Realizing a Lifelong Dream: Traveling to Japan

At the Shrine in Asakusa

I recently realized a lifelong dream to travel to Japan – thanks to a gift from my husband - a journey that started with a childhood fascination with a doll that my dad brought back for me from one of his many trips to Tokyo and Okinawa for work, starting in 1961. I was born ten years after his first trip, and he brought me a gift for my bedroom of a geisha figurine in a beautiful kimono with an umbrella that I used to play with and fantasize about the distant land it came from.

I recall asking him a lot of questions about it as I grew older. He told me Japan was a fascinating culture, and he was always very complimentary about the people he met, holding them in high esteem. He mentioned seeing people diving for pearls and eating seaweed, which I could not imagine (this was the mid-1970s). He also talked about the beauty of the country and the refined culture. I listened and promised myself at the ripe old age of 6 that I would get there one day.

Fast forward many years later and Japanese culture is everywhere. From anime and sushi to manga and ultra sharp knives – their mark on everyone is immense.

My parents were the first people I knew to buy a Japanese car. People thought they were crazy. My mom’s cousin Mike was very savvy and owned a car dealership. When we had to bring a car to London in 1977, he convinced my parents to buy a 1975 Honda Civic as it was much more fuel efficient than many of the cars of the time. I remember thinking the car was pretty ugly, truth be told. It was brown and small and had a manual transmission. But boy did it move. Everyone laughed when my mom drove around, but I think she had the last laugh particularly when we started seeing a lot more people with these ultra efficient cars.

After many fits and starts involving tsunamis, pandemics and other calamities, my husband and I finally decided to take the trip. The following is our itinerary in full with notes in case anyone is interested!

Arrival in Tokyo

We flew Delta Airlines through Minneapolis to Haneda. If given the choice between Haneda or Narita, we figured it would be easiest to go through this airport which is closest to Tokyo. We took a cab to alleviate any issues with transporting our luggage on the monorail which takes you downtown. We could have done it more affordably, but after two flights of 15 ½ hours we figured this was the best option and it was worth the $50.

Upon arrival we grabbed a Welcome Suica for my husband (I used my iPhone and set up Suica there) and we also grabbed additional cash at the 7-11 at Haneda. The line was a bit long at customs and immigration as we arrived in the afternoon when it is busy, but it moved quickly. Suica is important to have as you will need it for using the Tokyo metro and some regional trains. It is so easy to use and if you use your phone as I did, you can simply top it off when you run out of funds. My husband did not have any issues with the Welcome Suica either and could add more funds as needed at the stations.

Another important thing to do is to download Google maps and Google translate. I can’t tell you how many times we used it. You will find yourself in a restaurant where there are no menus in English, and it helps to navigate the offerings. At one restaurant we found out the food was mainly raw horsemeat, which wasn’t appealing to us, but there were other items that were fine, so again, having this app is important! For Google maps, I used it every single day several times to get around and it told us what train lines to take to the second for the fastest routes.

Cultural Understanding

There are some things that are important for anyone visiting Japan to understand. First, they are not loud talkers in public. I was thoroughly amazed when we were in a very crowded train at how peaceful it was inside. If we were home, it would have been raucous, but not so in Tokyo. Second, people wait to cross at crosswalks rather than jay walking or trying to sneak across when there is a lull. Even the drivers are patient and don’t try to go when they can. Third, you don’t eat and walk. In fact, if you are eating at a market or a stall, you must eat right in front of the stall unless you are taking it away to your home/hotel. Finally, trash cans are non-existent, so it’s best to carry a trash bag with you and hold onto your refuse until you can get rid of it.

In public bathrooms, sometimes there will not be a dryer or towels so you will find you might want to bring a towel with you as the locals do when you dry off. Another thing that is not the norm is tipping. It’s not expected, and, in some cases, it can be seen as rude, so it’s best not to do that. My husband and I overpaid by accident at one restaurant and our waiter ran after us to provide us with additional money!

Japan is mainly a cash society. It is easiest to go to a 7-11 or a Lawson’s, which are the two most popular convenience stores and take out cash in Japanese Yen.

Day 1-4 – Where We Stayed and What We Did

Upon arrival, we went to our hotel, Daiwa Roynet Nishi Shinjuku. This was our favorite hotel of the places we stayed in and was conveniently located within easy walking distance of Shinjuku station, but in a quieter area not far from the Park Hyatt and Hilton hotels. We had a 7-11 in the hotel, which made it ultra easy to obtain snacks or drinks. There was a restaurant if you were interested in breakfast and all manner of toiletries.

A word on 7-11. It is not the same as our 7-11, as you may have heard. We grabbed the must try egg salad sandwich and one of the strawberry cream sandwiches. I also picked up some matcha macadamia nuts (these are addictive), a Vitamin C drink that helps with the jet lag, some seaweed chips, a tuna mayo onigiri (a wrapped rice ball with a filling), some amazing strawberries (probably some of the best I have ever had and I ate them every day), and some cucumber salad.

A few thoughts on packing: do not bring everything with you on this trip – it is not going to be needed. They supply everything from facial washes and hair gel to makeup remover and brushes. At every hotel. If you have a straightening iron as I do, I could bring it for the first time without worrying that it might melt as it might in Europe (thinking of my dear friend Kym!) Japan uses the same voltage if you use a two prong plug for your electronics. I also think I overpacked in general. I really only needed a couple of pairs of pants, a sweater, t-shirts, and a rain jacket with a hood. I also brought a jumpsuit, which worked out great. But honestly, less is more. If you want to buy something else, it is easiest to go to Uniqlo for affordable options!

Lights of Shinjuku

But back to what we did. Upon arrival, we went out to see the light show that is Shinjuku. It was a Thursday night, and it was amazing to walk around the Golden Gai and to check out all of the bars and restaurants. The first order of business was to obtain a bowl of ramen and that’s exactly what we did along with an Asahi. Japan is not a wine or cocktail culture if that is your thing. I adapted very quickly to beer and Asahi became my go-to choice. If you like sake or whiskey, you will be very happy. We enjoyed sparkling sake when we found it a few times and a mango whisky drink, but again, it’s mainly beer pretty much everywhere.

On our first official day we got up early (the 13-hour time difference is challenging at first!) and went out to breakfast at Jonathan’s close to the hotel where they have robots helping to deliver some of the items. That was fun! We used Google translate to figure out that we needed to order on the iPad at our table and grabbed some matcha for me and coffee for my husband. From there, we headed over to the Shinjuku Gyoen Park to see the cherry blossoms. It was an absolutely stunning experience. You had to pay a small fee to enter, but it was well worth it. We cooled our heels at the Excelsior Caffe just outside the park, which we came to enjoy a few times as it is a popular chain in Japan.

Afterwards, we walked around Isetan, the famous department store in Shinjuku and explored the food hall or depachika. It was incredible. They have everything from fruit and pastries to sushi and tempura. I could have stayed all day. If you want to eat in one of the famous depachikas you will need to take your food to the roof if there is one available. They don’t heat your food, so choose wisely in terms of what you want to consume!

Lunch was in Shibuya where we had an okonomiyaki at Tsukishima Monja Kuuya Shibuya, a Japanese egg pancake with vegetables and seafood, which is something I had on my list to try. We probably should have gone for a more simplistic version, but got one that had everything, and it was a lot to share. It was made on a griddle right in front of us and was a lot of fun.

After exploring the Mega Don Quixote, which is filled with all kinds of trinkets, makeup, snacks and other crazy items, we visited the Shibuya Scramble, which is supposedly the world’s busiest intersection. I don’t doubt it after walking across the street. There is nowhere in New York that resembles this at all.

Later in the evening, we went on a food tour of Shinjuku, which included a visit to the Omoide Yochoko (famed as piss alley) and visited businesses around Golden Gai and Kabukicho. This is Tokyo’s famed red-light district, and it is quite a sight. On this particular tour, organized by Viator, we were taken to spots to try food from Okinawa, which is quite unique and healthy (we had sea grapes as part of the tastes), chicken tonkatsu, which is a deep fried pounded chicken breast, sashimi and sake, and we ended with dessert, which was a taiyaki, or a fish shaped pastry made in a waffle iron and filled with matcha, chocolate or red bean custard.

The following morning, we woke up and decided to go to the famous shrine in Asakusa, Sensoji. It was a beautiful day, and it was wonderful to walk around this sacred area and explore the glorious park near the river that runs through this area of Tokyo. This is fairly close to the Tokyo Skytree, which is the highest manmade point in the city if you are interested in a view. We walked from this area to Kappabashi, which is the famous kitchen street of Tokyo. This is an excellent place to purchase knives or other items if you are interested in cooking. I picked up some seasoned sesame seeds and fancy chopsticks for my family. It’s a fun place to grab kitschy little sushi keyrings and other plastic food items as well. On our walk, we encountered a Mister Donut, which I have not seen in many years since most have closed in the states. We tried cherry, strawberry, and matcha donuts.

We decided to ride over to Akibahara, which is famed as an electronics area in Tokyo and is a hub for bookstores, one of my passions. We couldn’t help but check out another spot that is famous, M’s Pop Life, which is an adult store. It’s one of the largest in the world and has something like eight floors of all things for carnal pleasure. We found it hilarious as one floor alone was devoted to blow up dolls! Of course, we did find time to enjoy an ice cream at Azabusabo Hokkaido Ice Cream. It had some really wonderful flavors including black sesame, three strengths of matcha, red bean and Hokkaido milk, which I was interested in trying since it is so famous for high quality.

In the evening, we ventured over to Roppangi and had an omakase sushi experience at Sushi Nakamura, which was not easy to find, but delivered an amazing experience. I did painstaking research reading up on every possible sushi option to find this place as I wanted something excellent, but not horribly expensive, since most experiences run to $500 a person. This spot was $200 a person and you had to pay upfront before dining there, but it was well worth it. There were just ten of us at the counter being served several different courses prepared in front of us. We tried fatty tuna, uni, a smoked clam, mackerel, shrimp and many other items. We did not care for the blowfish which had an odd texture, but everything else was amazing. Prior to dinner, we went to Agave, which is a Mexican tequila restaurant. It is known for having Tokyo’s largest selection of Tequila and was quite interesting.

Days 4-7 – Where We Stayed and What We Did

On our fourth day in Tokyo, we went to Shinagawa Station and took the shinkansen (or bullet train) to Kyoto. I have always been interested in the history of Japan and no trip to this beautiful country should take place without a window into the past. Kyoto was Japan’s imperial capital for a thousand years and is home to over a thousand temples. On the ride down, we missed seeing Mount Fuji, but were rewarded with a view on the way back which was amazing.

Tuna at Nishiki Market

We started our trip by checking into our hotel, the Hotel Rings which was located right downtown, conveniently close to the Nishiki Market. It’s a semi-indoor market made up of 100-200 stalls focused mainly on seafood. Hotel Rings was comfortable and convenient and provided everything anyone needed for a nice stay. From the moment we were greeted we felt welcomed, and the sleek, modern look of the space was a bonus. As per usual, Rings provided all of the basics and was within easy distance of all of the major sights.

But back to Nishiki Market! There we wandered the various stalls with the many other visitors in town to see the cherry blossoms and shrines. We had the following:

• Gyoza – Michelin starred and visited apparently by David Beckham – we visited more than once and met a couple from Maryland, so that was fun!

• Wagyu beef skewer

• Shrimp tempura on a stick

• Strawberry candy – we had this quite a lot on our trip and I couldn’t get enough of it – picture a candy apple, but softer and tastier.

• Strawberry – chocolate mochi doughnut– this was quite nice, and the strawberry was perfect!

From there, we walked to the grounds of the Imperial Palace at Kyoto Gyoen National Garden. It was a nice day, and many people were out picnicking on a Sunday with their families. We saw many people dressed in traditional kimonos and realized that people like to dress in this traditional attire for photos. No one can see the Imperial Palace, as it is hidden behind a wall. My husband attempted to take a peek, and an alarm went off, so I wouldn’t advise getting too close! We enjoyed seeing the grounds and exploring a side of Kyoto that seemed less traveled.

In the evening, we opted to try Neapolitan pizza at Pizza Marita, as we heard it was excellent in Japan (although my husband who is from New York remained skeptical). The pies we had were particularly good, but nothing out of the ordinary that you can’t find at home.

Visiting the Fushimi Inari Shrine

The next day, we woke very early before the sun had risen to go to Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine. This is the famous shrine you have probably seen with 10,000 red gates. We hired a Go (download the app upon arrival in Japan as you will use it!) taxi and were taken directly to the shrine, where we proceeded to climb the mountain and were rewarded with stunning views of Kyoto and an experience for a lifetime. This was probably my favorite experience of the trip! Absolutely beautiful.

From there, we took another taxi to Gion in order to see that area and to walk around Yasaka Shrine. It was just starting to get busy, but it was lovely to walk around the quaint streets and to see the famous pagodas rising above the other structures. There are several interesting shops in this area to check out. We tried the glutinous matcha and red bean rice balls. The texture is very chewy with a slight sweetness. It wasn’t my favorite, but I was glad to try it.

From Gion, it is an easy walk back over to the downtown area and we browsed in many shops including both the Takashimaya and Daimaru department stores, where we again found ourselves in amazing depatchikas or basement level food halls. As in Tokyo, they were incredible. After walking over 20,000 steps that morning (and everyday) we were famished and went to Fauchon Hotel for a lovely afternoon tea. This was a restful and pampering experience. Pastries and tiny bites with an Asian and French flair were served along with a choice of tea. I opted for rose petal tea and it was delightful.

A Trip to Pontocho Alley

Dinner that evening was at a Japanese barbeque spot Kyo-no-Yakiniku-Dokoro Hiro Pontocho that was highly rated. I made the reservation in advance, and it was actually very nice. You are taken to a private room where you remove your shoes, and several courses are provided. We tried many different items including wagyu beef and a rice dish with seaweed and a perfectly cooked egg. Before dinner, we wanted to have a cocktail in the famous Pontocho area which sits next to the river. This is a delightful warren of alleys, and the low lighting is atmospheric. We decided upon Bacchus which has a view of the river and a comfortable bar. I had a yuzu spritzer that I really enjoyed.

On our third day in Kyoto, we had breakfast at a café where we could try the famous Japanese souffle pancakes. We opted to go to Sakura Café Hanon, which was fairly close to our hotel. The service was quick, and the options were numerous. My husband didn’t see what all of the fuss was about, but I really enjoyed it and would easily have it again when I am in New York. They take a little longer to make and are ultra fluffy. As a result, they are light as a feather and contain a lot of egg whites.

We needed to kill a bit of time that morning as we were scheduled to travel to an onsen for an overnight. This required a train from Kyoto station to Kameoka. It was fun to see folks taking the train home from work to the suburbs of Kyoto, which is a city of about 1.5 million people. After arriving, we were a bit early for the shuttle pick up and explored Aeon, which is a store that felt similar to Sam’s Club combined with a Target. In that store, we decided to try the Japanese version of McDonald’s. I had a teriyaki chicken burger, while my husband opted for a regular cheeseburger. His tasted very similar to the one at home. We noted that the Coke Zero was a very reasonable smaller size and that the fries did not come with ketchup, which saddened me (I love Heinz so much it’s scary). I did enjoy exploring Aeon, although I noted there were a lot of American brands such as Polo, so I wasn’t able to obtain anything unique. But the food area was wonderful, and we spent a lot of time examining everything and wishing we could bring more home!

Right on schedule, our shuttle arrived at the station in Kameoka to pick us up and take us to our onsen, the Ryokan Sumiya Kihoan. An onsen is a hot spring plus a resort that is developed around that particular hot spring. This one was a beautiful traditional onsen, where you are greeted upon arrival with traditional Japanese snacks and shown to your room. Our room was a traditional suite with tatami mats, and we had to remove our shoes. We loved the space, but the seating was not very comfortable. We had wanted to try the onsen in our room as we were a little nervous about the public bath. However, we came to realize that the public bath was amazing and lost our inhibitions pretty quickly.

The etiquette which my husband read up on is to shower first sitting down and to go into the bath naked. Our onsen had a few different baths including four outside in the women’s area and a large bath inside by the showers. I was a little nervous at first, but no one seemed to really care and fortunately there were only just a few people. Everyone obtains a traditional robe, socks and slippers and you wear them while you stay at the onsen, including dinner. Our reservation for dinner was late in the evening at 8:30. There, we were served a traditional kaiseki meal which consisted of multiple, beautifully arranged courses of seafood, beef, and vegetables. We did not know what everything was and failed to bring our phones, but suffice it to say, it was lovely. While at dinner, the futon beds were arranged on the floor in our room by the staff. If I were doing it again, I would recommend getting a regular bed as it was a bit uncomfortable, but it was a fun experience overall. Breakfast was equally as nice as dinner. Some of the dishes included rice, miso soup, grilled fish, many small vegetable sides, and tamago or steamed egg.

Days 7-10 – Where We Stayed and What We Did

After our stay at the onsen, we headed back to Tokyo and returned to Kyoto station for the ride back to Shinagawa Station by shinkansen. Upon arrival at Tokyo, we took a taxi to our hotel, which was located in Ueno. Rather than opting to stay in the same area, we decided to stay in another neighborhood for a different experience. The Nohga Hotel Ueno was conveniently located near Ueno station and one of the most beautiful parks in Tokyo. It was a modern hotel with many amenities. My only complaint was that the room was the smallest of all of the hotels we stayed.

All the parts of the chicken!

Ueno station is also quite crowded and quite a scene at all hours of the day and night. It’s a terribly busy area and there are shinkansen trains leaving for Northern cities from there. But it’s a cool area because right nearby is the Ameyoko Shopping District. This bustling market is right under the overpass of the train station and is filled to the brim with all kinds of stalls and shops. After wandering around Ueno Park and over to the wonderful area of Yanaka, which is a quaint historic area with shops, I wanted to go to either a famous ramen place or a tonkatsu joint, but the hordes were lined up, so we decided to check out a yakitori spot right under the tracks which shook the entire place every time the train pushed through. Like some of the other spots where we had yakitori, they served chicken in every possible part on the skewer. This included ground chicken made into small meatballs, grilled chicken skin, grilled, marinated chicken thighs, the tough “comb” of the chicken, and chicken gizzards. My favorite ended up being the chicken heart. After working for the meat industry, I’m not opposed to offal, and this was actually pretty tasty. We started with edamame and beers, had the yakitori, and also enjoyed some spicy pickled cucumbers and gyoza. Have I mentioned how much I loved the gyoza? I literally had those everyday too!

On our next day, we went on a tour of the famous Tsukiji Outer Fish Market. This was once the largest fish market in the world, but it moved to Toyosu, another area of Tokyo, where there is a large facility with refrigeration. Our guide was a retired executive from Tokyo who led us around the market and allowed us to taste samples of some of the items we saw. I really enjoyed it, particularly when we went to see them make the pressed egg for sushi that is sold to purveyors all over town. We bought some things as we sampled. My favorite item was the wagyu beef skewer served with wasabi and salt. At the end of the tour, we had a sushi making class. This was interestingly my least favorite part. I asked a number of questions of our guide and enjoyed meeting other participants from different parts of the world.

From there we walked to Ginza and explored the area, checking out the Kabuki theater and ultimately landing at the world’s largest Uniqlo, where we did some shopping. It has 12 floors, and they are filled to the brim with everything you can imagine.

That evening, we had reservations back in Shibuya to go to SG Club, one of the world’s best cocktail bars. I had read about Sip & Guzzle, which they own in New York. While I enjoyed the experience, I can’t say it was the best cocktail I have ever had. My husband’s cocktail was quite fancy and came in a bottle with flowers and potions that he could pour himself. Afterwards, we decided to grab ramen and went to Oreryu Shio-ramen where you ordered at a vending machine and paid cash. It was a lot of fun, although I did not know that I could have requested mine as “creamy” which I tend to prefer. Honestly, I could have eaten ramen every day, it was that good.

On our last official day in Tokyo, we decided to go to Marunouchi and visit the grounds of the Imperial Palace. This is the main residence of the Emperor of Japan. We did not get to see very much, but it was interesting to view the grounds and to be in the park which was reminiscent of a much more private Buckingham Palace. It’s surrounded by a moat and there were horse guards and many cherry trees with weeping willows. This was our first time seeing the madness of Tokyo Station, although we learned that Shinjuku station is the world’s busiest, and I believe it!

After walking around quite a bit, we went to Takashimaya and decided to go to the depachika and see if we could head for the roof for a meal. It was hard to pick what to eat since so much of what was offered was fantastic. We did end up with fatty tuna sushi and it was incredible, as insane as one might imagine, we thought it was the best of all of the sushi we had! Truly fresh and delicious. We spent quite a few hours in the department store, wandering around and shopping. Of particular interest was the amazing stationary section where I bought pens for my son and stationery for my mom, as well as seals for letters. I could not believe the service in the store, from the elevator operators and the greeters, to the many people working in the different departments and particularly in the basement level depachika. We used to have stores like this many years ago, but that kind of service no longer exists. We felt as if we were honored guests. It was truly a lovely experience!

The tea garden at Tokyo National Museum

We found ourselves back at Ueno Park and wandered around the park over to the Tokyo National Museum, which is worth spending time exploring. There we saw Japanese art, samurai swords, historic kimonos, pottery, and armor. After a full day, we were exhausted and decided to go close to our hotel for dinner. This is where we ended up finding a restaurant, Motsu Bee Okachimachi Ten, that fully embraced equine meat. But, as weird as that might sound, the food was really good. I had a dish with mung bean sprouts and pork that was delicious and a noodle dish that seemed like a Japanese version of Bolognese.

And so, after a wonderful 10 days, my husband and I left to head home with memories to last for a lifetime. The Japanese people were so patient and kind. I truly felt at ease while there and disconnected from the world and some of the news. I hope if you have the chance at some point to get to Japan you will do so!

Here are a few other recommendations:

• Don’t make too many reservations. Enjoy where you land and try some unique foods. Get out of your comfort zone. I didn’t always like what we had (and I consider myself fairly adventurous) but it was worth trying!

• Bring the most comfortable shoes you own! You will walk 20,000 or more steps a day – no joke!

• Make sure you have your phone in order before you come to Japan. Talk to your service provider and make sure you are set up for Wi-Fi and navigation.

• Don’t be afraid to take cabs. There were times when this came in handy although we used the trains for everything!

• Pack for all kinds of weather. Layers are key. Dark colors seem to be popular and neutrals.

• Get used to crowds. With 37 million people in the metro area, Tokyo is the world’s most densely populated city. Strangely, it is very manageable and runs very efficiently. I never felt overwhelmed or crowded even though there seemed to be hundreds around us.

• Crime is rare. Still, when you are in places where tourists are common, it is important to watch your valuables just as you would anywhere else.

• The toilets are amazing - how I wish we had them here in the states! Enjoy them and if you are able, bring one home - just make sure you have an outlet!

Japan is an amazing country. I am still glowing from this trip, and it’s been two weeks. It will be hard to recover from the time difference. Give yourself time and don’t make any plans!