The longest and last of my 4 trips this month was to Tokyo, Japan. I am incredibly lucky to have been able to visit this wonderful city, but in hindsight, I should have gone during a time where I wasn’t so exhausted from all the travelling I had been doing. Just a day into my travels around Tokyo left me so tired and worn out that a lot of enjoyment was taken away from it. Having said this, I still had a superb time and was lucky enough to have been taken around the city by a local, Alan, a friend I met in Chengdu last year, which made the sight-seeing a lot less lonely and a lot less stressful too!
As half the day was already gone, we did not see much. We visited Meiji Jingu in Shibuya, a Shinto shrine dedicated to the Emperor Meiji and his wife. Then we walked to Yoyogi Park, 5 minutes away from the shrine. I don’t know why, but this park kind of reminded of Hyde Park in central London, a big open green space in the middle of the city. Next we hopped on the subway to see the famous Shibuya crossing, supposedly the busiest pedestrian intersection in the world, and I believe it! I have never seen so many people crossing a road at one given time!
Entrance to Meiji Jingu
Meiji Jingu
View from Yoyogi Park
Shibuya Crossing
The next day began with a visit to Sensō-ji temple, the oldest ancient Buddhist temple located in Asakusa, and here we also had some street food. From here, we went to Ueno Zoo, Tokyo’s oldest zoo located in Taitō. I was hoping to see some of the Giant Pandas that China gave to Japan, but we missed them! Instead I saw some Japanese Macaques (amongst other animals) which was lovely as I had seen their Tibetan cousins not 2 weeks ago when I climbed Dagu glacier. Dinner was sushi of course, one of my favourite dishes and as expected, it was delicious. We ended the day on a high (quite literally) by going up the Tokyo Skytree, an observation Tower located in Oshiage. Seeing Tokyo at night was truly spectacular.
Entrance to Sensō-ji Temple
Me in front of Sensō-ji Temple
Japanese Macaques in Ueno Zoo
Sushi in Shibuya
Tokyo Skytree
View from the top of Tokyo Skytree
My last full day in Tokyo started in the Shinjuku Gyo-en National Gardens which, given the beautiful weather, was the perfect start to the end of my short stay in Japan’s capital. Like Yoyogi Park, it reminded me of the London parks we have back home, with the large open spaces juxtaposing the bustling city surrounding them. Because the weather was stunning, we made the spontaneous decision to go to the top of Tokyo Tower to watch the sun set over the city, and this was the best decision we made on this trip. It was absolutely breath-taking, watching the sun descend behind Mount Fuji. We ended the day with some souvenir shopping. I headed to the airport the following day quite early for my return journey back to Chengdu.
Shinjuku Gyo-en National Gardens and yours truly x
Shinjuku Gyo-en National Gardens
Shinjuku Gyo-en National Gardens
Tokyo Tower
View from the top of the Tokyo Tower
Sunset over Tokyo and Mount Fuji
Pokemon centre in Tokyo
Entrance Fee to Tokyo Skytree = 3400 Yen
Entrance Fee to Shinjuku Gyo-en National Gardens = 500 Yen
Entrance Fee to Tokyo Tower = 3000 Yen
All in all, despite general exhaustion and longing for a good rest, my time in Tokyo was nothing short of amazing! It’s a place I will definitely be visiting again and was such a memorable trip to conclude my travels this month. Now I am resting in my home in Chengdu waiting for my next trip; my trip home.
B x
No comments
Post a Comment