tokyo
Five days flew by in Tokyo, and I feel like we only saw 0.1% of the city. We are returning at the end of our time in Japan and have already saved more restaurants and new areas to try.
For this stay, we were a little outside the main city center in Asakusa, which I highly recommend. Truthfully, not much research was put into staying in the area. After a quick Google search for pleasant and cheap hostels in Tokyo, I was sold once I found one with an onsen (Japanese hot spring) and a sauna. Asakusa was an added bonus. It turns out we were also a 2-minute walk from Senso-ji, the oldest and most visited temple in Japan. It was quite touristy, but it had smaller crowds and was large enough that we could’ve spent the whole 5 days there. The Hotel + Hostel in Asakusa was quiet, but we met some lovely people, and it set the bar high for my first hostel stay. My parents would be surprised to hear how clean and nice it was for $25 a night.
Our first day was cold and rainy/snowy, but it didn’t stop us from exploring the area after putting on every warm layer of clothing I brought. Still foggy from jet lag after waking up at 4 AM, a 7-Eleven breakfast and quick coffee nearby were in order. We then headed down to the river to walk and plan our day. We walked all around Asakusa and headed for the crowded Senso-ji temple. After paying our respects and window shopping, my fingers were frozen, so we went to get a sweet treat. By then, it was only 9:30 AM, so we made a plan for lunch and went back to the hostel to warm up. Lunch was spectacular, thanks to Tristan. We rode the train for 1.5 hours west to a small ramen shop where you order from a machine in Japanese. We crossed our fingers that we pressed the right buttons and were not disappointed when our steaming bowls of noodles appeared. With our bellies full, we went into Shimokitazawa for thrift shopping and walked the blocks bundled up with our umbrellas as it started snowing. We ate dinner in Asakusa and turned in early after a long day of walking.
We designated our second day for Shibuya and Shinjuku, the bubbling city centers in Tokyo filled with skyscrapers, shopping, Godzilla, Meiji Jingu shrine, and honestly, too many shops to count. We headed straight for the shrine and the park, which was my favorite part of my last trip to Tokyo (shoutout Johnny). You walk through a canopy of trees with birds singing overhead, setting a very tranquil atmosphere, to the main shrine. This morning, monks were chanting beautiful prayers as we walked around and drew “omikuji,” which are fortunes written on slips of paper. The rest of the day, we finished our walk from Shinjuku to the bottom of Shibuya and had conveyor belt sushi. It was time for another visit to the onsen and to rest up for our travels to Mount Fuji in the morning.
We really lucked out with the weather this Friday to visit Mount Fuji. It was the only clear day of the week, and the views were unmatched. The mountain seemed to almost glow with its snowcapped peak. Waking up at 5 AM, we headed for the train station to figure out our best route to Fujikawaguchiko. All JR lines and buses were full for the day, so we took four local trains and made our way to the mountain. We were ravenous when we finally arrived at 11 AM and ate hoto, a famous noodle soup, directly outside the train station. Then we explored the area with our cameras and soaked in our first rays of sunshine. It was truly breathtaking, and hopefully, on my next trip here, I will be able to hike it.
For our last full day in Tokyo, we headed to the Imperial Palace for a free walking tour. This was one major tourist stop I didn’t make on my last trip, and we were both curious to see some historical sites. After waiting in line for two hours, our tour began with 300 other foreigners. It was pretty underwhelming, and they don’t let you leave until the tour is over. I’m glad we got to walk around the area, but this is not something I would recommend for travelers. Next, we went into a coffee and tea shop in Asakusa called Ine Coffee Gallery, with a record player and cozy vibes. The woman running the shop was so sweet, and I could’ve stayed all day enjoying my seasonal tea. After a quick dinner, we wanted to go out for a drink and stumbled into a tourist bar called “Not Suspicious,” where we met some fellow Americans, Italians, Germans, and Japanese travelers.
My lesson from traveling this week is to just trust your gut and put your phone down when finding restaurants, bars, and sites. It’s the little things that make traveling wonderful, and it’s hard to catch yourself off guard when you always have a plan. Talk to strangers and enjoy the flexibility of being able to do whatever you want.
Let me know what you would like to hear more of: recommendations or simply our adventures and and questions you have!
