Where to Stay in Tokyo this Fall: ANA InterContinental Tokyo Living in Japan has it perks but it has it cons too like we can t really do a review about hotels for you guys (before) since we haven t stayed in one. Although we made a budget-friendly hotel list as suggested by our friends (here), we can t really elaborate much about it. On my recent trip to Tokyo after my 6-month stay in Manila, I m happy to share that we ve stayed at (not one but) two hotels! Honestly I felt really excited not just for myself but for you guys because now I could finally share a legitimate experience and a review.
Photo taken in Hakone (a good side trip destination when in Tokyo) by Ashley Before I begin with my hotel room review, here s a short list on why I loved my stay in ANA INTERCONTINENTAL TOKYO: 1. It s a close walk to Tameike-Sanno and Roppongi-itchome Station. This is very important! When you have to maximise your time in Tokyo since there are so much places to go, destinations to see, foods to try you can t waste so much time on transportation.
2. It s also near to the must-see sights in the center of Tokyo such as Tokyo Tower, Imperial Palace, Senso-ji Temple and Mori Art Museum. We actually walked to Tokyo Tower. 3. Breakfast at Cascade is awesome. We stayed for four days and we always looked forward for their breakfast. 4. They accept major credit cards such as VISA, JCB, American Express, Diners Club, UC, DC, Bank Card, Million Card, Master Card, Saison, ANA. I know this is an important information for tourists because Japan is (still) generally a cash country. 5. According to tripadvisor, it s the top 17th hotel in Minato area of Tokyo. Other people s review about this hotel helped me a lot so make sure you read reviews before going! Now onto the rooms..
We got a classic room on the 14th floor and since Tokyo has tall buildings and infrastructures, we can t see much view on this level. The bed is nice and soft but their comforter could get too hot after a while. Their bathroom is also kind of old looking. There s a desk, refrigerator, two single sofas, iron and water heater inside the room. You can also request for a humidifier if you prefer. For more info about their rooms, click here. Their check-in time starts at 3:00 pm and check-out time is at 12:00nn. If you re staying in Tokyo for a short time, I really suggest that you stay in a budget hotel since you won t be able to maximize the hotel amenities. I only stayed for 8 days this time and I still feel like I wasn t able to cover every-
thing. I was torn in between enjoying my hotel stay and going around the city (or even side trips outside the city). By the way, they have an outdoor pool that s only open during summer. ANA InterContinental Tokyo www.anaintercontinental-tokyo.jp 12-33 Akasaka 1-Chome, Minato +81 3 3505 1111 Kawaii Animal Cafe Hunting by Sig
We have a new segment here at OurKawaii.Tokyo, where in our intern Sig shares some interesting stories from her Tokyo adventure to us. Her first segment? Kawaii Animal Cafe Hunting! So lucky! To know more about it, please read down below.
[Owl Cafe] This cafe called Ikefukuro is in Ikebukuro. With this cafe, you needed to make a reservation before hand, You can do this by sending them an email in either English or Japanese, and on Sundays they have an english staff member! A bonus is that all the Owls there are named after shingeki no kyojin characters! How kakkoii is
that??! Weekdays:14:00 17:00 18:00 21:00 Holi- days:12:00 19:00 (rotates by an hour) Address: 6F 1-17-1 Minamiikebukuro,Toshima-ku, Tokyo Another owl cafe that I ve been to is called Cafe Baron in Koenji, I wasn t able to blog about it but my friend Kathryn did (click here). It has a very intimate atmosphere since the owner is also the caretaker of the shop and the owls of course. Most of the time you can t touch the owls but for special customers like Kathryn it was allowed. Ashley Address: 3-10-5 Koenji-kita, Suginami-ku, Tokyo (Koenji Station -Chuo, Chuo-Sobu lines) Open: 11am-6pm (last orders at 5:30pm) / closed: Wednesday
[Pet bird cafe] Kotori (which means little bird) cafe lets you play with small pet birds. They have an array of canaries, parakeets and cocktails. For more info, check their website here. Open 11am-7pm daily. Average visit time: 30-60 minutes Address: Minami-Aoyama 6-3-7 [Bunny cafe] Usagi no Ehon was my first kawaii cafe here in Japan. ω It was you can just talk in and it was fairly cheap compared to other specialty cafes in Japan! It s on the second floor of a building but you ll know it because if you pass by stairs leading up with bunny themed stickers on the steps, you know you re in the right place! Open: 1-6pm. Closed: Mondays, Thursdays. 150 per 30 minutes, plus one order from the
set menu Average visit time: 30-60 minutes Address: Kitazawa 3-30-1, K Bldg 2F. (Shimo-Kitazawa station) [Cat Cafe] Now, there are a hundred cat cafe s here in Japan but I would suggest Nekorobi because in my opinion, it s easier to find than other places. Plus, if you ve been to the owl cafe I mentioned, you ll at least have an idea of the place!! The cats are super friendly and playful and you get to play with them!! Address: Japan, 170-0013 Tokyo, Toshima, Higashiikebukuro, 1 28 1, 3F Phone:+81 3-6228-0646 Hours: 11:00 am 10:00 pm There are many more other animal cafes here in Japan and I encourage you to explore but these
are my top picks! (((o(*ﾟ ﾟ*)o))) All in all, animal cafes are such a wonderful experience and a fun way to relax. Do you have any animal cafes in your country? Or what sort of animal cafe would you want to go to? #RyuugakuSig is a series of posts by our JLM intern Sig. She will be sharing some of her discoveries / observations from the perspective of a first-timer here in Japan. Sig is currently an exchange student in a university in Tokyo. Gotemba Premium Outlets What is a visit to Tokyo without dropping by or seeing the most famous symbol of Japan, Mt. Fuji? Probably not complete. If you re on the look-
out for a place to shop (within the budget) and at the same time a spot for sight-seeing, we totally recommend a trip to Gotemba Premium Outlets in Hakone. Most (if not all) my favourite brands are there, let me drop some names: Adidas, Balenciaga, Cath Kidston, Chloe, Dior, Disney, Francfranc, Furla, Gelato Pique, Harrods, Havaianas, Isetan, Jill Stuart, Kate Spade New York, Lowrys Farm, Moussy, Nike, Nikon, Petit Bateau, Saint Laurent, Sly, Snidel, Tory Burch, Valentino and many more. -Ashley
How to get there? From Tokyo, take the JR Shinkansen to Mishima Station, transfer trains to Numazu, and transfer again to Gotemba. From Gotemba, there s a free shuttle bus directly to Gotemba Premium Outlet. From Shinjuku, take the Odakyu Limited Express Romance Car Asagiri to Gotemba. Again from
Gotemba, there s a free shuttle bus directly to Gotemba Premium Outlet. (Source)
Aside from shopping tax free, Gotemba Premium Outlet offers a wide variation of restaurants, kiosks, and cafes such as Haagen-Dazs (our personal favourite!), Crazy Crepes, Gelato Pique Cafe Creperie, Godiva (must try!), Tully s Coffee and more.
List of shops / brands
You can follow Premium Outlets on instagram, Facebook and google plus for more updates!