SPLENDID EXPERIENCES

As much as I would like to take credit for some of my splendid travel adventures, my sister is the ideas person and the planner of all our trips with the kids (two who are now adults and the laat lammetjie is a teenager now). They grow so quickly. 

How I ended up travelling to Japan for 21 days in a moon boot after being home bound for almost 8 weeks from a raptured achilles injury that needed surgery and had me in a cast for 6 weeks, was never on my bingo cards. And then the WhatsApp came on one of the days I was feeling sorry for myself.  (Thank you Universe!)

And thats how I ended up travelling to Japan as an assistant passenger in Moon Boot with a crutch. I guess there’s a first time for everything!

My sister, the ever so organised, created a Japan Travel Look Book and we got a glimpse of what was in store for us. The itinerary was well curated – 21 days, 4 cities, 30 landmarks. Each city was a chapter in the look book.

For the next four weeks, I will use the Japan Travel Look Book as my creative inspiration to blog about the trip – 4 Cities, 4 Chapters. 

_{Four Cities. Endless neon, ancient shrines, mountain shrines wrapped in cedar, and quiet gardens between it all.} 

^{From Tokyo’s kinetic sprawl to Miyajima’s floating torii, this is a slow reading of Japan in high summer.}

Chapter 1: Tokyo 

_{Neon, shrines, and the pulse of a megacity.}

What we Did

Tokyo is a vibrant populous city of Japan, blending ultra-modern neon skyscrapers with ancient, peaceful temples.

Where we Ate

The above picture summed up my dining experience in Japan. 

We tried most of Japan’s culinary experiences – from street food to restaurants to Michelin star dining. The carnivores in my family had an enjoyable culinary experience.

Wagyu beef is big in Japan, hotel restaurants, standard restaurants and street food, all specialise in wagyu. A dream food destination for meat eaters. They also eat a lot of fish. Like some of my fellow SAns, they too think chicken and fish are vegetarian. I had to double check all my meals that they don’t add any fish or chicken broth.

In most places they tried to accommodate my dietary requirements but unfortunately the food was bland. (Imagine eating 2 minute noodles without any seasoning.) 

1. Paris Yugao

• This was amongst the best vegetarian meals I had in Tokyo. The meal itself was a simple meat free pattie but the star of the meal had to be the vegetables. The asparagus and potatoes were delectable. The garlic fried rice was just as delicious.
• The entire experience of watching the chef cook a meal in an intimate setting was by far a Splendid Experience.

2. Hirozen

• According to google translate the signage translates to to high-end Japanese restaurant specialising in in traditional Japanese cuisine ( Kōkyū Washokudokoro). There was nothing high-end about this restaurant in my opinion. The main selling point is the experience of eating in a traditional Japanese setting.
• Again, my meal was lacking in flavour. Even though the noodles were drowning in sauce, they tasted bland. The tempura vegetables also lacked flavour, and I had to dip them in soy sauce just to get the taste right.

3. Kaitan Sushi – Ginza

• After an early start site seeing, Kaitan Sushi was a perfect place for a late lunch break. 
• They had the standard vegetarian sushi –  avo & cucumber maki and the vegetarian fashion sandwich. They did have something called the tamago nigiri sushi, now that was delicious, one of the best sushi’s I’ve had. I also had a Beancurd nigiri roll. Again, I had to make sure they dont use and fish stock to season the tofu.
• The ginger ale was refreshingly tasty.

4. Vegan Izikaya Masaka

• The excitement in my life when I discovered a Vegan Izikaya at a basement of Parco in Shibuya on our last day in Tokyo.
• I decided to sample a few dishes. I tried – Broccoli tempura, Gyoza, Masaka Fried Maitake and The mushroom liver sashimi
  • The brocolli tempura and the Masaka fried maitake were by far my favourite dishes. Both had rich flavours and tasted really good.
  • The gyoza tasted ok and the worst dish was the mushroom liver sashimi, its tasted awful.

Where we Stayed

Our holiday started in Tokyo and ended in Tokyo. We stayed at the Shangri-La and the Four Seasons – Otemachi.

1. Shangri-La

The Shangri La is conveniently located right next to Tokyo Station in Chiyoda, making the location ideal as we would be taking a train to Osaka. The hotel blends traditional Asian hospitality with ultra-modern design, surrounded by skyscrapers and offering views of Tokyo Imperial Palace and the Tokyo Skytree.  

The chandeliers are simply magnificent.

Spacious rooms with floor-to-ceiling windows offering majestic views of the city.

Key Hotel Highlights

• Located right beside Tokyo Station 
  • They offer a complimentary meet-and-greet platform escort service. 
• Signature Dining
  • There’s an Italian restaurant called Piacere and a Japanese restaurant called Nadaman – the food and service at the Japanese restaurant were not the best. 
• SPA and Fitness Centre  

2. Four Seasons – Otemachi

The Four Seasons is location adjacent to the Imperial Palace, in the Otemachi district. Its a modern hotel with understated elegance that focuses on minimalist design incorporating traditional elements of nature with sweeping skyline views.

 Comfortable spacious rooms, spa-style bathrooms and premium amenities.

Key Hotel Highlights

• The hotel has four restaurants 
  • EST
    • Is a Michelin-starred French restaurant. 
  • Pigneto 
    • Is an Italian restaurant. I had one of the best Pizza’s here.  
  • The Lounge 
    • Is where the hotel’s afternoon tea is served. I had the tea, cake and read my book at the Lounge. This was my #MomentInBetween
  •  Virtù 
    • A  cocktail bar with French-Japanese fusion cocktails, luscious wine and bar snacks. 
• SPA and Fitness Centre 

The overall verdict

Tokyo is a beautiful and sometimes overwhelming contrast of high-speed energy and deep cultural tranquillity – one moment, you’re caught in the organised chaos of Shibuya Crossing and the next, you’re walking along the quiet, forested paths of Meiji Jingu Shrine.

Still, that contrast is part of what makes Tokyo so fascinating. It’s a city that never stops moving, yet somehow always remembers where it came from.

Tokyo markets its experiences incredibly well and sets high expectations. At times, though, I found that the reality didn’t quite live up to the hype and there were moments that left us underwhelmed.

It was still a splendid experience and a city I see myself visiting in transit thou and not as a main location.