Visiting the Other Park: Tokyo Disneyland

25 Tuesday Jun 2013

Posted by mrsselfish in Asia, Disney, Japan, Tokyo

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Asia, Disney, Disneyland, Japan, Selfish Year, Selfish Years, Tokyo, Tokyo Disneyland

Mr. Selfish and I were looking most forward to visiting Tokyo DisneySea but when we looked at the ticket prices, we figured we would also go to Tokyo Disneyland.

A 1-day pass to either park costs 6,200 yen. However, there is no park hopper option for a 1-day pass. Nevertheless, you can buy an after-6pm pass for the second park, which costs 3,300 yen. Together, a 1-day pass and an after-6pm pass costs 9,500 yen, whereas a 2-day pass costs 10,700 yen. Since it wasn’t much of a price difference, we decided to purchase a 2-day pass.

Tokyo Disneyland is very similar to California’s Disneyland and Florida’s Magic Kingdom. It was built in 1983 and is the third most visited park after its stateside counterparts. The park has seven areas: the World Bazaar, Fantasyland, Adventureland, Mickey’s Toontown, Tomorrowland, Critter Country, and Westernland.

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Sailing the Seven Seas of Tokyo DisneySea

24 Monday Jun 2013

Posted by mrsselfish in Asia, Disney, Japan, Tokyo

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Asia, Disney, Disney Sea, DisneySea, Japan, Selfish Year, Selfish Years, Tokyo, Tokyo Disney Sea, Tokyo DisneySea

Mr. Selfish and I were quite psyched to visit Tokyo DisneySea since we had heard so many wonderful things about it. We had very high expectations for this park, and amazingly, it did not disappoint.

Opening in 2001, Tokyo DisneySea is the most expensive theme park ever built costing over $4 billion USD. It is currently the fourth busiest theme park in the world – just after Disneyland in California, Magic Kingdom in Florida, and Disneyland in Tokyo. However, the park was so well-planned that it actually did not feel that busy.

Mr. Selfish and I found Tokyo DisneySea to be distinctly Japanese. First of all, the vast majority of the attendees (probably 95%) were Japanese. Second, most of the attendees were adults. Third, attendees were very cutsey and adored the Disney Bear – Duffy. Our first introduction to Duffy was back in Epcot in 2011 back when Mr. Selfish and I were still taking vicious photos for our annual Christmas card.

Oh no Duffy

While Duffy isn’t that big in the States, he is HUGE in Japan. Even the men were sporting Duffy merchandise. We ran into couples that had over thirty Duffy bears.

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Izakaya Showdown in Tokyo: The 35 Steps v. Gonpachi

23 Sunday Jun 2013

Posted by mrsselfish in Asia, Food & Drinks, Japan, Tokyo

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35 Steps, Asia, Food & Drinks, Gonpachi, Izakaya, Japan, Kill Bill, The 35 Steps, The Thirty-Five Steps, Thirty-Fivew Steps, Tokyo

Mr. Selfish and I certainly enjoyed dining at izakayas while in Japan. The casual atmosphere and the abundance of drinks and food undoubtedly lead to a good time. We visited two well-known izakayas in Tokyo to see which one was better.

The 35 Steps

First, we went to the 35 Steps (B1 Shibuya City Hotel, 1-1 Shibuya), which is located near the love hotel district in Shibuya. As you may have guessed, the 35 Steps is in the basement, and you have to walk down thirty-five steps to get to there. But it’s certainly worth the trek. The 35 Steps is known as one of the friendliest izakayas around, and it didn’t disappoint. The service at the 35 Steps was impeccable, and it was clear that the staff enjoyed their jobs.

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Touring the Main Sights in Tokyo: Meiji Shrine, Asakusa, and Imperial Palace

22 Saturday Jun 2013

Posted by mrsselfish in Asia, Japan, Tokyo

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Asakusa, Asia, Imperial Palace, Japan, Meiji Jingu, Meiji Shrine, Nakamise, Selfish Year, Selfish Years, Sensoji, Tokyo

Mr. Selfish and I had visited Tokyo in 2009, so this time, we decided to take it easy during our 2-week stay. Nevertheless, we still had to visit some of the main attractions.

Meiji Shrine

First, we visited the Meiji Shrine, which is near Harajuku. The Meiji Shrine is dedicated to Emperor Meiji and his consort, the Empress Shoken. We had already been here in 2009 so we just casually wandered around. Soon after walking through the large wooden torii gates, Mr. Selfish and I happened upon a wedding.