../

// Tokyo Travelogue
#import "/template-en.typ": doc-template
#doc-template(
title: "Tokyo Travelogue",
date: "July 17th, 2025",
body: [

#set heading(numbering: none)


I’m starting a thread here to log my experiences traveling in Tokyo.

= Day 0

I bought a plane ticket to arrive in Tokyo on July 4th. As for why I chose this day, it was simply because the tickets were the cheapest then. It wasn't until I landed in Tokyo that I learned the reason it was so cheap was due to a rumor that a massive earthquake was going to hit Japan on July 5th. Now we know that event didn't happen, so, all in all, I scored a deal.

Compared to traveling domestically in China, there are a few extra things you need to bring:

- Passport
- Visa
- Data SIM card
- Foreign currency (Cash)

Since domestic phones generally don't support eSIMs, it’s a bit of a hassle as you need a physical card. Although they say you can buy the necessary cards at the airport, to be safe, I bought a SoftBank data card on Taobao in advance. It can’t make calls, only access the internet, but that was enough.

I arrived at Narita Airport around 7:00 PM. I expected to get on the subway immediately, but there were actually some immigration procedures to go through. During the customs quarantine check, a very cute Beagle sniffed my luggage—it was adorable. I really wanted to take a picture, but there was a sign nearby saying "No Photography," so I had to give up.

According to my previous plan, I needed to buy a Suica transport card at the airport. Unfortunately, by the time I got out, the JR ticket office was already closed, so I had to buy a ticket with cash.

To get from Narita Airport to the city center, you take the "Keisei Line" to "Nippori" Station and then transfer to other lines. I was supposed to take the "Skyliner," but I underestimated the complexity of Tokyo's railway lines. Unlike the subway or light rail back home, Tokyo's urban commuter railways are often divided into "Limited Express," "Express," and "Local" (Stop at every station). It’s similar to the "Z" (Direct) and "K" (Fast) trains on domestic railways versus the slow trains that stop everywhere. At first, I got on a local train. As I was riding, I realized something was wrong, so I got off at a small station and started carefully studying the operating logic of the Tokyo railway. It happened to be Friday night, so I was surrounded by salarymen and students heading out to party for the weekend. They were very rowdy, while I was breaking out in a cold sweat trying to figure out what was going on with this line and if I had taken the wrong train. This was the most nervous moment of the trip.

Fortunately, getting off was the right move, and the station I stopped at happened to be a stop for an "Express" train, so I successfully arrived at Nippori.

At Nippori, you can transfer to the JR line. JR is the operating company for Suica, the most commonly used transport card in Tokyo. I bought a Suica card at an automatic ticket machine at the station. After that, everything went smoothly.

It was already past 11:00 PM when I came out of the railway station. Tokyo's public safety felt very secure: not far from the subway exit was an elementary school, and there were many surveillance cameras nearby. Along the way, I saw very typical Japanese streets: many *ikkyu-ken* (detached single-family houses) and narrow alleys. It looked a bit like an "urban village," yet very orderly.

A big thank you to Brother P here for the reception and for providing free accommodation in Tokyo.

I was exhausted from the travel, so I went to sleep early. That was pretty much the start of the journey.

= Day 1

Today, Brother P showed me around Tokyo. Our main area of activity was Ueno Park. At noon, we had pork cutlet rice (Tonkatsu) near Brother P's workplace, and then passing by a Pokémon vending machine, I bought a Sprigatito charm. Because the weather was quite hot, our first stop in the afternoon was the indoor Tokyo National Museum.

Although the Tokyo National Museum seems to be the largest national museum in Japan, the collection in the main exhibition hall didn't seem that impressive. Aside from two Vajra statues at the entrance that were quite imposing, not much else left an impression on me. However, the "Toyokan" (Asian Gallery) on the right side felt like it had quite a few unique artifacts. Many cultural relics from China are kept there, and there are even ancient artifacts from Egypt and Mesopotamia. As for the origin of these artifacts... well, it’s basically dark history. The Japanese are quite sly, listing the source as "So-and-so Expedition Team" without mentioning the facts of theft or looting at all. The missing head of a Buddha statue from the Yungang Grottoes in Shanxi is housed here; I wonder if there is any possibility of it ever returning to its original place.

Regrettably, the chain on my Sprigatito charm broke at some point, and I lost it inside the Tokyo National Museum. I was left with only a photo. A huge pity.

#image("./001.jpg", width: 50%)

Coming out of the museum, we walked around Ueno Park and arrived at Shinobazu Pond, a small pond with many lotuses. This kind of small pond has almost no unique features; the small pond in the city center of Kunming feels exactly the same as this one.

#image("./002.jpg", width: 50%)

The University of Tokyo campus was nearby, so we went to take a look and took a few photos in front of the famous Yasuda Auditorium. The architecture of the University of Tokyo campus is very distinctive, all in a Victorian style. It wouldn't look out of place being used to film a fantasy movie.

#image("./003.jpg", width: 50%)

In the evening, after eating curry near the University of Tokyo, we went for a stroll in Akihabara. Although it is the "Holy Land of 2D culture," given that I'm not really into that subculture anymore, I didn't feel much. I browsed a few anime-themed shopping malls and felt they were very, very similar to the anime malls near West Lake. I feel like the anime business ecosystem near West Lake must have been modeled after Akihabara. Right-wing politics in Japan seem to be on the rise lately; there were right-wing politicians giving speeches on the street, and there were quite a few people cheering and clapping. In the end, I bought two manga books in Akihabara: the first volume of *Berserk* and the first volume of *Delicious in Dungeon* (Dungeon Meshi), for my collection.

There are many gambling parlors in Akihabara. I went into a slot machine and pachinko parlor to take a look. Watching young Japanese people gamble, I felt like they were just mechanically pressing buttons non-stop, just like lab rats in a Skinner box. Their mental state looked very concerning. Some slot machines even used *Puella Magi Madoka Magica* as a theme background, which made me, as a Madoka fan, very unhappy.

That was Day 1.

= Day 2

From this day on, my exploration of Tokyo was solo.

The first stop of the day was Shibuya. Shibuya is really just a massive commercial street. If you are a fan of shopping, you’d probably be very happy, but I’m actually not that interested in shopping, so I just wandered around.

Right out of Shibuya Station is the famous "Statue of Hachiko." Many people were lining up there to take photos with the dog statue. There were also many people taking photos of the diagonal pedestrian crossing (Scramble Crossing).

#image("./004.jpg", width: 50%)

#image("./005.jpg", width: 50%)

The malls here often dedicate an entire building to a single brand; IKEA and MUJI are like this. But frankly, there isn't much to say about them. However, while browsing IKEA, I sorted out my lunch at the IKEA restaurant, and then bought a Hello Kitty fridge magnet at MUJI.

In the afternoon, I ran over to Shinjuku Gyoen. This kind of park feels a bit like the Summer Palace or Yuyuantan Park. However, even though it was Sunday, there weren't many people, so I could relax and lie on the large lawn staring blankly at the sky. Makoto Shinkai's movie *The Garden of Words* was set here, but I haven't actually seen the movie, so I didn't really get the references. But the scenery was indeed very nice. Also, a very famous staircase from the movie *Your Name* is nearby, but wandering around Shinjuku Gyoen was too tiring, so I didn't go.

#image("./006.jpg", width: 50%)

On the way back in the evening, I passed by Shibuya again, thinking I would go up the "Skytree" there to watch the sunset. But the tickets were sold out long ago, so I couldn't make the trip. Then, I popped into the Pokémon Center there, hoping to buy another Sprigatito charm, but I couldn't buy one. The Sprigatito charms were sold out because they were too popular, which was very regrettable.

Because I was tired and hungry, I wasn't in the mood for fine dining, so I just settled for McDonald's. Once I filled my stomach, I went back.

That was the second day.

= Day 3

The schedule for this day was to go to Kamakura. Kamakura is south of Tokyo, even farther than Yokohama. However, thanks to Tokyo's convenient commuter system and the fact that where I was staying was near the southern border of Tokyo, it only took about an hour and a half to get there.

Arriving at the JR Kamakura Station, you can buy a ticket for the sightseeing train "Enoden." It costs 800 yen and allows unlimited rides for the day. The train departs from Kamakura, and at first, the scenery is mundane—just ordinary Japanese streets. But suddenly, the train drives right up to the seaside, and the view opens up completely. My first stop was "Shichirigahama." There is a very nice beach here [Attachment 1], which is said to be a location for many anime. They say when the weather is good, you can see Mount Fuji across the sea, but the humidity was high that day and visibility wasn't great, so I actually couldn't see it.

#image("./007.jpg", width: 50%)

The second stop was "Kamakura-koko-mae" (Kamakura High School Front). There is a level crossing here facing the sea. Because it is a location that appears in *Slam Dunk*, many people take photos here. The sea, the railway, and the tram do indeed create a unique charm. It’s no wonder that for a few years, "Little Kamakura" internet-famous spots were popping up everywhere back in China.

#image("./008.jpg", width: 50%)

The third stop was "Enoshima." There is a small mountain on the island with many historical sites like shrines. But since I'm not very familiar with Japanese history, I couldn't really work up much interest in this attraction. The path up the mountain is lined with snacks, mostly seafood.

After coming down the mountain, it was already about 3 or 4 PM, so I decided to head back and stroll around Kamakura. The streets of Kamakura are a bit like the commercial ancient towns in China, with many shops geared toward tourists, and it was very bustling. In the center of Kamakura is a shrine: Tsurugaoka Hachimangu, located in Yukinoshita. It is said that this shrine was originally at Yuigahama, two train stops away, and was later moved here by Minamoto no Yoritomo. Japan celebrates Tanabata (Star Festival) according to the Gregorian calendar, so the shrine was holding a "Tanabata Festival," and I could see *Miko* (shrine maidens) dressed in red and white preparing for it.

#image("./009.jpg", width: 50%)

By the time I finished wandering, it was almost dark, so I turned back and returned to Tokyo.

= Day 5

I skipped the fourth day. Originally, I planned to go to Lake Kawaguchi to see Mount Fuji on the fourth day, but after checking the weather forecast and live cameras, I found that Mount Fuji had been shrouded in clouds and mist for the past few days. So, lacking energy, I just stayed in my room all day as a rest day.

The first stop on the fifth day was Senso-ji Temple. The temple architecture has very distinct Japanese characteristics. I drew a fortune stick at Senso-ji. Regrettably, it was a "Bad Luck" (凶) fortune. The gist of it was about handling human relationships poorly, flowers blooming late, ghosts coming to steal money, and so on. So I tied the fortune to the rack nearby and returned resentfully.

#image("./010.jpg", width: 50%)

The second stop was Ginza. It’s a bit like Wangfujing or Nanjing Road—lots of shops that look very luxurious, which I didn't dare to enter. At the intersection in Ginza stands the building from the recently popular anime *Hotel After the End*. The Imperial Palace is also near Ginza, but I couldn't go in because I didn't have a reservation. This is supposed to be the core area of Tokyo, yet surprisingly, there were often homeless people and beggars napping in the bushes.

#image("./011.jpg", width: 50%)

The third stop was Tokyo Tower. Looking at Tokyo Tower from afar, I didn't feel much, except that the red color looked quite nice. However, the visual effect looking up from the foot of the tower was pretty good. Buying a ticket gets you to the top of the tower. From the top, you can overlook Tokyo Bay; Tokyo, Kawasaki, Yokohama, and Yokosuka can all be seen from there. The scenery is very nice.

#image("./012.jpg", width: 50%)

By the time I came down from Tokyo Tower, it was almost dark. That was Day 5.

= Day 6
The destination for this day was Yokosuka, which was also the place where the US military landed after the Japanese surrender in World War II. Now, it serves as a naval port for the US Navy and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF). The headquarters of the US Seventh Fleet is also here.

After taking the JR Yokosuka Line to Yokosuka Station, you can see a seaside park right after coming out. This is also an excellent spot to overlook the naval port. It was unlucky when I went; there were no aircraft carriers in the port, but there was a US "Zumwalt-class" destroyer. Its appearance is very sci-fi, designed for electromagnetic stealth. However, according to some military enthusiasts, the performance of this warship isn't actually that great. On the other side of the port were parked the "small boats" of the JMSDF; these were warships with a more traditional appearance, featuring tall masts.

#image("./013.jpg", width: 50%)

Walking along the park leads to a shopping mall. Inside the mall, you can buy tickets for a "Naval Port Cruise," and then take a sightseeing boat from the pier at the back of the mall to see the warships in the port up close. The loop around the port takes about 45 minutes. There is a guide on the boat who explains every ship in the port, but unfortunately, my Japanese level is too poor. Aside from a few Katakana English words that popped up occasionally, I had absolutely no idea what he was saying.

Leaving the mall and walking east along the road, you can see the streetscape of Yokosuka. Everywhere here are shops hanging American flags, and the signs are almost all in English, presumably to serve the American military personnel serving at the base here. Walking to the end, you reach "Mikasa Park," where the flagship of the Japanese Combined Fleet during the Russo-Japanese War, the "Mikasa," is docked. Here, you can feel a very obvious right-wing tone: in the park, there is a statue of the then-Japanese Admiral Togo Heihachiro, and slogans like "The Empire's rise and fall depends on this one battle." As a witness to history, I think the ship is worth boarding for a look, but inside there are many facilities for Japanese right-wing patriotic education, and the Russo-Japanese War is faceded by them as a war for the "Liberation of Asian Peoples," which made me feel very uncomfortable. I suppose the character "Mikasa" in Attack on Titan comes from this battleship.

#image("./014.jpg", width: 50%)

This is the last entry of the Tokyo travelogue. On Friday, I went to Ikebukuro and just looked around randomly. There wasn't anything interesting worth writing about, so let's end it here.

])