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.
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.
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.
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!
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)
Hakone is beautiful, but we were too early (Nov 9-10) to catch the peak autumn foliage.
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.
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.
We also had tiny views of Mt. Fuji from Lake Ashi.
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
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.
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.
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!
Lovely rendition of events. Please God your trip back home is good to you and yours. Michael and Nagisa and their three had a good time over the Christmas couple of days. Will see them again soon. Tom and I are bogged down with the chest cold but I did manage a few pics on Facebook!! We look fine on Facebook as everyone does!!!
Keep us posted about plans from Nairobi.
Happy New Year and talk again soon. F K
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Hi Freda, I hope you are well in this new year! I am glad you had a good time with your family over Christmas. I had a good trip to Kenya and now I’m back to Japan. Will be blogging more this year.
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Now I have to visit Japan. Wow!
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so much to do out of Tokyo as well. Not forgetting trying out the foods if you are foodie. And different things to do in different seasons.
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