Eleven Days in Tokyo

Arriving at Narita International Airport (NRT) was straightforward, and the express train ride into the city provided a good view of the transition from rural outskirts to the dense urban core. We headed straight to Shinjuku Station, which is as massive and confusing as everyone says. We checked into Hotel Gracery Shinjuku to drop our bags before heading out to walk the streets nearby.

Our first nights were spent wandering through Omoide Yokocho. It is a tight network of alleys packed with small stalls serving grilled skewers. It gets crowded quickly, so expect to stand or sit on a stool with very little elbow room, but the smoke and the noise make it a good place to settle into the city’s pace.

We spent a full day covering ground across the city, starting at Shibuya Crossing. After grabbing a photo with the Hachiko Statue, we stopped for Afuri Ramen—the yuzu broth was a light change from heavier meals. We then moved on to the Imperial Palace East Garden, which is a quiet patch of green that feels removed from the traffic, followed by the Tokyo National Museum in Ueno Park to see the collection.

By the end of the trip, we slowed down a bit. We had a meal at Genki Sushi Shibuya, where the orders arrive on a small conveyor belt, and grabbed tempura at Daikokuya Tempura in Asakusa. We finished our time in the city with a trip to Aqua City Odaiba to look back across the water at the skyline.

It was very nice trip!