{"id":2366,"date":"2015-06-26T12:36:22","date_gmt":"2015-06-26T16:36:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/outsideinstudio.com\/blog\/?p=2366"},"modified":"2023-08-08T15:31:16","modified_gmt":"2023-08-08T19:31:16","slug":"japan-tokyo-adventures","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/outsideinstudio.com\/blog\/japan-tokyo-adventures\/","title":{"rendered":"Japan | Pt. I | Tokyo Adventures"},"content":{"rendered":"\"Shibuya\n

If you fol\u00adlow us on Insta\u00adgram<\/a>, you\u2019ve prob\u00ada\u00adbly seen a few pho\u00adtos from our trip to Japan last fall. It was sort of a end-of-the-wedding-season cel\u00ade\u00adbra\u00adtion squeezed in between our penul\u00adti\u00admate wed\u00adding in Octo\u00adber and our \u201cfor-real\u201d last wed\u00adding in Decem\u00adber<\/a>. Once we got back, there was real\u00adly no breath\u00ading room to reflect on how amaz\u00ading the trip had been \u2014 we just jumped right back into the flow of things, work\u00ading on our last 2014 wed\u00adding, edit\u00ading fea\u00adtures, and revamp\u00ading the site.<\/p>\n

But a lot of peo\u00adple have been ask\u00ading us about our jour\u00adney through Japan, want\u00adi\u00adng to know exact\u00adly where we went and how it all looked. Half-inspired to share more from our trip with these peo\u00adple, and half-inspired to relive it our\u00adselves, we decid\u00aded to put togeth\u00ader a guide\/journal of our adven\u00adtures across this beau\u00adti\u00adful country.<\/p>\n

To say we fell in love with Japan is an understatement.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

It is one of the most stun\u00adning places we\u2019ve ever vis\u00adit\u00aded. We were com\u00adplete\u00adly tak\u00aden aback by the cul\u00adture, the archi\u00adtec\u00adture, and the atmos\u00adphere, not just of Tokyo, but of the entire coun\u00adtry. So much so, that it\u2019s hon\u00adest\u00adly tak\u00aden every ounce of self-control in us to not go back this fall.<\/p>\n

We cov\u00adered a lot of ground in the two weeks we were there, start\u00ading in Tokyo, down to Mt. Fuji in Kawaguchiko, up to Yudana\u00adka, then back down through Kyoto and Osa\u00adka to Fukuo\u00adka, and back up to Tokyo for the last few days of our trip. We\u2019ve decid\u00aded that the eas\u00adi\u00adest way to tack\u00adle this behe\u00admoth of a jour\u00adney is to break it up into four parts: Tokyo | Fuji & Yudana\u00adka<\/a> | Kyoto, Osa\u00adka & Fukuo\u00adka<\/a> | and back to Tokyo.<\/p>\n\"Toronto\n

We left Pear\u00adson for Tokyo at around 1:30 PM and were sched\u00aduled to arrive, 13 hours lat\u00ader, at 5PM the next day. We real\u00adized we\u2019d be trav\u00adel\u00ading through time and space into the future, but didn\u2019t have much to do with this extra\u00ador\u00addi\u00adnary pow\u00ader, so we slept, lis\u00adtened to music, and began a sep\u00ada\u00adrate adven\u00adture of re-watching Break\u00ading Bad from the beginning.<\/p>\n\"Tokyo\n

As soon as you approach the island, you\u2019re greet\u00aded by Fujisan, which is pret\u00adty damn cool.<\/p>\n\"Mount\n

Once we arrived, we had an hour-long bus ride to Shibuya. There\u2019s a lot of dif\u00adfer\u00adent dis\u00adtricts in Tokyo, but Shibuya is a more vibrant, cen\u00adtral loca\u00adtion to stay. Every\u00adthing you need is there, and every\u00adthing you\u2019d want to see that isn\u2019t there is a short subway\/train-ride away. At the hotel, our bat\u00adtle with jet-lag began. We ordered a cou\u00adple of wood-oven piz\u00adzas from the restau\u00adrant in the lob\u00adby and crashed watch\u00ading Japan\u00adese TV, which is expo\u00adnen\u00adtial\u00adly more enter\u00adtain\u00ading than any\u00adthing you\u2019ve ever seen. We promise you.<\/p>\n

We stayed at the Shibuya Granbell Hotel<\/a>, and couldn\u2019t rec\u00adom\u00admend it enough. We usu\u00adal\u00adly pre\u00adfer to stay at bou\u00adtique hotels instead of the big name alter\u00adna\u00adtives because they embrace the char\u00adac\u00adter of the places you vis\u00adit, offer\u00ading a cer\u00adtain charm and unique space to dwell while fore\u00adgo\u00ading the gener\u00adic hotel-carpet look. The Granbell also had some pret\u00adty sweet rates for longer stays, and offered us a two-story room with a bal\u00adcony and an amaz\u00ading view that you could enjoy even from the whirlpool on the sec\u00adond level.<\/p>\n

\"Shibuya\"Shibuya<\/p>\n

Despite of all this awe\u00adsome\u00adness, we had a busy cou\u00adple of days before our trek across the coun\u00adtry began, so off we went to vis\u00adit what quick\u00adly became our favourite part of Tokyo \u2014 Shimokitazawa.<\/p>\n\"Shimokitazawa,\n

Shimok\u00adi\u00adtaza\u00adwa, or Shimoki\u00adta as the locals would say, is a young, trendy neigh\u00adbour\u00adhood offer\u00ading tons of inde\u00adpen\u00addent fash\u00adion retail\u00aders, amaz\u00ading cafes, restau\u00adrants, and lots of drool-worthy pan\u00adcakes, waf\u00adfles and crepes. What Williams\u00adburg is to New York, Shimok\u00adi\u00adtaza\u00adwa is to Tokyo \u2014 down to the qui\u00adet, relaxed atmosphere.<\/p>\n

\"Shimokitazawa,\"Shimokitazawa,\"ME3A4498\"\"ME3A4513\"\"ME3A4529\"\"ME3A4547\"\"ME3A4550\"\"ME3A4553\"\"ME3A4598-2\"\"ME3A4607\"\"Shimokitazawa,\"Bear\"Shimokitazawa\"\"Shimokitazawa,<\/p>\n

All we had on the agen\u00adda was cap\u00adpuc\u00adci\u00adnos at Bear Pond<\/a> \u2014 which were ridicu\u00adlous\u00adly good. Aside from this morn\u00ading stroll, we tech\u00adni\u00adcal\u00adly should have nev\u00ader returned to Shi\u00admo (at least itinerary-wise), but we would find our\u00adselves there the next day for break\u00adfast, and then a cou\u00adple more times after that. We loved this place so much that we wouldn\u2019t hes\u00adi\u00adtate to Airbnb here next time.<\/p>\n

It was also the place we enjoyed our first vend\u00ading machine splurge.<\/p>\n

\"Tokyo\"Japan<\/p>\n

We went back to Shibuya, and on our way back to the hotel to get ready for a night out, we tack\u00adled the infa\u00admous street cross\u00ading. Def\u00adi\u00adnite\u00adly busier vibes here, albeit perfect.<\/p>\n

\"Tokyo\"Shibuya\"Shibuya\"Shibuya\"Shibuya\"Shibuya<\/p>\n

Vic\u00adto\u00adria was ready to party.<\/p>\n\"Shibuya\n

That night, we cabbed it to the Tokyo Park Hyatt<\/a> in Shin\u00adjuku \u2014 famed for being the hotel in Sofia Cop\u00adpo\u00adla\u2019s Lost in Trans\u00adla\u00adtion. We explored the hotel\u2019s many nooks before head\u00ading up to the 52nd<\/sup> floor for our din\u00adner reser\u00adva\u00adtion at New York Grill. We had cae\u00adsar sal\u00adads, steaks, mashed pota\u00adtoes, and some Cop\u00adpo\u00adla brand\u00aded wine. It was deli\u00adcious and so was the view.<\/p>\n

\"Park\"Park\"New\"Tokyo<\/p>\n

After din\u00adner, we couldn\u2019t help walk\u00ading across to the bar and enjoy\u00ading a drink, although it was sig\u00adnif\u00adi\u00adcant\u00adly more packed than in the movie.<\/p>\n\"ME3A4773\"\n

We head\u00aded off to our next spot, walk\u00ading through Shin\u00adjuku to Kabu\u00adki\u00adcho \u2014 Tokyo\u2019s red light dis\u00adtrict. We have a love\/hate rela\u00adtion\u00adship with Kabu\u00adki\u00adcho. For one, it\u2019s colour\u00adful, busy and packed with inter\u00adest\u00ading lit\u00adtle shops \u2014 some that required a peek-in, oth\u00aders that we wouldn\u2019t dream of going in \u2014 and its iza\u00adkayas (or tiny Japan\u00adese bar) are world-renowned. On the oth\u00ader hand, it\u2019s sort of a tourist trap and there\u2019s for\u00adeign touts try\u00ading to lure said tourists to sketchy bars off of the strip. Just ignore the touts, or bet\u00adter yet, pre\u00adtend to only speak Span\u00adish. Ricar\u00addo did and it com\u00adplete\u00adly caught them off guard.<\/p>\n

\"Kabukicho,\"Kabukicho,\"Walking\"ME3A4799-2\"\"ME3A4929\"<\/p>\n

We explored a lit\u00adtle and found our des\u00adti\u00adna\u00adtion, The Robot Show at the, well\u2026 Robot Restau\u00adrant<\/a>. Just before the show kicks off, they put you in a large epilepsy-inducing wait\u00ading room with a robot band play\u00ading 90s pop bal\u00adlads. The singers were amaz\u00ading, which helped with the jet lag. It was hit\u00adting us pret\u00adty hard at this point.<\/p>\n

\"Robot\"Robot<\/p>\n

\"Victoria

Real\u00adly hard.<\/p><\/div>\n\"Robot\n

The show itself is as bla\u00adtant as its title and the sto\u00adry is vir\u00adtu\u00adal\u00adly non-existent. There was lots of lights, lots of robots, lots of yelling, and lots of drinks.<\/p>\n

\"Tokyo\"Tokyo\"Tokyo\"ME3A4870\"\"ME3A4878\"\"Tokyo\"Tokyo\"Tokyo<\/p>\n

Slept. Woke up. Dressed. Shimok\u00adi\u00adtaza\u00adwa again. This time for break\u00adfast pan\u00adcakes at j.s. pan\u00adcake cafe<\/a>. They were eas\u00adi\u00adly the best pan\u00adcakes we\u2019ve ever had, so need\u00adless to say, it wouldn\u2019t be our last time here.<\/p>\n

\"j.s.\"j.s.\"3\"\"j.s.<\/p>\n

We walked around for a bit. At which point, Victoria\u2019s un-broken-in Tim\u00adber\u00adlands start\u00aded slow\u00ading us down.<\/p>\n

\"ME3A5013\"

Just a lit\u00adtle read\u00adjust\u00ading and we were good to go.<\/p><\/div>\n

We made our way to a very con\u00adgest\u00aded Hara\u00adjuku dis\u00adtrict, where there was a sur\u00adpris\u00ading lack of Hara\u00adjuku girls. The main strip was PACKED, both with peo\u00adple and hilar\u00adi\u00adous lit\u00adtle shops (and crepes!). As you start mov\u00ading away from Takeshita-dori how\u00adev\u00ader, the crowds dis\u00adperse, and as you trav\u00adel through to Omote\u00adsan\u00addo Hills, the neigh\u00adbour\u00adhood becomes a lit\u00adtle more quaint and the cloth\u00ading shops a lit\u00adtle less out there.<\/p>\n

\"Harajuku\"Harajuku\"Tokyo\"Tokyo\"Tokyo\"Tokyo\"Tokyo\"Omotesando\"Omotesando,\"Omotesando,<\/p>\n

Omote\u00adsan\u00addo itself was a thing of beau\u00adty. Tiny shops nes\u00adtled in between res\u00adi\u00adden\u00adtial homes \u2014 all of which were incred\u00adi\u00adbly designed.<\/p>\n

\"Omotesando,\"ME3A5210-2\"\"ME3A5227\"\"Hand-Up\"Omotesando\"Omotesando\"Omotesando<\/p>\n

We reached our des\u00adti\u00adna\u00adtion, sim\u00adply named Omote\u00adsan\u00addo Kof\u00adfee. Tucked away in these qui\u00adet res\u00adi\u00adden\u00adtial streets, this one-man stand pro\u00advides metic\u00adu\u00adlous\u00adly craft\u00aded espres\u00adso drinks in an utter\u00adly serene set\u00adting. There was a lit\u00adtle bit of a line-up, but it was well worth the wait.<\/p>\n

\"Omotesando\"Omotesando\"Omotesando\"Omotesando\"Omotesando\"Omotesando\"Omotesando\"Omotesando<\/p>\n

After cof\u00adfee, we walked down to Cat Street and explored alley\u00adways and side cor\u00adri\u00addors before call\u00ading it a night.<\/p>\n

\"ME3A5372\"\"ME3A5392\"\"Tokyo,<\/p>\n

The Tim\u00adber\u00adlands were real\u00adly act\u00ading out.<\/p>\n\"ME3A5388\"\n

Just like that, our Tokyo adven\u00adtures came to an abrupt end. We woke up the next morn\u00ading, packed up and pre\u00adpared to take a cou\u00adple of trains to Mt. Fuji. Vic\u00adto\u00adria was hav\u00ading acai bowl with\u00addrawals and found a Hawai\u00adian cafe a few blocks away from Shibuya cross\u00ading called Island Vin\u00adtage Cof\u00adfee<\/a>. Vic\u00adto\u00adria found her acai bowl, Ricar\u00addo found acai break\u00adfast waf\u00adfles. Deli\u00adcious\u00adness ensued. We hopped on a train away from this beau\u00adti\u00adful city, feel\u00ading like we bare\u00adly scratched the sur\u00adface at all.<\/p>\n

\"Shibuya\"\"Shibuya<\/p>\n

Stay tuned for Part 2 where we explore Fujisan and Yudanaka\u2019s hot springs<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If you fol\u00adlow us on Insta\u00adgram, you\u2019ve prob\u00ada\u00adbly seen a few pho\u00adtos from our trip to Japan last fall. It was sort of a end-of-the-wedding-season cel\u00ade\u00adbra\u00adtion squeezed in between our penul\u00adti\u00admate wed\u00adding in Octo\u00adber and our \u201cfor-real\u201d last wed\u00adding in Decem\u00adber. Once we got back, there was real\u00adly no breath\u00ading room to reflect on how [\u2026]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wp_typography_post_enhancements_disabled":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[417],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2366","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-travel"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/outsideinstudio.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2366","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/outsideinstudio.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/outsideinstudio.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/outsideinstudio.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/outsideinstudio.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2366"}],"version-history":[{"count":38,"href":"https:\/\/outsideinstudio.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2366\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4410,"href":"https:\/\/outsideinstudio.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2366\/revisions\/4410"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/outsideinstudio.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2366"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/outsideinstudio.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2366"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/outsideinstudio.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2366"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}