Showa Sakura Situation

Yesterday's mini escape: SHOWA KINEN KOEN

Yup, one of the biggest parks in all of Tokyo's twenty three wards!  *yay* It is located in Tachikawa, about 40 minutes from Shinjuku by train. If you have been reading my blog, you might have known that I have been to and posted about Showa Kinen Koen a couple of times already ('cos it's near where I live) yet it's a first for me to visit the said park during early spring and it did not disappoint! This blog post will show you why. *wink*

Let's start, shall we?
*Warning: photo-heavy post*

Pretty, pretty spring flowers welcomed us  near the ticket booth in Tachikawa Gate. Showa Kinen Koen has 5 existing gates, each near a train station. If you're planning to visit, you might want to check out the park's website first, here.

Tickets are 410 yen for adults (over 15 y/o), 210 yen for senior citizens (over 65), and 80 yen for children (6-14 y/o). Discounts are available for visitors coming in groups.

Got tickets! Now off we go~

Can you guess who I am with? :))

Of course, I'm with my Tikki Tikki Tembo birthday boy, Kenji!
 Happy birthday, love! *yay*

And since this is my blog, I want a picture of myself, too hahaha :))

A few minutes of walking and voila, the Waterfowl Lake. Visitors can rent boats and bikes in this area for a fee of less than 1000 yen. 

The park has many zones, and in each are different areas of concentration. There are also lots of amenities, it has barbecue areas, courts for various sports, swimming pools, playgrounds, restaurants,  and flower gardens. For this particular visit, we wanted to go on a picnic under cherry blossom trees so we went to the Flowering Tree Garden Area.

Such a lovely welcome courtesy of these peonies!

And some plum blossoms, too!

And of course the star among the stars, Sakura/Cherry Blossoms! ♥

Lovely!

Sakura couple ♥

And another~

 When will I ever get enough of these cherry blossoms ahhhh~

 A few more steps and *poof* more blossoms at the Cherry Blossom Avenue! What a view! *lubdub* ♥

 The part where the pink cherry blossoms were was where we opted to do our picnic at.

Hanami/ cherry blossom viewing essentials: picnic mat, mini blankets (it can get really cold in the afternoon), food and drinks (you might want to bring sakura-inspired ones for a more sakurafied hanami haha), plastic bags for garbage, and lots of stories to share with people you are with! *wink*

Leisure painting, Someday, self, someday~

 Our chosen spot! Yay to matching Kankens! And yeah, hello Kumamon! ♥

 Our stash! It's been ages when I last made something for a picnic!

Sakura-printed paper plate just because ft. Kenji's maguro-umeboshi onigiri ♥

 This view, the birds' chirps, and the wind's swish swoosh-- so relaxing! For a second, we thought we were not in Tokyo!

No wonder someone fell asleep~ hahahaha kidding

 More sakuraaaa~

Beautiful ♥

Every spot was just picturesque!

kaya feel na feel ni teh hahaha

Run~

and have some fun!

Really glad I got to play with my camera cos it's been rotting in storage for heaven knows how long. 

 Bubbles~

Ahhh childhood!

Forever kid at heart!

And another one haha!

 Such a happy person haha!

 Spotted a choo choo train roaming around the park. This reminded me of my brother's Thomas toy trains when he was little! Visitors can opt to ride this if they want to see the park's beauty minus the walking part haha!

Not sure about this tree hmm. Is this a Carolina silverbell tree, anyone?

Saw some white sakura on our way out  ♥

 Wintessed some pre-nup sesh, too!

Capped off park day with soft cream cone! :)

This picnic day is supposedly the second leg of Kenji's birthday celebration but looking at the pictures, I think I was the one who enjoyed it more haha! Such a breather for the stress consuming me these past few weeks! Nature really does wonders! I would definitely go back here! ♥

Chasing Winter Lights

I have been fond of city lights and lights per se for heaven knows how long. That's why I couldn't help but feel giddy whenever December comes for it means lots of winter illuminations in and around Tokyo! Ahhhh definitely one of the reasons why I don't mind the winter cold!

This year, I challenged myself to visit more illuminations than my usual one per year haha talk about being lazy and I'm just glad I was able to visit five! Yes, five! Hence, this post! :)) 
So without further ado, here are some photos I took as I chase them winter lights! 

Enjoooy! ♡

 1. Tokyo Midtown Starlight Garden

Before transforming into an outdoor ice skating rink, Tokyo Midtown Garden houses an enormous Christmas illumination. This year's theme Midtown Cruise, boasted of approximately 280,000 LED lights, a vision dome, and scheduled audiovisual mini shows. This illumination made me feel like I'm an intergalactic queen even for just a few minutes! :)) 

So blueeee~

Here's a clip I managed to record when we went there. It's a little shaky though. >_<

Access
Toei Oedo Line, Roppongi Station Exit 8 (direct link)
JR Chiyoda Line, Nogizaka Station Exit 3 (3 minutes)
Tokyo Metro Namboku Line, Roppongi-itchome Station (10 minutes)

2. Meguro-gawa Minna No Illumi

I went here with a few workmates on a weekday so the time I spent here was relatively short. This illumination stretches from Gotanda Station to Osaki Station, lighting up the Meguro River in shades of pink mimicking cherry blossoms. Cherry blossoms in winter? Awesome!

You can opt to get off at Gotanda Station and eat some legit curry and nan at Thali-ya, a few minutes walk from the station before heading to see the illumination. They have gorgonzola naan which goes perfectly well with butter chicken curry! Then you can just walk until the end of the illumination, which will bring you to Osaki Station. We did just that!

3. Tokyo Dome City Illumination

Get off at Korakuen Station, cross the street towards Tokyo Dome (it's too huge for you to miss) and voila, you got yourself into a wonderland of lights and sounds! With towering Christmas trees and colourful lights, plus a water symphony show, going here would surely boost your Christmas spirits up!

LaQua Water Symphony

This tunnel plays Exile's Kiminimuchu on loop! My friends and I crazied our way through the tunnel dancing to it haha!

Ultramaaaaan~

And look who came to town! Santaaaa~

Access
Tokyo Metro Namboku Line /  Marunouchi Line, Korakuen Station
Mita Line, Suidobashi Station

4. Showa Kinen Koen Winter Vista Illumination

I have been to Showa Kinen a couple of times before but this is the first time that I went here on Christmas Day. And it was a good decision that I did! Not only did I witness the beautiful parade of lights but also a good five-minute fireworks display! It also had a themed light display entitled "Attaka-Warmth" in and around the field! Merry Christmas, indeed! ♡

A Christmas tree made of champagne glasses

Access
Akebono Gate: JR Chuo Line, Tachikawa Station (10 minutes) / JR Tama Urban Monorail, Tachikawa Kita Station (8 minutes)
Nishitachikawa Gate: JR Ome Line, Nishi-Tachikawa Station (2 minutes)

Fees
Adult (over 15 years) - 400 yen / Child (6 to 14 years)  - 80 yen / Over 65 - 210 yen

5. Tokyo Tower Winter Fantasy Orange Illumination

Whenever I'm in Roppongi, I always see Tokyo Tower from afar and it has always been magnificent in my eyes. Yesterday was not an exception, especially when it's strikingly orange and everything around it were adorned with lights! The main observatory was also lit up with blue and pink LED lights to match the official event ambassadors, Sanrio characters Kiki and Lala! What a sight to behold! ♡

Oraaaange~

Tokyo Tower replica

Chiizu~

Access

Metropolitan Subway Oedo Line, Akabanebashi Station  (5 minutes walk to Akabanebashi Gate)

Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line, Kamiyacho Station Exit 1 ( 7 minutes)

I hope your December was as shiny, shimmery, and splendid just like the lights I've chased! 
Happy  winter! 
Happy New Year, too! ♡