Japan – Harajuku & Meiji Shrine

It’s been a while hasn’t it. We swapped your Ponsonby hipster cafes and cursing Auckland traffic for some sashimi, zen inducing shrines and 24-7 mosh pit train situations. Over five weeks we travelled to Japan, Taiwan and Hong Kong. Seeing it was our first time in Japan we got overly happy and shutter crazy (you really can’t blame us in such a picturesque country), so expect to see a gazillion more photo diaries whenever I get round to it (disclaimer: it could be never). I can’t say we are now expert travellers of Japan nor can we recite you the JR railway map but we can impart some what-not-to-do knowledge on in hope that you won’t make the same stupid mistakes (though who are we kidding, those poor decisions often become hilarious memories).

Tip 1: Try not to get on the train in the wrong direction (particularly if you are only travelling to the next stop, we were obviously too excited on our first day and hopped on any train we saw). Make sure you take note of the colour line your destination is on and the next station from your starting point. More train tips to come.

Tip 2: Do not over plan your days. You should consider the season you are travelling as it can get dark very quickly during winter i.e. 4pm. Also there is a lot to see so allow time for exploring and checking out cute little stores. Most places close at 9-9:30pm.

Tip 3: If this is a shopping trip, make sure you have your passport handy. Japan is jam-packed with tax-free shops (look out for the red n white logo and the minimum spend, typically 5,000yen).
Pro-tip: don’t purchase anything tax-free if you intend on using it during your stay as they seal your products up.

Places worth visiting:

• Omotesandō is hands down our favourite place in Tokyo so far. It is full of boutiques, a galore of secondhand shops – stocked with clothes so well looked after they could be selling as new, many small cafes and restaurants like the popular Omotesandō Koffee and numerous other branded stores that all fit into the trendy street character (see last photograph above).
• Meiji Shrine is a typical tourist attraction. The shrine is beautiful though and worth a little relaxing walk through. It is big enough so that it doesn’t feel crowded with a lot of people.
• Takeshita Street, also a staple crowd gatherer, is where you can purchase some delicious fresh fruit crepes and check out Japan’s crazy fashion. Good for the first time only.

That’s it for now, till next time!

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