I have recently taken a trip to Tokyo and was able to explore this incredible city. Within a few days, Tokyo had become ingrained as one of my favorite cities to travel too within the world. The incredible blend of an ultra-modern city filled with cutting edge technology and luxury amenities was blended with temples and architecture that was 100s of years old as well as nature centers that allowed for tranquil reprieves from the hustle and bustle of the city. I was able to spend a morning walking among bonsai trees and koi ponds while then taking a short train ride to a city center that was overflowing with sky scrapper sized department stores filled with any merchandise I could dream up of. The train system itself was also a trait of the city that had impressed me due to the respectful nature of all train riders in addition to how efficiently the train system ran. Each time I rode the train, despite the full capacity, everyone within the train was making a concerted effort to not disturb one another and very little noise was generally being made. All music was listed to via headphones and conversations were kept to soft speaking volumes. This was an amazing to experience and contrast with other train systems I had ridden that were a far less peaceful experience. The efficiency of these trains can also not be overstated as trains often came every 3 to 5 minutes, leading to very minimal wait times allowing for very rapid transport across the city. While initially appearing complicated, within 1 day I was riding the train with full confidence and arriving at every destination I had wanted to regardless of how many train changes were required for the route.
Tokyo is a city filled with an unbelievable number of things to see and do. There's a landmark, restaurant, event, or store to explore seemingly around every corner. I was able to spend my first full day within the city exploring as much as I could. While I was able to see a lot in just one day, it quickly became apparent that this is a city that would require several return trips to be able to absorb everything this rich metropolitan tapestry had to offer. The first site that I arrived to within Tokyo was the Akasaka, Hie-jinja Shrine, which is the oldest Shinto shrine in the city located in the city's center for government. This temple is often used for traditional wedding ceremonies and displayed many of the trademark architecture for Japanese temples such as the gentle curved roofs and thin walls. The temple had an entrance that was marked by dozens of bright orange torii gates, the traditional Japanese archway that are often found as entrances into holy places around the country. From Akasaka, it was a short train ride until I reached Asakusa, Senso-ji Temple, a city square filled with a Shinto temple and a Pagoda. This location also features one of the most photographed locations within Tokyo, the giant red lanterns that hang of the gates leading into the square have become iconic. Once visitors pass the gates, they are greeted with large open-air market filled with incredible street food to try and merchandise to purchase from hundreds of vendors spread along stores and a series of stalls. The stalls are divided into several rows that are aligned in a perfectly straight line and leading to a second gate with even more of the iconic large lanterns. This second gate leads to a Shinto shrine and Buddhist temple that both call this square home, a perfect symbol of two cultures co-existing in harmony with one another.
After filled up at Asakusa with an incredible variety of street food such as Yakisoba, Mochi, and Takoyaki; it was time to head to the next location for the day: the Tokyo Imperial Palace; home of the current emperor. The palace itself is located on a very large parcel of land with the main section that I was able to explore during my short visit being the traditional gardens. This location allowed for a welcome break from the busy city as I was able to enjoy a relaxing stroll among the bonsai trees and koi ponds found within this tranquil garden. From this terrific example of traditionalism, it was time to pivot to one of Japan’s modern highlights: the Zojo-ji Temple; a historic Temple that now serves as the gateway to the city's iconic Tokyo Tower. This tower was modeled after the iconic Eiffel tower of Paris and provides visitors with an observation deck that allows for 360 panoramic views of the entire city; allowing visitors to truly grasp how large and expansive Tokyo is. The city expands in all directions well beyond what can be viewed even from the tower’s heights of this observation deck.
From the Tokyo tower, it was once again time to board a train and head over to the next stop on my Tokyo adventure, neighborhood of Shibuya. Shibuya is home of an overwhelming array of shops and restaurants. Whatever products you want to buy or culinary treat you want to try out, can likely be found here. This is also the location of the famous Shibuya Crossing, the world's largest crosswalk for pedestrian crossings. Each time the light turns green, hundreds of pedestrians cross the street at once in what can best be described as exceptionally well-organized chaos. I was able to personally see the crossing from an aerial view in the buildings surrounding the crossing before venturing down and making the crossing for myself. That event was a blast to see in person as well as be personally apart of when it was my turn to cross. During my time in Shibuya, I was able to see and do many things; with some of my favorite experiences being a carousel sushi restaurant, the famous slot machines, and the Pokemon Mega Center.
The next stop on my adventures in Japan is the Akihabara Electric Town district, where I would spend most of the evening. The best way to describe this incredible area is that someone took all my hobbies and imagination from my middle school years, cranked it up to 11, and turned it into its own neighborhood. This entire area is filled with city block after city block of ten story department stores all overflowing with anime, comics, video games, and so much more. This is the absolute nirvana of magna complete with cosplayers everywhere. Anyone with even a minor interest in anything related to video games or anime can lose themselves for hours in these streets. Whether it was marvels at complete collections of video games dating back to the Atari 2600 or seeing row after row of gas displays filled with figures from every imaginable anime, this neighborhood will likely be a large reason for my desire to return to Tokyo once again.
The following day, it was time to visit a different neighborhood within Tokyo, and this time I wanted a full foodie experience. The top culinary adventure that I was able to enjoy in Japan was the Tsujki fish market. This market was first opened in 1935 and for most of its history it was the largest seafood market in Japan, filled with 100s of vendors offering wholesale products, culinary ingredients, and quick street food treats to try. Tsujki Market is also full of restaurants within the market itself. This market offered everything from wagyu beef to Japanese spiny lobster, to all manner of local fruits and vegetables. Spending the day trying to sample as much as I could was a great experience and should be an addition on any culinary bucket list. The wagyu beef was a notable standout as it was without a doubt, the most tender steak I had ever had. One of my favorite restaurant experiences within this market was at Tsukiji. While all the food I was able to try at the Tsukiji Fish Market was incredible, this restaurant really stood out to me for their top tier seafood variety and amazing staff who were very welcoming and patient. I was able to try out their local raw oysters which were easily the biggest I had ever had. From there, I tried their tuna sashimi variety including both Japan's famous ottoro fatty tuna cuts as well this restaurants signature well aged tuna sashimi cuts. Located a short walk from the Tsujki first market, the final neighborhood I was able to explore in my time in Tokyo was Ginza. This is the city's center for luxury shopping with the streets lined with skyscraper sized shopping malls filled with the world's most recognizable brands for high end luxury.
From their welcoming people, amazing service, endless plethora of shopping variety to their many examples of beautiful temples, iconic landmarks, and signature art; it was impossible not to become infatuated with this city very quickly into my trip. It was unlike any city I had ever visited and one that I can’t wait to return to again. Regardless of how long I visit for, it seems like I would never run out of things to see and do within Tokyo itself. To add even more to my desire to return, the entire country of Japan offers travelers so many more places to explore such as the iconic Mt. Fuji which I had the privilege of exploring during my visit as well. But that is a story for another day…
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