1st January 2009

HAPPY NEW YEAR celebration at Ikuta Shrine, with lots of Japanese busy praying for better years ahead!

Also a big "fun-fair" outside the shrine, selling traditional local snack everywhere!

1st January 2009

HAPPY NEW YEAR to everyone! Wishing all happy & healthy always!

Celebrate with home-cooked "American Breakfast"!

31st December 2008

Countdown with home-cooked steamboat on NEW YEAR'S EVE while watching "Japanese Red & White singing competitiion"!

30th December 2008



A short TOKYO shopping trip before our bullet train ride. We are returning to Kobe today.

TOKYO DISNEYSEA on 29th December 2008

Another fun and exciting day with Disney. The rides are fantastic and thrilling. We enjoyed our day with lots of caramel popcorns and Disney characters!

TOKYO DISNEYLAND on 28th December 2008.

The kingdom of dreams and magic is at its most fantastic during this holiday season, celebrating the 25th anniversary year!

There are many heart warming seasonal events. Most of the attractions are entirely transformed, with plenty of holiday decorations and beautiful snow crystal everywhere. It's the perfect place to get into the holiday spirit!

27th December 2008

Christmas gifts from Daddy ... our bonus trip to Tokyo Disney (4D3N) by BULLET TRAIN (about 3 hours ride).

MERRY CHRISTMAS ... our 1st Christmas in Japan - 25th December 2008!

We celebrated in Universal Studio ... it was Uncle Boon Chuan & family 1st visit. We recommended the usual exciting rides such as Jurassic Park, ET, Jaws & Spiderman. Guess who's that spiderboy?

We have burger for lunch and "ramen" for dinner!

CHRISTMAS EVE ... silent night in Japan ... on 24th December 2008.

We have hot pot dinner (instead of roast turkey) at Sannomiya area. It's a buffet style but limited to 90 mins of food order only. The boys were enjoying the same at the other table.

RYOZEN KWANNON visit on 23rd December 2008

In commemoration of those Japanese who sacrificed themselves in the last war and for the establishment of a peaceful Japan, this concrete statue of the compassionate Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara (Kwannon) was erected.

Lying at the foot of the placid, evergreen-covered eastern mountain range of Kyoto, this beautiful statue with its merciful face is about 24m tall.

KYOTO TEMPLES visit on 23rd December 2008

Kyoto was Japan's capital and the emperor's residence previously. It has countless temples, shrines and other historically old buildings and houses.

Never miss this 7th largest city of Japan when you are here for vacation!

22nd December 2008

Visit Osaka's hottest shopping district - SHINSAIBASHI - with Uncle Boon Chuan's family.

DONG ZI DAY - 21st December 2008

Our 1st celeration in Japan, we cooked 1 big pot of glutinous rice ball this morning & celebrated our reunion in a Japanese restaurant in the evening.

Our 3rd SINGAPORE VISITORS - Uncle Boon Chuan & Family

They are invited for a "free & easy" winter stay from 15th Dec 2008 to 3rd Jan 2009.

These photos are taken at Mosiac Garden, where Kobe Port Tower (in red) is just opposite/nearby. It is just one train station away from our house.

Visit KOBE LUMINARIE on 6th December 2008.

This is the 14th Kobe Luminarie held at Higashi-Yuenchi Park. It is lighted up from 4th to 15th December this year for the memorail of Kobe Earthquake (17th January 1995).

In order for Kobe to continue holding the Luminarie each year, visitors are encouraged to cooperate with a fund-raising drive, by donating 100 yen per person at the event.