Our Japan trip was so fast paced with so many activities jam packed in less than a week. We managed to visit 4 cities--Osaka, Kyoto, Nara, and Tokyo which is why we were always tired and sleep deprived everyday! But it was our choice to travel that way because we wanted to make the most out of our trip. But on our last day in Tokyo, we've finally decided to take it slow. We spent our last day just strolling in Odaiba and Roppongi area. In Odaiba alone, you can spend the whole day visiting so many interesting places! Too bad we weren't able to do that because we ran out of time going gaga over Outlet stores.
Odaiba is an artificial man-made island and it was used as a defense fort to protect Tokyo City from sea invasions. Today, it is considered as one of Tokyo's most visited tourist destination and personally, I recommend the place for families, couples, and even group of friends because the entire area generally is relaxing and entertaining at the same time.
How to get there?
1. Ride the MRT to Shimbashi station (Asakusa Line) and transfer to Yurikamome line. This is one of the newest MRT station in Tokyo.
2. You can alight at several location as Odaiba. We alighted at Daiba Station and walked towards the other stations. I recommend you downloading a map first before going there to select which station you will go to.
Places to check out:
1. Gundam Front Tokyo- Not really a Gundam fan but it is a must to visit if you're in Odaiba and take a photo in front of the gigantic full scale 18m Gundam figure. There's a Gundam museum found on the top floor of the mall and there's an entrance fee of about 1,000 yen and there's also a Gundam Cafe/store on the ground floor near the Gundam figure.
2. Rainbow Bridge and Statue of Liberty Replica- Nice to take photos at night!
3. Daikanransha Ferris Wheel and Palette Town- Odaiba has one of the biggest entertainment complex in Tokyo. The Daikanransha Ferris Wheel was the tallest in the world before London Eye. It's about 115 meters high and it becomes a lovely sight at night because of its lights.
When we visited Palette Town, we were fortunate enough to witness a weekend flea market selling second hand toys, shoes, antiques, and branded clothes! I bought so many branded coats and blazers for as low as 300 yen or 150 pesos and all in good condition. The thrift items are even cheaper compared to the thrift shops here in Manila (Tagaytay or Baguio Ukay-Ukay) and the owners sell them directly so you know it's taken care of!
NOTE: The flea market is not a regular event in Odaiba. According to locals there, it was just a one time event.
4. Tokyo Leisureland- My boyfriend is an avid sports fan and whenever we travel , we always make sure to visit famous stadiums, sports shop, or if we have time, watch a live game. In Japan, amusement centers are abundant specifically sports practice cages! In Tokyo Leisureland you can pay 300 yen per game for one round of baseball, soccer, basketball, or ping pong game.
5. Toyota Mega Web- It's a showroom for Japan's largest car manufacturer, Toyota. Definitely a must see for car enthusiasts because you get to see and experience new technology for FREE! You can check out the latest prototype models and even test drive some cars. I almost said no to this exhibit because I thought it will be a waste of time but surprisingly, I really enjoyed the exhibit.
6. Venus Fort Mall- This mall is similar to Macau's Venetian Mall and Vegas' Floating City. There are 3 levels in this mall. The ground level is for pet shops, electronics, clothes, and the famous Hello Kitty Kawaii Paradis themed shop. The second floor is decorated like the ones in medieval European complete with the famous fountain and fake sky! The third floor is the best in my opinion because it is where the Nike outlet is located. The shoes in Nike Outlet is so cheap and the designs are still new. I am not a fan of rubber shoes but I bought one for travel.
7. Tokyo Tower- is the tallest man-made structure in Japan and the design is based on the famous Eiffel Tower in Paris. We made sure to drop by because my boyfriend and I always wanted to see the Eiffel Tower but since it will not happen anytime soon, the Tokyo Tower will do the trick haha! The tower according to research is taller than the original one by 13 meters. Cool right? Also, there's an observation deck on top but you need to pay in order to go up and according to reviews, it's okay to skip the observatory deck.
How to get there?
1. Ride the MRT and alight at Akabanebashi Station.
2. After alighting the station, you need to walk for 15 mins to reach the tower. Look for the tower and just walk towards that direction.
8. Roppongi - is a famous business district in Tokyo which you can enjoy night life with various restaurants and clubs. Unfortunately, we were not able to visit at night and go try different places there as we decided to spend our time shopping in Shibuya! Roppongi is also known to have a lot of art museum and parks which we were able to go around and have fun with the Japanese kids!
How to get there?
1. Ride the MRT and alight at Roppongi Station.
2. After alighting the station, walk around the area and explore parks, museums, and some of the establishments there which are easily found.
Disclaimer: This is an old post from my Blogspot account dated January 28, 2015.
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