Since I was little, I heard many stories from my father about Japanand with the influence of Mamoru Matsunaga (Japanese landscape painter and judoka very close to my father) in our lives, it was always a country that I wanted to visit. Now, living in Cologne, GermanyI felt that it was finally time.
I purchased the flight approximately seven months in advance. I left from Berlinwhere he had just spent Christmas with family, heading to Frankfurt.
From there I flew Frankfurt-Qatar, Qatar-Tokyo. It was a long journey, but I had organized myself well and managed to rest enough to arrive with energy.
I landed in Narita and, after passing passport control (somewhat chaotic), I took the train to the city. I arrived at my accommodation around 8:30 p.m.
My first accommodation was in Taito City, near Asakusa, a quieter area than the famous and touristy areas of Tokyo. I stayed there because it was close to the oldest temple in Tokyo, Senso-ji, something I didn’t want to miss.
It was a long journey, but I had organized myself well and managed to rest enough to arrive with energy.
This hostel was a small traditional Japanese house with a few rooms, which made it more intimate, and which I booked through Hostelworld. I chose a shared room for women only (4).
It had a small bar attached, where locals and travelers mixed in a quiet, very charming atmosphere. But, instead of staying to socialize or rest, I dropped off my things, took a shower, and went for a walk toward Senso-ji.
I stopped at corners for no specific reason, looking around and trying to take everything in. The journey lengthened between pauses and detours; I felt like I was inside a movie.
On the way I stopped at a 7-Eleven and bought something to drink and an egg sandwich, which I saved for later, since I had read that it is rude to eat while walking in Japan. When I tried it, I understood the fame, great!
I stopped at corners for no specific reason, looking around me
When we arrived at the temple there were very few people. While I was walking around the place, a couple making noise caught my attention. I approached and discovered the omikuji. For 100 yen (37 pesos), you could know your luck.
I followed the instructions and when I opened mine and read “best of luck,” I got emotional and started crying. It wasn’t just the role: I had come from a difficult year and I had been wanting to be there for years. At that moment, with that unexpected signal, everything clicked.
I returned to the hostel, where the next day I had breakfast for 500 yen (188 pesos): miso soup with rice balls, surprisingly good. There, I met another traveler who was also alone and we decided to go out together.
Continuing the tour
The experience was totally different
We returned to teaEmplo Senso-ji and the experience was totally different from the previous night. Where there was silence before, there were now people everywhere, open shops, incense smoke, and lines to buy amulets. Going through it in that context was different, but just as incredible.
We walked through the surrounding streets, entered small but charming shops until we reached the Tokyo Skytree, the tallest tower in Japan. We bought tickets online and climbed the 350 meters in less than a minute in the elevator.
From above, the city looked endless. We even managed to see the Mount Fuji on the horizon, something that is not always possible and I was very excited.
After spending the day walking and visiting different temples and shrines, we went to a street full of restaurants and chose one that specialized in tempura. In my case, I ordered a vegetarian dish, spectacular!
We returned to the hostel early, the next day I had to face one of the moments that worried me most: not getting lost at the central station, to take my train to Kyoto.
