From Tokyo to Kyoto: First time Journey through Japan - Part 1 (Tokyo)
Let me start off by saying that Japan is a place like no other. The environment including the sounds, sights, and smells is something to behold. The first part of my journey through Japan started in Tokyo. Flying JAL (Japan Airlines) from San Francisco to Tokyo Haneda Airport, the experience started off quite well. The service and politeness of Japanese people is unmatched to anything I've experienced before. Despite sitting in economy class, the flight attendants did their best to accommodate each one of us and ensure a great experience. However, one subpar aspect of the flight was the food. For the first meal, they offered a more American dinner with mashed potatoes, steak, and boiled vegetables. The side dishes consisted of cold soba, salad, sliced fruit, salmon sashimi, and a roll of bread. The soba was tasty and a decent introduction to Japanese flavors but the rest was pretty average. For the second meal, I ate ham & bacon fried rice, yogurt, and fruit. The fried rice had good flavor but unfortunately was a little dry. Overall, the meals were a little subpar but definitely didn't affect the quality of the flight all that much.
Once we arrived at the Tokyo Haneda Airport, we took the Keikyu Airport Line and the Yamanote line to our hotel apartment. The amazing thing about Tokyo and Japan in general is the walkability. The sidewalks are spacious and well paved, providing a great experience when we walked with our luggage.
Once we arrived at Section L and settled down, we decided to go get some authentic Japanese cuisine at a local restaurant called 三福 (sanfuku). Located near the train station and our hotel in Yushima, this was definitely a perfect "first meal" in Japan. Although a language barrier separated us with the couple who ran the restaurant, they were extremely kind and helpful and picked up what we wanted to order very quickly. We got to try out authentic small dishes with tofu skin, vegetables, and marinated fish as well as marinated steak, tempura, and duck stew. Overall, this meal was an absolute masterclass of Japanese cuisine in my opinion and a farcry from the Japanese food we have at food in California. If you ever are in Tokyo and want to try out authentic Japanese cuisine, I'd highly recommend 三福.
Day 2: An Unwelcome Surprise
The beginning of day 2 started off at around 7:00 am. Surprisingly, my jetlag had basically been nonexistent and I adapted to the time-zones very quickly. In the morning, we all woke up quite early so we decided to take a walk around the local Ueno park where we saw the beautiful pond filled with lotus plants. Although the weather was less than ideal, I still got to take a couple cool photos and videos around the park. Inside the park was also a small shrine where I saw many people walk through in the morning on their way to work. Also, there plenty of businessmen stopping by the shrine to pray. Even early in the morning, there were so many people out and about; it was very different to America.
Afterwards, we stopped by Caffè Veloce to grab a quick bite. As I stated before, the service in Japan is unmatched. Even dealing with foreigners like me who don't know conversational Japanese, the servers and waiters understood what I wanted. I ordered Set C which was a ham, cheese, and tomato sauce sandwich which was surprisingly good. It came with a drink and I opted for an iced tea. The Set meal was around $4 which was much different to the food costs in California. Although not large in size, it was certainly filling and a great breakfast. I would give the meal a 4/5.
Next, we decided to stop by the Tokyo imperial palace to take some picturesand see the famous moat and park in the property. Unfortunately, due to the poor weather during the day, we decided to leave to go grab some food indoors. Our next activity was to visit the parliament building and learn about how the Japanese government functions. Near the location, I found a place to eat called Press Cafe (プレスカフェ 国会そば). It was a fairly small little restaurant with mostly locals and buisnessmen eating there. They offered curry, soba, and other quick Japanese dishes. I opted for the tonkatsu curry thinking it would be delicious and filling. Little did I know, the curry contained cashews which I was highly allergic to. The funniest thing was that I was filming myself eating the curry knowing little that I was poisoning myself on camera.
After eating the curry, I literally did the "Mr. Stark, I don't feel too good" dialogue to my family. I won't go into detail about the symptoms I felt because it was a little graphic. Anyways, an ambulance was called for me and this extremely kind lady who I believed worked at the journal press next door became a translator for the EMTs and myself. I was sent to the Toranomon hospital and got an IV and other treatments. All this occured with my complete lack of Japanese speaking skills which made the situation 5x more difficult. However, it was entertaining and stimulating trying to rack my brain for Japanese phrases to describe what symptoms I was feeling to the doctors.
I can definitely say that the Japanese know how to take care of their patients. Both the doctors and the EMTs who drove me to the hospital took great care of me. The total bill was around $450 as I unfortunately had no travel insurance or Japanese citizenship. All in all, this experience definitely taught me to stay more vigilant when eating food no matter how safe I think something is to eat.
Day 3: Cultural and Modern Sites
For day 3 of my journey into Japan, we visited Yasukuni shrine, Asakusa, and Tokyo Skytree. In the morning, we visited Yasukuni shrine, considered one of the most controversial shrines in Japan. The shrine was built to commemorate fallen soldiers during the Meiji period. The controversy behind this shrine is that it memorializes soldiers part of war atrocities such as the Nanjin Massacre and Bataan Death March. Despite its controversy, there is no argument that the shrine itself is breathtaking and immaculately taken care of.
After, we headed the bustling street of Asakusa and the Sensō-ji Shrine. The vibrant red on all of the buildings was spectacular and a drastic change from Yasukuni Shrine we visited in the morning. The shrine is the oldest in Tokyo and built in honor of Kannon, Goddess of mercy. Asakusa is definitely a must visit if you are in the Tokyo area. The amount of shops and cultural gems here are countless. The only negative of Asakusa is how crowded it is all the time.
Finally, we went to visit the Tokyo Skytree, the tallest structure in Japan at a heigh of 634 meters. It was a little crowded but the views did not dissapoint. The most surprising thing was that buildings and streets stretched past the horizon where the naked eye couldn't see. The Skytree really puts in perspective the size of the Greater Tokyo area. Once again, this is also a must if visiting Tokyo. Despite going to the CN Tower in Toronto, the views at the Tokyo Skytree eclipse any similar observation tower.
Day 4: Tokyo Tower & Akihabara
On day 4 we visited the Tokyo Tower in the morning. An interesting thing I saw while walking over there was the number of go-karters on the street. Seems like driving them on the streets is a popular attraction. Despite not being as tall as the Skytree, the Tokyo Tower is still a remarkable landmark. The bright red with white accents is a refreshening sight in the metropolis of grey buildings. Nearby, there was a park and Zojo-ji temple. All remarkable sights that I would recommend visiting if you have time.
After seeing the historical landmark of Zojo-ji and the Tokyo Tower, we went to Akihabara, the mecca for anime, manga, gaming, and electronics fans. Akihabara was a very different vibe to everywhere else I had been in Japan as it was loud, bustling, and full of foreigners. The stores in this area are endless and there is plenty to see if you are a fan of anime.
Tokyo is definitely a city I won't forget. It truly is amazing how large the metropolis is. Despite its size and population, it is even more unbelievable how low crime rates are and how clean everywhere is. As my first time in Japan, it was really eye opening how the city functions off the work ethic of each person. Overall, I hope to visit Tokyo again in the future and look forward to maybe even studying as an exchange student here!