Tokyo (2016, October)

Tokyo was one of the very few cities in the world that I've always felt a strong need to visit, most likely due to my fond childhood/adolescent days of being surrounded by the dreamyness, thoughtfulness, and/or weirdness of Japanese comics, music, and TV shows.

I was so excited+anxious about the thought of being in Tokyo that I started mapping out all the places I wanted to go to in in the Tokyo first (before all the other places we were supposed to visit in the country), even though it was actually our last city, haha.

We were in Tokyo for only a few days, so I knew even before we got to Tokyo that I wouldn't be able to cover all the spots I wanted to visit, but it was enough to pique my interest to come back!

Imperial Gardens in Tokyo

Itinerary


See: Check out the map I used for the whole trip here.

Day 1

Osaka to Tokyo via Shinkansen

None of us had ever travelling in a shinkansen (bullet train) before, so we were quite excited/curious when our travel agency got us reserved seats on a Nozomi Shinkansen from Osaka Station to Tokyo Station.

Shinkansens are super punctual, fast (max. speed 320 km/h), comfortable, people can get on/off along the line in the designated stops, you can eat and drink on it (they even sell refreshments on the train), and there are powerpoints for those who need to plug in their devices. In short, in many ways, it's a lot more convenient than flying.

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One of the things we were surprised about was how much legroom there is, even for 'economy' seats.  The train already has an overhead luggage space, but I could still fit my huge luggage in front of me (perhaps not the most comfortable thing for a 2.5 hour-trip, but its' definitely doable).

Exiting the Tokyo train station was quite a challenge - the exit we were told to take only had stairs, and it was quite a long way down, not good for my elderly parents' knees. I asked someone from a small konbini (convenience stall) if there were escalators/elevators, and we were informed (very cutely) that they are located in the middle of the track, between 7th-9th carriage, iinm. 

By the time we arrived at the shuttle van (about 10mins after), we were tired, cold, and a bit wet (it was drizzling). We reached the hotel completely exhausted.

For dinner, we my mom spotted a small kebab place near our hotel, a few minutes' walk away so we got ourselves yummy kebab wraps for dinner, 500yen each. We were famished, so even though we intended to get it to go, we ended up gobbling the our hot meals in front of the store, facing the road. It was quite an experience, especially in the chilly weather.

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Since my parents wanted to relax in the hotel that evening and they weren't keen on me walking alone in the evening, I spent the night taking a nice long bath in the capsule-like hotel bathroom and watched some Japanese TV. I don't understand most of it, but the documentaries were pretty interesting.


Day 2


Our second day in Tokyo was super packed because we followed a half-day package tour to some touristy spots around Tokyo.

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This was my schedule for day 2:

1. Tokyo Tower

Our first stop was Tokyo Tower.

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As an acrophobic person, I wasn't particularly excited to go up tbh, but seeing the cityscape wasn't too bad I guess.

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I can see why some people might like towers, but personally, it just didn't do much for me. 

Tokyo Tower in particular is a very touristy place, and because you barely have time to do much at the top because of the crowds, I wouldn't recommend coming here unless you have a lot of time to spare. There are other landmarks in Tokyo that are just much more worth seeing, tbqh.

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NOPE

One thing that I found peculiar here though was that they have a section for "ema" or wooden plaques, for visitors to write and display their wishes/prayers (often related to love and relationships). I usually see these at temples because they are sacred spaces, so this was quite a surprise.

Ema is a Japanese tradition of romance and courtship related to "kokuhaku" (love confession), where confessing one's feelings to a romantic interest is seen as an important step in building a relationship. Apparently, some tourist attractions are also regarded as having spiritual or mystical powers, so aside from places of worship, some believe they can get their wishes/prayers answered in these places as well.

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Ema being displayed for the public to see


2. Meiji Shrine 

Meiji Shrine is one of the most iconic tourist attractions in Tokyo and one of the most important Shinto shrines in Japan. 

Built about a century ago to honor the Emperor and Empress at the time, the shine is surrounded by a beautiful forest that covers over 170 acres. Walking to the main shrine building is peaceful and serene, as the path is lined with tens of thousands of trees (most of them donated by people all over Japan).

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I'm not sure how to clearly explain it, but I felt spiritually full here.

Before entering shrines and sacred ground, our tourguide showed us how to 'cleanse' our hands and mouth with the ladle and the running water at the temizuya (a ceremonial purification fountain). 



Inside the shrine, visitors can make offerings and prayers to the spirits of Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken, as well as other Shinto deities. The shrine is a popular place for traditional Japanese ceremonies. We were lucky to see a wedding happening that very day -- so many adorable kids, and so much beautiful traditional attire sighted!


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This shrine is definitely a must-visit for anyone interested in Japanese culture and history,  as it offers a glimpse into the Shinto religion and Japanese people's reverence for nature.


3. Akasaka Guest House and National Diet Building (Parliament) (drive by)


Located in the heart of Tokyo, these are two of the most significant political and cultural government buildings in Japan. Due to our tight tour schedule we could only drive by these buildings, but not without a bit of explanation from the tourguide about their functions.

The Akasaka Guest House was originally built in 1909 as a residence for the Crown Prince, and now serves as a guest house for visiting dignitaries and heads of state. The National Diet Building (aka the Parliament Building) serves as the seat of Japan's government and was completed in 1936.


4. Imperial Palace Plaza

The most apt word to describe the Imperial gardens? Breathtaking.

Although the garden is open for public, each visitor is required to have an entry token, which allows entry for a whole day. Our tourguide said if we lost it, we'd have to stay in the garden because they won't let us leave without it.

Haha... ha. *gulp*



The garden features a beautiful collection of trees, flowers, and historic buildings like the ruins of Edo Castle, the former residence of Japan's shoguns. It's a popular place for outdoor events and cultural activities, but there were no events that particular day though.

We didn't get to spend a lot of time here, but it was clearly beautifully curated and well-mended. 



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I wish I could've spend a longer time here, perhaps with a sketchbook and a lunch. If ever get to go to Tokyo again, I really want to visit this garden again.


5. Ginza

Since we were dropped off at Ginza, and had the rest for the day to ourselves, my parents and I got some light lunch at one of the ground-level cafes  to relax our tired bones. Pa somehow found a roasted chestnut seller somewhere, so we munched on cakes and warm chestnuts while people-watchin


Giant chestnuts... omnomnom.


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Found a bunch of people in Samurai costume and mascot outfits... some of them so cute and huggable! I'd probably have hugged them and took wefies with them if I was by myself or with friends. 


6. Ueno Machikashi Mosque at Taito

Since I managed to bring Ma to a mosque in Osaka, I was determined to bring her to one of the mosques in Tokyo. We went by metro, and we learnt the hard/funny way that there are different metro servcie providers, because we bought the wrong ticket haha (see 'Public Transportation' below for more details on this).

The mosque was a bit difficult to find it (since it was our first time in the area and I have bad navigational skills lol), but it was a nice leisurely mini-trip. No pics of the mosque, because it was starting to get dark at the time, and le parents were on the verge of napping heheh.

IMG20161029151128We even got to walk through this green pocket in the city. I felt so at ease here.

7. Tashimaya Dept. Store


After we made our way back to the hotel, I walked towards the city centre to have dinner with some friends from college, at Tsunamachi Tempura. After going in circles I eventually realised that I actually went to its old location; I should've gone to the one at Tashimaya Dept. Store, which is a bit further away, and is a massive (not to mention maze of a) station!

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I'm glad I knew a tiny bit of Japanese to ask the info staff for directions, but in the end I was saved by one of the friends I was meeting up with, heheh.

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After a lovely tempura dinner and then dessert, my friends were shocked to find out where I stayed, and that that I dared to walk around by myself at night in the area. 

Apparently, the area I was staying at has a shady history of being a red-light/yakuza (Japanese mafia) district... so my friends were adamant that they walk me all the way back to the hotel! I really appreciated their concern and time. <3

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Day 3


Day 3 was exciting for me because we got to see more natural landscapes. It was a few hours' drive outside of Tokyo, but I think it was worth the trip because it was a lot more relaxed compared to the other tour packages we went on. I enjoyed myself. :)

This was my schedule for day 3:

1. Tomei Expressway Fuji Sky Line, 5th station 


The Tomei Expressway Fuji Sky Line is a scenic road that winds all the way up the slopes of Mount Fuji, offering breathtaking views of the surrounding landscape. The drive is incredibly peaceful and serene, where you can see lush forests, shimmering lakes, and distant mountains.

Our tourguide told us that not everyone is lucky enough to see 'Fuji-san' as she is shy (so that we don't get our hopes up, in case the weather wasn't too kind that particular time of the day), so when Mount Fuji came into sight, I couldn't help but smile. Fuji-san is majestic, and the surrounding landscape stretching out in all directions is also lovely to look at.

Fuji-san, ohayou gozaimasu <3

Not many cultures can make a mountain look this cute, heheh.

A quick shot just before we boarded the bus to our next location.

The experience of seeing Mount Fuji was a humbling reminder of the natural beauty that Japan has to offer, it left me with a deep appreciation of the country's awe-inspiring landscapes. It's a shame that we had to rush because of the tour, I would've loved to stay longer if possible.

2. Hakone Lake Hotel (Lunch)

Next, went to Hakone Lake Hotel, which is located in the Hakone region. We had we had a lovely lunch with the tour group against the backdrop of autumn foliage, with Mount Fuji in the distance.


The staff were friendly as they welcomed us in, and the decor was elegant and refined. I loved that the dining area had large windows because it gave us a panoramic view of the stunning lake and mountain scenery.

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For lunch, they offered traditional Japanese cuisine and international dishes. We opted for the halal/vegetarian set which included seasonal delicacies and seafood, everything beautifully presented and tasted just as good as it looked. As we enjoyed our meal, we were able to take in the stunning views of the lake and mountains, which added to the overall experience.

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A beautiful place to play badminton (but not sure if it's a good idea)

If you're ever in the Hakone region, I would recommend stopping by Hakone Lake Hotel to dine or just to enjoy the sights and sound of the area.


3. Hakone Sky Gondola and Owakudani Valley

Note: Not suitable for those with breathing difficulties

I was looking forward to seeing the mountainscape, but was only warned that those with respiratory illnesses are not allowed to discouraged from boarding the cable car. This is because the sulfur and microscopic volcanic particles in the air might trigger asthma/similar conditions.

I didn't want to separate from the tourgroup (and obviously I didn't want to miss the next couple of things on the itinerary!) so I was a bit bummed that I didn't bring my mask.

... so I covered my face with my thick scarf, haha. It helped... I think.

These furballs were shivering up there! Poor doggos...

 

4. Pirate Boat Cruise on Lake Ashi

We made our way down by bus and stopped at Lake Ashi, where we boarded a 'Pirate Boat'.

It was kinda cute, and the scenery was lovely. It was quite packed however, and there weren't enough seats for everyone so I took turns with my parents/others on the cruise.


This scene reminded me of Vincent van Gogh's paintings. Beautiful.

Once we reached the shore, we bused back to the hotel. I probably might've dozed off along the way... I can't remember. It was a long day but I enjoyed being surrounded by nature.



5. Walked around Shinjuku 

Met up with my ex-classmate for dinner! I brought him to the halal eatery, which amused him to no end. He teased me that I came all the way to Japan and ended up eating Turkish food, hahah. 

After that, we walked around Shinjuku just generally catching up (we hadn't met in a year) and he said he was also surprised to find out where I stayed - right smack in the middle of a shady part of town, and he too walked me back to the hotel. Ignorance is bliss I guess? Haha.


Day 4

Flight back to home country via Narita airport!


We had an early flight, so after a quick breakfast at our hotel, we got a taxi and zoomed off to Narita airport. 

Nothing much to say except I'm definitely coming back. :)

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Mata ne, Nihon!

Getting Here/Around


Shinkansen (bullet train)

My dad said the price of getting from Osaka to Tokyo by shinkansen is comparable to getting there by plane, and after travelling in one, I can understand why.

 They are pricey, but the experience is worth a ride if you have some budget for it.

What I learnt:

  1. Reserved vs non-reserved: A reserved seat is a few hundred yen more expensive than a non-reserved seat, but it means you'll definitely get to get on a train, because even though we were travelling on a weekday, the train was packed!
  2. Seat class: We sat in the ordinary class ('economy class'), because it was the cheapest option. The green car ('business class') and gran class ('first class') offer more space and facilities, but they're much more expensive but they 

Public Transportation

We barely had much time in between our half/full day tours to travel within the city. The only day we got to take the the subway was when we were dropped off near Ginza station after our morning tour; after having lunch at a nearby cafe, we decided to visit Ueno Akachimashi mosque (we took the Hibiya Line).

Since we had some experience taking the subway in Osaka, we figured the system would be similar in Tokyo, and thankfully, it was. Perhaps the main difference is the number of lines around Tokyo area, which is unsurprisingly a lot more... I didn't notice the a major difference in the fare, but again, we only took the subway twice so I may be wrong.

On our way home though, when we tried to get into the subway line that stops closest to our hotel, the machine wouldn't take our ticket, so we I went to the info counter to get help (and put on my most helpless face, ha). After I explained where we were going, one of the staff took out a line map, showed that we had bought the tickets for a different subway operator, took our tickets, gave us the right ones, and all was good in a matter of seconds. Yay! :)

I'm not familiar at all with Tokyo rail, so I'm just gonna park this Japan guide article here for future reference.


Expenses

See: My post on financial stuff, which may be relevant to this section.

Currency conversion

My simplified conversion on-the-go formulae in Japan at the time were:
Japanese Yen (JPY) to Malaysian Ringgit (MYR): 
add decimal point to last two digits of JPY, then multiply this by 4.
e.g. JPY100 is approx. MYRM4.00

Malaysian Ringgit (MYR) to Japanese Yen (JPY): 
divide MYR by 4, then get rid of the decimal point.
e.g. MYR12.00 is approx. JPY300

Budget

My daily budget for the Tokyo was 6,000yen (approx. USD60 / RM240) to cover food, local transport, gifts/souvenirs, and other expenses like tickets for attractions. 

For this Japan trip, my dad treated me to the flight, shinkansen (bullet train), tours, and hotel because he had a little extra money to spend, so I am quite thankful.

I added 8000yen (on top of my total budgeted 42,000yen) in cases of emergency, so moverall budget for the 7-day trip was 50,000yenI spent most of my money on food, gifts, and souvenirs. We didn't have time to visit any museums/art galleries due to our supertight schedule. :(

In all honesty, 6,000yen/day per person is plenty if:
  • your international/regional and accommodation arrangements have been paid;
  • you're not selective about food; and
  • you don't travel too much/far using public transport.

Food

On the second day in Tokyo, when I had dinner with my friends, I spent about 2,000 yen after we split the bill (they offered to pay the remainder because I was the 'guest'). A few of us had a 'coffee' session after that though... I can't remember how much that was, but iinm shouldn't have been over 500yen.

My parents paid for most of our lunch, so I paid for my dinners at a small Turkish/Lebanese kebab place just a few minutes' walk from our hotel, which were 500yen per meal.


The tours

Oh lord half-day tours.  Yes, it may be more affordable if you consider how many things they pack into half a day, but please don't subject yourself to Japanese half-day tours again, Z. IT IS NOT WORTH IT.

As for the full-day tour to Mt Fuji and Hakone, it was pretty full-on, but at least we had time to take pictures, have lunch at a beautiful hotel with a gorgeous view, and enjoy the scenery (and also breathe), so that was alright.


In summary:

  • Shinkansen = paid for
  • Half-day guided tour and 1 full-day guided tour = paid for
  • Subway trips = About 350yen
  • Food during meetup = About 2,500yen (dinner and hot choc)
  • Food for dinner (kebabs) = 1,500yen, for 3 meals
  • Souvenirs = About 4,000yen (postcards, chocolates, other items)
  • Misc. small stuff (drinks, snacks etc) = Below 1,500yen
Total expenses here: + 10,000yen / + RM400


So yeah.


I'll update this again later after I properly go through my travel journal, but for now this is all I have to share. Thanks for reading!


See: What else I've written about Japan.


Last Updated: 2023-02-28

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