Japan (3) Tokyo | A Profusion of Blossoms in Winter
Travel time: 2018.2.11-2018.2.24
The thing I least wanted to miss in Japan was the cherry blossoms. February is the tail end of winter, and I thought this trip would miss the sight of flowers in full bloom. Little did I expect that surprises can come at any time, regardless of season, finding ways to make you ecstatic—that's the gift of travel.
After visiting Hokkaido and Kansai, our last stop was Japan's great capital, Tokyo. A bustling metropolis, crowded subway stations, busy intersections, streets still bright at night—transitioning from ancient capitals to a modern city felt a bit jarring, the noise and bustle taking some getting used to. Relatively speaking, Tokyo is really big—so big that you can lose your direction in the subway stations, and the crowds during rush hour are as dense as in Beijing.
1. Visa + International WiFi: 412 + 140 = 552
2. Flights: Beijing–Tokyo round trip 3,658, Tokyo–Sapporo 601, Hakodate–Osaka 661, total 4,920.
3. Accommodation: New Chitose Airport Hotel 374, Sapporo International Youth Hostel 3 nights 641/person, Noboribetsu Mahoroba Hot Spring Hotel 736/person, Hakodate International Hotel 244/person, Osaka Shin Imamiya 115/person, Kyoto Waraku-an Ryokan 2 nights 454/person, Tokyo Shinjuku Ward Office Capsule Hotel 4 nights 774/person, total 3,338/person.
4. Local transport: Including JR, subway, buses, etc. Bought Suica card 121 RMB + 36,000 yen/person (approx. 2,069 RMB) = 2,190/person
5. Meals: Online payments 425 RMB/person + 15,000 yen (877 RMB) = 1,302/person
6. Attraction tickets: Ghibli Museum 99 RMB + 5,680 yen/person (Sapporo Mt. Moiwa Ropeway 1,700 + Hakodate Mountain Ropeway 1,280 + Umeda Sky Building 1,000 + Kinkaku-ji 400 + Nijo Castle 600 + Kiyomizu-dera 400 + Hase-dera 300) = 425/person
7. Others: Souvenirs 350 + Kao eye mask, liquid bandage, etc. 220 = 570.
About exchanging money: I exchanged 70,000 yen = 4,023 RMB in Beijing; my friend exchanged about 50,000 yen = 2,900 RMB in Shenzhen. We exchanged another 5,000 yen = 313 in Japan. I recommend calculating roughly how much you'll need for your trip, exchanging in advance at a bank in your home country, as the exchange rate in Japan is a bit high.
Useful apps: Japan Transit (for Japanese transport), Google Maps, Outbound Translator, Alipay (lots of discounts, but basically only usable in Osaka and Tokyo).
Riding the expensive Shinkansen, we arrived in greater Tokyo. Japanese transportation can be quite thoughtful in some ways: when transferring from Shinkansen to JR to enter central Tokyo, you don't need to buy an extra ticket—you can use the Shinkansen ticket from Kyoto to Tokyo. At first we were puzzled why there were two tickets.
In Tokyo, we chose to stay near Shinjuku Station—convenient and bustling. Shinjuku Station makes it easy to reach the suburbs around Tokyo, but it's really huge. Even after coming here many times, I still can't figure out its layout or easily find the exit I need. Japan's capsule hotels are famous and affordable—about 200 RMB a night—so we opted for another capsule hotel in Tokyo: the Shinjuku Ward Office Capsule Hotel. This one was much nicer and cleaner than the one in Osaka, with all amenities provided. Check-in times for capsule hotels in Japan are late—after 4 PM—and because of cleaning, everyone has to check out by 10 AM and then check in again in the afternoon. It's a bit troublesome but understandable.
Since it wasn't check-in time yet, we stored our luggage and went out to find food. We missed Ichiran Ramen in Osaka because of the crowds, so our first meal in Tokyo was Ichiran. A bowl cost about 50 RMB. The ramen shop had a fun setup: partitions on both sides that can be folded down, and you sit facing the kitchen with a small window; the chef closes the shutter after serving the noodles, giving you privacy. The broth was rich and flavorful. That evening we also had udon noodles.
My friend was flying back the next day, so after eating we went to see Tokyo's landmark—Tokyo Tower. It's very tall and red due to former aviation regulations. Since we had already seen many night views and panoramas on this trip, and because our cash was tight (no credit cards accepted, no time to buy tickets online), we gave up on going up the tower for the night view and reluctantly skipped the One Piece exhibition inside.
We encountered a lively group of people wearing Mario costumes, driving go-karts through the streets—extremely flashy and cool.
That evening we walked from Tokyo Tower all the way to the bustling Ginza, hoping to find the building with "Ginza" written on it, but no luck—it appears in many anime. Although February temperatures in Tokyo are relatively mild, it was quite cold at night with strong winds, so we gave up and went back to Shinjuku.
The next morning my friend left Japan to go home. From today on, I embarked on a solo journey, full of unknowns and excitement.
Because of my love for Hayao Miyazaki's anime, the Ghibli Museum in Mitaka was a must. Tickets must be reserved a month in advance, and they limit both the number of visitors and entry times. I got a ticket for noon entry. I took the subway from Shinjuku to Mitaka Station. Mitaka Station is still some distance from the museum; you can take a bus—a cute one shaped like Totoro—but I prefer walking, and since I had time, I decided to walk. The streets were quiet with few people, lined with Japanese-style houses full of atmosphere. At the museum entrance, I saw a big cute Totoro. Inside, each person received a special ticket in the form of a film strip. The whole museum was dedicated to Miyazaki's anime—full of touching moments and memories, warm and loving. It showed the process of making his manga and various lifelike props. Grandpa Miyazaki really is a man of great imagination.
After the museum, I went to the world of manga—Akihabara. Everything was anime merchandise, but very expensive; I didn't buy a single thing, just looked—Conan, Luffy...
After a while, I decided to see the night view of Sensoji, a bustling shrine in Tokyo. It wasn't too far, so I chose to walk again—I really like walking! Along the way I passed through small alleys and residential areas with very few people. Maybe everyone was at work or school, or concentrated in sightseeing spots. It was rare to walk on empty streets. Sensoji is the oldest temple in Tokyo, with many worshippers. Even today there were plenty of people. I saw the Kaminarimon gate, giant straw sandals, and the five-story pagoda.
Back in Shinjuku at night, I saw young people performing. Their singing was beautiful. Moments like these always make me stop and wonder: Is this the dream they are pursuing? How long have they persisted? I hope they will realize their dreams.
Today I continued following in the footsteps of anime. Many people have seen "Slam Dunk," and many have come to love basketball because of it. I don't remember if I've watched it, but I know the characters and the song "I Wanna Be Free" (or "Kimi ga Suki da to Sakebitai")—I really like it; it's uplifting. Today I was going to the real-life setting of "Slam Dunk": Enoshima and Kamakura.
Online I found that there is a day pass from Shinjuku to Enoshima and Kamakura that also includes the Enoden tram, which is quite economical. So I planned to buy the day pass. I can't be blamed for getting lost—Shinjuku Station is just too huge. The different subway companies don't connect well, and it took me forever. I almost gave up, but persistence paid off; I finally found the ticket office. I set off in a wonderful mood.
Enoshima Station is small and charming. Did you notice the cloth birds? They look so lifelike. After getting off the tram, I headed to Enoshima Island. On the island I unexpectedly came across several blooming Kawazu cherry trees. That set me off on a search for places to see large numbers of Kawazu cherries in late February, which led to the cherry blossom viewing itinerary the next day.
After exploring Enoshima, I followed the Enoden line and stopped somewhere for lunch. First I arrived at Koyurugi Station, where the tram runs directly on the street without any barriers.
Past Koyurugi, I soon reached Kamakura-kōkōmae Station, the prototype for the high school in "Slam Dunk." It's a very famous crossing—the one where Hanamichi Sakuragi waves to Haruko Akagi. Many people wait here for the train to pass and capture that iconic scene, along with the winding coastline where Kaede Rukawa rides his bicycle. Full of youthful memories.
Next, I took the tram to Hase-dera, a temple with a dry landscape (karesansui) style, full of old charm. Don't you think this pine tree has a lot of personality, like a guardian deity?
The temple has many stones that resemble guardian deities, as if praying for everyone's safety. Climbing up the hill behind Hase-dera, you can see the winding coastline, but the weather wasn't great—it drizzled on and off.
I hesitated between Kawaguchiko / Mt. Fuji and Izu / Kawazu cherry blossoms for a whole evening, and finally decided to go see the cherry blossoms. Japan's train system is really easy to mess up—many types, complicated schedules. Even locals asked me if they had boarded the wrong car—so you can imagine.
Kawazu is far from Shinjuku; it took over three hours to get there. There weren't many people on the train, and the scenery along the way was stunning: deep blue sea, pink cherry blossoms, blue sky and white clouds. It was overcast and drizzly in the morning, but by then the sky had cleared—as if the weather wanted to give travelers the best experience. Kawazu has many cherry trees, lining both sides of the river for a total length of five kilometers, with many bridges in between. Since it was still early spring, many were not fully open, but the view was already beautiful enough. The river flows into the sea, with blue sky, white clouds, green hills, and clear water.
Pink cherry blossoms and red arched bridges complement each other. Beneath the cherry trees, the winding river and still stones created a unique atmosphere.
When I first arrived at the riverbank, I saw many cherry trees not yet in full bloom and was a bit disappointed. But the further I walked, the more blossoms I saw—a sudden glimpse of a hidden path, like stumbling upon a paradise. The fully bloomed pink cherries formed a small tunnel, with no one around. The cherry trees quietly radiated beauty, and I felt I shouldn't disturb them.
I happened upon a mischievous, show-off monkey.
On the way back to Shinjuku, for some reason I ended up on the Shinkansen—a different route from the morning, different price, and couldn't use my Suica card. I had loaded money onto the card that morning, and I almost didn't have enough cash to get back. Luckily I had eaten a light lunch; after buying the ticket, I was left with less than 1,000 yen in coins—just enough for one dinner. The Shinkansen only accepts cash, which is inconvenient. Japan's transportation system is so varied that it's easy to make a mistake and inadvertently drain your savings. Eventually I made it safely to Shinjuku, had dinner, returned to the hotel, and ended a day full of dreams.
Surprises kept coming all day. I'm grateful for the blossoms accompanying me along the way. Tomorrow I can return home without regrets. Mt. Fuji, see you next time.
I spent a full two weeks in Japan, including four days solo. Once again I experienced many firsts. The quality of the Japanese people is relatively high—especially the patience and dedication of service workers, which I admired. Following the Japan I saw in anime—the white fairy-tale world of Hokkaido, soaking in an onsen in the snow on New Year's Eve in Noboribetsu, the beautiful night view from Hakodate Mountain, a quiet evening walk along the Kamo River in Kyoto, and the Kawazu cherry blossoms in full bloom in Izu, Tokyo. The journey gave us many wonderful memories and the courage to keep moving forward.
Itinerary:
1. Preface
2. Expense Breakdown
3. Day 10: Shinjuku, Tokyo Tower, Ginza
4. Day 11: Mitaka, Akihabara, Sensoji
5. Day 12: Enoshima & Kamakura
6. Day 13: Izu & Kawazu Cherry Blossoms
7. Day 14: Return Home
