Tokyo, Part 1 — Records of Roam

Oh, Tokyo. As our first stop in Japan, you left us with our heads spinning.

We started and ended our trip to Japan in Tokyo, flying in from Australia at the beginning of the month, then out to Portugal at the end.

Our first few days in Tokyo were a whirlwind; it was exciting, and everything we imagined it would be. We spent the days on foot and on trains, logging 8+ miles of walking each day. We explored different neighborhoods, filled our bellies with Japanese cuisine, and went shopping. We weren’t aiming to see the major sights of Tokyo; we had limited time and just wanted to experience the city for the first time.

While there, we got our first taste of ramen, udon, tempura, and yakitori. We also had our first visit to Lawson, which wouldn’t be the last. It was an easy place to pop in for cheap, tasty chicken nuggets, a welcome snack on long days of exploring Tokyo and Kyoto.

First Night In Tokyo

After a 10-hour flight from Australia, we arrived at Narita airport in Japan. We followed the signs to trains and had the first “OMG-we’re-in-Japan” moment as we tried to figure out transportation from Narita airport to our Airbnb in Shinjuku. It took two different trains to arrive at Shin Okubo station. It was cold, in the 50s, and dark by 6pm, which was a drastic shift from the past three months spending summer down under. We walked to our Airbnb, a little apartment in Shinjuku, to drop off our bags before heading out for a bowl of ramen.

We were tired but hungry and eager to get our first taste of Tokyo, so we set off in search of a ramen spot that a friend recommended called Nagi. As we walked into the warm, cozy space full of Asian men slurping noodles alone on stools, we were directed in broken English to use the ticket machine to pay and order. We nodded excitedly then turned to see the ticket machine, which was only in Japanese; there were no photos, and the fancy translator app we had downloaded didn’t work at all. We laughed as we tried to figure it out and truly felt like we were in a foreign place, and in Tokyo. Someone finally came over and tried to explain it, and Jeff just picked a large bowl for us to share with a beer, which turned out to be 1500 yen ($14). The ramen was amazing! It was already the best ramen I had ever had, vastly better than what I’d tried back home. Thick chewy noodles (and LOTS of them), amazing broth, and thinly-sliced, tender pork. We walked back to our Airbnb and passed out in the tiny bed.

Day 1: Exploring, Shopping, and New Friends

After enjoying a coffee from one of the Blue Bottle outposts in Tokyo (a taste of home!), we walked to a hidden gem I found online called Ohitsuzen for a rice bowl. We were 2 for 2 in dining choices; no English spoken, only Japanese patrons, and amazing food. It was such a fun experience! They served platters with amazing rice in a little wooden bucket, along with a choice of protein and a variety of toppings. We ordered raw tuna and seared tuna and were directed to top the rice with tea (!) and other goodies. It was fun, and the all-Japanese patrons and staff were kind and helpful toward us having a good experience.

After lunch, we set off to explore more of Tokyo! We walked all over Shibuya and through Harajuku, then back toward Shinjuku. We got our first taste of Japan's excellent shopping scene, though we tried to stay focused on picking up warmer clothes for Jeff to wear while we were in Japan during March!

That night, we were lucky enough to have dinner with friends of friends. They took us to a tempura restaurant in Shinjuku called Dan Dan Ya. It was an amazing dinner on the third floor in a traditional private room (where we even had to take our shoes off!).

After dinner, they took us to the coolest bar in Golden Gai; it was an unmarked hidden gem in the somewhat touristy area. All of the bars in Golden Gai are tiny (less than 10 seats or so), so we were surprised when they led us upstairs to the third-floor “roof” area with a very low ceiling. We took off our shoes and sat on mats, total Japanese-style! It was a perfect ending to a perfect day in Tokyo as we enjoyed warm conversation with new friends.

Day 2

On our second day, we had our first taste of udon noodles at Shin Udon, which was amazing! There was a line but it didn’t take too long, and we ordered two types: cold udon with pork and tempura egg, and hot udon with Parmesan and tempura bacon. Both were delicious!

After picking up Suica cards to allow us to hop on and off trains, we spent the day visiting a couple new neighborhoods, including Shimokitazawa (full of so many vintage/thrift shops) and Daikanyama, which had a more modern vibe.

We ventured back to Shinjuku on crowded rush hour trains - it was crazy! After recharging our phones, we started our night with dinner in “Piss Alley,” a narrow alley filled with small yakitori spots. We picked one on a whim and ended up having a great time trying skewers and fish cakes while sipping Sapporo and sake in a cozy setting. Again, we were the only non-Asians dining there, which we deemed a successful choice!

After dinner, we hopped the train down to Shibuya to check out a couple bars for our last night in Tokyo. We loved a bar called Grandfather’s; it was perfect (minus the smoking indoors, which is still a thing in Japan) and we had the best seat in the house to see the record sleeves swap out to feature who was spinning.

Day 3: Tsukemen!

Many of the train stations in Japan double as shopping malls, commonly with food courts that feature great restaurants. When we arrived at Tokyo Station, we hopped in line at a ramen restaurant downstairs called Rokurinsha before getting bullet train tickets to Kyoto. Rokurinsha specializes in tsukemen, a style of ramen in which you dip the noodles into a concentrated broth. It was delicious with thick, chewy noodles, and we were happy to leave Tokyo on a high note.

Our ride to Kyoto was only two hours with just a handful of stops. Jeff took a nap while I tried to take in the surroundings, and I caught an amazing view of Mt Fuji on the way.