Vi in Japan II: In and Around Tokyo

This is the 6th post in a 21-day-blogging-challenge.

When Vi visted, we spent a number of days sightseeing in and around Tokyo. I’ve already blogged about the time we rented a kimono and climbed the Tokyo Sky Tree. We also visited Shibuya, Shinjuku, Harajuku, and Odaiba for the Team Lab Borderless LED Exhibition. We went to Hakone for an overnight stay, and also went to a famous theme park at the base of Mt. Fuji.

Shibuya

On one of the days in Tokyo, we had coffee at the Starbucks overlooking the busy Shibuya crossing.

The Shibuya Scramble Crossing

While in Shibuya, we visited the Apple Store and talked to a lovely manager from Mexico. She said she’s starting to look more and more like her mother, which is something we could relate to. That’s life in your 30s for you.

At a later date, we went to the newly opened Shibuya Sky Building. There, we met a couple of old men in their 80s. One of them told us he had been to Kenya about 50 years ago. Maybe that will that be us, 50 years from now. In our 80s, we’ll reunite for an afternoon of local sightseeing. We may meet a couple of best friends from Japan traveling in Kenya, and we will tell them that we were in their country 50 years ago. They’ll be so amazed, 80s.. so old, they will think. Then 5 decades will go by, long after we are gone, and they will be the new 80 year old’s. Cycle of life.

At the top of Shibuya Sky Building

Mirror Play at Shibuya Sky Building

Shinjuku

We mostly did two things at Shinjuku. We shopped at Don Quijote, arguably Japan’s craziest store. You can literally find anything here, from sex toys to groceries.

I love Kabukicho

The second thing we did that evening after shopping was go to Kabukicho at night, where we met a Japanese actor. Read that story here.

 

Harajuku

We stopped briefly at Harajuku one afternoon. We had tapioca tea and the tastiest, crunchiest chicken fingers at this shop off Takeshita Street, near a shop selling very nice bags at very cheap prices. We were hoping we’d find people dressed in those colourful outfits that Harajuku is famous for and that we would blend in, but it was not to be!

At Takeshita Street, Harajuku

Hakone

We rented a car and drove to Hakone one Saturday evening, returning on a Sunday.

When we walked into the rental car shop, I could see the nervousness on the Japanese guy’s face. Two black women asking to rent a car! He relaxed a bit when he saw that yes, I have local residence and a Japanese driving license. Furthermore, I speak Japanese. We also got the full coverage insurance, just in case. We then made him take the photo below 🙂 Which he took in a hurry, while shaking out of fear of gaijin, that’s why our faces are kombo (slanted)

In front of the Vitz we rented near Kichijoji Station. Vi is shy so I cropped her out LOL

Hakone is beautiful, but we were too early (Nov 9-10) to catch the peak autumn foliage.

Thinking how lovely this is, at the ryokan in Hakone

We stayed at Yoshikan Ryokan. The onsen and the garden were so lovely. It was Vi’s first time at a public onsen and the nudity came naturally lol.

At the Japanese garden in Hakone

The next day, on the way back, we stopped by lake Ashi. We tried to snap this picture of the gates but there was a line for it.

Hakone Shrine Torii. Image from https://japantravelmate.com/featured/hakone-shrine-travel-guide

So this was our reality.

Hakone Shrine Gates reality

We also had tiny views of Mt. Fuji from Lake Ashi.

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If you zoom in really closely you can see Mt. Fuji and the Hakone shrine ⛩ gates

A post shared by Savvy Kenya (@savvykenya) on Nov 11, 2019 at 6:32am PST

 

Fuji Q Highland on the way to Kawaguchiko

We rested at home the Monday after Hakone. On Tuesday, we went to one of the most thrilling and scary amusement parks in the world. We didn’t get to take many rides, we chickened out after only two of them. We did the “Fujiyama King of Coasters” and the “Do-Dodonpa- Fastest Roller Coaster” high speed ride that goes from 0 to 180Km/hr in a second, then does an upside down loop before going back.

Fujiyama King of Coasters

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On top of the King of Coasters, Fujiyama.

A post shared by Savvy Kenya (@savvykenya) on Nov 12, 2019 at 5:55am PST

We chickened out of taking the ride below,  the “Takabisha – Steepest Roller Coaster” with a drop of 121 degrees.

“Takabisha – Steepest Roller Coaster”

I don’t think I will ever do roller-coasters again, but at least we had amazing views of Mt. Fuji.

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A clearer picture of Mt. Fuji

A post shared by Savvy Kenya (@savvykenya) on Nov 12, 2019 at 12:16am PST

Odaiba – Team Lab Borderless

I shall finish off this post with some photos from the last Saturday that Vi had here. We went to this art/science LED exhibition. I shall go back because there is still so much to see. We didn’t get to see all the rooms.

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Thanks Vi for the lovely portraits

A post shared by Savvy Kenya (@savvykenya) on Nov 17, 2019 at 3:39am PST

 

The next time you are in Tokyo, you know there is plenty to do in and around the city.

Wish I had more time to blog, but I am rushing to catch my flight to Kenya.

Will take a break and write again in the new year. I have one more post about Vi’s trip to Kenya – the time we spent in Kyoto and Osaka.

Happy new year lovelies, let’s continue this journey in 2020!