By Starrene Rhett Rocque
When in Tokyo, a city filled with all of the lights, culture, and chic that you can stand, it’s nice to set intended destinations but smart to embrace the highly likely possibility of getting lost. This is good thing, especially when you’re bonding with your significant other. My husband and I, who had been married for all of 6 months, chose Japan for our honeymoon because it had been a life long dream of mine to visit. The year he proposed was supposed to be my year to head to Tokyo but planning and budgeting for a wedding forced me to post-pone indefinitely until he suggested that we set up a honeyfund and make my dreams come true. With the help of nearly $10,000 raised in wedding gifts and Inside Japan Tours, we planned what became the trip of a lifetime.
Our Honeymoon to Japan included multiple regions but we chose Tokyo as our homebase because flights to Narita tend to be cheaper and more convenient than other areas of the country. Tokyo also isn’t far from other popular destinations like Hakone, a mountainous region rife with traditional Japanese style inns and secluded from urban life, Kyoto, where traditional Japan meets the 21st century, and Osaka, which is possibly home to the best food in Japan, so a day trip on a bullet train (shinkansen) is another option to consider. However, while in Tokyo, we stayed at the Century Southern Tower Hotel, a sky scraper abode that starts at the 22nd floor, has breathtaking views and is centrally located a train ride and in some cases walking distance away from most of the city’s action—think the areas of Harajuku, Shinjuku, Shibuya, Ginza, Rappongi Hills—the places you absolutely need to see. And speaking of seeing, from the hotel, you can glimpse the surrounding Shinjuku neighborhood, and landmarks like Yoyogi Park, Tokyo Tower and if the weather permits, the majestic Mt. Fuji.
DAY 1 – SHINJUKU
After starting off your day with the all-inclusive breakfast package at The Century (the scrumptious buffet features a selection of a traditional Japanese breakfast: fish, veggies, green tea, Western style or both), head out and explore the closest neighborhood, Shinjuku. Your first few steps outside of the hotel will guide you to Takashimaya Time Square, a shopping center where you’ll find high-end and mid-range products. Head straight to Tokyu Hands, the perfect place for uniquely Japanese gifts. Imagine if Michaels, Home Depot, Pier One Imports and Target merged and created a super store, this place would be the result. You even get a discount here for brandishing your passport. Eventually, head to the Golden Gai district, known for small alleyways and over 200 bars, each serving assorted varieties of beer, and/or food items like ramen noodles and small plates like baby sardines and chicken skin. Nagi is where you want to go for the noodles and Tachibana Shinsatsushitsu provides “experience.” Here, you’ll share the bar’s one table with other customers but also get served by a barmaid in a nurses uniform. This and the combination of alcohol sets a nice mood for you and your beau.
DAY 2 – GINZA
The Ginza district is akin to New York City’s 5th avenue. Shoppers with expensive taste will find retailers like Hermes and Chanel but go to an authentic Japanese department store like Mitsukoshi and while there, head straight to the basement, which is the real treat—literally. It’s an underground food market that specializes in confections like macaroons, bean cakes, frozen yogurt and other yummy delights. The Sony Building is a must see. Think of it as a museum of sorts, where tech enthusiasts can check out almost every Sony gadget imaginable, even devices that aren’t for sale yet.
DAY 3 – COOKING TOUR
Spend time with a local for the best sense of what authentic life is like for Tokyo dwellers. Various hotels and companies like Inside Japan Tours can hook you up with an English-speaking guide who will take you to a native’s home where you will delight in authentic Japanese cuisine. By the end of your day, you will have learned how to prepare popular fare like vegetable rolls, tempura, soba noodles and fish head soup (which is only eaten to celebrate special occasions). A wife can never have too many weapons in her arsenal, and being able to whip anything up in the kitchen is but one. insidejapantours.com
DAY 4 – HARAJUKU AND SHIBUYA
Harajuku is definitely all about fashion, style and color but on the more romantic side of things, take a stroll to the Meiji Jingu Shrine, for respite from the concrete jungle. Here, you’ll see monks, prayer walls and possibly a Japanese wedding recessional. Shibuya, which is nearby, is also a good place to shop. Visit Shibuya 109, which has two malls, one solely for men and one for women, that caters to Japanese style trends; but also head to Scramble Crossing, which is one of the largest intersections in the world. Thousands of people pass through this intersection daily from all directions. It provides excellent people watching.
DAY 5 – ROPPONGI HILLS
Roppongi Hills is part residential community, part mini city and it’s Tokyo’s international playground. It’s raucous at night, recommended for hard partyers but it’s also refined. There’s a movie complex, the Mori Art Museum and food. You have to visit Sadaharu Aoki, a Parisian-inspired café where you will devour the best French confections you’ve ever had in your life, ironic but true. A short distance away from the fray is Tokyo Tower, a replica of the Eifel tower that is almost half the weight, consisting of broadcast waves and multiple observatories that offer panoramic views of Tokyo. The best times to visit for the view are sunrise, late afternoon and in the evening. roppongihills.com/en
As a native New Yorker, it’s blasphemy to say that I left my heart in Tokyo but like Lincoln, I won’t tell a lie. I was overwhelmed at first but eventually comforted once I began to discover the diversity of this beautiful alpha city. And of course, being with my favorite person was fail proof. I’ve discovered that Tokyo is my shopping twin, while my hubby is still fantasizing about the buttery waffles at the Century Southern Tower, and we’re both constantly searching for something close to a Japanese style breakfast here in the states. We haven’t had luck with that thus far but here’s to reminiscing one of the best moments of our lives. As newlyweds, we obviously have a lot more to experience together but we already know that not much will top our visit to Tokyo.
Photo courtesy of Inside Japan
