The flight from Vienna to Tokyo was exhausting, but certainly could have been worse! Our leg from Vienna to Taipei was 12 hours, but we were lucky enough to have two completely empty rows of seats ahead of us - allowing us to spread out and relax. We also supplied the flight attendants with plenty of Swiss chocolate and they seemed very grateful!
After arriving in Tokyo and checking into our rooms (Floor 32!!), we capped off a long travel day with a trip to Ninja Tokyo. Our 9 course meal was served by ninjas, who helped guide us through our training, until we were officially designated as Ninjas! The Ninja Master even stopped by to do magic for us.Les mer
When we thought “springtime in Japan” we certainly didn’t think of snow! But that’s exactly what we got on our trip to Nikko! The trip itself was absolutely amazing. We saw several shrines and temples, all with a monkey theme due to the nearby snow monkeys, and had a wonderful time despite the cold.
We began at a small shrine at the foot of a mountain in Nikko, before making our way up the mountain with our driver. Higher up on the mountain was a massive complex of Shinto Shrines and a Buddhist temple, all covered in a blanket of snow. Then, we made a small stop in the town to see the former Imperial Villa - which was maze-like and gorgeous at the same time and was used to hide nobility during World War II. Finally, we stopped at the top of the mountain to see an icy waterfall, where it actually began to snow while we were there!Les mer
We couldn’t visit Japan without exploring Tokyo itself! As usual, the city was astonishingly crowded and full of life. Our driver brought us to several amazing locations throughout the day, some historical and centuries old, and some incredibly modern and trendy.
Our day started with a brisk walk to the Edo Shrine, where we got to see THREE traditional weddings in the span of 30 minutes! The shrine was gorgeous and the tree-lined walk was a wonderful way to start the day. Afterward, we headed to modern day to visit Harujuku and Akihabara, where I won some trinkets from the claw machines and Gatchapon - my favorites! We of course had to try some rainbow cheese balls, tornado potatoes, and crepes in Harujuku before heading to the fish market. It was lunchtime, but luckily we weren’t all that hungry because it was CROWDED. To follow this up, we went to the second-highest level of Tokyo Tower for some amazing views of the city. Then, to end the day we headed to Akasaka for a visit to the beautiful Sensoji Temple in the heart of the city.Les mer
HAVE SO MUCH FUUUUN <3 [Ralphisch]