Travelling to Tokyo!! Part 1

It has always been a lifelong dream of mine (even if I haven’t nearly lived long enough to call it ‘lifelong’) to visit Japan. I was in awe of their advanced futuristic developments and their serene, majestic gardens that I would gladly live in forever. Not to mention, Japanese food is probably one of the most popular cuisines worldwide and one of my favourites!! I’d proudly call myself a foodie and would find it impossible to ever give up sushi and ramen. This trip was every bit as special, memorable and enthralling as I’d hoped it would be...

Day 1 - April 1-2, 2024 

We were planning to arrive at the airport in the evening so when we arrived at our terminal, we quickly got checked in and waited. We were planning to do a stopover at Singapore since the total flight would be around 11 hours. The first flight was on Scoot and it took 4.5 hours. Once we reached, it was around 3am, so we explored the Singapore airport and it was absolutely mesmerising. There were small gardens with vines and small ponds with koi fish. We took multiple pictures and explored the vast array of shops in the airport.  After, we took a break to eat some breakfast and I had my first matcha iced latte of the trip. It tasted good but lacked sweetness. Our second flight was on Singapore Airlines, and it was much longer. I watched Ms. Doubtfire and some parts forced me to cringe painfully but overall was very wholesome. I read a bit of Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami as well. When we reached, it was night in Tokyo, and we headed to the Sheraton Tokyo Bay Hotel which was a nice resort beside Disneyland. In our room, we had cute bunk beds (I got the top bunk) and bathrooms with automatic toilets. After checking in, we were exhausted so we showered and headed to bed. 

Day 2 - April 3, 2024

Today was the day we were exploring Tokyo. We woke up at 8am, got ready and headed downstairs to eat breakfast. We went to the metro station and walked for a while until we reached this kimono rental store. We booked a session with them where we could choose a kimono of our preference and they would dress us up and style our hair. I chose a red flowered kimono and wore a stylish bun. We then took some pictures and walked outside with it to a nearby temple. 

While walking to the temple there were many small shops and street-stores that sold hats, jewellery, japanese pastries, charms, etc. There were few cherry blossoms near the temple which stood elegantly as the rain poured on us. I was a bit puzzled when I realised they were closer to white than pink. I later realized there were multiple types of cherry blossoms. We arrived at the temple and bought some omamori and small charms that symbolize prosperity and happiness. We then rushed to a nearby restaurant where we had earlier made a reservation to make sushi. We learnt a bit about the history of sushi and how to properly assemble sushi rolls and nigiri -- it was delicious. Making sushi was actually quite challenging yet it was an enjoyable experience. We changed back into our regular clothes and roamed around Tokyo for a while. We then took a tram to a popular ‘Peter Rabbit Café’. They placed stuffed rabbits on the chairs and decorated the whole shop with stuffed animals and it was very cute. We ordered afternoon tea, some french toast, chamomile tea and rose tea -- the desserts were adorable and exactly what we were craving. Afterwards we took a few pictures, and headed back to the metro to return home. In the metro, we stopped by Kinokunya. It had a large supermarket with a few restaurants. We decided to eat at a Korean restaurant and had some bibimbap and kimchi jjigae. It was the perfect comfort meal, especially due to the freezing climate. We returned to our hotel afterwards, showered and slept off.

Day 3 - April 4, 2024

Disney time!!! We woke up at 8am, had some breakfast, got dressed and went directly to the metro station to DisneySea. We were planning on going to DisneySea today and Disneyland tomorrow. Since our resort was directly connected to Disney, it was relatively easy to arrive at our destination. Disneysea was beautiful -- it was predominantly sights but there were few rides. We wandered around and bought some Minnie mouse ears and sunglasses. There were small gardens in Disneysea which brimmed with utmost resplendence, from marigolds to dasies and lavenders. After a while of admiration and photos, we went on a cruise trip though the whole site. It was very peaceful and many people waved at us as we passed -- we waved back. After our trip, we got hungry so we went to a restaurant called Sakura. It was a seafood Japanese restaurant and ordered a whole meal set, which came with pork ramen, some raw salmon and eel and some cooked vegetables. They were all relatively small in quantity but it was enough to fill all of us 

We wandered around for a while, before going on a ride called '20,000 leagues under the sea'. We went into a submarine which took us underwater and exposed us to many marine species. Afterwards, we boarded a train which toured the whole location (we went on many of these types of rides). Then, we got some churros and ate it along the way. These were very popular since we found 80% who passed us were munching on one of them -- in my opinion, they were pretty average. Finally, we got some hotdogs and tea and sat waiting for the Disney parade. There were designated spaces you could sit on -- similar to when a teacher assigns seats. After waiting for three hours or so, the parade began. It was breathtaking, filled with fireworks and bright lights and colours. It was in the ocean and many boats had disney characters dancing and singing on them. They displayed characters from different locations like Jasmine from Aladdin, Miguel from Coco, Ariel from Under the Sea, etc. The whole show lasted around an hour and afterwards, we headed home.

Day 4 - April 5, 2024

Today, we were going to Disneyland! I think I’ve gone to three disneylands altogether, subtle flex. Unfortunately, it was the COLDEST day of our trip. Thankfully, I wore a good number of layers but it was still freezing. I already had a slight cold, so this wasn’t making the situation any better. However, we tried our best to stay indoors. We headed to the Country Bear Theatre. The room was heated which I never knew I would be so grateful for. The show was entertaining, although it was mainly in japanese. After the show, we were contemplating whether we should re-enter the theater since it was so well-heated. But decided to just explore more rides. We went on the Mark Twain riverboat which took us through the Rivers of America, where we found many deer, and towering trees. The nature was very calming and we took many photos. We also went to the Haunting Mansion. This ride was absolutely INCREDIBLE, and probably my favourite ride in the Tokyo Disneyland. The ride had skeletons, ghosts, an eerie ambiance -- it was very well staged and worth the wait. We were debating whether to go to Space Mountain, but we had already gone to the ride in Hong Kong, and expected the queue to be hours long, so we passed. 

There was a parade in the afternoon so we went early and got a good seat. It was amazing and we were in awe as we saw the Disney princesses and princes gliding through the streets dancing with their large magical cars. We waved when they got close and many cheered and waved back. The parade lasted approximately 30 minutes. Since it was still sunny, there weren’t any fireworks, but the loud music kept us distracted anyway. After the parade, we went to Cinderella’s FairyTale Hall. Since the parade just ended, there wasn’t a long queue. The hall was stunning, and we saw Cinderella’s glass shoe and her large throne. They showcased Cinderella’s story through small moving statues meticulously decorated. It was getting dark so we ate some food at a nearby restaurant and took the metro home.