Tokyo, Japan

Our first day and a half in Japan were spent exploring Tokyo. We were supposed to have another full day in Tokyo, but our flight from SFO was delayed for a full day due to mechanical issues. We stayed in the Azumabashi/Sumida City area of Tokyo, very close to the Sumida River. We were across the street from the Asahi Brewery/Super Dry Hall, with its iconic golden flame, and could see the Tokyo Skytree in the background. We stayed at Playsis East Tokyo, a small boutique hotel that was relatively inexpensive but comfortable.

Day 1/2 – Arrival Day

Asahi Brewery and Beer Hall

It was early evening when we got to the hotel, so our first order of business was finding something to eat for dinner. Lucky for us, our hotel was across the street from the Asahi Brewery and Beer Hall. The brewery is known for its iconic golden flame, but we referred to is as the golden poop. (Yes, we’re still juvenile at times…) The food (and beer) was fantastic, however! I had my first taste of real Japanese Wagyu beef. I ordered a plate of A4~5 Wagyu, and it melted in my mouth. Definitely get some good Wagyu while you’re in Japan.

Tokyo Skytree

After dinner we headed for the Tokyo Skytree and the attached Skytree Town mall. The Skytree is not only the tallest tower in Japan, it’s the tallest tower in the world at 2080 feet! It’s a broadcast tower for radio and television. There’s an observation deck, and the tower is lit up at night. The mall had several stores we liked, including the Kirby Café, Pokémon Center Skytree Town, and Ultraman World M78.

After some shopping and sightseeing, the jet lag was starting to catch up to us, so we headed off to bed.

Day 2 – A Very Full Day

Our first full day in Tokyo was a busy one. We started the day as we would most days – heading to 7-11 for a morning coffee and First Breakfast (yes, we had both First and Second Breakfast most days, as any proper traveller will do). If you weren’t aware, 7-11 is a Japanese company, and 7-11s in Tokyo are no joke. They vary in size, and the larger ones have SO MUCH stuff it’s a bit overwhelming. I chose a pack of Japanese pancakes (with syrup baked in!), and I’m so glad I did. They were delicious! They were so good, I got them every morning to start the day.

Sumida Park and Second Breakfast at Suke6 Diner

We spent the next chunk of the morning exploring the area. We walked across the Azuma Bridge for a stroll through Sumida Park. It was a nice little walk, and about halfway through the park we came across a breakfast spot with open air tables that looked like the perfect spot for Second Breakfast. Turns out it was. We ended up eating at Suke6 Diner almost every morning. They had seating upstairs and downstairs, and the staff were incredibly friendly. Best of all, the food was fantastic!

After Second Breakfast, we explored more of the immediate area before heading to the Akihabara area for some electronics thrifting! While in the Asakusa Train Station, we saw this very cool 2-level train set. You can rent time to play with the trains! It’s inside a large mall inside the station.

HARD OFF Akihabara 1st store

Yes, the name made us laugh every time we said it. But, if you’re looking for a multi-level used electronics store, with everything from DVDs/VHS, to video game consoles and games, to musical instruments (synthesizers, guitars, amps, etc.), to various toys…this is the place! I picked up a boxed copy of Dungeon Master for the Super Famicom (Japanese version of the Super Nintendo) for less than $20!

teamLab Borderless

We had mid-day tickets to teamLab Borderless digital art installation. This exhibit is amazing, and must be experienced in person. Photos and video can’t do it justice. If you’re heading to Tokyo, book a reservation well in advance. Not to be missed! Here’s how they describe it on the official website:

teamLab Borderless is a world of artworks without boundaries, a museum without a map created by art collective teamLab.

Artworks move out of rooms, relate to other works, influence each other, and at times intermingle, without boundaries. Through this group of works, one continuous world without boundaries is created.

Immerse your body in borderless art. Wander, explore with intention, discover, and create a world with others.

Shibuya

Next up was Shibuya, a bustling area that’s been a popular youth culture hotspot for decades. The Shibuya Scramble Crossing is one of the busiest intersections in the world. It’s called a scramble crossing because all four corners stop traffic at the same time, allowing pedestrians to scramble across in any direction, even diagonally. The crossing is one of the most recognizable landmarks in Tokyo (especially at night).

Lots of shopping in the area, plus a famous photo spot – get your photo with the statue of Hachikō, the loyal dog. As the story goes, Hachikō’s owner would take the train to work every day, and Hachikō would meet him at Shibuya Station at the end of the day. One day, the owner died suddenly (he suffered a cerebral hemorrhage while he was giving a lecture to his class at Tokyo Imperial University). For the rest of Hachikō’s life (9 years, 9 months, and 15 days), he awaited his owner’s return, appearing precisely when the train was due at the station. The story spread over the years, and people would give him treats while he waited.

We made sure to visit Nintendo Tokyo, the flagship store in Shibuya. It was very crowded, but we managed OK. We were famished, so grabbed some really good Middle Eastern food at Caravaan, a restaurant in the Shibuya Station Mall. (Yes, it really does seem like everywhere in Tokyo has a mall attached.)

Shinjuku

Last but not least for our first full day in Tokyo: Shinjuku. Our main reason for heading here was Shinjuku Golden Gai (more on that in a minute), but on the way we stopped at Godzilla Store Tokyo, which is also in Shinjuku.

Shinjuku Golden Gai

Shinjuku Golden Gai is a district of Kabukicho within Shinjuku. The area consists of six narrow alleys, with even smaller passageways connecting the alleys, filled with tiny bars. Most bars can fit 4-5 people at most. Some, even fewer. This area has architectural importance, as it’s a look at what much of Tokyo looked like in the not-too-distant past. Most of Tokyo has been redeveloped, but Golden Gai remains as it was.

We found a nice little bar up some steep and narrow stairs. We had the whole place to ourselves!

Tokyo – Final Thoughts

Sadly, we lost a full day when our flight was delayed. We were supposed to have a second full day to explore Tokyo. I guess it’ll have to wait until next time. The rest of the trip was spent doing side trips (each will be in a separate post), although technically day 3 is still in Tokyo (Tokyo DisneySea).

We really enjoyed our day and a half exploring Tokyo. The city is very clean. In fact, you’re expected to pack your trash with you back to your hotel and dispose of it there. There are very few trash cans in the city. The people were all very friendly, and would go out of their way to help, even if they had very limited English.

I think this photo perfectly sums up the difference in cultures between Japan and the U.S.: