Sip, Snack, See

Traveling to Japan is fun but the flight to Japan is 14 hours long. I have a hard time falling asleep on airplanes and I was waking up early as a result. Waking up at around 5 AM is not the worst thing. Yes, there is not much to do but convenience stores, better known as konbini’s, are open 24/7.

I would start my day with a light breakfast from the a nearby konbini. After that, I would walk around and explore nearby places. On this day, it was raining lightly but it didn’t stop me. I decided to walk to Tokyo Station, the busiest station in Japan. It has tons of shops and is easy to get lost here.

I arrived there before most stores opened. The good news was that there weren’t many people there. But it also meant I couldn’t go to most of the shops. Ultimately, I decided to go to a Starbucks because it was open.

Normally I would go to a local cafe but finding one in Tokyo Station is almost impossible. This was my first time in Tokyo Station and I was amazed at how much it had to offer. There are shops of all kinds and so much food. This place is ridiculously huge and I would recommend using your phone for directions or you will get lost.

After this, I headed back home before heading out again. Like my first day, I found myself around Ginza. While I stayed there for about three days, I ended up walking around this area a ton. Whenever I travel, I love to explore the neighborhood I am in.

This was my first time staying in Ginza here and I discovered a lot of nearby places. And today, I had a specific place in mind. While on Instagram, I saw a reel for a restaurant called A Happy Pancake Ginza. One thing you need to know about me is that I have a sweet tooth. I love trying sweets and I had high hopes for this place.

If you want to go to A Happy Pancake Ginza, make sure you make a reservation. I did not do enough research and ended having to wait to be seated. Make a reservation because this place is popular and busy. I went before it even opened and it still had a long wait.

After walking around for an hour, I received an email and headed back there. To get to the restaurant, you have to take an elevator that fits about six to eight people. The place itself is big and I the service is great. I got the tiramisu pancakes and a coffee.

The pancakes were soft and creamy and they were the best pancakes I ever had. The portion size is big and it will cost around 10 to 15 U.S dollars. The coffee was not good and I couldn’t get myself to finish it. This was an amazing experience and I am glad that I tried it.

After heading back, I decided to go back to Tokyo Station and visit the Pokemon Store. If was a cool experience and I loved the Tokyo Station themed merchandise.

Next, I decided to visit a neighborhood that I hadn’t been to before; Asakusa. This is a historical district in Tokyo and has a ton of shops and restaurants. There are also temples like the Senso-ji Temple. You can also see the Tokyo Skytree from here and even walk to it.

There were tons of shops and it was crowded. Going early or late is the best time to avoid the crowds. But I was here and I wanted to take in all the sights. Unfortunately for me, it was still raining. After walking for a while, I found a small restaurant and got some curry.

Asakusa was gorgeous and I need to stay around that area to fully explore it. After visiting the beautiful Senso-ji Temple, I decided to call it a day.

This was my second full day and I ended up exploring three districts. To get to Asakusa, I had to take the train. Tokyo Station and Ginza are within walking distance which is why I need going back and forth. I explored a ton of shops and tried popular and local food.

When you are in Japan, I recommend walking around and discovering local shops and restaurants. These have been the places that really stuck out to me. The food is almost always going to be amazing and it is not going to cost you much.

But do watch your wallet because it adds up quickly. Between shopping and eating and trying new stuff, it goes by fast.

After my second full day in Tokyo, I was ready to head to my favorite destination; Kyoto.