Outing with Eirfan - Nagoya & Sakae

Feb 14 - 2009

Today is the day that Eirfan experience his first time using the subway. Eirfan & me off to Nagoya Station to met my old friend from high school. ( he also graduated from Japan university ). He is on a business trip to Gifu, and Gifu to Nagoya is about 20 minutes by train. We are going to meet at Nagoya Station's most popular meeting point "The golden clock". From our house we took the Higashiyama Line subway at Higashiyama Koen station, about 20minutes slow walk with Eirfan.

After got the subway ticket we enter to the platform, Eirfan still free of charge and only will be charged when he enters primary school ( 6 years old ). Eirfan was very excited on his subway ride. It took us about 20 minutes to reach Nagoya Station and then we rush to the meeting point. My friend manage to spot us in the crowd at meeting point. Then we when outside the station for some photo shoot and went into Big Camera to see the latest gadgets.After had some window shopping with the latest cameras & all the gears, we headed to Sakae for some sight seeing & lunch. This is also my 1st time to be at Sakae.

A shot with Docomo's advertisement at the platform wall.


Eirfan with uncle Hasrul. He was shy at first but when he get along... there is no space for me hahaha.


Our 2 shot with one of the stone sculpture outside Nagoya Station.


Huge LCD TV at Big Camera.

After we reach to Sakae, we head strait to Oasis 21, one of the main attraction at Sakae. The building itself is very interesting and at the glass roof top of the building is a pool and can see the space below inside the building. From the roof top also can see Nagoya TV Tower, Sunshine Sakae & Central Park. Sakae is a place with a lot of branded shops too. Under the central park is an underground shop lots. After had our meal at one of the Japanese Restaurant at Oasis 21 and bought some toys for Eirfan at Tomica Shop, we headed for central park.

Eirfan was fascinated with the water flew out from the pool


Eirfan & Uncle Hasrul already become good friends.


Even during lunch Eirfan didn't want to sit beside me :P


He got his toy and very happy♪


An interesting view at the underground connection part between Oasis 21 & Central Park's underground shop lots area.


An open area at Central Park.


Three of us with Nagoya TV Tower as the background

We separated with my friend here at Central Park and he went back to Nagoya Station before heading back to Gifu. For me & Eirfan, we are on the other direction from Sakae. Just before heading back home we wander around a little bit more at Central Park. After reached back at Higashiyama Koen Station, Eirfan claimed that he is very tired walking, but he is still very happy with the outing.

Eirfan and the tower


With the big fountain at Central Park

It's Tenpaku Park again

Jan 25 - 2009

We went to this park again and the main agenda is the giant slide of course. This time Yuri also already can ride it on her own. And for Eiqmal, he is on his walking training again here. Finally he can walk on his own now... but still slow and still no so balanced yet. Maybe still difficult for him to walk in the winter outfit.

Finally Yuri is on her own riding the giant slide.

Nothing to say for Eirfan, this is his favorite ride

Another slide at the park

Yuri also become better on her landing at the end of the slide, but she still refuse to ride it alone without his brother.


Eiqmal walks... finally...Yuri was the youngest that walks by the way.


But Eiqmal still walks like a robot.

Trip to Gotenba

Jan 3 & 4 - 2009

As been planned with friends from Keio University ( juniors & senior of my wife during her Degree & Masters ,,, friends from my university are away from Japan that time,, most of them return & work in Malaysia, who remains in Japan also was in Malaysia that time ). Our meeting point with them is at a cottage area an gotenba called Otome Shinrin Park (乙女森林公園第2キャンプ場). It's a camping area & cottages.
It was about 260km journey from our house in Nagoya and we move out for the trip at 6:30 in the morning.

This shot was taken at a near by &-eleven near our house after bought some coffee and tit-bits while driving. Since that new year holiday in Japan is one of the long holiday in a year calendar, a missive traffic jam on the highway also in our mind. Means that even for a 260km trip, it might take a very long time to arrive.
From Nagoya we took the normal road until Toyota city and from there we took the Tomei Expressway. The highway still smooth and less traffic until we reach our first stop at Hamana-ko parking area. The parking was almost full.

Eirfan at Hamana-ko Parking Area.

Hamana-ko(Lake Hamana) is a huge lake just beside the sea and the parking area is located just beside the lake and can see the view towards the lake. The parking area is marked as "A" and the highway is green in colour.


for larger map

After done with the rest, toilet and breakfast, we are back on the road. From here the road start to crowd with cars heading back to Tokyo after the new year holiday.

After entering Shizuoka city, finally can view the highest mountain in Japan. Mount Fuji.

From Shizuoka the road started to move slow... just slow and not as the U-turn jam as I've been experience back in Malaysia during Eid ul-Fitr holiday. It's a lot worse than the jam here in Japan. The only problem during this kind of driving is when need to go to the toilet hahaha....

Finally we reach Gotenba around 4 pm. After followed the map that i've googled + guides from our friends that already arrived at the cottage. All goes well until we missed the entrance turn for the camp side and we end up climbing up the road that connected to Hakone. We went until the top and turned back after reach the toll fare gate to enter the road to hakone hahaha.
But we manage to view mount Fuji from there and stop by the road side to snap some pictures.
Then we managed to arrive to the cottage safely.

A shot after we missed the turn to the cottage area.

This is Luqman (top pic) and his father (of course bottom pic). The last time we met Luqman is when he was still about 2 years old, now he is already 6 and speaks Japanese with his father and Enlish with his mother. His father ( Hirman ) is our senior and he is working at Hitachi factory near Yokohama.

The main agenda of the night, the menu for the dinner are various type of nabe & fried noodles. Eifran also already get along with one of the junior that we first met ( they cane to Japan after we left ).

Eirfan also already get along with our junior's son, Nazran. Nazran is same age as Yuri.

The interior view of one of the cottage. Taken while waiting for the sunrise and hoping to see mount Fuji under the sunshine..but there are too much clouds.

The view of Mount Fuji from the cottage.

No wonder the night was very cold and freezing

Us in front of the cottage with Mt. Fuji as the background

All the members just before check out.

My kids with Mt. Fuji





Eirfan taking Mt. Fuji picture


Just after everyone separated, we stop here for the view of Gotenba & Mt. Fuji, but Yuri & Eiqmal was sleeping and only Eirfan got this shot.


Before returning back to Nagoya, we decided to go for some sight seeing in Gotenba area and we joined with Hirman's family for the event.


Yuri & Eirfan get along with Luqman very well.


As usual Eiqmal can't join his brother & sister yet.

Candid shot while they are amazed with the fountain.

After visiting few places at Gotenba, we decided to head back to Nagoya. Most of the members went to the outlet park here at Gotenba. It's another outlet which under the same company with Toki Outlets. Due to we already went a lot to outlets back in December and assuming the outlet will be very crowed we passed it.

On the way back there was an accident on the highway and we decided to get down from the highway and took the normal road until we passed the accident point and finally arrived to Nagoya just before midnight.

Hoshigaoka Terrace

Dec 23 - 2008

Christmas is just around the corner, means that less time to enjoy the light illumination. This time we went to a nearby shopping area. It's just about 5minutes by car. The place call Hoshigaoka Terrace, it's a shopping area with various type of shops and most are fashion shops. Located just 1 minute walk from Hoshigaoka subway & bus station also giving this place a strategic shopping spot.
Even this place is near to our house, this is the first time we came here.
There are many place to explore but it's very cold.... so we just snap some pictures with the illumination + the X-mas tree then we went inside the shops to get warm.


view larger map

Day & Night view at Hoshigaoka Terrace


All of us with the tree & illumination


Eiqmal was attracted with the balls


All of them after after we bought a boot for Eiqmal at mikihouse and belts for me & my wife at GAP


Additional model for winter sale


Event it's cold but they seems happy