Tokyo recap and why I love Japan

Table of Contents

Sharing a recap of what we did in Tokyo, where we stayed and already looking forward to going back.

Hi friends! How are you?? I hope you’re having a lovely morning. I have a lot of content to record today – Healing Code re-launches on Monday! – and am going to catch an upper body workout and the massage chair at the gym.

Today, I’m sharing the first of my Japan posts!

Here are our Japan and Korea recap posts so far:

Seoul recap, what we did and what we ate

Tokyo recap and why I love Japan (this post)

Kyoto itinerary and tips for travel to Japan

What we ate in Japan (and gf picks)

My Korean Head Spa experience

Tokyo recap and why I love Japan

I’ve been avoiding writing this post because the reality is that I have Japression.

Usually I feel a little down after coming home from a trip, but this is next level. It normally hits me hard that I can no longer walk outside all day (it’s way too hot here and Tucson is definitely not walkable), explore new places, spend uninterrupted time with the fam, eat incredible food, and shop all the livelong day. Instead, I’m back to chores, feeding everyone, and cleaning up after feeding everyone lol.

This trip feels different because Japan was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. The culture, the way of life, the deep respect, kindness, care, and professionalism, the clean streets, the cleanest food, the scenery… it honestly felt like another planet.

One of the biggest things I noticed was the level of pride people take in everything they do. It didn’t matter if it was a restaurant server, Uber driver, hotel receptionist, convenience store employee, or someone helping us at the train station. Everyone seemed committed to doing their absolute best, and it was inspiring to see. People were kind and welcoming, everything felt incredibly safe, and I felt the best I’ve felt in a really long time while we were there.

I also noticed how healthy and well-groomed everyone seemed. You don’t really see people wandering around in pajamas screaming at each other lol. There’s just this underlying sense of respect for yourself and for the people around you.

What surprised me most was how calm my nervous system felt the entire time. Even though you’re surrounded by bright lights, huge buildings, and tons of people, it never feels chaotic. Everything is so organized and orderly that your body actually feels like it can relax. I didn’t realize how much I needed that feeling until I experienced it. Since we’ve been home, I’ve been trying really hard to bring pieces of that feeling back with me.

I mentioned this in my Seoul recap, but Japan and Korea honestly weren’t my first choice for a vacation. I knew it would be fun, but I felt overwhelmed by the planning and wasn’t sure if they’d be places I’d ever want to visit again. Now I feel so naive because I had no idea how special these countries are. I already can’t wait to go back.

People keep asking if I preferred Korea or Japan, and I can’t choose because they’re so different while also complementing each other perfectly. If you ever have the opportunity to visit that part of the world, do both. I promise you’ll understand the second you experience it for yourself.

And if you do both, I highly recommend starting in Seoul and then heading to Tokyo. It was the perfect combo. 🙂

Here are some of the highlights of our trip:

We stayed in two areas of Ginza.

The first part of our trip was near the Tsukiji Outer Market, where the streets are lined with food stalls, seafood vendors, and the best sushi of your life. (The famous tuna auctions have moved to Toyosu Market, but Tsukiji is still absolutely worth visiting for the food scene!!)

After our Kyoto trip, we stayed in Ginza proper, which was a lovely location filled with luxury stores (including the multi-story Tiffany flagship), restaurants, department stores, and endless shopping.

We booked the KOKO Hotel for both stays (same hotel brand, two different locations) using our Amex Platinum benefits. I preferred the location of the Tsukiji property because it felt a little quieter and more local, but the actual hotel and amenities were nicer at the Ginza location. (We stayed at one location for a few days before our short trip to Kyoto and the other one afterwards.)

One thing I loved about Ginza is that it felt incredibly clean, safe, and easy to navigate. We could walk almost everywhere and just took an Uber when needed.

Tokyo DisneySea

I always say we’re not “Disney people,” even though we go to the parks constantly and are about to go on Disney Cruise #8. We just don’t have Disney decor in our house, but I think we check all of the other boxes. 😉

Of course we wanted to visit a Disney property while we were in Tokyo. They have two options: Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea. We chose DisneySea because it has unique rides and lands that don’t exist in the U.S., and it’s generally considered the better park for older kids and adults.

(the kids approve all of the photos I post and Liv asked me to put a heart on her face for this one)

The rides were incredible.

The animatronics, special effects, projection mapping, storytelling, and ride technology far exceeded my expectations. Peter Pan is one of my favorite rides and the Tokyo version completely blew the U.S. version out of the water. It’s longer, more immersive (3D), beautifully done, and genuinely feels like you’re flying.

We also loved Journey to the Center of the Earth, Rapunzel was gorgeous (the lantern scene was everything), and Sinbad ended up being one of our surprise favorites. It’s kind of like It’s a Small World, but with a banger theme song and some impressive animatronics (like the green giant!).

The food was also so much fun.

We completely fell in love with muscat-flavored everything while we were in Japan, and these frozen muscat desserts were a HUGE hit. I had two throughout the day and P had three.

They also have unique popcorn flavors everywhere. When we visited, the options included milk chocolate, soy sauce and butter, scallop and garlic (which was DELICIOUS),

caramel, and salted popcorn. Each stand has different flavors, so people literally collect popcorn buckets and walk around trying them all.

It’s also worth mentioning that everything was dramatically less expensive than the U.S. parks. A giant chicken leg was around 800 yen (about $5 USD), compared to $15 – 20 at home.

Our park tickets and even the paid ride reservations were a fraction of what we’d normally spend in the States. I tell ya, that’s worth the flight right there.

The only downside is that many of the ride reservation options (called DPA in the app) sell out quickly. I was able to purchase a few, but all of the free reservation options were gone shortly after we entered the park. Frozen and Indiana Jones were also closed during our visit, which was a bummer.

The park closed at 9 p.m. the night we visited, and many food locations stopped serving around 7-8 p.m., so I definitely recommend prioritizing rides early and planning dinner before things begin shutting down.

teamLab Borderless

This was an absolute must-do.

Tokyo has a few different teamLab experiences, and we chose Borderless. It’s an interactive digital art museum where the exhibits are constantly changing. You can walk through a room, come back 15 minutes later, and it looks completely different.

We spent hours wandering through the exhibits, drawing sea creatures that came to life on giant screens,

(the Pilot did this amazing turtle!)

getting lost in the light installations, and taking so many photos and videos.

It’s one of those experiences that’s hard to explain until you see it yourself.

I definitely recommend this if you’re traveling with kids, but the adults were just as entertained.

I’ve also heard amazing things about teamLab Planets if you’re trying to choose a location to visit!

Multiple 7-Eleven and Lawson stops

7-Eleven lives up to the TikTok and Instagram hype.

Every morning I grabbed something from the famous drink case. C1000 was my favorite and I miss it so much.

We also stocked up on muscat treats, smoothies, onigiri, and so many tasty snacks. It became our breakfast stop, snack stop, and post-dinner dessert stop.

It’s funny because there are exactly zero things I want to eat at 7-Eleven in the U.S., but there were dozens of things I looked forward to eating at convenience stores (konbini) in Japan.

They have fruit sandwiches, egg sandwiches, onigiri, coffees, sparkling drinks, smoothies, and desserts that are super delicious and also inexpensive. The smoothies were the best!! The container is just frozen fruit and after you pay, you scan the bar code on the machine, put the cup inside, and it adds liquid and blends it on the spot. Like I said, Korea and Japan are living in the future.

Riding the bullet train to Kyoto

I’d heard that if you’re already in Tokyo, it’s worth taking the train to Kyoto or Osaka to experience a different side of Japan.

I didn’t want to travel all the way across the world and miss it, so we added Kyoto to our itinerary and I’m so glad we did.

Kyoto deserves and is getting an entire blog post of its own because it was truly magical.

We rode the Green Car (the equivalent of first class) on the way there, which was lovely and comfortable. On the way back we rode regular reserved seats, and TBH, it wasn’t a huge difference (and the regular reserved seats were about $120 less for the four of us).

The trains are clean, quiet, efficient, and ridiculously punctual. Watching the countryside fly by while eating snacks from the station was a unique memory that I loved… I’d never really been on a train before (besides Polar Express!) and it was such a cool experience. Way less hassle than flying and felt just as quick!

Vintage luxury shopping

If you love designer bags, watches, jewelry, or accessories, Tokyo is heaven.

There are vintage luxury stores everywhere, and many of the pieces are in great condition and look brand new.

If you’re in the market for a Louis Vuitton bag, Gucci, Chanel, Rolex, or other luxury pieces, I would absolutely shop in Japan before buying elsewhere.

Also, bring your passport whenever you’re shopping because many stores offer instant tax-free purchases for tourists so you don’t have to deal with it at the airport.

Shibuya Crossing

We had to visit the famous Shibuya Crossing.

Pictures don’t really do it justice because it’s less about the crossing itself and more about the energy of the entire area. There are giant video screens, endless shopping, restaurants, lights, music, and thousands of people moving through the intersection in every direction.

It’s incredibly busy, but still feels orderly. People wait patiently, cross when they’re supposed to, and nobody is bumping or pushing into each other.

Outside the station is the famous Hachikō statue, honoring the loyal dog who continued waiting for his owner at the station every day, even after his owner passed away. It’s one of Japan’s most beloved stories, and seeing the statue in person felt surprisingly emotional.

We took photos, wandered the surrounding streets, did some shopping, and just soaked it all in. It’s touristy for a reason, and we loved it. If it’s your first trip to Tokyo, I think it’s one of those places you have to experience at least once!

Turns out that this post did not help my Japression at all, but I have a few more to go. I’ll be sharing all of the amazing food we ate (including GF options), a Kyoto recap and tips for traveling to Japan, and am happy to answer any questions, too!!