Good morning/afternoon/evening. After a year of planning, on January 9th 2018 I finally made the move to live in Tokyo. I have a working holiday visa which allows me to stay for up to one year and means I can also work while I am here to fund my travels. The company I have travelled with is a German company called World Unite and they help me to find a job. I am going to try to update my blog with what I'm up to at least once a month.
So I arrived late on the night of the 9th January and was picked up at the airport and taken to my share-house which took around 2 and a half hours!! My share-house is located north of Tokyo in an area called Toda. The share-house has a mix of people who are also with World-Unite and some Japanese people. By the time I arrived it was almost midnight so I got to my room and went straight to sleep.
The following day I met with a representative from World Unite and she took me to the City Hall to register as a resident then to the Post Office to set up a bank account. It took around five hours to complete the tasks as well as ordering a Japanese SIM card. Once we had finished at around 5pm I was able to head in to Tokyo to meet my mother and aunties who were visiting the city. We met at Shibuya station which is one of the busiest stations in the city and has plethora of exits! Luckily I managed to find them and we observed the world famous Shibuya Crossing which is even more spectacular at night when the surrounding buildings are in bright lights. After a quick coffee and cake at Shibuya 109 we went back to their hotel for a good nights sleep as we had an early start the following morning.
January 11th and after waking up at a ridiculous time of day, we jumped in a taxi to the pick-up point for the start of our day tour to Mount Fuji. We boarded the coach for a journey just short of two hours till we reached our first stop, a visitors centre where we got our first glimpse of Mount Fuji. There was also a man playing some traditional Japanese music which was great to hear. Back on the coach and the next stop was Station 4 which was the highest up we could get due to the snow. This is at 2020m and it was a chilly -12 degrees! It was too cold to stay out for too long so away we went on the bus to our lunch stop. On the way the guide (who was fantastic by the way!) handed out some lyric sheets so we could sing the Mount Fuji song. She also gave us an origami lesson which was a lovely little added extra. We paused our trip for a traditional lunch at a hotel then made our way to the Kawaguchiko Ropeway for a cable car ride. It took around three minutes to reach the top where we had incredible views of Lake Ashi and of course Mount Fuji. The views were some of the best I have ever seen and the scenery
was unbelievable on a crisp winter day with a 360 degree view of the below area. They say you have a better chance of seeing Fuji in the winter and we had perfect weather conditions for it. I could've stayed and admired the view all day but our boat trip was awaiting so down the ropeway we went, stopping quickly at the Fujiyama cookie shop before boarding the bus once more. A quick ten minute journey to savour our cookies and we arrived at the shore of Lake Ashi. Again we had some great views from the cruise although it was mighty cold with the wind on deck!! The cruise lasted around 20 minutes and took us to Hakone where we jumped on the bullet train back to Tokyo station. The trip really was worth it and it was with JTB sunrise tours. We saw so much more than we could've done by ourselves and we were just so lucky that we had a clear day to fully appreciate Fuji-Yama. After jumping off the Shinkansen we travelled to Shinjuku to experience it at night. We walked down into the famous area of Kabukicho, known as Tokyo's red-light district, although not half as sketchy as it sounds but instead streets of bright lights, bars and restaurants, including the well-known Robot restaurant. It is a lively area, well worth a visit at night-time.
12th January and after showing my family around my local area, we boarded the train to Harajuku to visit Takeshita street one of the busiest shopping streets in Tokyo. The area is very popular with young people due to it being full of weird yet wonderful clothing & accessory shops. It is fascinating to walk down and take in all the surroundings of the totally unique area. A quick stop off at Ueno on our way down to Disneyland where we bought the special 'After-6 passport'. A ticket that permits entrance to the park from 6-10pm which we found was plenty of time to ride all the attractions we wanted. The queues were at a maximum 15 minutes which allowed for a very enjoyable evening! No-body likes long queues! Tomorrowland was our first stop where we rode Star Tours followed by Space Mountain then after a quick break to watch the parade, Buzz Lightyear's Astro blasters. Next we walked past the Castle admiring its dazzling lights before making our way to Fantasyland to ride the classic Carousel then a short stroll through Critter county and we made it to Westernland to ride Big Thunder Mountain. The final land was Adventureland where we rode Pirates of the Caribbean before stopping to watch the Fireworks with a bag of milk chocolate popcorn. There are about six different flavours of popcorn you can find throughout the park, including curry! We just had time to ride Monsters Inc & Star Tours one more time before the park shut.
The next morning I took my mother & aunties back to the airport before returning to my house to catch up on some sleep! The next few days were spent settling into my new home ,buying things for my bedroom and seeing what was in the local area. I found a mall nearby that had almost everything I could need so I managed to buy a kettle, coat hangers, laundry box, extension cord and pillows as well as food. I also had an interview and a work trial but decided not to take the job in the end.
On 18th January I decided it was time to go and sightsee. After waking up late, I then caught the train down to Ginza to purchase a new iPhone from the Apple Store (considerably cheaper than buying in the UK.) After having a look around the up-market Ginza area I caught the metro to Tokyo Dome City, a great area of bars, restaurants and entertainment including the Tokyo Dome stadium where the Tokyo baseball team play. There is also a small amusement park with a log flume, Ferris wheel and a roller-coaster. The main reason I went to the Dome City was to see the winter illuminations which were really brightly coloured and there were lit-up tunnels you could walk through as well as a gingerbread house. It was really great and I spent a few hours walking around admiring all the fairy lights.
The next day I had to stay in the house as I was getting my Sim Card delivered so on the 20th I went back out into Tokyo. It was after lunch-time by the time I arrived into Hamamatsucho so I had some food at Coco Curry House then walked down to Takeshiba which is a cruise/boat terminal with great views of Rainbow Bridge so I stayed there until the sun went down. Afterwards I made my way to the Caretta mall which was the main reason I had gone to the area as they were also hosting some Winter illuminations.
They were Beauty & The Beast themed and as I was arriving there was a boy-band doing a live a Capella performance. They were really good and once they had finished, the light show started with
music from the loved Disney film. Blue, pink and purple lights danced in time to the well-known songs lasting for around 15 minutes. It was almost magical and I was really glad I made the decision to go to see the light show. It was a little early to head home so on my way back I stopped by Tokyo Tower which was glowing orange in the dark night sky.
The day after I started with lunch at Roppongi's Hard Rock Café then went back to see Tokyo Tower and the surrounding area during in the day-time. I wanted to go and see the Zojo-Ji Temple which is in front of the tower as the previous night it was too dark to fully appreciate. First I went to the Tower where there were some small illuminations with cute miniature towers for photo opportunities. There are also lots of facilities inside the Tower with shops, restaurants and an aquarium so I spent some time looking around the inside, mainly to use the free Wi-Fi! Wi-Fi is in short supply in Tokyo so once you find a hotspot, make the most of it! A short walk and I arrived at the Zojo-ji temple where I looked inside the buildings and admired the grounds. I stayed at the temple as the sunset looked stunning over the main hall with the Tower looming in the background. Once the sun had gone down I walked for around 20 minutes to get to Takeshiba terminal again to look out on rainbow bridge at night-time.
22nd January marked the start of the worst snow Tokyo had seen for four years. I decided to go out to see the snow before I realised how bad it really was! When I left the house there was only a dusting so I went down to Ikebukuro and for once it was quite quiet on the streets. It seems Tokyoites do not like snow! I then got back on the train with the intentions of taking some photos in Yo-Yogi Park but when I arrived they had shut the gates and weren't letting anyone in! By this time it was super cold and a small blizzard was blowing, so I had a quick lunch break then after a walk up and down Takeshita street I went to Harajuku station to get the train back to my house. However I had to stand at the rather small station for almost 45 minutes because all the trains that came were so full no-one was getting off, so no-one could get on! Apparently many people had left work early du
e to the snow and that some of the more busier stations in the city had closed their gates and were only allowing a certain amount of people in at a time! My usual 40 minute journey ended up taking 2 hours 30 minutes after a few changes on the train. Needless to say I was very happy to wrap myself in my duvet that night!
I woke up the next day to a whole heap of snow as I headed towards a job trial which took up most of the day.
24th January and I started the day with a walk through Akihabara. I wasn't sure what I expected from the neighbourhood but it wasn't as big or as exciting as I had thought. I guess if you are interested in Anime or manga then there are a lot of themed shops and cafes but its not really my thing so I got some lunch in Coco Curry House then walked to Ueno. Akihabara and Ueno kind of merge into each other and it only took around 20/25 minutes to get to Ueno Park. I then took a stroll through the park, past the Torii gates to get to Toshogu Shrine which looked spectacular dusted in snow as locals prayed in front of the golden doors. My next stop was Ueno Zoo. I didn't intend on visiting here but as the tickets were only 600 Yen I thought I might as well see what all the fuss was about! If you've visited Ueno you will have noticed that they are panda-obsessed and the whole area has shops, restaurants and cafes all with panda products! I even saw a bread bun that was a panda face! The giant panda's are the main attraction at the zoo and I was really lucky to see one just before they closed the park. The Zoo was a lot bigger than I expected and had a variety of animals including deer, penguins, monkeys, crocodiles, turtles, a giant Galapagos tortoise, a giant Salamander, flamingos, a polar bear and much more! It was well worth the entrance fee and it was relatively quiet when I visited mainly because it was so cold outside! I left as the zoo gates were closed and walked through the snowy Ueno park past the Statue of Liberty till I got to the metro station. On my way back I stopped by Ikebukuro to grab dinner which consisted of some tasty steamed pork buns and strawberry dessert.
My aim for the next day was to purchase a Japanese textbook so I could start learning the language. I managed to buy two from a great bookshop in Shinjuku called Kinokuniya and then did a food shop in Ikebukuro.
Kawagoe was my day trip for the 27th January which is a town known as Little Edo due to its many old buildings. I arrived at the train station then bought a ticket for the bus loop around the town. The first stop was the Honmaru Goten which is the only remaining building of the Kawagoe Castle. It was closed for entry when I was there so I just admired it from the outside. I then walked over to the main street in the town called 'Kurazukuri Zone', sort of like the old town area. Branching off the main street is an area called Penny Candy Lane which has many sweet shops selling traditional goods such as the local speciality of sweet potato. There was also many ice cream shops and food stalls so I had a tasty Taiyaki filled with custard. The side street led back on to the main street and I walked down looking at all the old buildings. One of the most famous landmarks in the town is the bell tower. There isn't much to it but it chimes a few times a day and you can walk underneath it and admire the small shrine on the other side. There are a lot of street food stalls round the bell tower and one of the most p
opular which always had long queues was potato chips on a stick. A trend I don't quite understand! Further on down the street I came to the Renkei-ji Temple which was a peaceful square away from the main busy street. When I planned my trip to Kawagoe, I thought it might take a full day but actually half a day was suffice. It was a really interesting place to look around and the streets were really busy so I can't imagine how packed it can get in the peak months.
January 28th and as it got to evening-time I met someone I had spoke to on the backpackr app and we first walked around Shinjuku before heading up the free viewing platform at the Tokyo Metropolitan Building. The views were good but there was little space around the windows and the reflection didn't allow for good photos. A short metro ride and we were at Tokyo Tower, again so glorious at night. There is something about the orange glow that should be hideous but it just works!
The penultimate day in January started with a trip back to Ueno Park. I just find it so peaceful at the park, I really enjoy visiting the area and there's so much to see as well. I went first to the Bentendo temple which is shaped like a hexagon and lies on a sort of connected island in the middle of Shinobazu pond which is just a big weedy body of water. I then went to the Shitamachi museum which was very small but so full of character, I would highly recommend visiting it if you are in the area. Shitamachi basically means downtown area, and the museum showcases how Tokyo downtown developed throughout the years. On the ground floor there is a recreation of an Edo-era street and you can (after taking off your shoes of course!) enter the shop buildings. I found it really interesting and would love to visit again! It only took around half an hour to look around but the entrance fee was low and it was enjoyable. My next stop of the day was the Yushima temple which is actually famous for its plum blossoms although I only read this after I had visited! Nevertheless the temple was beautiful, one of the nicest I had visited. I just love the tiny details the temples have in Japan and actually Asia on a whole. Yushima temple had the most delicate lamps and ceiling patterns.
The still lying snow again created an almost magical atmosphere to the temple complex, covering the small garden's bridge and trees. Lucky for me, I did manage to see one branch of Ume (Plum blossom) which are possibly even more delightful then the more famous cherry blossom? Controversial I know. One thing I really liked about this temple was the fact it was right next to a busy street but as soon as you pass through the temple gate you are almost transported. However one then does have to return to the business of the city which was where I headed next, to Ameyokocho. I often just pass through this street just for a wander or if I am on the way somewhere else. It has many shops selling clothes, restaurants, cafes and arcades. My final stop of the night was Bunkyo Civic centre viewing floor which was ten times better than the one at the Tokyo Metropolitan government building. I think it is obviously a little less known as there were only around 5 people there and I had a great view from the windows. The city always looks good at night and I could see all the way to the Tokyo Skytree.
The final day in January was boringly spent shopping for washing powder and then subsequently.. doing washing.
So I arrived late on the night of the 9th January and was picked up at the airport and taken to my share-house which took around 2 and a half hours!! My share-house is located north of Tokyo in an area called Toda. The share-house has a mix of people who are also with World-Unite and some Japanese people. By the time I arrived it was almost midnight so I got to my room and went straight to sleep.
The following day I met with a representative from World Unite and she took me to the City Hall to register as a resident then to the Post Office to set up a bank account. It took around five hours to complete the tasks as well as ordering a Japanese SIM card. Once we had finished at around 5pm I was able to head in to Tokyo to meet my mother and aunties who were visiting the city. We met at Shibuya station which is one of the busiest stations in the city and has plethora of exits! Luckily I managed to find them and we observed the world famous Shibuya Crossing which is even more spectacular at night when the surrounding buildings are in bright lights. After a quick coffee and cake at Shibuya 109 we went back to their hotel for a good nights sleep as we had an early start the following morning.
 |
| View from Kawaguchiko Ropeway |
12th January and after showing my family around my local area, we boarded the train to Harajuku to visit Takeshita street one of the busiest shopping streets in Tokyo. The area is very popular with young people due to it being full of weird yet wonderful clothing & accessory shops. It is fascinating to walk down and take in all the surroundings of the totally unique area. A quick stop off at Ueno on our way down to Disneyland where we bought the special 'After-6 passport'. A ticket that permits entrance to the park from 6-10pm which we found was plenty of time to ride all the attractions we wanted. The queues were at a maximum 15 minutes which allowed for a very enjoyable evening! No-body likes long queues! Tomorrowland was our first stop where we rode Star Tours followed by Space Mountain then after a quick break to watch the parade, Buzz Lightyear's Astro blasters. Next we walked past the Castle admiring its dazzling lights before making our way to Fantasyland to ride the classic Carousel then a short stroll through Critter county and we made it to Westernland to ride Big Thunder Mountain. The final land was Adventureland where we rode Pirates of the Caribbean before stopping to watch the Fireworks with a bag of milk chocolate popcorn. There are about six different flavours of popcorn you can find throughout the park, including curry! We just had time to ride Monsters Inc & Star Tours one more time before the park shut.
The next morning I took my mother & aunties back to the airport before returning to my house to catch up on some sleep! The next few days were spent settling into my new home ,buying things for my bedroom and seeing what was in the local area. I found a mall nearby that had almost everything I could need so I managed to buy a kettle, coat hangers, laundry box, extension cord and pillows as well as food. I also had an interview and a work trial but decided not to take the job in the end.
On 18th January I decided it was time to go and sightsee. After waking up late, I then caught the train down to Ginza to purchase a new iPhone from the Apple Store (considerably cheaper than buying in the UK.) After having a look around the up-market Ginza area I caught the metro to Tokyo Dome City, a great area of bars, restaurants and entertainment including the Tokyo Dome stadium where the Tokyo baseball team play. There is also a small amusement park with a log flume, Ferris wheel and a roller-coaster. The main reason I went to the Dome City was to see the winter illuminations which were really brightly coloured and there were lit-up tunnels you could walk through as well as a gingerbread house. It was really great and I spent a few hours walking around admiring all the fairy lights.
The next day I had to stay in the house as I was getting my Sim Card delivered so on the 20th I went back out into Tokyo. It was after lunch-time by the time I arrived into Hamamatsucho so I had some food at Coco Curry House then walked down to Takeshiba which is a cruise/boat terminal with great views of Rainbow Bridge so I stayed there until the sun went down. Afterwards I made my way to the Caretta mall which was the main reason I had gone to the area as they were also hosting some Winter illuminations.They were Beauty & The Beast themed and as I was arriving there was a boy-band doing a live a Capella performance. They were really good and once they had finished, the light show started with
music from the loved Disney film. Blue, pink and purple lights danced in time to the well-known songs lasting for around 15 minutes. It was almost magical and I was really glad I made the decision to go to see the light show. It was a little early to head home so on my way back I stopped by Tokyo Tower which was glowing orange in the dark night sky. |
| Zojo-Ji Temple |
22nd January marked the start of the worst snow Tokyo had seen for four years. I decided to go out to see the snow before I realised how bad it really was! When I left the house there was only a dusting so I went down to Ikebukuro and for once it was quite quiet on the streets. It seems Tokyoites do not like snow! I then got back on the train with the intentions of taking some photos in Yo-Yogi Park but when I arrived they had shut the gates and weren't letting anyone in! By this time it was super cold and a small blizzard was blowing, so I had a quick lunch break then after a walk up and down Takeshita street I went to Harajuku station to get the train back to my house. However I had to stand at the rather small station for almost 45 minutes because all the trains that came were so full no-one was getting off, so no-one could get on! Apparently many people had left work early du
e to the snow and that some of the more busier stations in the city had closed their gates and were only allowing a certain amount of people in at a time! My usual 40 minute journey ended up taking 2 hours 30 minutes after a few changes on the train. Needless to say I was very happy to wrap myself in my duvet that night!I woke up the next day to a whole heap of snow as I headed towards a job trial which took up most of the day.
My aim for the next day was to purchase a Japanese textbook so I could start learning the language. I managed to buy two from a great bookshop in Shinjuku called Kinokuniya and then did a food shop in Ikebukuro.
Kawagoe was my day trip for the 27th January which is a town known as Little Edo due to its many old buildings. I arrived at the train station then bought a ticket for the bus loop around the town. The first stop was the Honmaru Goten which is the only remaining building of the Kawagoe Castle. It was closed for entry when I was there so I just admired it from the outside. I then walked over to the main street in the town called 'Kurazukuri Zone', sort of like the old town area. Branching off the main street is an area called Penny Candy Lane which has many sweet shops selling traditional goods such as the local speciality of sweet potato. There was also many ice cream shops and food stalls so I had a tasty Taiyaki filled with custard. The side street led back on to the main street and I walked down looking at all the old buildings. One of the most famous landmarks in the town is the bell tower. There isn't much to it but it chimes a few times a day and you can walk underneath it and admire the small shrine on the other side. There are a lot of street food stalls round the bell tower and one of the most p
opular which always had long queues was potato chips on a stick. A trend I don't quite understand! Further on down the street I came to the Renkei-ji Temple which was a peaceful square away from the main busy street. When I planned my trip to Kawagoe, I thought it might take a full day but actually half a day was suffice. It was a really interesting place to look around and the streets were really busy so I can't imagine how packed it can get in the peak months.January 28th and as it got to evening-time I met someone I had spoke to on the backpackr app and we first walked around Shinjuku before heading up the free viewing platform at the Tokyo Metropolitan Building. The views were good but there was little space around the windows and the reflection didn't allow for good photos. A short metro ride and we were at Tokyo Tower, again so glorious at night. There is something about the orange glow that should be hideous but it just works!
The final day in January was boringly spent shopping for washing powder and then subsequently.. doing washing.
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