Last day in Tokyo!

Our final morning in Tokyo kicked off bright and early and I mean 5 a.m. early. Jet lag has been the most annoying little alarm clock these last couple of days waking us up with a slap in the face. We lay there in denial for a bit, hoping we might magically drift off again. Spoiler: we did not. Soon enough Jayde suddenly decided it was 7-Eleven o’clock and went out to grab breakfast like a true hero.

Once we ate and got ready, it was time for the activity we’d been buzzing for… KNIFE MAKING! A special gift Sheena and Darrin very kindly gave to us to enjoy that we are extremely grateful for.

We hopped on the train and zipped across the city, excitement building with every stop. When we arrived, we were the first ones there and got settled while the rest of the group trickled in. About fifteen of us in total, all looking just as curious and pumped as we were.

The instructors were incredible, friendly, funny, and clearly passionate about their craft. We started with a mini history lesson on Japanese knives and samurai swords, which was great and gave us some more insight on what we were about to create ourselves!

Then came the fun part.. choosing our knives!
I picked out a smaller, sleek blade, while Jayde went for something a little bigger.

Sharpening was up first. After watching a demo, we grabbed our blades and got to work. It was such a cool feeling seeing the edge slowly appear, knowing that we were the ones bringing it to life. The sound of metal against stone, the concentration, the tiny progress it was all so satisfying! Jayde, of course, a natural… me? Well not so much but we got there eventually.

Once we sharpened one side, we moved to what might have been the most exciting part engraving time!

They showed us the Japanese alphabet and helped us write our names. Then we took our knives to the engraving table and carefully soldered our names into the handles. Seeing our names appear in Japanese was so fun! Suddenly the knives became personal pieces to us that we had crafted. The coolest souvenirs to take home with us and to use for years to come! It doesn’t get much better and memorable than that.

We headed back to finish sharpening the other side, polished everything off with finer sandpaper, and by the end… wow. The knives looked amazing and so incredibly sharp! They cut through paper with ease! Let’s just hope it won’t be my finger any time soon… When the instructors wrapped them up beautifully at the end, we were genuinely so proud. Souvenirs that are both meaningful AND functional? Yes, please.

After all that craftsmanship, we were starving, so we went to a BBQ place that had been recommended to us where you cook your own meal on a little gas grill built into the table. They brought out premium A5 beef, and I’m not exaggerating when I say it melted. Best beef of my entire life. Zero competition. Sorry New Zealand… 😬

With happy bellies, we wandered the streets nearby, dipped into shops, grabbed a few tax-free goodies, and soaked in the last sights and sounds of Tokyo. By the time we finished exploring, the afternoon light was fading and we headed back to our accommodation.

We showered, flopped onto the bed, and I was out like a light by 8 p.m. a perfect early end to a perfect final day.

Tomorrow… the bullet train to Kyoto!
A new city, new adventures, and hopefully a little less jet lag (but we’ll see).Read more