What to do in Tokyo, Japan: Experience and Eat

Shibuya Crossing, Paul took this photo from Starbucks

Konichiwa!! I have collected my most memorable moments in Japan. If you're thinking of planning a trip, start here with some Japanese inspo.

Japan has always been on our list of places to travel. Pretty game right?! Booking flights to Japan when Luna wasn't even born yet. I think I was 4 month pregnant when we booked, 9 hours on a flight seemed pretty reasonable with a baby.

We wanted to split our stay and sleep some nights at a hotel and book an Airbnb, to see how the Japanese lived. Our hotel was good, the location was SO awesome! In fact, from our hotel window you could see Shibuya Crossing and Starbucks. We were in prime location!

What we did (you should too!)
I love animals so it was pretty much my highlight. A novel treat sipping coffee, holding and watching hedge hogs and owls.

Hedge Hog Cafe

Owl Cafe

Harajuku

Walk everywhere! Harajuku is buzzing and renowned for its colorful street art and fashion scene, with quirky vintage clothing stores and cosplay shops along Takeshita Street. We only saw one group of Harajuku goth girls, I had hoped to see more of them. The street above was crazy! Especially going through with a pram, but its a must SO many quirky shops with colourful trinkets, great for gift shopping.

Japan is so forward and so backward at the same time. If you didn't have cash you didn't eat, well thats not entirely true but you didn't get to eat from the vending machines.

To Eat

Genki Sushi

This was a recommendation off a friend of ours Rory, thanks for the heads up! It was crazy, you order by iPad then the chefs prepare it in the kitchen and then it arrives to you via conveyor belt! Zoooooom!

I know your all wondering, is the sushi really all that we have ever dreamed of? Well... I love our westernised version, its much so much better. But their ramen is incredible and so cheap.

Try all the little hole in the wall restaurants! The food is amay!! The machines only accept cash, so take some out before you go. If you like the look of prawn tempura, ramen. Put your coins or notes in, press the pictured button and take your tickets the counter and wait... abracadabra, food ready for you to eat.

The High Speed Bullet Train (With speeds often at 320k/ph)
Taking the high speed bullet train somewhere is a must! Take a trip to Kyoto (we stayed there two nights) We liked the contrast between Tokyo and Kyoto. Kyoto definitely goes at a slower pace.
Do some research yourself, there are over 300 temples and shrines and trying to get to them all would be crazy, so pick your favourites. When we were in Kyoto we didn't catch the bus once, we just walked everywhere a great way to see the city.

Tofuki Temple

Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine

Paul loved that you could buy a beer out of a vending machine, it was so cheap too. Equivalent $1.50! You can also drink on the street, there is no law against it.