T o k y o

What a dream it has been for me to come to Tokyo. Francisco and I flew from Hong Kong to Tokyo Haneda Airport late on Friday evening, arriving extremely late, leading to a 3am Gyoza in Shinjuku.

The photo of him below shows us enjoying this food at a cool place near our capsule hotel.

Trip Movie

Before I get into the photos and providing a summary of my trip, here is a video I made with a bit of a blog style to it.

It shows first hand what we got up to and a bit more of the places we visited and took these photographs.

Day 1

A day of walking in Tokyo. We left the accommodation and headed for Shibuya, home of the famous scramble crossing. Along the way we hit the Meiji Jingu Shrine to one of Japan's previous emperors. A beautiful park with a huge shrine.

Arriving in Shibuya, we felt the need to do the scramble crossing multiple times; which only became more challenging as the rain began to fall and the umbrellas sprawled out between the hundreds of people.

We ended the day visiting Sensoji and Nakamise on the side of town in Asakusa. Having made our way through bustling market place, we sat down in a secluded traditional café run by an old couple.

Dinner was back in Shibuya at a tiny sushi place. It was my first proper attempt at having sushi, with Francisco (seemingly a connoisseur in the dish) choosing a range from easy and tough ones for me to try out. It wasn't bad. I can't say though that it will ever be my go to. I am not a big fan. Nonetheless, I am happy to have given it a proper attempt and to have done it in the right place! The home of sushi, Japan!

As night fell, we attempted to enjoy the Shinjuku life under the neon signs and go for some karaoke. One could describe our attempt as hopeful as we soon ended up back at the hotel, tired and and unsuccessful. The highlight was being stopped by all the Japanese people asking about our bandanas which we bought earlier that day. Despite a clear language barrier, many a conversation was had with much joy and laughter.

What a first day!

Day 2

The day began at a reasonable time, unfortunately to the sound of torrential rain. A mini typhoon had hit Tokyo and today looked set to be full of rain.

Yodobashi Camera: a sort of Mecca for camera lovers in Tokyo, the shop is renowned for its 7 floors of camera gear. It was incredible to see and I felt very fortunate to handle a Nikon D5. Amazing.

Starting at the Imperial Palace, we got soaked all through Ginza. A challenging traditional lunch and a couple of hours sheltering in a Starbucks was enough for a break in the rain. We seized the chance to walk to Tokyo Tower, with the fog creating a beautiful effect as its evening lights were switched on.

From there we walked to Shibuya once again and enjoyed a phenomenal 12 course dinner at a Kobe Beef restaurant. Perhaps it was the most expensive meal I have had but without a doubt, the best cut of meat I have ever tasted.

Day 3

An hour separated the end of our second day and the start of the third. At midnight we left the rest in the capsules behind and set off walking across the city from Shinjuku to Tsukiji where we hoped to attend the daily tuna auction. This was a gamble as only 120 people per day are able to attend with the tickets opening (for free) at 4:30 am. The first 60 to arrive are honoured by attending the sale of the largest fish of the day.

We made it at around 2:30. With our legs warm and being wide awake from the crisp early morning air. We were surprised to not be the first at the market. In fact we were number 18 & 19! Nevertheless we were in the first group for the auction at 5:30. Sitting on the floor of a waiting room for 3 hours was worth it. The way the tuna traders operate and the speed at which each fish is sold is impressive. The whole market is extremely interesting. Francisco enjoyed some tuna sashimi and sushi for breakfast. I took a pass on that one this time.

To our surprise, amongst the group from the auction were a pair of Portuguese girls. Naturally, we spent the rest of the morning getting to know them and exploring the rest of the market.

The lack of sleep quickly got the better of us and we retreated back to Shinjuku and a comfortable capsule where we spent the end of the morning in bed until mid afternoon.

The end of the day was spent collecting some small gifts for the family and treats for those at work. Francisco and I visited one of the many arcades, getting a quick taste for the gaming culture in Japan before finishing up in the same restaurant as we started; tucking in to some more Gyoza and Fried Rice.