In the spring we finally checked our first trip to Asia off our travel bucket list with a trip to Japan! Our main stays were in Tokyo and Kyoto and we had a blast exploring both cities.
The cool thing was that each city had its own vibe and Tokyo was bright and big and Kyoto more quiet and subdued. Rick gravitated toward Kyoto and I loved the big city feel of Tokyo. It was like NYC but with more vibrancy.
Our time in each city was limited but we made sure to see the majority of the highlights in each place – and of course I made sure to snap as many pics as I could while there.
These were our 8 favorite photography spots in Tokyo.
Instagrammable locations in Tokyo
Sensō-ji Temple
We stayed in the Asakusa neighborhood so we visited the nearby temple of Sensō-ji (AKA Asakusa Cannon Temple) on our first full day in the city and I loved photographing this temple.
This temple dates back to 645, which makes it Tokyo’s oldest temple.
Not only was the interior of the temple stunning and rich in gold hues, but there were so many other buildings and Buddha statues nearby to photograph as well.
We had time for some shopping at the Nakamise (shopping street) and found our first (oh many) vending machines and I got a ridiculous little banana keychain for ¥300 (less than $2 USD).
Yoyogi Park
After visiting the temple on our first day in the city, we then got on the bus and drove around Tokyo before stopping at Yoyogi Park and seeing the Meiji Shrine.
The Meiji Shrine is dedicated to Emperor Meiji and his consort, Empress Shoken. Sadly, both the Emperor and Empress had already passed on before the shrine was finished in 1920.
We had enough time to see the shrine and walk the grounds and let the rain clear up a bit before we were back on the bus.
Harajuku
Unfortunately the weather did not want to cooperate with us while we were in Tokyo and it was pouring on our first day. We had some time in the afternoon to explore the Harajuku neighborhood but we mostly opted to find a spot for lunch and warm up.
Rick and I went wandering after lunch and happened across a cute little park with a koi pond and a cherry blossom tree! Our first sighting in Tokyo!
Shibuya Scramble
We then got back on the bus and visited the Shibuya Scramble. It was like Times Square in NYC but also hyper-active. I loved it, but I also don’t mind crowded cities and bright lights.
This too probably would have been more fun if it wasn’t raining and we weren’t trying to battle our way through a crowd of a million umbrellas. I kid, as most people were very respectful and good about not bashing others with their umbrellas.
Word the wise: Get a clear umbrella if you want to blend in with the locals a bit more. You could always tell who a tourist was by the fact that their umbrella was not transparent.
Akihabara
The next day we had a day trip to Kamakura but that night we opted to explore any anime lovers’ dream neighborhood: Akihabara. I was on the hunt for two things: A cute animal-themed cafe and a Sailor Moon plushie.
We didn’t have any set plans as I had tried to find an owl cafe but then found out we needed reservations – so lesson learned there!
We ended up just exploring the area and taking in the extremely bright lights, loud sounds, and all the anime art decorating the buildings. I was on the hunt for a Sailor Moon plushie or doll but could only find action figures or finger puppets (which I did purchase). I was living out my seventh grader fantasy and loved it.
We found a conveyor belt sushi restaurant but the wait was something crazy like an hour and a half so we opted to head back to our neighborhood and find somewhere to eat or just pick up some food from 7-Eleven or LIFE mart.
Ueno Park
On our last morning we trolled Tokyo for some cherry blossoms at Ueno Park. It was a bit hit or miss there. Some trees were poppin’ and some still looked very closed up for the winter. It’s a shame because we could tell the park would be stunning when all of the blossoms were in bloom, but we were gonna take what we could get!
The park used to be the site of the Kaneiji Temple, but the temple was destroyed in 1868 in a battle between the shogun loyalists and the new government. It was then converted into a public park and opened in 1873.
The park is free to visit and it also has a zoo and a few museums.
We had about 30 minutes at the park, which was fine since it only took about seven to find all the cherry blossom trees that were in bloom!
East Gardens of the Imperial Palace
Our next stop in Tokyo was to visit the gardens at the Imperial Palace, which is also free! We ended up seeing a lot of historical sites on the cheap during our time in Tokyo.
We had about 45 minutes there so that was plenty of time to walk the trails and take in the stunning gardens and neat buildings on the grounds. The blooms here were a bit hit or miss too, but it was fine because some of the other flora was amazing to look at, as well as some of the other historic sites.
This park really reminded me of Central Park in NYC as you’re surrounded by all this greenery but then there are some skyscrapers visible and you realize you’re in the center of a city.
Observatory at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building
Afterward, we were getting ready to leave Tokyo but we had one more stop at the Observatory at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building. It was really neat to see the city from this viewpoint. Just due to the wait to get up to the top we didn’t have much time to stay at the top of the observatory, but it was enough to get some good pics and see the city from this vantage point.
This too, was free to do! You just have to find the building and line for the elevator.
