Xiang Xiang Hunan Cuisine at 8-10 Mosque Street Happy Lunar New Year to all my readers, wherever you may be. I started work today (19.02.2026). Although not many colleagues were around, I still managed to gather a few close ones for a “start-work lunch” at a fancy restaurant that serves Chinese cuisine. After some discussion, we decided on Xiang Xiang Hunan Cuisine in Chinatown. Even better, it was my first time trying their food. I’ve always known it to be a popular spot with notoriously long queues. Thankfully, we arrived early because right after we were seated, a steady stream of patrons began pouring in. Snacks & Ice Cream Corner for patrons once you enter As we entered the restaurant, we were greeted by the Snacks & Ice Cream Corner located opposite the waiting area. I didn’t even realize it was there until we were about to leave! My colleagues especially loved the Golden Horn Snack, but I thought both options, including the Crispy Crust, were equally good. And yes, that...
I will continue the habits I began in 2025 and build further on the principles I want to carry with me into 2026 and beyond. I feel good about what I accomplished in 2025, as it has made me more mindful of my choices and the ways my actions can affect me. I must always make myself the priority. If I don’t treat myself well, I can’t truly treat others well either and that’s something I’ve come to realize about myself. And I often felt heavily weighed down by guilt-tripping, obligations and responsibilities toward others, forgetting that I am also obliged to care for myself first.
One of the eight ponds at Oshino Hakkai 忍野八海
RANTINGS
I planned this Christmas-and-birthday trip for my husband and myself early in 2025 because I promised myself that, at least once in our lifetime, we MUST celebrate Christmas and his birthday overseas. Every year, Christmas has always been spent with family, and to be honest, it had become repetitive and an obligation guilt-tripped by my dad especially. It’s always the same routine: Lunch at my uncle’s place, followed by dinner at my sister-in-law’s. It often feels like the focus is on everyone else but us, as if people forget that even without children of our own, my husband and I are one family unit too.
And I used to feel obligated to be at work during end of the year so others could take their leave or head home for Christmas and New Year celebrations. That stops starting in 2025 and moving forward. I now prioritize my work responsibilities by completing what truly matters first and leaving non-urgent tasks until after my holiday or even the New Year. And off I go for my trip, all shut from work emails and calls for a week. It was so good!
Call me SELFISH or whatever you want but that's settled! Me & husband first, others second to last.
Hotel views of Mount Fuji 富士山 in dusk and dawn
WEATHER
For this trip, I intentionally didn’t pack our itinerary with too many places. We planned only two day tours for the entire week in Tokyo, leaving the rest to be decided the night before or even on the day itself. It was meant to be a rest-and-relax holiday. Not really because of the countless stairs to walk within the train stations.
Also, this part of Japan isn’t as cold as I expected and I completely overpacked for the weather. So take my advice: don’t need to overpack if you’re visiting Tokyo in December. While the cold feels like air-conditioning with occasional gusty winds, the temperatures were manageable. Unless you got lucky with snow. There were even moments when I felt uncomfortably warm and started sweating. And during our stay particularly from 23–25 December, the weather shifted between rain and drizzle, so a waterproof jacket is recommended if you don’t like carrying an umbrella like us.
Daibutsu (Great Buddha) of Kamakura 鎌倉
TRANSPORTATION
For this one week holiday, I arranged to stay at two different hotels, specifically choosing ones with airport limousine bus stops. Since there were only two of us, hiring a private car for airport transfers would have been too expensive. I’m really glad I made this choice as it was very convenient, even though the journey from Tokyo to Narita Airport takes about an hour. Another bonus was that the bus had a restroom on board.
Please note that travel time between Narita Airport and Tokyo (both ways) is a little over an hour, while travel between Haneda Airport and Tokyo (both ways) takes about 30 to 40 minutes.
Travelling Between Airport & Hotel: Airport Limousine Bus Click here to book
Boarding the Enoden Train to Kamakura
HOTEL & LUGGAGE SERVICE
I’m extremely happy with my hotel choices, and it felt like Mount Fuji decided to be kind to us this time as it kept showing up throughout the week. We were lucky enough to see Mount Fuji from our hotel rooms at 2 different hotels. I’m truly thankful for the great weather, especially since we went there with no expectations of seeing it at all. Yet, we did. So yes, these two hotels offer Mount Fuji views on clear December days in Tokyo.
I also only recently discovered the luggage delivery service, and it was an absolute blessing for travelers changing hotels like we did. We opted for hotel-to-hotel delivery only, as hotel-to-airport delivery can be a bit complicated. All you need to do is drop your luggage at the hotel bell desk, get an Airporter tag from them, attach it to your luggage handle, and you’re done. Everything must be completed before 9 a.m. local time. Prior to pickup, they’ll send you an email with a link to upload photos of your fully packed luggage (with covers, if applicable) so they can confirm the correct bags. I was very impressed that our luggage arrived at the next hotel well ahead of the stated delivery time. They’ll keep you updated from time to time with photos, all the way through to the completion of delivery at your next hotel. With this service, I can just go ahead with my day without lugging large heavy luggage.
Kamakurakokomae Station for Enoden train experience
DAY TOURS
The two day tours I booked for this trip were through KKDay instead of KLOOK. I wanted to try a different service provider for price comparison, although in the end, the difference was only a few cents to a few dollars. So don't bother compare.
One of the tours was to Kamakura, mainly to see the giant Buddha and to experience the Enoden train. Unfortunately, it was raining on Christmas Eve, which made the trip rather disappointing. I had imagined the Buddha to be set in a more mountainous environment, but it’s actually located in a street-like area. While you can see mountains in the background, it still didn’t feel worth the trip, perhaps it would be better during the cherry blossom season. The Enoden train ride was probably the highlight, especially for fans of the iconic Slam Dunk scene.
As for the Mount Fuji tour, if it’s your first time seeing Mount Fuji, it’s probably worth joining a “Fuji hunt” tour. Otherwise, you can consider skipping it. I likely signed up mainly for the outlet mall visit and because it was my husband’s first time seeing Mount Fuji up close, even though we’ve been to Tokyo before.
Full Video up! Click to watch here Kamakura City Tour highlights.
Although we didn’t plan a packed itinerary, I did have a few places and experiences in mind LIlike vvisiting Christmas markets, finding Christmas illuminations, having KFC Christmas set, visiting the Harry Potter–themed station and the Isetan flagship store, of course, trying as much local Japanese food as possible was his wish.
Honestly, finding shops that are authentically run by Japanese felt surprisingly difficult this time. There seem to be many foreign-owned businesses now, and it’s almost impossible to tell at first since the staff speak fluent Japanese and the shopfronts are so Japanese. You only realize it when you overheard conversations behind the counter. Or perhaps it’s in the way they greet and speak to customers. Based on my one-week experience, the level of politeness felt noticeably different when the staff were not Japanese. Anyway I have unknowingly patronized restaurants and shops run by Chinese and Vietnamese owners, and was also served by Filipino staff. It was quite eye-opening. My husband first noticed this trend when he visited Osaka in 2024. I didn’t realize it at the time, even though I traveled to Tokyo that same year with my parents and aunt. This time, however, it was much more obvious.
This experience felt very different compared to our first visit to Tokyo in 2011. Fourteen years can really change a place. It made me wonder, where have all the real Japanese gone? Click here to read about on low birth rates in Japan on the news.
Neon Light Display at Shinjuku Neon Walk
Click here for Christmas Illuminations from our POV.
ITINERARY
I won’t elaborate further on our itinerary, as we didn’t have a fixed one. I’ll let the photos above and below speak for themselves. Watch out for more videos on my YouTube channel.
Ramen shop just beside Asakusa View Hotel. That thick broth like Lor Mee style.
I absolutely have to mention how grateful I am to have been able to watch a Geisha show arranged by the hotel for its guests. It wasn’t entirely free, as we needed to order at least one drink, but the show itself had no entrance fee. I had wanted to see a sumo show, but it was a bit too pricey, so this was a wonderful alternative. At the very least, I still got to experience a traditional Japanese performance. Thank you, Asakusa View Hotel!
A neat surprise for him onboard the flight
Find out how I pulled off a surprise for my husband onboard our SQ flight home to celebrate his actual birthday. They did so after our dinner onboard. And my husband was about to take a nap. Hahaha... Click here to watch.
Stop for the train passing through at Yoyogi, Shibuya, Tokyo
Random shop in Asakusa
Tokyo Tower in sight on the way from Narita Airport
We totally skipped Tokyo Tower since we had visited it 14 years ago, and we could already see it so clearly on our way from the airport into Tokyo. It saved us an extra trip especially considering Japan’s complicated train system and the countless flights of stairs you have to navigate.
Okay, that’s about it for this post. A super chill trip calls for an equally chill write-up (and some rantings too). Watch out for more videos coming up on my YouTube channel. I’ll try to edit them as fast as I can. さようなら
Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post. All expenses were covered by the writer. All reviews, opinions and thoughts are based on her personal preferences and taste, and do not reflect anyone else's views.
