Thanksgiving seemed like the perfect time for our annual girls trip. And what better place than to visit a friend in Thailand! Unfortunately, a (peaceful) sit-in took place in the Bangkok airport during our trip (2008) and American Airlines wanted to cancel our trip, sans refund! So we took our chances and made it… to our layover in Tokyo. Where we stayed (unplanned) for 6 days!
Although we were unprepared and packed for sunny beaches rather than freezing tempatures in the fashion capital of Asia, we made the best of it.
We finally parked up in the Tokyo Prince Tower after another sister hotel gave us a great deal on a fantastic room and we put on our one pair of jeans and hit a few sights….
Top things to do when in Tokyo:
Tsukiji Fish Market-Located near Tsukijishijo
Have to go early (we arrived at 5:00 am) to see the auctions. You'll see fish you've never seen before and you can have fresh sushi for breakfast!
Meiji Shrine-Located in Shibuya Tokyo- Free
Dedicated to Emperor Meiji and his wife Empress Shoken. The monks do traditional prayers here and are dressed in traditional, it's quite a site to see. You can submit prayer cards and perform your own water ritual, plus its almost like Tokyo’s Central Park… a nice piece of nature in a big cement city!
Imperial Palace-
The actual Imperial Palace building was part of the Edo Castle. It is surrounded by a moat and a high wall and occupies the most expensive square kilometre in the world. The Tokyo Imperial Palace is located within the Chiyoda ward of central Tokyo.
Harajuku District- (go on a sunday)
Cool artistic, trendy district to go to and you'll see the Harajuku girls dressed up like little dolls. Visit the shops and cafes...
Mt. Fuji-
We took a bus from Tokyo out to Mt Fuji and then rode the bullet train back..Very cool. Mt. Fuji was by far my favorite Japan experience. It's breath taking and chilly!
Don't forget:
An umbrella- it rains a lot in Japan
A warm coat, gloves and scarf- it will be super cold!
And people dress up a lot in Tokyo. It’s not uncommon to see people in suits… and sleeping. The spend so much time working and getting to and from they maximize their subway rides!
