We’ve arrived in the fifth and final country of our backpacking trip—Japan!
Our plane landed around 4 p.m., and after a smooth hour-long train ride, we arrived at our hostel. I didn’t even finish unpacking before I was laser-focused on one thing: sushi. My one true love (sorry family and Adam). And where better to indulge than the birthplace of the stuff?
We asked at reception for a recommendation and were soon joined by two 18-year-old Swedish lads from our dorm—Otto and Oscar—who asked if they could tag along. The more, the merrier. So, the four of us headed to a sushi restaurant about a 15-minute walk away.
We had to queue for 40 minutes to get in, but it was worth it.
Once inside, the whole experience was delightfully dystopian—no human staff in sight. You order from a tablet, and your sushi whooshes in on a conveyor belt like some kind of edible monorail. Futuristic and delicious.
I ordered several rounds of different sushi like a woman possessed, while Grace opted for chicken and chips (sacrilege) but also dipped her toe into some seaweed-free sushi options. We even finished off with some chocolate cake because dessert sushi isn’t (yet) a thing. The Swedish teens, meanwhile, went full “growing-boy buffet” mode, racking up towers of plates like sushi Jenga, made me look like a rookie. They even tried some rogue options—omelette sushi, burger sushi… sushi crimes, basically.
I was a bit nervous about the bill—Sushi is pricey in the UK, and we’d eaten enough to sink a small boat. Plus, my mental exchange rate was still stuck somewhere between “it’s fine” and “are we about to accidentally spend £200?” But Japan came through: two courses, drinks, and enough sushi to require rolling us out the door—just £11 each. In the UK, that would’ve cost about £60!
After we waved off the Swedish lads (who were headed home to recover from their raw-fish-induced food comas), Grace and I made our way to Shinjuku’s Golden Gai—an area filled with narrow alleyways packed with micro-bars, each only big enough to seat 3 to 6 people. Every bar has its own quirky vibe, and the whole premise is: squeeze in, order a drink, and make friends with whoever’s next to you. Social roulette, Tokyo-style.
We had planned to meet up with Elliot, a guy we’d met at our first stop—Port Barton in the Philippines. He was also in Tokyo with some friends from home. Unfortunately, Elliot wasn’t feeling great and went home before we arrived, but we still met up with his friends, Jess and Scott, and had a fun night drinking beer and plum wine in various tiny bars around town. A very unique and memorable night out.
The next morning, we had signed up for a walking tour, but it was cancelled because the guide was ill. We signed up for the afternoon tour instead and spent the morning walking around town and finally purchasing our rail passes. We had planned to go to a noodle restaurant near the start of the tour for lunch, but when we got there, we found out it’s closed on Wednesdays. So, we decided to wait until after the tour to eat, but we still had 40 minutes to kill.
While walking, we spotted signs for “Harry’s Otter Café” and decided to check it out. We paid our entry and went in—it was a strange mix between a café and a pet shop. There were owls off to one side, hedgehogs in trays on tables, a meerkat roaming around, and a playpen filled with otters, with more in enclosures around the room and in clear tubs of water. We had paid to feed the otters, which also meant we could sit in the pen with them. They were like big puppies—very eager for treats and attention. Their little hands are surprisingly dexterous; one even sat for a while just holding my hand. It was an adorable and fascinating experience.However, in hindsight, it’s not one I’d want to repeat. We hadn’t really researched the café properly—we just wandered in—and while it was undeniably cute, it didn’t exactly scream “ethical animal care.” A staff member even woke up a hedgehog mid-nap, plonked it in my hand, and the poor guy promptly bit me in protest. Can’t blame him, really. Thankfully it didn’t break the skin—because nothing says “holiday fun” like googling rabies clinics in Tokyo.
We didn’t stay long and waited outside for our walking tour to begin. Our guide turned out to be a man originally from Ecuador who had moved to Japan three years ago for his German wife’s job. He was a nice guy, but the tour itself didn’t tell us much more than we could’ve learned by walking around ourselves. Still, we got to see Sensō-ji Temple and the surrounding markets, as well as the kitchenware district where they sell beautiful bowls, utensils, and Japan’s famous knives. Many restaurants in Japan (and across Asia) display plastic models of their dishes, and we also visited a shop that makes these hyper realistic models, which was pretty cool.
After the tour, we browsed some of the knife shops and debated whether the hassle of carrying one around for a month was worth it as a gift. Then we discovered we could buy them at our last stop in Japan too, so we decided to wait. We followed our noses to a nearby gyoza spot for a very late lunch/pre-dinner snack. The dumplings were delicious—I definitely could’ve eaten more, but we had dinner plans with Jess from the night before, so we kept it light.
We went back to the hostel, showered, and headed out to meet Jess for dinner. The restaurant was right off of the famous Shibuya Crossing, the busiest pedestrian crossing in the world, at peak times there are over three thousand people crossing simultaneously from all directions at once. Luckily we made it through the crowds and to the restaurant unscathed.
Tonight’s meal was ramen—a noodle soup. We all chose different options: I had roast beef in a clear broth, Grace had chicken in the same, and Jess had beef in a creamy broth. All were really tasty! We had planned to meet up with Elliot and Scott again after dinner for drinks, but we ended up having a bit of a family emergency and headed back to the hostel to stay in contact with family. Thankfully, everything got sorted and everyone was okay, but after all the stress, we decided to call it an early night.
The next morning, we headed over to the Imperial Palace. Most of the original palace buildings were destroyed during WWII, but it’s still the main residence of Japan’s Emperor today, and the grounds are open to the public. We spent the morning wandering through the beautiful East Gardens, which are part of what used to be Edo Castle—home of the Tokugawa shogunate for over 260 years. Most of the buildings that weren’t destroyed in the war are more modern, but we got to see the enormous stone foundations where the guard towers once stood. Just the bases were huge—I can’t imagine how tall the towers must have been.
Afterwards, we made our way to the Tsukiji Outer Market, a lively food market that grew around the historic Tsukiji Fish Market. The original fish auctions, including the famous giant tuna ones, have since moved to Toyosu, but the outer market is still buzzing with street food stalls, shops and fresh produce. We were saving our sushi appetite for the evening—we had a booking at a tiny sushi bar with a legendary chef—so we managed to resist all the fresh seafood (which, frankly, felt like an Olympic-level achievement). But we *did* splash out £5 on some ridiculously posh strawberries. And oh wow—they were worth every penny. Juicy, sweet and perfectly ripe, it felt like biting into sunshine.
Still on a strawberry high, we decided to share a strawberry parfait. It was so good that we immediately regretted not getting one each. Lesson learned: never underestimate how much strawberry dessert is *enough* strawberry dessert.
In the afternoon, we had tickets to TeamLab Borderless, an interactive digital art exhibit that’s super popular in Tokyo. We hadn’t managed to get into their main location, but the smaller exhibition was still amazing. The whole place is made up of different rooms filled with immersive projections, mirrors, smoke, lights and sound. One room was like walking through a glowing LED forest, another had giant floating spheres you could push around, and in one you could draw your own sea creature and watch it join a virtual aquarium on the wall. It was all very trippy and surprisingly fun, and the fact that the artwork moved and responded to you made it feel more like a playground than a gallery. We’d ummed and ahhed a bit over whether the tickets were worth it, but we were so glad we went—completely lived up to the hype.
That evening we met up with Jess again for dinner. We’d been recommended this teeny sushi bar with just five seats and a chef who’s been doing sushi for decades. You pick your price tier—£10, £15 or £20—and he serves you whatever he’s in the mood to make within that range. The sushi was delicious, but wow—he was *not* shy with the wasabi. Some bites blew our heads off. Still, it was a great experience and felt like a very authentic little Tokyo gem.
After dinner, we went back to the Golden Gai area—we just couldn’t resist. The bars there are all so tiny and quirky, each with its own theme and personality. This time, we ended up in a Harley-Davidson motorbike-themed bar, because of course we did. Sake was flowing, and before we knew it, we were doing karaoke with some new friends from Leeds and the US. The bar owner even insisted we do a mini photoshoot on her Harley after we paid—so we now have a collection of very dramatic motorbike photos we didn’t know we needed.
We ended the night sprinting through the streets trying not to miss the last train—thankfully we made it, slightly breathless and definitely still humming Arctic Monkeys.
The next day, we were back on our walking tour grind—this time exploring Harajuku and the Meiji Shrine. Thankfully, this one was *way* more informative than the last and actually felt like a proper history lesson rather than just a scenic stroll. Our guide was a lovely Japanese woman who took us through the dramatic tale of Japan’s transition from samurai swords to skyscrapers. She explained how the country was ruled by shoguns and samurai during the Edo period, how it isolated itself from the world for over two centuries, and then, quite dramatically, flung its doors open to trade with the US, kicking off a whirlwind cultural revolution.
All of this happened under Emperor Meiji, the guy who essentially said, “Let’s learn everything from the West but still be *very* Japanese about it.” He’s also the one behind the famous phrase, “Knowledge of the West, spirit of Japan.” After his death, the nation built the Meiji Shrine in his honour—a grand Shinto temple surrounded by forest, because in Shintoism, gods are in nature. The forest itself was planted by thousands of people who donated trees from all across Japan, which is honestly kind of beautiful. There are also huge barrels of wine from Europe and Sake from Japan given every year still in his honour.
The guide also gave us tips on shrine etiquette—don’t walk through the centre of the torii gates (that’s god territory), and when praying: bow twice, clap twice to get the gods’ attention, make your wish, and toss in a coin. Like a very respectful cosmic vending machine.
We also got to try the traditional fortune-telling sticks. You shake a big container, pull out a stick, match the number to a drawer, and take your fate from inside. Mine basically told me to behave because god is always watching (yikes), and Grace’s fortune warned her to stop gossiping—which raised some eyebrows, not gonna lie. What have we been doing lately?
After the shrine, we passed through the Olympic Park and took a stroll down Harajuku’s famous fashion street, where the current trend seems to be dressing like Victorian porcelain dolls. Cute, slightly unsettling, but undeniably impressive levels of dedication.
Post-tour, we wandered around a bit more before heading to a katsu curry place that our guide had raved about. We were joined by an American woman from our group, and the food was *excellent*—crispy, golden, and comforting.
After lunch, we took a leisurely 30-minute stroll through the backstreets, soaking in the quieter side of Tokyo, making our way toward a robot café. Very futuristic. Very Tokyo….Except we never quite made it. Just as we arrived, Grace realised she’d left her purse at the restaurant. Cue the great purse retracing mission—30 minutes back, 30 minutes to the café again, and by the end of it we were sweaty, tired, and a little knackered. Ready to be waited in by some robots!
The robot café itself was cool, if slightly bizarre. The robots didn’t do much in the way of actual serving—they just hovered near your table and performed the odd dance or bit of small talk, like high-tech dinner party guests you hadn’t invited. Still, very fun to experience and peak “only in Japan” energy.
By that point, we were knackered. After several days of non-stop sightseeing, late nights, and early mornings, we headed back to the hostel for a much-needed rest. We’d booked an evening walking tour that promised a deep dive into Japan after dark—covering everything from maid cafés to the history of comfort women and the country’s work-hard, drink-harder culture. I was genuinely excited about it… but sadly, my body had other plans. All the rushing around finally caught up with me and I ended up having a Crohn’s flare-up—nausea, stomach pain, the works.
So we had to cancel the tour, which I was absolutely gutted about. But I suppose that just gives me an excuse to come back to Tokyo one day—unfinished business, and all that!
Our next stop is Hakone, tell you all about it soon, love Alice x