The busy, electric city of Tokyo still gets me every time I go there, this being my second trip to the magical city. And yet, I still haven’t seen the whole of this massive city!
Broken up into wards, each ward brings something different, from shrines and beautiful gardens, to some of the biggest shopping centres I have seen and of course, the busiest crossing in the world.
I tried the biggest trend in hotels, the capsule hotel for a week. And for a solo traveller, I honestly think this was one of the best options both price and comfort wise. Costing around $51 per night, I stayed in Ueno which isn’t central, however, with a JR line and multiple subway lines located within walking distance, it was not hard to travel around the enormous city.
This trip took me to some new places I hadn’t visited on my first trip and also re-visited some of my favourites. My favourite of these new places being Harujuku.A shopping and fashion area, there is always something interesting to see, whether it be the street fashion or indulging in the sweets.
Of course I had to visit Akihabara again purely because it is so much fun! An abundant amount of game stations, hedgehog, cat and maid café galore and anime heaven.
I also came across a chain restaurant that is everywhere in Tokyo, called Ichiran, is a restaurant where you sit in individual booths, ordering and paying via a machine, for tonkotsu ramen, styledhow you like. Safe to say, I was there nearly every night, that’s how good it was and it was only $12!
Train travel is 100% the way to get around this city, I recommend getting a Suica or Pasmo card and loading Yen onto this as it works exactly like an Opal in NSW or a Myki in VIC. It definitely made travelling quick and easy.
If you are able to and are happy to figure out the train system, there are a heap of day tours you can do from Tokyo like Kamakura, Enoshima and Nikko.
A trip to Tokyo cannot end without visiting: Meiji Shrine, the amazing Mt Fuji, Shibuya to view the world’s busiest crossing, Nakamise shopping street, the electric city Akihabara and the infamous Tokyo Tower!
By Talia Benavente
