東京都 (Tokyo)

Jan 2–8 in Japan ⋅ ⛅ 5 °C

fish and temples and trying not to be impolite

It has been 100 days now since I took off. I'm a little tired but still so happy to be traveling and seeing all these different places, people and cultures.

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My short, impromptu trip to Tokyo begins with an unnecessarily long flight to Singapore, where I have a three-hour layover before continuing on to Japan. Arriving in a freezing Tokyo early in the morning, I'm amazed at how much an efficient and safe environment can make up for the cold weather. The toilet seats are warm, the trains run on time, and the streets are impeccably clean. The people are polite to a fault and despite my near-complete lack of understanding of the language, navigating the city feels surprisingly easy and straightforward.

I head to my Airbnb in a quiet residential neighborhood to drop off my luggage. With a few hours to kill before check-in, I head to a jazz club and enjoy some live music, beer and bar food.

Later, I crash for a bit before venturing to a bathhouse, where I make a complete fool of myself - much to the amusement of the many elderly women staring and pointing and occasionally helping me out. Despite the awkwardness, I enjoy the experience, soaking and relaxing for a couple of hours before getting dressed. I end the night at a nearby bar, chatting with some locals and having some really good tofu skins and some nihonshu and shochu at the bartenders recommendation.

The next few days pass me by in a flurry of metro rides, tranquil parks, temple visits, long queues and extraordinary food. I have ramen, soba, tempura, mochi, keeki, sushi and some tasty street food. To my surprise, I also stumble upon one of the best pasta dishes I’ve ever eaten.

On Takeshita Street in the Harajuku district, the crowds are ever so slightly overwhelming but most other places, the city feels calm, quiet and composed. Classical music or jazz plays at shops, cafés and bars, heavily influencing the calm vibes of the city. People keep mostly to themselves, speaking softly, except in the lively bars and izakayas, where the energy is palpable.

At each temple I pass, I pay my respects to the kamis, bowing and offering coins for their blessings. Though most of my fortunes speak of difficulties (except when it comes to 'delivery'), I’m relieved to learn that tying them up at the temple turns away bad luck.

I end my trip with one last visit to an onsen—this time much better prepared—before taking a vastly overpriced Uber to the airport (the trains don't run between midnight to 4am) to catch my early morning flight back to Sydney.Read more