In the Clouds Above Tokyo

Crowned with a halo of clouds the Tokyo Skytree towers above all others as it reaches towards the heavens. Pearls of rain rolling down it, the structure shines enticing you towards it and begging you to enter. A quick elevator ride, which makes your ears pop twice, takes you 350m up to the first observation deck. Here you can enjoy panoramic views of the gigantic city, and on a clear day even see Mt. Fuji.

Standing at the bottom of the tower looking up, the building looks pretty tall but not unusually high. However, once up on the observation deck it is shocking to look down and realize just how high up you really are. Looking down on the rest of Tokyo without another building coming even remotely close it feels as though you are floating above the world. 

Through the patches in the quickly moving clouds, we were treated to fabulous views of the city, spanning as far as the eye can see. Every which way you look something catches your eye and fortunately there are interactive maps scattered around the floor enabling you not only to discover what you are looking at through the windows, but to learn a few small details about them as well.

View from the Skytree

There are three levels of the observation deck, each of which have something different to offer. On a crystal clear day we may have paid the extra to go up to the observation gallery which is the uppermost level, however as visibility was limited by the inclement weather, we enjoyed the three decks available to us and spent a good hour and a half soaking up the views.

The Tokyo Skytree is not the only tall tower of mention in Tokyo. So after we had come back down to the ground and explored the shops in the mall (which is basically attached to the skytree) we made our way to the second best view point in Tokyo, the Tokyo Tower. Having enjoyed the skytree in the daylight it was nice to experience the Tokyo Tower at night as it provided such a different experience.

Tokyo Tower @ night

The Tokyo tower, bearing an uncanny resemblance to Paris' Eiffel Tower is a beautiful structure located close to the Zojoji temple. (Click here to learn about the Tokyo Tower & the Zojoji temple) We enjoyed the stunning views and walking around the bottom of the Tokyo Tower before heading out for some dinner near by. (Click here to read about the food in Tokyo).

Given the amount of rain pouring down on us, it was nice to spend the day in the clouds, soaking up what views we could of Tokyo both day and night!

Early in the morning, the queues were non-existent!

Inside watching the rain roll down...

As the Rain Pours on Tokyo...

Even as a Brit I am amazed by how long it can rain in Tokyo. Since our flight touched down the clouds have not stopped crying, leaving the city and its people heavily saturated. However, even under a veil of water Tokyo is beautiful. The city, which boasts the largest metropolitan population in the world, has buildings so tightly packed together that even a squirrel would have a tough time trying to walk in between them. Yet, despite the incredibly dense population you would never know it was so heavily inhabited, Tokyo is remarkably quiet and clean. Walking along the streets, not one horn honks or one piece of rubbish blows past me. The traffic moves and the people respect each others space, you don't have to fight your way through a crowd but move effortlessly along with it, making for an incredibly pleasant (yet surreal) urban experience.

Tokyo has so much to offer but in a city with so much rain and such amazing food, we are constantly stopping in random eateries to sample the delectable cuisine. From a simple hole in the wall with a vending machine-esque ordering system to a cafe specializing in chocolate from around the world we are drawn in, like bears to honey and order more than we could ever eat. Although it is safe to say that at least half the time we have no clue what we are ordering, we know what we want to avoid and therefore always manage to discover something scrumptious.

Kantarou Restaurant in Toyocho

Having eaten in a countless number of restaurants, hands down, no contest, without a doubt THE best place we stopped to eat was an inconspicuous little restaurant near Toyocho station (exit 4 turn left) named Kantarou. Sliding the door open and stepping inside, we were slightly confused by the strange decor adorning every table but quickly bustled in and sat down. We were the only customers in the restaurant, save one quiet group in the corner whose food had yet to arrive, so the strange fans posing as lanterns over each table appeared as a puzzling form of air conditioning. Picking up our menus we stared at the pictures surrounded by hieroglyphs on the menu trying to determine what to choose.  Luckily for us the other table received their food just after our beverages arrived and suddenly the decor made sense, the fans weren't air conditioning after all. In fact they were chimneys, because the specialty here was yakiniku (BBQ.) Not only was it fun to prepare our own food but the quality of the meat and the flavor was absolutely exquisite. We had little clue what some of the meat was that was brought to us, as nobody in the restaurant spoke any English, but our waiter was a real star and even took the time to show us what we were unsure about on his iPhone (turned out it was Stingray! Surprisingly delicious!). By the time we were finishing our meal, every table in the place was packed and it was clear that this was a local favorite! Thanks to the fabulous service and quality of not just the food but the experience, Kantarou is definitely somewhere I will be returning to on my next trip to Tokyo.

No matter where you stop to eat in Tokyo you will be hard pressed to find somewhere that isn't preparing something delectable. The sushi & sashimi needless to say is to die for, the noodle bowls are deceptively large & slurpishly good, and the edamame melts in your mouth with the perfect level of saltiness to tantalize the tongue.

Kantarou Restaurant

Yakiniku in Kantarou

In Tsukiji

Breakfast in Tsukiji

Sushi @ Shimizu Restaurant

100% Chocolate Cafe

100% Chocolate Cafe

One Night in Tokyo

The plan was to backpack from Phnom Penh to Chiang Mai. Luckily for us, flying to Cambodia from Houston required us to change planes in Tokyo. So why not make the most of it and take a 48 hour hiatus to explore one of our planets largest and most vibrant cities.

Of all the places I have been Tokyo stole my heart the quickest and I have been desperate to go back to find it ever since. The food, history and culture had me in a trance and my senses, so wildly entertained, stole any sign of jet-lag away and kept me wide awake.

First stop, a Kabuki show, where we enjoyed a tranquil play, listening to a translation (which sounded ever so similar to Michael Palin). Not just the language, but the overall feel was unlike any play I had seen in the UK or the US. The actors moved with such precision and delicacy adding to the overall artistry of the production. The play ended just in time, as our tummies started to rumble with applause and we left to find something to eat.

Wandering the streets of Tokyo the lights of the roads and billboards bring the city to life, making you walk faster. Various food options line the road and despite having no idea what anything was, it was impossible to go wrong. Each item we ordered from the various places we ate was divine. From the soups to the sushi our pallets were well satisfied and our bellies left full.

Unfortunately, there was not enough time to waste much of it on eating, so we were constantly on the go. The Tokyo Tower, which happened to be just outside our hotel was gorgeous. Having seen the Eiffel Tower in Paris, there is no denying the origin of the concept of the Tokyo Tower, but it is no less impressive. From the viewing gallery, you can feast your eyes upon panoramic 360 views of the enormous city. We went up the tower after sundown to be greeted by the stunning Tokyo skyline at night, which steals your breath away in an instant. 

The Tokyo Tower is located right next to Zojo-ji temple. This Buddhist temple is still in use today and you could see the occasional Monk walking through the grounds. The temples themselves are works of art, stunning buildings, one with gorgeous stained glass art windows.

Each temple is unique, exhibiting both ancient and modern, past and present. To the side of the temples stand rows of stone statues of precious children, each dressed in colorful clothing with a vase and wind-star. These statues, called jozi, comprise the cemetery of unborn children, where people can go to pray and dedicate a statue to their unborn child. As a tree ordained with colorful paper dances behind them, there is no doubt that this is a happy cemetery for the children that didn't quite make it to Earth.

The temple was the last stop on our Tokyo taster and we were sad to go. One night in Tokyo is just enough to wet your appetite and leave you starving for more. I fell in love with this city in less than 48 hours and have been dreaming of it ever since. If you ever find an opportunity to go, do not miss it, because this is a city worth sacrificing for.