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Tokyo's Tasteful Journey: From Asakusa to Shibuya to Harajuku

LauraTjam
Sep 6, 2023
3 min read

Updated: Feb 17

After a restful night following a long flight, I woke up at 4 am. I couldn't resist the excitement of exploring Japan, even after sleeping on the plane. So, off we went on our adventure, with Asakusa, Shibuya, and Harajuku on our itinerary. But first, breakfast! I can't function without it, haha.

As we strolled through the streets of Asakusa, we were amazed by the convenience stores and vending machines around every corner. It's so convenient to grab a drink or snack on the go. In the Netherlands, I always carry my water bottle because supermarkets are often farther apart. Being said, I would never go to the supermarket to buy a drink. We found a budget-friendly spot for breakfast, Denny's. It was surprisingly delicious and cost us just ¥1520, which is roughly €9,50. First thing we ate was at an American place🤦🏻‍♀️.

Around 9:00 am, we stumbled upon the Senso-ji Temple in Asakusa, a real tourist hotspot. I can’t imagine how crowded it would be later in the day! Before reaching the temple, we encountered numerous small shops. At the temple, I noticed people shaking a metal box, which turned out to be for Omikuji, a fortune-telling paper slip. For ¥100, you could draw your fortune. I got a good fortune, but Robin got a bad fortune. In Japan, they fold and tie the bad fortunes to a pine tree or a designated place to prevent them from coming true, and the priests eventually burn them. That’s what Robin did.

Senso-ji Temple, Tokyo Skytree, Denny’s breakfast, Asakusa, 2023

Around 11:13, we took the Ginza Line to Shibuya, a 45-minute ride that cost only ¥260, approximately €1.63! Quite a contrast to the Netherlands' pricey and longer train journeys. A one way ticket from Groningen to Zwolle, for example, takes an hour and costs €20,70. So expensive! We couldn't resist crossing the world-famous Shibuya Scramble Crossing. Normally, about 2000 people cross at once, but it was less crowded due to the hot 34-

degree weather.

Our mission was to find the Pokémon store. We had some Google Maps confusion, so, we had to figure it out the semi-old way. With this I mean, use google maps and look at the street names and building names. What did you think? Paper? No, thank you haha. But we found it! It was a joy for a Pokémon enthusiast like me. We also enjoyed a meal at Matsuo Jingisukan, a lamb restaurant, even though I wasn't initially a fan of lamb.

Pokemon Center, Matsuo Jingisukan, Shibuya, 2023

We strolled around Shibuya for a while before slowly making our way to Harajuku, which was just a 15-minute walk away. Harajuku is renowned for its vibrant shopping street and its deep connection to Japanese pop culture. There's an incredible line-up of shops, restaurants, crepe stands, and even cute animal cafes on Takeshita Street. The fashion scene here is diverse and truly unique.

We aimlessly wandered through Harajuku until our cravings kicked in. This time, we decided to savor some authentic Japanese cuisine at Torikizoku Harajuku Meijidori, known for its delicious Yakitori. It was absolutely delicious! I devoured so many skewers that I could barely walk afterward, haha. But even in my mega-full state, I couldn't resist the temptation of a crepe. After all, desserts always go to the heart, right? This particular crepe was a heavenly combination of cheesecake, strawberries, and vanilla gelato. It was incredibly yummy!

Torikizoku Harajuku Meijidori, Crepes, Takeshita Street, 2023

As the day drew to a close, we slowly strolled back to Shibuya, where we needed to catch our train back to the hotel. But I had one more thing on my must-do list: I wanted to witness the Shibuya Scramble Crossing from a bird's-eye view. Lucky for us, there are plenty of shopping malls with rooftop access in Shibuya. From high above, the people below appeared as tiny ants, and it provided a truly mesmerizing perspective of the iconic Shibuya Scramble Crossing. It was an inspiring moment, making our day even more memorable!