degrees Celsius most of the time. However, I didn’t expect it to really snow, so it was a pleasant surprise. Well, for the first half an hour at least.
I was quite well equipped as I had my scarf, beanie, gloves and down jacket on. Nevertheless, it was still cold and my hands were freezing every time I had to remove my glove to take photos. Also, the snow was very light and wet, and it felt more like it was drizzling than it was snowing. After a while, it became a little annoying actually, haha.
At 10:45am, I decided that it was time for some food and I made a beeline for the Ichiran Ramen outlet at Shinjuku near my hotel. As it was not lunch time yet, there was only a short queue and I got a seat within 5 minutes of waiting.
Many Japanese dining restaurants have self-automated ordering systems and Ichiran is one of them. Instead of having a service staff take your order, everything is done through a ticket machine. It’s a great system because you make payment to the machine so the staff don’t handle any cash transactions. This minimises the likelihood of theft by the staff and also improves food hygiene.
After placing your order and making payment, you’ll be issued a ticket. You’ll then take your ticket to the dining area, where you are free to choose your seat. The Japanese are very mindful of privacy and personal space, and Ichiran takes it to a whole new level.
The bar counter is segregated into individual slots, with dividers that block out the person sitting next to you. In front of you, there is a straw curtain so you don’t get to see the kitchen or the person serving your food. You can really eat in peace without being disturbed by others.
On the table, there is an order sheet where you can customise your ramen by choosing the seasoning stock, richness of the broth, noodle texture and spiciness level among others. You’ll just need to circle your preference using the pen provided and press a bell for the staff to collect your order sheet. With such high levels of non-human interaction, the Japanese are really excellent at providing graphical instructions. Everything is very systematic and clear.
I ordered the set menu, which came with a half-boiled salted egg, four pieces of extra sliced pork, two pieces of dried seaweed and a serving of kikurage mushroom. It costs 1,490 JPY (S$18.60), which is comparable to the price of an average bowl of ramen in Singapore. Of course, it always feels more delicious in Japan, and I must say that Ichiran Ramen is really oishii! I drained down every drop of the broth. So nice to have some hot soup in my tummy in the freezing weather. When I left Ichiran at 11:20am, a long queue had formed. Lucky that I went early!
After that, it was time to shop around as all the shops were now fully open. Shinjuku is home to all the major department stores and plenty of record shops. I visited my favourite Disk Union stores but didn’t buy a whole lot of stuff as it was only the first day. I also visited the Tower Records store at Flags. There happened to be a local act performing in store so I stood around to watch.
The thing that amazed me most was that not a single one of the audience members took out their mobile phones to take photos or videos during the performance. Everyone was paying their undivided attention to the artist and it was such a breath of fresh air. It shows how respectful the Japanese are to the artist, and this is something that we can learn from. In the age of social media, we are often preoccupied with taking selfies or videos to prove that we are there, or even worse, to show off. I am guilty of this as well. We should live in the moment and experience it for what it is.
At 4pm, I went to McDonald’s to have a quick bite before going back to Anshin Oyado capsule hotel to check in. If you’re not familiar with staying at a capsule hotel, here’s what it’s like.
Once again, you’ll need to deposit your shoes at the entrance using the shoe lockers provided. You can then put on the slippers, which are provided for free and are sanitised by UV light in a special cupboard. After that, exchange your shoe locker key for a personal locker key. The number of your locker corresponds to the number of your capsule.
The lockers are located on the ground floor changing room. This is where you keep your personal belongings and bags. Do note that the locker is quite small and your big suitcase will not fit. However, not to worry because you can hand over your big suitcase to the front desk staff and they will store it in the backroom for you.
Loungewear is also provided for free. You will change out of your day clothes and store them in your personal locker, and put on the loungewear. It’s quite amusing to see everyone wearing the same attire walking around the hotel. Just like you’re in school.
The capsules are located on the 4th to 7th floors. Each floor has 64 capsules, with a total capacity of 256 capsules. The capsules are wide enough to sleep in comfortably, and tall enough to sit upright without knocking your head on the roof. They are equipped with Simmons’ bedding so they are really quite comfortable. Each capsule is also equipped with a large LCD TV, headphones, charging cables, plugs and a free bottle of water that is replenished daily.
Like most other capsule hotels, Anshin Oyado is for men only. The artificial hot spring and public bath are located on the 2nd floor. Towels and toiletries such as shampoo, facial wash and shower gel are provided, as well as shaver and toothbrush. Essentially, you don’t need to bring anything because everything is provided for free!
There is a dining and common area on the 3rd floor. Here, you can get two free bread rolls for breakfast from 5am to 10am. Additionally, there are vending machines providing free hot and cold beverages all day. My personal favourite is the macha latte. At the common area, you can also use the free massage chairs and watch TV, or read the manga comic books. Everything is free!
After checking in, I went to take another hot bath before retreating to my capsule for a rest. At about 6:30pm, I headed out again to continue my visits to the record shops in the area. I opened my account at Disk Union, where I picked up some Jackson 5/The Jacksons vinyls, as well as a few rare MJ items.
I then had dinner at Go! Go! Curry before visiting the HMV Record Store at ALTA building. I love Japanese curry rice and I actually prefer Coco Ichibanya but there wasn’t one nearby so I settled for Go! Go! Curry.
After that, it was back to Kabukicho to soak up the atmosphere. It was a very different scene compared to the morning, with all the neon lights and throngs of people crowding the street on a Saturday night.
Of course, I passed by the famous Robot Restaurant (click here), which is one of Tokyo’s key attractions for many tourists. The Robot Restaurant is exactly what it sounds like – a restaurant with a robot show. It is an entertainment experience that is so uniquely Japanese, with laser lights, outlandish costumes, fancy robots and loud music.
Entrance fee is 7,500 JPY (S$93.75) if you book online and it includes a bento meal. However, you can purchase an entry-only pass for S$64.55 on Klook (click here) and it excludes the meal. I had considered paying a visit but decided against it because it felt too kitschy for me. Nevertheless, it has many good reviews and I think it is worth checking out if you have the time and want to experience something crazy Japanese.
With that, it’s the end of a long Day 1 in Tokyo. Much more excitement to come tomorrow, as I will be watching the one and only Ms Jackson live in concert!