TOKYO, JAPAN
TOKYO! I've dreamed of visiting Japan for a very, very long time, and despite my short stay (5 days in Tokyo only), I loved every minute of every day. We flew in from Singapore (after a quick visit there), and arrived at Narita Airport in the early afternoon. Despite having done some research on how to get to into the city from the airport, I still went to the help desk for further guidance. The lady at the counter sold us a railway ticket, gave us a Tokyo metropolitan railway and subway map, and told us where to hop off. I have a feeling she didn't give us the most "affordable" ticket there was available, but as long as we could start making our way out, that was all that mattered. The Tokyo transport system looked really complex, and all I could think of, when looking at the map was 'there is no way I'd be able to work this out'. *Spoiler Alert* We took the subway everyday during our stay, and even until my last day, I still didn't really know how to find my around properly haha. We got lost in the city so many times. But fortunately, the people of Japan are so kind! Despite the language barrier, the locals actually came up to us to ask if we needed any help. Soooo nice!
On our first day in Tokyo, we went exploring in Asakusa. Asakusa, where the spirit of Edo lingers, is a fascinating district in Tokyo filled with charming shops, restaurants and a beautiful Buddhist temple. Passing through the majestic Kaminarimon (Thunder Gate), we ate our way through the very lively Nakamise-dōri; making sure we had plenty of ice cream and mochi, before arriving at Senso-ji. Here at Tokyo's oldest Buddhist temple, we checked our fortunes through omikuji. To receive an omikuji, make a donation (of ¥100) and shake the tin until a wooden stick falls out. Your fortune will be in the draw that matches the number on the stick. Keep the fortune with you if it's good, and leave the fortune behind if it's bad - because you wouldn't want to have bad luck follow you around right?
Before leaving the temple, we made sure to grab a melon-pan at the very famous Asakusa Kagetsudo. It was as big as my face, and came out nicely fresh and warm. After having some soba noodles for lunch at a nearby restaurant, we leisurely walk around town. One shop that caught our eyes was a flashy looking discount chain store called Don Quixote, which sold absolutely everything you could think of, and also the things that you couldn't think of.
On our first day in Tokyo, we went exploring in Asakusa. Asakusa, where the spirit of Edo lingers, is a fascinating district in Tokyo filled with charming shops, restaurants and a beautiful Buddhist temple. Passing through the majestic Kaminarimon (Thunder Gate), we ate our way through the very lively Nakamise-dōri; making sure we had plenty of ice cream and mochi, before arriving at Senso-ji. Here at Tokyo's oldest Buddhist temple, we checked our fortunes through omikuji. To receive an omikuji, make a donation (of ¥100) and shake the tin until a wooden stick falls out. Your fortune will be in the draw that matches the number on the stick. Keep the fortune with you if it's good, and leave the fortune behind if it's bad - because you wouldn't want to have bad luck follow you around right?
Before leaving the temple, we made sure to grab a melon-pan at the very famous Asakusa Kagetsudo. It was as big as my face, and came out nicely fresh and warm. After having some soba noodles for lunch at a nearby restaurant, we leisurely walk around town. One shop that caught our eyes was a flashy looking discount chain store called Don Quixote, which sold absolutely everything you could think of, and also the things that you couldn't think of.
Hope you all enjoyed this post on Asakusa!
Vivian
Vivian
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