I have a late morning Shinkansen departure booked as I am heading back to Tokyo today. So after a bit of a sleep in and a lazy start to the day, I check out of my hotel and make the short walk to the JR Train station in Hakodate. As I have a bit of time before boarding my train I spend the half hour exploring the station a little. I take some time to browse and pick up an ekiben for the journey down. I also have one last Hokkaido milk ice cream before leaving the island of Hokkaido.
The whole journey down to Tokyo will take roughly five hours. With where Hakodate is located, I first need to board a local train inland to intersect and transfer onto the Shinkansen line. The journey is a short 15 minute ride and before I know it, I have disembarked one train and boarded another.
I’ve been looking forward to this train trip for a while. Not only is it a train ride on Japan’s Highspeed Rail. We will also be travelling through one the longest railway tunnels in the world.
After setting off, a lot of the initial scenery is similar to my Hokutu ride from Sapporo to Hakodate. So it’s really hard to complain. After entering the tunnel, I’m not sure why I thought taking a photo inside would amount to much as its dark. But once existing on the other side, you start to notice the landscape get less and less snowy. Eventually all of it disappears and it is just a leisurly ride south.
Another source of excitement is getting another opportunity for an ekiben meal on the train. This time I go with a grilled fish and seaweed on rice option which is delicious! To washi it down, I also pick up a carton of 711 Apple juice which I have taken a liking to during my travel through Japan. With a full belly and interesting scenery the five hours go by in the blink of an eye.
Exploring Tokyo
After arriving at Tokyo station, I make my way to my hotel in Ginza to check in and get settled. My plans for the remaining days in Tokyo are pretty open. I have a few food spots on my list and one or two activities. However, beyond that my plan is to simply relax and enjoy the my time in this country. So with no real set plans, the following will just be a listing of highlights over the next two days. One of the things I enjoy is simply wandering the area to explore. So I venture out and explore the area around my hotel and even some other spots like Akihabara.
Ginza Kagari
One of the food spots on my list is Ginza Kagari. This is a unique noodle shop in Ginza which has a chicken broth based ramen/soba offering. I had seen it on a food blog and had noted it on my of my lists. I didn’t expect to go the night that I did because in general they have fairly long lines for people waiting. But by chance, when passing by on one of my strolls, I notice the line isn’t that long. I suspect the wet and cooler weather has something to do with it. So I get in line and in about half an hour, I am out of the cold and in the small restaurant!
I’m not sure if its because its been a wet and cold day, but I consumed the meal in record time. I initially put this restaurant on my list because the concept of (essentially) “chicken noodle soup” seems so comforting. Throw in that they offer wontons as an add on (for those that know me know I love dumplings). And this entire meal is an easy candidate for my favorite meal of the trip.
511 Kobe Beef Restaurant
Another restaurant on my list is 511 Kobe Beef Restaurant. While the main goal is to try a “nice” Kobe beef steak whilst in Japan. After doing some research, I had found this place as a decent option in Tokyo. So with reservations for the day after returning to Tokyo. I make my way for lunch at this spot and find a pretty upscale spot which I’m not going to complain about!
After selecting a moderately priced set menu the food arrives quite quickly. Everything is very fresh and obviously the steak is the main attraction. This may be slightly controversial, but I may have put this steak experience on a pedestal before coming. I had expected that upon every bite, the heavens would open up and angels would sing to me with every chew. However while very tender, very tasty and very flavourful I am a bit disappointed. Don’t get me wrong, its a very very very good steak. But I think I may just have unrealistic expectations for it! There is also something to be said that I picked a set menu in the middle of the price range. It’s very possible that the experience I seek, is still waiting for me at the highest price point.
C&C Curry Shop
C&C Curry Shop is a chain restaurant in Japan that specializes in… you guessed it curry. While this shop is not on my list. Having Japanese Katsu curry is. I didn’t have a place in mind, but casually walking by and seeing C&C Curry I figure why not. It’s busy, popular and most patrons are locals. I am a big fan of these “local” places and this one did not disappoint. It’s a tasty and very affordable meal. I just wish we have these sorts of stores in Canada because it really would beat eating out or even in some cases eating in affordably.
Ginza Karen
One of the reasons for a very light itinerary for my remaining days in Tokyo is for shopping. Not to buy souvenirs or things to take home, but for luggage. My plan at the beginning had been to either buy a very nice carry on I can use for future travel. Or purchase an inexpensive checked luggage I can use to carry the things I already have home. After a day or two of not finding the carry on luggage I want, I start to look for an affordable check bag.
Enter Ginza Karen. After doing a bit of research, I found many travellers rant and rave about this store, so I figure why not check it out. It’s a small little luggage store that sells most items for 6600 yen. While not the fanciest pieces of luggage, the quality is great and for the price I did not find anything better. I don’t mean for this to be a commercial but I have seen many friends come back with big Japanese hauls of items, so some may find this useful!
With this in mind, this details my first few days after returning to Tokyo. After this I am transitioning to a even more “relaxed” part of the trip. I have a very fancy hotel booked for which I will end my time in Japan in Style. I also have an appointment to visit the Imperial palace tomorrow. So with that, stay tuned for my last few days in Tokyo.