{Travel} There's So Much in Tokyo

When I finally decided to start planning my trip to Hong Kong there was no way in hell I was going to fly all the way over there and not stop in Tokyo. Even though I've already been to Japan, I was a mere 9 years old. I remember loving it and I've always wanted to go back as an adult; I'm surprised it's taken me this long.

While I would have loved to have traveled to other cities in Japan, we just didn't have that much time (as we also had New Orleans to get to at the tail end of our trip). I knew there was so much to see in Tokyo that I didn't mind at all not being able to ride the Shinkansen or visit Kyoto or see Mt. Fuji. Tokyo is like Paris. You can stay there for weeks, have your days filled with sightseeing and eating, and still not see everything.

Just like with my recap of our visit to Hong Kong, here's a quick recap of what we did in Tokyo.

Day 1 - Sunday Living

• Shibuya - mainly to see the crossing (see above photo) since I wasn't interested in shopping
• Yoyogi Park & Meiji Shrine
• Harajuku (kind of a disappointment)
• Omotesando Hills for lunch at Heiroku Sushi (conveyor belt sushi!)
• Ginza for shopping and dinner at the "food court"/restaurant floor of Matusya Department store)

My parents suggested we hit up certain places on Sunday because that's when we would see the most crowds and have the best experience. They were totally right and I'm glad I listened to them. If you're in Tokyo on a Sunday, then I highly suggest going to Shibuya and Ginza.

Day 2 - Why is Everything Closed on Monday?

• Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building (free entry to the 42nd Floor for great views of the city)
• Shinjuku for lunch at Fuunji Ramen
• Ueno Park (above photo)
• Suitengu Shrine (this shrine is actually being rebuilt, so the temporary location isn't well suited for tourists)
• Dinner at hotel restaurant

Most of the museums, shrines, and temples are closed on Monday so our sightseeing was planned primarily on what would be open. It lightly rained most of the day and then absolutely poured in the evening just as we were deciding where to get dinner. We got drenched walking to a restaurant only to discover it's closed on Monday! My husband was so defeated that we ended up eating at the restaurant connected to our hotel (Celestine Tokyo Hotel). It was probably one of the most expensive meals we had and had the smallest portions. The food at least tasted good, but I wouldn't recommend eating there.

Day 3 - Sushi, Ramen, Beer, Burgers 

• Tsukiji Fish Market (not for the auction, just the outer markets, and breakfast sushi)
• Edo-Tokyo Museum
• Lunch at Rokurinsha (more ramen!) along Tokyo Ramen Street in Tokyo Station
• Imperial Palace East Garden/Nijubashi Bridge
• Yebisu Beer Museum (tours are only available in Japanese so we just drank beer)
• Dinner at Munch's Burger (yes, we had burgers in Japan)

Day 4 - Kamakura

• JR Train (Yokosuka Line) to Kita-Kamakura
• Kenchoji Temple
• Kamakura (had lunch at an Udon place)
• Enoshima Enoden Train to Hase to see Daibutsu (outdoor Buddha)
• Ginza (more shopping....#sorrynotsorry)
• Dinner at Itamae Bar Ginza

You can take the train straight from Tokyo to Kamakura, but my dad suggested getting off at Kita-Kamakura and walking down a path towards Kamakura (see above photo). Glad I listened to my dad because it was a really nice walk and there were several temples you could visit. We only stopped by Kenchoji Temple, which I think is one of the bigger ones. I also read online that you can hike from Kamakura to the Buddha instead of taking the train, but I wasn't interested in doing that much walking, but it's an option for those interested.

I originally planned on stopping by some fabric stores, particularly Yuzawaya, and I even brought a spare lightweight bag in case I needed to carry stuff home, but for some reason I just wasn't feeling it. I think part of the reason is that I felt like I was dragging my husband all over Tokyo (we walked a ton this trip and I know he was exhausted everyday) and I also didn't want him to be bored waiting for me as I shopped for fabric. Since we didn't rent a phone or buy a sim card we could only use our phones on wi-fi (pretty much only at the hotel) so we didn't want to be separated in the city.

I also think I was just mentally exhausted. The thought of browsing fabric and having to make decisions on what to buy and what not to buy and what would I make with the fabric and am I just buying it because it's kawaii and then hoard it or would I actually use it was just too overwhelming for me. Although, after seeing Jenny's recaps of fabric shopping, I slightly regret not at least going into the stores, especially Bunka, but my mind just wasn't into it at the time. I DEFINITELY want to go back to Japan so it's not like I'll never have the opportunity again. My parents are going in June and I half jokingly told my husband I should cut out of work unpaid for several days and join my parents on the trip. It's seriously so tempting to do.

I'm going to write a couple posts with more details of certain things we did in Tokyo, including train travel, shopping, and eating. Let me know if there's anything in particular you'd like to read about and I'll write about it. If you're interested, I have a lot more photos on my Flickr account. Have you been to Tokyo??? What were your favorite things to do or see??