I’ve been to Tokyo once so far with my wife, but we were amazed by how different it felt compared to other countries we have been before. It’s a fascinating place, full of culture and history. They live fused with the nature even in the capital.
I spent more than a week there, here are some things I learned during my trip.
The Japanese Are Very Respectful People
In Japan, people tend to be very respectful of others. Even if you are from another country. I mean as Europeans, we were clearly tourists, but we were respected not only by the waiters of trendy places but at the suburbs as well.
Some elders even bowed to us and we did the same. Though, I must add we spent a couple of days preparing ourselves with my wife. But it really-really worth the time.
Beauty of Sakura (cherry blossom)
Well, it is literally impossible to plan your trip for Sakura. I mean there are modern forecasts but even a cyclone can change it with a week. And sakura is not so long. Majority goes off in 10 days roughly.
It was the same for us. We travelled to Tokyo in April with no exact plan in mind. I mean, we would have been happy if we arrive during sakura, but our offices were more influencing factors on the timeline.
Anyways, but luck we ended up landing 2-3 days after the beginning of sakura. That offered us an amazing experience.
Worth getting lost on a Tokyo Trip
One is not going unprepared on a Tokyo Trip. This was the same for us: we prepared tons of plans. Yet, we had to explore the streets out of range. We let ourselves got lost, offering us the most beautiful experiences on the trip.
Omoide Yokocho for example is not a well-known place. At least you will not find among the top places to check. And we found it by chance.
Love of anime
Anime is in short animated (cartoon) culture of Japan. If you are on a Tokyo Trip and you like anime (let it be older ones like Dragon Ball or Sailor Moon, or newer), you will have the chance to drool round the clock.
Shrines are mus t see pages on a Tokyo Trip
Even if you are not religious, visiting such harmonious places will soothe your mind. If you are into any arts (music, drawing), these places will be boosters for long. Such memories. I mean I am understanding very little about Buddhism, still the statues how those places look like. You will simply adore their culture.
On top of that they are fully fused with the nature. Even in the heart of Tokyo. When you are visiting these shrines, you are almost forgetting that you are in the biggest city of the world.
Tokyo nights are amazing
As said above, the city is simply huge. Tokyo Trip’s mandatory part should be to visit any of their towers are night and enjoy the endless city watching the lights.
The weather is great for everything if you are going for a Tokyo Trip
It’s true that the weather in Tokyo is amazing. We were there in April with a lovely warm weather (meaning T-shirt round the clock with pullover in the bag for early night strolls).
The food is delicious
If you love Japanese food, then you’ll enjoy eating at these restaurants in Tokyo. You are advised to be open minded there, though in worst case you can find plenty of KFCs and McDonald’s there. But who would go there?!
I mean, I even learned some basic Japanese words to understand restaurant language and could order food in traditional places. Going back to an earlier point: Japanese people are very respectful. That means, if they are not speaking English in a restaurant, they stop you at the door. Excluding themselves for not being able to provide you the right service. So, basic Japanese is highly advised to tackle these situations. If you are able to convince them that you can speak a little, they will let you in.
I did it twice with my wife and in both cases they let us in. Even though the menu had no pictures just traditional Japanese writing, that was obviously over my knowledge. But I asked for either “menu”, referring to the daily menu or “gohan” (rice) with “sakana” (fish) and we got them.
Of course try local sushi as well. It will be completely different that what you probably tried at your place. This one is fresh and offering a completely different experience.
You can always find something to do in Tokyo
Tokyo is one of the world’s largest cities and has something to offer everyone. Whether you’re looking for culture, shopping, food, or nightlife, you’ll find it here.
On top of that they have a large variety of museums and galleries. Like the teamLab Borderless Tokyo.
Neon Tokyo
Similarly to visiting the tours, an ideal Tokyo Trip also covers wandering in the city at night. I would say Akihabara is your place in this case (and Roppongi maybe). Both can be pretty entertaining and interesting after sunset.
+1 enjoy the journey
Tokyo is pretty far away, if you are to travel there, keep in mind that you will probably spend hours on the plane. Try to take that journey as part of your holiday as well with books and movies on your smartphone. Otherwise you will be very tired by the time you arrive to Tokyo. And that may have a negative impact on your Tokyo Trip.
I personally enjoyed the travel from the moment I left my place with tons of photos and videos.
Complete Tokyo Trip video playlist
Enjoy the complete Tokyo Trip set below, or click on this link. Originally I featured short videos but later I had the chance to create an extended one with more comments and unreleased videos. I hope you will enjoy them.
I would also suggest you to give a listen to Tokyo19 EP. It contains 4 oriental chill-out beats. All songs were composed after the travel inspired by Tokyo.
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