Tokyo, Japan (again) - Dec 2025
On 8 Dec around midday, I left overcast Kyoto behind and boarded the bullet train - shinkansen to Tokyo with its sunny skies and temp of 14-15 C.
The train arrived and departed with impressive precision and the 2 hour 15 min journey literally flew by. Sitting down felt perfectly normal except for the scenery moving at double speed. But when I stood up to walk, that’s another story - in my mind I was going straight but in reality my body was going very much to the side. Reminds you of something? Yep a drunk walk.
So I settled in my comfortable seat and unpacked the snacks and drink I brought along (just like everyone else) and enjoyed the ride. Travelling in a legendary shinkansen with bilingual announcements, regular staff checks and spotless facilities was a nice experience. At around £65, it was not the cheapest option but slower trains take 4.5 -7.5 hours for the same distance.
Tokyo Station was full of Monday rush energy. I took the metro to Shinjuku.You know when they say Japanese people are restrained and avoid sitting next to foreigners? Well forget that, it was crowded and businessmen were practically sitting in my lap.
I checked into the Sunroute Plaza Shinjuku, which was my base last year as well. Once again I admired the selection of complimentary items in the hotel lobby. You could literally arrive without your toiletry bag, or any bag and they’d have you covered.
For my own fond memories, here is a randomly assembled list: facial mask, hair pack, shower cap, body sponge, cotton swabs, cotton pads, face wash, face cleanser, milky lotion, moisture milk, cleansing oil, toothbrush, toothpaste, razor, hair tie, hair wax, SPF lotion, hair brush, bathing powder.
I did not video my hotel room - it was perfectly pleasant, similar in size to the room in Kyoto with all usual amenities.
In the following days I slipped into Tokyo rhythm. I revisited my favourite tiny restaurant for omurice and beef stew, wandered up and down Takeshita Street in Harajuku watching a young crowd in the latest Japanese fashion. Also in Takeshita Street, I visited the anime art museum and bought a nice little print. I bought a few pieces of clothing from the same shop and label as last year andI navigated the metro more confidently. In the evening, I managed to locate the same tiny restaurant from last year with great bowls of ramen. This was actually the idea which prompted the whole trip, for me to go back to Tokyo and visit some of the same places and eat some of the same food I remember from Dec 2024. It somehow spanned into a 3-cities tour.
On Day 3 with plenty of winter sunshine and temps of 15-16C, I boarded a bus for a 2-hour journey to Kawaguchi - to see Mt Fuji up close and personal. Reserve a bus seat for this one because the spaces fills up quickly. I didn’t and was lucky to get a ticket the night before.
Also, leave early, my bus left at 8:00, because the mountain peak often gets hidden in clouds in early afternoons no matter how sunny it is. The atmosphere on the bus is zen like - no one talks, mobiles are silent, bliss.
Once in the area of five lakes, the lake Kawaguchiko was beautiful and the atmosphere was serene. The ropeway was closed for maintenance and the sun was against me - if I wanted to shoot Mt Fuji I had to shoot straight into the sun. Still Fuji showed up and I had a quiet and relaxing time strolling by the lake so overall it was a win.
By the final day, I slowed down big time. I went suitcase shopping, had a coffee at Starbucks — where a man casually left his laptop and bag unattended at the table next to mine (unimaginable in London), visited Donki for souvenirs and small gifts.
A nice sleep-in on my very last day then went to buy more sweets to take back home. I was also looking for K-pop Demon Hunters toys but couldn’t find any. Instead I run into a pop up shop called Alice on Wednesday selling various decorative items including jewelry - all Alice in Wonderland themed. When I asked why “on Wednesday” was in the name of the shop, they gave me the sweetest explanation. They said: Because Wednesday is in the middle of a week and could be a bit gloomy so to make it less boring and more magical.
Of course I walked out with several items including the melting clock Dali style.
In the afternoon, I took the Limousine bus to Haneda and my last hotel, Villa Fontaine Grand Haneda Airport in the Terminal 3 building. Once there I went to a spa (onsen) which is in the hotel and has several indoor and outdoor thermal pools. Great relaxation plus you’ll be squeaky clean for an early morning flight. I went to onsen feeling I was coming down with a cold and I left right as rain.
Next morning, 13 Dec, I woke up at 6:00, left the room at 6:45 and headed for Terminal 3 Departures 5 min walking distance away. A little later I watched the sea shimmer below as the plane took off.
My short layover of 2.5 hours in Shanghai was long enough for checks and scans, breakfast and a coffee. I flew with China Eastern on both legs of the journey so the luggage went through automatically.
Before boarding again for London, I bought lots of White Rabbit candies to take with me. My journey came full circle.
More photos and videos to be added…