Planning our first visit to Tokyo started a bit over a year ago when I booked a 7 day cruise with Princess. I honestly procrastinated with the details except for choosing a hotel in Tokyo which was stressful enough. I had no idea about neighborhoods and it all seemed overwhelming so I went on TripAdvisor and selected the options I wanted during our stay. Breakfast being included was a priority because I didn’t want to roam the streets when I was possibly jetlagged and confused. I also wanted air conditioning as I had read that Tokyo can be oppressive in August, a view of the city and possibly a fitness center to work off all the food I was planning on eating. I got 3 out of the 4 by choosing Asakusa View Hotel. It wasn’t the cheapest but also not the most expensive and come to find out months later, it’s in the older part of the city and close to a few of the sites we wanted to see.
Jump forward to May of this year and that’s when the real planning began. As I write this, we are two weeks away from leaving, I’ve read and bookmarked 90 articles on my iPad which doesn’t include the separate ones on my iPhone. I’ve watched countless hours of YouTube episodes about Tokyo. I’ve downloaded and deleted a few recommended apps. I’m finally nearly done with the planning and here’s a summary of our upcoming trip:
Staying connected:
I ordered the Ninja WiFi from GoVoyagin which offered a 30% discount for our 11 day stay in Japan. The Ninja WiFi at $69.57 for 11 days seems to be the most cost effective way for me to make sure I can receive and send work emails with attachments on my phone, iPad and laptop. I’ll also be transferring photos from my Canon to my phone which will indefinitely take forever and a day using the included WiFi at the hotel which does not guarantee its speed or effectiveness.
In addition, I called Verizon and got the $10/day Travel Pass which is only activated on usage. It is more costly and therefore is a backup plan should the router not work or be ineffective when needed.
Tokyo itinerary:
First day:
Dinner with a view of Tokyo Skytree at Makie which is a French teppanyaki restaurant at our hotel. As the first night will be our 13th wedding anniversary, I wanted to go someplace special with a view. I originally wanted to go to Tokyo Skytree’s restaurant thinking the entrance ticket would be included in the cost of the splurge dinner but it wasn’t and their last reservation was too early.
First full day:
Nakamise Shopping Street (street food and souvenirs)
Senso-jo Temple
Lunch at Mochizuki
Tokyo Boat Cruise to Hamarikyu Gardens
Tea ceremony at Hamarikyu Gardens
Dinner at Sushi Katsura
Walk along Sumida River and view
Kachidoka Bridge lit up at night
Second full day:
Ueno garden, shrines and outdoor market
Tokyo Metropolitan Government building for cheap cafeteria lunch at Tocho
Shokuin Shokudo and a free entrance to the observatory deck
Snack at Takashimaya department store basement food court and rooftop garden dining
Meiji Shrine
Dinner and drinks at Piss Alley
Shibuya Crossing
This list will likely shift once we are in town but after likely 50 hours of research and planning, becoming more intimidated with the complexity of the train system, my lack of understanding of the language and the realization that Tokyo is a huge sprawling city, I honed in on what was important to my family and me: seeing the sites, eating great food at a reasonable price and getting a feel of everyday life in Tokyo.
Ninja WiFi Router:
https://www.govoyagin.com/activities/japan-tokyo-ninja-wifi-router-rental-service-in-japan/8762
Asakusa View Hotel:
https://www.viewhotels.co.jp/asakusa/english/
Makie:
https://www.viewhotels.co.jp/asakusa/english/restaurants/thedining/
Nakamise:
http://asakusa-nakamise.jp/e-index.html
Senso-ji Shrine:
Mochizuki:
http://レストランアラスカ.jp/mochizuki/lunch.html
Tokyo Cruise:
https://www.suijobus.co.jp/en/
Hama-rikyu Gardens:
http://teien.tokyo-park.or.jp/en/index.html
Sushi Katsura:
https://m.yelp.com/biz/すし–かつら–中央区
Kachidoki Bridge:
https://en.japantravel.com/tokyo/short-story-of-kachidoki-bridge-tokyo/8092
Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building:
http://www.metro.tokyo.jp/english/offices/observat.html
Tocho Shokuin Shokudo:
Takashimaya:
https://www.takashimaya.co.jp/shinjuku/store_information/
http://global.restaurants-park.jp/en/guide/
Meiji Shrine
Travel is transformative. There is no better education than an immersion in a culture very different from one’s own. It forces you to evaluate your preconceived notions and reassess any unconscious biases you may have had. The one rudimentary road to this self-discovery is through the senses of touch, smell and taste. Eating the fruits and enjoying the gifts of another culture through their hospitality and participating in their traditions creates a metamorphosis in one’s mind and soul. It is that life altering experience that one builds upon with each journey creating a higher sense of wisdom and understanding that permeates to one’s everyday existence.
The first time I heard about organic food was when Linda McCartney, Paul McCartney’s first wife, was diagnosed with cancer. I was still naive, inexperienced and ultimately clueless at the time but Paul McCartney was in the Beatles and my dad was a huge fan of the group so their music made an indelible impact on my childhood taste in music. Anybody affiliated with them had the golden ticket into my heart and soul. I wondered if Linda had made a change in diet and health in her youth if she would still be alive today.
Years and years later, after a few minor health risks of my own, I had been practicing yoga for about a dozen years and eavesdropping on the many conversations about plastic vs glass, switching to a vegetarian or even vegan diet, going on cleanses, etc. None of that, except for the glass water bottle and Tupperware discussions resonated with me until people started talking about organic. The movement and conversation became more compelling aka I eavesdropped more about how it changed people’s health and ultimately their lives.
Not wanting to take random yogis advice to heart, I did my own research and experimentation. I borrowed “Organic, Inc.” from the library. It was not at all what I expected. First of all, farmers deserve so much of our respect and admiration because their lives are so arduous and very routine with little room for error. Secondly, never ever, and I mean never, eat non-USDA certified organic strawberries. Each one, when tested, has up to 20 pesticide residues. Spinach comes a close second. My husband eats quite a bit of strawberries and I love my daily 4 p.m. spinach salad snack! I was horrified that we were essentially poisoning ourselves on a daily basis.
I had to evaluate and ultimately make the decision that any and all food that I cook from scratch had to be USDA certified organic. Side note, regular organic without the USDA seal essentially means that the soil has not been sprayed with pesticides for 3 years and that essentially, it was in transition. Quite a bit of Whole Foods’ produce has that label. I veer away from those but in times of scarcity, I will acquiesce.
Though I cannot say that my mostly organic diet has kept me as slim as I was in my 20’s and even in my 30’s, I am quite healthy. I eat organic eggs everyday and don’t have any issues with my cholesterol. I squeeze my own organic grapefruit juice every morning. I have my organic 4 p.m. spinach salad with organic Persian cucumbers and organic salad dressing. I even end each evening with a double bag cup of organic Moroccan mint tea.
Most things work perfectly on any given day. Everybody has their off day depending on stress, weather and sleep patterns. I can’t guarantee the tenacity of my system to resist any and all ailments but I do feel I am investing in myself, my health and my longevity by choosing organic food as a primary means to feed myself and that alone helps develop my mindset and gives me the energy and positivity to do it all over again tomorrow and each day after that.
Eating is a journey to a different time and place. Our food can be traced back to the migration of people and the intermingling of cultures and traditions. Noodles were brought from Asia to Italy which evolved into pasta. Olives and olive oil originally came from the Middle East. What is known in Mexico as al pastor originated from Lebanon’s version, the shawarma. Chicken tikka masala was a British adaptation of India’s butter chicken. These recipes and more exemplify how through adaptation and assimilation, we truly are a global community.
Grace Gambin
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