After a super relaxing day in Hakone, we were finally on our way back to Tokyo!
We had plans to meet with my Uncle David and Aunt Hatsuki for lunch back in Tokyo, and then reunite with Eric for dinner. Cousin Herman was also going to be in Tokyo and join us for a few days!
Day 8: Tokyo
We checked into our suite at the Park Hyatt once we got back into Tokyo.
The hotel was a little out of the way from the train station, but man, was this place worth the walk!
The room was seriously about the same size as our house back home!
We did some tricks to get Diamond status with Hyatt before the trip, and so we got upgraded to a suite during our stay with free breakfast and it paid off! What an amazing hotel!
After checking in, we met my Uncle David and Aunt Hatsuki for lunch.
They took us to a restaurant in Odaiba, a popular shopping and entertainment district on a man-made island in Tokyo bay.
After lunch, my Uncle dropped us off in Shibuya where we walked around and did a little window shopping.
We also said hello to the beloved Hachiko dog statue in Hachiko square!
That evening, we were joined by Mamoru, Eric, and Herman!
Eric just got back into Tokyo after spending a few days with Uncle George. We went out to dinner together and then got some drinks at an izakaya afterwards.
The izakaya was lively and full of people. We snacked on fries, fried calamari karaage, udon, and other various bar foods and lots of beer.
Day 9: Tokyo (continued)
The next day we took the JR train out to Asakusa to roam around. There were plenty of small shops selling trinkets and souvenirs.
Taking a lunch break for noodles. Herman ordered a spicy Tsukemen that was pretty awesome.
Later that evening, Bel and I signed up for a cooking class to make fresh udon noodles.
The class was very fun and we got to make homemade noodles from scratch!
Back at the hotel, we decided to visit the rooftop New York Bar – made famous in the movie “Lost in Translation”.
We had a few drinks while listening to the live jazz music as the day ended.
Day 10: Tokyo (continued)
We spent the next morning walking the streets of Harajuku and Shibuya.
While the cousins continued to shop around the area, I split up with them shortly after to go with my Uncle to Yokohama. We wanted to take some photos/video of my dad’s childhood neighborhood to bring back.
My Uncle David and Aunt Sachiko showed me around thier childhood neighborhood where they grew up together with my dad. It was really special to hear and see in person all of the places they loved going to when they were kids.
The neighborhood where my dad’s childhood house was located has changed quite a bit, but the roads were still the same. My Uncle told me that the ocean used to be right behind the house they lived in, but that beach is gone now – replaced by landfill with tons of development over the years.
Although it looks totally different from what it must have been 30 years ago, it made me smile knowing how much fun they had is this area growing up, and what a great childhood it must have been for them.
We also stopped by the home of one of my dad’s best friends in grade school. Henry just happened to be home by chance. Him and my dad still keep in touch, and it was nice to see him in person and meet him for the first time.
Later in the evening, I reconnected with the Bel and the cousins and we went to visit the Tokyo SkyTree, which at one point was the tallest structure in the world.
The observation deck at the top of the tower was supposedly at 350m high. Unfortunately, when we got there we were told that the tower was closed that day due to high winds. The tower itself was magnificent with beautiful illuminated lights that seemed to sparkle at night.
Maybe next time we’ll get to go to the top.
For our final dinner, we went to an all you can eat Shabu Shabu restaurant in Shibuya.
Great food and great company!
We couldn’t have asked for anything more on our last night together.
Day 11: Tokyo (continued)
For our final morning, we decided to order breakfast in our room.
The breakfast was very good! The eggs were cooked perfectly, and the presentation was excellent!
Lastly, I wanted to mention that there was one crucial part that helped make this whole trip possible, and that was our pocket wifi rental. This amazing little white device allowed us to set up our own personal wifi network throughout the whole trip wherever we went and gave us unlimited data. It also allowed anyone else traveling with us to connect via password as well!
It doesn’t sound like much, but there were many times during the trip that we needed transit or walking directions via google maps (transit directions on google maps very accurate and invaluable navigating the complex train systems), it allowed us to use skype for international and local calls, and gave us access to our travel and review apps.
There’s no doubt we wouldn’t have found half the things during this trip without it.
Highly recommended for anyone considering a trip to Japan!
