✈️ Ninety-one days and counting
I flew back to London from Tokyo on Tuesday and, true to form, I’ve already organised my next visit. Pleased don’t judge. I’m helpless and find myself in the grip of Japan’s beauty!
Tokyo
Wednesday, November 20, 2024 →
✈️ In a surprise to absolutely nobody, I’ve booked my next trip to Tokyo. I’ll be spending my next birthday - in February - up to my eyes in ramen, neon and karaoke. So, so excited.
Wednesday, November 20, 2024 →
📸 Forgot I took this yesterday! Sitting on my BA plane awaiting departure from Tokyo Haneda, while earnestly wishing I was on the Japan Airlines flight across the runway instead.
And I didn’t even know where it was headed…
✈️ Finally arrived back in London. To some abysmal weather. The BA flight wasn’t a complete disaster but I’m definitely glad I brought my own food. Awful, awful food on board. Looking forward to a shower and sleeping in my own bed tonight!
🥘 Just me enjoying a delicious JAL beef curry and a glass of champagne for my breakfast. This first class lounge is simply amazing.
I’m determined to squeeze out every moment of joy from this holiday I can!
📸 One final glance out at this incredible view before we leave Tokyo again.
⏰ Up at 5am to get our taxi out to Haneda Airport. The long journey back to London begins now. 😭 But such incredible memories of our latest visit to Japan to bring back with us.
📸 This cute little bus in Shibuya this afternoon… I would love if this was my morning commute. Hachiko forever!
📸 Not a bad effort for a Monday lunchtime…
📸 Enjoying some cheap and cheerful conveyor-belt sushi fun in Shibuya this afternoon.
📸 Another random Tokyo snap, this time from Shinjuku San-Chome.
📸 Yesterday’s view of a gorgeous Tokyo sunset from our hotel’s executive lounge. And yes, that’s Mt. Fuji in the distance.
🍻 It’s our last ‘night out’ in Tokyo, as Tuesday’s flight is at 0930am and we still need to pack. Summoning the energy for one last hurrah in Shinjuku Ni-Chome, but it’s safe to assume I won’t be sharing any more 4am photos. First stop: Eagle Tokyo, my number one favourite bar in Japan 🏳️🌈
📸 It was 23C and very sunny today, so we (and most of Tokyo it seems) headed to Shinjuku Gyoen for a walk in the sunshine. Such a lovely, peaceful spot in the heart of an always-on city. I’m no botanist, but I was surprised to see several trees with fresh blossoms. Confused by the weather?
📸 I took this on my walk home in the early hours of this morning. Or the late hours? All I know is that it was after 4am, Shinjuku was still busy, and this sign seemed to burn through the darkness.
😱 It’s 4:40am here in Tokyo and I’m finally crawling into my hotel bed. Had a great night but it wouldn’t be complete without a late visit to 7-11 for an egg mayo sando for the walk home. And now, hopefully, some sleep.
🏳️🌈🍺 I once again (shocked face) find myself in a Tokyo gay bar. Where (honest face) the staff have never met me, don’t know my name, or anticipate my drinks order… 😉
👟 The very advantageous Yen/Pound exchange rate has made it almost impossible to resist some bargains while visiting this time.
Case in point: AllBirds shoes. Massively cheaper here anyway, plus a great exchange rate and tax-free shopping make for some easy purchasing decisions.
📸 Another quick snap from one of our very long walks across Tokyo this week. This one taken in Ginza, yesterday. I love how this charming building seems snuggled under a massive, ugly flyover.
🍜 Went for an incredible lunch of delicious ramen at Ippudo in Ginza this afternoon. It was everything I’d hoped for and really helped my recovery from last night!
The Muji store in Ginza is my spiritual home and I want my ashes scattered here. It also seems to be the only place in Japan not currently playing Christmas music. Hashtag grateful.
🍺 I’m ever so slightly wrecked this morning. But last night was so much fun, I have no regrets. Off to Ginza later, for some shopping. And possibly (yet another) evening bar-hopping in Shinjuku Ni-Chome.
Back to the hotel at just after 3am. A whopper of a night out in Shinjuku Ni-Chome. I’m full of excellent Vietnamese food and Japanese beer. May need a Power Nap at some point tomorrow afternoon…
Heading out for a wander on our favourite Tokyo walk: Shinjuku to Shibuya, via Yoyogi Park and Harajuku.
Wednesday, November 13, 2024 →
✈️ All settled in to our favourite ever hotel: the Hilton Tokyo. Got our usual room and unpacked before coming up to the executive lounge for some refreshments. As ever, enjoying the view is a big part of the experience. The sunsets from this lounge are often incredible.
Wednesday, November 13, 2024 →
✈️ Made it to Tokyo! Now on the train to Shinagawa, then on to Shinjuku and a short walk to our hotel. And guys? The sun is shining ☀️☀️☀️
📸 Travel memories: 2nd of November, 2016. I was enjoying myself in Odaiba, Tokyo.
Analogue Tokyo memories...
Thursday, October 31, 2024
✈️ It’s eight years since my first visit to the Traveler’s Factory shop in Meguro, Tokyo. I geeked out on lovely notebooks and assorted stationery. Tucked away in a side street in Meguro, it was slightly tricky to track down at first. But the effort was well worth it. What I found was a …✈️ Looking forward to this evening, when I’ll finally find out if my talented other half has definitely managed to get us off a crappy British Airways flight to Tokyo and onto an incredible First Class Japan Airlines flight to Tokyo.
Please keep your fingers and toes crossed for me.
Wednesday, September 25, 2024 →
✈️ A propos of nothing, just 44 days until my next trip to Japan.
Could I be more excited? I’m already making a todo list for the visit, taking in Osaka (again) and Tokyo (again!!!).
Right now, it mostly consists of places to go and soak in a hot public bath with strangers, but I’ll be adding food-related places too soon.
Who else flies to the other side of the planet for an onsen and some ramen? Obviously, there’s more to the visit each time I go, but I swear my happiest memories of Japan involve being boiled alive in a communal bath and then working my way through a seemingly bottomless bowl of delicious tonkotsu ramen.