I got a bit lazy while in Tokyo and decided to wait to post my updates until I was back in the states and over my jet lag. Before I get into everything we did, I want to comment on Tokyo in general. If I could describe it in one word it would be orderly. The city itself is impeccably clean despite having a confusing recycling system (combustibles, non-combustibles, recyclables, possibly three more). The people are by far the most respectful and polite in the world. They stick to the correct side of the sidewalk, respect your personal space, wait for everyone to get off the subway before entering, and either bow or thank you after ever encounter.
Day 1
Unfortunately for me, the meal on our ANA flight to Tokyo consisted of all fish. As a result, when we landed we decided to grab some vending machine ice cream. I got something that was similar to an ice cream sandwich, but was enclosed in wafer and was pretty good. Yao got a donut, which became a common theme on the trip. We decided to take the local line into the city because we wanted the authentic experience and were being cheap. I embraced the Japanese culture and slept the whole way. Seriously, everyone one on the subway is sleeping. I don’t know how they don’t miss their stops.
Our Airbnb was in Roppongi, which is notorious for it’s night life. The room was tiny and the bathroom looked like it was from a cruise ship. I probably had 2″ of clearance from the ceiling.
After getting settled, we went exploring for some teppanyaki. The first place we stopped at denied us because we didn’t have a reservation. We ended up at place that was “affordable” according to a Google Maps review. I’m not sure how expensive dinner usually is in Tokyo, but this was one the of most expensive meals I had every paid for and didn’t get much food. Nonetheless, the meal was delicious. I got a sirloin that came with a mix of pink salt and wasabi. Also, I should note that this wasn’t Benihana’s teppanyaki with shrimp flying through the air, but I was pretty impressed by the chef’s attention to detail.
Hoppy
We ended the night by grabbing cheap drinks and food at a local izakaya. Yao order something called “Hoppy” that had two choices, inside or outside. We had no clue what it was, but the waitress came out with a glass half filled with a clear liquid and a bottle of Hoppy.
We later found out it was sochu and a poor man’s beer that you’re supposed to mix together. The combo didn’t taste like much so as we drank we continued to poor in more Hoppy trying to give it flavor, but we felt like we were doing it wrong. The guy next to us ordered some as well and we decided to watch and learn, a common theme on this part of the trip. We had been doing it wrong. Apparently, you’re only supposed to pour the Hoppy in once, and save it for your next round.
Fried sardine spine
We had been trying to make small talk with the cook and he must have found it funny how we were watching everyone around us because he decided to give us a complimentary plate of fried sardine spine. He kept motioning to us to eat it and at this point I thought he was trolling us. We went to our go-to guy next to us and he was chomping away at it, so we figured we had to try it. It pretty much tasted like you’d expect: crunchy, fishy, and salty. To say thanks we bought him a glass of Hoppy, our new favorite drink.
Day 2
If you’re ever going to Tokyo, you’ll probably be told to go to the early morning fish auction at Tsukiji Market. Yao and I decided to pass on the auction since you have to get there at 4:30am, but still headed over to grab breakfast sushi. Two well known places are Sushi Dai and Daiwa Sushi. It’s pretty easy to find them since there’s always a line of 100+ people, which we stood in until we realized it was only for Sushi Dai. We opted for Daiwa Sushi, which was only a 20 minute wait.
This was by far the best sushi I’ve ever had. There was a set menu with multiple courses. My favorite had to be either the fatty tuna, shrimp or uni. All three had a great creamy texture, no fishy taste, and you could tell were fresh from the sea. The more interesting item was the shrimp head that had a sort of creamy and crunchy texture.
Sushi rolls, shrimp head, yellow tail, medium fatty tuna
After taking a quick nap, we headed to the Google office in the Mori Tower for lunch. I was hoping to grab a picture of Mount Fuji, but it was hazy and I couldn’t see further than a few miles.
Next, we headed to the Imperial Palace. It reminded me a lot of London where something old, like the Tower of London, is sitting in the middle of a modern city.
We walked around the gardens for a while, which was pretty relaxing. The entire time we were trying to figure out how to get to see where the imperial family actually lives, and after about an hour looking we found out you have to be on a guided tour to visit the grounds. At least I got this picture out in front of the Meganebashi Bridge which is an entrance to the inner palace grounds
Meganebashi Bridge
Our next stop was Shibuya, which is the fashion center of Tokyo and hotspot for young people. We stopped by the famous scramble crossing, Shibuya Crossing, but it wasn’t as epic as I was expecting. You definitely see a lot of people crossing, but it didn’t feel extraordinary. The fashion in Shibuya is a stark contrast from Roppongi where everyone is wearing a suit. You see Brooklyn hipsters, Venice beach skaters, southern belles, goths, etc. Some girls dressed like they were a doll or anime character.
Shibuya Crossing
Later, we walked down some alleys near Harajuku Street and I felt like I was in southern California. There are tons of shops selling thrifty american clothes, everyone looks like a skater, and the restaurants have a California vibe. We stopped by a coffee shop so that Yao could get a hipster donut with passion fruit frosting. By the way, Yao literally had to stop at any place that was selling donuts. By the end he had bought donuts from Dunkin Donuts, a vending machine, this hipster donut shop, and Krispy Kreme. I stopped at The Great Burger and kind of felt bad for eating american food while in Japan, but there were zero tourists there. Everyone seemed to be a local and it made for some great people watching.
We made a quick stop in Akihabara, electronics central. Nabil had recommended we stop by Yodabashi camera, a huge electronics department store, to look for cheap camera parts. The amount of ads and videos in this place could lead to sensory overload. I found it funny that one of the floors was solely dedicated to models, like Gundams, and was filled with middle aged men. Unfortunately, even with the weakened Yen and discounts, it still wasn’t cheaper to buy anything.
Yodabashi Camera
Later in the night we met up with Yao’s friend Jia who he used to play ultimate with in the states. Jia took us out clubbing, Tokyo style, which was pretty much like clubbing in the states. TL;DR club going up on a Tuesday, models and bottles, master chief, pitbull on loop, EDM til our ears bleed, giving a literal meaning to the land of the rising sun.