Japan VI - Ramdom pics

This will be the last post for the trip to Japan... ending off with random pictures. 

MX's favourite thing to do in Japan was checking out the vast array of vending machines.  She loves loves loves dropping in the coins, selecting a drink and then picking it up from the machine.  Seems like she enjoyed the process of buying from a vending machine more than the beverages.

MX and Shann at the Hachiko statue at the Shibya station.  When MX saw the statue, she ran around it excitedly and pretended that she was a pooch herself.  She made Shann pose with her 'paws' for the picture.  Good job, Hachiko!  Coz it is really a feat getting MX to smile for photos.  And Hachiko managed to do it without even blinking. 

Here's us having a hotpot dinner on New Year's Eve :) 

The kids posing with their "paws" once again before heading to the Yoyogi Park.

 Here's some pictures of MX and me.  I am hardly in front of the camera.  So, I am glad to have these pictures as keepsake :) 

I got Andrew and MX to quickly turn around as we were crossing the busiest crossing in the world - everyone scrambles to cross the roads in many different directions.  The Starbucks that is located at the junction of the crossing is always packed with people enjoying a cuppa while watching the mad scramble from above, whenever the lights turn green. 

We didn't drive near to the famous Mt. Fuji but we managed to catch a glimpse of the magnificent volcano while at the Gotemba outlets.  

Japan V - Meiji Shrine

We took MX to the Meiji Shrine on New Year's Eve.  Japanese love to visit shrines on New Year's Day itself but we weren't prepared to brave the crowd so we went a day earlier.

MX cleaning up ... washing her hands and rinsing her mouth at the cleansing station of the shrine.

Andrew's turn :) 

Andrew looks really happy with the three kids sitting on his lap hehee....

After the shrine, we headed to Shinjuku and we walked for the longest time and how did we manage to get MX to walk along with us without complains?  A candied apple! Yes! The candy did the trick :) It got her walking for hours without any whining :) 

Japan IV - Yokohama Zoorasia Zoo

Other than seeing the Onsen Monkeys of Habuka, the trip to the Yokohama Zoo was my favourite. 

I was as excited as MX, checking out all the furries in the zoo.

Did not manage to get much nice shots of the animals coz I forgot to bring along my zoom lens.

Love this stretching pic of this lioness.  We even heard her roar and it was deafening!  Great base note :)

Hmmm... could MX's fondest memory of the zoo trip be this of the Glico ice cream treat that she and her cousins had?  I think it could just be.  Coz she keeps relating this "ice cream vending machine" tale to people who asked her what was it that she liked about Japan.  

Took some pics of the kids before we exited the zoo.  Look!  MX is levitating! 

Japan III - Snow monkeys of Habuka

The day before we left for Tokyo, we rented a car to visit the Onsen Monkeys of Habuka. 

Here's the path and route that takes us about 20 - 25mins to get to where the decadent monkeys soak in the natural outdoor hot spring. 

Winding and slow laden path.

 This was the inn that was previously in operation until the owner decided to close it and convert this place into a monkey park. 

This guy was perched on a slab of stone in the middle of the hot spring... 

I caught this little one as it emerged from the hot spring.

This zen master should be the alpha male ... he's the biggest and the rest of the monkeys seem frightful of him.