Off to the capital – Tokyo awaits us

Get up, pack everything, and head to the train station. Today, we said goodbye to Kyoto and continued to the last stop on our journey: Tokyo.

The ride on the Shinkansen was supposed to last about two and a half hours. At the platform, two trains arrived one after the other. The first train was delayed by about five to ten minutes when departing, which slightly delayed our Shinkansen as well, which entered the same platform soon after. However, no time was lost afterward: as soon as the path was clear, we were off—without much standing time, apparently with a clear goal of making up for the delay on the way. It's quite impressive how efficiently things run here. The slight delay was also made up for by the train. The stories that train personnel personally apologize to everyone for delays seem to be untrue, unfortunately.

Upon arriving in Tokyo, our first task was to find our accommodation. Google Maps led us a little astray at first, but after a few minutes of searching, we found it. And the accommodation itself is quite special: We don't need a hotel in Tokyo; we're staying at my sister-in-law's brother's place. For the next few days, it’s just a normal apartment – with a view of a small part of the vast Tokyo. A very pleasant contrast to hotels.

After settling in briefly, we wanted to make the most of the day and at least get a taste of Tokyo. So we headed to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building in Shinjuku. There’s a free observation deck from which you can even see Mount Fuji on clear days. At least that’s the theory.

In practice, however, we were met with a “small” queue. A sign announced about 45 minutes of waiting time – and by the time we got there, we had already spent around 20 minutes. So we decided to change our plans in the middle.

The new plan: arrive in Tokyo in a relaxed manner – with an onsen. Just as we had picked a suitable one and were about to leave, the coffee nerd had another idea: We could stay a little longer, not for the observation deck but for “TOKYO Night & Light.”

This is a light and projection show on the facade of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building – featuring music, animations, and changing themes, ranging from anime to abstract lights, to crazy presentations.

After about 15 minutes, the first show was over. As it had gotten a bit chilly by then, we decided not to wait for the next one – especially since the show runs every night anyway. So we continued through Shinjuku towards the train station and from there to the selected onsen.

After about an hour and a half alternating between bubbly, warm, hot, and cold water – interrupted by two sauna sessions – it was time to move on.

On the way “home,” we wanted to grab something to eat. However, January 1st is also a holiday in Japan, and it was already quite late. Many restaurants had been closed all day or were already closed by then. Even in the convenience stores, the shelves were mostly empty.

So in the end, we were left with only one option: the golden arches restaurant – McDonald’s.

Not the best dinner of the trip, but at least it filled us up. And one observation was quite intriguing: Several students were sitting there studying. At half-past nine in the evening. On New Year’s Day. A sight that would likely be unimaginable for us.

After a short digestion walk, we were then “home.” Make the beds, unwind a bit – and then this first day in Tokyo was already over. Not really packed, but somehow eventful.