Tokyo, Japan

Ever since I was a kid Japan fascinated me with their bright lights, fun anime, and car culture. Watching Fast and Furious as a teen made me fall in love with JDM cars, and my love for sushi made me want to visit Japan even more! So on the way back home to the United States from Thailand I decided to make a short trip to the biggest city in the world, Tokyo! I landed in the airport absolutely freezing, but excited for the adventures that were coming! It was 102 in Bangkok when I left and 43 in Tokyo when I landed, so I was very grateful to have packed some warm clothes! I got through immigration very late and spent the first night in the Haneda Airport at the Haneda Excel Hotel Tokyu. The staff was super helpful and friendly and the hotel room itself was very Japanese… It took me a few minutes to figure out all the technology and what buttons and switches did what, but the room was super small and it was the first bathtub I’ve seen in a year so I enjoyed a nice soak and had a great night of sleep. I woke up and had a complimentary breakfast while looking out the window at Mount Fuji in the distance! It was absolutely incredible.

After breakfast I got a local SIM card, stored my luggage, and headed down to the infamous subway systems on Tokyo. It was confusing, but I can proudly say I didn’t get lost on the subway my entire time in Japan! If you go, be sure to take the extra time and read the maps, use Google Maps too! The entire time I was there’s Google Maps told me the lines, times, and connections. It was a lifesaver! I made my way to Shinjuku Station and stepped out into a huge crowd of locals. It was almost dizzying how many people were at the station! I wondered down the road looking at the skyscrapers and shops and finally made my way to UNPLAN Shinjuku! This hostel was super cool and a great location if you’re staying in Shinjuku! Be sure to book on Hostel World for the best deals in Tokyo. Japan is pretty expensive and almost all the lodging I found was cheaper on booking websites than the main websites. Unplan was a nice hostel to stay at, but it was definitely not the young and lively crowd that I was used to while traveling in Southeast Asia. Once I got settled I went on a walk to Yoyogi Park to see the Meiji Jingu, a beautiful Shinto Shrine surrounded by beautiful fields, woods and trails. It was so crazy that I was in the biggest city in the world and the park was so quiet and peaceful.

While In was at the shrine I saw some locals shaking a box. A stick comes out with a number and they take a prayer card with words on wisdom on it. It was really cool to watch and naturally I had to give it a try! What I got couldn’t have been more true to me. It read, “ Were we to neglect the completion of a task because it was hard, nothing would be done at all In this human world of ours.” I really felt like this spoke to me about my travels and the anxiety I face sometimes of leaving it all to experience the world. It’s not easy, but the rewards of traveling help me find a sense of accomplishment, and for that I am forever grateful!

Omikuji in Yoyogi Park

After I explored the shrine I headed back into the park and came across the Meiji Jingu Gyoen, a beautiful property with gardens, a pond, an old teahouse and an ancient well. I was in Tokyo in the early spring, so most flowers and trees weren’t in bloom yet, but it was still a beautiful place to walk around and take some pictures!

Afterwards I left the gardens and continued to walk through the park back to a subway station to get back to my hostel and plan for where I was going that evening. The park was absolutely breathtaking and I can’t even imagine what it looks like in the spring when everything is green and blooming!

The highlight of my trip was definitely seeing some cherry blossoms! Even though they don’t usually bloom in early March I was able to see a few trees that had flowers on them! They’re my favorite type of tree and I was hoping I would get lucky. I stopped by the Itokuinari Shrine on my way back to my hostel and got some awesome pictures of the tree and shrine. Luckily this was the first of many early blooms I’ll see on this trip!

I finally got back to my hostel to warm up and recharge my phone. I looked on Google for ideas of what to go do and see for the nightlife and read through my messages with a local urban photographer I found on Instagram Tokyo.Streets.And.Alleyways and came up with a game plan for the night! I rushed out of the hostel and hurried to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building to get up to the observation deck to catch the sunrise and see the city lights come on. This is a free observation deck and the views were incredible! If you want to catch the actual sunset be sure to get there early, there was quite a line and even though they say there’s an hour time limit it’s not really enforced. This deck offers amazing views of the city, clear out to the mountains, and you can even see Tokyo Tower in the distance!

After I watched the sunset I made my way to one of my favorite parts of Tokyo, Shinjuku Golden Gai! This small section of Shinjuku is home to some of the smallest, but coolest bars I’ve ever been to. This place is awesome to take some pictures and meet people! These bars hold a maximum of 10-15 people and are filled with locals and travelers alike sharing stories and enjoying the evening. I wondered through the streets peeking into all the bars until I stumbled upon “Lemon no Ki”. This small bar was full of travelers from Australia, Kazakhstan, Italy, Ireland, and Canada. They were all super inviting and didn’t mind being squeezed into this little bar sharing stories and having drinks with each other. It was so cool learning about each others experiences and plans, what they’ve seen, done, and wanted to do. My favorite part of traveling by far is meeting new people and having those small intimate moments of happiness, there’s nothing better than a good conversation with a complete stranger with a similar mindset. Once everyone started leaving I went to one more bar that was super cool! I hate that I never got the name of the bar, but it’s on the 2nd floor and has a blue guitar on the entrance to the stairs. They had an awesome alternative rock playlist and the bartender was super cool and spoke English really well. I met some guys from California there and left a 20 baht note from Thailand on the wall there as a memento! If I lived in the area this would easily be my go to spot on the weekends.

After bar hopping in Golden Gai I stopped for a delicious late night bowl of ramen at Kyushu Ramen Hakatakko Shinjuku. I’m not a huge ramen guy at all, but I had it every chance I could when I was in Japan and it was better than anything I've ever tasted in the US! It was the perfect meal to warm me up, and sober me up before I headed back to the hostel to call it a night. The gyoza they have was also super delicious, and even better paired with an ice cold Kirin Ichiban!

The next morning I woke up and headed out of town to the sleepy neighborhood of Gotokuji to see the famous Gotokuji Temple and its many cats! This temple was absolutely stunning and the cats were adorable and so cool to see in person. I went to the gift shop to get some post cards and a little cat of my own! I can only imagine how beautiful this place is when the trees are blooming.

After exploring the temple I got back on the train and went across town to Tokyo Station and then wondered around an anime lovers paradise at Akihabara. Now besides Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh I am not a big anime guy at all, but it was still fun wondering around checking out the game stores, arcades, and card shops. There was also a ton of maid cafes but I decided not to try one of these out… I did get my friend some Japanese Pokémon cards though from a legit shop and he absolutely loved them! If you’re into anime this is definitely a place you can wonder and explore for a couple days.

Afterwards I headed back to the hostel to drop off some stuff and recharge my phone. I decided tonight I would head to the famous Shibuya Crossing! If there’s a movie about Tokyo it’s almost guaranteed that they’ll show this famous intersection. Most of you probably know it from the scene of Fast and Furious Tokyo Drift! It was insane how many people were crossing the intersection at a time! Across the street you’ll see a building with a Starbucks. If you go inside there’s plenty of windows to see down on the intersection and take some photos and videos. While you’re there be sure to take a photo with the most beloved dog of all, Hachikō!

Shibuya is such a cool place to wonder around, especially at night when all the lights are on! There’s a lot of places to shop and of course I went and checked out the local Pokémon Center and the Nintendo Store while I was there. They were so cool! I finished my trip to Shibuya by having dinner at Gansozushi. This little sushi shop has freshly made sushi on a conveyor belt in a big oval. It was delicious and even had matcha tea on tap! When I left dinner it had started snowing so I went back to my hostel and got ready for a full day trip to see the famous Mt.Fuji!

I woke up early and got on a bullet train to Hakone with hopes of seeing a view of Mt.Fuji. Little did I know today was going to be one of the most stressful and frustrating days I’ve had in awhile… However, I made the best out of it, had a fantastic time, and experienced one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been. I took a bus from the Hakone-Yumoto Station and got off in Gora pretty much by complete accident. I had absolutely no idea where I was going and was only going off the very limited information given to me any the hostel the night before. I found a cable car going up to Ōwakudani Station which just so happened to be on the top of a volcano! It was so cool to see the view from the top of the mountain and watch the volcanic steam coming up through the rocks and snow. They actually boil eggs in the hot waters of this geothermal park and sell them to the public. I didn’t try them for myself, but it was cool to see! I wanted to attempt to climb a trail up the mountain, but it was closed due to dangerous volcanic gasses.

Ōwakudani Station

Ōwakudani Station

Probably a good thing because I couldn’t see Mt.Fuji from here due to clouds and fog. So I made the decision to descend down to Togendai Station which was on a lake and was absolutely stunning! I talked to a friendly lady and she told me to take a bus all the way to Mt.Fuji Station. This ended up taking nearly two hours and of course when I finally arrived at the deck clouds were still covering the mountain. I felt so defeated.. I went downstairs missed the train back to Tokyo, and was just sitting on a bench staring at my phone when I felt the wind shift. I looked up and sure enough the clouds were starting to part away from the peak! Just long enough for me to grab a couple photos. It was a long day with a lot of emotions, but I was grateful to travel so far and finally get a little view of the mountain! Of course as I was on the train heading back to Tokyo the clouds cleared and I got a quick glance of the mountain as a whole! I definitely plan on coming back and would love to do the pilgrimage to visit the shrines and make it to the top of the volcano!

I got back to the hostel exhausted, but amazed at the beautiful countryside I just explored. I was lucky that I had a late flight later in the evening and planned my last day to explore the famous Tsukiji Outer Market! I went to bed dreaming of all the delicious food I would eat the next day. I got there a little later, around 10:00, and it was absolutely packed! Definitely a lot of long lines, but the food was absolutely incredible. Honestly the best food Ive ever eaten in my life. I started off with a very famous dish in Japan; Unagi! This bbq eel was so flaky and the sauce was caramelized onto the fish. It was served fresh right off the grill and literally fell apart as I picked it up off the plate!

My favorite food to eat is fresh tuna! Luckily when I was visiting Japan the bluefin tuna were running! I met a man who just opened his shop. I was just standing there admiring his cuts of tuna and he showed me the picture of him and that fish the day before, weighing in at 800lbs! I said that was an amazing catch and he continued to show me a variety of amazing fish he’s caught. I pulled out my Instagram and shared some of my own amazing catches over the years and he was equally as impressed. He asked if I would like to try some fatty tuna and I said I would love to! He got me a bowl of rice with 3 different cuts of tuna, some soy sauce and a little wasabi. The first bite of the fatty tuna literally meted in my mouth, it was incredible! It was almost sweet, and the other cuts were so fresh. The soy sauce with the fresh warm rice made the whole dish come together. He asked about it and I said it was incredible, he thanked me and gave me a spoonful of fresh salmon roe as a little bonus. It was salty, but full of flavor as they melted in my mouth. By far the best raw fish I’ve ever had in my life, an experience I’ll never forget!

After some delicious tuna I continued wondering the market until I found waygu steak! I’ve never had it before, but I knew I had to try some! It was one of the best steaks I've ever had in my life. The fattiness of the meat melted in my mouth, so tender and tasteful! Even though it was 10 in the morning I had to wash this steak down with an ice cold Kirin! I feel like this is one of those must try foods when you're in Japan, can’t wait to eat some again one day.

I continued wondering the market walking off that delicious steak and found this dumpling stand with a lot of choices to try. I decided to get 3 different samples to try; shrimp, pork, and squid ink! I was kinda nervous about the squid ink but it tasted pretty good! Really unique taste I don’t think I’ve ever had before.

I decided it was finally time to get some lunch and waited in line for some real authentic Tsukiji Market sushi! This place was tiny, but worth the wait! All of the sushi rolls were made fresh and the miso soup was probably the best I’ve ever had. Lunch wouldn’t have be complete without some delicious matcha tea to wash it down.

In order from left to right: tuna belly, squid, tuna, tuna, snapper, king crab, shrimp, roe, eel, egg, tuna+seaweed

At this point of the day I was getting so full from all the amazing food, but decided to push on and get some desert! I started off by getting some delicious ice cream they called, “silk ice”. They had flavors like vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, caramel, peach, and even black sesame! I was basic and just got the plain vanilla, but it was so rich and creamy! Totally worth it!

As I was finishing my cone I found the famous fish pastries I’ve been seeing online! I ordered one filled with cream and couldn’t wait to dig in! It was so busy though that I had to wait an hour for my pastry! Luckily right next door was this strawberry place called Soratsuki! Fruit can be very expensive in Japan, but luckily their candy coated strawberries were a good price and were definitely a unique treat! Think of the hardness of a candy apple, but then the soft sweetness of a delicate strawberry. My teeth were literally coated in sugar after this, but it was worth it! Afterwards I picked up my pastry which was so warm and creamy! Worth every minute of the wait.

I finished my trip in Tsukiji Market with a cup of hot sake as I walked back to the train. This day was full of the best food I’ve ever eaten. The market was busy, but the people were friendly, and it was definitely worth visiting. If you’re a foodie you HAVE to visit this place on an empty stomach! I’m glad this is the last thing I did in Tokyo, I will never forget it.

While we’re on the topic of food I want to share the best street food I had in Tokyo; Takoyaki! This famous Japanese dish is stuffed with chunks of octopus (tako) with this almost pancake like batter. This batter gets nice and fluffy with a crunchy shell. Finally the dish is topped off with mayo and two other sauces with a sprinkling of bonito flakes. It was easily the best thing I’ve ever tasted in my life. Takoyaki Toraya was the coolest food truck I’ve ever seen and the chef behind the counter is truly a master at work. If you visit Tokyo you have to look him up on Instagram and try it for yourself!

Another really fun place to wonder around and get some good food is Omoide Yokochō. This alleyway is home to some awesome local eats and fun little bars. Some of these are private for locals only, but there’s plenty of options for tourists to check out. Beer, liquor, sushi, bbq, tea, this place has everything! Just wonder around and see what you can find! If you want a guaranteed seat for dinner I suggest you get there early! Most places are open late, but some shops will start to shut down before midnight.

This was one of those trips I wish I had a really good camera. I reached out to Tokyo Streets and Alleyways on Instagram and they were super helpful with some great local tips and spots! Tokyo is such an amazing place to wonder around at night. Be sure to check them out to see some awesome urban photography. I’ll share some of mine below!

There is so much to do in Tokyo, and my trip was far too short to experience it all. However, I had an amazing time exploring this city. Japan has truly captured my heart, and I will come back to do my due diligence and explore the entire country. The food was incredible, the countryside was breathtaking, and the people were so nice and beyond fashionable! If you go, take your time exploring. Give yourself enough time to see it all, try it all, and taste it all! I miss you Japan, cant wait until I come back.