4 friends. 3 countries. 5 cities. 3 weeks.

The second stop in our big Japan & Oceanic trip was Tokyo Japan. We spent about 6 days there.

Day 1:

We arrived in Tokyo via the bullet train from Kyoto.

We arrived at our hotel and, yes, it had complimentary manga.

It was pretty late when we arrived, so we just spent the rest of the morning walking around the neighborhood. We found some book shops and raided a convenience store or two.

Day 2:

Day 2, we were off to a nerdy start. We made our way to the Ghibli Museum!!! So awesome, I only wish that we had been allowed to take pictures on the inside. If you love Ghibli or animation, I would definitely try to go here. Buy your tickets early, they sell out quick!

After our wonderful morning, we made a stop at Nagano Broadway, a shopping spot know for its many anime shops.

For lunch, we got to try shabu shabu for the first time.

After lunch, we made our way to the Samurai Museum. Take one of their tours, if you can. And, they will let you try on samurai gear at the end (for free!)

Then, it was on to dinner, where we discovered a fantastic yakiniku (a.k.a. beautiful meat you grill at the table) place right next to our hotel.

And with full bellies, we rolled ourselves back to the hotel and concluded day 2.

Day 3:

We started day 3 at Meiji Shrine. The shrine was beautiful and I recommend paying the little extra to also check out the gardens.

Next, we headed over to the Kawaii Monster Cafe! Super crazy, super colorful! We had a lot of fun. We even got to dance on stage.

While we were in the neighborhood, we decided to walk around Shibuya for a bit. Shibuya is one of the big shopping districts in Tokyo. We swung by the Disney Store at one point. And, we got to see the crazy crosswalk that the area is famous for.

And then, of course, we had some arcade time! Purikura, games, and karaoke!

Then we had some dinner. Ali tried nattō (fermented soybeans). Not his favorite thing. But the rest of the food, delicious!

And that was the end of day 3!

Day 4:

Its day 4, and we're off to the Tokyo National Museum to soak up some Japanese history.

We ran into a small festival right outside the museum and grabbed a few snacks.

Afterwards, we made our way to the Asakusa area. First stop there was lunch! I got to try omurice for the first time. Then we had taiyaki for dessert!

With full bellies, we made our way through the shop-lined streets to Sensō-ji, Tokyo's oldest temple.

Next stop: Ikebukuro, another of Tokyo's shopping districts, to check out the Animate anime store.

Day 5:

Day 5 began bright and early as Ali and I adventured to Akihabara, a.k.a. nerd paradise. If you love anime or manga, this is the place to go. We grabbed some breakfast at a bakery along the way and, also, got some MAGIKARP TAIYAKI!

After our geeky morning, we met up with our travel mates for some Denny's lunch. Denny's in Japan is not your American Denny's. It still has the dinner feel, but the food is completely different.

Afterwards, we headed to Tokyo Tower, which looks like a red version of the Eiffel Tower. Nice views of the city.

At the bottom of the tower, we treated ourselves to some delicious crepes.

The rest of the day was spent at Oedo Onsen. They describe themselves as an onsen theme park. We wanted the onsen experience, but a few of us weren't comfortable getting naked in front of strangers, so this was a great option since they also had foot baths that we could all do together, clothed. When you arrive, you get to pick out a yukata to change into and you get a locker to store all your belongings in. No need to carry money either, they provide special wristbands that act as a credit card for while you're there and you just pay everything at the end.

First thing we did was enjoy the outdoor foot bath.

For an extra fee, we were able to do the fish foot bath, where a hundred little fish eat off all your dry skin. They tickle so much, though!!

After our feet were sufficiently rested, we headed back inside for some food and games.

Despite the rain, we soaked our feet one last time before heading back to the hotel for the night.

Day 6:

Day 6, our last day in Tokyo. We only had the morning to go exploring before we had to head towards the airport, so we decided to go back to Akihabara to check out all the stores one last time.

Then we enjoyed our last meal in Japan, our favorite meal, yakiniku.

And so concludes our wonderful time in Japan.

Next Stop: Cairns, Australia

Japan & Oceanic Adventure 2017: Part 2: Tokyo, Japan