I’ve turned my watch back an hour already. It’s 2030h Singapore time. We should be home in about another 4 hours. Have we had enough of a holiday?

On spending 5.5 days in Tokyo

There’s certainly a lot more of Tokyo we could explore. We haven’t seen the ancient sites, palaces, gardens or even visited the fish market. But we have experienced the pace and people of Ikebukuro, Shinjuku and Shibuya. We’ve also successfully navigated the subway, first day hiccups aside, and enjoyed priority seats and queues on their trains, shopping centers and theme parks. LV and I also had a good dose of Hello Kitty – we saw her 3 times, once at Sanrio Puroland and twice at Tobu where she was promoting a valentine’s day cake, and LV had her picture taken with Kitty all 3 times.

But having to carry both our kids (in the case of Darien, a straight 10 hours each day) while walking through the busy streets and stairways of Tokyo’s malls and subway labyrinths had our backs, shoulders and arms aching sufficiently for us to yell “Enough!”

So, while 5.5 days is likely to be no where near enough for a vibrant city like Tokyo, it was for a first time trip with little ones.

On traveling to Tokyo with little ones

LV certainly enjoyed herself lots, despite the cold. Sanrio Puroland had all the simple rides and shows a 3-year-old could enjoy. And DisneySea, oh DisneySea! Where floats really float! She managed to get on enough rides and took pictures with Donald whom she did not get to meet in Hong Kong. One regret though – she was disappointed she did not get to meet Mickey or Minnie.

In his own baby way, we think Li’l D enjoyed himself too. He seems to love the cold and family time in the hotel room each night appeared to be his favourite.

As for meals, we’ve discovered that the bento culture suits young families like ours best. Tired, cranky kids don’t dine well outside. Neither do tired parents with cranky kids. Picking up bentos from the food malls which were just about everywhere in the underground subway network were easy. If ever it was difficult, it was only in choosing which bentos to pick up. We were spoilt for choice and while we were certain the food we ate was not as good as what you might get at a good eatery or restaurant, it was definitely better than any we’ve tasted in Singapore. So yes, do the Japanese thing and bento all the way. If it were less cold, we would’ve probably taken bento lunches in the park too. Something for future consideration.

On shopping in Tokyo

Expensive? Well… I actually don’t think so. Living in Tokyo is expensive, for sure. Accommodation was what really cost us. And food. But then, it’s all perspective. For what we ate each day (considering it daily fare for the Japanese and occasional for us back in Singapore), you can eat (Japanese food) rather well and cheaply. As I mentioned, there were bento boxes aplenty at very reasonable prices, which tastes were comparable if not far better than the Japanese food outlets in Singapore, at lower prices than home, especially when you manage to get dinner bentos at slashed prices before the food malls close for the day at 8pm. And if what you intend to shop for is locally produced stuff – furoshikis, bento boxes and accessories, Hello Kitty knick-knacks, then those are indeed cheaper to get in Japan (naturally) than in Singapore or online. Case in point – a sandwich sealer I was eyeing on J-list was going for USD$12.80, excluding shipping. I got it for SGD$13.10 at TOBU. Happy, happy me.

So while it is not the cheapest place to live in – I’m sure shopping for daily produce would be a very wallet-draining experience on a regular basis – I’m not too sure if Singapore isn’t actually just as expensive or more so these days. But I do enjoy the shopping experience in Tokyo just because

(1) they truly believe in quality. You certainly get what you pay for, and it is good stuff. Even “cheap” things by their standard have good finishes.

(2) everything looks so pretty. As with quality, presentation is wonderful. Everything just looks good there, from regular snacks to furniture and household products. And why shouldn’t they? It’s a standard they’ve achieved and live by. Why can’t it be like that in Singapore too? Dissertation topic… EE anyone? :P

(3) service standards are excellent. And in today’s world, that’s the competitive edge. What would make me return if I have everything I need? You have to make me want it, and want to return to get it. The Japanese do that very well. Singaporeans have a LONG way to go in that regard. And the problem in Singapore that’s not making the service sector improve? People complain, but they return! Businesses do not suffer for the lack of service quality! I reckon in Japan it would not be so.

But all that said, is Tokyo a city I would want to move to, live in and raise a family? Umm… it’s probably too early to say, given that I only spent 5 full days there, but at this point in time, I think the answer is no. While I haven’t totally experienced it yet, I do get a sense that the Japanese culture of formality and careful negotiations could be a tad too tiring to work through on a daily basis. Not that this doesn’t happen in Singapore, but I grew up here and if I need to navigate through layers of cultural expectations, rather do it in one I am already familiar with. Right now, other than all things pretty and cute which I don’t need on a daily basis, I can do all I want here in Singapore still, so, not unless there’s something really attractive for me out there other than the novel, Singapore’s still the best city on earth for me. But yes, I do have another appointment with Tokyo already that I’m planning. *grin*