Day 5 – Off to Shibuya
Part of my journey was on the Shinkansen, which blew past Mount Fuji. This was a great visual with the added bonus of not having to see the mountain with Lawson’s mini-mart and thousands of tourists in front.
I stayed at All Day Place Shibuya, which was on the cheaper side of luxury, but I had no intentions of spending much time there except to sleep, and it was literally a minute’s walk to Shibuya Station.
My luggage was already at the hotel waiting for me, and the hotel also had a nice coffee shop and a well-known pizza place attached.
Shibuya is massive, and it feels like I woke up 50 years into the future. There is no graffiti, no trash on the ground, and everyone’s nice. Imagine that.
Day 6 – Walk This Way
My time in Tokyo was mostly open without planning much in particular. I did a ton of walking, my fitness tracker says around 8-9 miles a day. So no need to feel guilty about ducking into the nearby Izakayas for a drink and some sushi or yakitori (grilled bird).
Most of the eating establishments have an open kitchen, so you have easy access to the chefs.
In order to reciprocate the niceties from the wait staff, I always said “gochiso sama deshita” – thank you for the meal.
This was greatly appreciated by them, and usually, the entire staff would erupt with a loud “arigato!” I don’t think the folks in the back get much love from the tourists, and it was fun thanking them.
Day 7 – Heading to Asakusa for Coffee and Adventure
I heard about this kissaten, a traditional Japanese coffee shop called Coffee Aroma. This place has been around since 1964, and while I couldn’t say if this would be the best cup of coffee I’ve ever had, if practice makes perfect, it would at least be a perfect cup of coffee.
Located in Asukasa, it was about an ½ hour’s train ride and then another 30-45 minutes walk.
I could have rented a bike at Ueno Station, but I really wanted to take in the quaint neighborhoods along the way.
Anyone who lives in LA understands that going out for coffee is about the same travel time, but this venture lacked the traffic and stress.
Unfortunately, I went on Sunday, and they were closed, but the trek through the quiet, narrow streets lined with small homes made the trip worthwhile.
Also noticeable, every home had bicycles out front, and not a single bike had (or needed) a lock on it.
This is one of my favorite attributes of Japan. It’s an entire nation of people with manners.
Coffee Aroma is located at the gateway to The Nakamise shopping street and the Shin-Nakamise or “New Nakamise” shopping street, and here you can find anything and everything.
I thought about a custom kimono, but taking off my coat for a fitting was out of the question.
I’m a bit of a wimp when the temp drops to the 50s.
Wandering around, I stumbled upon Sensoji Temple, which was actually on my wish list to see. Completed in the year 645, this is Tokyo’s oldest temple.
The structures were massive and stunning, but the massive amounts of people would make a can of sardines feel roomy. It’s crazy how you can go from serenity to mayhem just like that, but hey, that’s Tokyo.
Day 8 – Returning to The Scene of The Crime and a Traditional Japanese Fish Dinner
After rush hour, I hopped the train back to Asukasa and finally got to enjoy a nice cup of coffee at Coffee Aroma.
It was nice to stray away from the typically crowded coffee joints and hang with the locals, possibly even a yakuza or two (everyone stood and bowed, when the guy on the end got up to leave). Just sayin’.
No one spoke English, but my Japanese was good enough to order coffee and toast and properly ask for the bill.
As long as I was in Asakusa, I walked over to Ueno Park. This is a beautiful park filled with museums, a zoo, and exactly what I was craving: Japanese street food.
There was a huge street food fair going on, along with some local beer and sake brewers.
Grilled calamari and a nice cold, craft beer got me through the day.
My brother has a global PR firm with an office in Tokyo, and some of the folks from the office were kind enough to take me out that night for a traditional Japanese fish dinner.
I caught the train to the Kyobashi district to meet up at the office, ready to utilize my jikoshoukai (self-introduction) skills in Japanese.
Dinner at Iwato in the Ginza District
After taking off our shoes, we entered a private room where we were served a variety of delicious fish courses, including sardines, and salmon, along with the poisonous blowfish, which I was strongly advised never to order outside of Japan.
Surprisingly (at least for me), everything tasted great. The entire meal consisted of:
- Tora Fugu Sashimi (poison fish)
- Iwashi Sashimi
- Potato salad
- Anago Tempura
- Fried Shiro Ebi (Fried white shrimp)
- Salmon Harasu
Turns out that poison fish in the right dosage can be quite tasty. We finished off the meal with a bowl of miso soup. To put it bluntly, I’ll never be able to enjoy miso soup in the States again. That Oishii-ness just can’t be duplicated.
Day 9 – Free Day and a Pizza
During the previous night’s dinner, I mentioned I love sashimi and was told about a place called Savoy, which had a sashimi pizza called Pizza Y.
It was about a 2-hour walk from my hotel, but eating your way through Japan demands some serious walking if you want to survive – or at least fit into the same pants you arrived in.
The walk was spectacular, as it took me through the embassy district filled with stately homes and embassies. I love the architecture in Japan, so this made the walk even better. The narrow, quaint streets were so peaceful you could hear a pin drop.
I arrived early enough (around noon) to be near the front of the line at Savoy Azabujuban, and still waited about 45 minutes to get in. Finding Pizza Y on the menu, I ordered it with a glass of sake. When in Rome…
A big part of the Japanese culture is the art of perfection. I have to say, this wood-fired pizza would beat the Italians at their own game. Pizza Y consists of Sushi-grade Pacific Bluefin tuna, sourced from Yamayuki, a renowned tuna broker in Japan.
Once baked, the pizzaiolo presses the tuna flat, unveiling a contrast between the cooked and still-raw portions. I never would have imagined it, but the side of wasabi took this incredible pizza to the next level.
Pizza certainly wasn’t on my list while visiting Japan, but when I left, the line was down the street, so I knew this part of my Japan experience was right on par.
I wasn’t too far from the sea, so I walked another hour and ended up at Hinode Pier, overlooking Tokyo Bay. Outside of a handful of people, I had the green space overlooking the water to myself, guessing because it was a national holiday, so it was a relatively quiet day.
I failed to completely make the walk back and caught the subway at about the halfway mark. Once you learn the ropes, getting around town is super easy, just tapping in and out of the turnstiles with my phone.
Day 10 – Last Call
The first thing on the list was to book my ride to Narita Airport for the following day. I used a service called Tokyo Airporter which was a little cheaper than a cab, but not the cheapest way to go. I didn’t want to deal with lugging my bags to the bus and Airporter picked me up at the hotel.
The train would have also been cheaper, but I had been on enough of them to know how annoying tourists can be with their massive amounts of luggage taking up space on the trains.
The Japanese people use these trains to get to work and go about their daily lives, and with Japan being the number one place for tourists in the world, I just didn’t want to be “that guy.”
To me, part of being a guest in another country is being aware and respectful of the host country, and with “nuisance streamers” now making headlines, I’m glad I had that insight.
Speaking of nuisance, that same annoying guy was also on my flight home.
I never even heard of the phrase “nuisance streamers” till I got back, but they’re making the news with more and more countries being sick and tired of them. Cudos to that.
On that same note, Japan has an etiquette about which side of the escalator you’re supposed to stand on. This is so others running late can zip past you. Depending on the prefecture, the side you stand on may change, so you have to pay attention.
I was on the wrong side in Shibuya, and an elderly man went out of his to elbow me. You might say, I had it coming.
Conclusion
Ten days in Japan felt like both an instant and a lifetime, packed with incredible food, immersive culture, and moments of quiet reflection in between the bustling city streets.
From the futuristic energy of Shibuya to the serene, historic alleys of Asakusa, every step revealed a new layer of this remarkable country.
Whether it was savoring a perfect cup of coffee, navigating the city like a local, or discovering unexpected culinary delights, Japan delivered on every level.
