Love In Tokyo

Foodies and shopaholics will never be disappointed on a trip to the land of the rising sun.

- Wreeta Borah

 From traditional tea-houses to high rises, zen gardens to bullet trains, luxury Michelin star restaurants to cozy izakayas (Japanese pubs), frantic shopping streets to vending machines that sell everything from beer to hot meals, Japan is a one-of-kind travel destination that may overwhelm you at first sight but will slowly become one of your favourite destinations. During a recent trip to Japan, my first time to the land of the rising sun, I fell in love with the country each time I sampled local delicacies made with the freshest of ingredients, indulged in Japanese beauty products that is often touted as the best in the world, made use of their highly efficient public transport system, and almost every time I found myself at the receiving end of some good old Japanese hospitality.

The First Taste

It was an eight hour flight from Delhi. Despite the fact that it was a long flight, it was fairly comfortable thanks to the spacious seats and wonderful crew. I was flying with a Japanese airline, so I was not surprised that the in-flight crew never missed a beat with regards to customer satisfaction. The plane landed at Narita Airport in Tokyo around noon. I was recommended to take a shuttle to get to my hotel. So, I waited to board one that would take me to Osaki bus terminal, located right next New Otani Inn, where I would be staying for the duration of the trip. The ride from the airport to the hotel was when I got my first look of Japan’s busy capital. The harbour area, the bridges, the winding roads with smattering of fauna every now and then were all very lovely. It was a bit chilly so I made sure to button up my overcoat when I was walking from the bus terminal to the hotel. One of the best things about the hotel was the location. As I was travelling for business, it was close to my place of work and at the same time, it was also walking distance from busy areas with lots of shops and eateries.