Japan Trip 2015 - Tokyo - Day 5 - Kadoya Hotel Shinjuku

After alighting from the Airport Limousine at Keio Plaza Hotel, we need to walk straight through the hotel from one exit to the other exit, cross the zebra crossing towards Kadoya Hotel as per map.

Turn right after two traffic lights (as per map) to reach the hotel.

The reason for choosing the hotel was the hotel was in the best location in Shinjuku and the price was within our budget but we missed out a good deal at Agoda and had to book direct from Kadoya Hotel at extra S$80 per night, sobs. Shinjuku Train Station was just a short walk from the hotel too. It would be nice if we could stay in Keio Plaza Hotel but the hotel was fully booked for the promotion price and I could not afford to pay $600 to $700 per night for the hotel stay for non promotion rates. Keio Plaza Hotel is really very beautiful and the staff were really friendly and helpful, will tell more about them in another post.

Map from official website of Kadoya Hotel.

The room in Kadoya Hotel is really big in Japanese Standard cause normally hotel room in Japan is really small and best to book the twin bed room than the double bed room. Everything in Kadoya Hotel is really good from friendly staff, to bigger room,nice soft fluffy pillows, very good location and the only negative about the hotel was the hotel is a bit outdated and old. They do have renovated room so if you booked this hotel, ask for the new renovated room.

The bedroom with plenty of space to walk about and placed our luggages.

The bathroom is a bit small and old but very clean.

There's a laundry room on Level 3, Prices: Washer 300 JPY / 40 min and Dryer 200 JPY / 30 min.

They do not provide bottle drink in our hotel room, but there's a water vending machine in the Laundry Room is free but we find it troublesome so we just bought our mineral water from the 24 hours Lawson Mart just next to the hotel.

We can pick extra pillows (soft or hard) from the reception on the ground floor at no charge.

They sell souvenirs too and the prices were not that expensive.

As it was raining season when I was there, the hotel provides free umbrellas on loan.

Japan Trip 2015 -Tokyo - Day 5 - How to go to Shinjuku from Haneda Domestic Airport

Finally arrived Tokyo Haneda Domestic Airport from Chitose Sapporo Airport.

After claiming our luggages, we exit the arrival hall and infront of us was the bus ticket counter. As our hotel was in Shinjuku Area near Keio Plaza Hotel, we bought the airport limousine bus ticket for Keio Plaza Hotel. The staffs can speak very good English so no problem with the communication here. The bus ticket cost 1230 yen and the journey was about 1 hour. There's three stops, Shinjuku Train Station, Hilton Hotel and Keio Plaza Hotel.

We need to proceed to Queue No. 5 to board the bus to Shinjuku.

There's timing indicated on the bus ticket, so we have to board at the correct time for the bus departure.

This is the information for the Haneda Domestic Airport Airport Limousine Bus as I took the domestic plane from Sapporo, I guess the information works same for the Haneda International Airport as well.

Japan Trip 2015 - Sapporo - Day 5 - Chitose Domestic Airport -Bye Bye Sapporo

Finally, is time to bid Sapporo bye bye and continued our adventure in Tokyo. We dragged our luggage to Sapporo Train Station to board the Rapid Airport Express Train to Chitose Domestic Airport. Originally, we wanted to buy the train ticket with seat reservations, but on seeing the long queue in the ticket office, we decided not to buy the seat reservations. Without seat reservations(310 yen), we can just use the ticket vending machine and purchase the train ticket 1070 yen. As it was not peak hours, the train is quite empty. So we actually save 310 yen x two tickets. We need to board the train at Track 6 to go to the airport. The journey is about 40 minutes.

On arrival at the airport, we just followed the sign that indicated Domestic Flights. Go to Counter 3 for Japan Airlines to check in our bag.

The airport is very interesting, looked like a shopping mall with a supermarket, they even sell dried and frozen fishes, crabs, etc. And of course we did some last minute shopping for melon chocolates that my niece requested me to buy for her. (Did not take photo of the melon chocolates,but you can google for the image.)

There's many restaurants in the airport too but we decided to have lunch in the food court.

So is bye bye to Sapporo and Hello Tokyo for the next three days.

Japan Trip 2015 - Sapporo - Day 4 - Dinner

Our last night in Sapporo before leaving for Tokyo, whereelse can we have our dinner but our favourite Chinese Restaurant (Nangokushyka Restaurant) at Stellar Place in Sapporo Train Station.

Surprised to see Shark's Fin in the menu at a very cheap price less than 1000 yen, could not believe it. Back in Singapore is difficult to find Shark's Fin in the menu anymore, even there is , is very expensive. We decided to order the dish to see if it really was Shark's Fin or imitation and yes it really was Shark's Fin. Could not believe is was so cheap in Japan.

We ordered one person portion at only 972 yen. One portion could really be shared by two people. It really tasted very good.

Stir fry beef with mushroom.

Braised Tofu

Three types of dim sum

The xiao long bao is really good.

As usual Chinese tea were served after our meals.

Total price is only 5136 yen about S$56.40 (exchange rate at that time was 10.98 per 1000 yen). The dinner was really delicious and really worthwhile.

Japan Trip 2015 - Sapporo Day 4 - Shopping at Esta Mall

Finally for Day 4, we did our last shopping before leaving for Tokyo the next day.

There's a lot of malls near Sapporo Train Station but I prefer shopping in Esta Mall(it's just beside Sapporo Train Station).

Had a quick lunch in one of the floor of Esta Mall. The whole floor consists of restaurants, cafes, etc.

Japanese Popular Omelette Rice

Japanese Pork Cutlet Curry Rice

Shop for toys for my grown up sons at the toys section at Big Camera (inside Esta Mall).

The toys section was really interesting, even grown up would like to play in here.

Found really good buys in the fashion floors, surprised the clothings were cheap and on sale. But most are not made in Japan but made in China, Thailand, Myanmar, Vietnam, etc.

Example is these 5 pairs of ankle socks is only 290 yen before tax (tax is 8%), really very cheap. But was made in Myanmar but the quality of the socks are really good and workmanship is good too. It's a Japanese Brand Shop and I guess must there's must be some kind of quality control, worth buying.

There's other shop besides this GU Shop, I must be too busy shopping to remember to take photos of other shops hahaha.