Years ago in my previous life, I had the privilege of working as an international flight attendant. Lifestyle of having breakfast in Hongkong and dinner in Paris in a 24 hour period constitute a  typical day at work . The minute I share what I do , the first question I get asked was , “what is your favorite destination?”

With  an objective, unbiased eyes and with dozens of exotic places to compare , I circle back to my all-time favorite … and that my friends… is none other than… drum roll please .. Tokyo . Yes ! It was my favorite a decade or so ago and still is . After my recent visit, it just validated my fascination of this lovely, upbeat, dynamic, cosmopolitan city yet serene, sublime and humbling at the same time .

Don’t let the title fool you. There is NO way you can enjoy this city in a day. At minimum, you need at least 5 full days to taste the “juice” that makes Tokyo a must-add in anyone’s bucket list.

So Why Tokyo :

I. Food– As a self-professed foodie here are some to savor :

 

• The pastries- Try the imagawayaki. It’s made of batter in a special pan filled with sweet azuki bean paste. It’s pure delight. Important to eat it fresh. It doesn’t taste as good when it’s not warm and not straight from the pan . It’s simple , not overpowering, but hits the spot for sure.  And not to forget, the  popular mochi which are made from rice pounded into paste and molded into different shapes and flavors.
• Their snacks – Have a bite of their rice crackers with seaweeds , peanuts coated with crunchy shell with toasty hint of soy sauce , native wasabi chips , colorful and flavorful gummy candies that are bursting with natural fruity flavors as well as their neatly wrapped bite size assorted chocolates. Even their local 7-11 carry so much variety .
• Fresh sushi – Name it, they have it and I promise you , you will instantly notice how fresh the seafoods are. Their broiled and grilled unagi (fresh sea eel) is my all-time favorite. So succulent and mouth watering . Catch it in Narita city, the oldest place serving eel dated way back during the Edo era .
• Green tea – For tea lovers , this is the mecca for green tea . Their matcha green tea and roasted hojicha are a must .

II. People–

• So organized. It’s a sheer delight to witness the crowd during rush hour. At the world famous Shibuya crossing, you will see  herds of pedestrians crossing so orderly it looks choreographed. All stopping at same time at the signal and marching forward once the light turns green. It’s a treat to witness it and get lost in  the crowd at this giant multi directional iconic crosswalk.
• Cleanliness. Where else can you see a super busy subway so clean with zero graffiti? Where public toilets have the ever convenient bidet and mind you it sings and is heated to warm you buns while doing your business?
•  Politeness  and respect. Where bowing and smiling are normal way of greeting!
• Minimalist- From their shrines, hotel lobbies, parks, gardens, traditional home you can instantly sense their de-cluttered lifestyle. It’s simple, yet effortlessly beautiful. My kind of fashion really. It’s the intentional and a conscious decision to remove the unnecessary distraction. In essence, it is a countercultural lifestyle that is opposite the mainstream of overconsumption that embody Western living.

 

III. Shrines and temples ...No visit to Japan is complete without a visit to their places of worship. Shrines are for followers of Shinto faith and temples are for Buddhism . We visited a few, but most memorable was the Giant Buddha (“Daibatsu”) as well as the the golden Buddha both seen in Kamakura . There are hundreds spread throughout Tokyo cityscape so you can’t miss it.

IV. Gardens – We lucked out. Our hotel in Shinjuku has an amazing garden a few blocks away . Shinjuku Gyoen is Tokyo’s largest and most popular especially during cherry blossoms season . It’s a relaxing oasis from the busy urban center around it . For any tourist who particularly like bonsais and koi ponds their gardens would be the ultimate dreamland.

“Tokyo is a very safe city. At night it becomes quiet the way New York never does.” -Rick Kennedy

 

Tokyo .. Land of contrast

So do you want to be in a time warp or time capsule where you can fast forward in the future and rewind back in ancient time in a single bullet train ride in a matter of an hour or less ?

One minute you are “back to the future” with the glitz  and glamour of the out-of-this world gigantic billboard signs and humongous TV monitors mounted in tall buildings, with bombastic signage surrounded with lights so bright you wonder the wattage and electric bill it consume per day. And boy, the audio that comes with it , all in Japanese with volume in full blast. Plus, the futuristic skyscrapers. Some look like a rocket ship , LEGO bricks or those that you imagine from the popular space age sitcom, “The Jetsons”.

As a futuristic city, they are the leaders in  cutting edge technology where bitcoin and other crypto currencies are embraced like no other place. Where you can dine in a robot restaurant, filled with.. you guessed it , robots and laser lights . And then hop to the next restaurant entertained by modern day authentic ninjas complete with their vast arsenal of exotic weapons from spikes, swords, throwing stars, nunchucks etc .. Also, not to be missed is their electric town, “Akihabara” . Apparently,  after World War II it became a major shopping center for household electronic goods and the “post-war black market”. Nowadays, Akihabara is a one-stop shopping district for anime, manga, video games, and computer items. It is also common to see women in anime costume. (Beware though they don’t like you taking pics of them. They will literally run and hide.)

“The overriding sense of Tokyo…is that it is a city devoted to the new, sped up in a subtle but profound way: a postmodern science-fiction story set ten minutes in the future.” – David Rakoff

Amidst all the ultra modern mumbo jumbo, there is no sign of them abandoning their age old traditions dating back the Kamakura period in 12th Century. (Early settlers are traced back during 3rd millennium BC.)

Their parks, shrines and temples  will take you to the most serene bonsai garden with ponds full of colorful koi abound just like the early medieval Samurai days .  It’s also a classic tourist moment to see Japanese men and women in their native Kimonos walking amidst the crowd like a normal thing .

“A calm and modest life brings more happiness than the pursuit of success combined with constant restlessness.”~ Fitting Way of Life. Imperial Hotel note paper, Tokyo Japan, 1922” ― Albert Einstein

 

Tokyo is so much  more ..

So much more that I have to stage a come back .. There’s Mt Fuji, Kyoto, hot springs , Okinawa, more of Ginza , more sushi , and other inner “sinful” happenings that so uniquely Japan that just can’t be missed .. Good news is, air fare and lodging for a 4 store boutique hotels are less than their European counterparts though beware of the teeny tiny miniaturized room. But not too worry , the rooms are manageable and an experience on its own .. So , yeah going off tangent now, but you get the point. There’s just too much to share, so little time and few words to express it .. Any blog can’t do justice to this one-of-a-kind city . All I can say is, it’s worth every dollar …or yen. Arigato Japan! Till next time:)