Tokyo: Mario, Mt. Fuji & the Beautiful, Ordered Chaos of Japan's Capital

We landed in Tokyo and the city introduced itself the way only Tokyo can — with cleanliness, order in the crowd, a skyline of impossible buildings, and a giant Mario waving at us before we'd even cleared customs. You don't ease into Tokyo. You instantly fall in love with it. After fiddling with route maps and figuring out our Suica cards, we made our way to Hostel Wasabi in Asakusa. On the way we realised we were staying a stone's throw from the very famous Senso-ji temple — which felt like a happy accident.

Check-in wasn't until 3pm, so we considered jumping straight onto the Gotemba Premium Outlet run for shoes — 300 brands with discounts, the kind of place footwear dreams are made of — but it was already late, and Gotemba is 2.5 hours from central Tokyo. Plan B: clothes shopping in Ginza. Same prices everywhere in Japan, so the flagship strip wins by default. But first, food. We walked into 2foods, a vegan café, and split a burger, a smoothie, and a Coke. Day one was already underway.

The Ginza plan went sideways quickly. GU was full of clothes we wanted at prices we could justify. On Shoes appeared en route and instantly added itself to the list. By the time we tried to walk into Uniqlo, it was hell-crowded and our long-flight hangover had kicked in. We surrendered, went back to the hostel, checked in, and slept. Two hours later I dragged us both out — staying down meant a wrecked first night. We strolled Asakusa, did one full lap of GU at Rox Mall, walked past the famous Donki store, and then Harshit found a tiny vegan Japanese restaurant called Fujifuku. The "one meal, one drink per person" rule was new to us, the menu was a set course, and a single owner-chef walked us through every dish she served. Worth every yen.

Back at the hostel, we sat with our screens and booked a Willer Bus to Mt. Fuji on the 19th from Shibuya — Harshit had done the visibility research. The 18th would be Asakusa and Kappabashi Street. Plans set, alarms set, bunk beds claimed. We slept like babies.

Day 1: 18th April
Kappabashi & the Akihabara Vortex

Sweet wind, mild sun. The kind of Tokyo morning that makes you want to slow down. We sorted our outfits for today and tomorrow — Mt. Fuji day deserved its own planning session — got ready by noon, and Harshit found another vegan café nearby for pizza and pastries. On this trip, I had decided: no rushing. Sleep properly, wander properly.

Kappabashi is the kitchen street, and it really is heaven if you're into ceramics and knives. For me it was a 30-minute walk-through, but the craftsmanship is undeniable — and pricey. By 2pm we'd left for Akihabara. We figured we'd check BIC Camera first, then Yodobashi. Reader, you need days for those two stores. We went in at 3pm and came out at 7pm, with Harshit complaining I hadn't let him stroll properly. Eight to twelve floors of electronics, toys, video games, watches, you name it. Wallet lighter, hearts heavier.

Tired and hungry, we hunted for vegan food and found an Indian restaurant inside Yodobashi. Mid-meal, I made an executive decision: Harshit does not get to re-enter Yodobashi. He would buy literally every electronic. Heavy bags, heavier feet, an early bus tomorrow. Back to the hostel, lights out.

Day 2: 19th April
The Mt. Fuji Day

Up early for the highway bus. We swung by the Lawson outside the hostel, did a small translation dance to pick our snacks, and ended up with seats not next to each other on the bus — last-minute booking penalty. But the upside was huge: at 7:30am, Senso-ji had no crowds. The temple we'd been failing to visit for four days revealed itself in perfect quiet. Onwards to Shibuya, a quick photo at the Hachiko statue, scrambled to the bus on the 5th floor of a mall, made it with 10 minutes to spare.

I ate and slept through the journey. Harshit woke me when Mt. Fuji appeared — and yes, every bit of the hype is earned. We rolled past Gotemba and reached Kawaguchiko station. I bought us the Fuji Bus tickets that loop around the five lakes. Four routes, the red one being the most famous for Fujisan views. The red bus had a monster queue so we hopped the green route first; Harshit felt we were wasting time. After the green loop, we walked toward Lake Kawaguchiko and — Fuji was nowhere to be seen. Eventually we squeezed onto the red bus, got off at Oishi Park, took the photos that justify the trip, ate the famous ice cream, bought cookies.

We caught the red bus once more, got off at a spot where sakura and Fuji framed each other perfectly, then made it back to Kawaguchiko around 3pm. With our return bus at 6pm, we squeezed in one final shot — a climb up to Chureito Pagoda, the postcard view, and a sprint back to the station. I also started my stamp quest there, having forgotten to collect any for the previous two days. Willer Bus back to Tokyo. Hearts full of mountain.

Dropped off at Akihabara, we hunted dinner. I didn't want Indian again. It was nearly 9pm and most places shut by 8 or 9, but we found Afuri and had our first proper ramen in Japan. I used a fork. Harshit used chopsticks like a pro. He adapts effortlessly. Belly and heart full, back to the hostel.

Day 3: 20th April
Shibuya, Shinjuku & Harajuku

Today belonged to the famous trio: Shibuya, Shinjuku, Harajuku. We started at Meiji Shrine. The shrine is religiously significant, yes — but the wonder is that it sits in a forest in the heart of Tokyo. Wine barrels lining the path, the oldest wooden Torii gate, and a kind of hush that shouldn't exist in a city this big. Japan teaches you about coexistence — of human and nature, of modernity and cultural roots, of skyscrapers and shrines. Order inside chaos.

From there to the world-famous Shibuya crossing. We crossed it over and over and got the free upper view too. Lunch at Falafel Brothers inside Parco mall, where we also discovered the Pokémon and Nintendo store one floor down. People say it's hard to find vegetarian or vegan food in Japan — I wouldn't say that, it's just slightly pricier. After lunch, the great Shibuya shop-hop: Asics, ABC Mart, Shibuya 109, 2nd Street. From there to Harajuku's Takeshita Street for snacks and boba tea.

Evening was Shinjuku — neon lights, the cat billboard, the Godzilla head, and a walk down Omoide Yokocho and Golden Gai. We couldn't find anything to eat in those tiny lanes, but the vibe alone was worth it — narrow alleys packed with people and restaurants. It reminded us of Paratha Gali in Chandni Chowk, except, well, much cleaner and quieter. Even Tokyo's most crowded streets don't feel noisy.

Dinner plan: T's TanTans, the famous vegan ramen place at Tokyo Station. Getting there is its own quest. We arrived at Tokyo Station at 7:30pm and only reached the restaurant at 8:30pm — despite it being inside the station. Tokyo Station is a literal maze: not just a station, but underground streets for food, groceries, restaurants, shopping. We got lost. We asked a restaurant owner; his English wasn't great, so he found someone else, walked them over, and that person personally led us to the queue. People go out of their way for you there. Gyoza, ramen, joy. Painful legs, full bellies, back to the hostel.

Day 4: 21st April
Asakusa, Jimbocho & the Overnight Bus

Vacating day. The overnight bus to Kyoto was at 9:40pm and the hostel agreed to hold our luggage till 6:30pm for free. We'd lived in Asakusa for four days without really exploring it, so today the plan was the Asakusa market and the much-anticipated Jimbocho, the books district. Asakusa's market is huge — daifuku, baby castella cakes, matcha ice cream, photos at Senso-ji (this time with the crowds), and then onwards.

Jimbocho was both magical and humbling. So many books — mostly in Japanese. We searched out the stores with English translations while Harshit researched titles for me. With limited options I almost didn't buy anything. Then a shelf appeared with physics books, and there was Kreyszig. I can't put that feeling into words. It's surreal that across borders, across languages, some concepts come from the same author you've sat with through your entire academic life.

We made it to Ginza for lunch at Ain Soph, more GU shopping, a Daiso run. On the walk back we found Sanseido bookstore, and Harshit talked me into finally buying — and I thank him for it. He also convinced me to grab those DIY kits from BIC Camera. I walked out with Klara and the Sun and Butter. Books I'll cherish forever.

Back to the hostel, paid the 1000-yen-half-hour penalty, packed. One bus and one metro to the bus terminal. At the station we crossed the road to use a lift, only to discover we were on the wrong platform — no exit. Up the stairs, across, down again. Shortcuts that aren't. We reached with 45 minutes to spare, raided a 7-Eleven for snacks, boarded our first Willer Bus. Seats: directly behind the driver. Verdict: better than Flix, but the seat partitions only really help if you're travelling solo. Snacks, sleep, Kyoto in the morning.

Day 5: 28th April
Back in Tokyo

Tokyo Station: still a maze. After figuring out the route to our hotel, we arrived way before check-in. They held our luggage. We ate what was left from our Lawson and supermarket runs and, since we weren't sleepy, we did what one does in Ginza on a weekday afternoon: more Uniqlo shopping. We picked up things for us and a few for others. By the time we were hungry, the veg-burger hunt failed at three different shops in a row — and then Harshit found another gem: Komeda Café, a plant-based kissa. The food was excellent, the drinks even better. Around 4pm the overnight-bus fatigue finally caught up. Hotel, sleep.

We had a 7:20am flight to Sapporo the next day. We woke around 7pm, didn't feel like stepping out, ordered pizza on Uber Eats, packed one backpack for Sapporo, and left the rest in the suitcases — the hotel agreed to hold them for two days since we'd be back. Sleep again.

Day 6: 1st May
Final Day & the Lawson Incident

The last day of the trip. The plan: fly back from Sapporo, push on to Yokohama. We were up at 4am, on the Limousine Bus to the airport. At the gate, they announced heavy rain in Tokyo and offered to reschedule. We didn't. We flew. The plane was nearly empty so I claimed three seats and slept across them. The rain in Tokyo was relentless. We landed safely but binned the Yokohama plan.

Where to eat? We hadn't tried okonomiyaki yet, so back to Asakusa we went. We tried plum wine, wandered the market — fitting, because we'd started this trip in Asakusa and now we'd end it there too. We had matcha parfait at The Matcha House, matcha tea at Hatoya Matcha, and a matcha ice cream too. The purest matcha we've ever tasted. One final round of shopping, one final visit to Senso-ji — this time we played the omikuji fortune game. Then back to the hotel.

For dinner we wanted one of the famous pizza spots we'd saved, but it was a Friday night in Tokyo and every one of them was full. We picked an Italian place instead and dressed for date night — I always pack one dress for it and almost never use it, but Harshit pumps me up. The food was amazing, the tiramisu unreal. They charged extra for cutlery; when we mentioned that's exactly how it works in Italy, the owner lit up. He sources his olive oil directly from Italy. I want to spend weeks in Sicily and Tuscany. We talked the whole trip over and realised how much of it would live in us forever.

And then came the legendary Lawson incident. We had a few yen left in our Suica cards and some cash, and decided to spend the remainder. Harshit picked up a matcha latte. Now in his head, the plan was perfectly clear: pay with two Suica cards, then cash, then another card — four payment methods for one bill. I do not think a single payment machine on this planet has been built for that combination.

In the cashier's head, however, the plan was: one Suica, the rest in cash. He swiped a Suica, asked for cash — we didn't have enough. And once a Suica is swiped, the money is gone; you can't reverse it, you have to complete the transaction. After much back-and-forth, the cashier put in his own money to close the bill, then asked Harshit to pay him back from the second Suica — and we promptly got stuck in the exact same loop again. Eventually he gave up on us and just handed over the latte. We then tried to buy other things we didn't want just to balance the books. Even now, writing this, I laugh till my stomach hurts. The words don't do justice to it. We walked out, doubled over, and went back to the hotel for the final pack. Hotel weighing machine. Sleep.