Tokyo Day 4 - 20 Nov 12

When we checked in last night, it was already dark so we could not see beyond the balcony. This morning, when we ventured  out to the balcony for our morning onsen, we discovered the view outside. Can really get used to this onsen thing, especially when facing mother nature.

View of the onsen in the morning.

After onsen, we went for our breakfast which is your typical Japanese breakfast consisting of appetizers, fish, tofu, egg, natto and soup. I gamely tried the natto and found tasting not too bad although is does have a foul smell and the strands of sticky threads can really put you off.

Also tried mixing the raw egg in my rice with a little soya sauce, typical of a Japanese breakfast. Not really my cup of tea, although I did finish the entire bowl!

On the other hand, my wife was not too keen on this and left the fish, egg and natto largely untouched.

While doing the round course yesterday, we were disappointed at not being able to see Mount Fuji as it was cloudy the entire day. It is with this in mind that I decided to take the cable car across to Togendai to see if we can view Mount Fuji.

And we hit the jackpot. When the cable car ascended to the top of hill and Mount Fuji came into sight, the entire occupants of the cable car exclaim at the sight and cameras were out in force including yours truly. The view was simply magnificent.

If you look carefully you can even see smoke from the ground as we were nearing Owakudani.

At Togendai, we took a bus to Gotemba Premium Outlet. The bus journey there was rather scenic with scenes of autumn foliage and Mount Fuji punctuating the twist and turns.

By the time we reached Gotemba Premium Outlet, Mount Fuji, although visible was partially covered with clouds. By that time, we had other pressing issues, namely our stomachs to consider.

Can't remember crepe we took here, it could possibly be cheesecake with banana and chocolate. The crepe was alright but not as good as the ones in Harajuku.

Steak Set 1050Yen   Rating: 4/5

Salad   Rating: 3/5

Still feeling famished, we stopped by the Food Bazzar and ordered a steak from Steak Mountain. Costing 1050Yen. Surprisingly it was really very good, it's really value for money. The Japanese like their rice and it's no surprise that you get rice with the steak. We rounded off the meal with a salad from another stall.

Gotemba Premium Outlet although rather far from civilization was rather crowded. Guess the Japanese people really like to shop for branded goods. If you are into branded goods, then this place is definitely worth a visit. From here, we proceeded to take a bus to Shinjuku.

At Shinjuku, we decided to cover one of the places we missed going on the 1st day due to rain, the Tokyo Government Metropolitian Building. After getting our bearings, we started walking and on the way, we passed by Cocoon Tower. Loved this building with it's symmetrical lines and all.

Tokyo Government Metropolitan Tower consists of 2 towers and the access to the view deck at the top is free. Who does not like free?

We had to queue for the elevator to the 45 floor. Apparently one of the lifts is under maintenance and this has resulted in a longer than usual queue. However the queue moved pretty quick and in no time at all, we were at the top.

Some of the pictures taken at the observatory deck. Overall, the view was just ok, not spectacular.

We passed by a Pachinko and Slot saloon. Japan is famous for their Pachinko and it's a giddily affair of lights and balls reminiscent of days gone by.

Night view of Ameyoko Market. This place is crowded with people and there were plenty of restaurants around.

Tonight for dinner, we visited Tenya

Soba and Tendon Set 780Yen   Rating: 4/5

Seafood Soba Set 750Yen   Rating: 4/5

Tenya is well known in Japan for serving low cost delicious food. It was so good that we returned for another meal.

A fruit store in Ameyoko Market.

Got our desserts from this stall

Red Bean Taiyaki 150Yen   Rating: 4/5

Fried Crispy Red Bean Bun 100Yen   Rating: 4.5/5

Taiyaki and fried red bean crispy bun. Both were fantastic and the red bean bun was just out of this world, especially when it's been just out of the oil. Really recommended. Wish I have tried some of their other desserts. Unfortunately, we ran out of space in our stomachs!