ST in Sakura Land

Follow my adventures in the land of Cherry Blossoms while I connect with the Japanese culture and landscape! As much as this serves as a log of my cherished memories, I hope that it can inspire your own trip to Japan too :)

[insakuraland]

🌸 Sakura-viewing tips: Enjoying and finding cherry blossoms in Japan

I love 🌸

And I’d like to share this love by helping you to make the best of your trip to Japan in the most splendid season! Having been around for the entire month of April twice, and after planning the most recent sakura-intensive trip, here are my takeaways:

Book early and smart! 

Flight and accommodation prices can surge quite high as it is peak season--check prices out early and lock in a good price during sales

Know your priorities

Decide on which region you want to go to (what else do you want apart from cherry blossoms?), then find that area’s go-to spots OR Decide on spot(s) you definitely want on your itinerary, then plan your trip in the surrounding region(s)

Get inspiration for hanami spots

Travel websites Every website has a different style--Google and browse to find your favourite! Here are some of the ones I use myself: Japan-guide.com - systematic and informative, they have write-ups, forecasts and also report on blooming status in the various regions’ viewing spots every year retrip.jp (Japanese only) - make friends with Google Translate (if you don’t read Japanese), and this site will update you on where the locals are going :)

Instagram Accounts like @hanamap will not only decorate your feed with beautiful blooms, but also serve you bite-sized, real-time updates on what’s in season--it takes a bit of scrolling but check for posts from the previous year’s season to see what you like!

Make sure you mark down a couple more backup spots apart from those you have pinned to your itinerary (further explanation below)

Stay updated, just in case!

Once you’ve decided where you’d like to visit, search for an official website and follow #hashtags of the place (preferably the Japanese name of the place, which the locals will be using)--checking latest posts will allow you to know if the flowers are still in bloom around the time you arrive

Be flexible with your itinerary

If their petals have mostly fallen and you decide it’s not worth going to your 1st choice spots anymore, don’t be afraid to give the backup alternatives a try! You may be pleasantly surprised :)

Wrap up warm/get a hot drink

The spring breeze can be pretty chilly, especially if you’re sitting down for a picnic in a shaded area/on a cloudy day

Go early, avoid weekends

Especially for the most popular spots, you don’t want to be squeezing with the Japanese themselves who also want to enjoy their weekends out

Be patient and considerate :)

In most places, you’ll be able to get a nice photo if you just wait a bit for your turn

Avoid blocking pathways, using tripods in crowded areas and staying in one spot for too long--you’re not the only one who wants to get nice photos!

Catch a falling petal 🌸

It’s said that your wish will come true/you’ll meet your love if you catch a falling sakura petal (some say 3)--nope, don’t pick them off the ground!

It’s really difficult, I’ve tried

They seem more likely to land on hair and in teacups while you picnic, but attempting to catch them is part of the fun!

Trivia: apparently sakura petals fall at a speed of 5cm/s

I hope the above tips will come in handy for your own sakura-viewing! Let me know in the comments page if you have any of your own, and I’ll keep updating this list if I think of anything else too :)

[insakuraland]

🗻 West Lake and Lake Kawaguchi

I was back at Kawaguchi-ko (河口湖) a second time! Yes, it was so good the first time round, I decided I had to share and even go back again.

西湖いやしの里根場 Saiko Open-air Museum

This time round, we took the green line on the sightseeing bus (more info below) towards Sai-ko (aka West Lake) where we spent half a day. The ride took some time, but it got us away from the crowd in the more popular Kawaguchi-ko area and also gave us a view of Mt. Fuji from yet a different angle!

We enjoyed the walk around Saiko Iyashi no Sato (西湖癒やしの里), learning about traditional crafts and the lifestyle of people who used to live in the thatched huts with Mt. Fuji 🗻 in the background.

Hidden Hanami spot: 北口本宮冨士浅間神社 Kitaguchi Hongu Fujisengen Shrine

On our way back to the ryokan, we made an impromptu decision to drop by the Kitaguchi Hongu Fujisengen-jinja (北口本宮冨士浅間神社) as there was a 🌸 mark on the bus map. It proved to be a wise decision because we were greeted by a small, tranquil forest and a quiet, cherry blossom-lined path:

Turns out, this shrine has been around for more than 1900 years and is the traditional starting point to hike Mt. Fuji from the north--some people still come to pray and cleanse themselves before commencing their pilgrimage up the sacred mountain. The place is very spiritual and serene indeed.

Convenient and Scenic Ryokan 若草の宿 丸栄 Maruei

Last time, I only did a day trip since I was alone. This time round, I thoroughly enjoyed staying at Wakakusa no Yado Maruei (若草の宿 丸栄)! There are so many plus points to this place:

The bus stops right at their doorstep

Meals were sumptuous (our stay included half board)

Rooms were clean and not too cramped

The room rates didn’t burn too big a hole in my pocket

Most importantly, views from the room, onsen and rooftop viewing deck were to die for

The only con I could think of? The hotel being on the south side and sandwiched in between meant you couldn’t get Mt. Fuji and the lake together in one frame for pictures. But! You can always head to the north side of the lake for those photos while you do your sightseeing, can’t you? ;)

↑↑ THIS! The 360 degrees panoramic view at the rooftop was absolutely worth the hike up the small flight of narrow stairs. Being slightly taller than the other buildings in the area, we had breathtaking, unobstructed views of Kawaguchi-ko and Mt. Fuji on either side. Weather that day was fine and Mt. Fuji gladly showed off its ‘snowy makeup’ (the affectionate Japanese term for a snowcapped mountain).

The hotel has an indoor hot spring bath, and 2 outdoor ones which are switched around during the day so that male and female guests can have an opportunity to use both. If my memory doesn’t fail me, ladies have the one facing the lake in the evening and the one facing Mt. Fuji in the morning. Soaking in the warm bath while admiring the view of that snowy peak had to be one of the most therapeutic experiences on the trip.

For the rest of our stay at Kawaguchi-ko, we retraced my steps from last year with an additional dose of Houtou noodles at Houtou Fudou. Houtou is Yamanashi Prefecture’s local noodle dish that’s often said to resemble Udon, but it is, in fact, much more solid and served as a hearty miso broth with lots of vegetables. I was too eager to dig in and didn’t get a nice photo, but check out this appetising photo from the restaurant’s website below. Hot soup on a cold Spring day--comfort food!

Credit: http://www.houtou-fudou.jp/english.html

And we will be back...again! I’m really convinced Kawaguchi-ko is a great place to be, and as a joke(?), mum and I said that we could get a holiday home here ^^ We’ll see!

Fujikyuko Sightseeing Bus Fare: ￥1500 (adult), ￥750 (student) Notes:

Covers 4 out of the 5 lakes: Kawaguchiko, Saiko, Shojiko and Motosuko

Excludes Yamanaka-ko

Check out this section for accomodations along the sightseeing bus lines

Wakakusa no Yado MARUEI Access: Fujikyoko Saiko Sightseeing Bus (green line) stops right outside Location: Google Maps

Kitaguchi Hongu Fuji Sengen-jinja Access: Fujikyoko Saiko Sightseeing Bus (green line) stops right outside Location: Google Maps

Houtou Fudou Location: 4 branches, 2 of which are more convenient for travellers

North of Kawaguchiko

In front of the train station

[insakuraland]

🌸 Sakura-viewing in Kyoto (pt. 2!)

There were so many places I wanted to visit in Kyoto...but some like the famous Maruyama Park’s weeping cherry were already past full bloom when we arrived. Instead, we decided to seek out alternative spots and were not disappointed!

京都御苑 Kyoto Imperial Garden

I’m not sure why there weren’t more people...but I’m glad it wasn’t crowded so we could enjoy the peaceful atmosphere. Kyōto Gyoen (京都御苑), home to the imperial family before the capital was shifted to Tokyo, is an expansive park free for all to visit, and it boasts several majestic cherry trees of different varieties. Just look at that elegant weeping cherry (above) raining sakura petals from its branches! My parents and I spent a good hour roaming the grounds and admiring this particular tree from a nearby bench.

Situated near Nijō Castle and the Higashiyama area, it is easily accessible and also features other sights (plums, camellias, maple...) all year round. There is a useful English map with all the different types of flora and fauna marked out so you can plan your route!

Night sakura-viewing at 高台寺 Kōdaiji

I have seen yo-zakura (literally ‘night cherry blossoms’) before, but Kyoto sets a really different tone with its traditional architecture and beautifully manicured zen gardens. 

We picked Kōdai-ji (高台寺) for the night and were enthralled--trees all around were illuminated in magical shades of gold and emerald, while the lone weeping cherry (bottom left above) was lit up intermittently during a projection show that combined modern lighting effects with the traditional zen garden. We came for the sakura, but were also greeted by other landscapes such as the beautiful bamboo grove (bottom right above) as well as a pond reflecting maple and other trees in its surroundings.

I would definitely love to visit again in the day, and also for the autumn colours too! 🍁

Kyōto Gyoen Access: Marutamachi Station Location: Google Maps Notes: Park map here

Kōdai-ji Access: car/taxi or 15mins walk from Gion-Shijō Station Location: Google Maps Admission: ￥600 (adults), ￥250 (students) Notes: Information about the Spring and Autumn illuminations here

[insakuraland]

🌸 Sakura-viewing in Kyoto (pt. 1!)

Yes! I was back in Sakura Land 🌸 This time with my parents, as a celebration of their wedding anniversary :) The flowers bloomed early this year and we were lucky to catch them in full glory when we arrived in Kyoto on 2 April, but by the time we travelled up to Tokyo for the 2nd half of our 2-week trip, the petals had fallen with fresh greens starting to sprout. Stayed tuned, though, for my tips on sakura-chasing to make your own trip a fruitful one ;)

「桜の楽園」原谷苑 Haradani-en

Our 1st stop--Haradani-en. I chanced upon dreamy pictures of this place on Instagram while I was doing up our itinerary, and decided that we had to go check it out for ourselves. It’s nicknamed a “Sakura Paradise”, and rightfully so:

Even without the bokeh and glowy effects on Insta, this was literally a cherry blossom-filled ‘secret garden’ kind of place. The atmosphere was magical ❀

At full bloom, the many weeping cherry blossom (枝垂れ桜) trees painted the background a beautiful shade of pink, while the other colours of spring coloured the foreground. There were seats scattered around the garden, and an area near a food stall (bottom left above) saw many visitors gathering for bento lunches. You could even reserve a special in-house bento lunch for dining in a hut in the garden (top).

Being a private garden slightly out of town, it was not extremely crowded and visitors looked to be mainly Japanese with the occasional few foreigners like us, who came in search of this gem during the limited period it was open to the public. I loved that you could easily take photos without anybody in the scene, at least before lunch time--not sure about the crowd in the afternoon, though.

Haradani-en was hands down my favourite part of the trip and I highly recommend it to anyone, even though it might not be the most convenient to get to. You have to see this before the rest of the tourist population discovers it!

Lunch and Philosopher’s Path

We took a taxi to the Nanzen-ji (南禅寺) area for lunch. As we weren’t foodies, we just walked in to a restaurant along the road that looked nice, and ended up at Yachiyo (八千代) which served the tofu cuisine (湯豆腐) that the area was known for. The restaurant happens to be part of a Ryokan if you fancy staying there!

We had an alfresco seat outdoors next to the restaurant’s Japanese garden since the weather was fine, and ordered their tofu set meals that came with tempura vegetables and other small side dishes. We were served a large pot of boiled silken tofu for sharing, and each ate the tofu with seasonings/toppings according to our own preferences. As you can see, I was really greedy and had mine with soy sauce, bonito flakes, seaweed and spring onions...basically the full package (minus wasabi), haha :D

After lunch, we took a stroll along the famous Philosopher’s Path. At a leisurely pace which allowed us to take lots of photos, we finished the walk in about half an hour. Along the way, we were joined by a lot more tourist (as compared to Haradani-en) who were also there to admire the picturesque cherry blossom-lined path.

Kyoto’s Philosopher’s Path actually reminds me of Tokyo’s Meguro River, albeit a tad less crowded and featuring more greenery (as seen above). Both have their own charms and it’s worth visiting both if you get the chance!

Haradani-en

Access: by car or taxi Location: Google Maps Notes:

Admission fees and dates the garden is open to the public varies--please check the website (Japanese only) or Google for English information around Spring

Tripods, pets, food from outside, wedding photoshoots are prohibited

Yachiyo Location: Google Maps

Philosopher’s Path Access: by car or taxi Location: 

You can choose to start from the southern end near Kumano Nyakuōji-jinja (熊野若王子神社) or the north side near Higashiyama Jisho-ji (東山慈照寺)

Notes: 

Budget at least 20 minutes for the walk (more if you walk slow or would like to stop for photos/coffee at the cafes along the way)

[insakuraland]

Ocean-view Hot Spring in Izu 🌊♨️

For the second part of my last weekend in Tokyo, I took an early morning train down to the Izu Peninsula 伊豆半島. Views of the glistening sea stretching into the horizon greeted me along the Izukyu Line that ran along the east side of the peninsula. The weather was warm and sunny--the sign of a perfect day ahead!

After changing to a local bus from Izu-Kogen Station, my first stop was Jōgasaki Coast 城ヶ崎海岸. The scenic trail along the rugged cliffs (formed by a volcanic eruption of nearby Mt. Omuro about 4000 years ago) was a perfect morning stroll--it was not too crowded, with most hikers I met being locals; the hike was not strenuous; and it boasted views of the Pacific Ocean all the way. The volcanic terrain also made for an interesting array of florals/plants--think cacti and dramatic pines reaching out towards the sea breeze (bottom left below).

The sea was a beautiful shade of aquamarine (or 浅葱色 as they say in Japanese!), and the water was so clear, you could see the sea bed. The icon of the trail, where many visitors were gathered, was Kadowaki Suspension Bridge (top right above) which contrasted against the blue sea and greenery.

My next stop (after a quick lunch) was DHC Akazawa Onsen Hotel 赤沢温泉郷, where the vista and hot springs melted away my aches from the previous day’s climb. The Izu peninsula boasts several famous onsen towns due to the presence of volcanoes in the region. This time round, I chose this particular hot spring hotel over others (such as those in Atami 熱海) because of the images I saw:

Above 2 images from the hotel’s official webpage (since we’re not allowed to take photos!)

All the baths overlooked the expansive Pacific Ocean and some of the indoor hot springs are also said to have incorporated skincare elements by the Japanese beauty brand, DHC--therapy for the body and a feast for the eyes! I’m pretty sure this is a popular one with the ladies :) Much as I would have loved to stay overnight, I was only able make a day trip to this relaxing onsen spot by the sea. 

I must say, one day in Izu was definitely not enough! The peninsula offers much more to be explored than just the 2 spots on the east coast mentioned here (e.g. Mt. Omuro, Atami and much more on the west coast). I will definitely be back for more dips in the region’s renowned hot springs, and perhaps catch a view of Mt. Fuji from the west coast on a hyper clear day :)

Jōgasaki Coast Location: Google Maps Access: 

10mins by bus from Izu Kogen Station (check bus schedule here, under the column “海洋公園”)

OR 20~30mins walk from Joōgasaki Kaigan Station

OR park at this carpark near the suspension bridge

DHC Akazawa Onsen Hotel 赤沢温泉郷 Location: Google Maps Access: free shuttle bus from Izu Kogen Station (schedule is available on this Japanese-only page--try Google translate!) Notes:

Day-admission at ￥1550 (off-peak) / ￥1900 (peak) per adult;  ￥850 (off-peak) / ￥1000 (peak) for children up to primary school;  Free for children up to 3

If you prefer some privacy, you can also rent private baths with in a room for up to 6 pax: ￥2700 on top of the day-admission fee

[insakuraland]

Negative ion therapy ⛰🌿 on Mt. Takao

On the last weekend of my 2-months long training in Tokyo, I decided to dedicate my time to exploring the mountains and seas in two parts--literally 上山下海！

For the first part on Saturday, I settled on Takao-san 高尾山, the most accessible from Tokyo and not too challenging for the exercise-deficient me ^_^;;

I arrived at Takaosanguchi Station on the Keio Line, and really liked the wooden, refurbished look of the station building--the natural wood colours really fit in well with its surroundings. There are also souvenir shops and a hot spring bath for people who’d like to soothe their aching feet with a hot soak after the trek.

マイナスイオンたっぷり！

Of all the trails available (I’ll link info to all below!), I took the slightly challenging Biwa Waterfall Trail 6 (I know, I said I chose Takao-san because it’s not too challenging...but being the contradictory person I am, I still wanted something more than the easiest way up :P). 

I wouldn’t recommend this route for those who prefer/require an easy walk. The beginning was alright--gravel paths and clear routes, and there was also a school of children with their teachers in front of me (top left below). Later on, though, you’d have to trek up a rocky stream (top right) and the paths were covered in tree roots and etc. Some parts of the trail are only narrow enough for one-way traffic, and some rocky areas are also covered in slippery moss. i.e. it’s pretty rough and dangerous for those who don’t have strong knees and the right shoes.

However, as this trail runs along water and is shaded by lush greenery, you can soak yourselves completely in the therapeutic “minus ions” (aka negative ions) that the Japanese locals love. Apparently, negative ions are great for our body (if you Google, there are lots of related articles)! This route basically boasts plenty of fresh air, shade from the sun which allows it to be cool even in summer, and you’ll also see Biwa Waterfall 琵琶滝 and a small shrine along the way. There aren’t too many people who take this one so you can have a tranquil, intimate time interacting with your surroundings. It was also pretty fun going up the stream ^_^

For those with the elderly and young children in tow, or just want to save energy/time, take Trail 1 which I took on the way down. You can replace part of the walking with a cable car/chair lift ride, which makes it easy for people who would otherwise have difficulty ascending all the way to the top on foot. It also goes past several of Mt Takao’s main attractions, such as Yakuo-in 薬王院 temple (bottom left). However, do note that you’ll have the company of many other people since it is the easiest and main route. 

This was the view at the (very crowded) peak on that day:

I was mesmerised by the layers of mountains in the distance--looks almost like a traditional ink painting. It’s said that you could see Mt. Fuji from here on a super clear day.

The observatory area is pretty exposed and hot around noon and the crowd was trying their best to squeeze into the shaded areas. Around the summit, there were eateries where you could have a taste of Mt. Takao’s local delicacies such as Tororo noodles (soba with fluffy, grated chinese yam paste) and Tengu-yaki 天狗焼 (similar to Tai-yaki; instead of red, it is filled with black bean paste).

I packed some rice balls and my own bottle of cold milk tea for a mini picnic, and managed to squeeze into a spot under a tree since I was alone (perks of a single traveller! :P).

Overall, it was an energising trip up the mountain, and I can see why it attracts its visitors--its close proximity to central Tokyo and relatively easy height with a variety of different routes make it a great destination for people who want to escape the city for nature on a day trip. I heard it’s also a great place to view autumn leaves, and is even more crowded around November.

Having conquered this one, I’ve gained a little bit more confidence to go up another mountain next time I’m in Japan. Thanks Takao-san! :)

Mt. Takao Location: Google Maps Access: Takaosanguchi Station (Keio Line) Hiking trail info: Takao 599 Museum

[insakuraland]

‘Healing’ café 🌿☕️🌹 Aoyama Flower Market Tea House

I met a close friend one late night after work to catch up before leaving Tokyo, and the green interior of the place was relaxing, 唯美，癒される。

Aoyama Flower Market Tea House (Akasaka branch)

Café hoppers would be familiar with the famous Aoyama Flower Market Tea House--search for “cafés in Tokyo” and you will probably find this name in those “top ten” lists. However, instead of visiting the original in Minami-Aoyama near Omotesando (see reviews by one of the top Singapore travel/food blogs here), my friend brought me to the branch in Akasaka. Slightly different layout, but the same feel~

It’s the perfect place to unwind after a day’s work; to catch up over some heart to heart talk; to have a romantic date at night. (•‾⌣‾•) I imagine a very different, energising atmosphere when the natural light filters in in the day. No matter day or night, I’m pretty sure the abundant greenery will soothe every visitor’s soul and eyes. For those on a date, why not grab some fresh flowers in the adjoining florist? ;)

We had 2 different flavours of the french toast (around ￥1000 if I didn’t remember wrongly), which were crispy on the outside, sweet and fluffy on the inside. Nothing fancy about the flavours, but no matter the berry flavoured one or the banana and chocolate flavoured one, they were satisfying in portion and taste!

I must say, the food didn’t have a super impression on me, not because they weren’t nice, but because I was too carried away admiring the interior and also by our conversation ⭐️ Please do check out other food blogs that will do the food justice haha.

Would I revisit? YES. Maybe in the day. Maybe the other branches. ^_^

Aoyama Flower Market Tea House (Akasaka Biz Tower store) Address: Akasaka Biz Tower 1F, 5-3-1 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo Location: Google Maps Access: Akasaka Station Opening hours: 11am~11pm (great for late night dates!) Other branch information: here

[insakuraland]

Cakes aplenty! 🍰

I. Love. Dessert.

And, from the bottom of my heart, I believe the Japanese make some of the BEST sweet treats. They’re not just plain sweet--they’re usually fragrant, delicate, exquisite, visually appealing...♡

Not only the traditional Japanese sweets, but also the ‘Western’-style cakes and other types of 洋菓子 (think Macarons, pastries and etc.).

I spent my 2nd last weekend polishing off the plates of some places I’ve been dying to visit even before the start of my training period in Tokyo. These ones fall into the Western side of the dessert category and, arguably, some people might not even consider 2 of the brands ‘Japanese’. Nonetheless, I definitely recommend these as must-tries for visitors to Tokyo with a sweet tooth :D

1) pâtisserie Sadaharu AOKI paris

You’re evidently not a big enough fan of Japanese sweet treats if you don’t know of this brand--Aoki-san opened the first instalment of his brand in Paris in 1998 and made waves for combining Japanese flavours (think Matcha, Black Sesame, Red Bean Paste, Yuzu...) into French desserts. His cakes are refined and macarons are crisp and fragrant.

I managed to avoid the queue as I was there in the early afternoon before people had digested their lunch and were ready for tea :P Being a strong believer of Matcha and Azuki (red bean) being a match made in heaven, I had the Matcha-Azuki cake--it didn’t disappoint ^_^

The delicate balance of flavours and texture was captivating! With layers of fragrant Matcha mousse, sweet red bean paste, chocolate, and hazelnut crunch...every bite was a delight. It was a pity I didn’t have enough stomach to get another flavour to try...definitely pulling family/friends here next time so I can savour more items off the menu.

See this page here for a write-up by one of the Singaporean food blogs that I frequent!

At the moment, he has 4 branches in Tokyo and I visited the one near Yūrakuchō Station.

boutique Marunouchi Address: Shinkokusai BLD 1F, 3-4-1 Marunouchi,chiyoda-ku Tokyo Access: Yūrakuchō Station Location: Google Maps Opening hours: 11am~8pm

2) Asterisque

Strawberry Shortcake--the staple among Japanese cakes. Light, fluffy fresh cream and sponge layers with the best Japanese strawberries (you know how expensive they can be outside of Japan right?).

Honestly, I was hoping to go on a Strawberry Shortcake hunt and even marked out the places I wanted to visit on Google Maps based on the research I did on Japanese food review websites, blogs and online magazines. However, time only allowed for this one, and I’m glad it was a great choice!

This unassuming shop near Yoyogi-Uehara Station is probably off the radar for most tourists. There are only 2-3? tables in the shop for eat-in, but queues form with the locals coming in to get takeaways. There was a nice variety of cakes, all of which looked endearing, and some packaged cookies, chocolates and such available. The patissiers working in the kitchen window were busy decorating the Mothers’ Day cakes, and were really nice to turn the finished product towards me so I could get a photo :D.

Obviously, I had the Gateaux Aux Fraise (“Strawberry cake” in French, ￥450). It was everything I described about Japanese Strawberry Shortcakes earlier! The sponge was light and just moist enough (I’ve tried many where the sponge failed the entire cake by being too dry), and the strawberries used were a great balance of sweetness and tartness. As for the cream, I haven’t really been able to fault any cream I’ve tasted in Japanese desserts so far...they’ve always been fresh, fragrant, and not overly sweet.

People might call me crazy, but this was my brunch for the day hahaha. It was amazing, though! Would love to revisit to try the other pretty cakes in the display as well.

Asterique Address: 1 Chome-26-16 Uehara, Shibuya-ku, Tōkyō-to 151-0064, Japan Location: Google Maps Access: Yoyogi-Uehara Station Opening hours: 10am~8pm, closed Mondays Notes: won’t be able to sit big groups!

3) Dominique Ansel Bakery

Yes! Dominique Ansel is in Japan. Fans of this brand that originated in NY can rejoice in the Tokyo edition serving up some items limited to the branch.

Located in the glitzy Omotesando area, locals and foreigners alike queue for the famous Cronuts and Cookie Shots, with camera on hand ready to capture the staff torching the Frozen Smores, which they can then ‘feed’ their Instagram/FB followers with :P

I had the Cookie Shot, which I must say tasted delectable! I kind of underestimated this seemingly simple milk-in-a-cookie-cup concept ^_^;; The milk, which was slowly infused with the chocolate coating the cup, paired with the cookie outside was delicious.

The Japan-only “Paris-Tokyo” was a nice blend of Matcha and Passion Fruit, but a slightly messy affair while dissecting, as the pastry and chocolate layers were balanced on soft cream and ganache...so remember to take the photo before you dive in haha.

Was it worth the queue? Maybe. I liked the Cookie Shot lots! And social media foodies would probably love the highly instagrammable signatures.

Would I go again? Probably not, personally :P Been there, done that, checked off the list. I’d continue hunting Strawberry Shortcakes!

Dominique Ansel Bakery Address: 5 Chome-7-14 Jingūmae, Shibuya-ku, Tōkyō-to 150-0001, Japan Location: Google Maps Access: Meijijingu-mae and Omotesando Stations Notes:

Check out there menu here

Be prepared to queue! It took me about 45mins wait at around 1,2pm? Cannot remember the exact time...Here’s a shot of the queue and facade of the place:

Really, Japan has no lack of eateries to satisfy the sweet-toothed person. There are so many places I want to visit, 但我看我这一辈子都吃不完！Usually, even the random cafes that you chance upon in the neighbourhood serve decent desserts.

I’ll let you know again when I find great places worth making efforts for! :)

[insakuraland]

Rainy day visit to 東京大神宮

On the lazy, drizzling Saturday morning after my family returned home, I decided to drag myself out of bed in order not to waste my precious weekends left in Tokyo. Without any plans to travel out of Tokyo for the weekend, I looked up some websites and settled on visiting Tokyo Daijingu (東京大神宮; as this page told me it was a “power spot” for some luck in romance :P).

With an umbrella overhead, I made my way there and, surprisingly, there were quite a lot of other visitors!

The light rain, in fact, added to the atmosphere of the shrine.

The greenery in the compounds of the shrine was a refreshingly clean shade in the rain.

And, erhm, of course, time to get my fortune told with this cute origami doll! It makes a kawaii keepsake, maybe as a bookmark? There was also a range of charms, with extensive options for romance in particular, available for purchase.

Let’s wait and see how accurate the fortune-telling origami doll is xD

Tokyo Daijingu Access: Iidabashi or Kudanshita Stations Location: Google Maps Admission: Free Notes: 

Origami doll omikuji was ￥200

You can see the other charms they have available here !

[insakuraland]

Kamakura in green 🌿

On the Tuesday after everybody had returned to work from their Golden Week holiday, we continued our holiday with another day trip to 鎌倉 Kamakura--yes, I was just there a couple of weeks ago with my friend from Hokkaido, but I liked it a lot and believed my mum and brother would enjoy a trip there too!

It was another day of great weather, and we visited the same few places I had gone the first time round. In place of the Sakuras were clean green sprouts and leaves that welcomed us--the Japanese call these new signs of life in Spring “新緑” (shin ryoku), literally, “new green”. In 長谷寺 (Hase-dera), the beautiful weeping cherry trees I saw last time had grown fresh new leaves, and we spotted a couple of Jizo statues that I had missed before.

After half a day of exploring the area, we decided to rest our feet at 紅葉茶屋 (Momiji Chaya) while replenishing some sugar :D I chanced upon some Instagram photos and videos of people dipping their spoons into a decadent-looking Matcha Tiramisu (top right below) while researching food places before the trip, and was convinced this should be on our menu!

Since we were three, we had the perfect excuse to sample other items they had to offer: the Matcha Soft Serve (left) was not too sweet and paired well with the small dollop of red bean; the 白玉ぜんざい (Shitatama Zenzai; bottom right) was for the non-Matcha-loving brother, and it managed to please him even though he wasn’t much of a dessert person!

We retreated back to Tokyo after afternoon tea, so that we could work on some shopping before my family left Japan. 

For details on places of interest visited, please see my previous post.

Momiji Chaya Access: Kamakura Station (Enoden/JR Line) Location: Google Maps Notes:

They also serve hot food apart from dessert

Be prepared to wait during peak periods like lunch and tea time!

[insakuraland]

Pink 💖 Blue 💙 Purple 💜

As Golden Week drew to a close, we embarked on a 2-day tour filled with flowers, which I’m pretty sure my brother got tired of after a while :P

First stop of Day 1 was 東武トレジャーガーデン (Tobu Treasure Garden), which I’m pretty sure is not on the usual traveler’s list--I haven’t even heard of it myself despite being an avid flower-viewing person ^^;; In 群馬県 (Gunma Prefecture), this quaint little English-inspired garden boasts of Shibazakura, Nemophilia, Roses and many other colourful flowers that make you happy just by looking at them. So Shibazakura was supposed to be the highlight of this place on our itinerary, but we were unfortunately a bit too late... and also too early for the Roses. But the Baby Blue Eyes were at their peak and contrasted nicely with the other flowers in bloom.

The garden was not too large, but also not too crowded--a nice cosy place to be :)

For me, the highlight of this trip was 足利フラワーパーク (Ashikaga Flower Park, Tochigi Prefecture) that is world-famous for it’s dreamy Wisteria display in the height of Spring.

Here, beautifully aged Wisteria trees reach and form canopies of purple (and pink, and white, and yellow...), with their distinct fragrance carried by every gentle breeze.

Although the ‘flower park’ obviously had other flowers, the Wisterias were the stars of the show--there was literally Wisteria everywhere in all the different pastel shades. Didn’t manage to catch their special illumination at night, but am sure that would’ve been a different kind of pretty ^^

Spotlight of Day 2 falls on Hitachi Seaside Park. Sounds familiar? Because I was there just a week before :P--I had decided to go despite knowing it was part of this tour because the flowering status updated on their website said that it was the best viewing period, and I was afraid of missing seeing the blue field at it’s best...

To be honest, it was still really pretty 1 week past its peak, and worth going if you haven’t been there before ^^ But since I had a comparison, I definitely feel like going twice was the right decision :P It’s obvious that some parts of the hills were turning patchy green.

After leaving my blue haven 💙, we made a stop at 偕楽園 (Kairakuen)--one of Japan’s top three landscape gardens).

On hindsight, I wish I had visited Kairakuen at a different time, during the Plum Blossom season which it is famous for. Although the large Azalea trees were adorable and impressive, the features of the garden didn’t touch me as much as 後楽園 (Korakuen) in 岡山 (Okayama) did. 

I would love to go see it again when the Plum Blossoms are in bloom at the end of Winter/start of Spring :) (2 out of 3 of the top landscape gardens visited! 兼六園 Kenrokuen next~)

We booked this trip with Yokoso, a travel website that has a range of tours of varying lengths. Can’t find the tour we joined on the website now since it’s no longer the season I guess, but think it’ll probably come up again next year.

We booked for ￥77,700 per person, which included a really nice resort-like accommodation on the mountains in Nasu, admission to all the parks/gardens, meals, and 2 ‘shopping stops’ which were not too bad (they didn’t press us into buying anything, but we did anyway since the cheese(cake) in Nasu was really nice~).

I think the tour was really value for money and convenient, considering we had door-to-door transport between locations that were not the most straightforward to get to between one another. I wouldn’t mind trying another trip with them ^^ **I’m not paid to say this btw!**

For those who might want to visit yourselves:

Tobu Treasure Garden Access: 15min walk from Morinjimae Station on the Tobe-Isesaki Line Admission: ￥1800 adult; ￥800 children

Ashikaga Flower Park Access: 13min walk from Tomita Staion on the Ryomo Line OR 30-mins shuttle bus from Ashikaga Station (￥400 one-way) Admission: depending on season Notes:

It was super crowded since it was the last Sunday of Golden Week + peak viewing period for the Wisterias

Evening light-up during the Wisteria season is 5.30pm~9pm

Kairakuen Access: 15min by bus from Mito Station Admission: Free

Hitachi Seaside Park (please see previous post~)

[insakuraland]

Theme of the day: 🍣🍜🍥🍮🍦🍫

Catching up on my intense long weekend last week, my family was in Tokyo to visit and play; and while I wasn’t able to join them during their first few days (they had a super unfortunate day of queuing with the Golden Week crowd when they went to Hakone ): ), I managed to shift my holidays so I had a 4-day long weekend with them starting on Saturday.

We started off with a trip to 河童橋 (Kappabashi), an area with shops that stock kitchenware, food samples and other things that F&B outlets might need. This area got popular with tourists recently because of the food samples they sell that are commonly displayed in the shopfront of Japanese cuisine restaurants--there are even some places that hold workshops for people who would like to try their hands at making the samples themselves!

To be honest, I actually felt hungry looking at the fake bowls of Ramen...and the Caramel Pudding (top left) was too cute to resist so I got one to display back at home :P My mum also happily hauled several bowls and plates for our new home~

Thereafter, we went queuing for つけ麺 (Tsukemen, literally ‘dipping noodles’) at 朧月 (Oboro-tsuki) in 銀座 (Ginza). We waited for about 30-40 mins in the sun as there were only 6-7 counter seats (exclusive cosy much! :P), but the noodles were really worth the wait:

We all had the ‘special noodles’ (￥1050) that came with toppings of Chashu and 味付け卵 (Ajitsuke-Tamago, literally ‘flavoured egg’), and a thick Miso broth containing smaller cubes of Chashu, Spring Onion plus Bamboo Shoots. The broth was really flavourful, the Chashu tender, the noodles bouncy and the egg seasoned nicely--really nothing to complain about apart from the wait~

There is fun in eating at the counter as you see all the action going on, with the chef torching the Chashu right in front of you (mm~ smells good!). After finishing the Ramen, pass the chef your bowl of remaining broth and he’ll add more Spring Onion, some Yuzu (we think! it tasted a bit tangy) and hot water so you can drink it like a soup. Really proud I found this place with my Googling skills--my brother declared this the best meal of the trip and best Tsukemen he’s had ever, and he never acknowledges my food recommendations, really!

After digesting for a bit while shopping around, we had dessert at Salon Ginza Sabou--somewhere I’ve been wanting to go since I chanced upon it on Instagram:

Their mainstay Matcha Parfait (￥1100; +￥200, I think, for brown sugar syrup) and seasonal Strawberry Parfait (￥1300; +￥200 for pistachio milk) inspired by Japanese dry landscape gardens were both super Insta-worthy and tasted good! I started off with the strawberry one and exchanged with my mum halfway through: my mum preferred the strawberry because it was more refreshing; I preferred the matcha one because...matcha :D and it was a bit sweeter. My brother had chocolate fudge with an Azuki (red bean) paste centre (￥550):

Good reviews from my chocolate-loving brother too!

And with that, we had an early day with our tummies filled~

Kappabashi Access: Tawaramachi Station

Ginza Oboro-Tsuki Access: Ginza Station, or any of the many stations nearby Location: Google Maps Notes: 

Only 6-7 counter seats--prepare to wait during meal times!

Pass your remaining broth to the chef and get a bowl of soup back to end your meal with.

Throw the combustible rubbish away in the bins behind you and return the bowls to the chef!

Salon Ginza Sabou Access: Ginza Station, or any of the many stations nearby--it’s down the road from Oboro-Tsuki! Location: Tokyu Plaza Ginza Menu: They have hot food and other desserts too! Notes: 

Prepare to wait during tea time~

There are seasonal versions of their signature parfait (I missed the Sakura one >< )

[insakuraland]

Shiba-zakura carpet in Chichibu

Today saw me sharing a train ride with many locals decked out in hiking gear heading out of Tokyo towards the countryside/mountainous area. Well, I was kind of going to a mountain too? Technically, the park at the foot of one--羊山公園 (Hitsuji-Yama Park; literally, Sheep Mountain Park in Chichibu, Saitama Prefecture).

Hitsuji-Yama Park is famous for its 芝桜 (Shibazakura) Festival, where this hill in the south of the park is carpeted in Moss Phlox in various shades of pink, purple and white. The backdrop is pretty magnificent too--nope, that’s not Sheep Mountain hahaha, I thought so initially :P Upon a quick search, Google told me that the mountain looking over the park was 武甲山 (Mt. Buko)--I wonder if that’s where some of the local hikers went? I want to try and trek an easy mountain while I’m here too--maybe 高尾山 (Mt. Takao).

While this patch was in full bloom and impressive to see, other sections were still a bit away from their peak.

Nevertheless, it was a good day to be out, with the rest of the Golden Week crowd (it rhymes?! haha). 

I got Miso Potato from one of the food stands at the festival, which was touted as a local dish made using Saitama’s own high grade potatoes. Though it doesn’t look like much, the deep fried potatoes on skewers dipped in a sweet Miso sauce was super tasty! The potato was hot and fluffy, and what seemed like tempura batter on its outside was crispy and chewy together with the sauce. Mmm, ふわふわ、もちもち、yum! Do give it a try if you come across it--it’s only ￥200!

After leaving the park, I made an ad hoc decision to stop by the onsen, 祭りの湯 (Matsuri no Yu, literally, Festival Hot Spring) which I saw just outside the station when I arrived--a hot soak was just what my tired feet needed after a month of non-stop walking to work daily and intensive weekend itineraries!

I have no pictures to show :P but you can check out their website which I will link below. I only realised after leaving the onsen that it only opened on 24 April a few days ago, and thus, everything was clean and nice. I’ve no comments about the guys’ section (haha) but the ladies’ section had a beautiful outdoor area, complete with stone baths, wooden huts, maple trees and I believe sakura trees too (there were posters about sakura-viewing baths). I especially loved the shallow pool with stone pillows and partitions housed in a bamboo hut that allowed you to just lie down and sleep--it was literally called the Sleeping Bath! I could see the young maple tree swaying in the wind from my spot ^^ Of the indoor pools, I liked the carbonated pool the best.

Apart from the standard baths and saunas, there was a massage/treatment area where you could book treatments, a Tatami-ed rest area, a restaurant, and a ‘relax zone’ where you could lie on individual reclining sofas each equipped with its own TV. My body was soothed after the hot soak and I managed napped for a while waiting for my train to arrive (there were screens showing train information so you wouldn’t miss yours!) zzZZ

Hitsuji-Yama Park Shibazakura Festival Access: Seibu-Chichibu Station about 1.5~2 hours from central Tokyo--just follow the signs and the crowd after you exit the station, you won’t get lost! Admission: ￥300 (including a pretty postcard~) Notes: Festival dates vary every year, but the flowers bloom from mid-April and peaks around end April/beginning May.

Matsuri no Yu Access: Seibu-Chichibu Station Website: here (in Japanese, but you get to see what the outdoor bath looks like~) Admission: 

Weekends: ￥1080 adult admission; ￥1300 admission + towel set; ￥1430 admission + towel set + indoor clothes to wear when you leave the bath area

Weekdays: ￥980 adult admission; ￥1200 admission + towel set; ￥ 1330 admission + towel set + indoor clothes

Between 6~9am there is a discounted fee for morning baths~ but the exact pricing is not listed on the web and I can’t remember...

[insakuraland]

(Blue) Flower Paradise, Hitachi Seaside Park

It’s the start of Golden Week in Japan~! Another early day today, as I caught a train at 6+am in order to reach my destination by 9 o’clock (I had wanted to reach earlier...but there was no train available and it would be wayyy too early).

THIS.

Nemophilia aka Baby Blue Eyes aka 粉蝶花 @ ひたち海浜公園 (Hitachi Seaside Park, Ibaraki Prefecture).

如果樱花给我的是感动，粉蝶花给我的是超级无敌好心情～

Anybody would be captivated by the scene of this hill carpeted in tiny baby blue flowers; and anybody who liked the colour blue will probably feel like they were in paradise, like me! I’ve been wanting to visit since seeing this photo of the day on Nat Geo 3 years ago.

The occasional white flower and random Poppy growing in the blue blue field was also adorable.

By the time I arrived at 9am, there were already lots of people in the park--not sure if it’s because of Golden Week? But since the hill covered by the Baby Blue Eyes was sufficiently big and the paths strategically paved, there were plenty of good photo opportunities. I believe there must’ve been thousands of people in the park because there were people everywhere: on the Baby Blue Eyes hill, in the Narcissus Garden, in the Tulip Garden, at the amusement park (yes, they’ve a full-sized Ferris Wheel and some rides), queuing for food, on the cycling course, and even playing mini golf. The whole place is like basically a flower theme park / wonderland of some sort. Check out their seasonal flowers featured here. Poppies and Roses are next in line from May, while their burning red Autumn Kochia covering the same hill the Baby Blue Eyes are on is also a famous sight.

The Tulips were a rainbow delight, with people constantly gasping over how some flowers looked really special with their fringed petals or their saturated colours. 🌷🌷🌷  While sieving through my photos, I realised I mostly took pictures of pink/purple:

and red ones:

The Narcissus were mostly over their time, though a few species just reached full bloom.

I spent half a day there and, despite the crowd, had a thoroughly therapeutic time with the sun, breeze and flowers. I swear any flower-lover would enjoy this place!

Hitachi Seaside Park Access: From Katsuta Station (~2hours from central Tokyo) on the JR Joban Line, there are several options to reach the park:

I bought a ￥1200 ticket upon reaching Katsuta that included unlimited rides on the shuttle bus to&fro Katsuta Station and the park’s west entrance + admission

There’s another option of taking a train from Katsuta to another station (can’t remember...), and then getting a free shuttle from there--there’ll be people holding signs telling you where to go

Admission: ￥410 for adult; ￥210 for seniors; ￥80 for children Opening hours: 9:30am~5pm in Spring (from 7.30am during Golden Week) Notes:

If you’re going straight for the Nemophilia, the west entrance is nearer. The Tulips and Narcissus are also in that area.

Cycles available for rent (didn’t do so today as I was on a budget).

Expect crowd! Though there is still sufficient space for everyone to walk and picnic. This was around 9:30am:

[insakuraland]

🗻  Mt. Fuji from all angles

Last Sunday, I woke up super early to catch a bus to 河口湖 (Lake Kawaguchi, Yamanashi Prefecture) for more Sakura viewing with 富士山 (Mt. Fuji) as a magnificent backdrop~ I was originally planning to spend a night there, but decided against it after seeing that Saturday was going to be cloudy and that the 芝桜 (Shibazakura) I wanted to see at the famous Fuji Shibazakura Festival were not yet in full bloom.

I booked my bus tickets only 2,3 days before, fingers crossed the weather forecast wouldn’t change suddenly. Mt. Fuji’s Sakura were in full bloom/just starting to fall (a bit later than Tokyo) and I wanted good weather to enjoy them ^^ 🗻

My first stop after reaching the 富士五湖 (Fuji Five Lakes) region was 忠霊塔 (Chureito), famous for the view of Mt. Fuji framed by the pagoda, pine trees, and Sakura in Spring--all really traditional Japanese motifs gathered in one frame:

It’s really a postcard-worthy scene ^^ and hoards of people were waiting for Mt. Fuji’s peak to show from behind the clouds in the morning (more about the crowd below.)

After which, I made my way back to Kawaguchiko and enjoyed the view from different viewing points along the lake.

Above is the view from 産屋ヶ崎 (Ubuya ga Saki), and if you squint your eyes enough, you might be able to see the Sakura petals blown from the tree ^^ View from under the same Sakura tree:

Sakura trees lined the north shore of the lake and there was also a festival going on. I enjoyed an onigiri under the Sakura trees with a refreshing side dish of snow-capped Mt. Fuji :D

There were families and friends strolling along the north shore, with some people fishing or even enjoying the view of Mt. Fuji on boats.

Another place I had wanted to go to but didn’t have time to was 大石公園 (Oishi Park), the west most area and last stop on the sightseeing bus route.

On such a nice sunny day, Mt. Fuji was really a sight to behold. The pictures don’t do it justice--it looks much larger and more magnificent when you are actually there! Highly recommend a day trip or even stay around the area :)

Kawaguchiko Access: highway bus from Shinjuku

Took about 1.5~2hours

There are routes departing from other areas of Tokyo and to different areas of the Five Lakes region

Price: ￥5000 for the Enjoy Ticket (incl. return from Shinjuku + unlimited use of Fujikyuko Bus sightseeing routes)

Ubuya ga Saki Access: Kozantei Ubuya stop (red and blue bus lines) Location: Google maps

Kawaguchiko North Shore Access: Kawaguchiko Monkey Show Theatre stop (red and blue bus lines) Location: Google maps

Chureito  Access: Shimoyoshida Station (4 stops from Kawaguchiko Station by train) Location: Google maps Notes: 

It’s steps all the way up to the pagoda and observation deck, do pace yourself!

And the observation deck is this crowded by the way:

The people in front were kind of inconsiderate and didn’t move an inch for the 15 minutes I was sandwiched while trying to move in. I took a picture from a bit higher up--not the best angle but it was enough -_-

Due to the crowd, people were overstepping boundaries, standing on slopes and stuff--it can get a bit dangerous, please be careful!

[insakuraland]

Late-blooming cherry blossoms galore in Shinjuku Gyoen

I decided to make another trip to Shinjuku Gyoen yesterday morning as I saw updates on their website that it was peak season for the late-blooming yae-zakura (八重桜) varieties in the park. Instead of entering through Shinjuku Gate this time round, I decided to enter from Sendagaya Gate.

This 関山 (Kanzan) tree what greeted me once I entered:

Few people entered through the Sendagaya Gate, which is some distance away from the more accessible Shinjuku Gate, so it was quite empty in this part of the park. I managed to take several pictures of this tree without any photobombers :D (happy dance)

The Rhododendron Hill was almost in full bloom, with the pink/purple ones just starting to bloom and the red ones stealing the limelight first.

Between the English Garden and the Traditional Japanese Garden, many people were having picnics or even painting or drawing like the obāchans above. (Sorry for taking your photos secretly ^^;; I wish I could paint like you!) There were guided walks explaining the Sakura varieties and park history, and also photography interest groups going around taking pictures and exchanging tips.

In the Traditional Japanese Garden, there was also a Wisteria waiting for its time to shine.

These late blooming varieties really give off a very different vibe as compared to the lighter-coloured 染井吉野 (Somei Yoshino).

The following are some of the varieties I managed to capture at their peak today ^^

This 松月 (Syou-Getsu) has to be my favourite–the tree didn’t have a tag on it, but I remember seeing something similar 5 years ago, and the name came to mind; Googling it proved that I remembered correctly :D I love how the dark pink buds open up into something so light and delicate, and also the way the petals overlap and look…basically everything about it ^^ The 関山 (Kanzan) and 一葉 (Ichi-You) tie at runner-up, with the Kanzan’s bright pink, pompom-like demeanour and the Ichi-You’s white and clean-looking petals being equally appealing. Apparently, the 兼六園菊桜 (Kenrokuen Kiku-Zakura) that look like mini Chrysanthemums have >100 petals per bloom! I wonder who counted them?

新宿御苑 is officially my favourite spot for Hanami now ^^

I would buy their annual pass for ￥2000 if I lived in Tokyo–there’s so much to see!

Shinjuku Gyoen Access: Shinjuku / Shinjuku-3-Chome / Shinjuku-Gyoenmae / Sendagaya Stations Admission: ￥200 Opening hours: 9am–4.30pm (4pm last entry) Notes: No alcohol allowed!

[insakuraland]

Tulip 🌷 > Sakura 🌸  ?

Although I was dead beat from 2 consecutive full days out at Kamakura and Disney Sea, weather last Sunday was tooooo good to be rolling around in my apartment. So I put on my denim jacket and sunglass, and headed out to 昭和記念公園 (Showa Memorial Park).

I guess everyone had the same idea I did, since the main lawn was bustling with families and friends enjoying the sunny Spring day out. Seeing people fly kites, picnic, and playing sports out in the sun, I wondered when I last did all those with my family out under the sky :| I think Singaporeans need more of a life outdoors...

The Somei Yoshino Sakuras were just past full bloom, but still served a nice contrast with the Yellow 菜の花 (Nanohana).

But it seems like the vivacious Tulips in the Tulip Garden were stealing all the limelight with the delicate Sakuras past full bloom!

The colourful garden was teaming with people enjoying the rainbow splash of happiness ^^

The Tulip blooms looked amazing against the light.

There was also a small hill covered in Nemophilia (aka Baby Blue Eyes, so going to see them at Hitachi Seaside Park in the next few weekends) with a single poignant Weeping Cherry in the background:

I arrived at 1+pm and rented a bike to cycle around the park to save time, and the feeling of the breeze’s embrace was so refreshing and destressing ^~^ Highly recommend it~!

Showa Memorial Park Access: Nishi-Tachikawa Station (about 40mins from Shinjuku) Admission: ￥410 Bike Rental: ￥410 

Grab a map at the entrance and follow the bike course!

Keep left if you’re slow.

Park and lock your bike at 1 of the many parking spaces, then alight and go enjoy the park :D (Remember to note your bike no.!)

There is usually a queue for families waiting for children’s bikes! If you’re alone/2 adults wanting single bikes, you can try your luck asking the attendant direct.