Aishiteru, Japan!

I've lived in Asia for four years, and have never been to Japan. What a disgrace! Finally this year, The Boyfriend and I decided to go to Japan for a whirlwind 4-day adventure, and what a memorable experience it was. (Check out my favorite photos from our trip here.) 

Ginza

Ginza shopping district, Tokyo

Warning! Shopoholics might lose their minds here. I know this, because I am, and I did. This famous shopping district has hundreds of stores, ranging from affordable, like Forever 21, GAP and H&M, to high-end stores like Dior, Tiffany & Co., Chanel and Prada. 


The architecture of these stores is incredible, and most of them boast four to seven floors of retail heaven. My heart is beating fast now, just thinking about it. The Boyfriend was being a total sweetheart, and left me alone to go shopping while he walked around the area. It’s just... I can go faster when I’m by myself…


Shinjuku

Shinjuku Station, Tokyo

Our hotel was in this area, which was very convenient, as Shinjuku Station is the hub for all metro lines in Tokyo. Now, don’t even get me started on the subway system in Tokyo. It was so overwhelming, but we managed to figure it out and considered ourselves pros after four days.

Around Shinjuku Station there are also numerous shopping options, restaurants, pubs and other special types of entertainment, which I don’t want to get into too much. Well, it’s Japan, so use your imagination.


Cherry Blossoms

Cherry Blossoms at Shinjuku-Gyoen, Tokyo

This time of the year is the best to view the famous cherry blossoms in Tokyo. At first we didn’t know if they were already blooming, as it was still very cold, but as we stepped into Shinjuku-Gyoen, the best park to view cherry blossoms, we were met by hundreds of trees, sporting cherry blossoms of all the different shades of pink. It was truly a breathtaking scene.


Harajuku

Omotesando Hills shopping mall in Harajuku, Tokyo

Unfortunately, a freak storm, apparently the worst in 50 years, hit Japan one day while we were there. Trains were delayed and it was barely possible to stand on your feet outside in the wind and rain. But this didn’t stop us from trying to see as much of Tokyo as possible. 


Even though there were barely any people in, the usually packed to the brim, Harajuku area, we walked around Takeshita Street and Omotesando Hills for a few hours after the rain finally stopped. This area, with its cheap clothing stores, caters to mostly teenagers and young adults, and this is where people gather for costume play over the weekends.


Shibuya Crossing

Shibuya Crossing, Tokyo

We had to go to Shibuya Crossing to witness the famous site of hundreds, maybe thousands(!?) of pedestrians crossing the intersection every few minutes. Because the weather wasn’t that great, there were fewer people than usual, but we could get the idea of what it looks like on a regular day.


Imperial Palace

One of the buildings at the Imperial Palace, Tokyo

We walked around the Imperial Palace and gardens, where the Emperor of Japan lives, for a couple of hours, taking in the traditional architecture.


Food

Having Sushi in Tokyo

We were pleasantly surprised by the number of Indian restaurants in Tokyo, as this is our absolute favorite food. I’m not kidding; there are literally three Indian restaurants on every street. Of course, we had to have some delicious sushi as well, and the pork cutlets were delicious.


Mount Fuji

Mount Fuji (photo taken from the train)

Seeing Mount Fuji with my own eyes was probably the highlight of our trip. The only way to describe it is “majestic”. We had to take a train for about 2 hours to get to an area called LakeKawaguchi. There, we went up another mountain, Mount Kachi Kachi with a cable car, to get the best view of Mount Fuji.

I must say, Japan really exceeded my expectations, and is now one of my favorite travel destinations. I can’t wait to go back there! Maybe next year?