We then caught the Narita Express to Shinagawa station. We couldn’t believe our luck when the very first train we caught in Japan was 5 minutes late!

After arriving at Shinagawa station we then went to our hotel, Keikyu Ex Hotel Takanawa. The elevator didn’t work for us so we were off to a great start.

We then went to 7/11 for the first time. They are much larger than the stores in Australia and have a much larger range. I enjoyed looking at the different types of food and drinks they served - including lots of different types of coffees, alcohol, microwaveable meals, and traditional Japanese food. I got a dumpling soup which needed to be heated up in store, a fish and rice ball, and a chocolate pastry, along with an iced milk coffee (which tasted similar to milk tea). We ate this nearby and as we were walking away a Japanese worker who was sweeping up leaves called out to us and walked over to us so we did t have to carry our rubbish. We really liked this guy.

After buying our travel cards, we used the trains for the first time. It was slightly confusing but we managed to find Tim at Roppogi. This was a posh district and we did a quick loop before heading off. I forgot my JR Pass so we had to go back to the hotel before we reserved our seats for the upcoming trips.

After booking our tickets we then headed off to Shinjuku. The first thing we did was to walk to a government building which had an observation deck. Along the way we got a little lost because of the lack of GPS signal. However, we saw som good cafes and saw a tall lit up building.

Once we got to the observation tower we found out it was closed. So we had to walk all the way back to the station and beyond where we went to have our dinner. We had it at a place called Ichiran Ramen which was on the 6th floor of a building. Tim and I got a plain bowl of ramen which had the perfect level of spice for me. It was a private booth style restaurant meaning there were walls between single stools and a curtain where the chef would place your food.

After dinner we explored the Shinjuku area. It was very bright with a lot of random sounds to distract you. We walked past places like the Robot Restaurant.

We also explored the Golden Gai area which seemed to be a collection of (very) small privately owned bars and restaurants. It was dark and spooky in the area and lots of shops had interesting signs.

To finish off the day we also had several snacks. I got a 200¥ piece of honeydew on a stick. It was one of the sweetest and juiciest pieces of melon I’ve ever had an was definitely worth the purchase.

At Shinjuku station the three of us also got a whipped milk cheesecake ice cream. It tasted like if my grandma made a cheesecake and put lemon delicious on top of it. We also tried a sweet potato tart which was actually surpringly sweet.

Japan also seems to have a soundtrack - everywhere you go there’s some sort of music playing. There’s a jingle before the train doors close, vans driving past play the latest hits, and even the pedestrian crossings have a bird-like noise instead of our usual beeping.

Tim and I got Shinkansen bento boxes, Tess got a pork loin cutlet sandwich and I also got an iced coffee on the side. The bento box, which I ate on the train, was an unusual mix of food which I wouldn’t normally eat for breakfast. I enjoyed the sweet egg (in bar form) and a sushi which tasted like chicken which I think might have been chicken liver.

Regardless, the train was super fast with lots of legroom and large seats. It took less than an hour to get to the Utsunomiya station where we took the JR Nikko line. This trip was eventful because about halfway along the train stopped, not at a station. We could feel the train moving slightly when another tourist told us the train had stopped because of an earthquake! We even heard the sirens in the distance alerting people to it.

The seats were heated, maybe a little too much. And we could also watch the driver and see ahead of the train which was cool.

In terms of food adventures we had some weird bean snacks at the temple. Tess got some white bean bun which was called mochi. It was like a pork bun but with a sweet goopy paste inside. Tess still can’t work out whether she liked it or not. I got the same bean but in a warm drink form. Again it was a very odd taste, which wasn’t great but also wasn’t bad. Probably won’t be getting that again.

Upon arriving in Nikko, we caught the bus to a pretty red bridge. After a bakery stop (the melon bun was the best), we walked up to Toshogu shrine, a Shinto shrine in honour of Tokugawa Ieyasu, who established a shogunate there. When he died in the 17th century, his will instructed that he become a deity and have the shrine built in his honour. So I guess we just have to conquer a bunch of territories and get rich to become holy.

We felt like celebrities at the shrine because of the crowds of Japanese school kids who wanted our attention for an English assignment. Group after group in little yellow hats asked us our names, where we were from, and took pictures with us! What a great way to learn a language - go to a tourist spot and find people who can’t speak your language at all.

We also entered a smaller shrine with incredible acoustics - if you clapped two sticks together in one spot, and only that spot, the noise echoed in a ‘dragon’s cry’. We finished the visit with some mochi and mysterious bean water.

The shrine was fascinating and very elaborate, but I particularly enjoyed the forest surrounding it. After visiting the shrine we walked to a small waterfall. The walk was gorgeous (apart from an enormous black daddy long legs).

After a quick sample of various Japanese biscuits in a shop back on the Main Street, we got lunch at a small restaurant which felt like being in someone’s home.

Rhys and I shared the yuba set meal, which had all sorts of dishes featuring the delicious ‘tofu skin’. We accompanied this with what was essentially a melon spider - soooo good!

After lunch we walked to ‘the abyss’. Even in the back streets of Nikko, there were vending machines everywhere! I’m still amazed at the fact that they have both hot and cold drinks.

The abyss was my favourite spot in Nikko. Formed by an eruption there a long time ago, clear blue water cascaded between rocks smoothed by thousands of years of rapid water. Alongside the river were around seventy statues (local mythology says the number keeps changing) of the bodhisattva who guides the dead, travelers, and probably a few other things. Each statue wore a knitted hat, which was a little disconcerting as from a distance they seem so lifelike!

We caught the two trains back to Tokyo station, and from here it was just a short walk to our planned dinner spot. The restaurant was down an alley and tiny - it only sat eight people at a counter that surrounded the cramped kitchen.

The speciality was beef katsu - a crumbed steak served mostly raw and that you cooked to your liking on a small candlelit stone. It was delicious with soy sauce and wasabi, horseradish sauce, or even just some rock salt. The side dishes included a yam paste and roe with rice, shredded lettuce with Worcestershire sauce, and potato salad.

As we left, we realised we had arrived just in time - there was now a queue of at least 15 people outside! Next stop was a tiny bar nearby with only two tables and a counter. We were the only ones in the bar, and had a few hiccups communicating with the bartender - we really need to improve our Japanese! Tim and I had Manhattans while Rhys tried some Japanese whisky.

After a quick stop at 7/11 for sweets, it was back to the hotel for our early wake up for Takayama!

At Nagoya, we had a brief stop where we unsurprisingly bought more food. I bought another iced coffee and had a steamed walnut cake which was very light and fluffy.

Tess bought a small sushi roll which we think might have been prawn but she wasn’t so sure of it. It tasted good nonetheless.

Our next train to Takayama wasn’t a Shinkansen. However it was comfortable and the trip took just over two hours.

The hotel was just across the road from the station so there was no trouble checking in. After dropping off our bags we want off to explore the town.

Through the middle of Takayama runs a beautiful river which is known as the Rhine of Japan. This river directly connects to the Japan sea. On either side of the river lies the old and the new town. There are a variety of coloured bridges which connect the two sides.

One of the best parts about Takayama was the few rows of parallel streets which contain the traditional part of town. This is the most popular area for tourists as there are many shops, selling souvenirs, food and drinks. We stopped in a shop which sold a honey water drink which was deliciously sweet. This shop also sold an ice cream covered in it but when we went to return after dinner, it was unfortunately closed. Nonetheless, we also visited a soy shop, an alcohol store and many other shops selling knick knacks.

During our afternoon explore we also joined a queue for a Hiba beef sush. Inside the little shop was a single chef who prepared the food and handed it out through a small window. We maybe waited for 15 minutes and paid 700¥ for a yummy little beef treat.

Tim was also kind enough to let us taste his fried rice on a stick (that looked like a paddle pop). However, it didn’t really have that much flavour.

Flavour wasn’t a problem for lunch though. We went to a place called Jakson curry which was a grungy venue which played rock music in a dimly lit room. The menu wasn’t in English, however, the waitress was extremely helpful and we ordered two beef and one vegetable curry (1000¥ and 850¥ respectively). The moment I took a spoonful of curry I was hit with an explosion of flavour and spice. It had a very distinct taste, and wasn’t like the south East Asian and Indian curries I have had before. This was definitely one of the best food experiences so far.

We continued to explore for most of the afternoon. We visited a traditional house which was very open (and very cold!). It was a house which a wealthy family had lived in (after it was rebuilt). The house also had a lovely garden out the back and a small room selling expensive souvenirs but we were given tea to drink.

After a short break in the room we headed out for dinner. Before doing that we explored the city in the evening. Since it is such a small town, most of the attractions and shops were already closed at 5:30pm. However, we managed to find a small museum/garden and played with some puzzles for about half an hour or so. This was mostly to kill time because we were still full from lunch.

We had dinner at a place called Suzuya which specialised in a dish consisting of Hiba beef and soy paste. After receiving help from the owner, and the waitstaff (who were super helpful and friendly) we mixed the uncooked mix of food on a hot plate. The hot plate was heated by two small candles in a ceramic box which was not hot to touch which made eating easier. This meal was delicious, and had a subtle flavour enhanced by the mushrooms, onions, bean sprouts and water noodles. We also enjoyed a grape flavoured sake with the meal, which was not as strong as traditional sake.

After a stop at 7/11 to buy snacks for our trip to Shingawa-Go tomorrow, we headed off to the hotel.

We wandered slowly through the village. It was still early and there were few people around. But there were plenty of animals to make up for it: a shiba inu, two cats, and lots of koi in the gutters on the side of the path. They had incredible colours - everything from a deep navy to pure gold.

We stopped in a few souvenir shops on the main street, where I bought a monkey doll and some silk soap (which genuinely made my hands feel silky). From here, we walked over the suspension bridge to the open air museum. Here was a collection of old buildings from the village, arranged in a way that gave an idea of how life would have been. We walked through one of the houses, checked out the mill, and enjoyed the streams and scenery of the area. We finished the journey in the museum cafe, which was inside one of the heritage buildings. Two open fires burned in pits in the centre of the room, around which we sat with cups of green tea on tatami mats. We had a snack here - Tim had a delicious sweet red bean soup with vanilla ice cream in it, while Rhys had a soba ice cream and I had a yomoji ice cream. It had a pleasant herby aftertaste but otherwise was very plain.

All too soon it was time to catch the bus back to Takayama. \240We walked back over the bridge, and avoided the main street to escape the dozens of yellow-hatted school kids looking to practice their English with an unsuspecting tourist.

After a quick stop at the hotel, we had soba noodles and hida beef for lunch. We were unsure how to eat it - no spoons were provided for the broth - so we watched the two old women next to us closely to see what they did! In the end, we decided the broth was so delicious that we would drink it whether it was polite or not.

After lunch we went back to the old town area for dessert. The day before, we had sampled some delicious honey juice and we wanted to try the ice cream equivalent. Tim had one with lime and Rhys and I shared the honey one. Both were fantastic.

From here we tried to complete the Higashiyama walking course. This took us through the area where all the temples, shrines, and graves had been moved during the Warring States period.

The first part of the walk took us through the hills, where the woods looked just like the magical forests of my childhood books. Everything was bright orange and yellow in the autumn foliage, and the repeated ‘Beware of bears’ signs made it even more exciting. (Luckily we didn’t see a bear.) The track supposedly took us through the ruins of Takayama castle, but they must have worn away significantly as we couldn’t see any.

We re-entered civilisation through outer suburban streets before arriving at a collection of shrines and cemeteries. They were closed, but we were able to appreciate the exteriors. There was even a dojo, where we saw a child arrive and be let in just before class by the teacher.

At 5pm, music played throughout the area. We took this as our cue to get home before dark. It was a short walk down the main street to our hotel.

For dinner, Rhys, Tim and I all suggested the same place: Hida Takayama Gyoza Sohanzan. The small restaurant was nestled down an alley full of eateries similar to Spice Alley (but much quieter). There was a single chef and no other staff inside. We ordered through a touch screen and gave the chef the ticket. Once we were comfortably seated, the chef brought over an interactive globe, similar to the one I owned as a kid, and we each pointed to our countries. This caused the national anthem to play. We also had silly pictures with gyoza hats.

We had four types of gyoza: vegetable, pork, beef, and chicken skin. The chicken skin was probably best, like all the best parts of a roast chicken in one bite. I also enjoyed the vegetable gyoza. Served with a little pesto, they tasted like ravioli.

The walls of the restaurant were covered with drawings from satisfied customers. We (hopefully) added to this wall of honour with our own picture!

I really enjoyed our time in Takayama. Especially for shrines and nature, I would put it on anyone’s travel list.

We bought our tickets (1040¥ with included garden tour) and headed to the main keep of the castle. The castle was built on a large mound, one of the highest points in Himeji. To stall enemy forces, we zigzagged our way up the hill. We observed the cutouts in the wall, with the square holes for the archers and the others for the gunmen.

The main keep itself was 6 storeys, with a basement level. As per Japanese culture, we had to take off our shoes and we carried these in a plastic bag with us. Inside the main keep, we worked our way up from the basement level up to the top floor. There was nothing inside the keep, so we observed the progressively better view the higher up we got. However, it was interesting how steep the stairs/ladder between levels were.

After leaving the main keep, we took some photos around the ground and headed to the building where the princess’ maids stayed. This was a 300m long building and contained information about the different families which have ruled in the area. The most interesting story was the of Princess Sen, who at the age of 7 married a prince (who was 9). He died in the summer battle of Osaka. She went on to marry the leader of Himeji at the time, and had a child. However, they both died and she was told she was cursed. So she changed her name and devoted her life to her religion.

Once we left the castle grounds, we unfortunately only had about 20 minutes to see the gardens nearby. They were beautiful (at least the two we actually saw). I don’t have the vocabulary to describe it, so here’s a nice photo or two.

Unfortunately our time at the gardens was cut short since was had to catch the Shinkansen to Hiroshima. While on the platform, a train at full speed passed us and it was insane how fast it was travelling! I think our train travelled this fast too, as it was definitely the fastest we had been on so far. It’s a shame Tim and Tess slept for most of it.

For dinner we had sushi at a place not too far from the train station. We got three seats right in front of the chefs so we could just see how they made the sushi. They were very skilled in the way they were cutting the meat and using their hands to make the sushi. There were also 8 or so different types of seafood, many of which we tried in the variety pack (800¥). From memory we had: Congo eel (my favourite), tuna, boiled squid (chewy), sweet egg omelette, octopus, shrimp, and others I can’t quite remember. Once we finished our variety packs we then tried some more unusual sushis. These were soft crab (the second best one), sea urchin (salty yellow balls) and abolone (crunchy but no flavour). This was one of Tessa’s first times having raw fish sushi and I also enjoyed the exerience. It was made even funnier with a Japanese businessman (actually an engineer) who tried to communicate with us (mostly Tim) in broken English. Tim failed miserably to ask his name in Japanese and ended up sharing a hot sake, or two, with him.

We walked along the beach to the gate and inspected it from all angles. Along the way, we learnt from our brochures that the shrine is dedicated to three goddesses: the deities of the sea, fortune and accomplishment ... and traffic safety.

From here, we meandered through the side streets of Miyajima and came across a little shop that sold momiji manju, the maple pastry specialties of the island. Through the glass, we watched the elaborate machine that created the pastries. We all had the one with red bean filling with the skin still on - perhaps it would have been better in the smooth variety, but it was still delicious. Warm and fresh with a cup of complementary green tea!

From here we entered Momijidani Park, where we saw more deer congregated amongst the leaves. Alongside us were a group of hikers decked out in the latest fluorescent gear and hiking poles. We parted ways as they prepared to walk all the way to the top of Mount Misen, while we took the ropeway cable cars - a much shorter route as it took only 15-20 minutes!

When we exited the cable cars, we were greeted with a beautiful (if a little misty) view back to the city of Hiroshima and to the islands sureounding Miyajima. You could see oyster farms in the water as well. It didn’t feel like we were in Japan, but rather south east Asia or northern Queensland.

But we weren’t at the summit yet - from here there was a short but steep descent followed by a slightly longer climb all the way to the top of Mount Misen. Although it only took about half an hour, it was quite strenuous, and soon we had stripped off most of our layers and were very quiet as we walked. But at least we were more appropriately dressed than the dozens of businessmen in full suits that we saw doing the walk!

As we walked, we passed numerous shrines were people had left offerings of drinks, money, and food. Some were elaborate while some weren’t much more than piles of rocks.

At the top we rested for a while and enjoyed the view. Then we began our 45 minute descent down the mountain (we had only bought a one way cable car ticket). While it was much easier than if we had walked uphill, our legs were shaking by the time we reached the bottom! Signs at the beginning of the walk warned of venomous vipers, and we were a little concerned when we heard some inhuman rustling. But it turned out to be a polite deer instead - it was walking along the path but stood aside to let us pass.

At the bottom of the walk was Daisho-in Temple, a Shingon Buddhist temple founded in the 800s. It was my favourite temple so far - partly due to the very informative brochure which gave an overview of Buddhism and the significance of many aspects of the temple. There were many halls and shrines to explore. Some we couldn’t enter because services were in session. However, we did touch the sutras and spin wheels to bring good fortune and blessings.

At this point it was past 2pm and we were starving! We ended up at an okonomiyaki chain, where I realised that the real dish is nothing like the lukewarm veggie fritter they serve at Flinders Street sushi stalls. We sat at the counter and watched the chefs as they cooked the pancake covered in lettuce, added pork and egg, and mixed it all with packet noodles, then topped it off with two delicious sauces including ‘super spicy sauce’ (which was a super sauce that happened to be a bit spicy). So yum!

Satisfied, we wandered through the main street where Rhys and I bought some engraved chopsticks for our apartment for next year. Craving dessert, we went onto a side street where we had seen the ‘cremia’ banner - Ashley had been telling me I had to try it. And he was right: the cream flavoured soft serve was so light and smooth, and the flavour just right. Even the cone was an experience. As we sat eating our ice cream, we saw a group of people with a deer in their midst following them along like a dog.

The tide was in now, so we could see the O-torii Gate ‘floating’ in the water as the sun set. Most tourists were heading home now, and the deer knew which ones had snacks, following them around and even head butting them persistently.

It was a quiet ferry and train ride back to our hotel as we were all tired from such a big day or walking. We opted for a quiet 7/11 dinner and drinks in the hotel room before getting an early night’s sleep.

Even though we were all full, we decided that ice cream at a place called Polar Bear was a good idea. We each got a double scoop for 380¥ and it was massive! I got a pumpkin and cinnamon cappuccino cone and Tessa got madcopone and charcoal bamboo flavour. I personally liked the cinnamon cappuccino flavour the most, even though it was basically coffee flavour. Tim and I both managed to finish these ice creams, even though it became a struggle towards the end. We were surprised to see that most people in the store could so easily eat all this ice cream with no trouble at all. Maybe the big lunch wasn’t such a great idea.

For the remainder of the afternoon, we explored the area around the A-Dome. This is one of the few remaining structures in the city and was only 160m from the epocentre. It stood in stark contrast to the surrounding buildings which are all so modern.

Earlier in the day, we explored the Peace Park. We had a look at the two cenotaphs, one of which was for the children lost in the bombing. The other connected a straight line between the museum and the A-Dome, similar to the Canberra war memorial. There was a very somber mood around these structures.

As we left the garden, we entered Yasaka jinja shrine. This area was particularly packed with girls in kimonos, taking photos and writing prayers on colourful balls hung from the shrine.

Next stop was Kodai-ji Temple. When we finished here, our stomachs were grumbling, so we ate at an udon restaurant. I’ve had udon noodles in other dishes like stir fry before, but never the way this was served. The noodles, in an orange liquid, were served in a separate bowl and dipped into the salty broth before being slurped up. Vegetables were also served separately for dipping into the broth. It was absolutely delicious.

The restaurant was along Ishibei-koji street, a narrow cobbled street full of interesting shops. I looked at lots of bowls at vastly different prices, Rhys bought a souvenir for his grandma, and we tasted all sorts of snacks, from pickled plums to soy crackers to so many different types of desserts I don’t even remember their names. Most were gelatinous, doughy sweets.

Our final stop on our DIY walking tour was Kiyomizu-dera Temple. As we ascended closer to the temple, the streets became much more crowded and school kids began to appear everywhere.

The temple provided a great view of Kyoto and the surrounding mountains. My favourite part was entering Tainai-Meguri. This is a pitch black room beneath the temple that symbolises the womb of a female bodhisattva. I entered first, quiet confidently, but balked when I saw how thoroughly black it was down there. It seemed to envelope you completely. I backed up and let Rhys go first (and I may have closed my eyes for most of it). We followed twists and turns using nothing but a beaded wooden handrail for guidance. At the centre, bathed in light, was a stone with a sacred symbol on it. We lay our hands on it and made a wish, then exited up the stairs and back into the light.

Having finished our planned itinerary, we found a little side street and sat, our legs aching, while deciding what to do next. Eventually we decided to return to the hotel for a lazy dinner and drinks. However, it was a bit of a struggle to find the right bus stop. Luckily, a lovely woman noticed our difficulties. She showed us to the right stop and ensured we got on the correct bus, even getting on the same bus as us even though I’m not sure it was entirely necessary for her trip. She seemed to help quite a few other lost travellers as well! We had a brief conversation with her while waiting for the bus (which was late due to all the traffic!) mostly via Google Translate. The bus was crowded and took us slowly through a busy shopping strip that looked like it could be in any city.

Back at the hotel, Rhys bought a drink from 7/11 which I found disgusting - it tasted faintly of lemon and vodka. We had an unremarkable dinner from a chain curry restaurant called CoCo Ichibanya. As it was an early meal, we were the only customers served by a lot of teenage employees, one of which was clearly still in training. We had hashi beef curry, which was an odd Western/Japanese concoction of beef, onion, mushroom, and red wine sauce with rice. Nothing to complain about!

Our next stop was Nony’s Bar, which had received raving reviews for its unusual cocktails on TripAdvisor. We walked down a quiet street then up some tiled, dirty steps. Soon the overwhelming scent of ginger hit us through doors adorned by street-style art. We were the only ones in the bar, and took a seat at the counter. Fresh fruit sat on the counter next to a vat of boiling homemade ginger syrup - the source of the smell. The bartender’s English was good enough for conversation, and as he made our drinks he explained that he makes the ginger syrup from ginger, chilli, herbs and spices. Rhys had this in a cocktail with vodka - it was deliciously sweet and spicy. I had a gin and tonic, but the gin had been infused with olive and cucumber, and the drink (well, the whole room really) was sprayed with celery bitters.

There was an enclosure from which you could feed the monkeys through mesh. We bought some banana pieces and laughed as they held their hands expectantly through the wire. Some were more polite than others - the large males would push the younger smaller ones aside and steal their food.

The whole experience was less than $10AUD - cheapest zoo ever!

After a brief stop for cremia ice cream at the station (Rhys had chocolate, which tasted like Milo/Yogo, while I had classic cream), we wandered past the shops to the bamboo forest. At first we went the wrong way and only walked through a couple hundred metres of bamboo - quite underwhelming! However, we ultimately found the right route, which was a ten minute walk through tall bamboo. It was crowded which killed the ‘serene’ vibe, but it was good to see.

After stopping for tasters from a spice shop, we caught the street car back to Shijo-Omiya. Rhys and I shared some delicious ramen from a hole-in-the wall shop off the big intersection.

After a quick caffeine stop at Tully’s Coffee, we picked up our bags from the hotel and caught the train to Minshuku Koumekawa, a traditional inn near Gion and the temple district where we would stay one night.

We took our shoes off at the door and were shown to our incredibly spacious room. A table and chairs were in the middle of the tatami mats, and our host brought us some tea to settle in with.

We were excited to try on the yakuta provided - like a kimono but cotton and more casual. We weren’t sure if we were wearing them correctly and spent a while googling etiquette!

As we sipped our tea, we researched Tokyo and began planning our itinerary for the next few days using Julie’s guidebook. It felt so nice to relax without feeling the pressure to see sights - the accomodation was the sight!

The showers were shared (although I don’t think anyone else was staying at the time), and included a wooden stool and bucket to wash yourself with before getting in the bath. After showering, we walked down a lane way filled with colourful lanterns and had dinner at a small brewery. We shared fried chicken, smoked chicken pizza, and ‘fried potato with Japanese spicy sauce’ - AKA chips and tomato sauce with some chilli. We also tried a few beers, the most interesting of which was the sour beer.

We were still peckish after our tapas-style meal so we finished the night with a chocolate pie and Oreo McFlurry from Maccas. When we returned to the minshuku, we set up our bed for the night: futon mattresses on the floor that were much comfier than I expected! I slept much better than I anticipated.

By now, Takeshita Street was open. We wandered through kawaii fashion stores with a Supre/Jay Jays feel, make up boutiques, and crepe stores. A little further down the road the crowds thinned and the cheap clothing stores gave way to galleries and more upmarket shops.

Next spot to explore was Cat Street, another slightly less busy shopping strip. From here we ended up in the Gyre Building at the MoMA shop, where Rhys helped me look for gifts for Mum and Dad. One contender (that we didn’t end up buying) was plastic sleeves you could place sandwiches in and insert into the toaster - an easy way to make grilled cheese with only a toaster!

We had lunch at a burger joint called Golden Brown in the Omotesando building. Rhys declared they were some of the best burgers he had ever had. The ginger ale was delicious too!

Online recommended the top of the Louis Vuitton building for a view of Tokyo. We took our time looking at all the clothing and accessories we can’t afford (space themed!) before making it to the top floor, which turned out to be a contemporary art exhibit. I think Rhys felt like I tricked him, especially since the balcony with the good view was closed! He enjoyed interacting with the exhibit though - it was just the quasi-physics language in the exhibition descriptions that were laughable.

Still in need of souvenirs, we looked through Oriental Bazaar: a tourist Mecca for tacky souvenirs. While I failed to find Mum a yukata or some bowls, I did buy her a fan.

Our guidebook recommended a brownie pit stop at New York’s Magnolia Bakery outlet in the basement of the Gyre Building, but it was nowhere to be seen - perhaps it closed down? Right next door, however, was Kiddyland, a five storey toy store that would have been my dream as a child. We spent a while browsing the toys (and used plenty of hand sanitiser afterwards!)

Still craving sugar and caffeine, we went back to Cat Street to the Roastery by Nozy Coffee. It was the kind of cafe where you could sample the different beans, with their notes of ‘lychee and Japanese tea’ - I couldn’t taste it and I don’t think Rhys could either but oh well, coffee! It went down a treat with the donut we shared.

Walking down Cat Street I spotted a shop, Scrapbook (Jeanasis), with comfy and good-quality looking jumpers. It was the first time I had tried clothes on in Japan, and I was impressed that not only did I have to take my shoes off before entering the fitting room, but I also had to wear a sheet over my face to protect the clothes from makeup! Clever!

Next stop was a silly little shop called Pink Dragon, a 1950s copycat apparel and nostalgia store. Band T-shirts and rock music abounded, but the only reason I dragged Rhys in there was because the guidebook mentioned a ‘secret dragon museum.’ I was not disappointed by the small room with dragon ‘fossils’ and anatomy sketches.

By this point kids of all ages were everywhere - and that made sense when we walked past a school on our way to Shibuya crossing.

At first glance, Shibuya crossing was less impressive than I expected. But the more we stood and watched, the more I realised just how many people were coming and going. While we waited for darkness, we looked in the Loccitane store, a bookshop, and a music shop full of high school students with bubble tea in hand. The bookshop was a speedy inspection as there were only a handful of books we could read!

Starbucks was the recommended vantage point to observe the crossing, but it was only one floor up and packed. Instead we went to the opposite corner where there was a free dedicated observation deck on level 6. By now the crowds had increased, and I understood why the crossing is such a tourist attraction. Just so many people!

After a quick stop at the Hachiko statue of a very loyal dog, we headed back to the hotel for a well earned rest.

Our dinner plan was a sushi restaurant where every plate was 100 Yen and you were rewarded with arcade games and robots. However, it was over an hour wait for a seat, so we gave up and found a nearby ramen place. It definitely had the best noodles of all the ramen I tried: thick and flavoursome. And the portions were enormous!

We were craving cheese tarts after dinner, but learned the hard way how difficult it is to navigate Tokyo stations (and how useless Google maps is for this). We spent almost an hour looking for Pablo’s, which was supposedly only a few minutes’ walk. The GPS was no help underground and it was crowded and overwhelming. Eventually we gave up and went back to Shinjuku station, where we stumbled upon another Pablo’s almost entirely by chance. They had run out of individual tarts so Rhys and I shared half a large one with drinks back in the hotel room. The tart wasn’t as good as at Baked in Hiroshima - not warm and not quite as flavoursome - but I would definitely eat it again!

I quickly called Dad for his birthday - at home it was still light outside despite the time difference and the fact that it had been dark for hours here. The TV in this hotel worked so we found the only channel which had some English - a documentary about the British royals. It put us straight to sleep!