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Wearing: 1/ Asos T shirt, Asos bed shorts. 2/ River Island sleeveless trench, Asos blouse, Mango denim shorts, Proenza Schouler bag, Celine sunglasses, Saint Laurent sneakers. 3/ J Brand jeans, Madewell chambray shirt, Seed loafers, Chanel Boy bag. 4/ Asos off shoulder top, J Brand jeans, Toga boots. 5/ Lover lace dress
I always imagined Tokyo as another world. Bustling streets, neon lights, crowded subways, comically cute everything and maybe a robot serving my ramen. I thought the seemingly non-stop, overcharged energy would be too much for me after a few days, but I felt completely at ease. Away from the famous karaoke bars of Shibuya and outrageous outfits of Harajuku’s Takeshita Street, there was an overwhelming sense of nature, calm and tradition.
I’ve listed my favourite spots, sights and experiences from our time in Tokyo below. If you have any more recommendations for Tokyo and Japan please let me know. I hope to get back as soon as possible, visiting Osaka, Kyoto, Mount Fuji and more.
TOKYO
How to get there: I flew with Cathay Pacific overnight from Sydney to Hong Kong, then on to Tokyo Haneda airport.
How to get around: We arrived late at night so travelled by taxi from the airport to hotel. There are great public transport options like buses, and the airport staff were extremely helpful with limited English. The city was easy to get around using the Tokyo Metro or taxi’s (besides one trip that was lost in translation resulting in being driven 50 minutes out of the city), but we mainly preferred walking.
Where to stay: Being true to my last minute style, I booked a hotel for us while boarding at Hong Kong Airport. For 2 nights we stayed in a cheaper hotel, but to be honest it was much more expensive than what it was worth, and I would not recommend.
For the other nights we moved over to the Park Hyatt Tokyo. Although it is significantly more expensive, it gave us everything we needed and more to truly experience and see as much of Tokyo as possible in a short time. Waking up to indescribable sunrises from bed with the same view as Lost In Translation, watching Tokyo’s streets and population look like a city of ants below, and goosebumps while sipping cocktails and listening to live jazz from the New York Bar with fluorescent sunsets.
Where to eat:
My favourite food in the world is ramen. And I found my favourite ramen in the world at Chabuton. As Melissa is vegan we did a lot of research to find somewhere that we could eat together, and thankfully we found Chabuton.
Toki was the result of a late night hunger find, and cemented that great gyoza and ramen can be found randomly on every street.
New York Bar in the Park Hyatt was on my bucket list for a Lost In Translation moment. We ordered Chilli Martini’s with dinner and watched the horizon turn purple for sunset, with the live piano and jazz giving us goosebumps. An elderly Japanese businessman sent us a bottle of champagne, and taught us how to write our names in Kanji. Definitely a night to remember.
Isetan Department Store‘s Food Hall in Shinjuku was actually recommended by my Grandfather. At first I was hesitant to visit the basement food hall but it was impressively overwhelming. It was perfect for my first experience try a huge variety of Japanese food and deserts I had never seen before. Unfortunately the only down side is that there is absolutely no seating, but I have since read that the rood deck is the best option.
What to see and do:
Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden was my personal favourite garden, and felt like a world away from the city. Give yourself half a day to wander through the beautiful gardens, paths and ponds.
Meiji Jingu Shrine is dedicated to the deified spirits of Emperor Meiji and his wife, Empress Shōkenwas. The walking paths among the serene forests and grounds are perfect to get lost in and appreciate the stillness.
Karaoke Kan Shibuya was another must from Lost In Translation. Melissa and I randomly made some Swedish friends at the New York Bar, having too much fun singing our worst with them in to the early hours of the morning.
Sunset from the Mori Art Museum was perfect for my first views across Tokyo. Visit the the observation deck of Roppongi Hills an hour before sunset to make the most of the city lights.
Shibuya Crossing is the best place to stand and feel insignificant amongst a sea of people.
Photos Melissa Findley