Jake and I just got back from two days in Tokyo and let me tell you - we are completely and utterly obsessed with Japan! From the bustling streets of Shibuya to the serene temples of Asakusa, this vibrant city stole our hearts faster than you can say "arigato gozaimasu." So grab your chopsticks and get ready to dive into our adventure through the Land of the Rising Sun - trust us, you won't want to miss a single moment. I hope this post inspires your itinerary to Tokyo too!
Day 1: Asakusa Delights
Our Tokyo adventure began in the Asakusa "neighborhood" in Tokyo. I chose this section of Tokyo as it seemed to occupy both historical sites as well as easy access to other parts of Tokyo. The Asakusa subway station was literally a 5 minute walk from our hotel! We stayed in the Asakusa Gate Hotel. It's nestled in the heart of the historic Asakusa district. The staff was very accomodating and very patient with our lack of Japanese language. I loved the minimalist decor and our room was a big and cozy place to crash into later that night after being awake for over 20+ hours 😵💫.
Our first public transportation experience in Japan
After checking into the hotel, we decided to check out the Sensoji Temple (briefly) on the way to the chikatetsu (subway) station. Jake was fortunate enough to have a Suica transit card on his phone in his apple wallet. But I was unable to download it and had to buy physical printed tickets from the machines in the stations during our stay in Tokyo. Thankfully I was able to get a transit card in Kyoto Station when we arrived there in a few days but I digress.
Which brings me to my first PRO TIP: Purchase a Suica or ICORA transit card at the airport before you do ANYTHING else. It will save you a lot of time and getting lost in the subway stations lol. But it honestly wasn't the worst thing having to buy the physical printed ticket... it just added another step whereas the transit cards makes everything contactless and seamless to get on and off
Shibuya Crossing
Pretty much my number 1 thing I wanted to see was the Shibuya Crossing. I remember it getting crowded and Jake saying "wow! there's so many people!" and I am looking at the REAL crossing in the distance and saying"no... THAT's a lot of people!" and we were both 😱. Shibuya Crossing is one of the busiest pedestrian crossings in the world. Amid the sea of we people, we captured the moment as the lights turned green and everyone surged forward!
We then explored the area and found stores galore, yummy smelling food shops, and these gaming vending machines that ended up being EVERYWHERE we went in Japan.
The FOOD: OH EM GEE the FOOD. Was simply the best we ever had. I said it. We are always nervous when in a different country ordering food because we want to be respectful and know it's never guaranteed that they speak english. But we were STARVING and found an oden shop still open. (Apparently most places shut down at 8PM FYI). Oden is like a slow simmered broth with varrious ingredients such as fish cakes, tofu, beef tendon, and pork belly. It's basically a Japanese comfort food for chilly nights.
7-11
Yes. 7-11. If you haven't heard that 7-11's are a THING in Japan then go look it up on Youtube or Insta and come back and you will understand. They are AMAZING. Fresh foods, robotic smoothie machines, the best steamed buns, and deserts. You bet we bought a variety to sample! We loved the chocolate rusks, jerky, and the smoothies were worth the hype!
Day 2: Senso-Ji Food Tour, Tokyo Skytree, and all the nerdy things.
The next morning we woke up and ate breakfast at the hotel. They served French-inspired western food! So we munched on croissants with local honey and had some tea.
We took the morning slow since we had an AirBnB tour right across the street from us in the Senso-Ji temple area. You KNOW we love the AirBnB experiences right?! 😉 we took tours with them in Rome and in Venice too!
We met up with our tour guide in front of one the more hidden gem sushi places in Asakusa. It was one of those neat sushi on a conveyor belt places and they had the BEST sushi of my LIFE. The shop is called Hinatomaru and they don't have a website but you should add it to the list and get there EARLY as there will be a line! We then tried mochi, taiyaki, gelato (mine had cherry blossom essence 🌸), and some cold soba noodles with sake! Our tastebuds were BLOWN away. I would say after experiencing three food tours now, that when you visit a new country or area that should be on the list! It's a great opportunity to witness the proper way to order things and meet new friends!
After the food tour we headed to the Tokyo Skytree!
Tokyo Skytree
Did you know that Tokyo Skytree is basically the most GINORMOUS MALL I have ever been in?!?! Like 12 floors. We went there to check out this amazing Studio Ghibili (Donguri Republic)store and a Pokemon Center. (Told you this was nerd day ;))
We popped in at a coffee place in the Skytree after some shopping (the BOOKSTORES are drool-worthy and it was a BLESSING I couldn't buy all the things). But guys... the coffee in Japan. I had no idea... that it is the BEST coffee I have ever had. I know... I know... I was just as shocked with this realization. But Japan gets 10 stars for coffee. ☕️
I am a huge Tototoro fan so I was geeking out a tad in this store. 😁
Akihabara
By the time we left the Skytree it was beginning to become late afternoon and we headed to the anime capital of the world. Akihabara. We wandered through colorful streets, exploring quirky shops filled with manga, figurines, and collectibles. From Mandarake to Animate, we immersed ourselves in the world of Japanese pop culture.
Due to getting lost in the subway station and trying to find the OTHER Pokemon Center first we didn't end up on the main area of Akihabara until 8PM which meant a lot of places were already closed.
I was on a MISSION to find Bleach anime merch. My youngest brother requested only one thing and it was his bday so I searched HIGH and LOW for it. Unfortunately, in Japan they don't really have nostalgic anime things for sale. They only feature the new and popular so I even didn't see one Sailor Moon item for sale :(. I did find a Bleach comic book BUT it was in Kyoto and not in Akihabara.
And our final eat of the night? A MOS Burger. Jake deserved it after being brave and eating sushi earlier ;).
The next morning we made our way to Tokyo Station (it's where the famous Character Street lives).
We picked up a few things then boarded our first Skinkansen (bullet train)🚅. I HIGHLY recommend paying a little more for reserving oversized luggage space. There is a space in the back of each train car to store large pieces of luggage.
Another pro tip! Don’t forget to pick up a bento (boxed lunch) before you board! You are not allowed to eat on any other public transit in Japan but on a bullet train it’s encouraged!
When planning your trip to Tokyo, consider flying into Haneda Airport instead of Narita Airport. While Narita handles most international flights to Japan, it's actually located in Chiba prefecture, about 60 km away from central Tokyo. Transportation from Narita to downtown Tokyo takes around 1.5 hours. In contrast, Haneda Airport is only 15 km from the city center, and a 30-minute train ride will take you straight there. Choose Haneda if possible to save time and hassle.
One fantastic thing about Japan is they take their public transportation systems seriously. For us, we booked a taxi service to pick us up at Haneda airport. But there are literally bus stations and they are very clean and SO efficient! We were shocked at the timeliness and how easy things were to navigate. I referenced “getting lost” earlier in the post but that’s more due to me trying to find the correct ticket printing machine! Also use Apple Maps! It had the best up to date info on public transport!
Purchase a **Pasmo** or **Suica** card upon arrival. These prepaid cards allow you to use all trains, subways, and buses in Tokyo. You can even make small purchases in convenience stores and vending machines with them. Pasmo cards are available at subway stations, while Suica cards are sold at JR EAST stations. Both cards cost as little as 1000 yen and can be topped up as needed.
While Japan as a whole is on the cheaper side for a developed country, Tokyo is a bit pricier than the other cities. But there are ways to stay budget friendly! We chose to walk or use public transit, checkout convenience stores for cheap and tasty meals, street vendors also offer cheaper food options, and some of the main sites are FREE. Tokyo Skytree - free. Shibuya Crossing- Free. Senso-Ji Temple- free.
of Japanese culture?
while I still have lots to learn, I tried to learn as much as I could before our trip!
Here are my top things:
- Be QUIET. Especially on public transit. It is considered rude to speak loudly or at all. Also no talking on your phone while on the train.
- A lot of Japanese people are shy. Be patient and kind and they do not like to tell you “no”. But if they are hesitant or acting uncomfortable just say “Arigato” and move on. 🙂
- For dining etiquette I found this website to be VERY helpful and her recipes are OISHI (tasty).
https://www.justonecookbook.com/japanese-dining-etiquette-guide/
yes. Yes you will.
While most people in Tokyo speak some English, I HIGHLY recommend (out of kindness) to learn as much as you can. I used the Duolingo app to help me and I felt like it did a really good job! I used a lot of the key phrases and it feels pretty cool to know some Japanese!
Helpful Phrases:
I would like this please - Kore o kudasai.
Thank you - Arigato
Thank you very much - Arigato gozaimasu
Hello - konnichiwa
Bye - byebye!
Excuse me - sumimasen
Excuse me, do you speak English? Sumimasen, eigo o hanasemasu ka?
Stefani A. Smith says
Wow, this all sounds amazing!!