A long layover in Tokyo

Marco Whyte|2024-03-15 (9 months ago)86 views

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My adventure to Vietnam starts with a 12 hour layover in Tokyo. When I saw this, I got very excited as I could have plenty of time to leave the airport and explore! My first stop was the neighborhood of Shibuya, where I got to see the famous Shibuya crossing.

When the pedestrian light turns green, everyone begins to hustle in every direction! It is quite a sight to see and I found myself crossing several times to soak in the experience. I explored the streets of Shibuya for a while, especially enjoying the narrow alleyways at every turn.

Next up on my tight schedule was heading to Asakusa, to explore Senso-ji, Tokyo’s oldest temple, and its surrounding market streets. I hopped on the metro using my Suica transportation card and was shocked by how punctual everything was. Things seemed to just work 😲. This and how polite everybody was very refreshing to see. I arrived at Asakusa station and a short walk later I was at the popular Senso-ji temple.

After exploring Senso-ji, I started to get hungry and luckily had made a reservation at a sushi restaurant beforehand. I didn't manage to take any photos here due to the very intimate setting. I was sat with around 7 other Japanese in front of a sushi chef and brought individual bite size sushi. This was one of the best foods I have eaten, each bite with a perfect balance of flavours that melted in your mouth. My favorite was a thick tuna nigiri that was so fatty and delicious.

After satisfying my hunger, I took a final stroll before heading back to the airport. I was fortunate to spot one of the famous cherry blossoms in front of the Tokyo Skytree, which felt like a perfect conclusion to my short visit in Tokyo!

As I headed back to the airport, I knew one thing for sure, I needed to plan a longer trip to explore more of the amazing culture and beauty Japan has to offer 😃.