My trip to Norway was one of the first places that people had actually been jealous of, it was a destination people still ask me about to this day and Tokyo is now another. I didn't hear a single person tell me they either didn't want to visit Tokyo, or that didn't want to go back. I'm now one of the latter.
It had actually been an after thought, I was simply planning on going to northern Thailand with the charity Not For Sale, but in the weeks prior, I had been advised to try Tokyo. 'It will change your perspective on the world' one person told me. How could I pass up this opportunity.
After hastily changed flights, panicked hotel reservations, and new currency later, I was all set - 3 nights in Tokyo before moving on to Thailand.
The heat is on
My memory of Tokyo is one of a clean, efficient, urban city, with areas of cultural beauty, shopping that rivals the best cities in the world, and a population of people that make you feel welcome at every turn.
But the weather - wow. When I arrived Tokyo was in the midst of the hottest temperatures on record, one taxi driver told me (through google translate) that it was actually 39 degrees outside. Now thats hot. Luckily I had packed my collection of super light Hawaiian shirts for the trip.
I dropped off my gear at the Hotel Shibuya En in the centre of the city and headed out in the blazing sun to maximise my 3 days here.
I'd been given a list of must try places from just about everyone that had previously visited the city, my first stop after the long 14h flight via Vienna was the Café Kitsuné in Aoyama.
Aoyama, would be one of my more frequented areas, and in future I'll probably look for a hotel closer to this area, its hip and younger, and looks to be the cooler part of town, great for hanging out and shopping.
Once in this area, you can simply get lost in the maze of streets (in a good way), so many cool shops (not just referring to the heavenly AC). Stores like Comme Des Garcon, Undercover and Prada (pictured) are all around here.
Throughout my time in Tokyo I learned the best thing to do would be to walk, head up (out of my phone), and consume everything, the sights, sounds, and environment. Its truly an amazing city, and you can't appreciate it getting taxi's from one place to another.
Time to eat
By far one of the most enjoyable parts of Tokyo is the food - luckily I'm a massive foodie, and will eat just about anything (within reason).
I can suggest a few of the places I tried during my visit, but i wholly recommend (as I already did) explore, walk around, and try anywhere that looks cool, even the ones that don't. It's more than likely to be better than what you would have in London (or wherever you may be travelling from).
My first stop was the Tonkatsu Maisen in Aoyama, my Instagram stories were soon filling up with the #TableForOne.
Everyone is super helpful, and will try to speak to you in english, offering you advice on how to eat the food, and offering you english menus.
Whilst some of the people living in the city groaned when I mentioned the words Ichiran Ramen I really enjoyed eating here. You have to buy a coupon upon entry, then sit in a kind of booth, where your meal is passed through a small hatch in front of you. Its delicious, although a little lonely.
I was lucky enough to know a few people here and was taken to dinner one evening to a local sushi bar (the kind with the guys stood in front of you preparing the sushi to order) Iki-na Sushi - it was incredible and was certsinly another highlight.
Retail Therapy
Yet another area Tokyo excels at, shopping, some of the stores here are incredible. From small book stores (try Cow books) to and second hand / vintage stores like Berberjin and J'antique, to high end stores like Visvim and Beams there is truly a mix of stores for every taste.
I could list out every store, but will go back to my advice from earlier. Head to a cool area like Aoyama, or Harajuku and explore, you'll find gems you didn't even know existed, a cool store called V.E.L where I was so captivated by Japanese culture i bought a kimono style work shirt (pictured).
I was told before travelling here, 'you will make at least one regretful purchase' and I think this one was mine, but thats all part of the intoxicating joy of Tokyo. Thats why I loved it, it made me do things I would have never done before.
Explore, Explore
My Suica card was useful on the trains (and the vending machines) and allowed me to go a little further out of town to explore as much of Tokyo as I could (nowhere near enough). You will find little backstreets, and alleys that are made just for Instagram. Head out at night, and just snap away, the neon lights are incredible, and the streets are filled with interesting people. Or head to the Meiji Shrine and capture the ancient sights, even see some Rockabillies dancing in the park on a Sunday morning.
I never felt unsafe as I wondered the streets, even in some of the more questionable areas i walked through, it never felt uncomfortble or like I was in danger.
It's a city truly like no other, with so much to do it's impossible to do in a few days. I'll be going back for sure, and can count it was yet another amazing experience of 2018.
