Tokyo Stories
Trying to do (and eat) it all in the busiest city on the planet
TOKYO SIGHTS
Tokyo is massive, sprawling and disorienting. For all the planning we did we left feeling that we barely scratched the surface. The surroundings are massive, looming, intricate and incredibly efficient.
Pictured: Shinjuku, Roppongi Hills Tower, View from Roppongi Hills, View of Tokyo Tower (and Fuji) from Park Hotel Shiodome, "Piss Alley" Shinjuku, Meiji Shrine & Fuji from Shinkansen (Bullet Train).
TOKYO FOOD
Precision and care seem to epitomize all aspects of Japanese Culture, but is most evident in the food. Whether it be noodles (ramen, soba, or udon), tea, coffee, or even pizza, the reverence that the Japanese put into their food, their craft and their service is felt and tasted in every bite.
Our favorite experience was walking through Piss Alley in Shibuya, it's nightlife rife with businessmen, students, buzzing pachinko halls, tiny izakaya (8-seater bars that serve skewered yakitori grilled while you drink), to Kameya Shinjuku an open-air restaurant, with 8 stools. Two men worked in the kitchen, making noodles and frying huge mounds of tempura, which we using our fingers to indicate two and the ubiquitous phrase "soba tempura". Besides this, no one spoke, and everyone slurped their noodles in silence. We were done within ten minutes and relinquished our seats to the next two in line, happy and full for our next adventure (See Robot Restaurant).
Pictured: Diners & Chefs at Kameya, Nordic vibes at Fuglen, conveyer belt sushi, Dominic Ansel Japan is worth the hype (Frozen S'more & Cronut), and One of the best Neapolitan pizzas I've ever had being made at Savoy; one at a time, nothing burnt but perfectly crispy, every bite the perfect amount of crust, sauce, cheese and basil.
Pictured: Gyoza in Harijuku, Shin - Udon in Shibuya, Cafe de l'Ambre in Ginza a 1948 coffee specializing in hand-roasted, aged coffee and coffee drinks, and Kagari - our first Ramen, a chicken-based ramen with a wait that was worth one of our few precious Tokyo hours.
ROBOT RESTAURANT
Maybe a bit touristy, but Robot Restaurant felt like the most unadulterated Japanese pop-culture performance experience possible. There's nothing more to prepare you for the experience, so go early for a good seat, go to the happy hour and eat afterward.
STREET SCENES
Pictured: Scenes from the renowened Tsukiji Market (we didn't arrive at 5am, but still saw fish mongers, Molly had a sushi breakfast and I ate an egg salad sandwich and tomago on a stick before catching our flight to Bangkok, night scenes in the Ginza , and walking past the Yoyogi National Gymnasium build for the 1964 Olympics.
KYOTO
After checking off another life goal, taking the speedy, yet uneventful Shinkansen (Bullet Train) from Tokyo, we arrived in Kyoto, which offered an alternate view of Japan. We walked to our Airbnb, a traditional house with Shoji walls and Tatami floors. There was still snow on the ground from the day before, and large city still felt quiet when compared to the endless crowds of Tokyo.
Two days wasn't nearly enough to explore the city, but the bikes our host lent us helped us traverse the, mostly, flat terrain and see a handful of the hundreds of shrines and temples. The Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion) and Fushimi Inari-taisha shrine are picturesque stand-outs, but the food-stalls that surrounded each temple, the massive Nishiki Market and Japanese chains Komeda Coffee (a diner with a unique glass for each coffee variety and accompanying toast) and Mister Donut all made an impression.
Pictured: The Golden Pavilion, Kamo River Trail, Biking Kyoto, The Gates at Fushimi Inari-Taisha, matcha soft serve & Molly posing, Komeda Coffee and Mister Donut brand envy.
HAKONE
We didn't scratch the surface in Tokyo. We ran out of time in Kyoto and we barely saw Hakone. An overly ambitious schedule and poor estimation left us with a short fairytale ending to our trip in Hakone. A resort-town, built around numerous Onsen (Hot Spring) dotting the landscape warmed by a local volcano and offering a mountainous escape from Tokyo life.
Our hotel, Fujiya, one of the oldest in Japan, was amazingly picturesque. If Wes Anderson and Stanley Kubric collaborated on a hotel, it would be the Fujiya. Franz Ferdinand, Charlie Chaplin and John Lennon have all stayed here and enjoyed the classic design, hot spring-fed pool and public baths.
Pictured: Cable Car up to Hakone, snowy Fujiya Hotel Exterior, 2020 Olympics Mural made from 5,500 miniature origami cranes, Lovely Bride, Hotel Exteriors at Night, Hot Springs Pool, going out in style hotel pajamas & 7-11 Ice Creams, exterior & local map.
HAKONE OPEN-AIR MUSEUM
Japan has unexpected experiences around every corner, and the Hakone Open-Air Museum certainly fits the bill. We had to rush through in an hour to catch our flight back to the states (after taking 3 trains straight to the airport) but it was an unforgettable experience. International renowned artists and sculptors’ work loomed large amongst the hills and open sky of Hakone. The most significant collection of Picasso work (mosaics, photographs and tapestries) we'd ever seen. It was a fitting end to an amazing, inspiring, unexpected trip, and quite a juxtaposition against our Thailand Adventure.
