Japan Trip - Ichiran and Kabukicho

Best Ramen in the world!

Being lied of the so call Japanese citizen, we start hunting food via our Google Maps. In before we found any restaurant, stumble upon this Ichiran Ramen shop. One of the most famous Ramen chain in Japan, and so we decided to give it a try.

Ichiran Ramen

Inside the shop, we have to wait for a small que as it is dinner time. However the que wasn't long, when we finally reached the vending machine, we have to wait again for the remaining customer to finish their delicious ramen to free up the seats.

Button indicator to show which seat is empty or filled.

So during the que or waiting, we were handed with this small leaflet to customize our ramen along with the coupon you purchased just now from the vending machine.

Customise sheet to design your own ramen

Some good 20 minutes waiting while chatting with other tourist, is finally our turn! But we got separated due to there's no 5 free seats in a row.

In front of you, there's a tap water valve for your free flow of iced water.

Free iced water

Beside there's a wooden panel that can be open if you are seated with friends. But normally is closed because lone customer want to have his/her ramen in peace.

Japan Trip - Shinkansen to Shinjuku

Speed of Bullet Train

Upon arriving to Shin-Osaka, we quickly rush out from Haruka platform to find where is the entrance for our Shinkansen. The ticket lady schedule us the train ride is just mere 30 minutes after arrive to Shin-Osaka, and due to the fact we're first timer and just arrive to the land of the rising sun, took us quite some time to locate the correct platform.

Shinkansen Entrance Banner

Just as planned, we went to the bento vendors to get ourself some bentos. So many choices, we can't read Japanese, can't made up our mind and the Shinkansen is leaving. Intense ; we were battling against time.

Quite expensive for just a bento

Man, Japanese with their packaging

Japan Trip - Izakaya, Shinjuku

Japanese Mamak

On our way back to Shinjuku Train Station, we came across this huge food sales. Crowded with people, and food and freebies. Staff there are pretty generous and nice, explaining what kind of food they selling in English and free taste. YUM! But is super packed, I can't even bring out my camera to take a good shot.

Food Market

Our friend here is leading us to the suppose to be Yakitori stall, knowing a good stall serving those, so we followed him, but tragedy happens.

Before of that incident, lets enjoy the Shinjuku street.

Pachinko - means casino specialise in mechanical gambling 

People everywhere, keep walking, I mean walk fast!

Japan Trip - Kansai Airport

Konichiwa

Is time! Our long planned Japan trip is finally here! We bought our tickets around Nov 2013 during the Air Asia sales, a couple of return to Osaka. Then we revised our plan, again and again and again, and we got greedy; at the end we decided to both Kansai and Kanto region in 11 days. 

During the planning phase, only 2 of us will be travelling, but as times goes, 2 more innocent travellers decided to join us. Revise everything again to take the best advantage of 4 travellers, sharing cost and such. Talking to our host in Japan, liaising with our friend in Tokyo to make sure everything is settle.

Then we were lucky enough to experience the new KLIA 2 just after few days later from the official launch. 

Snacks booth inside KLIA 2

KLIA 2 was huge, and tiring to walk. However the interior design was OK, just some design flaw of being inconvenient. Tons of potential empty spaces being to utilized. 

Resting bench

Can you see the design of those chair? It is not design to be slept on! Bad choice of chairs for airport., especially for those who decided to overnight in the airport. Guess KLIA 2 want to make extra profit from their hotel services.

D7 0532 - Kansai Osaka