Part 3: Tokyo
We were in Tokyo for the final leg of our Japan trip. If Osaka felt loud and generous, Tokyo felt vast. Bigger. Faster. A city where something is always happening, whether you’re ready or not. And yet, some of our favourite moments happened when we least expected it.
This is how Tokyo stayed with us.
🗼Things we saw🗼
One of my most memorable days was the Mount Fuji day tour. We were lucky—impossibly clear skies, with Fuji standing tall and unobstructed. Our guide kept reminding us how rare that was; how often the mountain hides behind clouds. Seeing it so clearly in the first week of January felt surreal and grand, like a good omen for the rest of the year.
Back in the city, we walked through Shibuya, stopping by the One Piece store, which made my husband visibly happier than almost anything else on the trip. Pure excitement and childish glee. We also spotted the Godzilla head, larger than life and slightly absurd in the best way that only Japan can be.
We took a day trip to Kamakura, which had been on my wishlist for years. You’ve likely seen it—the bright green Enoden train winding its path near the sea and through tiny lanes. It felt like a breath of fresh air; seaside calm on a crisp winter day, with Fuji faintly looming in the distance. We saw one of the most gorgeous sunsets there. Funny enough, after we returned home, Kamakura became even more famous as a filming location for a new Netflix K-drama. It felt surreal knowing we had just walked those same streets.
Another day was spent at the Harry Potter Studio Tour. As a fan, seeing the real-life recreations of iconic sets and peeking behind the curtain was immersive in a way I didn’t expect. Detailed, nostalgic, and almost emotional—a reminder of how stories shape us more than we realise.
🍛Things we ate🍛
🍳 Hikiniku to Come: Quite possibly the best beef I’ve had in my life. The charcoal-grilled hamburg steaks served with unlimited rice and soup were incredible. Experimenting with their insanely creative topping combos made the meal feel like an event.
🍛 Curry Katsu: Tucked inside a dimly lit alley decorated with bold anime posters. Chaotic decor, but incredible, spicy, comforting flavour.
🍕 Pizza Marumo: Living up to every bit of its reputation. The crust was to die for!
🥢 Kamakura Noodles: The perfect antidote to a cold winter night by the sea. Rich broth, thin noodles and oodles of happiness.
🍇 Kyoho Grape Ice Cream: A quiet highlight that we still talk about, the best ice cream we had beside Lake Kawaguchiko, looking at Mount Fuji
🍜 The Ichiran Run: One final visit to a familiar favourite
☕Things that filled our cup☕
🗻 The Mountain: Seeing Mount Fuji in full, uninterrupted glory.
🏴☠️ Pure Excitement: Watching my husband light up inside the One Piece store.
🌅 The Seaside Dash: Hopping off the Enoden and rushing to the shore just in time for the Kamakura sunset.
🪄 Nostalgia: Getting lost for hours inside the world of Harry Potter.
✨Things we accidentally fell in love with✨
🏙️ The Layers: How Tokyo holds chaos, calm, fandom, and food all at once.
🚉 The Transitions: How easily we slipped between worlds: from anime stores to mountain views to seaside towns.
🤏 The Intimacy: Finding that even a massive city can feel small and personal in the right moments.
🕊️Things that followed us home🕊️
❄️ The Silhouette: The image of Fuji standing tall against a winter sky.
🍦 The Contrast: The taste of grape ice cream on a freezing day.
🥹 The Shared Joy: The quiet happiness of watching someone you love be fully, unapologetically excited.
🛍️ The Reality Check: That last afternoon in Donki and Uniqlo, shopping bags in hand, slowly facing reality. The soft understanding that while the trip was ending, the memories weren’t.
Tokyo felt expansive. A fitting finale—grand, layered, and full of contrast, befitting a trip of a lifetime. Three cities. Three completely different rhythms. And somehow, all of them felt like us.
Every trip ending just makes me look forward to the next one even more!
Ever wandering,
Mira ⟡