Backdate: Japan Tokyo Dec 2018 Day 11

21/12/18 Fri: Planned to visit Asakusa today~ There is a famous century old Soba place called Namiki Yabusoba, and we actually were the first in queue in the morning! *Ouch my left eye was still red and swollen due to the lack of proper sleep I reckon…* 

We sat down beside an American couple, and chatted a little about their travel in Japan. I ordered the Tenzaru (buckwheat noodles with shrimp, 1800￥), while he had the Kamo-Nanban (soba with sliced duck meat, meatball and Japanese green onion, 1900￥). 

The man from North Carolina sitting beside us had Yamakake Soba, which had freshly-grated mountain potato in it woo. Anyway, I enjoyed my Tenzaru, but I found Kamo-Nanban’s soup a bit too salty.

After a hearty breakfast, we started to walk to Yumenoya for our “Samurai training experience” which I came across online. *我一直都梦想着要“耍帅”啦哈哈！* The place was a little discreet. We walked into a random shop in the area, and the lady told us to go through the back door up to the second floor to find them. *Costed us 9000￥ each to walk in and experience this 1-hour Samurai training + photos and videos in a CD package.*

Saw a lady assistant upstairs, and she began to dress us up in our preferred samurai outfit (the top I wore could be a kimono too~). Our “Sensei” walked over soon after too, and he also took some portrait shots for us after we were dressed up. *Potato suit the look! I tried my best to look cool but however… keke.*

After which, we were led down to a room in the basement where we began our Samurai training. Sensei (I forgot his name oops~) is a qualified Samurai disciple of some great Samurai master in Japan, and so he went through the ceremonial moves, and simple attack and defense moves which we had to learn while wielding the wooden Katana. 

We went through a few rounds of practice under Sensei’s recording, we also did sparring in which we took turn to “win” and “lose” haha~ *Sensei is a teacher cum photographer cum cameraman cum choreographer lol.* It was fun, though I wasn’t all confident when it came to memorizing the moves, and I was so worried I’d NG a lot during the filming, but phew it was almost “一刀未减” haha! *Videos are on my Facebook haha!* 

Had some melon pan after training, and we walked to Sensoji temple. *I got a bad签which I then tied to one of the wooden racks and left it there.* We’d passed by Nakamise Dori Shopping street too… filled with lots of tidbits and snacks stall. Potato also tried and bought a green tea mochi snack for me while I was in the toilet, from Sa Wa Wa which was just outside Sensoji temple… yummy! I also bought a box of green tea biscuits for 1500￥which was one of the best snacks I got from Japan!

Proceeded to Asakusa Don Quijote to buy ramen and Birin etc to be brought back to Singapore haha. 

We came back to nearby Ian’s neighbourhood to have dinner at CoCo Ichiban. I was greedy and ordered the one with three types of pork meat. When it came and I saw the huge portion, man did I regret it! The meat were nice but I couldn’t finish the rice.

Two of us followed Ian and his colleague to a nearby bar for some beer and chicken later on. We waited for more than 45 minutes for a half-chicken we ordered, but it tasted not bad honestly. Still, their service standard was considered bad in Japan already, judging from Ian’s reaction haha.