This will be a detailed report of my trip to Japan in November 2024. I’m a female in my early 40s who likes to pack my travel days pretty full. This was my fourth solo trip but first time visiting Japan.

November 9-28, 2024
Tokyo - 6 nights
Hakone - 2 nights
Kyoto - 7 nights
Koyasan - 1 night
Osaka - 1 night

I worked on planning this trip for over a year, reading dozens of Fodor’s trip reports and watching probably hundreds of hours of YouTube vlogs. There was so much I wanted to fit in that I drew up the most specific itinerary I’ve ever created (I’ve never planned a trip hour by hour before). On the ground, I was flexible and often didn’t end up sticking exactly to my plan, but I was glad to have done as much research as I had. From reading this forum, it sounds like a lot of people are intimidated by planning travel to Japan. Trip planning is one of my favorite things, so I certainly don't think everyone needs to put in the number of hours that I did, but I do think some advance preparation is necessary in order to have the best experience. I found Japan to be extremely traveler-friendly, so any gaps in knowledge are likely to be easily filled in once you're there.

In addition to the trip reports here, these are the resources I found most helpful:
Japan-guide.com website and YouTube channel
Tokyo Cheapo website and YouTube channel
Cakes with Faces YouTube channel
Japan Unravelled YouTube channel
Inside Kyoto website
Travel Caffeine website - great info about and photos of Kyoto temples
PiQtour YouTube website - info and history about Kyoto-area sites
Damien Douxchamps website - photography website with photos and info about Kyoto area temples

Travel Days (Saturday 11/9 -Monday 11/11)
My home airport is Salt Lake City, and since there weren’t any good itineraries out of SLC, I bought one set of tickets on Japan Airlines out of Los Angeles (LAX-NRT and KIX-LAX), and then another RT flight between SLC and LAX. I was able to get a fairly good deal using Chase points for the JAL flights.

I flew into LA on the evening of November 9th, just to be absolutely sure I wouldn’t miss my flight to Tokyo on the 10th. I stayed in a hotel close to the airport and then started my flight to Tokyo about noon the next day. I was disappointed to see that there are no Priority Pass lounges at LAX and the restaurant benefit has been taken away, but I did take advantage of the new benefit at the Be Relax airport spas. That’s not something I would ever think to pay for on my own, but that 30 minute heated massage chair was really nice!

JAL economy seats seem to have slightly more legroom than US carriers. The meals were fine (I actually don’t remember what they served). The flight was about 11 hours and felt long.

I arrived at Narita about 4pm on Monday, November 11th. It took about an hour to get through immigration, and I easily followed signage to get to the Keisei Skyliner. I had bought a voucher on Klook and quickly exchanged that for a ticket at the ticket office. While on the train into central Tokyo, I ran into an issue: I could not get my eSIM to connect. I had used an Airalo eSIM last year in Spain and had no issues. They are supposed to be one of the best eSIM providers for Japan, but no matter what I did, I couldn’t ever get it to work.

I hadn’t written down directions to my hotel because I was just going to use Google maps to tell me the most efficient route once I arrived at Nippori station. So there I was, with no idea where to go and no ability to connect to the internet. Where was Japan’s supposedly ubiquitous free wifi? Not in an underground subway station! I wandered around the station - or should I say stations because many of Japan’s larger subway stations meld into train stations or separate areas for separate subway lines - causing errors as I tried to go in and out of the automatic gates to different parts of the station. I knew what station I needed to end up at, but I didn’t know how to get there, and I couldn’t find any subway maps or seem to communicate with anyone well enough to figure out where to go.

To make a long story short, I ended up wandering around the station(s) for about an hour. I was definitely frustrated, but instead of panicking, I just viewed it as a problem solving exercise. Luckily, I was eventually able to get on the correct subway line and got access to wifi long enough to screenshot directions to my hotel. Fortunately this was the worst of my issues navigating public transit in Japan. I actually quite enjoyed navigating the giant Tokyo subway during the remainder of my days there!

A note on public transportation. I added the Suica card to my Apple wallet on my phone, and it was so nice to just be able to tap my phone on the subway entry and exit gates rather than having to pull out a card to keep track of a tiny paper ticket. It was also super quick and easy to add money. I spent an average of $7/day on public transit in Tokyo and Kyoto.

While in Tokyo I stayed at the Tokyu Stay Suidobashi in a Cozy Single room. My room was just as tiny as Tokyo hotel rooms are famous for being, but it had everything I needed: a twin bed, desk, miniature refrigerator and freezer, microwave, tub/shower with great water pressure, toiletries, and even a washer/dryer. Tokyo was not where I wanted to splurge on lodging, and I was completely satisfied with my experience at this business hotel. I booked about seven months ahead of time and paid just under $100/night

Tokyo is so big that I don’t know if there is any location that’s perfectly convenient if you’re planning to explore the city in all directions, but Suidobashi was convenient enough location-wise. My hotel was near at least one high school and there also seemed to be a number of universities in the area. I found it interesting that the high schools and universities are housed in what look like multi-story office buildings, rather than the sprawling campuses we’re used to in the US. I always saw lots of high school students in their uniforms on my walks to and from Suidobashi station.

After I got settled in my hotel room and purchased/set-up a new eSIM through a different provider, I headed out to Kura Sushi in Asakusa, a large conveyor belt sushi restaurant. I actually don’t like seafood, but I wanted to approach Japanese food with an open mind. After a short wait for a counter seat, I ordered a piece of scallop sushi and a piece of tuna sushi and particularly care for either one - not because they tasted fishy (they didn’t), but I didn’t like the texture of the fish/seafood with the texture of the sticky rice. The popcorn chicken was good though! With that checked off the list, I headed out for some fish I knew I’d enjoy: custard taiyaki at Naruto Taiyaki!

Next up was Senso-ji temple. I wanted to see it in the peace and calm of night before seeing it with the crowds the next day. It was beautiful all lit up. I loved the grandeur of the Hozomon gate and the scale of the lanterns and the guardian statues.

My last stop of the night was the Asakusa Don Quijote. I wanted to grab some skin care products and candy to try out while on the trip so I’d know what to stock up on before going home. It was at least 10pm by this time, but Don Quijote was super crowded and just as overwhelming as I’d heard it can be. I grabbed a few things I had noted down from watching YouTube videos, but the store’s small aisles were so jammed with both people and products, I didn’t stay too much longer to browse.

And that was my first night in Japan! It wasn’t the smoothest of introductions, but luckily it’s all downhill from here.


Custard taiyaki from Naruto Taiyaki

Sensoji at night

A man stopping to pray at the Hozomon gate of Sensoji

Pagoda at Sensoji

A picturesque street in Asakusa

When the shops are closed it's fun to see the artwork on the metal grates

Thank you for sharing. I'm sorry about your introductory troubles in Japan but glad to hear it was smoother from there. Hope you were able to enjoy some of the fall foliage as well. Looking forward to more.

Day 1 (Tuesday 11/12) - Asakusa and Ginza

I slept well and was out the door about 8am for my first full day in Tokyo. I headed back to Senso-ji temple, where most of the shops on Nakamise-dori were still closed. In addition to beating some of the crowds, it’s worth arriving early to see the artwork on the painted metal grates before the shops open.

Senso-ji got busy quickly! After taking in the main gates and temple, I spent some time wandering to the side and behind the temple and found some pretty areas and even a couple of trees whose leaves had turned bright yellow.

I didn’t spend any time in the souvenir shops on Nakamise-dori or surrounding streets, so I can’t comment on the selection or prices, but I did stop in that area for my first melonpan, which was delicious.

Next I headed to Kappabashi Kitchen Tools street. I was looking for some decorative dishes/pottery (nothing high-end) to take home for myself and as gifts. This being the first day of the trip, though, I didn’t go too crazy and just picked up a couple of things. Looking back, this area had some of the best selection and prices.

For lunch I had a reservation at Hat Coffee, a small café known for its 3D latte art. There is a 2-item requirement, so I ordered the chicken and mushroom curry, along with a 3D art hot cocoa. The hot cocoa came first. When it’s your turn, they call you up and have you stand across the counter from the latte artist. There’s even a stand where you can put your phone to film or photograph and process. I requested a design I’d seen on their Instagram account: multiple 3D cats. If you can’t do something quirky like get milk foam cats on your hot cocoa while on vacation in Tokyo, when can you?! The hot cocoa was small, but it was good.The curry was also very good.

After lunch I walked over and along the Sumida river until I got to the Former Yasuda Garden. This is a lovely, tranquil garden right next to the Japanese Sword Museum. There is a pathway that circles the garden and central pond, and while walking it I saw turtles sunning themselves on rocks, a large bird that was probably a crane, and a dogwood tree that had turned an orangish-red.

En route to the Sumida Hokusai Museum, I happened upon Yokoamicho Park and spent some time wandering around.. This park is beautiful, but it has a sad history. The ashes of tens of thousands of victims of the 1923 Great Kanto earthquake are housed in a grand memorial hall, and the ashes of tens of thousands of victims of the Bombing of Tokyo are also buried in this park. There’s also a beautiful memorial to WWII victims.

After that brief detour, I made it to the Sumida Hokusai Museum, which is housed in an impressive-looking building. Hokusai lived from the mid-18th to the mid-19th century, and is the artist of what is probably the best known piece of Japanese artwork, The Great Wave off Kanagawa. There are three types of tickets at the museum. The Permanent Exhibition contains only replicas of Hokusai’s work and is pretty small. The Special Exhibition contains a small number of original works that rotate so as to minimize damage, and the Permanent Exhibition Plus contains additional high-quality reproductions. I got the full ticket, which was about $6.50. I didn’t realize Hokusai went by so many names; it seems like he changed his artist name each time he changed the style or medium in which he worked! I really loved seeing these pieces, even if many of them were reproductions, and am glad that I visited. The collection was on the smaller side, and it was easy to see everything at a leisurely pace in a little over an hour.

I really liked what I saw of the Sumida neighborhood/area. It felt chill and…local, like I was getting a glimpse of everyday life in Tokyo.

My plan was to spend the evening in Ginza. Ginza felt like Crazy Rich Asians, Japan Edition! Many of the people on the streets were dressed UP, and it seemed like not only was there a store for every luxury fashion brand I could think of, but in some cases there were two locations of the same brand within a couple blocks of each other!

The first stop was the Ginza Six rooftop, which is beautifully landscaped. I arrived right around sunset and got a great view of the top of the Tokyo Tower at twilight. As a cat lover, I also couldn’t help admiring the quirky “Big Cat Bang” installation hung from the ceiling of the interior of the building.

Next up was Itoya and Loft for stationery shopping. I’d heard that Itoya was a mutli-level stationery store, and while it is, each floor is really small. I went hoping to find a huge selection of journals, notebooks, and washi tape, and I didn’t really find any of that. Planners and some goshuin books, yes, and maybe some notebooks with plain covers, but I didn’t find the selection of cute journals that I was hoping for. What Itoya did have was pens! I must have spent an entire hour just testing out and deciding on what pens to buy. And these weren’t even expensive fountain pens, just the huge selection of ballpoint, gel, and erasable pens in every color imaginable.

Loft was also different from my expectations. Their stationery section was largely planners and calendars. I did find a couple of cute sets of stationery with coordinating envelopes and stickers, and of course, more pens. I also bought some gummies from the first floor section of souvenir foods, and I wish I’d bought more because they were the best gummy candy I’ve ever had! There was a large display of gummies flavored as different varieties of peaches, pears, etc.

I had planned to go to Ippudo to get ramen for dinner, but that didn’t sound appetizing at that moment, so instead I had my first 7-11 dinner. I picked up a squash gratin from the refrigerated foods section and a pot of crème brulee ice cream. I heated the gratin up in my hotel room microwave, and it totally hit the spot. The creme brulee ice cream was the first of many and one of my very favorite things I ate on this trip.

Highlights of the day: Sumida neighborhood (Former Yasuda Garden and Hokusai museum) and 7-11 crème brulee ice cream


Painted shop grates on Nakamise-dori


Sensoji was so much busier during the day than it had been the night before!

From the steps of Sensoji temple looking back at the gate

Stone lanterns on the grounds of Sensoji temple

Melonpan - so good and deceptively simple

A view of Tokyo Skytree from a side street near Kappabashi Kitchen Tools street

3D latte art at Hat Coffee

Former Yasuda Garden

Former Yasuda Garden

Former Yasuda Garden

Sumida Hokusai Museum

Artwork by Hokusai

The Great Wave off Kanagawa by Hokusai

Artwork by Hokusai

Ginza Six rooftop garden

A view of the Tokyo Tower from the Ginza Six Rooftop

Ginza at sunset with Tokyo Tower in the background

This creme brulee ice cream from 7-11 was one of the best things I ate in Japan. I bought this at least half a dozen times.

tripplanner001 I've traveled enough now that a hiccup like that doesn't throw me too much, although I do have to admit that I strongly considered scrapping my plans for the night and just grabbing something to eat near the hotel. I'm glad I didn't.

Yes, lots of fall foliage coming, especially once I get to the Kyoto portion of the trip!

Melonpan and taiyaki right off the bat - two of my favorites, along with souffle pancakes.

Seems fitting that the Hokusai works are reproductions as wood block prints are one of his signatures.

Great report and photos! Thanks for sharing!

I'm lucky with my US carrier, Tmobile - works in 200 plus countries

Good to know I am not the only bozo who can get stuck in a train station. Twice, TWICE, I have gotten onto trains on the Circular Yamonoto Line that rings central Tokyo and the train stopped after only two stations. On one trip the doors opened and about half the people exited. I and the other half waited for something to happen. After a looong wait, the others just filed out, puzzled. Another time, the train reversed course. WHAT?!?!? I didn't know they could do that! Again, everyone seemed just as puzzled as I was and got out at the next stop.

Train stations are way more confusing then subway stops.

Your photos are fantastic.

Sushi, in general, is not better in Japan, so on that score, you are not missing out. You have to spend a lot more money to get something better. You probably made a smart choice by going to a kaiten sushi place. But if you don't like seafood.... I was raised to find seafood repulsive, so it took me a long time to discover it Now it's among my favorite things to eat.

wonderful start.. so looking forward to reading the rest

memejs,
Lovely, lovely report and photos! We loved seeing Asakusa at night without people but we were conveniently staying there so it wasn’t hard! I love Hokusai and now want to return just to visit that small museum.

Did you see my comment on my thread in response to yours about Hotel Mume? We may have actually passed each other without knowing as I left late on the day of your arrival!

I had a similar experience with my esim with Airalo this year. I had used it last year without a problem and it worked wonderfully as soon as we arrived last fall. And I did use it immediately! This year, I had a regional esim with Airalo as we started our trip in Taiwan, where it worked perfectly. But as soon as we arrived in Japan, it sropped working. I spent 2 hours late at night with the customer service without any resolution. I gave up on their help and then I played around with it for some time, ultimately getting it to work. I’ve no idea what I did! And it did work for the rest of the trip. But I can’t recommend Airalo anymore because the service was definitely not working and their customer service was not helpful.

Mara Thanks for reading!

shelemm The train stations in Japan are something else! I spent way too much time trying to find a specific store in Shinjuku station, and I never did find it. I think I need to treat myself like a toddler and just keep introducing and trying seafood. It really feels like a hindrance not to like it.

millie2112 Thanks for reading!

progol We were ships passing! I even looked back at some photos in your trip reports so I'd recognize you if I saw you.

memejs following along! We are going to Japan in April and I'm busy planning the trip. Love your detailed descriptions as well as the gorgeous photos.

Day 2 (Wednesday 11/13) - Meiji Jingu, Harajuku, and Shibuya

Although I luckily didn’t suffer any fatigue due to jet lag on this trip, my original plan of getting up and out the door by 7am to get to Yoyogi park by 7:30 was quickly adjusted. Instead I opted for a later wake-up time and skipped the park in order to head directly to Meiji Jingu.

At Meiji Jingu, I passed under what I thought was THE torii gate and walked down a beautiful boulevard of tall trees and stone lanterns. I soon came across an even bigger torii gate than the one I’d entered through. This is the Ootorii, the largest wooden torii gate in Japan. It was around 8am, but even the tour groups were out early for this site, and I had to take my photos in between the giant tour groups passing by.

As large as those groups looked on the approach, somehow the crowds seemed to dissipate within the main shrine area. The area was busy, but it didn’t feel crowded. I stood in a short line to buy a goshuin book and a goshuin - which is the stamp + calligraphy you can get to show that you’ve visited/worshiped at a temple.

I would have liked to have had more time to explore the entirety of Meiji Jingu’s grounds, but I had a lot I wanted to fit into this day, so after enjoying some time in the main shrine area, I walked down the long, tree-lined boulevard in the opposite direction and left via the gate right next to Harajuku station.

The stores in Harajuku were just starting to open as I made my way down Takeshita Street. My breakfast of a banana nutella crepe with a slice of cheesecake from Marion Crepes was neither healthy nor earth-shatteringly good, but it had enough nutrients and flavor to satisfy me for the morning. I spent the bulk of my time in Harajuku at a couple of different gachapon stores. Gachapon are capsule machines where you can get everything from keychains to toys based on anime and manga characters to random things like mini (plastic) versions of skincare and food products. For some reason, this is something I was really looking forward to doing, and I took my time before deciding on which machines to put my coins into. Although the cost is quite high for the small toys you actually get, I can totally see how even adults get sucked into spending way too much money on these things!

By the time I left, Takeshita street had filled up, complete with people wearing the adventurous fashion that was so different from the navy, gray, and black school uniforms and suits most people on the metro wore.

My next stop was the Nezu Museum. I bypassed the collection and headed directly toward the large garden that the museum is known for. I loved the meandering paths, the sound of birds chirping, and the sight of the trees starting to put on their autumn colors. I wandered leisurely through the large garden but found that I still had time to go inside and see the collection, which is focused on various forms of Asian art, much of it from premodern eras. It was a nice medium-sized collection that I was able to peruse in about an hour.

It had already been a good, full day, but what was to come would end up being the highlights!

I had a Shibuya Sky ticket with an entry time of 2:20pm. This was much earlier than the golden-hour entry time I had wanted but couldn’t get. I debated changing the entry time to after dark. However, I wanted to be up on the rooftop during both day and night, so I kept my original ticket, and even though that meant being there for several hours, I’m happy with that decision.

When I first got off the elevator and went outside, I immediately joined a line to get a photo in one of the key corner spaces. It took about an hour to get to the front of the line, due to the fact that a few people wanted to conduct their own personal photo shoots and made everyone else wait an inordinate amount of time. Once I’d had my turn, I took the escalator up to the actual rooftop…to find that there were more of these corner spaces, although each with an equally long line. I wandered the rooftop perimeter, marveling at just how big Tokyo is. Soon it began to get dark, although because it was hazy there wasn’t really a golden hour or a sunset to see.

I was cold and part of me wanted to just leave and go get dinner, but another part of me wanted to stay until it was completely dark so that I could see the city all lit up. I suffered it out for an hour or so, only to find that the exit takes you down onto a floor with floor-ceiling windows where you can get a great view of Tokyo at night without the wind and chilliness of the rooftop. There’s also a lounge, which would be a great place to have a bite to eat while taking in the view of Tokyo at night. My time at Shibuya Sky, especially seeing the city from above at night, is one of the most memorable things I did in Japan, and I’d consider it a must-do for first-time visitors to Tokyo.

By this time I was starving, so I headed to Jikasei Mensho for ramen. I knew that a lot of ramen broth is made using fish or seafood, and while I wasn’t opposed to trying it and hoping I wouldn’t taste the fish, I also thought that it wouldn’t hurt to start out with some vegan ramen. This ended up being my absolute favorite meal of the entire trip! Jikasei Mensho is a small ramen restaurant located in the basement food hall of the Parco building in Shibuya. It has a vending-machine style ordering system, where you order and pay from the machine in front of the restaurant before sitting down. I found it really easy to navigate. I got the vegan spicy miso ramen, and it was excellent! The broth was delightfully spicy and the noodles were thick and chewy. I got a yuzu soda to go with it, and I am honestly still dreaming about this meal. I don’t think you need to be vegan or have a dislike of fish to appreciate this ramen (although they do also have non-vegan options). Hindsight is 20/20, but I wish I’d come back to eat this ramen again instead of going to some of the other restaurants I visited on subsequent days.

I’d already seen the Shibuya Scramble crossing from above at Shibuya Sky, but now it was time to experience it on the ground. I stood on the corner and watched a couple of times before actually crossing myself. It’s fun to observe - especially when the Mario/Pokemon street karts drive through the intersection. I visited the Shibuya Loft, where I had better luck finding some of the stationery products I was looking for, but unfortunately they didn’t have the gummies that I had found and loved at the Ginza Loft location. I wasn’t in Shibuya for that long, but I did really enjoy the lights and the energy.

My last stop of the night was the 3D cat billboard in Shinjuku. This was fun to see. There was also some sort of Star Wars advertisement playing, and it was really cool to see how the ship looked like it was coming out of the billboard.

Highlights of the day: Shibuya Sky, especially at night and spicy miso ramen from Jikasei Mensho


Torii gate at one of the entrances to Meiji Jingu

Tree-lined path to the main shrine

Meiji Jingu main shrine area

The first of many goshuin

Banana nutella cheesecake crepe in Harajuku

I carefully scouted the entire gachapon shop before deciding on this Mofusand keychain

Entrance to the Nezu Museum

Nezu Museum garden

Nezu Museum garden

Nezu Museum garden

Nezu Museum garden

Photo spot at Shibuya Sky

View of the vastness of Tokyo from Shibuya Sky

A view from Shibuya Sky in the evening...

...basically the same view once it got dark

Night view from Shibuya Sky

Shibuya Scramble Crossing from above

The best meal of the trip! Spicy miso ramen and yuzu soda from Jikasei Mensho

Shibuya at night

Shibuya Scramble crossing with Mario/Pokemon go-karts

3D billboard in Shinjuku

Moderator I forgot to tag this as a trip report. Can you please add the trip report designation?

Mensho is famous as a ramen innovator, also known for exacting detail, down to grinding their own special blend of flour for the noodles. I am not surprised it was the best meal of your trip. I believe there are several Mensho in Tokyo, though I am not sure they all have the same menu.

I love seeing your night shots! As M & I are folks who don't tend to go out that much at night, it's a pleasure to see the city lights and life!

shelemm I just read that there's a Mensho restaurant coming to Salt Lake, and I could not be more excited! I'm sure whatever is on the menu will be delicious.

progol I'm much more of a morning person, so I often have to force myself to stay out at night, but it helps when it gets dark at 5pm.

Day 3 (Thursday 11/14) Shinjuku Gyoen, Tokyo City View, TeamLab Planets

It took me until this day to realize that there are two parts to the Suidobashi station - A JR portion with access to the Chuo-Sobu line, and a Tokyo metro part with access to the Mita line. No wonder I seemed to be in a different place every time I exited the station!

My first stop of the day was Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden, a beautiful, large park, with different types of landscaping and gardens, sort of like Central Park, although not as big. It was an overcast morning and the time of year was between summer azaleas and peak autumn colors, but there was still a lot of scenery to enjoy. I took my time wandering through different areas of the garden. There was a chrysanthemum exhibition going on that was really interesting. The flowers were huge! One exhibit was a dome of hundreds of flowers that all started from a single plant. The placard said that it took a year to divide and develop the plant into its current shape.

The rest of the day was a bit hit and miss. I decided that I wasn’t up for the long walk to Meiji Jingu Gaein to see the row of yellow ginkgo trees, as planned, so I took the metro to the Aoyama Flower Market Green House for lunch….except that ended up being closed for an event, so I went down the street to the Nicolai Bergmann flower cafe. I got a salad and a brownie, and although the space was beautiful and the food was fine, had I taken more time to really consider my food and restaurant priorities, I would have gone to A Happy Pancake or Micasadeco for fluffy pancakes.

After lunch I walked from Omotesando to Harajuku. Omotesando is one of Tokyo’s many elegant, upscale areas. It would definitely be a nice area to stay in. As I got closer to Harajuku, it amazed me that there were so many people out and about, wandering leisurely on a random Thursday afternoon (just like I was). I stopped to ride the kaleidoscope escalator at Tokyo Plaza and to visit the rooftop garden of the other Tokyo Plaza across the street.

I spent a short time in Matsumoto Kiyoshi, a popular drugstore chain. I had read that the prices for skincare items were better here than at Don Quijote, but I didn’t see a significant difference.

One of the highs of the afternoon was buying stationery at Sekaido. Although this store is less aesthetically pleasing than Loft or Itoya, I found the best selection of the types of things I was looking for (although still no cute gift journals, as far as I could tell). There was a huge selection of letter sets - usually 6-12 pieces of stationery with 4-6 envelopes and sometimes matching stickers. I got a number of sets for myself and a few to give as gifts. Do I write a ton of letters and have a need for cute stationery? No, but I will now!

Japan seems like it is still a very paper-based country. Stationery and office supply stores had huge selections of planners and calendars, as well as plastic sheet protectors and binders. There were also lots of greeting cards and decorative paper money envelopes.

I only had time to explore the first of Sekaido’s six floors before I had to head down to Roppongi Hills to make my entrance time for Tokyo City View. This is an indoor viewing deck on the 52nd floor of the Mori Tower in Roppongi Hills. I originally booked Tokyo City View because I wanted to get great evening and night shots of the city with the iconic red Tokyo Tower as the focal point. Since I had already gotten great night shots of the city the previous evening at Shibuya Sky, I debated skipping out on Tokyo City View and using the time to do something else, but ultimately I decided that the Tokyo Tower had been quite small in my photos so it was worth going. My night shots actually didn't turn out great and the experience felt redundant and underwhelming compared to Shibuya Sky, so I walked away thinking I should have stuck with my decision to skip Tokyo City View. However, now that I’m home and have gone through my photos, I realize that my best daytime photos of the Tokyo Tower were from this observation deck. So I guess it was worth it in the end, but for most people one observation deck will be sufficient.

The last activity on the day’s agenda was a visit to TeamLab Borderless. Although it was a bit hard to find, this was amazing! It’s a digital art exhibit housed in a series of rooms with no set route, and the art in some of the rooms changes in reaction to the people there. I was initially skeptical of art that seemed made for Instagram posts and TikTok videos (it actually looks slightly more impressive through your phone screen than it does with the naked eye), but I’ve embraced it as art changing in response to modern culture and technology. I spent about two hours here, and had a great time. I think I found every room, but I can’t be entirely sure!

After some 7-11 snacks in lieu of dinner, I made an impromptu decision to walk the short distance to the base of the Tokyo Tower. It was impressive to see up close.

One thing I loved about Tokyo is that I always felt safe. Although I never take my safety for granted and always try to be aware of my surroundings, I was repeatedly out and about at 9 or 10pm and never felt like I was doing something risky. There always seemed to be students eating at restaurants and convenience stores, people leaving work, other solo women out walking, etc. One reason why I had such long days in Japan is because I felt secure walking around after dark.

Highlight of the day: TeamLab Borderless


Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden

Taiwan Pavilion at Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden

Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden

Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden - I sat on a bench here and sketched the scene. There was a Starbucks with a great view right behind me that would have been a great place to have breakfast, had I not already eaten.

This entire dome of chrysanthemums was cultivated from a single plant over the course of a year.

Strange but beautiful chrysanthemums

Nicolai Bergmann flower cafe was beautiful but it didn't quite hit the spot on this chilly, overcast day

Kaleidoscope escalator at Tokyo Plaza

View from the rooftop of one Tokyo Plaza to another. I love Tokyo's rooftop gardens.

Tokyo Tower from Tokyo City View observation deck.

Tokyo Tower from Tokyo City View observation deck.

TeamLabs Borderless

TeamLabs Borderless

TeamLabs Borderless

TeamLabs Borderless

At the base of Tokyo Tower

At the base of Tokyo Tower

Love the photos of Tokyo Tower up close. Despite having been in Tokyo three times, I’ve not been near the tower.

yk How exciting that you're planning a trip! Where will you be going?

tripplanner001 I imagine there's always something new to do in Tokyo, even if you've been there dozens of times.

Day 4 (Friday 11/15) Gotokuji Temple, Jindaiji Temple, Head Spa

This was one of my most anticipated days of the trip. I was off to the cat temple, and what better way to get to the cat temple than on the cat tram!

I started by taking the metro to Sengen-jaya station where I switched from the Mita subway line to the Setagaya tram line. The cat tram only runs a handful of times each day, so I had repeatedly checked the website to make sure I knew exactly when it would be coming that morning. I got off at Miyanosaka station and made a short walk in some light drizzle to Gotokuji Temple.

Once in the temple complex, I made my way to Shofuku-den, the place where hundreds of manekineko (lucky cat) statues are housed. The legend is that hundreds of years ago a cat beckoned to a nobleman from the temple gate. While the nobleman was in the temple, a storm raged outside. The nobleman, grateful to the cat for helping him avoid the storm, proclaimed it a manekineko and financially backed the temple.

I am 100% a cat lover, so I delighted in seeing all of the manikineko statues - from large to small. I wanted to buy two tiny statues to leave at the temple, representing my two cats, and a larger one to take home, but you are limited to only one. The purchase of amulets and souvenirs is made through a vending machine outside the temple office. You press buttons on the machine to select what you want to buy, the machine gives you tickets, and then you take the tickets into the temple office to get your items. I bought a small manekineko statue as a souvenir, an ema (or wood plaque) to write a wish on and leave at the temple, and the manekineko chopsticks. I wish that I had gone in the office and asked to see the chopsticks before I bought them, because the wood chopsticks are only slightly better than the disposable ones you get in restaurants and not worth the $5 cost.

After taking lots of photos of the cat statues at Shofuku-den and hanging my ema, I wandered further around the temple site and into the Ii clan cemetery. The drizzliness of the day enhanced the atmosphere rather than detracting from it.

At one point I was sitting on a bench when I heard what sounded like one of those birds that sounds like a cat meowing. I looked up and it was an actual cat. A real cat at the cat temple! If you ever want to see a cat treated like a celebrity, this is it. A bunch of us cat lovers gathered around the old black and white cat while it sipped from a puddle and accepted a few pets.

After I was finished at the temple, I made my way to Rarasand, a cafe that sells little cat-shaped castella (spongecakes), as well as other sweets and drinks. I also visited a couple of cat-themed gift shops and picked up a few more cat-themed souvenirs.

Next up was Jindai-ji temple. Getting there felt a bit like an adventure, since there was much less English signage than in central Tokyo, but it really wasn’t difficult, since Google Maps provides specific, accurate directions.

I decided to visit Jinadai-ji because in so many of the travel vlogs I watched, people did mostly the same things, and I wanted to add something slightly different to my itinerary. I’m so glad I did! While the site was busy with visitors, I was one of the few westerners there.

This temple complex is set in a wooded area outside of central Tokyo and it feels slightly magical. It was the day before the Shichi-Go-San holiday, which celebrates the health of children who are 7, 5, and 3, and I saw several families with kids dressed up in traditional clothing, often with professional photographers taking their photos.

I paid a couple of dollars to have the temple goshuin added to my book and picked up a daruma fortune. Darumas are little round dolls that are supposed to bring good luck. I followed the instructions to make a wish and fill in the pupil of one eye. The other is left blank until the wish comes true.

There are lots of restaurants and food stands outside the temple area; this area is especially known for soba. I tried dango with sweet soy sauce (good), and after watching fresh soba noodles made in the window of a restaurant, I entered that restaurant for a soba lunch. I ordered hot yuzu soba, and the noodles and broth arrived in a little bamboo boat. The broth in the bamboo gave the noodles a very light yuzu flavor. Luckily I’d watched enough travel videos to know that I was supposed to use chopsticks to take the noodles out of the bamboo and dunk them in the cup of soy sauce/broth. The soba was filling and I’m glad to have tried it, but I didn’t find it flavorful or interesting enough to seek out again.

After lunch, I wandered back through the temple complex and the surrounding streets, just trying to soak in the magic of the atmosphere. I also tried mugwort mochi with roasted soybean flour. I didn’t care much for the soybean flour, but I did like the red bean filling.

At this point it was time to head back into the city, so I took a bus and then a train to Shinjuku Station. I had a short list of stores in or around Shinjuku Station that I wanted to visit, but I either couldn’t find the stores or the stores didn’t have what I was looking for, so it ended up being an ineffective use of time. The one win was Books Kinokuniya, which I’d read had a good selection of English-language books. I spent the past year reading a number of Japanese books in translation, and I wanted to find a new book to take home as a souvenir. I ended up selecting Letters from the Ginza Shihodo Stationery Shop, which I’m looking forward to reading this month.

Although it wasn’t the most efficient route-wise, going back to the hotel to rest before my next activity was the best way I could think of to spend the next couple of hours. Between the castellas, dango, soba, and mochi, I’d basically had nothing but flour to eat all day, so of course the logical response to that was to pick up a crème brulee ice cream from 7-11!

A little while later I took the metro down to the Hiroo neighborhood to a head spa appointment at Belle Cheveux. A head spa is like a facial or massage for your scalp. In the 90-minute session I had various treatments for scalp and hair health, but really I was just there for the relaxation element. It was great…a least what I could remember of it! That’s the catch-22 with things like this - you want it to be relaxing enough to fall asleep, but if you fall asleep you miss it. At $130 it was kind of an expensive nap, but my hair did look nice for the next few days!

For dinner I sought out a nearby Coco Ichibanya, where I had Japanese curry with a fried pork cutlet. The pork cutlet was perfectly crisp on the outside but soft enough to cut with a spoon. I got the smallest portion of rice, and even that was more than enough to fill me, but it was so good that I pushed myself to finish the entire thing. This is comfort food at its finest!

Highlights: Everything except the wasted time near Shinjuku station!


Cat tram on the Setagaya line

Inside the cat tram

Gotokuji Temple

Shofuku-den at Gotokuji temple

Manekineko statue at the entrance to Shofuku-den

Manekineko statues that people buy and leave for good luck

I love the variations in size!

Manekineko statues

Wood ema plaques

Cemetery at Gotokuji temple

Cemetery at Gotokuji temple

A real cat at the cat temple!

Cat fan club

Cat-shaped castellas from Rarasand

Jindai-ji temple

Jindai-ji temple

Jindai-ji temple

Hot yuzu soba lunch

Many kids and families were dressed up in traditional clothing for the Shichi-Go-San holiday

Mugwort mochi