Japan 2025
The Don Quijote in Ginza
This past April, I went to Japan for the very first time!
When I think about it, I have no idea why I never did this sooner. I am not an unseasoned traveler. I have traveled from east coast to west coast in North America and a good chunk of central Europe. I grew up watching a lot of anime, reading a lot of manga, and playing JRPGs since childhood. (And if you did not know that anime was the reason I started working in animation in the first place, well, you do now.)
Point is—I’m not sure why I waited so long. It was only in February that my partner and I made the spontaneous decision to go. I think I told Corey I was going with or without him, and that was that. We left from Philadelphia one day in April, and the next day we were in Tokyo. I knew this trip was going to be amazing. It was going to be exciting and feel new, yet familiar at the same time (which it was). But I wasn’t prepared for how much it would also change me after I returned home to my normal life in Pennsylvania.
The Trip to Tokyo
Since we are creatures of habit and comfort, we opted to spend ten days in Tokyo. We have city hopped before, and quite frankly, it is exhausting. We knew there would be more than enough to do in Tokyo, so we spent the entirety of the trip there. (Minus the one day that we took the Shinkansen up to Sendai, but I’ll discuss that later.) Staying in Shimbashi made things easy, and the only regret we had was, simply, not staying longer.
We saw so many areas of Tokyo: Shimbashi, Ginza, Akihabara, Ueno, Ikebukuro, Shinjuku, Yoyogi, Harajuku, Shibuya, Ebisu, Roppongi, Shimokitazawa, Kichijoij, and yet? We barely scratched the surface. There were more things on my wishlist that we just couldn’t squeeze in, but I know that means we will just need to return again. The trip was full of highlights, but a few memories stood out as personal favorites:
Attending a Tokyo FC Game at Tokyo National Stadium
We sat on the home side, and I sat next to a Tokyo FC mega-fan. His enthusiasm was contagious! Also, we won! I bought a jersey and am a fan for life now.
A concert at Shelter in Shimokitazawa
I LOVE j-pop and j-rock. While we couldn’t get tickets to an actual concert, an indie gig for up-and-coming girl groups was the next best thing!
The Inokashira Park Zoo in Kichijoji
A beautiful park in beautiful Kichijoji. Tickets were 300 yen per person, and I weeped.
Winning Pikachu in one try at Akihabara
Yes, I am that skilled and cool. Also, ignore the messy hotel room, please…
Dinner at Pizza Marumo (photo from tabelog)
We stumbled upon this pizzeria and they hosted us despite not having a reservation. Little did we know we’d be having pizza made by one of the best pizza chef’s in the world—Chef Yuki Motokura!
Discovering my new favorite Sanrio character - Hangyodon
Hangyodon is a fish man who doesn’t express a lot of emotions. He’s a lonely romantic and aspiring comedian. I can relate.
Our day trip to Shiogama
We took the Shinkansen from Tokyo to Sendai, then made a last minute change to Shiogama! More info below.
Picking our one trip outside of Tokyo was initially a challenge. If you know me, I am a Type A, planner-type individual (despite how much I’d rather not be sometimes). I make lists and spreadsheets, and I like to stick to my plans because they always work. Corey, my other half, is Type B and spontaneous. He explores with no map in hand or in mind. I knew for certain I wanted to get out of Tokyo for at least one day trip, but it was hard to narrow down after I had researched so many options. When we arrived at Tokyo Station, it was his decision to hop on the shinkansen and arrive in Sendai. As I researched on the train, I then decided we’d switch at Sendai Station to go a little further and spend our only day trip in Shiogama. It was an option I hadn’t considered; a small, relaxing seaport town in the Miyagi Prefecture. It ended up being the perfect day trip for us.
Returning home
When it was finally the last day, I’ll admit I was ready to come home. It is the cancer zodiac in me to be constantly homesick. I missed our annoying cats, my office, and my car (for who knows why. I don’t even like driving?). I had a lot of goodies to unpack—from clothing, figures, books, household items—that I was excited to use in my normal life. We said goodbye (for now) from the Haneda Airport and returned back to Philadelphia.
It’s been a month now since we’ve been back and when I am writing this. Originally, I thought I’d be dealing with post-Japan blues this entire month. I’d be sad and depressed because I’m in the USA and not continuing to live happily in Japan, I thought. However, I’ve actually had an excitement for life that I haven’t had in awhile. I feel motivated to get outside every day, walk a lot of steps, and incorporate Japanese cuisine into my diet. (Pocari Sweat IS my addiction.) But most of all, I also feel a stronger desire to connect with other people around me. Tokyo is a great city for me as someone who is reserved, introverted, likes to do things alone and work quite a lot, but I know how lonely that kind of lifestyle can be. Since I’ve been back in America, I’ve felt different. Maybe visiting Japan was just a much needed vacation for me, or maybe it was something much more. I haven’t figured it out yet, but what I know for now is that this visit to Japan won’t be my last. I hope to go again to visit Osaka, Hokkaido, and Okinawa, amongst the rest of the country and continue learning new things about Japan and myself.
