Cheap Japanese snack shops in Koenji

Japan has many awesome snacks. They produce different seasonal snacks and sometimes also collaborate with popular characters to create packaging that is irresistible.

I’m a fan of white chocolate and nuts and when I was in Japan during summer, I just couldn’t help but grab a box of this. It says on the box ”冷やしてもおいしい!” (hiyashite mo oishii), which means that it is delicious even when chilled. 

My question was, “Why wouldn’t it be?” 

Haha! 

Anyway, chilled or not, this was yummy. 

I go crazy when I see shops like this in small towns like Koenji (yea, this was in Koenji. haha!). You can often find many snacks you love at very low prices. 

I once bought my favourite Japanese snack at only 100 yen each! My country sells these too, but at 3 times 100yen!

This is the one I’m talking about!

My mother introduced this to me when I was a kid. It was love at first bite!

Yamanashi Day 2 (Fuji Q Highland)!

Continuing from where I stopped, we went to enjoy our buffet breakfast after the onsen!!!!

I was actually really looking forward to our breakfast because I’ve read very good reviews about it, but actually…there wasn’t anything fancy. They didn’t even have tonyuu (soymilk), and there isn’t any muesli too. The choice of cereal is really little. Fruits selection was little too.

Anyway, cereal and fruits are my kind of breakfast, so I was a little disappointed. Wait a minute, I realise I sound silly to only have expectations of cereal and fruit when it is actually a buffet!

So, well, I can tell you a little bit more about the buffet too.

You get the usual eggs, sausages, ham, fried noodles, rice, miso soup, dim sum, and bread. There wasn’t even many Japanese food you can choose from. I don’t know what’s up with the raving reviews. Haha!

One of the best Japanese breakfast buffets I’ve had were in Wakayama Tore Tore Village and Hilton Hotel in Osaka.

But the view of Mt Fuji at the breakfast terrace of Fuji Q Highlands Resort is incredible. The ceiling-to-floor window is HUGE! It’s as if you are dining right next to Mt Fuji! I swear that you will be pleasantly surprised and awed when you just walk into the dining hall.

After breakfast, my boyfriend and I excitedly made our way to Fuji-Q Highlands!!!!

This was the first ride we went on. Takabisha. The one we were intrigued by since the first day we saw it.

How awesome is this!

Well, it was really fun. As expected, this ride wasn’t as scary as it looks. Any drop more than 90 degrees is actually not as scary as a drop that is, say 60 to 90 degrees. I kept telling my boyfriend that but he didn’t believe me at first. After we finished the ride though, he agreed with me! So, trust me, and give this ride a try! It still has its thrilling parts. The first part of the ride was dark and fast and really fun!

Anyway, what is scary for you in a coaster ride?

For me, it’s definitely extreme speed, so Dodonpa scares the hell out of me. There is only one drop in Dodonpa, but I was so scared of the unbelievable speed that I didn’t try it at all. Later on, I heard from Hikari that he found that one the lamest and most mild. I’m not so sure…but I shall try Dodonpa if I ever go back to Fuji-Q Highlands!

After Takabisha, boyfriend and I were really high and decided to try Fujiyama next!!!! Fujiyama is THE ride in Fuji-Q Highlands. It’s really tall and everyone’s who been to Fuji-Q Highlands must have tried this ride before! The highest drop is at 70m high! That’s about the height of the 23rd storey of your flat or office.

But I know we would be fine because the drop isn’t that steep. It was 60 degrees if I remember correctly.

Well, anyway, 10 years ago, I asked my Japanese colleague if he has been to Fuji-Q Highlands and he said, “Yes!” I asked him about Fujiyama and he said it was really really scary and a really long ride, so I was scared about it for 10 years until I met Fujiyama finally!

To be honest, the first time I saw Fujiyama, I blurted out, “無理無理無理無理無理！”

I didn’t think I can do it. It looked really intimidating from the ground. I had a case of cold feet. But Takabisha really warmed my boyfriend and I up. Before the adrenaline died down, we ran to Fujiyama for our second shot of high!

After the ride, boyfriend and I both agreed that Fujiyama was fun, but not scary. So, take our words, and just try out all the rides in Fuji-Q Highlands! We didn’t take all the rides though, because silly me thought it would be packed with people and getting the pass wouldn’t be worth it. So since we didn’t buy a pass, we just decided on the best looking rides to save money. Actually, I didn’t mind taking a third ride…Eejanaika, but it was closed!!! Meh!!!!! I need to ride that! I read so many reviews on Fuji-Q Highlands and the park visitors mostly voted that as the best ride.

So, yea. Eejanaika, I will try you when I go back to Fuji Q Highlands!!!

Finally, if you are wondering if I went to the famous haunted hospital attraction, the answer is No!! We are both too chicken to try that out. I’m scared of the dark, I really am. Actually, not really. But I know haunted attractions very well. Sudden loud sounds are used to scare you! It is so zurui, really, but well, I’m really scared of sudden loud noises, dark or not, so no thank you!

Our day wasn’t even over yet! I want to introduce you another place just outside Fuji-Q Highlands that is worth a visit. It is free and it’s like a mini Paris. It’s really beautiful. I will write about it in my next entry! ^^

Yamanashi Day 2

This morning, a friend asked me for her friend about how to get to Fuji-Q Highlands.

It’s actually pretty straightforward. We took the highway bus. Very fast and efficient and rather comfortable. Here’s the link.

You don’t really have to reserve the seats, especially if you’re going there on an off-peak season like we did. My boyfriend still reserved the tickets anyway online.

Anyway, I want to continue writing about Yamanashi!

I really loved this place very much. It really felt like a honeymoon, just the both of us. The hotel we stayed at is wonderful, everything is just perfect!

The next morning, we woke up really early! I wanted to soak in the onsen before going to the themepark!

So, boyfriend was dragged out of bed to go onsen with me. It was a clear, sunny day, and we’ve got a really magnificent view of Mt Fuji!

Simply splendid!

Had a really short soak, like only half an hour? And we had gyuunyuu (milk) again after we were done~!!!

This was really good!

Anyway, I want to write more but I’m a little affected by some news I just heard.

I’ll continue later! 🙂

Yamanashi Night 1

We returned to our hotel after walking around Yamanashi.

We had a splendid view of Fuji-Q Highlands from our room, and we spent a few minutes at the sofa by the window observing the rides and thinking what to ride the next day.

Takabisha really intrigued us, and that was what we took first thing the next day. You can have a look at how it goes. It’s really fun.

After that, we lazed around on our big bed, digging into a banana cheesecake we just bought.

At around evening, we headed to the attached onsen, and soaked ourselves in hot water for about 2 hours.

Cute piece of information left on our table at our hotel. By the way, we stayed at Fuji-Q Highland Resort & Spa, and I highly recommend this hotel to everyone. Although I was afraid it would be old from its pictures online, when I reached there, the building was really well-maintained. Room and bathroom was also huge and clean, with lots of light because of its big window in the room. I loved it! Hotel service was impeccable as well. Price was reasonable! You get 30mins priority entrance to Fuji-Q Highland and also discounted passes to the park. You can use the attached onsen for free too for morning and night! Breakfast is included as well. Highway bus stops just right in front of the hotel too. It’s extremely convenient. Please check the hotel out. 🙂

Both of us bought a bottle of cold milk each from the vending machines after the onsen. Best thing ever an onsen! I felt so clean and pretty after the onsen. Haha!

After the onsen, boyfriend was famished so we went to have dinner. He had a hot soba and I had…fried chicken again! Hahhahaa! It was delicious but I still feel that the fried chicken from the bus station was the best. 🙂

Day 1 at Yamanashi~!

Yamanashi has many souvenir shops, but there’s one that pulled me in because of the cute shop’s exterior.

The cheesecakes were awesome~! But that may be because we were famished after a whole day of walking around Yamanashi.

I really had a good time at Yamanashi with my boyfriend. It was raining when we arrived at Yamanashi, but when the bus came to fetch us around town, the rain soon became a drizzle and then it was gone! Lucky us! We managed to take the ropeway to the top to see Mt Fuji!

The ropeway is really cute.

Here’s Mount Fuji after the rain!

We tried tossing these clay guys when we were up there.

You’re supposed to toss them through that knot thingy to get rid of bad luck, and it isn’t that hard, right? But I couldn’t do it. 😦

I was a little upset about it and my boyfriend offered to get two more kawarake for me to try again. But I wasn’t really in the mood, so we moved on to the pleasure boat next.

We shared the pleasure boat “Ensoleille” with just another family of 3, and it was great! Like a VIP tour or something. It was really fun. Scenery is breathtaking!

We took lots of pictures and videos onboard the boat. I loved it!!

I really love this place. I don’t know if it was the rain or if it was because it was a weekday, but the streets were peaceful and uncrowded. Everyone were very friendly and helpful.

I want to write more about our 2 days trip to Yamanashi~ but it’s getting late, so I’ll continue in another entry another day!