Hanami, Yakitori, and Harajuku in Tokyo

The title pretty much says it all.

I'm one of those travelers that loves two things about a destination: 1. being emerged in the every day of a city, and 2. exploring the living traditions and history of a city.

If you like that sorta thing as well, you'll love this post.

Hanami.
Click here for all the best cherry blossom spots.

Hamani is a Japanese word for cherry blossom viewing.
When the cherry trees bloom they mark the start of spring and everyone goes out to celebrate by having picnics under their magical pink flower-laden branches.

Tokyo.

These views are epic.
And I'm of the mentality, why pay for something when I can have it for free.
Curtsy of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building.
Skip the queue and the ticket price of other observation decks and go here.
Free 360 degree views of Tokyo.

Yakitori.

This can be compared to shish-kebabs, but a lot more Japanese.
You can get everything from chicken hearts, to pork skin, to tofu on a stick.
Look for little alleyways to shoot down, the best yakitori places will most likely be down these.
Find a place with a bar with a few bar stools around it, order a beer and a few things off the menu and relax.

The great thing about all 3 of these places is that they're all in Shinjuku and only a few minutes walk one from the other.

Harajuku.
Harajuku is known for fashion, shopping and fancy dress.
...But I wasn't very impressed.
There were a few people dressed up in cool outfits but the majority of it was so-so.
Unless you're into dressing up a lot, or love either all black or all child-ish clothes, there isn't much to do other than people watch.
The street is pretty short and there aren't many places to eat here either.

If you have a few days in Japan, this is a really fun way of spending a whole day without having to travel around too much.

Tokyo Tower in Cherry Blossoms

One of my dreams is Paris.

How excited do you think I was when I found out the Tokyo Tower looked almost exactly like the Eiffel Tower?!!
Score.

And it was springtime, with cherry blossoms everywhere.
Double score.

It was beautiful, especially all lit up on a perfect, clear night.
Definitely something to put on your list of things to do in Tokyo.

Hamarikyu Gardens, Tokyo

I was so excited about all the gardens in Tokyo before I left Singapore.
(I looked at a map and assumed all the green spaces were gardens and parks.)

Then someone told me that they weren't that great.

I would have to completely disagree with that opinion after having been here myself.

The Hamarikyu (or hama-rikyu) gardens are beautiful!
There are fields of yellow flowers and cherry trees, and a killer view of the skyline.

So with no further ado, I give you, flowers, skylines, and nature's beauty in Tokyo, Japan:

I don't know about you, but this is quite impressive as far as parks and gardens go.
I loved that the people here were actually out and enjoying the sunshine!

Mt. Fuji, Japan

You can't go to Japan and not see Mt. Fuji.
Though it's a lot more exciting in the summer/climbing season, I still had to see it for myself.

It's beautiful, yes?
Let's begin from the beginning so you know how I ended up here in the first place shall we?

I took the Fujikyu Train.
It's only one of the ways to get to Mt. Fuji, but it should really be the only way.

Huge 360 degree windows, comfortable lounge chairs, a library, and look at that baby crib!!!

Ready for the view from the train?

It's all a little confusing when you arrive at the station because, again, almost everything is in Japanese.

Walk out of the station and get in a queue for a bus.
They all take you in some direction around the lake, so you can't get too far from where you want to be.
If you realize you'd rather be going the other way just ask the driver to stop and get on the next bus heading in the opposite way.
Bring cash, no Suica cards allowed.
(A Suica card is your train ticket, vending machine money, and bus fare, among other things, in Tokyo.)

We took the bus to the last stop and made a decision to walk all the way back to the train station.
Make yourself a cup of tea, sit back, relax, and enjoy the different sides of Mt. Fuji.

We finally made it back to the train station, hours later, starved.
After a nice katsudon to warm up we were ready to get back home.

With one last look at the mountain we boarded the 3 hour train and slept the whole way back.