Journey in Asia: A Day In Tokyo

Welcome to the Journey in Asia trilogy, first stop: Tokyo! My sister has always wanted to visit Tokyo. As for me, I have already went on a trip with my brother and some friends after I graduated high school.

So when she said that she wanted to go to Tokyo, BUT I had to go to Vietnam the two days later, that only left us with ONE day to explore the biggest city of Japan. Let's just say, if you are a good keeper of time management, great stamina and have (decent) navigation skills, you probably could visit even more places than us, but I would say we did touch on the main parts of Tokyo. Here's how we did it:

1. Stayed in Kabukicho, Shinjuku

We booked a hotel that lied in the heart of Kabukicho, Shinjuku. The main places that we wanted to visit around the area was thus only a few minutes of walking distance. We were able to see the Godzilla Head, the red-light district, as well as the train station that could send us directly to Harajuku and Shibuya.

As we left the hotel, we went to eat at a ramen place. What's interesting was that you could just order through a vending machine to get your ticket, then give it over to a waiter / waitress to take your order.

2. Praying at the Meiji Shrine

Harajuku was only around 4 minutes away from Shinjuku using the train. There were two places we visited within the area and they were: the Meiji Shrine and Takeshita Street.

The Meiji Shrine is named after the Emperor Meiji. It is the most popular shrine amongst Japanese citizens to visit during the New Year to send their prayers. Going to the shrine takes quite a while, as it's around 10-15 minutes away from the entrance, but the walk there is filled with beautiful, natural scenery, as well as large walls of sake and wine.

When you are almost at the shrine, you can wash your hands at the temizuya to 'purify' yourself. And while you are at the shrine, you could send your prayers in different ways. You can write an ema, make monetary offerings, drawing an omikuji fortune, and more. That is my favourite part when visiting shrines.

Write an ema for good luck!

3. Kawaii Time!

After visiting the shrine, Takeshita Street is right beside it. Harajuku, also known as Kawaii Capital, is the place where kawaii fashion takes place. You can see some people wearing overly cute costumes with bright colours while you walk at Takeshita Street. They also sell these types of fashion in the stores, as well as sell colourful, bright, kawaii food.

One of my favourite things to do there was go to their purikura photo booth. You can find it in other countries too, but there's something about doing it in Harajuku that makes it more entertaining. Maybe because of the photo booth decorations and the people running it are wearing kawaii outfits. It honestly is a really cute area, and I enjoy looking at how vibrant the place is. I also met someone again from my first trip in Tokyo three years ago!

3. Petting Hedgehogs in Chizu Chizu Cafe

Pet cafes are common in Tokyo because it's a way for many to relieve their stress. In my last trip, I visited an owl cafe where the owls could actually stand on your arm while you pet it. For this trip, I decided to visit something different and went to a hedgehog cafe! In this cafe, we only get to pet one for half an hour (though we do have unlimited drinks).

We took care of a female hedgehog called Omame. She was such a tranquil creature, and rested calmly on our palm. The only times she moved was when she wanted to go back to her cubicle and sleep under her bed, not on it.

There were other types of creatures there apart from hedgehogs. There were panda mice too!

4. Walking at Shibuya Crossing

Taking photos at Shibuya Crossing was a fun activity, especially as you had to watch out for the traffic lights! There are more than hundreds of people crossing to different intersections, which makes an aesthetic photo op. When the pedestrian light starts blinking, then you have to make a run for it to the other side!

5. Saying Hi to Hachiko

After making our way to safety at the Shibuya Crossing, the Hachiko Statue is right on the other side! I'm sure a lot of you already heard the famous story of Hachiko, where he always waited for his owner, who passed way, at the train station for nine years until his death. It's an emotional and heartwarming story, and Hachiko is remembered by millions in Japan for his loyalty to his owner.

6. Shopping at JUMP and Nintendo

Shounen JUMP probably has all of the most recognized manga: Naruto, Gintama, My Hero Academia. Even if you're no fan, you have probably heard it from a lot of other people.

Nintendo, on the other hand, is something more likely that you heard. With all the famous video game characters, Sonic the Hedgehog, Super Mario Brothers, Link from Legend of Zelda, I'm sure you haven't missed these names.

Call me a weeaboo, but honestly, my childhood resides in JUMP and Nintendo, so looking at all of my childhood characters again felt really nostalgic. And you can't laugh at me for missing Mario because I'm sure he's a part of all of your childhoods!

7. Gaming at Akihabara

Our final stop of the day was at Akihabara, also known as Electric City. It's the major shopping district in Tokyo for video games, anime, manga, and electronic goods. The place is filled with arcades, such as SEGA (and even maid cafes). It's probably my favourite district since it's just so much fun, and the nightlife there is amazing to look at!

We wrapped the night up by playing Mario Kart at the SEGA arcade. It brought back a lot of childhood memories, but for once, I didn't lose, since I would always play with my brother when we were kids and I don't think I ever won.

I don't think I would ever be tired of Japan. There's still so much to explore in that country. I have this envisioning in my head where when I become the ripe age of 80, I will retire there, in the countryside far, far away from civilization. Who knows? Hopefully, the world won't end by then. But we don't have to think about that right now. I'm just excited for the other adventures to come!

Stay tuned for my second stop of the series: Vietnam!