Japan Family Trip - Part III: Exploring Asakusa, Akihabara, Ginza, Yanaka and Tsukiji in Tokyo

After being away even for one night it felt strange to be back in the busy city.

We arrived in Asakusa Station, the end of the line for the Tobu Nikko line. Then we had to walk over to the Asakusa Line which took us most of the way to our aparthotel in Asakusabashi. It may sound confusing, but Google Maps never lead us astray.

We made it onto the A line train for a short ride to Asakusabashi. The kids look pooped.

Eventually we followed the road next to the Chuo Sobu Line. Restaurants and cafes are tucked into many of the railways. A clever way to bring some life to what would otherwise be a desolate space.

Our last stay was at the MONday Apart.

The Asakusabashi Akihabara location.

We were starting to get used to slipper life.

In Japan you separate your trash into burnable trash and plastic garbage.

We decided to get dinner nearby at Pizzeria Buono Buono, but when we arrived there was a note on the door that they were out of pizza dough for the night. We would just have to come back the next night.

We decided to go back to the streets straddling the rail line we'd followed earlier. We ended up at a Korean joint, NENECHICKEN&韓味豚.

We got bibimbap and glass noodles. It was pretty good, but somehow one of our items never came. The food we got would do.

I just love these restaurants tucked into the elevated railway.

Our stay included robes? Nightgowns? Whichever, we all tried them on. 

I think we were washing our clothes, so they'd have to do.

Day 7

Asakusabashi wasn't quite as charming as Sangenjaya, but it was great location to explore the eastern side of Tokyo.

Theo picked up a cold. It's so quiet on the trains and in most places that we couldn't have Theo coughing. We stopped at a pharmacy to get some cough syrup. When checking out we had to answer questions like, who is this medicine for? What are their symptoms?

Then we walked back up to Asakusa for breakfast.

Today we were on a mission to get Japanese pancakes.

I guess we eventually stumbled upon some charming neighborhoods. Usually you just have to get away from the main drags to find some cozy spaces.

Everyone with kids uses this bike. With or without kids how do we get one for home?

These Panasonic e-bikes ruled and they cost around $700 or $800 American.

The first place Brooke had picked out had a long, long wait. So I looked for another Japanese pancake joint nearby. We lucked out and another one was just a short walk away.

I think you had to have a reservation at the first place we tried. 

Morning matcha has been become a necessity for us as we are still adjusting to the time change.

I make Japanese pancakes at home, but it was nice to have some professionally made ones.

Dolce Festa was so, so good. I could've went for two plates.

Thankful we found this place.

I loved this little shrine to a king kitty.

We had some time before our lunch reservations and checked out the Kappabashi shopping area.

This area is dedicated to Japanese made goods.

I was hoping to find a kit for making matcha at home.

While the cross street was home to all kinds of Japanese goods, the main drag in Kappabashi is commonly called "Kitchen Town."

We found one of the first plum trees blooming after we finished shopping.

We then passed through the streets south of Senso-Ji on the way to Tokyo Skytree.

We were getting closer. At this point we were kind of in a rush to get to our reservation for Theo's birthday meal.

We passed this cute playground and made note to come back later.

We were a few minutes late, but after getting lost in the Tokyo Skytree mall, we found Kirby Cafe.

Another observation about Japan is that people will get up and move so your group can sit together.

When we came in we were asked if we wanted to take a photo. I later realized she meant she would take a photo of all us. Whoops.

It was Theo's special day anyhow. Plus he's the Kirby superfan.

I actually had to wake up in the middle of the night a month before we arrived to get a reservation. This is pretty common with popular destinations. We'd tried to do the same for the Ghibli museum, but didn't luck out in that case.

Some restaurants have baskets for you to hold your bags.

The food was totally rad. Well worth the late night reservation back in the states.

Meadow and I got the burger with pasta and a side of tomato soup.

Mine came in a Kirby car, but I didn't not get to keep my serving dish. This food was surprisingly fancy.

Happy 8th Birthday little bub.

Theo got a tiny ceramic Kirby with his meal and Meadow got to keep her plate. You'll have to wait to see those alongside the rest of their haul down below.

Near the cafe was a Studio Ghibli store.

I couldn't believe we left the store without any presents.

Theo wanted a figurine of the Tokyo Skytree.

Which meant going to the Skytree Shop, of course.

We got a couple of the mystery balls, but I can't remember if either actually had the Skytree inside.

They only sold little figures of the Skytree in these mystery balls that also could have included other landmarks in the city. We bought two balls so we had a chance of getting the Skytree. We lucked out with two Skytrees.

As promised we took the kids back to Oyokogawa Shinsui Park.

Everyone took turns going down the big slide. Except for me of course, I'm just the family photographer.

I was just as excited to try it out too.

I can't get over that there is more bike parking lots than car parking.

The way the city is setup makes driving a pain, but also separates cars on to major streets. And if they try and drive through the neighborhood interiors, they have to drive very, very slowly.

Another rail line, more cute shops underneath. Maybe one of my favorite features of Tokyo.

The trip was still a blast of course, but I would've liked to have seen the city in the spring or summer.

I'm sure this park is beautiful when it's green. 

Most playgrounds we've encountered where basically just swingsets. We had to stop at the Sumida Park playground when we saw this structure.

But of course the kids had to get their swinging in. There's nothing they love more. Even middle schooler, Meadow.

Our next stop was Senso-ji at sunset since we had just passed by earlier. Well I don't even know if we realized we had done so.

You're supposed to wash your hands and mouth before entering.

Shoes were allowed in this temple.

For 100 yen you could get a fortune. Theo got a bad fortune and had to tie it up.

We must've done some more fortunes outside.

I love that the Japanese dress up their sacred statues.

Senso-ji is definitely a place you have to check out. One of the highlights in Tokyo.

We slowly made our way back to our hotel.

In case you wanted to find the kitchen supply district. Look for the giant chef.

Meadow has been in search for the perfect chopsticks.

Since we were back in kitchen town, we might as well take another look.  

Instead of going back to our hotel, we actually went back to Pizzeria Buono Buono. This time we were in luck!

After not getting to go last night we lucked out tonight. This place was super cozy. Felt like we were in the mountains. Also coats are hung on the wall at most restaurants.

I do not remember hanging my coat anywhere, but I trust you.  

The place was run by a bohemian eldery couple. The husband made all the pizza by hand and looked like a Japanese Super Mario. They were both so kind.

You have to put this on your Tokyo list. It rules.

Day 8

I noticed a bakery near our hotel and suggested that we get something there for our breakfast.

Bois de Boulogne.

It was chilly today so we found a place to eat in the sun.

Eating and walking is frowned upon. I'm not sure if eating in the park is any better, but it would do.

I'm not sure why we didn't just take our food back to our hotel. This park was across the street. 

Of course the kids needed to get in another swing session.

We purposely stayed nearby Akihabara for Meadow. As we've learned on this trip, most places don't open until 10am.

So we decided to come back later.

The Imperial Palace was about halfway to our new destination, so why not stop by.

If you want to actually see the Imperial Palace you need to book a guided tour in advance.

Whoops.

Instead we explored the Imperial Palace East National Gardens.

Everyone was waiting in line to get a photo of the plum blossoms but I was more impressed with the little bamboo forest.

The palace grounds and the Tokyo Station area was kind of ho hum, but there were a few old buildings to gander at.

We came out of the train station not realizing it was an old building.

One of the few that survived the WWII firebombing. 

We took the subway a bit further south into Ginza.

The real reason we were in this area: the Studio Ghibli clock. It only chimes a few times a day.

It puts on quite the show. Totally worth a stop even if Ginza isn't really our vibes.

I said I felt like having udon for lunch today. We happened to walk by this place and debated on going in. It seemed too fancy, but we thought we'd try it out anyway.

海で魚を食べる鳥 is an Izakaya at night, but during lunch only serves Udon. If the restaurant only has a Jaapanese name on Google Maps you're in luck. Also I know the internet tells you Google Maps is no good for restaurants in Japan, but I found it pretty reliable.

We did have to remove our shoes to sit at our table. 

The floor was actually covered in sand. Some of the tables were simply picnic tables. Our seats were like a beach side version of the sitting tables you find in many restaurants and homes. Driftwood was floating up above on wires and the walls looked like sandy stucco.

We were also served an ice tea that the kids said tasted like popcorn seeds. I later read that it was likely Genmaicha tea. A green tea that's blended with roasted brown rice.

Theo looked nervous, but he soon was slurping it down with the rest of us.

All four of us got a simple beef udon. Only wish I'd added an egg. One of the best meals of the whole trip.

We then went and searched for a post office.

My dad loves when Meadow sends him postcards so we had to send him one from Japan.

We ended up in this maze of a building with floor upon floor of underground restaurants and bars.

While looking through every floor to find the post office, I needed a bathroom break. I had heard there were still bathrooms with squatting toilets.

Well, yeah. All over the world.

We took the Metro back to Akihabara. Everything was boned to be open.

The kids were always glued to the video ads. This one was for Switch 2.

We ended up back at another Gigo when we got to Akihabara Radio Kaikan.

The kids didn't win anything again, but we did get these cute anime taikyaki.

Pretty cute.

We thought Theo would have better luck at this machine. Nope.

I wonder how many yen we wasted on these games. Tricky, Japanese, claw machines.

We were kind of bored by Akihabara. It was way too similar to Shinjuku. I had read that Yanaka Ginza to the northwest had a charming old school vibe. And totally turned out to be true.

This turned out to be one of our favorite Tokyo neighborhoods.

If you're looking for mom and pop Japanese made souvenirs this is the street to go to.

We bought some amazing chopsticks for us plus more for family and friends.

 

There was one store that only sold cat themed items. Meadow was in heaven.

There's also a quieter take on Golden Gai off the cross street where Yanaka Ginza dead ends.

Another observation we made is that we hardly ever saw a Japanese flag. No one displays it and there aren't really Japanese flag items.

We had an onigiri snack at 7 Eleven.

We had yet to have actual sushi in Tokyo. As fans of vegetarian sushi, onigiri is probably your best bet in Japan. Unless you find a vegan sushi joint. We had a few saved, but they never worked out.

I would fit in here with my bike.

Except most of these are slick e-bikes.  

We took a small break at our hotel.

Guess we needed to go out and make it a night.

There were a couple stores we thought Meadow would like so we rushed back over to Akihabara before they closed.

This is definitely a neighborhood that is way better in the evening.

We may have accidentally purchased a $45 t-hirt for Meadow in a haste to have her pick out something before the store closed. Our most expensive souvenir on this trip. 

Ah well, she loves it.

We were heading back when we ran into the ginormous Yodabashi Akiba. Floor after floor of electronics. And there it was the bike of my dreams.

I should've bought one. I guess some folks will check bikes on their flight back. Not sure how that would've worked with an e-bike and battery rules. Ah, well.

We were having trouble finding a place to eat. Everything was packed with company men and the odd woman. No seats in sight. While looking at the menu of an empty Chinese restaurant, 番茄妹 中華料理, the chef asked us if we were going to come in, which of course got me.

Another really nice couple ran this restaurant.

The food was quite good too, except I didn't have any cash or their payment app. So I had to race down the block for more cash. Kind of embarrassing, but they didn't seem to mind.

Day 9

Going to miss the Japanese bathrooms with their combo shower/bathtub wet bath rooms.

We were all sad that this was our last day in Japan.

More baked goods from the bakery.

Which we brought back to our hotel room before checking out.

This was the Chinese place we went to the night before. I loved their sign out front.

We all had a pastry and a Japanese milk bread egg salad sandwich. Brooke and I shared the Three Monkeys beer we'd bought in Nikko.

We needed to drink the beer before we got on our flight so beer breakfast it is. 

Sadly Theo left his Korak stuffie he got at the Nintendo store behind his bed. The one place I didn't check before leaving.

Brooke has this bad habit of rushing out of hotels without really checking. I think she's worried about checking out too late. I did find him a replacement one on eBay since it was cheaper than shipping the one he lost over to the USA.

I thought we could just buy him another one in the US, but sadly it's only sold in Japan. The hotel was willing to send to us, but it was not worth the price to get it back. Thanks Ebay.

Wait do I see his stuffie under his pillow against the wall?

Probably...ah, well.

We watched our last bit of Japanese TV before heading out.

So long, Asakusabashi.

We talked about having our hotel send our bags to the airport when we realized we could just use a coin locker for much cheaper.

Of course they'd have them at the uber touristy Tsukiji Outer Market.

These coin lockers are pretty deep. We could fit all of our luggage in one locker.

To my surprise, apparently.

Todays goal was to spend the rest of our cash.

They had all kinds of fishy and sweet treats here.

Theo spotted a strawberry stand when we first came in.

Which we had to get back to of course.

We had never made it to a sushi restaurant on this trip and figured it was now or never. They're actually not as common as you would think. 

This was the conveyor belt location of Sushizanmai. Reddit swears by this place. At first we didn't realize that you had to order most of the veggie options we like off the menu. 

We all tried a shrimp roll and the large egg crepes. No one really liked the former, but it would do.

Real sushi isn't my thing. I guess I prefer the American veggie sushi.

In hindsight we should've just got a few hand rolls from the market stalls and picked out other random snacks. Ah, well.

We took a little walk to kill time over in Tokyo Bay.

Our last day was kind of a let down at this point, but then we got some super fresh strawberries for a snack. I can just taste them now. Unlike any strawberry I've ever had in the states. Ripe to the core.

We bought a few more things to bring home. An onigiri mold and a matcha sifter.

Plus a couple of items for Blake and Daniel.

I think Meadow found a bit more change in her sidebag, so we got grilled teriyaki mochi. The kids and Brooke loved it.

And that was it. Time to take the subway back to Haneda Airport.

Same Theo, same.

When we finally got on our flight home, Theo asked me what the top symbol was. I said it was a no smoking sign. He said, Ohhh, I thought it was a don't tighten your seatbelt too tight sign.

Ha. It's true.

When our flight was delayed, we were all secretly hoping it would be cancelled.

It would've been so fun to spend one more night. We actually had a few days to recuperate. In hindsight we should've got a return flight a day later. Alas, our plane boarded a short time later. 

As soon as we got home we unpacked all our goods like it was Christmas.

Don't worry, some of these were for our family and friends. We've never bought so many things on a trip, not even on our trip to Mexico City. 

At some point around this time I realized that Theo had lost his Korok stuffie. We were all bummed, but I promised Theo I'd get it back.

Brooke bought this matcha set from various stores throughout Tokyo. Now if only we had bought some Matcha...