Arrived in Tokyo! Immediately to Ramen then to sleep. Woke up and walked around the Imperial Palace. Lots of interesting art along our route… The front gate of the palace, only open to the public twice a year. The lawn in from of the Palace. One of the many parks with a city skyline view. 10k steps in already and it isn’t even 10… Stopped by a hostel cafe for unlimited toast, tea, and miso soup. Peep the man inside the smoking both behind me. Exploring the bookstore district of the city. Quaint streets! Making our way through the city towards Electric Town. Akihabara Electric Town! The place for all things manga, anime, and video games. Refuel with lunch.. curry for $5?? YES Made our way back to our hotel (with a 7 Eleven stop for treats). Ate our fruit cups in bed then napped, 30k steps for day one. Ended our day at a hole in the wall, traditional sushi bar. We made friends with the women next to us and the sushi chef and they kept bringing us saki and soji! Abe, the women next to us, was going to Boston for a seafood convention and asked us a bunch of questions. She then taught us how to drink sake and how say “cheers” in Japanese. We said “Kanpai” for the rest of the trip, thanks Abe <3 Starting out day 2 on fresh legs! The landscape architecture is an A+. Senso-Ji temple. Isaac got a good fortune. Marissa got a bad fortune and had to tie it so the bad luck stays behind. Snack time - matcha ice cream in melon pan. On a hunt for snacks. Went to the Tokyo National Museum then explored their gardens. Explored around Ueno Park. Temple in Ueno Park. People paddle boating on the Ueno Zoological Gardens & pond. Cherry blossoms by Yushima Tenmangu. We also got our first taste of Amazake (Japanese fermented rice milk), one of the best things we had on the trip. On our walk home, we came across the Okachi Beer Lab and enjoyed some beer and cheese (?!) app. I get it. Day 3, let’s go! Walk tot the Tokyo Tower, stopping at a temple of two along the way. View from the top! Taken from the permanent photo stand (we should have these at all tourist locations). Walked the 15 floors down. Lunch time and the cutest sandwiches! With pictures!! So precious!! Stopped by Hamarikyo Gardens. No cherry blossoms here but we got a lovely field of flowers. Stumbled across Tsukiji Fish Market with so many food stands and little shops. I opted for some melon ice cream. Isaac opted for port buns. Rested at the hotel then on to Tokyo team labs! Enjoyed the sunset on the way over. This part of Tokyo is like a glimpse into the future. No traffic, everything new and clean, amazing public transit, moving sidewalks, huge high rises everywhere. Team Labs Planets! Super cool immersive art experience. Race to the finish across the rubber balls. Giant room of warm water and crazy spotlights. Dazed and confused. I don’t think a caption will provide any additional insight to this situation. Marveling at the city on our way home. Day 4 - Coffee at blue bottle before we head to the train for Hakone!
