Chasing Sakura Day 3 - Sensoji Temple / Nakamise-dori

Assalamualaikum. Konnichiwa.

Destinasi hari ketiga adalah sekitar Tokyo. It's impossible lah kan untuk cover the whole Tokyo in a day. So kita buat mana yang termampu dek kaki & selama mana masa mengizinkan. Ndak mau rakus sangat; semua tempat mau diterjah. In the end, satu hapa pun ndak enjoy. Rushing adalah tiring. Jalan santai², kan kunun misi adalah chasing sakura. 

Sometimes the concept of "been there, done that" needs to be put aside. Well, for me that is. Tapi tipulah kan kalau aku ndak pernah adhere to that concept. Especially when time is so limited for me to explore & observe. As I said, ada masa perlu abaikan juga konsep tu. Hayati apa yang ada depan mata. 

Back to story about my trip. This time akan try to minimize penceritaan panjang lebar. Suddenly penyakit M-to-scribble came visiting. Aku story-telling based on pictures jak lah kunun. Sila percaya aku ndak kan menceceh benda ndak penting. 

6 April 2014

Sakura Asakusa Hostel, Tokyo

Day 3. Breakfast. Paling best dapat melepas rindu sama cheese cake Ms H. Berbulan ku rindukan! As usual, ada breakfast orang lain mensebok. Kena cakap, nanti orang ingat aku mentekedarah awal pagi. Motif mengelak.

After breakfast, while tunggu yang lain siap aku berjalan pi Lawson. 3 minutes from the hostel jak. Untuk kirim postcard kununnya. Stamp boleh beli terus dari sana. And postbox pun ada diorang sediakan depan kaunter. Senang kerja aku. 

Postbox comel. We found this in front of the Hanayashiki Amusement Park. A children theme park opposite the hostel we stayed at. Tapi sebab masa tu still awal. theme park belum buka. Tengok entrance berpagar jaklah.

Smoking is strictly prohibited in the temple area. Hence they provides one smoking spot just outside the temple. Sila lepaskan segala asap anda di sini. 

Sensoji Temple, Tokyo

Alhamdulillah weather adalah sangat bekerjasama haritu. Bright sunny day. Tapi ada masa angin tetap sejuk menampar pipi. 

Melayan blues sendiri. Suddenly mood mau buat pose breakaway muncul membuak. So buat deal sama Ms P. 
"Kau amik gambar aku posing poyo, aku amik gambar ko poyo gak. Pastu muntah bersama²."

Selalu nampak orang pigi sini mesti upload this colourful bananas. Hence aku pun mau juga. Masa ni ada someone yang sembelit gila & memang pasang misi cari pisang. Sekali nampak pisang ni, terus cancel misi. Takut sembelit naik level paling bentingal a.k.a degil pula. Mau tanya either Makcik tu jual pisang semata, macam segan. Ended up, snap gambar jak lah. Quite creative a way of selling banana I shall say. Benda comel macam ni serah jak sama dorang. Memang jadi jak kalau dorang.

Sensoji Temple's main hall. 

"Built nearby the Sumida River for the goddess of Mercy; Kannon. It was completed in 645 making it the oldest temple in Tokyo."

The place was already crowded with so many people when we arrived. It was Sunday for God sake Bie. Haruslah ramai orang. Ada yang datang untuk sembahyang & ada datang melawat.  

Hozo-mon (Treasure-House Gate). The inner of two large entrances of the temple. History has it that this gate was built by a military commander whose prayer to become the Lord of Musashi province (now Tokyo) was fulfilled. 

Exiting the gate, we finally arrived at this infamous street. Senyum lebar ahli lain. Masa melabur Yen untuk souvenir & whatnots.

Nakamise-dori, Tokyo

Beautifully blooming sakura lining one side of the street. Sumpah cantik kelopak² sakura tu berterbangan bila ditiup angin ah.

Can't get enough of this view.

Jalan cuci mata. Despite the ocean of people, we managed to stopped by at few of the shops. To see the method of producing Japanese snacks. Rupa macam kuih baulu pun ada.

So many snacks to choose. Boleh buat souvenir as well. But macam biasalah, price ain't cheap. Bertabah beli, dalam hati remind diri banyak kali "Choose, pay & walk away. Never convert the currency."

Tapi haruslah kepala ndak cooperate sama hati. Tetaplah laju aktiviti mengira dalam kepala. Nasiblah bukan selalu datang, jadi pejam mata jak bila membayar. 

Range of goods sold at the shops along the street. Kalau ada barang untuk meow kan best. Boleh shopping rare stuffs for the children at home. 

Banyak benda boleh pilih untuk jadi souvenir. Tinggal mau beli or ndak jak. And cukup duit ka ndak. Sob. I bought few fridge magnets here. Harga sini lebih kurang jak semua. Ahli lain memborong shot glass/fridge magnet/key chain at this one shop right behind Kaminarimon Gate. Diorang lah yang gigih buat price comparison at every shops they stopped by. So when they told me "Sini murah" I immediately took things I've planned to buy...bayar...and terus keluar dari kedai. Malas aku bersesak dalam tu. Pun satu cara untuk avoid aku dari menambah belian. 

While tunggu yang lain invest duit, aku cuci mata tengok orang berlimpasan. Luckily they didn't spent much time at the shop. So aku pun ndak lah tunggu lama. 

The big lantern at Kaminarimon (Thunder Gate). Outer gate of Sensoji Temple; also symbol of Asakusa. 

A dragon etched under the lantern.

A construction is currently undergoing near the gate. Jadinya aku malas mau snap full picture of the famous gate. Instead the sign at the construction site caught my attention. Comel!

Next destination is to meet the loyal dog in Shibuya. Apart from the world's famous crossing; main reason I so wanted to go there is because of that dog. Statue pun statue lah. 

Airmata duyung mengalir non stop ok masa tengok cerita tu. Ntah berapa kali aku ulang tengok, tetaplah emo level eterniti. Pasal tu gigih mau juga jumpa anjing setia tu. Dapat statue pun jadi.

Next destination punya cerita aku continue entry lain. Pictures below taken malam tu. Saja mau tunjuk macamana rupa Nakamise & Sensoji di kala malam. Sunyi sepi. Time ni mau berphotoshoot-ing pun best. Confirm ndak da photobomb.

Laluan kami every night selama bermalam di Tokyo.

Erk ada juga lah yang sempat enter frame di belakang tu kan...

Lawa lanterns ni di kala malam. Aku ada snap gambar waktu siang tapi hmmm hasil ke laut. So ndak payah lah tempek sini.

Same case with the lanterns. Gambar waktu siang adalah ke laut. Inilah five-tiered pagoda yang famous di Asakusa. 

Last shot before masuk kamera dalam beg...sumbat tangan dalam poket jaket...and jalan super laju balik hostel. 

Apahal ntah angin malam sungguh rajin menampar muka aku. Ndak dapat cuci mata tengok surrounding tau. View kiri kanan on the way pigi hostel tu sikit punya klasik. Lawa. Time malam lagi feeling² macam balik zaman Edo tau. Erm, bila masa pula kan pernah hidup zaman tu sampai boleh tau the feeling. 

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