Letters to Japan: Day #1

It's been close to 3 weeks since my return from Japan, and yet I still find myself wishing I was back there. Even before travelling, I already knew that it would be my favourite country. Finally stepping onto Japanese soils and taking in their sights and sounds for myself was just a dream. Now, I say it with no reservations - Japan is my happy place. I'm already wondering when my next trip there will be, perhaps with Lun in about a year from now hehe.

Our first day in Japan was probably the rainiest throughout our entire trip. We were stuck at the Narita Airport train station for a good long while, lugging our luggages up and down the platforms trying to decide which was the right train to take. And because we weren't able to check into our Airbnb just yet, we decided to chuck our luggages in lockers before exploring Asakusa. 

It was also so refreshing to meet friendly, helpful locals that were willing to go out of their way to help you. We came across our first #helpfuljapanese at Asakusa Station, when we were dragging our baggages around trying to locate lockers. There were rows of them near the gantries, but they were all filled. The only ones vacant weren't big enough for our lugagges. But a Japanese man saw our predicament, and tried to tell us to twist or stack our luggages to see whether they could fit.

Even when we inevitably deduced that there is no way that our luggages could fit in the lockers, he tried telling us (in a mix of Japanese and hand gestures) that there were also lockers outside the station, and that we could look for the tourist centre nearby if we still needed help. This man was not obligated to stand there and help two lost tourists, but he still did it anyway, and we were so thankful.

   

While we were window shopping around Shin-Nakamise, we popped by Ganso Zushi, a place that Belle recommended from her last trip to Japan. It was honestly one of the best sushi I've ever tasted. Before this meal, I've never tasted salmon or meguro so fresh. Even the ikura was so sweet, nothing like what I've had in Singapore. The prices are so affordable too, with the cheapest going for ¥200. The place is pretty popular among locals too! It's not as popular as other sushi chains in Japan, but definitely worth the visit. If I lived in Japan, I could see myself coming by for every meal hehe.

Ganso Zushi

1-19-7 Asakusa, Taito

 

Soft serve galore! I've only been able to see these pretty ice creams on Instagram or Tumblr all my life, but I was finally able to have a cone for myself. It was amazing! Having ice cream in cold weather is also a different experience altogether. We got Rose and Açai!

Sensoji Temple was so crowded with tourists, all clambering to get their own perfect shot. Plus, it was about 3-4pm when we got to the temple, and it was about to close. But we were still able to walk around the grounds and take a couple of videos and photos of our own! 

Oh sigh, the problem of shooting landscape scenery photos with a darn prime lens...

In the temple, you could also get a mini fortune telling sheet after you donate ¥100. I got 'good' fortune while Belle got 'average' HAHA. If you don't like you wishes, you can tie them to the lanterns  or strings provided inside so you won't need to bring your luck home!

Alas, after our first day of exploring, we bought some croquettes at a store and slowly made our way to Tokyo Skytree, where our Airbnb was near. After standing around under the train tracks eating our 'dinner', we had to wait a little bit more before our host reached home at 8-ish close to 9. :')

It was a pretty tiring day, especially since we didn't get proper shut-eye on the planes to Japan, but I drifted off to sleep pretty easily, the moment my eyes were closed heh.

That concludes Day #1! I will edit my remaining images and continue with the subsequent days real soon. Till the next one!