Tokyo Highlights (Part 1)

Planning a trip to Tokyo?

Then you know that Japan’s capital city can be a bit overwhelming.

Tokyo is huge, modern, unexpected, fast, bright, electric, stylish, and unbelievably gorgeous.  (Yes, I could use every positive adjective to describe it, but I think you get the point.)  There are so many sites and flavors that it’s easy to be daunted by Tokyo’s immensity.

So, if you want to visit Japan, or if you’re just interested in sampling a bit of Tokyo from your computer screens- I’m happy to share my top-Tokyo-picks, in hopes of making a BIG city feel a bit smaller.

So, first thing’s first – to get around Tokyo, you must be equipped with at least 1 good guide book.  I mainly used Lonely Planet’s Tokyo City Guide as well as Tokyo Encounter.

But here’s the catch…

No matter how much you read, organize, plan and prepare – you will get lost in Tokyo.  Fact.  Own it and get comfortable with it because it’s just going to happen.  Tokyo’s streets are rarely named and the buildings are numbered in the order in which they were constructed – so following a map or finding an address isn’t easy AT ALL (even for the savviest of navigators).  Luckily, if you really are a lost sheep, you can always rely on the trusty Japanese, who are EXTREMELY nice and super helpful.

Okay, so now that you are mentally and emotionally prepared for this adventure, it’s time to dive into one of the coolest cities in the world.

First stop: Tsukiji Market

Quick tip: Unless you want fish guts all over your feet, I'd highly recommend close-toed shoes for the day!

Tsukiji is Japan’s biggest wholesale fish market, and is packed to the brim with colorful stalls selling over 450 different types of seafood.  G & I got an early start on Tsukiji (arriving around 7:00 or 8:00 am) to fully experience the hustle & bustle of the market in action – and trust me, there was ACTION!

In fact, the first time I went to Tsukiji, I was so consumed by all the colors and activity (like an infant attracted to light and sound), that I almost got run-over by a zooming mini-tractor-cart-thingee without even noticing *woops*!

Lucky for me, Superman G saw the electric cart speeding in my direction and pulled me backward by yanking my shirt (and then I got mad at him for stretching out my T…  I’m not a morning person).

After wandering the many aisles of the fish market, G & I headed to breakfast with our friend K, at the nearby Sushi Daiwa (and later came back to eat at the neighboring, Sushi Dai- which was even tastier! tel. 03/3547-6797), where we devoured the freshest sushi in Tokyo.

Think it’s weird to eat raw fish for breakfast?!  Think again!

I’m drooling as I post these pics.  Tuna, scallops, yellowtail, shrip, tomago… what more can a sushi fanatic ask for?!?  Oh, and please note the intense amount of ginger that the chef so lovingly placed in front of me (per my request… alright, I begged).  I’m not ashamed to admit that I had 2 more heaping servings of ginger that morning.

YUM!

To walk off our breakfast belly, we took a quick stroll to & through the beautiful Hama-Rikyu gardens.

The serenity of Hama-Rikyu helped us unwind and relax after a crazizle morning at the market.  When we finally felt bastante rejuvenated, we walked towards the Garden’s pier, where we caught a sightseeing boat up the Sumida River to Asakusa.

By the way, if you take this boat tour & are offered a weird looking waffle-covered-ice-cream-sandwich-type-thing, DO YOURSELF A FAVOR and buy it!  G hasn’t stopped dreaming about this yummy & bizarre treat since.

The boat dropped us off at Asakusa, where we visited Senso-ji, Tokyo’s oldest temple.

And when in Tokyo temples, do as the locals do – so we spritzed ourselves with healing water, burned some incense and got our Buddhist fortune on.

As you can imagine, performing all these Japanese Buddhist rituals can really make a girl (and guy) pretty hungry.  So, after a quick tour around the old & quaint alleys of Asakusa, G & I met our friends for a delicious tempura lunch at Daikokuya (tel. 03/3844-1111).

Feeling fat and happy after yet another great meal – we lazily decided to head to Ginza, one of the poshest and most expensive shopping districts in Tokyo.

And, of course, where there is status, there is the Gap!  😉

(Miss you guys!)

FYI- this picture was actually taken in Shibuya's Gap, but I thought I'd add it anyway

All kidding aside, if you like international luxury brands and beautifully modern stores – Ginza is your place.

Unfortunately, with no full-time job and the slight absence of incoming $$$, I did not have the best time in Ginza- swooning over product that I couldn’t afford to buy.

In retrospect, I would have much preferred to spend a low-key afternoon exploring the less touristy areas of Ebisu, Daikanyama & Naka Meguro (which I visited with J on my most recent trip to Tokyo).  These neighborhoods have no major sights, but are littered with hip cafes, well-designed boutiques, and European-type streets.  If I could live in Tokyo – this would definitely be my area of choice.

Exhausted of this post yet?!  So am I…  Too bad we haven’t even gotten to Tokyo’s nightlife, Japanese sub-cultures and, HELLO, shopping!  If you are still interested (and honestly, I commend you for reading up to this point) – tune in later this week for my Tokyo Highlights Part 2.