A day in the clouds

This morning we said goodbye to Kyoto.

We jumped on a train, then a bus, and finally the Shinkansen to Tokyo Station, where we caught another train to Akasaka.

Akasaka is one of the smaller suburbs (or maybe districts?) of Tokyo, and it has a very different feel from everywhere else we’ve been. After dropping our luggage at the accommodation, we headed out to explore our new surroundings.

While walking, we saw a steep staircase that appeared to lead nowhere, so of course we decided to walk off breakfast and head up. At the top, we discovered the beautiful Hie Shrine. Perched on a hill, it felt like we were floating above the city, more like being in the clouds than in the heart of a bustling metropolis.

After exploring and collecting our Goshuin stamp, we returned to our accommodation for the night: a pod hotel! Because really, you can’t come to Japan and not try one. This particular hotel even analyses your sleep and sends a report via email a week later, so stay tuned for that.

The only downside? The facility is split by gender, and there’s no shared lounge. So after charging our phones, we headed back out.

Next stop: Tokyo Tower, a 666m communication tower painted a striking international orange and white. We chose a guided tour, which came with a photo and drink for roughly the same price as entry alone. What we didn’t realize was that it was a theatrical interactive experience, and we were the only ones there. So, we had an amazing VIP tour, hosted by a colorful character who sang and danced in Japanese and enthusiastic, broken English.

We made it up to the top floor, 250 meters in the air, and the city below looked like something out of Legoland.

After plenty of photos and history, we walked the 600+ stairs back down. The stairway was like a cage open to the air, giving us incredible views all the way down.

Then came a happy accident: we stumbled across another pizza place, not just any pizza place, but the one that won the best pizza award in Milan, beating out actual Italian competitors. And wow, now we understand why. We thought the last pizza we had was good? Nope. This one was exceptional.

After devouring pizza and sipping sangrias, we walked the hour back to our accommodation. Upon arrival, we remembered, no lounge area. Still craving a place to chill and write, we wandered off in search of a late-night café or dessert spot.

Where did we end up? Wendy’s.

So, here we are, writing this from a fast-food booth. We’re assuming nothing else eventful will happen tonight... but I guess you’ll find out tomorrow!

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