jesychen 
After having breakfast at Pelican Cafe, a directly operated cafe of the long-established Tokyo toast shop Pelican in Asakusa, we spent the morning strolling around Asakusa and shopping. Besides browsing the shops along the Kaminarimon Shopping Street, we had planned to enjoy a Wagyu sukiyaki set meal for lunch at Edo cuisine Asakusa SAKURADA, an … Read more
After spending one night at Hotel Sunroute Asakusa during our three-day, two-night stay in Tokyo, we decided not to book breakfast at the hotel. Instead, we walked to a nearby cafe called Pelican Cafe for breakfast. Pelican Cafe is directly operated by Pelican, a long-established bakery in Asakusa, Tokyo, famous for its thick-sliced bread and … Read more
Our 12-day self-drive journey through Hakone, Lake Kawaguchi, and Hokkaido was coming to an end. After flying back to Tokyo from Hokkaido on Japan Airlines, we checked in for a two-night stay at Hotel Sunroute Asakusa. Since this was our first visit to Tokyo after the pandemic, it had been several years since we last … Read more
I’ve been to Tokyo many times, but I had always admired Tokyo Tower from a distance. This time, I specifically planned an evening visit to see it up close. After enjoying a delicious Thick-Cut Pork Loin Cutlet Set at Iwai Tonkatsu (とんかつ屋 いわい 大門), we took a leisurely walk through Shiba Park toward Tokyo Tower. … Read more
In the morning, we spent several hours exploring Asahiyama Zoo and finally got to see the enormous polar bears up close. With that, our six-day journey through Hokkaido came to an end. After returning our rental car at the ORIX Rent a Car Asahikawa Ekimae Branch near Asahikawa Airport, we boarded a Japan Airlines flight … Read more
On the morning of Day 6 of our Hokkaido self-drive trip, our family planned to visit Asahiyama Zoo before taking a Japan Airlines flight back to Tokyo in the afternoon. After enjoying breakfast in our room at the Toyoko Inn Hokkaido Asahikawa Station Higashi-guchi, we drove about 30 minutes to Asahiyama Zoo. The free parking … Read more
After enjoying a delicious grilled lamb dinner at the Gochome branch of Genghis Khan Daikokuya in Asahikawa, we walked back toward Toyoko Inn Hokkaido Asahikawa Station Higashi-guchi , where we would be staying for the night. Since our family would be taking a Japan Airlines (JAL) flight back to Tokyo the following afternoon, we decided … Read more
Eating lamb in Hokkaido is truly one of the happiest things. For dinner, we went to the Gochome branch (main store) of Genghis Khan Daikokuya in Asahikawa. After finishing our trip to Kamui Kotan — one of Asahikawa’s Eight Scenic Spots — we drove back to the city center. We stayed at the Toyoko Inn … Read more
After enjoying ice cream at Lake Hill Farm, we began our drive back toward Asahikawa to visit Kamui Kotan, one of the Eight Scenic Views of Asahikawa. Known for its steep gorge and unusual rock formations, Kamui Kotan was once an important transportation route for the Ainu people, who traveled through the area by dugout … Read more
After enjoying the panoramic view of Lake Toya and watching helicopters at Tsutsugura Observatory, we headed to Lake Hill Farm to experience Hokkaido’s vast open landscapes and admire the magnificent view of Mount Yotei in the distance. After parking, we first went to see the sheep and little white rabbits on the farm. The weather … Read more