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Unlike many travelers who choose their destinations, we travel based on where the Army sends us. We arrived in Korea a few months ago and plan to visit as many countries as possible over the next two years. My husband and I each have our bucket lists. China was on both, so we went there first. Japan was his top destination. I found reasonably priced tickets, and we booked a week at the New Sanno, which helped stretch our budget.
Table of Contents
- Tokyo, the Biggest City on the Planet
- Tokyo is Huge
- The Shinkansen—a Transportation MUST
- Tokyo Mass Transit
- Where We Stayed
- First up, the Tokyo Tower
- Sensoji Temple
- The Shibuya Scramble
- Tokyo Bay Cruise
- Return to Tokyo
- Fish Market and Window Shopping
- Just a Few Observations
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Tokyo, the Biggest City on the Planet
That’s how we travel—price trumps everything, and we believe travel is cyclical. We’ll eventually get to everything on the list before our next assignment.
Our tickets from Busan, Korea, to Tokyo cost $520, a reasonable fare, although we could have flown for free if we had tried for a seat on one of the Space-Available flights from Osan to Tokyo. However, our motto, “We’ve got more time than money,” didn’t apply here. It was uncertain how long it would take to get one of those prized, yet “flexibility required” seats.
We spent the night before our flight in Busan, enjoying the world-famous Fireworks Festival, which added to our tiredness the next morning when we had to depart Busan at 6:30 am.
The colorful markets and neon lights of Tokyo are beautiful.
Tokyo is Huge
That statement doesn’t fully convey just how immense Tokyo is. It’s the largest city in Asia, covering 845 square miles, and more than 13 million people live in the 47 districts that make up Greater Tokyo. While not the leader in density (Shanghai holds that title), Tokyo surpasses in almost every other measurement.
New York City, by comparison, has roughly 8 million people in a 304-square-mile area. Tokyo is a giant.
After researching, we found that day passes would be our most cost-effective travel method. Our first experience with Tokyo’s transportation system checked off a bucket list item for both of us.
The Shinkansen—a Transportation MUST
We arrived in Tokyo around 9:00 a.m., stood in the long but efficient customs line, and were on the Shinkansen (bullet train) bound for our Tokyo hotel by 10:00 a.m.
There are three Shinkansen train categories based on speed: Nozomi, Hikari, and Kodama. We selected the Hikari train based on our budget.
The Nozomi Shinkansen is the fastest, reaching speeds up to 300 km/h (186 mph), arriving in Kyoto in 2 hours. However, I selected the Hikari train, which is the second-fastest, reaching up to 220 km/h (136 mph), and serves more stations. It arrived in Kyoto in 2 hours and 30 minutes and cost substantially less.
Train Amenities
The Kodama is the slowest train, stopping at all stations along the way and taking about four hours to reach the end of the line. Trains are clean, punctual, and have dining cars with snacks and beverages. They also have outlets for laptops, and unlike many Asian countries, the voltage is 100v, usable without a converter. However, there is no free Wi-Fi on the trains.
The Japanese are very polite on trains, with announcements asking riders to be quiet and courteous, refraining from phone conversations. Unfortunately, they do not ask riders to avoid bringing aromatic food.
Where we stayed: The New Sanno Hotel & Resort
Tokyo Mass Transit
We arrived at Tokyo Station 40 minutes later and figured out the subway system in less than 15 minutes. The underground mass transit system consists of 13 lines, operated by two separate entities: the Metro and the Toei Lines. You can transfer between them with a round-trip, day, or combined ticket.
Get a Map
Pick up a map to ensure you buy the correct ticket, or you may be blocked from boarding the train. Having access to all three will make travel easier underground, but you can get around the city using only the Metro, with careful planning.
Like traffic above ground, trains and walking patterns run opposite to what you might be used to. There are signs to help you remember. Instructions are given in both Japanese and English, and can be read on digital screens on platforms or in train compartments.
Where We Stayed
Check-in at our hotel wasn’t until 3 pm, so we had a few hours to kill. We opted for the New Sanno Resort in the upscale Azabu residential neighborhood. A week’s stay at the military resort cost $320, a steal in Tokyo’s pricey hotel market. The New Sanno Hotel, if you can get in, is a great bargain for military travelers, and I will write a dedicated post about it and its facilities.
After a quick lunch (sashimi for me, a burger for him) and a long nap in the hotel bar, we checked into our room at 3 pm, dropped our bags, and hit the streets.
The Tokyo Tower offers a bird’s-eye view all the way to Mount Fuji on a clear day.
First up, the Tokyo Tower
You’ve heard me say before, I like to get an aerial view of a place. I hadn’t planned to go up, as it’s pretty expensive, but my husband insisted. The tower is in the Shiba-Koen district of Tokyo and offers a bird’s-eye view all the way to Mount Fuji on a clear day. For roughly $27, both of us could see the harbor, the Skytree, and many iconic landmarks. There is a reference that points to everything, including the Australian Embassy, which I found odd.
Note about the price: you have to pay for both the main observation deck and the special observation tower to go to the top. You switch elevators and traverse a couple of flights of stairs to get to the smaller elevator that takes you up to the heavens.
We decided to walk to the Sensoji Temple in the Asakusa district.
Sensoji Temple
We decided to walk to the Sensoji Temple in the Asakusa district, where we bathed in the heavy smoke that’s supposed to have healing powers. When I say we “decided,” we actually got a little turned around and missed the subway stop, ending up walking. It’s one of the oldest, if not least decorated, shrines in Japan. The exercise was good for the mind and body.
It was also where I caught my first glimpse of women in the traditional kimono.
First Sighting of the Kimono
I caught my first glimpse of women in traditional kimonos. I was mesmerized by how gracefully they balanced on wooden sandals and binding dresses. But I kept my distance. I watched a little girl break down when tourists asked to take her picture. I remembered how I felt in China when everyone wanted to take a picture of the black girl. Besides, I had a date with a Geisha in Kyoto the next day.
Starting in April 2024, tourists will be restricted from entering the private alleys of Kyoto’s Gion District. This measure protects the privacy and safety of local geiko and maiko (geishas), who have faced harassment and disruptions from tourists. Violators will face fines of up to Â¥10,000 (approximately $67). Public areas, such as Hanamikoji Street, remain open to visitors (SoraNews24) (Time Out Worldwide) (TTG Asia) (DW).
The scramble is a first-time tourist must– crossing one of Tokyo’s busiest streets.
The Shibuya Scramble
We jumped back on the train and did something totally touristy. We headed to the Shibuya neighborhood to partake in the nightly ritual of the “scramble.” The scramble is a first-time tourist must—crossing one of Tokyo’s busiest streets at all four intersections simultaneously. It was fun, and I never saw so many people filming themselves crossing a street. Hilarious.
Tokyo Bay Cruise
Day two, we headed over to Shinjuku to get a FREE bird’s-eye view of Tokyo from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government building and browse the numerous electronics stores the district is famous for.
We stopped to see one last temple, the Sengakuji Temple in Shinagawa, the burial site for the famed 47 Ronin. After a quick lunch back at the hotel, we made our way via the JR line and metro to the Hinode Terminal where we would meet our yacht for the evening.
The tickets for about $100 were well worth it. I already wrote about it here at Tokyo Harbor Cruise.
I booked tickets on Viator for a meal and moonlit cruise around Tokyo Bay. The tickets, costing about $100, were well worth it. The walk back along the river was romantic. Here is a little video of the cruise.
The next two days we spent in Kyoto and an entire day shopping all over Tokyo. We bought a few electronics, a beautiful silk kimono, and I got my designer bag… something my husband started and I will not let him stop. I added a gorgeous Coach bag to go with my Chanel from China and my Michael Kors from Korea. It’s funny that I never had the compulsion to buy genuine designer bags until I moved to the land of knock-offs. And now I can’t imagine buying a fake one.
I have written several posts about singular experiences like my Gion neighborhood tour, but have yet to put pen to paper (fingers to keys) about the overall experience, so please come back for that.
Return to Tokyo
The first thing we did was head over to Kappabashi Street where they sell kitchen wares and the fake wax and plastic food items you see all over Japan. It straddles the Ueno and Asakusa districts and quickly becomes a quirky travel destination. The keychains and magnets can set you back, so you might want to hold off getting a souvenir and get them from stalls that line the path to the Sensoji Temple in Asakusa. But some of the food did make us hungry, so we hopped back on the train and hit the Roppongi district where a friend said we would get a great meal. She was right; Roppongi is well known for its trendy restaurants.
Kappabashi Street where they sell kitchen wares and the fake wax and plastic food items you see all over Japan.
Fish Market and Window Shopping
Quick stops in Ginza to see the famed Tsukiji Fish Market and Akihabara to window shop (but ended up buying a beautiful Coach bag too) and we made our way to Shibuya to visit the Meiji Jingu Shrine and the adjacent park known for its traditional wedding processions and lively Sundays. But it was Saturday, so we just strolled along the very quiet, hard-packed dirt trails for a bit. It was late November, and we both only wore sweaters. It was a gorgeous Saturday afternoon and our last day in Japan.
Our last stop in Tokyo was a short walk from the shrine. The big gate tells you where you are. It’s even equipped with a camera so you can see yourself taking a picture of it. Takeshita Street is known for its trendy fashion stores and even trendier Harajuku girls. They were cute in their 6″ wedge boots, mini skirts, pink hair, and punk makeup.
We hopped back on the subway bound for our hotel, knowing we had seen as much as we could in a week and knowing that we would be able to talk about each experience with humor and fond memories.
I hope I get an opportunity to wear the stunning silk kimono I bought, maybe on a return trip to Japan in the future.
Just a Few Observations:
- You may know that the Japanese drive on the “wrong” side of the road, but they are pretty insistent to walk that way too.
- Taxi drivers have a handle that opens their door automatically… it’s pretty cool.
- Subway platforms have free Wi-Fi; the trains don’t, and they are SO quiet, whispering sounds loud.
- Curry has become a national dish… go figure.
- If you’ve traveled around Asia, you’ll notice the smells. The only place that smelled fishy in Tokyo was the fish market.
- The Japanese don’t repeat your question as they do here in Korea.
- The locals do queue up orderly. I was told they have people who actually push you into crowded trains. To my dismay, I never witnessed that at all.
- Knowing the district of your destination is the most helpful information you can have while navigating the city.
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