We are spending just under 5 days in Tokyo before heading back to the US. On the morning of the first day, we flew JAL from Taipei to Tokyo Narita. After a bit of confusion about how to get a tourist 3-day pass on the Tokyo Metro, we took the Skyliner to our ryokan (traditional Japanese inn) near Sendagi station. Tired, yet hungry, we took the JR to Shinjuku for some food and sightseeing.
On the second day, we started the day with a walk along a small market street near the ryokan. We bought flavored mochi, Japanese crackers, and sushi for breakfast and went back to ryokan to eat. (I’ve been told that eating while walking is frowned upon in Japan.) Afterward, we took a self-guided walking tour of Ueno Park. After a lot of walking, we met Valerie’s cousin Wes for dinner near Yurakucho station.
On the third day, we spent the day eating Japanese street food. We started the day by taking the metro to Asakusa, which has a large temple and an even larger market area in front of that temple. We picked up some food on a stick along the market street then took metro to Shibuya. We got a lot of tasty treats at the Tokyu FoodShow and then took the metro to Harajuku. Along the way, we stopped for donburi at a small restaurant near Omotesando station. We then walked along Takeshita Street, which was much emptier than the last time we were here, and proceeded to eat some Calbee fries and a crepe.
The next day, we woke up relatively early to head to Tsukiji fish market for early lunch of sushi at Sushi Bun. The food was not as good as Sushi Dai where we ate last time, but the line was hours shorter. We spent the rest of the day on the artificial island of Odaiba. We visited Miraikan (museum of emerging science and innovation) where we saw the asimo robot perform a dance and poetry reading. Finally, we stopped by Sega Joypolis. We didn’t ride any of the attractions at Joypolis, but I was able to scan my face onto a virtual manatee in a virtual wall aquarium.
On our last day in Tokyo (and on this trip), we spent the day eating pricy Japanese food. For brunch, we had omakase at Kyubey in Ginza. The tuna was just amazing. Afterward, we took the metro to Roppongi to look at the Christmas decorations. We stumbled upon Le Atelier by Joel Robuchon. We were able to get a seat at the counter without a reservation as long as we could finish eating in 1.5 hours. The “Japanese wagyu beef” was superb.
This has been a long and exciting journey. I’ve been traveling for so long that I’m almost apprehensive about going back home. It’s the same feeling of dread that I normally get before long trips. It may take a while to get used to “home life” again.