Tokyo, Japan
Our trip around the globe started in the most populated city in the entire world: Tokyo, Japan. However, from the moment we touched down at Tokyo Haneda Int’l Airport, and throughout the five days we spent in the city, we did not feel overcrowded or overwhelmed at all. The city felt extremely safe, very clean, and well organized, despite boasting a population of over 14 million in the city proper alone. Below are some pictures and a description of what we did within the four days that we had to explore this bustling city.
Day 1:
Tokyo Tower:
Despite a long day of travel, we woke up on our first day in Tokyo refreshed and ready to explore. The closest attraction to our first hotel in Tokyo was Tokyo Tower. The only thing we knew about this structure was that some people mistake the Tokyo Tower emoji for the Eiffel Tower and use it when talking about Paris rather than Tokyo. Although the overall structural build is the same as the Eiffel Tower, this tower is painted orange and white to comply with air safety regulations. These colors, as well as its height of 1,029 ft (being the second tallest structure in all of Tokyo) really make it stand out among everything else in this part of the city. This photo of the Tokyo Tower was taken on our walk through Shiba Park- a great option for a photo opportunity of the tower!
Shibuya Crossing:
On night one, we decided to venture out for sushi and sightseeing in one of the busiest parts of the city. We found a spot on the ninth floor of a shopping center (Magnet by Shibuya 109) that had a rooftop viewing area to take in the craziness of the famous Shibuya Crossing. The admission cost to this rooftop was simply buying a green tea from the vendor sitting there at the exit of the elevator. Shibuya is the world’s busiest pedestrian crossing, and on average over 2.4 million people cross here every single day! Thats about 2,500 people in each pedestrian green light. When we walked through the actual crossing to get back to the hotel it surely didn’t feel this crowded, but we can imagine that in peak tourist season this would be a prime example of Tokyo’s excellence in organized chaos.
Day 2:
Senso-ji Temple:
We started off day two in the Asakusa area of Tokyo, specifically to visit the most well-known temple in the city. The streets leading up to the temple were filled with sweet and savory treats to try, as well as souvenirs and other goods to purchase. We decided to try melonpan (a sweet bread named after a melon because of its shape and texture) before heading into the temple area. This was the first Buddhist temple that we have ever seen, and it was absolutely stunning. We were overwhelmed by the smell of incense offerings burning while entering the main temple grounds and spent about an hour here wandering through the area and taking photos.
Shinjuku:
Our second night in Tokyo led us to the Shinjuku ward of Tokyo. Home to the world’s busiest rail station, this is the one part of Tokyo that actually felt crazy. The only place that we’ve ever been that compares would be Times Square in NYC because of the bright lights and busy streets. This part of Tokyo would be great to stay in if you enjoy a nightlife vibe. We walked around for a bit after dinner, shocked at the number of bars, claw machines, vending machines, and pachinko casinos there were!
Day 3:
teamLab Planets Exhibit:
We were looking forward to day three of our time in Tokyo because of the teamLab Planets art installation that we had determined was worth the admission cost to see. It was unlike any other museum or art exhibit that we had seen before. This experience was multi-sensory and quite immersive. We had to walk barefoot through the exhibit, as it requires you to walk through waterfalls, and knee-deep water. There were also rooms with mirrors on all sides, lights hanging from the ceiling on strings, dizzying projections that swirled around on the ceiling in sync with music, and even live flowers in a garden area that swung above our heads as we laid on the floor taking it all in. The goal of the teamLab Planets exhibit is to be “body immersive” - the installations were designed to prove continuity between oneself, the art, and the strangers around you. If you ever find yourself in a city that has one of the teamLab exhibits on display, we highly recommend checking it out!
Toyosu Fish market:
After making our way through the teamLab Planets exhibit, we were on the hunt for lunch. On our way to find some food, we decided to pass through the nearby fish market. The Toyosu Fish Market is one of the largest in the entire world. This is where basically all of the fresh seafood is brought into the area and auctioned off to wholesale companies, as well as local vendors. We can only imagine how cool it would be to see one of the auctions happening live in the early hours of the morning!
Day 4:
Starbucks Reserve:
We aren’t sure when we decided to add ‘Visit all of the Starbucks Reserve Roastery stores’ to our bucket list, but it’s something we are slowly working towards. On our final morning in Tokyo, we took the metro to the second of six Starbucks Reserve Roastery stores in the world that we have visited. (The other one being in Milan) This one did not disappoint. There were four floors, each with their own specialty: coffee, tea, a bar, & food. We tried coffees that aren’t available in the US, such as the creme brulee latte and citrus cold brew. While we love visiting local coffee shops, sometimes it is nice to have a coffee and breakfast sandwich at Starbucks to give us a little taste of home.
Harajuku:
To finish our time in Tokyo, we braced ourselves for the busy streets of Harajuku. We enjoyed window shopping, people watching (some of the girls walking around had crazy, colorful hair and outfits on) and trying a few sweet treats - our favorite being strawberries stacked on a stick, then dipped in melted sugar that created a hard tack candy feel over the fruit. We have never been in so many stores that had little gadgets and knickknacks - it’s really hard to describe. Ivy was definitely sad that this was only one week into our journey and that carry-on space is very limited for souvenirs and other purchases throughout this trip.
Our time in Tokyo was phenomenal. We were able to get ourselves adjusted to the new time zone, explore a large chunk of this big city using their well-organized metro system, and immerse ourselves into the incredible Japanese culture by visiting historical sites along the way.
-Ivy&Drew