Surprising the bestie.

A few weeks ago I managed to pull off the best surprise to date. Haruka and I are somewhat used to being apart now, and it’s become easier with time now that we don’t live together, but the fact we’d potentially miss each other in passing this winter was something that I wasn’t going to let happen. For months prior I was scheming with Haruka’s mum, keeping up to date with her plans to return to Japan, all whilst telling Haruka I was “too busy with work” to come and see her. Yeah, right.

My plan played out perfectly. I skyped her like usual so she wouldn’t be suspicious, almost put my foot in it a few times, and gave her ridiculous hints that she didn’t catch on to on the day.

She was clueless, so after bailing from work after 3^rd period, I made it to Kawasaki by 6pm, just in time to knock on the door and leave her in a state of shock before dinner.

Once she’d gotten over the shock (honestly it took until the next morning) it was so nice to fall into our old patterns and spend some time with my second family, the Hattori’s, too. We visited a few new places together during my weekend, so here’s my run down on the places to go.

Alfred Tea Room

“Tea, yes. You, maybe”. With a motto like that, who could resist? This is a definite must-go for tea lovers. Hailing from L.A, there are two shops now located in Tokyo. The one we visited, close to Shinjuku station, gave us some tranquil respite from the craziness of the area.

There’s a variety of milk teas and matcha, things I adore equally, and Haruka will agree it was one of the best we’ve ever had. The matcha was bitter enough, the chai not too sweet and bursting with cinnamon. You can also order from the “fancy pink tea list” if you’d rather have something a little more refined or exotic. 

The store itself fitted right in to my girly pink aesthetic so all in all, Alfred Tea, like is written throughout your stores… “I love you so matcha”.

Cookie Time Harajuku

Mainly for novelty and the smell of baked goods. Right across from Harajuku station, this is somewhere you should visit if your sweet cravings are relentless but you’d rather not wait with hordes of people for some crepes or candy floss. 

Although I didn’t try it myself, there are varieties of milk on tap for you to enjoy with your cookies, along with the most ridiculous milkshakes.  

  

Yomiuriland

Haruka and I somehow always end up at random date locations together, and this visit wasn’t any different. We wanted to find somewhere to look at all the beautiful winter illuminations and instead of heading into Tokyo itself, we settled on a theme park not too far from where she lives. 

 The illuminations were more than I expected, with so many themed areas, constant light shows, illuminated tunnels and a variety of theme park rides and food stalls to add to the atmosphere. The after 4pm pass is also super cheap, so I would totally recommend this place to anyone looking for somewhere in the Tokyo/Yokohama area to see some beautiful illuminations in the winter time.

Golden Week in Busan!

During Golden Week (a time in Japan were three public holidays are back to back, and everywhere in Japan is bedlam) Kohei and I decided to take a trip to Busan, a first for the both of us.

The evening we arrived was spent wandering around the Jagalchi and Nampo area, famous for its bustling markets and street food. BIFF Square and Gukje Market had such a similar feel to Myeongdong in Seoul that it was easy to forget where we were. 

I’ve been craving strawberry daifuku in Japan for weeks now, but the season has already past, so I was utterly delighted to see a stall selling the same red bean and strawberry filled mochi balls. We also tried something that can only be described as a soft, sweet, egg-y bread with bacon. So wrong, but so right. The next day we also ate “Quattro-cheese topokki” which was practically life changing.

Brown Hands Café

Somewhere I’d stumbled across while stalking cute locations on Instagram, this café is hidden in the back streets near Busan station amongst some random nightclubs.  It’s located inside an old converted hospital, providing one of the most hipster settings to a café I’ve ever been to. Coffee (and more importantly the banana smoothie I had) were good too.

Centum City

Deemed the largest department store in the world, we had to take a visit to Shinsegae in Centum City. The food court is an experience in itself, and the abundance of every type of Korean and some Western foods will have your head on a swivel. Nearby is Café the Box, another quirky little joint overlooking the river with cardboard leaves on the walls and a chocolate block ceiling.

Another café we visited was The Pancake Epidemic in Haeundae. Although the pancakes were magical judging by Instagram, they were sold out by the time we arrived. The store itself is pretty cool, overlooking the beach and is also connected to a pretty cool clothing store which is worth a visit. I even bought a hat.  

Gamcheon Culture Village is a must-visit when in Busan. What is commonly referred to as “Korea’s Santorini” is a favela like area, given an update and is now one of the most quirky areas I’ve ever been to. Art installations are everywhere, hidden along tiny paths in backstreets, or brazenly painted on any surface in view. I didn’t truly appreciate the abundance of colours until looking at the pictures afterwards. I’d love to go back and explore when it’s less crowded and get a change to fully delve into hidden gems I’m sure exist. However, if you’re not a fan of creepy birds with human heads perched on buildings because it’s “artsy”, this place may not be for you.

That night we headed to Gwangalli Beach just after sunset and spent the evening wandering along the beach, drinking beer and soju, and watching the infamous lights adorning Gwangan Beach in the distance. Although we went to Haeundae Beach the next day, there’s something a little more special about Gwangalli as there are less tourists flooding the place. Even better, you can sit, watch the lights on the bridge, hear the waves and see people setting off fireworks.

 While I’ve been to Seoul three times and will inevitably always have a return trip planned, Busan was a completely different experience, but also so similar. I missed the famous lantern festival by a few days, and also never got to do some of the beautiful coastal walks because of the weather… Let’s be honest though, like I need more of an excuse to return; the Korean BBQ alone does it for me.

 I’m proud to say that Kohei and I didn’t want to kill each other either! It won’t be long Busan, and maybe I’ll squeeze in a trip to Jeju too. Although I do need a Korean skin care intervention, it’s getting out of hand.