Tokyo, Tōkyō, Japan

So we arrived tired in Tokyo and hoping for an easy passage to our hostel, as we had no taxi picking us up to whisk us away. We were both worried about the language problems we may have but these troubles were easily calmed as soon as we got off the plane and into the main hall of the airport. Everything was in English which was great and there were maps everywhere so we couldn’t really get lost. We still had to pay for train tickets though as the airport is one hour east of Tokyo but again the staff were good and spoke great English We waited for about 10mins for the train and both of us commented on how different to English and Aussie train stations this one looked. For starters it was clean and the staff were very courteous and informative. Once on the train we took the long trip into the city, caught the tube, again very easily and hoped off at our designated stop in an area called Minami-Senju. A quick ten minute walk we were at the hostel and luckily for us our room was ready so we could dump our bags before heading out to explore a bit of the surrounding area. This was our first experience of Japanese style bedrooms. Basically two mats on the floor with a duvet cover!! Took a bit of getting used to but was comfy enough for us.
We left the hostel and took a fifteen minute walk down to an area called Asakusa, which had a famous temple and shrine and was a popular tourist area. Unfortunately it was raining but we couldn’t complain after the harsh temperatures of Russia!! We explored the area surrounding the Senso Temple and the Asakusa Shrine before taking a walk down the Nakamise shopping area. Was full of nice souvenir type goods and there was some cherry blossom sprouting out of the trees. At the end of the street there was the Kaminarimon giant lantern which again was busy with tourists but a good sight to see. We then both thought it would be a good idea to head back to the hostel and grab some food seeing as the last two nights were spent sleeping on a train and a plane and both of us were feeling a little knackered to say the least. Unfortunately for me I fell asleep before dinner so at least we saved a bit of cash there!!
Day two in Tokyo and we picked up our Japan Rail pass which meant we got free travel within Japan for a week so we decided to take advantage of this and flit around Tokyo for the day. First up we headed over to the Edo-Tokyo museum which gave us a good understanding of the history of Tokyo from the beginning, up through the Shogun period and right through to WW2. Was a good few hours spent walking around looking at various artifacts and models of how things used to be. Right next door to the museum was the Sumo arena and museum but unfortunately for us no sumo contests were scheduled for when we were in town, so something to do when we come back! We grabbed a quick McDonald’s (only the 2nd one on the whole trip!) before catching the train round to an area called Shibuya where again there was a huge park with a large shrine and temple within it. It was a nice walk around and was very busy with both locals and tourists. Also in the area was a long narrow shopping alley called Takeshite street, containing lots of ‘Hello Kitty’ items as well as lots of other dodgy looking Japanese fashion clothing. Elly actually bought a T-shirt with a karate pig on it which I thought was very Japanese!! As it was getting a bit late and the sun was starting to go down it was a good idea to head over to an area called Akihahara, a famous area of Tokyo known for its large lights and gaming/electrical shops. The crowds were everywhere down there but it was a geeks heaven. So many shops selling games etc and also women dressed up in skimpy outfits of various female computer game characters!! We then caught the train back to Minami-Senju, grabbed some bread and cheese, had cheese on toast for dinner before falling asleep.
Our last full day in Tokyo and again we used our Japan Rail passes to get around and see a few sights we didn’t manage to see the day before. We headed over to Shinjuku where the Government Administration Building is to get a view over the city. You can get upto the 45th floor and from there see right across the city. We were lucky to go on such a clear day and we could see Mount Fuji in the distance so both of us were happy we managed to get a glimpse!! From there we headed back down to Shibuya to see the worlds busiest street crossing. There is a Starbucks there so we grabbed a coffee and hot chocolate, sat down over looking the crossing and watched the mayhem while we drank. Was certainly very busy and karma nearly struck Elly as she was laughing at many people while in Starbucks, but when she went to cross it herself she nearly got run over by a bike!! A quick hop onto the train and we ended up in the heart of Tokyo and a short walk got us to the Imperial Palace. You cant actually get within the walls but the parks and walls of the place were well kept and impressive. After about an hour walking around we travelled upto Ueno to the park where the national museum is. It was fairly busy but not enough to spoil the walk and we stopped at a Crepe stand where Elly ordered the biggest Chocolate & Banana ice cream Crepe which we had to share. It was very nice and to be honest could have had another!!! We explored the surrounding local streets before heading back to the station to get back to the hostel. We went via the supermarket where we both picked up a ready meal which you microwave, but turned out to be pretty nice. A good find and i’m sure we will have more before we leave Japan!! We turned in early as we had a 7am bullet train to catch to Kyoto.
Our last morning was uneventful, caught the train down to the main Tokyo station where we caught our first glimpses of the bullet trains. They looked impressive and once aboard it was spacious and comfy. The train left on time (as they all do in Tokyo) and we headed onwards towards Kyoto.

Via | TravelPod

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