I spend only three nights in Tokyo.

This surprises me, because it’s such a large city and I expected to divvy up my time in Japan more evenly. But I’ve fallen in love with Kyoto and, since my RTW trip is delightfully flexible, I spend ten whole days there. And now I have to make the most of three days in Japan’s capital city.

I’m staying at Asakusa Ryokan Hostel (it’s fine, nothing special) in the Asakusa district of the city. Kaminarimon or ‘Thunder Gate’ is just around the corner:

I explore this area just after returning from my sunrise excursion to Tsukiji fish market with my friends Asadeh and Nino. At around 7:30am, the area is deserted but it’ll come alive soon. The quiet is nice.

This is Senso-ji temple, at the other end of Kaminarimon / Thunder Gate:

Then I go back to the hostel and crash for a few hours.

Around lunchtime I head to Ueno Park, a giant public space surrounded by a zoo, several museums, and art / music schools. But before entering the park, I stroll the streets just outside Ueno metro station for about 20 minutes, as I’ve heard there are fun shops.

I’m not completely sure what this fish thing is but it looks good:

Then I head into Ueno Park. Asadeh and Nino have told me about the sea of lotus flowers.

These colorful ducks give the swans in Boston’s Public Garden a run for their money.

It begins to rain so I grab coffee and a snack at Starbucks while reading my book (Jhumpa Lahiri’s Unaccustomed Earth; it’s excellent).

Next I head over to Akihabara (sometimes shortened to Akiba), the tech district of Tokyo.

There are loads of electronics stores here, including Yodobashi (a giant chain with locations throughout Japan).

I wander in and snap a photo before they politely ask me to put my camera away. No pictures allowed.

Throughout Japan, there are outdoor smoking areas like the one below. It keeps the smoke cloud in one area. Smart, right?

I don’t recall if I’ve mentioned this yet in any of my Japan posts, but there are beverage vending machines on practically every corner of this country. There is zero chance you will die of thirst here.

During my day in Shibuya (where I visit the busiest intersection in the world), I spend a few daytime hours exploring the area. Meiji Shrine is a short walk from the Shibuya station and there’s a giant gate leading to the shrine complex.

Afterwards I walk maybe 20 minutes to nearby Takeshita-dori, a street lined with fashion boutiques. (Pronounce this name phonetically for laugh. FYI, dori = street in Japanese.)

The people-watching on Takeshita-dori could keep me entertained for days. It’s an arena of fashion you don’t see every day, not even on 5th Avenue in New York City or Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. These styles are funky, loud, and confident. Everything is a statement. I wish I’d noted more of the ensembles I saw; there’s lots of neon and sky-high heels and boundary-pushing amounts of bare skin. One girl is wearing a negligee-type dress (?) with pigtails and she looks about 15. Another girl is dressed as a real-life Hello Kitty doll — not a costume, but every detail she’s wearing is informed by Hello Kitty. This street is narrow and I feel uncomfortable taking photos of people in close proximity, so this is the only (weak) example I have for you of Takeshita-dori fashion:

Some examples of merchandise…

The California references on these sweatshirts crack me up.

I don’t understand why shirts / sweatshirts featuring a single word in English are so popular. One reads ‘HYSTERICAL’ (who would want that pressure?) and another says ‘HOMELY’ (why would you wear that word emblazoned across your chest?). The one above right — ‘FANCY’ — isn’t too bad.

The phrase on the sweatshirt above left doesn’t make grammatical sense, but it does make me smile.

And here’s a Condomania store. You may wonder if Japan is a more reserved place (compared to, say, Bangkok or Amsterdam) and if sexual references or imagery here fly under the radar, but that is not the case. It’s on full display in advertisements around the city, nude anime graphics, and bar girls in barely-there uniforms. I’ve read that it’s not uncommon to see men reading porn on the subway. But, ironically, PDA (public display of affection) is rare — so there’s an interesting dichotomy between the presence and practice of overt sexuality in Japan. Fellow travel blogger Adventurous Kate writes memorably about her observations of this aspect of the culture here.

In addition to the clothes / shoes / accessories on Takeshita-dori, there are crepe shops. You know, the casual treat:

Except these crepes are more tempting than any I’ve eaten before. They have CHEESECAKE inside.

I order a caramel apple cheesecake crepe. It’s as amazing as it sounds.

While we’re on the subject of desserts, I spy this 100% Chocolate Cafe next to the Tokyo Skytree and think of my favorite chocoholic Victoria.

And this is sushi candy, in case the real thing isn’t enough for you. Sushi for dinner AND dessert!

It is with a shred of embarrassment that I share my final meal in Tokyo. Yes, I did actually eat all of those gyoza / pot stickers. No regrets.

Funny story — the menu was all in Japanese (of course) and the waitress / owner did not speak any English, so they put me on the phone with someone who could translate. And that is how I ordered a delicious combo plate of pot stickers.

To wrap up my time in Tokyo, here are other favorite spots I’ve already written about that also make the highlights list:

A rooftop picnic dinner at Mitsukoshi:

An early morning at Tsukiji fish market:

Watching the busiest intersection in the world:

Going to the top of the Tokyo Skytree:

Three days in Tokyo is probably too short, but I enjoy every jam-packed moment.