Picturesque Japan

Hello, travelers. This is Kumi . Picturesque Japan Blog welcomes you to cat cafes. Are you crazy about cats and wish to visit a cat cafe in Tokyo? You should definitely do it! The system is super easy! Let me talk about my recent experiences at the franchise cat cafe called "Mocha." You can hang out with cats for 10 minutes for 200 yen (*30 minutes minimum, but I'm sure you want to stay more!) As of July 19, 2017, Mocha has six shops in Tokyo (Shibuya, Harajuku(2), Ikebukuro(2), and Akihabara) and one in Osaka. http://catmocha.jp/shoplist/ I visited Mocha in Shibuya in April. The Shibuya shop is a bit like a secret place. You can easily miss this signboard. Once you find this sign, take the elevator to the 8th floor. At the reception, they give you a key to a locker. You can leave your bags etc., and you can come back here to open the locker whenever you need during your stay. Then take off your shoes and put on well-sanitized slippers they o...

Hello, travelers. This is Kumi . Picturesque Japan Blog welcomes you to Haneda Airport and around. If you fly out from Haneda airport and have some time before the flight, there are some options for spending your last minute. How do you get to the airport? If you take Tokyo monorail from Hamamatsucho station, why don't you leave your luggage in a coin locker at the station, and explore the gardens nearby? Go out from the North exit, turn right, walk under the train tracks, then you'll find Kyu-Shibarikyu Gargens on your right. This is like secret gardens. You'll never imagine this peacefulness from outside! People working nearby (probably with annual passports) bring in lunch and relax here. Kyu-Shibarikyu Gardens Hours: 9am to 5pm (entrance until 4:30pm) Closed: December 29 to January 3 Admission: 150 Yen http://teien.tokyo-park.or.jp/en/kyu-shiba/ If you are already checked in at the airport, but still have some hours before getting on board, pl...

Hello, travelers. This is  Kumi .  Picturesque Japan  Blog welcomes you to Tokyo's old town, Yanaka. Here is the basic information of Yanaka by japan-guide.com https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3068.html My musician friends from New York and I explored Yanaka for a few hours before they played at Blue Note Tokyo. We started our walk from Nippori station. The first thing we did was this! The restaurant is called  Kamado Dining . https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g1066441-d7489035-Reviews-Kamado_Dining_Yakitoriohachito_Denbei-Arakawa_Tokyo_Tokyo_Prefecture_Kanto.html Unfortunately, TripAdvisor doesn't show you much information other than the phone number and the map and they don't have English menu, but if you enjoy any kind of food, you could try their set menu, just pointing the photo and say "This one, please!" :P After lunch, we walked to the other side of the railway tracks. (It may be fun to look down for a while if you are s...