Day 1: The departure and our first night in Tōkyō
After waiting for what seemed like forever, the day had finally arrived – we were off to Japan! Our bags were packed, the countdown on the fridge was finally down to zero, and it was time to say goodbye to our orange dude for a few weeks.
We arrived at the Gold Coast Airport bright and early at 7:00 a.m (thanks for driving us, Corey!). The check-in process was a breeze thanks to a helpful Jetstar employee (rare we know), and we flew through security with no issues. Heads up if you’re travelling from the international terminal at the Gold Coast Airport – the breakfast options are so mid. They don’t even have a Maccas! We made up for our disappointment by amusing ourselves with some sketching. We had a good laugh as we tried to draw celebrities from memory: try and guess who this is (let’s just say, we won’t be quitting our day jobs anytime soon)!
Before we knew it were on board and ready for takeoff. We were a bit miffed to discover that all the in-flight entertainment came with a price tag (thanks Jetstar!). Thankfully our excitement was so high that not even the abysmal free options could bring us down.
We said our last goodbyes to Australian soil and off we went! If you’re flying internationally, defo bring your own wired headphones and pay for the entertainment package. You want your flight there to go as fast as possible and it will go by so much slower without the first two seasons of The Walking Dead. We spent our long ass flight reading books, playing Animal Crossing and drawing on Tristan’s iPad.
Eventually we made it to Japanese airspace and our boredom was finally worth it when we got our first glimpse of the Japanese skyline at nighttime. We couldn’t believe it – we were in Japan!
After one failed landing attempt, we finally touched down at Narita Airport. After such a boring flight, it was such a relief to finally be on the ground and stretch our legs. Tristan did a great job making sure we had all of the paperwork we needed, so much so that we didn’t have to fill in the quarantine declaration form on arrival (we felt so cool being some of the few people flashing our blue stickers to the airport staff). We were also in the first group off the plane so we didn’t have to wait in the customs line for very long. The customs process itself was pretty straight forward – we handed over our documents, posed for a picture or two, performed the Rasputin dance, and we were on our way.
Once we got through customs, we were stoked to see our bags already on the carousel. With the help of a friendly airport worker (who seemed absolutely delighted to hear our first stop in Japan was ABC Mart), we picked up our Pocket Wi-Fi and let our families know we made it to Japan safely. With our bags and internet secured, our next task was to find a train to Shinjuku Station. The ticketing system was a bit of a learning curve (and an exponential one at that), but thanks to yet another delightful airport worker, we made it on the correct train in one piece.
The hour-long train journey was a welcome breather for both of us. We had so many things to do before leaving the airport, and on top of the looming check-in cutoff time at our hotel, the language barrier, and the fact that we had just endured a long flight, we were both feeling a bit overwhelmed. We took comfort in the fact that now that we were on the train, most of the stressful work was done.
Eventually we arrived in Shinjuku (新宿), and the sight of the city at night was an instant cure for our exhaustion. The streets were alive with lights, and the small, hole-in-the-wall restaurants and bars near our hotel were buzzing with happy people enjoying their Friday night.
We were so energised by the spirit of the city that our exhaustion immediately dissipated and was replaced by a hunger to explore and a hunger for carbs. We checked in to our hotel, Tokyu Stay Shinjuku, which was thankfully a quick and easy process.
We dropped off our bags and immediately went back out to explore. English menus were hard to come by, and to our surprise, vegetarian food was practically non-existent. We were keen to finally try some authentic Japanese-style food, but because we didn’t research plant-based restuarants ahead of time, we had to settle for Italian food as many of their staples are vego. Despite this small disappointment, we sat outside (despite it being absolutely freezing) and enjoyed the atmosphere of the city. We fell in love with this particular area of Shinjuku – our hotel was right in the middle of a dense restaurant area, with most being tiny Izakayas that made you feel like you were in the heart of Japan.
We ended the night with a visit to FamilyMart, and there Soph’s love affair with cream puffs kicked off with a delicious bang. We enjoyed a strong zero (an alcoholic premix that’s famous for it’s strong lemon flavour) outside the store. It’s considered rude to eat or drink while walking in Japan, so you’ll often see people doing so outside of convenience stores instead.
Back at the hotel, we discovered the joy of Japanese baths. They’re deep and fill up quickly, providing a perfect end to a long day. We fell asleep almost instantly, ready for the next day’s adventures.
Day 2: Our First Full Day in Tōkyō
We woke up excited to finally experience Japan in the daytime. The cold weather was a bit of a shock to the system, especially as Queenslanders, and we quickly learned that you won’t get very far without gloves (which we had forgotten to pack). Thankfully the nearest 7Eleven sold them, and with our hands now toasty warm, we walked to the Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden (新宿御苑). Even though many of the plants were out of season, the park was beautiful, and we even found some early-blooming cherry blossoms.
On our walk through the park we discovered a greenhouse, which definitely lived up to the “green” part of its name. It housed many species of tropical plants, all thriving in the humidity. It was a warm reprieve from the cold, dry air outside.
We spent the rest of the day adjusting to our surroundings and trying new snacks at the various convenience stores. We explored Shinjuku at night, and Soph spotted a hilarious jumper at a H&M which glorifies an Adelaide sporting team (which probably doesn’t exist).
Tristan ended the day with a BathBeer ™, his new favourite way to unwind after a long day on his feet.
Day 3: The Quest for a Cream Puff
By this point we were really enjoying starting our days in the cold streets of Shinjuku (as opposed to the deathly hot suburbs of Brisbane at this time of year). We took some time to take some pictures around the neighbourhood – it has a much different vibe in the morning after all the izakayas have closed up shop for the night.
We then headed to a local cafe chain called Dotour Coffee Shop. We indulged in the thickest, fluffiest cheese toast you could ever imagine. Tristan tried matcha for the first time and loved it, while Soph enjoyed her apple juice. Little did we know that this was the beginning of an obsession with Doutour.
Our next stop was Shibuya (渋谷), but we got a bit lost trying to find the train station. It was hidden in a weird spot underground, but we eventually found it and hopped on a train to Yoyogi Park (代々木公園). This was our first experience riding the wonder that is the Tōkyō subway!
The park was a bit muddy and less maintained than the one we visited the day before, but it was still bustling with people and dogs. We spent a good twenty minutes dog-watching, spotting breeds from huskies to poodles to spaniels. One particular dog caught our attention–a big fluffy dog in a purple onesie, with its fur sticking out from the feet and head. It seemed that Japanese people consider dog outfits an art form, and we were here for it.
After the dog park we visited the Meiji Shrine, a massive park area in Tōkyō (東京) that honors the legacy of Emperor Meiji, who is credited for introducing a series of changes which catapulted Japan to the modern world stage. The shrine was huge and had a spiritual vibe to it. We didn’t to participate in the rituals because we didn’t want to appear insensitive, but we felt privileged to witness such a deep cultural experience.
We also tried Dango, a skewer of rice dumplings glazed in a sweet soy sauce. It was deliciously puffy and sticky, but as was becoming a common theme in Japan, we had to hunt down a bin to dispose of the skewer.
Our next stop was Shibuya, where we planned to visit a perfume factory called The Flavor Design. However, we didn’t realize we needed a reservation, so we booked a slot for the next day. We decided to explore Shibuya instead and stumbled upon the Shibuya Hikarie building (渋谷ヒカリエ) in the Shibuya train station. The Sky Lobby 11th floor is a great spot to enjoy the city views, and it’s free entry! It’s a bit tricky to find, but here’s a handy guide on how to get inside.
The view of the city and the Shibuya Scramble from the twelfth floor was breathtaking, and we spent a good ten minutes soaking it in.
We then decided to visit the Cream Puff Factory in Shimokitazawa (下北沢). The journey there was a bit confusing, but we eventually made it. There were a few people ahead of us on the wait list, so after a quick conversation with the attendant in broken Japanese, we managed to book our spot for two hours later. With time to kill, we decided to explore the neighbourhood. Known for its op shops, relaxed vibe and eclectic art scene, it was delightfully quiet despite being so close to the city and seemed like a lovely place to live.
We stumbled upon a Chinese new year market in a residential area, which housed a variety of stalls selling everything from food to clothes to plants. Feeling peckish, we enjoyed our first vegan gyoza of the trip, which was absolutely delightful.
We pottered around for another hour before returning to the Cream Puff Factory and we, to our surprise, were given our own private room. The Totoro cream puff we shared was absolutely delicious, filled with the most delightful strawberry cream (as indicated via the pink sakura adorning his left ear – each unique flavour had its own accessory). It was a popular spot, with everyone taking selfies with their cream puffs (including us, hehe):
After our cream puff factory adventure, we hopped back on the train and headed to Akihabara (秋葉原), known for its electronics, ramen, themed cafes, and anime/manga paraphernalia. We found Super Potato, an electronics store, where Tristan tried to find a Game Boy, but they didn’t have any. Despite this, we had a blast exploring the store’s retro games and navigating its steep stairs (we’re fit gods after all, so we didn’t need the elevator).
After getting our vintage tech fix, we found Kyushu Jangara Ramen, a ramen restaurant that offered vegan options (mmm talk dirty to me). The vegan ramen with soy sauce broth was so delicious that Soph couldn’t stop raving about it. Tristan had the tonkotsu ramen, which was basically the epitome of every single flavour he loves (MSG is bae). While we were waiting in line to order, the server immediately figured out that wanted the plant-based option (our whiteness gave us away). Now that’s customer service!
After our ramen feast, we did some more electronic shopping. We scored an SD card on sale and an SD card adapter for Soph’s MacBook which made it easier for us to save photos from her camera. We then did a few more laps of Akihabara, taking in all the stores and even trying our luck with some capsule toys. Soph got a Tamagotchi one while Tristan got a Pokémon one. They weren’t exactly what we’d hoped for, but it was fun nonetheless. We even managed to score a Spirited Away coffee mug from a Final Fantasy store nearby.
We also came across a camera store filled with vintage cameras. Intrigued, we tried to figure out if it was closed or open. It looked closed, but the door was open, and the lights were on. Suddenly, a Japanese man appeared, pushing a trolley and repeating the English words “nine to five only!”. It gave us a good laugh that this random Japanese man knew exactly what we were thinking.
We continued our exploration, spotting an adorable fluffy cat in a cat cafe window. After a few more laps, we hopped on the train back to the hotel. On our way we saw some guys playing football in the middle of the night in an empty carpark. Pop off, queens.
We ended our day by getting lost in Shinjuku station, which was a maze of signs and platforms. We eventually found our way out, only to be charged for walking through the station. We laughed it off and headed back to our hotel, stopping at FamilyMart for some snacks. Soph tried a crepe, but it wasn’t as good as the cream puff. We also enjoyed some drinks outside the FamilyMart, like the true degenerates we are, where we had a good laugh over our “Nemon” joke. It all started when Tristan misread “lemon” as “nemon” on a TikTok video. We had been spotting lemons everywhere since that moment (we even saw a lemon bubble bar at Lush which we obviously had to buy).
Despite walking almost twenty kilometers and getting a bit of chafe on our legs, it was such a fulfilling day. We capped off our day with a relaxing bath and headed to bed.
Day 4: The Perfume Factory
The next day, we woke up a bit later and started off with our favourite cheese toast. Pics or it didn’t happen:
Our main mission for the day was to get our Studio Ghibli Museum tickets. We headed to Lawson’s, where they have a machine for ticket purchases. We may have bent the rules a bit by pretending to be Japanese residents, but hey, we heard it worked for others, so why not give it a shot? If you’re interested in doing the same, here’s the guide we followed.
The ticket machine process was tricky to operate as English speakers, but we made it work. We brought our slip to the counter to finalise the purchase, but poor Tristan had to sign his name in katakana to seal the deal. Let’s just say his Japanese writing skills needed a bit of work…they were so rusty that the attendant had to give him a mini lesson on how to write it correctly. Luckily he didn’t mind, and we secured the tickets with ease.
We quickly realised that we needed a bigger bag to carry around on our adventures. Thankfully there was a Lululemon store was nearby (Soph’s favourite activewear brand), and they had the perfect bag. We opted to take the day to think on it before making a purchase because it was a bit pricey. The store attendant was super nice and strongly suggested we visit Mount Fuji (富士山), which we considered adding to our itinerary just because of his charisma. We vowed to return to the store later in the day, and he wished us well and looked forward to seeing us again.
After that, we caught a train to Shibuya for our perfume-making appointment at The Flavor Design. We arrived early, so we spent some time exploring the area, including the massive Google building. We also tried to find the famous Hachikō statue but had no luck. We even found a cool arcade, but ran out of time to properly check it out.
Finally, it was time for our perfume-making session. We each chose three base scents and worked with a specialist to create our own unique perfumes, customising the fragrance colour, bottle colour and cap colour. The process was so much fun – even Tristan, who was initially skeptical of this part of the trip, had a blast!
We ended up with two beautiful bottles of perfume that capture exactly what we were going for. Tristan aimed to emulate the smell of a rainforest, while Soph’s was to capture a sweeter-yet-elegant aroma. The women at the perfume place were so kind, and even complimented Soph’s blue eyes and beanie. We had some small conversations in Japanese – they asked where we were from and Soph said “オーストラリア” (Ōsutoraria, Australia in Japanese), and they were all very delighted despite Soph’s probably atrocious pitch accent. Tristan also scored a “日本語上手” (Nihongo Jouzu, Japanese very good in Japanese), which is high praise considering he’d only been learning for a few months.
After securing our perfumes, we walked around Harajuku (原宿), grabbed some takoyaki (octopus balls), and bought some Japanese hard candy. We also explored Cat Street, which is known for its trendy fashion boutiques. They were a bit out of our price range (and size range lol), but it was still fun to explore.
After a long day, we found ourselves getting a bit peckish from all the walking. Luckily, we stumbled upon Coco Curry, a popular curry franchise. We were thrilled to discover that this particular branch offered a vegetarian curry sauce, which apparently is only available in about ten of their branches. The vegetarian curry was absolutely delicious and so filling that we felt like we needed a nap right after! Tristan opted for the chicken curry, which was equally yummy. We also couldn’t get enough of their water – it was just really good, we can’t explain it.
We initially planned to catch a train back to Shinjuku, but ended up walking all the way back (just more proof that we are fit gods). The walk was surprisingly pleasant, taking us across a beautiful bridge and park. We passed by a few software company office buildings overlooking the park, which seemed like a really nice place to work. The weather was perfect for a walk – cloudy and cool.
On our way back we stopped by Sekaido Shinjuku, a stationery shop that was filled with everything you could ever want if you’re into stationery. We picked up a few stickers for ourselves and some for Soph’s mum who loves scrapbooking.
We then fulfilled our promise and returned to Lululemon, where we secured the bag we wanted earlier that day. We were relieved to find it still there and just as perfect as we remembered. Thanks to some tax legislation, we managed to save 10% on the bag by showing our passports. We also caught up with the friendly staff member from earlier, who immediately recognised us and seemed equally excited to see us again. He even gave Soph a pat on the back as we were leaving, which is quite unusual for Japanese people. We were so impressed with their service that we left a five-star Google review.
After a bit of rest at the hotel, we decided to grab dinner at a local shop right outside. The shop boasted no limit to their deep-fried vegetable options on skewers, including deep-fried cheese! We ordered a variety of items, including potato, onion, asparagus, cheese, rice cake with cheese, deep-fried tofu, and french fries. The food was delicious, with the cheese being the star of the show.
After dinner, we stopped by FamilyMart for some dessert (of course). Soph got a soft serve ice cream (they looked so good in the freezer, don’t judge), while Tristan opted for a beer. We enjoyed our treats outside, listening to the chatter of a group of people nearby. It was a nice way to wind down after a long day.
After returning to our hotel, we checked the weather for our next city and were surprised to see snow forecasted! Being typical Aussies, neither of us had seen snow before, so we were keen to see if the forecast would come to fruition.
Day 5: JR Passes and Imperial Gardens
Our last full day in Tōkyō started early with a 7:30 am train to obtain our JR passes. If you don’t know, JR passes allow tourists to pay a flat rate for unlimited travel on most Japanese train lines over a set period of time. Although it isn’t super cheap, it does end up saving you money if you are planning on travelling between multiple cities and on JR lines within cities. At least it did, because as of October 2023, the prices have skyrocketed, and now it’s only worth it if you’re doing tons of long-distance travel. We used about 10ish shinkansens on our trip and even that wouldn’t be worth it now. RIP JR pass, you were good while you lasted. You can use an online calculator to see if it’s worth it for you.
As we paid for our passes before we left Australia, we needed to take our paperwork to a JR pass office to activate and obtain our passes. We originally planned to do this at Shinjuku Station, but we were a bit early as we planned to embark on our day trip to Nikkō（日光）as early as possible. We headed to Tōkyō Station instead as their office opened earlier. After a short wait, we had our passes and were ready to go! Our unexpected trip to Tōkyō Station was worth it – it’s hard to believe such a big, busy station is tucked away inside a stunning heritage building.
But alas, it was not meant to be. In hindsight we could have made it work, but the combination of our first time using the ticket machine and the time crunch of having a train to catch led us to believe that despite having our JR passes, we still had to pay around $200 to go to Nikkō. This was one of the (thankfully few) stressful moments of the trip, so after throwing in the towel, we took a breather and decided to make the most of our day in Tōkyō instead. Here is a picture of us looking sad about missing out on Nikkō:
Luckily for us, Tōkyō Station is a short walk away from the Imperial Palace (皇居) and its surrounding gardens. On our way we made a pit stop at Starbucks – our first Japanese Starbucks experience! Tristan tucked into a matcha donut and a cappuccino, while Soph had a caramel frappuccino and New York cheesecake.
After we finished our breakfast, we stumbled upon a park where we spotted a lone swan in a river. We love an unbothered queen, claiming an entire river as her own.
After finally reaching the Palace gates, we quickly realised that getting inside the palace area, where the emperor lives, was a bit tricky without a guided tour. So, we stayed on the outskirts and enjoyed the gardens instead.
Despite the rain, runners were out in full force in one section of the gardens. Even though it looks the same as the rest of the gardens area, this specific spot was the runners area for some reason. You do you, babes.
After a bit more wandering in the rain, we found ourselves in a different park. The sun soon emerged, bathing everything in a gorgeous, warm glow.
We then headed back to our hotel for a much-needed nap, but not without first stopping for snacks, of course! Soph had a pizza bao, which was absolutely delicious, while Tristan opted for a chicken thigh skewer. It was then that Soph found her favourite peach-flavoured drink of the trip.
We brought our food back to the hotel room like the gremlins we are, and then promptly fell into a food coma.
While Soph slept for a few hours, Tristan had a shorter nap and did some planning for our upcoming trip to Kyōto (京都). Our chaotic morning was a good reminder that we needed to be more organised for the rest of our trip. We also booked tickets for the Kyōto Aquarium (京都水族館), which we were super excited about!
Later on, we ventured out into Shinjuku at night after trying to figure out our hotel’s Japanese washing machine (which proved difficult to say the least). We decided to try some sushi from a place where you order from a screen and your food is delivered to your table via a conveyor belt. It was a unique experience, and the sushi was delicious! Tristan discovered he likes salmon sushi.
Unfortunately the only thing available for Soph on her vegetarian diet was cucumber sushi and some french fries. Finding vegetarian food in Japan is a bit tricky, but we at least felt like we were making progress. After doing some research, our favourite resource for plant-based eats in Japan (or anywhere really) is Happy Cow. It has a map and a list of recommendations from other vegos which came in really handy on our trip.
We spent the rest of the night walking around, taking photos, and even got some kawaii photos taken at an arcade.
On our nighttime stroll we came across a crossing near Shinjuku Station, which was exciting because we had wanted to visit it for a weird reason (very on-brand for us). In the few months before our trip, we often checked the livestream of this particular crossing. As a testament to this weird ritual, we wanted to actually be on the livestream while we were in Tōkyō. We eventually found the spot and got a screenshot of us on the livestream!
This crossing was also exciting because it was the home of the famous 3D cat billboard. The billboard features an animated calico cat, which is adorable and sometimes dons a police hat. The billboard itself is an optical illusion of sorts by wrapping around the building’s corner, and some clever framing makes the cat seem to extend beyond the bounds of the billboard. It was so cool to see in person!
Shortly after we noticed a cat cafe, which we almost went into until we accidentally stepped on a tatami mat with shoes on and got yelled at. Oops! There was a really cute cat downstairs just chilling on his little steps. That and the cute cat ad we saw back at the hotel made us miss our orange guy at home a little.
We finished off the night with our daily Family Mart trip of course. Soph’s cream bun and pizza bao obsessions were fed, while Tristan got a meat bun and a beer. We are definitely not creatures of habit…
We ate our tasty little treats in a nearby alleyway. We were blissfully unaware of the truck that had been waiting for us to move for a few minutes – that Japanese politeness is no joke! We moved on when we realised and headed back to the hotel. We had planned to pack, but we were too tired, so we decided to leave it for the morning. We each had a bath before turning in for the night – it’s our new favourite way to end the day.
Off to Kyōto tomorrow!
