Trip to Singapore – Part 3

… continued from Part 1 and Part 2.
Chinatown
Singapore’s Chinatown evolved around 1821 when the first Chinese junk arrived from Xiamen, Fujian province in China.

Chinatown is also known as "Niu Che Shui" in Chinese. The literal translation means "bullock carts’ water".  This name came about in the early days of Singapore when there was [...]

Read Full Post »

Aoyama Fashion Street

After the Aoyama Gujo Odori, my wife and I walked to short distance to the Aoyama Fashion Street.

There are several very unique and interesting designer store buildings in the area.  The most striking is the Prada Boutique Aoyama, with its glass structure designed by Swiss architect duo, Herzog & de Meuron in 2003.
[...]

Read Full Post »

Daikanyama

Daikanyama, in Tokyo’s Shibuya ward, is a short train ride (one local stop) from Shibuya Station on the Tokyu Toyoko Line and is a quiet and elegant contrast to what is often the Shibuya area’s crowds, noise and brash consumerism.

High-priced boutiques, some of the best cafe culture in Japan, and Fumihiko Maki’s Hillside [...]

Read Full Post »

Shinjuku

Shinjuku is one of the most popular and famous districts in Tokyo, Japan, a large commercial area with shopping, cinemas, restaurants, bars and hotels.

Shinjuku is also a major urban transit hub with the JR (Japan Railways) Shinjuku Station, with over 3.6 million passengers daily, the busiest station in the world.  It houses interchanges [...]

Read Full Post »

Lalaport Tokyo Bay

LaLaport Tokyo Bay was opened in April 1981 as the LaLaport Funabashi Shopping Center, a 5 minute walk from JR Minami-Funabashi Station using the Keiyo Line from Tokyo station, right beside Ikea Funabashi.

In 1988, LaLaport 2 was opened and hosted a variety of interesting features, including a cinema complex and other amenities.  The [...]

Read Full Post »

Odaiba

Odaiba is a large artificial island in Tokyo Bay, Japan, across the Rainbow Bridge from central Tokyo.  Initially built for defensive purposes in the 1800s, it dramatically expanded during the late 20th century as a seaport district, developed into one of Tokyo’s most interesting tourist spots and a highly popular leisure, shopping and entertainment areas.
[...]

Read Full Post »

New Year in Japan

2009 was the first year we spent New Years in Japan. In Japan, New Years is the biggest holiday and an excellent description can be found in a recent blog posting in Tokyo Five’s blog.  Yes, this blog post is only 12 days late
Around New Years, you will also see several types of [...]

Read Full Post »

Trip to Hong Kong and Macau

We spent our past Christmas holiday in Hong Kong and Macau.  The last time we visited Hong Kong was 20 years ago, and it has certainly changed – for the better.  Although it is still busy and crowded, we found it cleaner, more efficient and offered much better customer service (and tipping is now optional).
Hong [...]

Read Full Post »

Mitsui Outlet Park Tama

While outlet malls have been around in the US since the 1980’s, they didn’t make an appearance in Japan until 1993. Since then, more than 20 have opened nationwide, supported by enthusiastic Japanese consumers who enjoy bargain prices and the American-style open-space shopping and dining experiences these facilities offer.
The two largest developers of outlet malls [...]

Read Full Post »

Harajuku (原宿)

One of the most interesting places in Tokyo is Harajuku (原宿), which refers to the area around Tokyo’s Harajuku subway station, one station north of Shibuya on the JR Yamanote Line. It is the center of Japan’s most extreme teenage cultures and fashion styles, but also offers shopping for grown-ups and some historic sights.
The focal point of [...]

Read Full Post »