Public transport in a new country, especially one where you don’t speak the language, can be daunting. The biggest challenge from my trip to Japan was the first time I came into Shinjuku station and tried to navigate my way out – it did not go as planned and I ended up at the complete opposite exit than where I should have been. Before I could get myself back down into the Japan Metro, I had to spend a few days in Shinjuku walking around the different suburbs and exploring the city completely above ground.
Shinjuku was the perfect place to be based in order to get purposefully lost and find myself in places that I may have missed had I been quick to get back down to the metro. The morning started in the heart of Shinjuku, where I made sure to pop into a convenience store to grab myself an onigiri (Japanese Rice Balls) to start my day, a big bottle of water and a handful of snacks to get me through what ended up being 32kms of walking throughout Tokyo.
Making my way through the quiet morning streets of Shinjuku, hitting a fork in the road, fate took me left which led me over a bridge with views of the NTT Docomo Yoyogi Building. A right and a left turn later lead me straight to the entrance of Meiji Jingu’s Forest. Not actually knowing where I was at this point, I was just excited to have stumbled upon some gardens and a place that felt safe to explore. Within these gardens, you will find pathways that lead throughout the forest and are perfect for avid photographers, you will also find the wall of Sake wrapped in straw and most importantly, Meiji Jingu Shrine. There are numerous photo opportunities within these gardens, as well as your chance to write your well wishes at the Shrine. Make sure to take a moment to read some of the plaques that hang at the shrine of other people’s well wishes. I may have wandered around it three or four times spotting new and heartfelt messages that had me tearing up.
Once you have taken the time to explore all the different pathways throughout the gardens, make sure to continue through and exit at the other end, where it’s just a short walk out of the garden gates and a left turn before you are in Harajuku and Takeshita Street. Here you will find more than enough food vendors for everyone’s palette, and if you are solo, take your time to try as much as you can – there’s plenty of other shops to wander through in between treats. If this is early in your trip, be careful not to buy too many souvenirs here, there will be plenty more and similar items all throughout Japan, food is the main priority here
From here, it’s time to get back into walking mode as you make your way from Harajuku to Shibuya. Admittedly, I originally wanted to trust my gut and get purposefully lost throughout the streets, however after about 15 minutes of walking, I got out my maps so I could be directed straight to Shibuya Crossing. Another fork in the road, right, to divert past all of the shops, or left, and go around and head straight to the crossing, which I ultimately chose to do, leaving the shops for my afternoon.
Experiencing Shibuya Crossing during the day was a worthy experience, but I knew I would have to get the full experience in the evening when more people were out on the streets. I decided to treat myself with the view of a lifetime at Shibuya Sky. Heading all the way up 41 floors, the view from here was one I still struggle to describe. As far as the eye could see was Tokyo at its finest, with the city to one side, Mount Fuji around the other and the hustle and bustle of Shibuya directly below. I highly recommend taking your time here, it’s not a long way around the building, however the Sky Platform is the perfect place to soak up the 360 degree views of Tokyo and wider Japan. Here you can take advantage of the selfie stations placed around the rooftop, perfect whether you’re traveling alone or with a group, you can make sure you get the perfect photos with the most gorgeous views. I definitely racked up at least a kilometer wandering around the rooftop and taking in all of the sights more than once. The best part about Shibuya Sky, is once you have paid and gotten up, you can stay as long as you would like, but you can’t come and go.
With my afternoon completely open for more exploring, I headed back down to ground level where I found the statue of Hachiko, the famous loyal dog, before walking across Shibuya Crossing again to explore all of the shops lining the streets in front of me. This is a chance to do some shopping for yourself or loved ones back home, but there’s still so much walking to do in the evening, don’t buy anything you don’t want to carry around for the rest of the day. Once you’ve become overwhelmed with the amount of shops available to you, it could be time for some more food and maybe a drink…or two. Shibuya has many dining options, however if you can find yourself at a rooftop bar, you will be spoiled with gorgeous sunset views and delicious food and drinks – plus a place to kick up your feet and regroup before the rest of the evening’s adventures.
If you’re like me and consume more food than necessary when traveling, then you’re probably ready to walk some of it off. Hopefully you’ve seen Shibuya Crossing from a rooftop and are excited to cross it at once, or twice, more when it is at its peak business and bustling with a whole new crowd of people. The night continues back to Shinjuku where more food, drinks and sights await.
The walk back through Harajuku to Shinjuku won’t take you through the gardens at this time of the night, however you will pass a range of different restaurants, make sure to bookmark some if you have more days to come back and try! The walk back to Shinjuku at night doesn’t offer all that much until you actually get to the main streets, however I was adamant that I wasn’t going back underground to the metro for at least another day or two. One thing I noticed about Tokyo is that many of the streets are lit up with LED signs, which are a sight to see within themselves, so you’re really not wasting any time by walking.
If you’re a fan of Godzilla, a visit too Godzilla Lane is a must. Here you will find a replica of Godzilla where he was seen in the movie, along with even more food, and many places to pop in for a drink or two. If cats and 3D billboards are more your style, take a short stroll in the opposite direction to Godzilla Lane and you will quickly stumble upon the famous 3D billboard with the life-like cat. It wasn’t uncommon to see many people standing around, taking in the many versions of the cat that comes to life on the screen – including one that acts as a crossing guard when the pedestrians are using the crosswalk.
There are so many sights to take in throughout Shinjuku, and even more places to stop and get a bite to eat and drink so no matter which way you go you will be getting back to your hotel feeling full and satisfied. And after such a day pounding the pavement, maybe don’t plan for anything too crazy the next day, or at least allow yourself a little sleep in before you tackle the next adventure in Japan!
