Tag: shibuya

  • Japan Again | RO Explore

    Japan Again | RO Explore

     Ever since I went to Japan in January for Tokyo Auto Salon, Julia has been bugging me to take her. So on Valentines Day I bought her a ticket to Japan to shut her up. Just kidding, but I did buy her a ticket because I love her and now she won’t shut up about going back. 

    Caught this rare glimpse of another airplane flying with us on the same route.

    For this trip, we traveled with Krstina and Abbitt and it happened to be Krstina’s first time too! Here we have two tourists posing with a rock that looks like the famous Hachiko.

    Night exploring, looking for something to eat and we then decided to go to Yakitori Center where Abbitt fell down a flight of stairs and broke his hand.

    Cold chicken wings, beef and chick skin! So bomb.

    Our next stop would be the World’s Second Best Freshly Baked Melon-Pan Icecream. It’s literally called that and one can argue that it might be the best!

    The melon bread is so good and the ice cream combo just makes it better!

    1. The look on their faces says it all.

    The next morning we woke up early and got some cold udon that Abbitt found near our place.

    It was my first time eating cold udon and it was delicious! Full of flavor and it was easy to eat.

    Most of the shops and places we wanted to go were closed, so we got some coffee at Streamers Coffee in Shibuya.

    Coffee lovers.

    Shout out to Streamers Coffee for letting us put our sticker on their wall!

    Julia is an avid cat lover and no one loves cats more than the Japanese. They have cat cafes all over Tokyo just so you can spend time with like 20 different types of cats.  The cat cafe we went to was in Shibuya and it’s called Cafe Mocha.

    So many pretty cats in this cafe, too bad I’m allergic.

    A munchkin cat!

    You pay about $10-15 USD to hang out with cats and some cafes offer beverages. For foreigners this might seem like a waste of money, but for the Japanese this is a place where you can relax and calm your stress by playing with cats.

    We spotted a park with a bunch of cherry blossom trees and we had to stop by to take photos.

    We got lost in Shibuya and came across this crazy looking building.

    Passed by Genki Sushi and saw the RO sticker I placed the first time I came to Japan. Crazy how it’s already been 4 years. What a life.

    We took a long train to West Aoyama Garden where they have the interesting fluffy pan cakes.

    I also ordered this ham grilled sandwich that was pretty basic just like the pancake. I would not recommend going here, unless you’re just going for Instagram photos.

    That’s all for today, check back for more on this 4 part saga of Japan Adventures Again.

    -NGUMINH

     

  • Tokyo Madness | RO Explore

    Tokyo Madness | RO Explore

    For all the times I’ve been to Japan, I have never been to Tokyo Auto Salon. Tokyo Auto Salon is the SEMA of Japan, but way crazier for JDM fan boys because all of the popular Japanese car brands come out to display their latest products and show off their latest car builds. This year I got some of the crew to come out to check this internationally famous show and give some of us a vacation from the mundane 9-5.
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     This year’s crew included Shavi, Abbitt, Keith, Regina, Vinh and Rica.

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    Our little apartment and our home for the next nine days.

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    Our first destination after settling in was Shibuya and as dog lovers I had to take them to go see the Hachiko statue.

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    The famous Shibuya crossing. I missed this place.

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    Busy as ever.

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    Genki Sushi in Shibuya is my go to spot for cheap and fun sushi. They have an english menu and they take card.

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    You can tell I love salmon.

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    Trying out this hamburger sushi which was not that great…

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    Getting smashed on Japanese alcohol in our small little dining area. These tasty drinks pack a serious punch.

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    The next morning we headed back to Shibuya for lunch. Shavi and his egg and beef rice bowl.

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    Skillet porn.

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    I ended up getting some dry ramen which was a bit salty for my taste.

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    I love the streets of Shibuya, they just have so much color and life.

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    Abbitt taking in the scenery of Shibuya, he’s also coming out with a video of our trip so watch out for that.

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    Shavi and Abbitt in the Shibuya crossing.

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    Shavi approved.

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    Train moving photos!

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    Our next stop was Harajuku where fashion meets desserts. You can find crepe stands all over Harajuku and you have to get one.

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    Intense escalator entrance of a mall.

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    Shavi, Rica and Vinh.

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    Abbitt in the streets of Harajuku.

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    These small vans are very popular here in Japan.

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    We made our way to Shinjuku for dinner and to catch a show at the Robot Restaurant.

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    The night life in Shinjuku is intense from good late night eats to places where you can get a naked girl covered in soap to slide all over you as a massage.

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    We ended up having Coco Ichibanya curry for dinner.

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    Regina and Keith riding the robot goddesses.

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    Before the Robot show, you enter a lounge filled with colorful lights and mirrors with a band of robots playing music while you get a drink.

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    20 minutes later and it was time for the show. I’m going to let the photos tell the story of this crazy fucking show.

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    The craziest experience I’ve ever had in my life and I definitely recommend this show to anyone who visits Tokyo. Just pay for the show and not the food. That’s it for today, I’ll be back in a couple of days with coverage of Tokyo Auto Salon. Thanks for reading!

    -NGUMINH

  • RO in Japan | The First Day

    RO in Japan | The First Day

    I have a problem with being easily bored of life. Sometimes, I feel like I’m stuck in a forever struggle of working, stressing over life and my happiness. We spend the best part of our lives in school, learning how to survive and perhaps thrive in this modern world of ours. After that, we spend our entire lives working to obtain a salary, so we can afford ourselves simple pleasures.  If you look at the big picture, we are all just stuck in this infinite loop of our modern lives. Once in a while, you have to wake up from this matrix and leave everything behind and take what you have to explore the other 99.9% of the world. Having an adventure in Japan should be a bucket list for everyone in the world. No matter what part of the world you’re from going to Japan is nothing you will ever experience, the culture, the food and the people will grant you a brand new perspective in life.  I hope in the next series of post will convince you to use those saved up vacation days and explore Japan.

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    This was my room for the entirety of the trip. It was nice and cozy and ridiculously cheap. If $150/a night hotel rooms isn’t your thing then try going on Airbnb.com. Plan your dream vacation on a budget.

    These types of stays not only give you a feel of local life but often come with the added benefit of a more personal, authentic experience that traditional hotels can’t always offer. However, when it comes to vacation ownership, some people might find themselves locked into agreements that no longer serve their interests.

    Timeshare contracts can be tricky, and if you’re feeling burdened by a contract that’s become more of a hassle than a help, you’re not alone. That’s where Aaronson Law Group comes in. If you’re looking to exit a timeshare agreement or want legal advice regarding the fine print, their team can provide expert guidance to ensure that you’re not trapped in an unfavorable deal. With their support, you can focus on the fun of future vacations without worrying about being tied down by long-term obligations.

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    These were the companions on my second Japan trip excluding the samurai guy. Brendan, Neel and Vinh. It was all of their first time going to Japan and they were super anxious and excited to experience the culture.

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    Last year, this sushi place that shot out your orders left a lasting impression on me. I had to make sure that I took the guys here for this ridiculously cheap sushi. $1 a plate!! This sushi place is a chain restaurant called Genki Sushi. You can find it in Shibuya near the famous cross walk.

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    Brendan and his signature raised eye brow look, the yellow happy face was trying to copy him in the back.

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    This is my favorite place in Tokyo and oddly enough it’s a Starbucks! Find this at the roof top Starbucks in Harajuku.

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    Next stop was Odaiba! Where the famous Gundam stands tall for tourists. 

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    The Diver City Plaza behind the Gundam is an awesome mall with an even more awesome food court. Definitely a place to shop and grab some delicious food.

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    The guys were definitely awestruck by the Gundam even put the phones down just to take it all in.

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    Sometimes you need to put the phones down and live in the moment.

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    About a block away from the Gundam is Joypolis where they have a real Initial D simulator game. Joypolis also has some other awesome games to enjoy in the 4 story building. It was like a Chuck E Cheese, but 100x better.

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    About another block away is the Toyota Mega Web museum. This is a spot to geek over classic cars and the new Toyota models.

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    I honestly didn’t recognize some of these classic Japanese cars, it was refreshing to see these cars in immaculate condition.

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    Hallway of Collectibles.

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    Funny how they had an Americanized theme hall way of cars.

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    Upstairs celebrated Toyota Motorsports and the future of Toyota.

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    Would not mind having this van for long road trips.

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    The new Toyota Crown Athlete.

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    What was cool about this display, you could get into the car and just get a feel of how it would be driving this car.

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    The re-released Toyota Land Cruiser 70 Series.

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    For some reason Vinh wanted to test out this tiny handicap-able car.

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    To find this area all you need to do is follow the Ferris wheel.

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    After Odaiba, we headed out to Shinjuku to meet up with Brendan’s friend Will from Rennstall.  While we were waiting, there were bands playing outside the station for the fun of it. None of them had hats out or a donating jar, just wanted the exposure.

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    Made our mark.

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    Will and his friends took us out to an Izakaya for food and drinks. The Japanese have this thing were they like to get pissed out drunk, so most Izakaya and some restaurants offer a all you can drink service.

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    I just wanted to stick to the finer things in life like this egg and yakisoba on a skillet.

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    Vinh was too tired from today’s activities and knocked out while we were grubbing.

    That sums up our first day in Japan, crazy how what we did on this day took about 3-4 days last year. I recommend getting a pocket WiFi so, you don’t waste anytime getting lost. The company JCR Pocket Wifi is what I used because you can pick it up from the airport when you land. Make sure you check back for more Japan posts!

    -NGU ASS