Japan – Three days in Tokyo

First things first, I was completely taken aback with how friendly, helpful and polite the Japanese are. It seems everyone is proud of their country and are subsequently happy to help tourists in showing it off.

I landed at Narita airport – the biggest and busiest of the two Tokyo airports. After a very efficient immigrations process, I exchanged my JR voucher for my JR pass and jumped onto the departing Narita Express to Tokyo Station.

Tokyo Day One

 

As with most big cities, I love that you can explore different parts and feel as though you’re somewhere new altogether. First stop of the day was the peaceful and grand Meiji Jingu Shrine. The heavily tree-lined path opened up to reveal the shrine entrance, beautiful in its simple wooden construction. There was also a couple getting married in traditional kimonos, families dressed up for photos and newborn babies receiving blessings. But the quiet peaceful footpaths surrounding the Shrine surprised me the most – it was like being transported outside of the city entirely.

Next stop was around the corner to Yoyogi Park and the atmosphere here couldn’t have been any more different from the peace at the Shrine. The cherry blossom was in full bloom and the locals were enjoying it to their full potential. Every centimetre of grass was sat on as friends and families had picnics under the trees. The footpaths were equally packed as you slowly plodded along with the crowd under the tunnel of cherry blossom. There’s no denying it was beautiful – it was just also very very busy.

After a morning of shrines and parks, it was time to find the hustle and bustle of the city. Shibuya was similar to most shopping districts with a clear Japanese twist, I loved that the shop’s changing rooms had a floor section to take off your shoes before trying on clothes. The famous Shibuya crossing was indeed crazily busy – I was almost too distracted to actually cross the road.

I finished the day in the manga Akihabara district, which was all lit up as dusk fell. The floors and floors of arcade games meant I just had to play Mario Kart (all those years on the Nintendo Wii were worth it). And of course my first bowl of ramen down a side street.

Tokyo Day Two

Japan’s obsession with cutesy characters and mascots makes Disneyland a unique experience. The Tokyo Disney Resort is also the only resort with a Disney Sea Park, which is exactly where I headed for the day. Situated on reclaimed land – and yes you guessed it, right next to the sea – Disney Sea is divided into seven themed sections. From Italy’s Venice to an American shipyard each area is unique and has rides and attractions to suit.

It’s strange how a day in Disney can feel familiar and foreign at the same time. It was also my first time being in a theme park on my own – which does make a two-hour long queue feel much longer. But there are also clear benefit. The Indiana Jones and Raging Spirits rides both had single riders’ queues which were very much underused allowing me to skip the three-hour queue and ride in less than 15 minutes. Win win.

After a full day of rides and with slightly chilly conditions, I jumped back on the train to Tokyo for dinner.

Tokyo Day Three

 

For my last day in Tokyo, I had a few must-see tourist destinations still to tick off. This included the most popular and therefore busiest temple in Japan – Sensō-ji. The bright red entrance gate opens up to a crazy pathway full of stalls, vendors and crowds of visitors. It’s a great little street to hunt down souvenirs, although the crowd will push you forward if you start walking too slowly. The main square has a pagoda, the temple and areas to pick your fortune or buy prayers. Luckily I walked away with a good fortune – but don’t worry if you pick a bad fortune you simply tie it up and leave it (and the bad luck) at the temple.

The next destination on my list was the Imperial Palace – home to Japan’s Emperor the Palace is surrounded by a moat and some scary looking guards. I visited the surrounding gardens which are free and an easy walk from Tokyo’s Business District. By the time I arrived the Palace was closing for the day but the grounds remained open a little longer which was just enough time for a quick explore.

And finally, it was time to get a last look over Tokyo. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building has two free – yes free – observation decks. As this is unsurprisingly a popular option, we had to wait about 20 minutes to enter the building. But the views from the 45th floor were well worth the wait especially once night had fallen and the city lit up. On a clear day you’re able to see out to Mount Fuji, but I’ll have to wait a bit longer before I catch a glimpse.

Japan: an overview

I’m eager to start exploring a few new countries and cultures this year, and first on my list was Japan – a country that elegantly balances high tech cities with centuries of tradition. Shrines, temples and skyscrapers work in harmony in Tokyo while more traditional houses and winding streets were easy to find in Kyoto – this country has it all.

I planned my trip to coincide with the cherry blossom season or sakura as the Japanese say – and my oh my it was worth coming at this time of year. I landed in Tokyo at the end of March as the cherry blossom was in full bloom then planned to travel to Kyoto at the beginning of April as the sakura was just beginning. It may be more crowded at this time of year, but the added pink and white hues on your Insta pics will more than make up for it.

My trip overview:

Excluding flying time I was in Japan for 10 days, and I’d recommend this as the least amount of time for a trip – I wish I’d stayed for two weeks. Bearing in mind your travel time from the UK will be 12 hours for a direct flight and averaging 18 hours with a connection; you’ll want to have well over a week to make that long flight worth it.

I’d planned to spend most of my time in Tokyo, exploring the city itself and taking a few day trips to the surrounding mountains and towns. Then the obligatory trip on a bullet train would allow me three days to explore Kyoto before flying back out of Tokyo.

I flew in solo and had the first couple of days exploring on my own before meeting up with a group of friends to travel together for a week. A massive bonus was coming to visit my friend from university, who lives in Tokyo and translated menus, navigated the trains and took us to some of her favourite Tokyo sights – there’s nothing better than having a local showing you around.

Stay tuned for more detailed blogs on what I got up to in Tokyo and Kyoto!

The questions I was Googling before I travelled:

 

How easy is it to get around when you don’t know any Japanese?

Surprisingly easy. I was incredibly impressed with the ease of the public transport in Tokyo and Kyoto plus catching the bullet train to get between the two cities. All the announcements are in English (and of course Japanese) maps were relatively easy to use as were the buses. Then if you got really confused the stations were full of helpful staff with excellent English skills.

 

Should I get a JR Pass?

The Japan Rail Pass is heavily advertised to tourists as a cost-efficient way of getting around, and I’d recommend getting once particularity if you’re travelling between cities. Simply buy your voucher before you travel and exchange it for the pass when you arrive at a JR counter in the main airports and railway stations. You can use it on bullet trains (with a few restrictions) and even on JR lines around Tokyo (but not the subway). You can also make free seat reservations for most trips so your group can be guaranteed to sit together. Piece of cake.

 

Should I get a SIM card?

If you’re anything like me, a day without my phone in a foreign city is a little bit unnerving… I rely on Google maps to get me around, XE for a currency converter, translation apps and often search for bus routes and train timetables on the go. That’s not even starting on the Insta pics and Whatsapp messages. You will be able to get around without one but for ease (especially if travelling solo) buying a data sim card before you travel makes it a little easier when you arrive. The main airports will be selling SIM cards to tourists but make sure you pick one up there as they’re rare to find in the cities.

 

Are there really vending machines selling everything?

YES! From a full meal to a vending machine dedicated to beer, you’ll never be far away from a vending machine in Japan. On practically every corner you’ll be able to buy a bottle of water, green tea or my particular favourite hot – yes, hot – tea and coffee.

 

Ahh I don’t know where to go to buy x or x?

There are seven eleven stores on every street corner selling a range of snacks, drinks, ready meals and even a full change of clothes. You’ll struggle to not find what you need in a seven eleven with toothbrushes, socks and stationary all on offer. They also have ATMs that accept foreign cards if you find yourself strapped for cash. My recommendation is to head to the bakery section for a quick on-the-go breakfast each morning.