First Of The Epic 4 Country Hop Began In Tokyo

Last year, four women and two generations descended on Tokyo, and naturally, none of us arrived the same way. My daughter and I flew out of Fort Lauderdale, with a very fancy, very free points-funded pit stop in San Francisco. My cousin flew in from Virginia and met us right there at the San Francisco airport, where we grabbed a drink together before splitting up for our flights to Tokyo — she flew out first. My best friend, meanwhile, flew straight from JFK to Haneda like it was nothing and beat us to the hotel. Chaos, but make it coordinated.

Total cost was about $1,500 round-trip per ticket. Art and spice souvenirs not included — that’s a whole separate budget line, don’t @ me.

Getting into the city

We took an Uber from Narita straight into the city. One thing that threw us off almost immediately: barely any trash cans anywhere. You hold onto your garbage a lot longer in Tokyo than you’d think. We checked into the Daiwa Roynet Hotel Nishishinjuku, and that first night, we didn’t go out at all. Instead, we headed downstairs to check out the 7-Eleven, because we’d heard so much about them. Lots of ramen, snacks, and mystery treats. As a vegan, though, there was basically nothing for me. Welcome to Tokyo.

The next morning: a park, and the hunt for breakfast

We started the next day close to home, wandering a park just a short walk from the hotel. Then came the hunt for breakfast, which led us to a Japanese-style IHOP. Not what any of us expected to find in Tokyo, but exactly what we needed.

That evening: Tokyo Skytree

That evening, we hopped the train from the hotel over to Tokyo Skytree, the tallest tower in Japan. As luck would have it, a beer festival was going on at the base, so naturally we stuck around for that too. Unplanned, but we did not complain. Afterward, we headed back to the hotel to shower and regroup, then went out again for dinner at Kuma Cantina Mexican Food & Cocktails, a trendy Mexican-Japanese fusion spot in Nakano City. Not exactly what we came to Tokyo for, but exactly what we were craving.

Kimono, temple, tea, and Shibuya Crossing done right

Another day, we spent the afternoon in Asakusa, and it was a full sensory experience. First, we picked out our own kimono at a rental shop nearby, feeling very “main character.” My cousin opted out and became our unofficial paparazzi instead. Still dressed up, we wandered over to Senso-ji Temple for photos, then settled in for an authentic Japanese tea ceremony, learning the history behind every pour. We wandered the temple grounds afterward — fortune drawers, a koi pond, the works.

That evening, we hit a rooftop bar in Toranomon, upscale and moody. Later, we made our way to Shibuya Crossing itself, watching the chaos unfold from street level and then from the large, multi-level Starbucks overlooking the crossing in Udagawacho. Tourists everywhere chased the “perfect” crossing photo. We’d already nailed ours minutes earlier.

Onward

Eventually, we caught an early flight out of Narita. Next stop: Bali. Three generations, one very hot itinerary, zero regrets.