We met at noon, but beforehand, Brody, Esther, Maddy, and I got McDonalds, which was conveniently close by. Then, we met with the rest of the group in the lobby and debriefed for the day before starting our journey towards the Imperial Palace, where I was told the Emperor lived, or at least previously lived.
We took the subway to Tokyo Station and walked to the Imperial Palace from there. The name refers to a whole plot of land instead of a singular building, and it was a large plot of land.
We first walked through the given paths, which taught us a lot about the masonry and upkeep of the Palace over time. Towards the end of the palace, however, was when the beautiful garden began to reveal itself.
One of the Imperial Palace garden paths
The garden was beautiful and had an arrangement of plants, structures, pathways, and sights, including a small waterfall and a pond.
The pond at the Imperial Palace
After our quick tour of the Imperial Palace, we made our way towards the Meji Shrine, a shrine near Shibuya and Harujuku. We got some quick lunch in Harujuku before making our way towards the shrine. After a small, civil dispute within the group, we entered the park towards the shrine, passing through the large Torii Gate.
The Torii Gate Entrance to the park nearby Meji Shrine
I learned that we had to walk on the sides of the pathway because the middle was meant for the gods to pass through, which I thought was a fascinating design based on spiritual beliefs and cultural tradition.
Eventually, we made it to the shrine and I prayed the longest prayer so far, and received a fortune that included a vague poem that I have yet to fully decipher. and realize its meaning. After the shrine, we were let go to do what we liked, so Brody, Esther, Maddy, and I went to Shibuya, where I picked up the My Neighbor Totoro vinyl from one of my new favorite shops: RECOfan. We explored some other record shops and music shops as well, eventually ending out mini-trip to Shibuya with a steak dinner where we had to cook it ourselves.
Tired and exhausted, we made it back to Akhihabara and prepared ourselves for our MAGIC meeting at 11pm (before you think anything: yeah, I know). After the meeting, it was not long before I had fallen asleep.
On the first day, Maddy and I went to Shibuya. We saw the famous crossing and explored the area. We went to the Mandarake in Shibuya and other stores, such as the Pokemon Center, the official Nintendo Store, and the Mugiwara Store known for its One Piece merchandise.
More importantly, for breakfast, I went to 7-11 and got a melon Fanta and a tuna and mayonnaise rice ball. It was a very good start to the day. The melon Fanta was very refreshing and sweet drink, and the rice ball had an umami flavor that paired well with the drink. The rice ball was also incredibly easy to eat and was almost criminally convenient.
For lunch, I ate pork oil noodles with a side of rice. We were able to order our food using a screen, so there weren’t any issues ordering our food. The noodles were savory and filling, so I wasn’t able to finish my side of rice. Still, the pairing fit well together because the rice helped balance out the strong flavor of the noodles.
Pork oil noodles with a side of rice
Second Day: Harajuku
The next day, we headed out to Harajuku. We did a lot of walking around, checking out shops, and looking at the amazing outfits people in the area were wearing.
For breakfast, we stopped by 7-11 again. I picked out a ham and cucumber sandwich, steamed bread with egg, and a yuzu and lemon soda. The cucumbers on the sandwich made eating it feel more refreshing to eat in the warm morning air, and the ham added the necessary flavor. The yuzu and lemon soda was very tangy and unlike any soda I’ve ever had in the U.S. Lastly, the steamed bread with egg was sweet, light, and fluffy; a perfect way to finish off breakfast.
Pork ham and cucumber sandwich steamed bread with egg, and yuzu and lemon soda
After walking around for a couple of hours before the stores opened, Maddy and I wanted to sit down somewhere so we didn’t burn ourselves out. So I got Maddy to go into McDonald’s because an enticing ad depicted a delicious-looking peach drink. The ad worked because that’s what we both got (plus hashbrowns). The hashbrowns were typical McDonald’s hashbrowns: yummy and salty. The peach drink was lightly sweet with a strong peach flavor, and there were peach chunks on the bottom that added a refreshing feel to the sugary drink.
McDonald’s peach drink with a hashbrown
For lunch, I got udon with spicy cod roe and a side of rice. Thankfully, I was able to eat everything this time around. The strong umami flavor of the spicy cod roe was nicely balanced out by the rice. Sadly, although good, it was not spicy as I was expecting it to be. The egg yolks made the dish more savory, and all the toppings added more texture and umami flavor to the dish.
Udon with spicy cod roe and a side of rice
Third Day: Shimokitazawa and Shinjuku
On our third day, we went to From Software headquarters to bask in excellence and pray some of their game design skills to impart to us for just being in their presence. After getting a glimpse of a Sanrio-themed train, we went thrifting at Shimokitazawa. Afterward, we went to Shinjuku on a whim and experienced the lively nightlife there.
More importantly, the first meal of the day, which was in Shimokitazawa, was an omurice dish with demiglazed beef that came with some broth and a small salad. The salad had a tangy dressing that paired well with the lettuce which was a good way to start off the meal. The beef made the omurice incredibly savory, and combining it with the ketchip-covered rice helped to lessen the strong savoriness.
Omurice with demiglazed beef
For dinner in Shinjuku, I had fried rice and pork dumplings. The fried rice had a very subtle flavor, but was filling and delicious. The pork dumplings were very juicy and paired well with a good dipping of soy sauce.
Fried ricePork dumplings
Day 4: Meeting Up with the Class
On our last early day, we traveled over to Shinigawa to meet up with everyone else. After struggling with our heavy suitcases and miscommunication about which hotel we were in, Maddy and I decided to visit The National Art Center (mainly because John Wick 4 took place there).
For breakfast, I had some discounted goodies for 7-11. The first thing I ate was a chocolate-coated donut. It was sweet and crunchy, but it was a little bland. For the price, I would be willing to buy it again. The second batch of goodies I had were honeyberry and cream cheese-filled rice cakes. Although the flavor was wonderful, I did not enjoy the texture of the cream cheese. However, for the price, I cannot complain.
Chocolate coated donut and rice cakes filled with honeyberry and cream cheese
For lunch, I had soba noodles with shrimp tempura. It was amazing. No qualms at all. There were seasonings readily available, so I added some to add a little more flavor. I didn’t believe the dish could get any better, but the seasoning made it reach new heights. I may also be biased though because I was incredibly hungry and tired, and food always tastes better when hungry and tired.
Soba noodles with shrimp tempura
After meeting up with the rest of the crew, we all got dinner together at a food court near the Shinigawa Prince Hotel, which is the hotel we were staying at for the night. I got takoyaki with spicy cod roe. The spicy cod roe was also not spicy this time around, and there was nothing to balance out the strong umami flavor of the cod roe. The takoyaki itself was delicious and I highly recommend it, but everything together was not as good as the spicy cod roe with udon and a side of rice I had a few days ago.
Takoyaki with spicy cod roe
After this, Maddy, Vincent, Brody and I went on a little night adventure around Shinigawa, had a meeting about Magic Makers, and then head to bed. The official trip begins!
