Bantog Backpackers

Tuesday, May 14, 2024

Asakusa became our second home for our nine (9) days stay in Tokyo. We were accommodated at Sakura Hostel which is only two (2) minutes walk away from the well-known Senso-ji Temple.

place your predictions here if you drew a bad fortune

Senso-ji also known as Asakusa Kanon temple, is dedicated to bodhisattva. It is Tokyo's oldest and grandest temple, and one of most significant. There are lots of picturesque areas and opportunities. You can also get your fortune told. We arrived here in January 1, and to celebrate New Year in Japan is so festive, especially when visiting a temple.

Senso-ji temple is also near Nakamise Shopping Street where you can enjoy lots of Japanese street food and souvenir. Entrance to Senso-ji temple is free.

When visiting Tokyo and you are on a budget, always search for Saizeriya, an Italian cuisine family restaurant.. We ate in Saizeriya branches in Asakusa, Odaiba, Shinjuku, and Urayasu. They have 1.553 branches all over Japan. Food here is superb in taste and so affordable. Also it is open from 10am to 12 midnight.

random photo in Asakusa

New Year celebration in Sakura Hostel

Places to visit in Asakusa are:

1. Hozomon

2. Tokyo Skytree

3. Nakamise Shopping street

4. Asakusa oldest theme park, Hanayashiki

5. Thermal Spas, Akebono-yu

6. Dembo-in Temple garden

7. Kaminarimondori Shopping street

8. Engei Hall

9. Kappabashi

10. Ride a rickshaw

Shibuya is popularly known as the beating heart of Tokyo. It is also the center for youth culture, fashion and shopping experience. Shibuya is located in the southwestern part of Tokyo and is accessible thru walking, by train or by bus.

The famous Shibuya crossing is located in front of the Shibuya station Hachiko exit. In its busiest hours, a total of 1000 to 2000 people are crossing this scramble every two minutes. This spot is often used in movies like the "Fast and the Furious, Tokyo Drift", "Resident Evil, Afterlife", "Jumper", "The Amazing Race" - to name a few.

To get here, take the JR Yamanote Line. Also you can be here by taking JR Saikyo, Tokyo Metro Ginza, Tokyu Toyoko, Hanzomon, and Fukutoshin lines.

Visiting Shibuya will not be complete without taking a photo with Hachiko. Hachiko, a Japanese Akita dog, came to Tokyo with his owner, Hidesaburo Ueno. Hachiko with his owner will always go to station every morning and return every afternoon everytime his owner will come back from work. Then one day the professor did not show up because of hemorrhage. It faithfully waited for his owner for more than nine (9) years until its death. Hachiko taught us loyalty, patience and persistence and Japan kept him alive by means of this bronze statue.

commuting in Tokyo

Things to do in Shibuya:

1. Shibuya scramble

2. Hachiko statue

3. Takeshita Street

4. Meiji Shrine

5. Ebisu Garden Place

6. Shibuya Sky

7. Yebisu Beer Museum

8. Takashimaya Times Square

9. Togo and Yoyogi Hachimangu Shrine

10. Parco

Shinjuku is one of the twenty three (23) wards of Tokyo. Shinjuku is popular for its entertainment, shopping and nightlife district.

It is also renowned for their towering skyscrapers located at the central Tokyo.

Shinjuku is also known as the world's busiest and largest train station. You can get here thru JR Yamanote line, Tokyo Metro Marunouchi line, Toei Oedo line. It is the most connected at readily accessible areas in Tokyo. It also has more than 100 exits.

The Godzilla head is Shinjuku's landmark and a tourist attraction in Kabukicho. It can be easily found as it is towering in over Toho Cinema. His eyes also lights up in blue color. The godzilla structure is just a head and a claw but it can be seen better and up close if you will check in at Hotel Gracery or be a customer at the 8th floor cafe Cafeterasse Bonjour.

Places to visit/Things to do in Shinjuku:

Kabukicho - the largest red light district
Go Karting
Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building Observatory
Go see free art in Nishi Shinjuku
Hanazono shrine
Don Quijote
Shinjuku Central Park
Toho Cinema Godzilla
Isetan Shinjuku Store
Golden Gai
Kagurazaka
Hanazono Shrine

Saturday, March 9, 2024

Akihabara is known as the epicenter of Japanese otaku goods. A destination for anime, manga, and video games fans. But prior to that, Akihabara was previously famous for cheaper electronics and its original name is "Denki-gai" or Electric town.

You can get to Akihabara through Metro's Hibiya line, JR Yamanote Line, Sobu Line, and Keihin-Tohoku Line. We stayed in Asakusa and by commuting, you'll be there in 20 minutes. We always get to Akihabara by walking, ahahah! It is exactly 3.9 kilometers from our hostel, Sakura Hostel. We went here twice, one is daytime and the next visit is night time, both fabulous!

My 5 J's

otaku goods sold at Radio Kaikan building

Radio Kaikan is one of the most famous location in Akihabara. It is an eight storey commercial building selling otaku goods.

Radio Kaikan's exact location is 1-Chome-15-16 Sotokanda, Chiyoda City, Tokyo 101-0021

Radio Kaikan building in Steins Gate

anime location from https://japantour.xyz/2019/09/27/akihabaras-real-life-anime-locations/#google_vignette

Akihabara at night

Places to visit in Akihabara:

1. Kanda Myojin Shrine

2. Radio Kaikan

3. Mandarake

4. A visit to Maid's Cafe

5. 2k540 Aki-Oka Artisan

6. Super Potato

7. MI5 naughty shops

8. Hijiri Bashi Bridge

9. Kanda River

10. Akihabara 48 Theater

Saturday, March 2, 2024

Ueno is located at the north-east of the city center in the Taito district, also famous for being the Tokyo's gateway to the north.

How to get to Ueno Tokyo?

Access Ueno station by taking the Metro Ginza and Hibiya lines. You can also get here by train thru Keisei line and by JR Shinkansen trains.

Ueno is famous for its museums like the Tokyo National Museum, National Museum for Western Art, Tokyo Metropolitan Art and the National Science Museum. It is also Tokyos' most popular leisure district. Ueno is also home to Ueno Zoo, a 14.3 hectare zoo, Japan's oldest zoo that opened in 1882.

Looking for cheap but quality and branded clothes, face care products, shoes, souvenirs, accessories? Then you must visit Ueno. Type Ameyoko shopping street on google map and in here you'll find a huge area of street filled with all sorts of merchandise, with more than 400 stores. It is also an area with lots of restaurant and drinking places.

We got our authentic and legit Adidas and Reebok shoes from 2400 yen to 4800 yen (Php900 to Php1800) and our adidas cap for 1600 yen and NY cap for 4200 yen less 10% and another less 20% for following their instagram page and another less 10% if you meet their promo of buying 5 items in one transaction. How cool is that?

Ueno is an easy access to Akihabara. You can walk here by foot in just ten (10) minutes. We rented a place in Asakusa, and we went to Ueno three times just by walking. Ueno is also an easy access to Shibuya, Shinjuku, Hibiya park, Ginza, Sensoji temple, and Nakamise Street

Saturday, February 24, 2024

The Centraal Station is named as the most beautiful not just in Europe but in the whole world. The Centraal Station is designed by Architect Louis Delacenserie and constructed from 1895-1905. Architect Delacenseria took his inspiration from the Pantheon of Rome and also from the Swiss station of Lucerne. It was known also as the Railway Cathedral and inaugurated on August 11, 1905.

The station has four floors/levels and fourteen (14) tracks. It has eight (8) towers and a number of decorations with a golden color. The canopy has a length of 186 meters and width of 66 meters.

The station has been renovated and was led by Architect Jacques Voncke, and commissioned by Eurostation in 2009 still preserving its architectural treasure while drastically increasing capacity and modernization of passenger facilities.

Top routes in Antwerpen Centraal are Antwerp to Brussels airport, Antwerp to Amsterdam Schipol airport, Antwerp to Brussels Midi, Antwerp to Rotterdam, Netherlands, Antwerp to Amsterdam Centraal and Antwerp to Charleroi Sud.