Selasa, 19 November 2019

Falling in Love with Yokohama's Charm


I've been hesitating to visit Yokohama since my first visit to Japan though it is conveniently close to Tokyo. I thought that this city was not special, until I finally visited Yokohama last month. I fell in love with this city!

It took us around an hour and a few minutes from Asakusa to Yokohama and our first destination was Yokohama Chinatown which is Japan's largest Chinatown. Yokohama itself is the second largest city in Japan by population.


Entering Yokohama Chinatown will make you forget that you are actually in Japan for a moment. with all the traditional Chinese architecture buildings, bright red lanterns, and board signages in Han Zi.


It was Sunday afternoon, and the Chinatown was packed with people. Mostly tourists like us, I guess. Chinese restaurants and street snack stalls filled the area with their bright colored shop signs - I felt like I was in Mong Kok for a while since it got pretty similar vibes. Since we already had lunch before we went to Yokohama, we gave up to have a feast here.


Other than Chinese restaurants, I could easily spotted boba place here and there. Well, the boba craze was no different here in Yokohama.


From the Chinatown, we headed to our next destination - Yamashita Park on foot.



Yamashita Park is located along the waterfront which made me instantly fell in love! A combination of park + sea/lake works best for me.


You'll easily spot Hikawa Maru (the ship above) once you arrive here. This ocean liner is 90 years old and permanently berthed as a ship museum since 1961. On the other side, you'll spot Osanbashi Pier (below) which runs as an International Passenger Terminal.


It was quite windy in Yokohama that day, but I thanked God that it was not rainy. It was pouring in Tokyo since early in the morning.


Since it was not raining, I was able to have a picnic in a park. We bought snacks and picnic mat at a nearby supermarket on our way from Chinatown to this place. What a moment to just sit back, relax, and enjoying our snacks, drinks, while people and dog-watching from where we sit. Many locals brought their dogs for an afternoon walk here.


Other than enjoying the sea breeze and spending a lovely time at the park, watching acrobatics show from a local performer is one thing you could also do here.

From Yamashita Park, we walked around 10-15 minutes to our next destination: Osanbashi Pier which I have mentioned before. I enjoyed the harbor and sea view which was quite tranquilizing for me.


Osanbashi Pier itself was stunning. I don't know how to describe it in the right term, but the design was bold, modern, and unique.


It was a perfect place for an afternoon stroll and photoshoots. I got to witness Japan's aircraft carrier on my visit too.


After a brief visit to Osanbashi Pier, we headed to the Aka-Renga Soko aka Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse.


Apparently, Yokohama Ockoberbest was being held right next to the Red Brick Warehouse. Actually I was tempted to visit but since our time was a bit packed, we decided just to pass by.


So Red Brick Warehouse was formerly a Custom Inspection House in the early 20's and now turned into a shopping center. We just visited this place for a brief moment and decided to go back to Tokyo since the sky is getting darker already.


From across the street, I could spot the icon of Minato Mirai, the Cosmo World Ferris Wheel. Actually Minato Mirai is the central business district of Yokohama. But I haven't got the chance to visit the area. I will surely visit Yokohama on my next Tokyo trip.


The night view around the waterfront was simply stunning. I would love to enjoy a longer night stroll around this place.


Nearby Nihon-Odori station, stands this beautiful building which is called Jack's Tower (Yokohama Port Opening Memorial Hall).


The traces of the old port city, the beautiful waterfront, and the modern large city vibes of Yokohama left me a one a of a kind impression.

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JAPAN TRIP SERIES 2019
Otaru: The Serene and Charming City of Hokkaido
Furano-Biei Day Trip: Farm Tomita, Shikisai No Oka, Blue Pond
Sapporo: The Food Journal
Sapporo: The Vibrant City of Hokkaido (And Where to Stay)
Falling in Love with Yokohama's Charm
Starbucks Reserve® Roastery Tokyo
Reasons to Stay Around Asakusa (or not)
My Third Japan Trip - The Intro

JAPAN TRIP SERIES 2017
Konnichiwa! I'm back!
JAPAN AUTUMN TRIP 2017: Preparation and Cost
JAPAN AUTUMN TRIP 2017: Back to Dotonbori
JAPAN AUTUMN TRIP 2017: Fall Foliage at Minoo Park and Quick Visit to Kuromon Market
JAPAN AUTUMN TRIP 2017: Autumn in Kyoto
JAPAN AUTUMN TRIP 2017: A Day In Takayama
JAPAN AUTUMN TRIP 2017: November Snow at Shirakawa-Go


JAPAN TRIP SERIES 2015
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Selasa, 12 November 2019

Starbucks Reserve® Roastery Tokyo


I think the highlight of my Tokyo trip was visiting Starbucks Reserve Roastery. I read somewhere that it is the largest Starbucks Reserve Roastery in the world by now, even larger than the one in Shanghai. The building is located in Meguro, which felt a bit different from the other districts I visited before in Tokyo. 
I saw Meguro as a hip area where small coffee shops and local boutiques are aligning along the river. It was Sunday night and the area was quite quiet compared to the ever busy areas like Shibuya or Shinjuku.

We alighted at the Naka-Meguro Station, and the maps said that we needed to walk around 12 minutes to the Starbucks Reserve Roastery. But guess what? We arrived around an hour because we stopped by The Alley to try their boba drinks and a tonkatsu restaurant called Fujiki to have dinner.

After awhile, finally we arrived!


We started exploring from the first floor where you could find special merchandise which is only available this place, and also where the coffee bar is. Warm & contemporary modern - that's how I felt about this place. The interior was dominated by bronze element and wood texture with greyish color floor and part of the walls which complemented the whole room.


I was tempted to buy the tumbler above, but finally passed it. Regret no regret.


You could go to the next floor by stairs or elevator. I went by stairs since each part of the interior decoration was too mesmerizing to be missed just like the cups wall below.



Second floor is dedicated for Teavana. I just found out that Starbucks just acquired Teavana around 7 years ago and it was previously a stand alone company. There are so many kinds of tea that you could see, smell, and purchase here. The staff here will gladly help you if you have any questions or else.


Now heading to the third floor which intrigued me the most. I've been wanting to order drink from the Arriviamo Bar since the first time I found about this place.



Cocktails at Starbucks? Why not?
I contemplated for a while on which drink to order, and finally I got myself a glass of Irish Coffee (JPY 1,300) - a mixture of whisky, syrup, espresso, and fresh cream. It already sounds good just by listing the ingredients, right?


Here goes my Irish Coffee! The beans were Kenya Ukambani (high acidity, medium bodied, tasting notes: citrus, fresh berry, vanilla). I ordered it hot as recommended by the bartender, and it was indeed awesome! It would be even better to drink it on a chilly day.




There are also outdoor seats on the third and fourth floor of this building. Imagine enjoying the night view while having a glass of coffee cocktail.


The fourth floor was more like a co-working space. From what I read, this area is dedicated for the coffee enthusiasts to learn more or share their interest upon coffee.


Actually I'm not a big Starbucks fan nor am I a coffee geek. I just drink coffee, that's all, but still this place was quite fascinating for me and I think it does worth a visit. The other reason to visit this place is to explore Meguro surroundings, I read that this area was especially beautiful around cherry blossom moment.


Anyway, you can also take a quick look through this place from my short video below! 




Meanwhile, let me ponder on what to write next. *coffee toast ☕*

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JAPAN TRIP SERIES 2019
Otaru: The Serene and Charming City of Hokkaido
Furano-Biei Day Trip: Farm Tomita, Shikisai No Oka, Blue Pond
Sapporo: The Food Journal
Sapporo: The Vibrant City of Hokkaido (And Where to Stay)
Falling in Love with Yokohama's Charm
Starbucks Reserve® Roastery Tokyo
Reasons to Stay Around Asakusa (or not)
My Third Japan Trip - The Intro

JAPAN TRIP SERIES 2017
Konnichiwa! I'm back!
JAPAN AUTUMN TRIP 2017: Preparation and Cost
JAPAN AUTUMN TRIP 2017: Back to Dotonbori
JAPAN AUTUMN TRIP 2017: Fall Foliage at Minoo Park and Quick Visit to Kuromon Market
JAPAN AUTUMN TRIP 2017: Autumn in Kyoto
JAPAN AUTUMN TRIP 2017: A Day In Takayama
JAPAN AUTUMN TRIP 2017: November Snow at Shirakawa-Go


JAPAN TRIP SERIES 2015

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