THE BIG DEPARTURE
After several months of preparation, the big day has finally arrived. I took a direct flight with ANA (a Japanese airline). Flight duration: 13 hours; everything went smoothly. I even got to see Mount Fuji just before landing. Upon arrival, to make traveling around Tokyo easier, I bought a transport card.
Once I dropped off my things at the hotel, I took a stroll around the Akihabara district. It’s known as the “geek” and “otaku” area of Tokyo. It’s also referred to as the “Electric Town.” However, since it was already 9 p.m., the shops were closed, so I just took a quiet walk around.
TOKYO - DAY 1
After my first night at the hotel, I took a little morning walk to do my shopping in the Higashi-Ikebukuro district.It was my first time grocery shopping in Japan. In the end, it’s not as simple as I thought. Apart from the fact that everything is in Japanese, the Japanese culture being completely different from French culture, the products in supermarkets are very different. I’ll need to adjust my consumption habits to find the products I’m looking for more easily in supermarkets.
In the late afternoon, I took a stroll through the Ikebukuro district. It’s a very lively area with many restaurants, karaoke bars, anime stores, game centers… It’s also a cultural district, especially with the “Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre”.
For New Year’s, I headed to the Meiji-Jingu Shrine. This is a very important celebration in Japan. Around midnight, the Japanese go to a Buddhist temple or Shinto shrine for their first visit of the year, called hatsumōde. Some Japanese also make this visit on the morning of January 1st.
Departure at 10 p.m.: There were already a lot of people. Even though I waited for 2 hours, the wait was worth it. After a small prayer in front of the temple, I drew the predictions (omikuji, お神籤) for the new year. At Meiji-Jingu Shrine, the omikuji is written in the form of a small poem, and these predictions can be kept if they’re good. However, if they’re bad, they need to be tied to the branches of a pine tree. Not really knowing what to do, I asked a person working at the temple, who advised me to keep it. I also bought amulets (omamori, お守り). Each one has its own meaning, and they’re believed to bring different forms of luck and protection.
TOKYO - DAY 2
After sleeping for 4 hours, I woke up at 6 a.m. to go to the most famous temple in Tokyo. When I arrived, I didn’t expect to see so many people at that hour. I took the opportunity to take some photos and stopped to buy food from one of the many stands next to the temple.
On my way back, I walked part of the way and came across a small Buddhist temple. It was there that I met a French woman who had been living in Japan for 50 years.
Back at the hotel, I finished my night. After some rest, in the late afternoon, I walked to the Gokoku-ji Buddhist temple. It was a rather amazing and not very well-known place. There were almost only locals there (as seen in the last two photos). A wonderful end to the evening.
TOKYO - DAY 3
For those wondering if I felt the earthquake yesterday: not at all. However, I was indeed outside at that moment.
After a restful morning, I left without knowing exactly where I was going. Eventually, I ended up in the heart of Shinjuku. Shinjuku is one of the 23 wards of Tokyo. It consists of a business district and many shops. After enjoying a delicious bowl of ramen, I walked around the center of the district. If you’re only staying a few days in Tokyo, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this activity. However, the area has some beautiful spots, like the Shinjuku Gyoen Park.
I then decided to head to the Shimo-Kitazawa neighborhood, a calm area just a short train ride from Shinjuku and Shibuya. It’s a very nice place, full of thrift shops, far from the large buildings of central Tokyo. In the end, without even realizing it, I wandered out of the neighborhood. While walking without a specific destination, I stumbled upon a stunning sunset. It goes to show that the lesser-known, smaller places are often the best. Afterward, I wandered through residential areas before heading back to Shimo-Kitazawa. I took the opportunity to enjoy a delicious Japanese curry.
TOKYO - DAY 4
After resting from yesterday’s day, I wandered around the Ginza district (the Luxury district). In the end, nothing extraordinary. After eating French toast at a restaurant, I headed to the Tokyo Tower. Right next to it is a Buddhist temple, Zojoji. It was the family temple of the Tokugawa family during the Edo era. Although it has lost some of its importance, it is still a very significant temple in Japan.
I then headed to the Roppongi district. On the way, I stopped to have a bowl of ramen. Afterward, I went to see the illuminations in the “Midtown Tower” park and along the “Roppongi Hills” street. Another busy day with 15 km walked.
TOKYO - DAY 5
Today has been a very busy day with 19 km walked under a beautiful sun. I left at 7:30 AM and headed to the Kanda Myōjin shrine.
I drew another prediction, and once again, it was positive. I was told it was a small chance of good fortune. I then headed to the Tsukiji district, which has an outdoor fish market. After a quick tour and a visit to a shrine, I wanted to go to the indoor fish market, but it was closed today.
TOKYO - DAY 6
The day before yesterday, I left my hotel to move into a share house (roommate situation). I visited the Yanaka district, a very quiet area with few people. In the end, it’s one of my favorite neighborhoods. There are temples on almost every street, which gives it all its charm. After that, I went to school to fill out some documents because I’m going to join a language school to deepen my Japanese learning. My classes start on Wednesday.
I also took a tour of the Daikanyama district, a very calm place with almost no tourists. I was able to chat with Japanese people running a café-shop where they sell different homemade drinks, pottery, and bonsais (which means “plant in a pot”). A great moment of exchange, especially with a young Japanese man, in a mix of English and Japanese. Creating teas according to the seasons, he made me taste his latest tea, Malasa tea, a spiced tea. Unusual, but quite good.
I then visited a house from the Edo period (1603-1868). I think I’ll go back in the spring when the trees are in bloom. Then, I had a meal in the Ebisu district before taking a tour of Meguro, where I visited the Ryūsen-ji shrine. A very pleasant place, not much visited by tourists.
I also discovered the Yakushi-ji temple. Besides its location in a very luxurious residential area (the houses there must be worth a fortune), this temple is quite unique because it’s located inside a building. They seemed quite surprised to see me, I think almost no foreigner comes here. In the end, they were very considerate. At this temple, the faithful come to copy a sutra, an ancient Japanese religious text, using a brush. It was the first time I had seen this.
