One Full Day in Tokyo: Tsukiji Fish Market, Shibuya, Meiji Jingu Shrine, Shinjuku Garden

Thursday, September 7, 2017

Last October, we got chance to travel to Japan on our way back to Indonesia for family reunion. We spent 4 nights in Tokyo but only got 1 full day when we got to explore Tokyo Metropolitan. The other days we took a day trip to Mount Fuji Area and traveled to and from other parts of Japan: Kyoto and Osaka.
Traveling Tokyo in one day
We requested a Japanese volunteer guide a few months before and made appointment with him to meet us at the hotel and guide us around Tokyo that day. We chose which places to visit; he just help us to navigate around Tokyo and answer our questions. If you don't have a lot of time, we highly recommend this service. They are volunteer so they don't charge anything but we do have to cover his cost of transportation and food.
One full day in Tokyp
Places we visit in Tokyo:
1. Tsukiji Fish Port
It would take us a long time if we don't have our Japanese friend helping us the navigate the complex Tokyo metro system and how to get in the fish market.  Tokyo one day travel
 Inside the fish market:
 Tokyo Tsukiji Fish Market
 Fresh Seafood every where we look:
 Tokyo One Day Travel
 Where to go if you have one day in Tokyo
 Visiting Tokyp Tsukiji Fish Market

Fresh Fishes at Tsukiji Fish Market
Next to the fish market were fruits and vegetables market
 Tokyo Tsukiji Market
These fruits cost a lot more than sushi. I miss calculated those grapes I thought it cost $2.50 but $25 so we savored every single bite, little by little. The grapes were very sweet but it still hurt having to pay that much. 
 Fruit stalls at Tsukiji MarketJapanese good knives at Tsukiji Market

 The moment that they have been waiting for: eating fresh sushi at the fish market.
 Eating sushi at Tsukiji Market
 The aftermath. The sushi in Japan cost a lot less and taste way better than the one in California.
On our way to the next stop, we spot Tokyo Tower, which looks like Eiffel Tower in Paris. It's quite expensive to get up there so we just took its picture from a far. 
 Tokyo Travel: Tokyo Tower

2. Next stop: Shibuya famous crossing, known to be the busiest intersection in the world
 Tokyo Travel: Shibuya crossing

 We just have to experience it ourselves.
 Crossing the shibuya
 Tokyo Travel: Shibuya
Found the Hachiko's statue. Read about it or watch the Hachiko's movie first before you visit so you are familiar with the story.
Tokyo Travel: Hachiko statue
There are lots of shopping malls in Shibuya but we are not into shopping so off we go to the next stop: 3. Meiji Jingu Shrine, hidden inside a forest in the middle of Tokyo. It doesn't like we were in the middle of the busy city.
 Tokyo Travel: Meiji Jingu Shrine
 Beautiful surrounding: Tokyo Travel Beauty
 Tokyo Travel: Meiji Jingu
 Tokyo Travel: Meiji Jingu  Barrels at Meiji Jingu

 Tokyo Travel with kids


We really enjoyed a nice, serene long walk to the shrine, except when the boys interrupted us with their infamous: "Are we there yet?" questions.
 Tokyo travel with kids

After a loooong walk; we reached Temizuya, a place where the Japanese clean/ purify themselves before entering the shrine. Our Japanese guide told us that tourists are not expected to wash or pray just be respectful: no running around or talking loudly.

Tokyo Travel: Meiji Jingu
The prayers boards, where visitors can buy wooden blocks and write down their prayers:
 Prayer boards at Meiji Jinguwooden prayer boards at Meiji Jingu
Japan Travel: Meiji Jingu

Since we were there on Saturday, we were able to spot Japanese wedding and Japanese families visiting the shrine in their traditional clothing. We were told they were there for child dedication. Japanese wedding at Meiji Jingu
 Japanese wedding at Tokyo
 Spotting Japanese wedding at Meiji Jingu Shrine

 Japanese wedding at Meiji Jingu
We didn't see the whole ceremony, we just saw them went pass through us then they went inside the shrine. After Meiji, we went to get some Pablo Cheesecake
Tokyo Travel Food to eat: Pablo Cheesecake

Afterward, we said good bye to our kind guide then took a taxi as he suggested to 4. Shinjuku Gyoen Garden. Like most places in Japan, the park was clean and peaceful.
 Tokyo Travel: Shinjuku Gyoen

There were many locals enjoying a picnic in the park before it closes at 4 PM.
 Where to go in Tokyo: Shinjuku Garden

 Picnic at Shinjuku Garden
 We arrived a little after 3 PM, so we didn't get chance to explore the whole park but enough to sit down at the grass with the locals, watch the fishes, and took some pictures. 
Travel: Shinjuku Garden  Fishes at Shinjuku Garden
 Tokyo Travel with kids
Originally, we planned to go a free observatory at Tokyo Goverment Metropolitan Building but  the boys were tired, hungry, and need to go to the rest room so we went to the shopping center nearby the garden instead. After that we went to the famous Ichiran Ramen  Travel Tokyo Shinjuku

We have to wait in line for about 45 minutes before we got to the ordering machine:
 Tokyo Food to eat: Ichiran at Shinjuku

Waiting to be seated at Ichiran Ramen
 then we waited again to be seated
 inside the Ichiran Ramen
 Finally we got our seat and dinner was served immediately. It was very good. Definitely worth the wait.
The famous Ichiran ramen
  On the way back to our hotel at night
 Tokyo Travel: Shinjuku at night

We passed the robot restaurant. Our friend, Yunita already warned us not to eat there because the food wasn't great and the show was weird so we just took picture with the robot at the front at the restaurant for free. :)
Tokyo Travel: Robot Restaurant
 That conclude our one full day in Tokyo. Let me know in the comment if you have any question.

Related Posts:
Kyoto Day 1: Arashimaya Bamboo Forest, Iwatamaya Monkey Park, Gion
Kyoto Day 2: Fushimi Inari
Five Things to Eat at Dontobori, Osaka


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