I got a taste of Tokyo in 2017 when I went into the city during a long layover. I only got to be in the city for 36 hours, but it was extraordinary and I can’t wait to go back for an actual trip. The trip in from the airport was easy once I figured out the right symbols to follow and navigating the streets without knowing Japanese was fairly easy.
I decided to stay at a pod hostel in Shibuya because who wouldn’t want to stay in a pod hostel… that sounds so cool. After successfully staying at one in Tokyo I can also say that it is as cool as it sounds.
With my brief time in Tokyo I packed in as much as I could. I walked through Shibuya crossing, which is one of the worlds busies crosswalks, I explored Yoyogi Park and I found a place that served sushi on a conveyor belt. My favorite place for sushi in Chapel Hill, NC looked exactly like this small shop in Japan, so I felt right at home.
While I walked around the city I also stopped into stores and bought lots of snacks and treats for my long plane ride back to the states. I decided that the best way to beat jet lag would be to stay up all night and sleep on the plane. So, while everyone slept quietly in their pods I was wide awake binging on Japanese junk food and reruns of Doctor Who. My favorite snack that I found was Meiji chocolate mushrooms, but the green tea Kit Kat bars were a close second.
