Sunday 12 June 2016

Japan Trip - Tokyo Part One

Finally I got the chance to visit Japan! I had been wanting to go for so long and it felt so surreal to actually be there. It was even better than I expected and I can't wait to go again. There's still so much more I would like to see.


The hotel we stayed at had its own Japanese style garden with a shrine, koi pond and tea house. 


The first day was a bit of a write off as we were very jet lagged but of course, we had to get a pancake breakfast at the first chance we got. 


On the first proper day we had tickets to go and visit the Ghibli Museum in Mitaka, which is a short walk from the train station. There were signs on the way with Totoro on to guide you. 


You aren't allowed to take photos inside the museum. The gardens are really pretty though and there is a statue of the robot from Laputa, castle in the sky.  



The soot balls! Free them! 


There is a cafe called 'The Straw Hat Cafe' but there was a huge queue so we had lunch in a little cafe on the way back to the station. 



It actually turned out to be amazing! It was just a small room at the front of a house with the counter where they made fresh toasties and lemonade. There was a table for two set up inside so we sat there as it was really quiet. We had ham and cheese toasties with pink lemonade. You knew it was proper lemonade as it was super sour but really refreshing. 


While in Japan I had to take the opportunity to visit a cat cafe so we went to CafeMocha in Shibuya. We braved the Shibuya Scramble Crossing to get there and it was crazy! There was so many people and I was terrible at following directions on maps to find this cafe as there were no signs. I think it was sheer luck we got there in end. 









There was so much manga I could have read if only I could read Japanese :(


The next day we caught up on some sleep (by accident) and lost most of the morning but we had booked to go to the cabaret show at the Robot Restaurant in Shinjuku. 



They tell you to get there 30 minutes before the show starts to have a drink at the bar which is a crazy light show in itself. There was a robot guitarist playing when we got there. 


The show is incredible! Anyone visiting Tokyo has to go. It's very touristy but there's nothing like it!

We bought strawberry and custard crepes on the way back, which were delicious. They didn't pack the filling in as much as the pictures would have you believe but it was still nice. I don't understand why people don't sell crepes wrapped up like this in the UK. It's so much easier to eat than on an awkward paper plate with a fork when you have no where to sit down! ...Sorry... rant over.