Actually, it was five days and we went to Tokyo *and* Kyoto, but that title sounded better. We were so lucky to travel to Japan recently and couldn't wait to tell you all about it!
Pepper had a work trip scheduled for Tokyo. How lucky is she? Neither of us had ever been to Japan before and this seemed like the perfect opportunity to check it off of our mutual bucket lists. With Pepper in Seattle and me in Southern California we each flew solo across the Pacific to meet up in the Narita airport that serves Tokyo. Both traveling from the West Coast, we each had flights that lasted about ten hours. And we are happy to report that both flights were relatively smooth and uneventful! Thanks, United Airlines and Delta Airlines!
Since neither of us had been to Narita we had to Google where we could meet, but were lucky enough to land at basically the same time and Pepper met me at my gate. We arranged a private car to take us to Tokyo, and it cost about $200 USD and took about 2 hours. The airport is waaaaaayyyyy outside of Tokyo, so be aware. The drive into Tokyo was beautiful. Green beltways, beautiful plants, and an incredible view of the city as we approached. There are bullet trains from Narita to Tokyo that take about an hour and cost about $37, and less speedy trains that take about 2 hours and cost about $12. I recommend the fast NEX Tokyo train simply for the cost, convenience, and speed. (We took it to the airport on our way out of Tokyo and it was simple, fast, and easy.)
We opted to stay at the Grand Hyatt Roppongi Hills for many reasons. First, it has incredible reviews. Check out Fodor's and The Points Guy who really do it justice! This hotel was the hotel Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson stayed in in the film Lost in Translation, which is cool and worth watching if you're headed to Japan. It is also situated in the Roppongi Hills neighborhood, which is hip, vibrant, centrally located, and a hub of shopping, food, and metro stations. In fact, the Grand Hyatt is attached to a really cool outdoor mall and has its own Metro station located underneath the hotel. This in and of itself made staying at the Grand Hyatt completely worth it because we never had to search for the Metro.
The hotel is beautiful, to say the least. Modern, gorgeous installations and artwork, amazing restaurants, a fantastic pool, workout, and spa area, and absolutely incredible views. There's nothing quite like waking up in the morning, heading to the Club Lounge and having your morning coffee while looking out the windows at Mt. Fuji with its snow cap and sharp angles. Such a treat! Speaking of the Club Lounge, we highly recommend opting for a room with this access. The breakfast was plentiful and delicious, the afternoon tea/snacks were fantastic, and the evening happy hour was almost like a full meal with fantastic French champagne and cocktails and breathtaking views of the city lights.
The Metro in Tokyo is incredibly user-friendly, and there are English signs that are helpful. We used the Pasmo kiosk to buy prepaid Metro cards, which was easy and so convenient. Pepper had to work for the first three days so I headed out on my own to see the city's highlights. First, as the photo displays, I was on the hunt for the famed cherry blossoms or Sakura as well as temples and shrines.
I started my day by taking the Metro to see the Senso-ji temple and oh, my, wow! It is amazing and should be everyone's first stop in Tokyo! It consists of numerous shrine structures, with one gigantic one as the central focus. You can go completely traditional and purchase an incense bundle, light it, place it in a prayer stand and fan the smoke of luck onto you before entering the shrine itself. It's really hard to describe how amazing this experience was. There were many locals who went to the shrine wearing traditional Japanese kimonos and they looked absolutely beautiful. Of course had to take photos and even pose with some! Entering the Senso-ji there are scores of food and shopping stalls selling anything and everything you can imagine including crepes, ice cream, authentic Japanese items, and on and on. Pepper and I spent a few hours there and had a ball!
After leaving the shrine I decided to stroll through Uneo Park where I found some trees that had bloomed early and they were spectacular. Even locals were taking photos, and taking in the fresh new blossoms. I was elated! There are so many shrines, museums, a zoo, and little touches throughout this park I highly recommend taking it in for a few hours. I also went to the neighborhood that is Gwen Stefani's favorite - Harajuku. I found a nail salon after having strolled up and down Takeshita Street with its crazy and amazing stores, people, fashion, and food. A manicure in Japan is an entire experience of massage, nail examination, and professionalism and I recommend having one. My nails lasted for a month, too! They looked one month later as shiny and pretty as the day they were done!
When Pepper was done with work, we visited these places together and had so much fun! We also went to see the Shibuya Crossing which is considered the busiest pedestrian intersection in the world where at any one time nearly 3,000 people cross at a time. What a trip that was! There is a fantastic place upstairs in the nearby Starbucks to look down and watch the crossings while enjoying a quick caffeine fix! While in Harajuku Pepper and I went crazy buying Japanese drugstore beauty products that I had researched. My favorite is the Biore UV SPF 50+ PA +++ Aqua Rich Watery Essence. The LEAST greasy and weightless sunscreen you will ever buy! Highly recommend! We stumbled upon a shop called Alice on Wednesday, which is this Disneyland-like store with mind-blowing decor and products with an Alice in Wonderland theme. A MUST SEE!
Pepper and I had some of the best food ever! But none was quite as good as a hole-in-the-wall ramen shop that was recommended to us. Not only did it have the most delicious ramen in the world, but the pot stickers sent Pepper over the moon and she couldn’t stop. Paired with an ice cold Asahi beer we were in heaven. I have no idea what the name of this place was, but it was just across from the Shibuya Metro stop. We weren't sure where it was exactly, and this amazing man in the Metro walked us all the way there and acted like it was his honor to have done so.
Which takes me to the city itself. It is so meticulously well-manicured, clean as a whistle, and the people are so generous. And you've never seen cleaner subway cars or stations anywhere in the world! We spent the evening in the Shinjuku area and visited Golden Gai, which is a series of pre-war dark alleys with teeny tiny hidden bars (some can only hold 5-6 people) that feature specialty cocktails, bites, and proprietors. It really feels like an underground secret scene, and is 100% worth seeing and experiencing. And the neon of the surrounding Shinjuku area makes Las Vegas look like a strip mall.
Finally, Pepper and I decided to take the Tokaido Shinkansen Nozomi bullet train to Kyoto, which travels about 300 miles in 2 hours. It was incredible! And so was Kyoto. We spent a full day there and visited the Kinkaku-ji Temple, that boasts a gold leaf temple set in the middle of a pond that is surrounded by an beautifully manicured green space. It was breathtaking! Kyoto is an easy day trip from Tokyo and if you take the Nozomi, and map out in advance what you want to see, with the help of friendly cab drivers you should be able to have a great day!
We spent a few hours in the Kyoto's Nishiki Market, that is an open stall market that stretches about five city blocks with countless stalls, shops, and restaurants. Pepper couldn’t stop eating, and eating, and eating her way through the different food stalls but finally the baby octopus heads was where she drew the line.
We ate and shopped the day away until we finally headed to the Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine that was beyond amazing and has been featured in many films and shows. Not only are the shrine buildings and offerings fantastic, it also has thousands of orange gates that lead you on a fascinating and meditative hike through the area. Our pictures were beyond cool. After a full day an Kyoto we bullet-trained back to Tokyo and enjoyed the hot tub and pool at the Grand Hyatt to ease our sore muscles and wind down. (There may have been cocktails involved too!)
Overall, Japan is a must. If it isn't on your bucket list, make an edit. From the landscaping, food, people, culture, history, and ease of travel, it can't be beat. Our trip to Tokyo was a once in a lifetime experience and one that we will both treasure forever. Take it from us, grab a friend and cross the ocean. What awaits is nothing short of spectacular.