Day 5: Gōtoku-ji – the cat temple
The “cat temple” Gōtoku-ji is located in the Setagaya district. The complex was built in the 17th century during the Edo period. There…
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Day 5: Tokyo Sky Tree
I have a weakness for viewing platforms of any kind (as long as they aren’t church towers with narrow stairs or rickety ladders)….
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Day 4: Odaiba
The next day I woke up to glorious weather. The evening before I had already discussed with Amber what to do. It was…
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Day 3 – Parks, Temples and People
Day three finally delivered on the weather front, so I took that as a sign to swap dead artifacts for living things: parks,…
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Day 3 – Shibuya
After the idyll of Meiji Jingū, stepping into Shibuya felt like someone cranked every dial to eleven. Around the station, there are people…
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Day 3 – Meiji Jingū
The Meiji Shrine (Meiji Jingū 明治神宮) is a Shinto shrine dedicated to the deified Emperor Meiji. In 1868, Emperor Meiji led Japan out…
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Day 3 – Shinjuku Gyoen
Shinjuku Gyoen is a large park in Shinjuku, one of Tokyo’s major districts. The park was originally privately owned before being converted into…
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Day 2 – Museum Day
Alternative program: Museum Day That evening, I checked the weather forecast: snow was predicted for the next day across several regions, including Kantō….
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Day 1 – Cat Cafe in Asakusa
So there I was, making my way to the famous Sensō-ji Temple, when I spotted something that made me do a complete 180:…
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Day 1 – Ueno Park
Ueno Park was my first destination, and timing really is everything with Tokyo’s cherry blossoms. Early spring here means everything’s on the verge…
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