A little trouble in Tokyo

Flying to Tokyo

After killing a few hours at e Jakarta airport, the check in counters for my flight to Tokyo opens. I quickly check in and make my way to the Plaza Premium Lounge in the terminal 3. It’s actually pretty nice and spacious, so if you ever find yourself in this airport its worth a visit!

After a quick shower and a few snacks I make my way to the gate where I board my flight to Japan. This is my first time flying in ANA’s business class so you can imagine that I’m pretty excited. While it’s not the “flashiest” seat in the world, it is super functional and super comfortable, so no complaints here!

The boarding commences and soon we are enroute to Tokyo! Not long after takeoff, the cabin crew begins meal service and I get my first taste of Japanese cuisine on this trip! I quickly wolf down this beautifully prepared meal. With this being an overnight flight and even though it hasn’t been an overly active day, I am starting to feel tired. So I get my seat into lie flat mode and crash pretty quickly.

I sleep quite a bit and wake up just a short while before landing. As is the case with most things in Japan, this flight is as smooth as can be and soon I am disembarking at Haneda International Airport!

HND arrival

Upon getting off the flight, I am greeted with an amazing sunrise while walking to immigration. A sign of things to come?

With Japan only recently opening their borders to the world again, there are a few hoops to jump through in order to enter. Thankfully this is all made easier having it all in one place with the Visit Japan Web app. At the time of my entry, I needed to get three QR codes to streamline my entry process. The first is to upload your COVID vaccine information.  When getting off the plane, there are staff that check to make sure you have it. They will then wave you through onward to immigration. Once at immigration you will then need to provide the second QR code which is obtained after providing valid passport and visa information. Once through immigration, you then need to produce one more QR code which is your custom’s declaration. Since I had nothing to declare I was through customs quite quickly.

Shibuya Stream Excel Tokyu

After entering Japan and getting situated I hop on the train to get to my hotel for the next few days: Shibuya Stream Excel Tokyu. Unfortunately, since this is a morning arrival, I’m unable to check in early. So I end up leaving my bags with the front desk and head out into Tokyo to do some exploring and get my bearings.

Yogogi park

Not wanting to go too far, I walk a short way to Yogogi Park. With it being a sunny winter morning, I really enjoy the relaxing stroll through the park. It’s not super touristy and being able to see a lot of local Japanese people enjoying the park is a bit of a treat too. I especially take note of the several running groups where those with disabilities are able to run with an able bodied guide. I think this is an awesome idea and not something I have seen much at home!

Meji Shrine

After exploring the park for an hour or two, I head down a little further to visit the Meiji Shrine. These are all things that are on most tourist lists, but on my past trip to Tokyo, I didn’t get much of a chance to check out. The shrine is nestled in a park area and its a short walk from the entrance to the actual shrine. Along the way are some cool items and gates to see.

Upon arriving at the shrine, I imagine it can also get super crowded once tourism returns in full force. I’m actually surprised to see it be quite busy! While there are a fair number of tourists, I also see a good number of locals praying at the shrine.

After leaving the shrine and starting along the path to exit the park, I start to feel abnormally fatigued. So I decide to make my way back to the hotel and hope that an early check in is possible.

Trouble in Tokyo

Unfortunately, after returning to the hotel my room still isn’t ready. I’m starting to feel really really tired now and so I slump down to close my eyes on one of the lobby couches to wait for my room. While waiting in the lobby, my body starts to feel a bit achy and my stomach is starting to not feel great. Unfortunately, these are familiar feelings and I’m pretty sure that something I’ve eaten in the past 24 hours is coming back to haunt me. After about an hour of waiting, my room is finally ready. I quickly head up to check it out. I’m glad to find its quite comfortable. Given how I feel, I quickly take a hot shower and then crawl into bed and crash for the better part of the day.

Shibuya at Night

I wake up in the evening and feel a bit better. I’m for sure not 100% but do feel recovered enough to wander around nearby for an hour and a bit. I think the fresh air and moving around helps a little. While I still don’t feel up to a proper meal, I do pick up a few small snacks from the convenience store to snack on. I head back to my hotel, finish up my snacks and turn in for more rest.

Udon Shin

The next morning, I feel MUCH better. Again not back to 100%. However at the suggestion of some friends, I do aim to visit a well regarded udon spot called Udon Shin. I figure something light, like broth, udon and tempura could do me some good. Udon Shin is a pretty popular spot, so line ups tend to form rather quickly. Thankfully, I arrive a half hour before opening. The cool thing about this store though is that they have this queuing ticket system. You show up, get a ticket from the machine, and the corresponding website will tell you approximately when to show up to get in. Fortunately, I’m here quite early and snag a pretty early time slot.

The staff take your order just before you enter the restaurant and by the time you sit down its just about ready for you. While regular udon and tempura is not this restaurants specialty, I wasn’t entirely sure my stomach was ready to handle anything heavier or more complex at the moment. So even though its not the feature, it still hit the spot, especially after 24 hours of eating next to nothing.

Asakusa and Senso-ji

Even though I am feeling better. My energy levels are still not where they should be. So after lunch I decide to head back to my hotel where I end up taking a nap until the afternoon. After regaining some energy I decide to head out again for some more exploration. This time I head over to Asakusa with the intention of visiting Senso-Ji. Again this is one of those popular tourist destinations that I didn’t get to visit on my first trip to Japan.

Now that I’m here, I can see why. There are some cool street vendors selling all manner of items. The temple itself is also super iconic as is the 5 storied Pagoda. These are some of the most typical Japanese tourism photos and I’m glad I finally get to see it and snap my own few photos of it!

Tokyo SkyTree

After visiting Senso-Ji, I hop on the train and head over to Tokyo Skytree. However, I end up missing the train stop and going on a small adventure. Normally I would just get off at the next stop and walk to the other platform and take the opposite direction train back. But somehow the next two stations all go one way and eventually I discover that one of the lines loops back around. I somehow ended up having to take two trains in order to get back to the SkyTree station. By the time I am at the base of the Skytree, the cost to actually go up and the annoyance with the trains makes the decision to pass easy.  I’ve also already seen Tokyo at night atop the Metropolitan building on a previous trip before. I do wander around the base of the tower and snap a few photos of it from the bottom. I’m sure its a lovely view from the top. But why pay when you can go up for free at the Metropolitan building!

711 Dinner pt2.

At this point I feel my energy draining again and I decide to head back to my hotel. On the way home I stop by 711 again and pick up a few small items to munch on. My appetite isn’t fully back but I am feeling a bit more adventurous with my choices. I am thankful and happy that the quality of food even at Japanese convenience stores are so high. While in North America I wouldn’t think about having dinner at a 711, being in Tokyo, its completely a viable option!

With a little food in my belly, and me feeling completely drained, I turn in again for the night. I’m thankful that I have a comfortable hotel room to call home for a few days as I recover. I’m also encouraged that I’m feeling better after every moment of rest. So I’m hopeful that I’ll be back to my normal self pretty soon!