#WhenInJapan: Hotel Emion Tokyo Bay - Review

One place that we spent most of our time in Japan was of course, in the hotel. We stayed at the Hotel Emion Tokyo Bay located in Urayasu City in Chiba Prefecture. The place is an urban style hotel that offers different services according to their guest's preferences. Hotel Emion is a partner hotel of Tokyo Disney Resort so guests can buy tickets in the front desk easily.

Source: Hotel Emion Tokyo Bay website

I was really comfortable during my stay in the hotel. It was very convenient for tourists to stay at this hotel because the place is surrounded with convenience stores and malls nearby. Tourists can also easily travel because its was also near Shin Urayasu Station. The hotel was cozy and it almost felt like home. Hotel Emion have a very accommodating ambiance that makes the guests satisfied and happy. I also liked the huge Christmas tree that welcomes the guest upon entering the hotel.

Our room is a Japanese twin (B type) room that can accommodate six (6) persons. The room includes 3 futon, 2 beds and 1 sofa bed. The bathroom is wide and spacious with separate bathtub and shower on opposite sides and two sink with a wide mirror in the middle. There’s also a separate room for the toilet beside the bathroom. Refer to the right side for the layout of our room. It was the exact look of our hotel room except for the balcony. What I love is not the fancy furniture but the breathtaking view of Tokyo Bay from our hotel room.

My roommates and I were lucky to witness the sun rising in the East from our room. We watched the sun as it slowly wakes up the whole world with its warmth and sunshine. My stay in Japan would be meaningless if I did not see that sunrise. Indeed, it was the most beautiful sun rise I have seen my entire life.

Here are some comments from the other participants of JENESYS 2.0 who also stayed in Hotel Emion Tokyo Bay.

“Pampered. That's what you get from the moment you meet the hotel's representative at the airport until the time you check out for the return flight. And that’s something I really loved about hotel emion. Aside from that they have a very convenient location wherein the mall and train station are just few blocks away from the hotel.”

- Therese Mercado, Group G (IG: @jtmercado)

“Hotel emion offers a cheaper way to have the best parts of Tokyo Bay near you. You can easily go to Disney land or any other part of the city because it's near shin urayasu station.”

- EJ Cortez, Group D (IG: @icecreamfroyo)

“I was actually impressed when I first saw Hotel Emion. Its lobby looks simple yet refreshing to the eyes because of its wide space. The room we stayed in to has a gorgeous view of Tokyo Bay and   the calm neighborhood.  An excellent service and relaxing stay!”

- Christell Dumali, Group E (IG: @christelldumali; Tumblr: christellstheworld.tumblr.com)

“Hotel Emion is one of the five-star hotels in Chiba. The interior design of their hotel rooms are a combination of modern and traditional Japanese "Heya"(room). Their breakfast buffet is superb!”

- Camille Tapia, Group F (IG: @thisismille)

“We stayed at the Hotel Emion near Tokyo bay, the hotel’s really nice and the best part is the VIEW— day and night, it’s just picturesque.”

- Kean Esguerra, Group E (IG: @keanismyname; Tumblr: keanobserver.tumblr.com)

“Hotel Emion will have a special place in my heart. I am particular about the restroom whenever I go abroad and this hotel has a really good one! I highly recommend the hotel for families because of its location and proximity to convenience stores, malls and train station. A must for anyone planning a trip to Tokyo Disneyland or DisneySea.”

- Glenn Ang, Group F (IG: @lespetitgarcons; WordPress: petitboyblogger.wordpress.com)

“The hotel accommodation we had at Emion Hotel was superb. The staff were very friendly, and even the other hotel guests. It seems like the people there always smile a lot. Plus the facilities were well maintained everyday. The buffet service was also great with a variety of menu to choose from appetizers to beverages.”

- Karisse Ramosos, Group E (IG: @kelramoso)

“I love the simplicity of Hotel Emion. It's ambience made me feel relax and at home. The amenities are modern that conduce for its convenience, comfort and enjoyment.”

- Regine de Ocampo, Group D (IG: yijindeocampo)

As for me, my stay in the hotel was relaxing. The hotel met my standards and the staff were nice and friendly. For those who are planning a trip to Japan in the future, I recommend that you book your accommodations at the Hotel Emion Tokyo Bay if you want to experience good service and have a good view of Tokyo Bay. Plus, you'll have an easy ride on your way to any Disney Resorts because they offer shuttle bus rides from the hotel to the resort. Other facilities the hotel offer also includes Disney Fantasy (Disney shopping store), SPA, convenience store (Family Mart), coin-operated laundry and Wi-Fi.

For inquiries and reservation:

HOTEL EMION TOKYO BAY

1-1-1 Hinode Urayasu-shi, Chiba, 279-0013, Japan

81(47)304-2727

www.hotel-emion.jp

  

#WhenInJapan: ASAKUSA 浅草

My second day in Japan started when we went to Asakusa (浅草). Asakusa is one of the most popular historical places in Japan. It was the leading tourist spot in Tokyo since the Edo period and it still haven't changed since then. Asakusa is where the historical past of Japan lies within. Visitors can experience some of the traditional festivities including the Sanja Matsuri festival in May. Sanja Matsuri or Sanja Festival is the third biggest festival that is being celebrated in Asakusa district every year.

The main attraction in Asakusa is the traditional Sensoji Temple also known as Asakusa Kannon. It was the oldest Buddhist temple in Tokyo where people pray for good luck and fortune. Visitors can also shop in a 250 meter long shopping street called Nakamise while enjoying the beautiful sceneries of Asakusa. We can also see the Tokyo Skytree (Japan's tallest tower) up close from Asakusa.

Asakusa, for me, is one of the most beautiful places I've gone my whole life. It was the place where I took a glimpse of the old and traditional Japan. I recommend those who haven't been to Asakusa to go there and experience old Japan. I think its best to go there in May for the Sanja Matsuri festival and enjoy the cherry blossoms. Asakusa is definitely a must visit place in Japan!

#WhenInJapan: DAY 1

1 Dec 2014, day one in Japan. As I have said in my previous post, I joined a program called JENESYS 2.0 and was one of the lucky 111 participants chosen out of the many applicants nationwide. As a delegate, we are called Ambassadors of Goodwill in Japan. We have to promote and share the things we have learned and experienced in Japan to the global youth.

When I arrived at the airport, I got confused where the entrance was because when I went to Hong Kong the entrance of NAIA terminal 1 is on the left side and now it’s on the right side. I was actually surprised when I entered the terminal because a lot of improvements have been done in just a few months. Terminal 1 became more spacious and there are enough seats for the waiting passengers in the lounge compared to the crowded, warm terminal 1, seven months ago.

Our flight is scheduled at 9:55 am via Japan Airlines. Its is the best flight I've experienced so far. I had a comfortable flight going to Japan. I must commend the staffs and crew for the service they've provided us, passengers. They were courteous and friendly too. I also liked the food they served us during our flight. They served us Japanese meal with miso soup, tamago egg, soba noodles, fruits and Haagen Dazz ice cream.

Moving on, we have finally arrived in Narita International Airport at around 3:05 pm. Hello Japan! Most of us can't contain the excitement we are feeling as we immediately took pictures as we alighted the plane. We took pictures everywhere else as if its our last day in Japan! Kidding, I'm just exaggerating. Anyway, we got to immigration and get our luggage after.

We then met the representatives from Japan International Cooperation Center (JICE), organizer of JENESYS 2.0, to guide us briefly. The 111 participants from the Philippines were divided into 4 groups of D, E, F and G because groups A, B and C came from India. I was assigned to be a part of group E. Some of my friends were also assigned in group E so I predicted to have a good time while in Japan. The representatives also distributed our IDs and bag tags.

It was warm inside the airport because the heater is turned on so I was only wearing one layer of shirt. As I was about to go outside the airport, the staff assisting us inside almost freaked out when she saw me going out. I asked my friend what’s the matter she told me that the staff saw me wearing t-shirt only and its really very cold outside. Oh yeah! I almost forgot to wear my coat and cardigan. Haha! We’re finally outside the airport and its freezing cold! There’s smoke coming out of our breath! I had to put on my scarf, gloves and beanie because the winter air is no joke! Oh the joy of experiencing the first winter of our lives, priceless! [Hahaha]

We met Sone-san, our tour guide in the bus. She is also one of the representatives from JICE who will guide us around Japan. We stayed at the Hotel Emion Tokyo Bay in Chiba Prefecture and I will talk more about it in one of my future posts. Group E, by the way, is designated to be in Chiba Prefecture for the rest of our stay in Japan so we don't have to transfer hotels except for the homestay part. When we arrived at the hotel, we just settled in our room and had dinner in a mall (Daiei) nearby.

We only walked going to Daiei from our hotel. Man, its really cold! I checked the temperature on my phone and its 9 degrees outside. It is so far the coldest temperature I have ever experienced. My friends and I were having a good time while walking. I also got to observe what Japan is like which I will again be talking about in my future posts. Anyway, we had a good laugh about our first winter night but the cold as I have said is no joke and we needed heat. Good thing that buildings and establishments in Japan have heater or else we will be freezing. The rest of the night is free after dinner but we have a curfew until 10:00 pm. We also went to Daiso, a ¥100 shop (¥108 including tax) just like what we have in the Philippines. The only difference is that Daiso in Japan is much cheaper compared to Daiso in the Philippines because if we convert ¥108 to peso, it only cost 42 php.

Convenience store is literally everywhere in Japan. I think there are 2 or more convenience stores near our hotel and there is also one (Family Mart) inside Hotel Emion. Our supervisor in group E decided to stop by at 7 11 before heading back at the hotel to buy water and other goods. Unfortunately, when I was about to get water from the refrigerator, it was sold out already. Is water not abundant in Japan or my group mates and supervisors just hoarded them? Haha! So, my friends and I decided to stop by at Family Mart that is outside Hotel Emion to buy water there instead. We then went back to our hotel after.

Day 1 in Japan just passed by like that. I have many realizations while I was observing around and so I decided to divide my posts into parts like place, people, food, education, etc. so I can elaborate more about my experience. This post is not even 1/8 of my Japan experience. I just wanted to share the experiences I had that day. You know, to complete my travel diary. Haha. My next post will be about the Asakusa Shrine in Tokyo.

#WhenInJapan: PROLOGUE

Looking back these past few years and months, I wasn't really that interested in visiting Japan any time sooner until I discovered a program called the “JENESYS 2.0”. It is a youth exchange program between Japan and its ASEAN member countries which aims to revitalize their economy and to promote global understanding on Japanese values.

My family and friends know that the country I have always wanted to visit is South Korea. When I learned about JENESYS 2.0, I thought to myself “Why not give it a try, it’s free anyway and I always wanted to travel and explore new places.” So I decided to apply, I sent out my resume and other requirements needed and hope to be accepted. I passed the pre-screening and was invited for a panel interview. I then realized how I really wanted to take part in this program as it could help me grow and serve as an eye-opener for me to a whole different world.

On the 31st of October at around 9:30 in the evening, I received an email saying that I have qualified to join the program. I was so happy that I screamed my heart out causing my mom to enter my room and check on me. Some of my friends also applied and got accepted which excites me even more!

Fast forward to December 1, the day of my flight to Japan, a whole different world awaits me. I can’t wait to share the wonderful things I have experienced. After I got back from my trip, I was like "I LOVE JAPAN! I LOVE JAPAN!". [HAHA] I must say that my trip to Japan has turned the tables upside down and I would love to come back again and again. Nine days of total Japanese experience is not enough ‘ya know!

I will be using “#WhenInJapan” as a main title for my future blog posts about my trip and I will most likely blog about some of the places we’ve visited, the people, food, education and many more. You can look forward to my blog posts about Japan after Christmas.

I'm Back!

I'm back from my trip in Japan [also back to blogging after my busy sched in school] and I will be posting about my nine-day long stay there in the next couple of weeks or months because we are required to share it in a span of 6 months. I know, its too long. I don't get it either. In the mean time, I'll share this scenic view of Tokyo Bay from the top of Mt. Nokogiriyama.

The Itazura Na Kiss Franchise

OMG OMG OMG! I just found out that Mischievous Kiss: Love in Tokyo will have its second season! My heart literally jumped from the excitement I’m feeling right now! I can’t believe I have just found out about it when I’m Itazura Na Kiss franchise’s [self-proclaimed] biggest fan! It so happened when I was searching online if a new episode of 2 Days and 1 Night and Running Man have been uploaded. Guess what? I happen to find “Itazura Na Kiss Love in Tokyo 2” in the recently added series section. The moment I saw that, I was like “What?! For real?!” I was so happy I have to write a blog about it! Haha

Itazura Na Kiss is a manga series written by the late Ms. Kaoru Tada. It is a romantic comedy story about a high school girl named Aihara Kotoko who is madly in love with genius Irie Naoki. Kotoko fell in love at first sight with Naoki and decided to confess her 2 year one-sided love for him. Naoki, who has a cold personality, ignored Kotoko’s love letter. Destiny has been really playful; Kotoko’s house is struck by a mild earth quake and collapsed.  While their house is being reconstructed, Kotoko and her father will temporarily stay at her father’s best friend’s house which is the Irie household! Kotoko finally had a chance to get closer with Naoki and cheers for him when he needed support. They had a rollercoaster ride-like relationship from then on. Naoki eventually falls for Kotoko, they got married and the story continues. Unfortunately, the story was never completed due to the tragic death of the author.

The Itazura Na Kiss Live-Action and Anime Franchise

The Itazura Na Kiss (INK) series already has four live action and one anime adaptation of the story. The first adaptation released in Japan was in 1996 with the same title starring Kashiwabara Takashi and Aiko Sato with only 9 episodes. The 1996 version did not cover Naoki and Kotoko’s married life. 

In 2005, INK was second adapted in Taiwan with It Started with a Kiss as its working title with 30 episodes. Joe Cheng and Ariel Lin portrayed the characters as Jiang Zhi Shu (Irie Naoki) and Yuan Xiang Qin (Aihara Kotoko) respectively. It Started with a Kiss was then followed by its sequel They Kiss Again in 2007 with 20 episodes.

An anime version of the manga was then produced in 2008 with the same title (INK). It contains 25 episodes and the plot strictly followed the storyline of the manga. In the anime adaptation, Naoki and Kotoko had a child named Kotomi which is not written in the manga. It was revealed that it was the intended ending of the late author for the manga according to her husband.

A South Korean remake titled Playful Kiss was then starred by Kim Hyun Joong as Baek Seung Jo and Jung So Min as Oh Ha Ni. Playful Kiss is the third live-action adaptation in 2010 with 16 episodes. A special edition covering the protagonists married life was then released the same year on YouTube with seven 10-minute long “webisodes”.

The most recent live-action version of INK was released on March of 2013. The working title, as I have said earlier is, Mischievous Kiss: Love in Tokyo with Yuki Furukawa and Honoka Miki as the lead roles. Mischievous Kiss was the second live-action adaptation of INK in Japan with 16 episodes. The 1996 stars of INK made cameo appearances on the 10th (Aiko Sato) and 15th (Kashiwabara Takashi) episodes of Mischievous Kiss.

I have watched all four adaptations of the story including the anime. Take note: ALL Itazura Na Kiss franchise! I even read the manga itself! That’s how addicted I was in the story. In fact, I dreamed of producing a Filipino version of the story once I became successful in the business. [I’m a media student ‘ya know!] I even have a storyline and script for it already! [No kidding!] I like all 5 versions including the anime but my personal favorite among the 4 live-action adaptations are It Started with a Kiss (Taiwan) and Mischievous Kiss: Love in Tokyo (Japan).

Anyway, a special episode titled Mischievous Kiss: Love in Okinawa was aired last Friday, September 12, 2014 featuring Naoki and Kotoko’s honeymoon. I was so “kinikilig” the whole time I was watching it! I especially love the scene when Naoki called Kotoko “honey” while she was fast asleep. Kotoko sleep talked saying “Irie-kun… I love you…” and Naoki smiled nonchalantly. Squee!! My heart just melted! :”> I wish I could continue watching it but it’s just a special episode. I still have to wait for at least 2 months before the second season airs.

Snapshots from my favorite scene (Love in Okinawa)

Mischievous Kiss: Love in Tokyo 2 will officially air on November 24, 2014 in Japan.

Mischievous Kiss: Love in Tokyo 2

Kapamilya Intern

I started my internship last May 12 in ABS-CBN Corporation. I was part of Project 222 where media students have been gathered to experience the best training program the company has to offer. I think that program was the best way for me to experience what it’s like to be a media practitioner in the real world. We are given the opportunity to explore different fields such as TV Production, Creative Writing and Digital Media Development (DMD).

Director's Room "System"

 The first part of the program is our immersion for TV Productions. I was deployed at the popular before noon drama Be Careful with My Heart starring Jodi St Maria and Richard Yap. In the 6-day immersion, I get to experience shooting a “sitummercial” or widely known as situation commercial wherein some of the characters in the said drama are featured in a product’s commercial. I get to experience the actual shooting from 4:00 am to 2:00 am. I also handled the CF cards, artist’s attendance, script reading, and I assisted Ate Panying, assistant director of Be Careful with My Heart. One of the coolest thing was I was one of the lucky [two] interns to enter the director’s room called the system. Sam [my co-intern] and I get to watch the whole process of shooting inside the system. I was really thankful to be an intern of this show because everything that I learned from my TV Productions class, I experienced it all in this show. I experienced all pre-production, the production itself and post-production. It was really cool! Plus, other production staffs are really friendly and nice so we are able to cope up with them easily. Be Careful with My Heart is my favorite Kapamilya drama. I just have to say that the immersion was really tiring to the point that my nose already bled but I will NEVER forget that experience. It was a learning process for me to adjust step-by-step into the media world.

Second part of our training is most likely one of the things that interests me the most; that is creative writing! We first had a seminar with the writing legend Mr. Ricky Lee [yeah, it was such an honor meeting him.] Later, he told us to come up with a concept that is most likely to be produced by ABS-CBN. Luckily, he liked the concept that we created and we just have to develop the plot of the story. The week long, we wrote the story line, established characters and of course we have to come up with a good ending. We pitched our concept idea to our mentors and they liked it.

The last part of the training is the Digital Media Development (DMD). Due to the rise of modern technology in our generation, we are asked to come up with a new app invention that can be part of the ABS-CBN mobile. Again, we pitched our ideas to our mentors but I think they didn’t like our ideas that much. I think I spent my whole energy, dedication and passion in the immersion and creative writing part. Haha!

Project 222 Graduation Rites (June 4, 2014)

If ever there’s an opportunity for me to return back in ABS-CBN, I’ll surely grab it! Because being a Kapamilya intern is the best way to experience the world of media. They made sure that we are firmly trained to be the best media practitioners in the future. I’ll forever thank the company for such a wonderful opportunity to work with the people I have encountered. ABS-CBN really did put so much effort in organizing our internship. At the end of Project 222, we are provided with a mini “graduation” ceremony. We are given certificates and awards for participating in the program. I am thankful to have met my co-interns who helped me get through this intensive internship program. I'm also honored to have met Direk Lauren Dyogi and Tita Cory Vidanes during our graduation ceremony. Project 222 became my training ground in the media industry and I’m really blessed to be a part of it.

My OJT memories: