Journey to Japan

My first time in Asia was for a Transpacific cruise from Tokyo to Vancouver in May 2014. It definitely whet my appetite for future travels to Asia.

We decided to stay 3 nights in Japan prior to our cruise.

Day 1 in Japan (Shinjuku):
After a 10 hour flight from Vancouver to Tokyo we arrived at Narita Airport. We decided on the Limousine Bus instead of the train to travel the 1.5-2 hours to Tokyo from the airport. We bought our tickets at the Limousine Bus counter in the Arrival Lobby on the first floor of Narita Airport. Everything was done very efficiently and we were on our way to Shinjuku Station. From there we waited for our hotel shuttle to take us to Shinjuku New City Hotel. After checking-in to our hotel we went back to Shinjuku Station to explore the various shops and restaurants in and around the station. We found a place to eat udon for dinner and called it a night.

Vending machine located outside a restaurant

Tip: To order from a vending machine put your money in then press on the button of the item you want. A ticket will print out for you to give to a waiter inside the restaurant before taking a seat.


Day 2 in Japan (Shinjuku, Harajuku, Shibuya):
We started the morning by eating breakfast at the hotel's restaurant. They had a nice spread of both Western and Japanese cuisine. After breakfast we walked towards the skyscraper district on the west side of Shinjuku Station.
Our first stop for the day was the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building. At 243 meters tall it is the tallest building in Tokyo.

View from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building

 Another view from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building

Tip: It is free to go to the Tocho Observation Deck on the 45th floor.

After admiring the view of Tokyo from up high we made our way to Shinjuku Station. On our walk there we stumbled across back alleys with lots of shops and restaurants. The shops here sell a wide variety of Japanese snacks which make for great souvenirs.

Japanese businessmen in the Skyscraper district of Shinjuku

It was only a 4 minute train ride to Harajuku Station from Shinjuku Station. We wanted to check out the famous Takeshita Dori in Harajuku. Takeshita Dori is a 400 meter long street lined with shops, boutiques, cafes and fast food outlets.

Street art along Takeshita Dori

Located a few blocks from Takeshita Dori is the Meiji Shrine, our next stop.

Torii gate marking the entrance to the Meiji Shrine grounds

The majority of the shrine grounds is heavily forested and can be explored on walking paths. Interesting sights, like the barrels of Sake wrapped in straw, were sprinkled throughout the walk to the shrine.

Barrels of Sake wrapped in straw

Visitors to the shrine can take part in Shinto activities such as making offerings at the main hall, buying charms, or writing out a wish on an ema (small wooden plaque).

Emas with wishes written on them

A 15 minute walk from the Meiji Shrine is NHK Studio Park. After paying the 200 yen admission fee we went inside the headquarters and broadcasting center of Japan's public television and radio broadcaster.

The entrance to NHK Studio Park

Japanese children pretending to be local news & weather reporters

Since NHK Studio Park is midway between Harajuku and Shibuya we decided to get to Shibuya by walking on the sidewalks beside the train tracks. Shibuya is considered a popular shopping and entertainment district so we gave ourselves a few hours to explore the shops.

The streets of Shibuya

The famous scramble crossing is right outside Shibuya Station. When the traffic lights turn red the cars in all direction stop and hundreds of pedestrians cross the street at the same time. After experiencing and witnessing the organized chaos of the scramble crossing we hopped on the train at Shibuya Station and headed back to our hotel.


Day 3 in Japan (Ryogoku, Akihabara, Asakusa):
We had planned to go to Ryogoku, also known as Sumo Town, to check out Kokugikan Sumo Stadium and the Tokyo Sumo Museum for our first stop of the day. However, on the train we noticed Akihabara was on the way to Ryogoku so we made the decision to stop there first. Akihabara, Tokyo's Electric Town, is known for its many electronics shops.

Greeted by colourful signs in Akihabara

From Akihabara we made our way by train to Ryogoku. A sumo tournament was scheduled to happen a few days after we visited. Fortunately we were able to catch a sighting of several sumo wrestlers coming and going from Kokugikan Sumo Stadium before and after training inside the stadium.

Mural outside Kokugikan Sumo Stadium

Looking at a collection of photos of past sumo champions inside the Tokyo Sumo Museum it was interesting to see how so many of their physiques vary from the stereotypical image of sumo wrestlers.
 
After being very amused by a sumo wrestler riding away from the Sumo Stadium on a bike we made our way back to the train station. Located a block away from the Sumo Stadium is Yokoamicho Park. We originally planned to only take a quick look inside but ended up staying much longer than anticipated because of a plethora of photo opportunities.

Peaceful garden inside Yokoamicho Park

Yokoamicho Park has plenty of photo opportunities

Our last stop for the day was Asakusa. Upon exiting the train at Kuramae Station in Asakusa, it was only a 15 minute walk along Edo Dori to get to the Asakusa Culture Tourist Information Center.

Statues of Japanese cartoon characters outside a shop on Edo Dori

The Asakusa Culture Tourist Information Center is located right across the street from Kaminarimon Gate.

View of Nakamise Dori from the Asakusa Culture Tourist Information Center

Tokyo skyline and Skytree as seen from the Asakusa Culture Tourist Information Center

Tip: The 8th floor of the Asakusa Culture Tourist Information Center has a free veranda with great views of Sensoji Temple, Nakamise Dori, the Skytree and the Tokyo skyline.

At the entrance to Sensoji Temple is Kaminarimon Gate.

Kaminarimon Gate

We walked along a street called Nakamise Dori from the entrance gate to the temple buildings. This historic shopping street is lined with souvenir shops and food vendors. We bought takoyaki (octopus-filled balls) from one of the food vendors and it was the most delicious thing I ate in Japan!

Taking shelter from the sudden rainstorm inside a shop on Nakamise Dori

Large throng of visitors to the Sensoji Temple

On our fourth day in Japan it was time for us to join our cruise ship. We embarked the Celebrity Millennium at Osanbashi Pier in Yokohama (Tokyo).

Lovely wooden boardwalk at Osanbashi Pier

Our first port of call in Japan was Hakodate and the ship docked at Minatocho Pier. Shuttle buses were provided at the port by the cruiseline to and from downtown Hakodate.
We got to Hakodate's Morning Fish Market before noon so there were still vendors selling their fresh produce. The vendors are all very welcoming and love interacting with travelers.

Shops set up for the Morning Fish Market

Friendly vendors at the Morning Fish Market

Because the Morning Fish Market closes at noon we spent the rest of the afternoon exploring Hakodate by foot. A 15-20 minute walk led us to Kanemori Red Brick Warehouse which is comprised of 3 separate buildings ranging from unique shops to flea markets.

Kanemori Red Brick Warehouse

Mount Hakodate in the distance

Kanemori Red Brick Warehouse had a lot of shops selling unique items but it was much pricier than the shops near the shuttle bus drop-off/pick-up location in downtown Hakodate.

When we were done browsing the shops at Kanemori Red Brick Warehouse we headed towards the Motomachi District. This is a historic district with 19 steep streets located at the foot of Mount Hakodate.

On the slopes in the Motomachi District looking towards Hakodate Bay

Our second and final port of call in Japan was Sapporo. The ship docked in Muroran which is a 2 hour drive from Sapporo.

Tip: If you don't have pre-arranged transfers from the port in Muroran to Sapporo you can take a hop-on-hop-off bus for 1000 yen (~$10 Canadian) which will take you to six different sites around Muroran.

Since we decided not to take a transfer to Sapporo we explored Muroran on the hop-on-hop-off bus. One of the stops we visited was the Muroran Tourist Association where locals performed a magic show and traditional dance. There was also an area where men and women can try on different styles of kimonos.

Locals in Muroran performing a traditional dance

I would go back to Japan in a heartbeat! The people are extremely friendly, the technology is interesting to experience, and the streets are clean and safe.

Nothing but LOVE for Japan