Summary of Tokyo and why I love Japan

We share a recap of what we did in Tokyo where we stayed and are already looking forward to going back.

Hello friends! how are you?? I hope you have a wonderful morning. I have a lot of content to record today – Healing Code launches again on Monday! – and off to catch an upper body workout and massage chair at the gym.

Today I’m sharing the first of my Japan posts!

Here are our Japan and Korea recap posts so far:

Summary of Seoul, what we did and what we ate

Summary of Tokyo and Why I Love Japan (this post)

Kyoto itinerary and Japan travel tips

What we ate in Japan (and the GF chooses)

My experience at Korean Head Spa

Summary of Tokyo and why I love Japan

I’ve been avoiding writing this post because that’s the reality I have Japression.

I usually feel a little down after coming home from a trip, but this is next level. It usually hits me hard that I can no longer go outside all day (it’s too hot here and Tucson is definitely not walkable), explore new places, spend uninterrupted time with family, eat amazing food, and shop all day. Instead I’m back to housework, feeding everyone and cleaning up after I’ve fed everyone hahahaha.

This trip feels different because Japan was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. The culture, the way of life, the deep respect, the kindness, the care and the professionalism, the clean streets, the purest food, the nature… I honestly felt like another planet.

One of the biggest things I noticed was a level of pride people take in everything they do. It didn’t matter if it was a restaurant server, an Uber driver, a hotel receptionist, a convenience store clerk, or someone helping us at the train station. Everyone seemed committed to giving their best and it was inspiring to see. The people were kind and welcoming, everything felt incredibly safe and I felt the best I’ve felt in a long time while we were there.

I also noticed how healthy and well groomed everyone looked. You don’t really see people wandering around in their pajamas yelling at each other. There’s just this hidden sense of respect for yourself and the people around you.

What surprised me the most was how calm my nervous system was the whole time. Even though you’re surrounded by bright lights, huge buildings, and tons of people, it never feels chaotic. Everything is so organized and tidy that your body really feels like it can relax. I didn’t realize how much I needed that feeling until I experienced it. Since we’ve been home, I’ve been trying hard to bring some of that feeling back with me.

I mentioned this in my summary of Seoul, but Japan and Korea were honestly not my first choice for a vacation. I knew it would be fun, but I felt overwhelmed by the planning and wasn’t sure if these would be places I’d ever want to visit again. I feel so naive now because I had no idea how special these countries are. I can’t wait to go back.

People keep asking me if I prefer Korea or Japan and I can’t choose because they are so different while complementing each other perfectly. If you ever get a chance to visit this part of the world, do both. I promise you’ll know the second you experience it for yourself.

And if you’re doing both, I highly recommend starting in Seoul and then heading to Tokyo. It was the perfect combo. 🙂

Here are some of the highlights of our trip:

We stayed in two areas of Ginza.

The first part of our trip was near the Tsukiji outdoor market where the streets are lined with food stalls, seafood vendors and the best sushi of your life. (The famous tuna auctions have moved to Toyosu Market, but Tsukiji is still worth a visit for the food scene!!)

After our trip to Kyoto, we stayed in Ginza, which was a wonderful place full of luxury stores (including the multi-story Tiffany flagship), restaurants, department stores, and endless shopping.

We booked Hotel KOKO for both stays (same hotel brand, two different locations) using our Amex Platinum Benefits. I preferred the location of the Tsukiji property because it felt a bit quieter and more local, but the actual hotel and amenities were nicer in Ginza. (We stayed at one place for a few days before our short trip to Kyoto and the other after.)

One thing I loved about Ginza is that it felt incredibly clean, safe and easy to navigate. We could walk almost anywhere and just took an Uber when needed.

Tokyo DisneySea

I always say we are not « Disney people » even though we go to the parks all the time and we are about to go on Disney Cruise #8. We just don’t have Disney decor in our house, but I think we need to check all the other boxes. 😉

Of course we wanted to visit a Disney property while in Tokyo. They have two options: Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea. We chose DisneySea because it has unique rides and lands that don’t exist in the US, and is generally considered the better park for older kids and adults.

(the kids approve of all the pictures I post and Liv asked me to put a heart on her face for this one)

The trips were amazing.

The animatronics, special effects, projection mapping, storytelling and ride technology far exceeded my expectations. Peter Pan is one of my favorite attractions and the Tokyo version completely blew away the US version. It’s longer, more immersive (3D), beautifully made and really makes you feel like you’re flying.

We also loved Journey to the Center of the Earth, Rapunzel was wonderful (the lantern scene was everything), and Sinbad ended up being one of our surprise favorites. It’s kind of like It’s a Small World, but with a musical theme and some impressive animatronics (like the green giant!).

The food was also a lot of fun.

We totally fell in love with all things nutmeg while in Japan and these nutmeg frozen desserts were a HUGE hit. I had two all day and P had three.

They also have unique popcorn flavors throughout. When we visited, options included milk chocolate, soy sauce and butter, clams and garlic (which was DELICIOUS),

caramel and salted popcorn. Each stand has different flavors, so people literally collect buckets of popcorn and walk around trying them all.

It’s also worth mentioning that everything was drastically cheaper than the American parks. A giant chicken leg was about ¥800 (about $5 USD), compared to $15-20 back home.

Our park tickets and even paid ride reservations were a fraction of what we would normally spend in the States. I’m telling you it’s worth the flight there.

The only downside is that many of the travel booking options (called DPAs in the app) sell out quickly. I was able to buy a few, but all the free reservation options disappeared shortly after we entered the park. Frozen and Indiana Jones were also closed during our visit which was a bummer.

The park closed at 9:00pm the night we visited, and many places to eat stopped serving around 7-8:00pm, so I definitely recommend prioritizing rides early and planning dinner before things start to close.

teamLab Borderless

This was an absolute must.

Tokyo has several different teamLab experiences and we chose Borderless. It is an interactive digital art museum where the exhibits are constantly changing. You can walk through a room, come back 15 minutes later and it looks completely different.

We spent hours wandering around the exhibits, drawing sea creatures that came to life on giant screens,

(The pilot made this amazing turtle!)

getting lost in the light installations and taking so many pictures and videos.

It’s one of those experiences that’s hard to explain until you see it for yourself.

I definitely recommend this if you are traveling with kids, but the adults were just as entertained.

Also, I’ve heard amazing things about teamLab Planets if you’re trying to pick a place to visit!

Several stops at 7-Eleven and Lawson

7-Eleven is responding to the hype on TikTok and Instagram.

Every morning I would grab something from the infamous drinks register. The C1000 was my favorite and I miss it dearly.

We also stocked up on nutmeg treats, smoothies, onigiri and so many delicious snacks. This became our breakfast stop, snack stop, and dessert stop after dinner.

It’s funny because there are exactly zero things I want to eat at 7-Eleven in the US, but there were dozens of things I looked forward to eating at konbini in Japan.

They have fruit sandwiches, egg sandwiches, onigiri, coffees, sodas, smoothies and desserts that are super tasty and cheap too. The smoothies were the best!! The container is just frozen fruit and after you pay, you scan the machine’s barcode, place the cup inside and it adds liquid and mixes it on the spot. Like I said, Korea and Japan live in the future.

Riding the bullet train to Kyoto

I had heard that if you are already in Tokyo, it is worth taking the train to Kyoto or Osaka to experience another side of Japan.

I didn’t want to travel across the world and miss it, so we added Kyoto to our itinerary and I’m glad we did.

Kyoto deserves and gets its own whole blog post because it was truly magical.

On the way there we rode the green car (equivalent to first class) which was lovely and comfortable. On the way back we rode regular reserved seats and TBH, it wasn’t much of a difference (and regular reserved seats were about $120 less for the four of us).

The trains are clean, quiet, efficient and absurdly punctual. Watching the countryside fly by while eating snacks from the station was a unique memory that I loved… I had never traveled by train before (except the Polar Express!) and it was such a cool experience. Much less hassle than flying and feels just as fast!

Vintage luxury shopping

If you love designer bags, watches, jewelry or accessories, Tokyo is heaven.

There are vintage luxury stores everywhere and many of the items are in excellent condition and look brand new.

If you are in the market for a Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Chanel, Rolex or other luxury item, I would definitely shop in Japan before buying elsewhere.

Also, carry your passport whenever you shop because many stores offer tax-free instant purchases for tourists, so you don’t have to deal with it at the airport.

Shibuya Crossing

We had to visit the famous Shibuya Crossroads.

The pictures don’t really do it justice because it’s less about the crossing itself and more about the energy of the whole area. There are huge video screens, endless shopping, restaurants, lights, music and thousands of people moving through the intersection in every direction.

It’s incredibly busy, but still feels organized. People wait patiently, cross when they have to, and no one pushes or bumps into each other.

Outside the station is the famous Hachikō statue, in honor of the loyal dog who continued to wait for his owner at the station every day, even after his owner passed away. It’s one of Japan’s most beloved stories, and seeing the statue in person was surprisingly emotional.

We took pictures, walked around the surrounding streets, shopped and just enjoyed everything. It’s touristy here for a reason and we loved it. If this is your first trip to Tokyo, I think this is one of those places that you should experience at least once!

Turns out this post didn’t help my Japression at all, but I have a few more. I’ll be sharing all the amazing food we ate (including the GF options), a recap of Kyoto and Japan travel tips, and I’d be happy to answer any questions!!

(dress by RTR and my favorite Vejas <– walking shoes for travel)

So tell me, friends: what’s on your holiday dream list? Anything fun planned coming up??

xo

Gina