Tokyo is the biggest city in the world. As such, it’s also one of the biggest tourist destinations in Asia. Yemisi and I know little about what makes Japan loved in America. However, living in Korea Yemisi had been waiting 3 years for COVID restrictions to lift so we could visit. In winter of 2022, they finally lifted so we booked our tickets to see what Tokyo had in store. We only had a day in Tokyo, so we decided to have a unique Tokyo day trip because we knew we’d be back soon.
Since we aren’t interested in the Anime or Jpop side of Japan, we made a pretty unusual one-day itinerary for Tokyo. If you’re looking for a more traditional Tokyo visit, read our recent blog where visit the popular places in Tokyo.
Flipper’s Pancakes
We started in Shibuya because it was the closest to our stay. At the time, Japanese-style fluffy pancakes were popular on the internet so we had to try some out. We settled on Flippers and got there as soon as they opened. There was already a line forming when we got there, and by the time we left the building was full so be prepared for a wait.
We got the Royal Sweet Milk Tea pancakes and the Guérande Salted Caramel Butter pancakes. We can confirm there’s a reason for the hype. The caramel sauce on Michael’s was a bit burnt and bitter, but honestly, it didn’t matter because of how delicious the pancakes themselves were. Yemisi got a peach milk float to drink, and Michael got a lemon honey soda which were both delicious.
IKEA
We have a habit of going to Ikea in foreign countries. Nothing is ever different, but honestly, IKEA is just plain fun. Since it was still morning and we were a little hungry, we had to get some Swedish meatballs at the food court. Michael also got coffee which was terrible of course. Bad coffee is a running theme in Japan.
Tokyo Station
Even though we weren’t going in that direction, we wanted to see Tokyo Station because it’s so iconic. This train station has a beautiful plaza in front to take great pictures. (history of station). The station is rather notorious for being an inescapable maze. There are (x) floors, and (x) metro lines intersect the station, in addition to the many long-distance trains that depart from here. We have heard stories of students and foreigners getting lost for hours in the long hallways, shopping centers, and subway platforms.
Undeterred, we decided to justify our visit by going to one of the Studio Ghibli stores located in the station. We found it relatively easily and picked up a few souvenirs, including a little white totoro that sits on Michael’s desk to this day.
Tokyo Imperial Palace
The Imperial Palace is one of the most impressive parts of Tokyo. Since the country had only been open for a few weeks after COVID restrictions were lifted, the palace was under heavy production with lots of police and sanitation. We had intended to quickly go inside the palace garden but because of confusing signage, we went into the wrong line. We were shuffled off to a side building and down a several-kilometer outdoor path between the palace and the garden and were not allowed to go back. We didn’t get to see anything and were dumped out in an area to the side nowhere near a train station. One day we will hopefully revisit and have a better experience to share with you. You can find out how to actually visit at their official website.
Yasukuni-jinja Shrine
This is one of the larger shrines in Tokyo. Since we ended up near it we decided to check it out. The main feature of the shrine is a huge tori gate at the front, probably 3-4 stories tall. When we visited there were New Year celebrations. Japanese people aren’t very religiously active, but New Year is one of the few times most people visit their shrine. There were lots of tents, activities, and amazing food. Of course, lots of people were making offerings at the shrine. It was very beautiful to see. The tori gate did not disappoint either, it felt massive walking under it.
Roastery by Nozy
At this point, it was getting late and I wanted coffee. We have come to realize that Japan does not have a strong coffee culture. Therefore there is a surprisingly low amount of specialty shops, considering Tokyo is the largest city in the world. We found Roastery by Nozy, a shop conveniently located in Harajuku. This is exactly what you expect a great shop to be like. I got a latte, it was pretty good. I’ve had better but after a few days with very subpar coffee, it was refreshing. Yemisi on the other hand ordered what she calls the greatest chai latte in her life, so they certainly know how to make non-coffee drinks as well.
Yai-yai Okonomiyaki
At this point we were basically starving. We decided we wanted to eat okonomiyaki because we were in a savory mood. After a little wait, we sat in front of the grill, and this place had a vibe! The chef couldn’t speak English but had no problem laughing with us, and he even took a picture for us. We got a bacon kimchi appetizer which hit incredibly hard and some lemon highball to celebrate the day. Michael got udon okonomiyaki and yemisi got traditional. Both were out of this world delicious and exactly what we needed.
Harajuku
Harajuku is one of the three main areas in Tokyo. There are lots of clothing shops (and other things). Neither of us is necessarily a fan of Jpop or fashion, so we just walked around and window shopped. Fans of Japanese culture are probably screaming but I told you this was an abnormal day.
IKEA (part 2)
IKEA again? Yes! This time we got a vegan plant-based ice cream and a cookie. The cookie wasn’t great, but shockingly the ice cream was delicious! A nice little treat to end the day. Also, Michael left his bag at the table, with his wallet, phone, and passport. This was a pretty terrible mistake, but it is a testament to Japan’s safety that it was left untouched. People will often leave bags and purses unattended at tables to save their spot which is unimaginable to an American.
Shibuya Crossing
I would be remiss not to mention Shibuya crossing. This is purportedly the busiest crosswalk in the world and you’ve probably seen stock footage or photos of it before. And yeah, it’s pretty awesome in person. The sea of people flooding onto the road is a rare experience. There weren’t a lot of people when we went due to covid so we got a few good pictures at night as well. I can’t imagine how busy it gets at peak season.
Omori Shrine
The day we left we had some time to kill. We stayed in Omori, which is right near the airport. There was a shrine nearby so we took a walk there. This shine is a great look at normal Japanese life. It’s small and simple and looks beautiful in the morning light. There was a long tunnel of many tori gates and a small tower covered in miniature tori gates. I do not know if this is a significant shrine or how unique these features are, but we enjoyed our morning walk there.
7-Eleven and Leaving
Afterward, we went to an aesthetic 7-Eleven near Omori station and got onigiri, Melonpan, and tea. We went back to the hotel to eat before packing up and leaving. This is a classic 7-Eleven snack, and at the end of our trip, Michael was obsessed with Melonpan and Yemisi could not stop eating these spicy sausage onigiri.
Unfortunately, we missed our flight. However, that just gave us a reason to stay in Tokyo a little longer as we took a train to the other airport. We will visit Tokyo again one day and see the more famous sites, but we were very happy with our unique experience.
