From Hong Kong, Rob, Rob & I flew over to Tokyo to meet up with our friend Sebastian for five days in this awesome city.

WE HAD SUCH A GREAT TIME. I want to go BACK! I don’t think I’ll ever tire of Japan.

Some highlights…

Monday, 2/16

Woke up early to head to the famous Tsukiji Fish Market for sushi breakfast. OH YES.

Instead of lining up at one of the more popular restaurants, we just randomly chose one that looked good.

AND OMG, IT WAS. The fish was incredibly fresh and oh so tasty. I think this meal ruined all sushi for me back at home.

Spent the rest of the day toy shopping. 🙂 We started on Character Street at the Tokyo Station, then headed to Hakuhinkan Toy Park in Ginza and ended in the Akihabara neighborhood.

Tuesday, 2/17

Another day, another great meal. This time we headed over to Kichijoji for an early lunch at Steak House Satou. We ordered the Matsuzaka steak set which was melt in your mouth yummy. I seriously dream of that steak.

After lunch, we took the monorail to Odaiba where Sebastian & I were going to an onsen (hot springs) while Rob & Rob would go to Toys R Us or make mischief, hehe.

I managed to get a shot of the Statue of Liberty from the monorail!

Oedo Onsen. After taking care of the entrance fee, you’re given a yukata (casual, lightweight kimono), belt and slippers to wear within the facilities. The male & female dressing rooms are separated as are the hot springs but everything else is communal.

I wasn’t interested in the hot springs (requires you to fully disrobe) so I opted for the foot bath instead. The water was warm and it felt so nice to just relax and read outdoors.

There was even a fish therapy bath where small fish eat away at the dead skin cells on your feet. It sounds cool in theory but knowing me, I’d probably be ticklish and uncomfortable. Heh.

Inside the onsen, there are shops and restaurants. I noticed quite a few groups of young adults (college age?) using this communal area to eat, drink & hang out.

After meeting up with Rob & Rob again, we went over to Shibuya where of course we had to visit Hachiko.

We also wanted to experience the craziness of the Shibuya Crossing but unfortunately since it was raining, it wasn’t crowded at all. SO DISAPPOINTING!

We ended the day with drinks at Goodbeer Faucets, a fun bar that features a selection of Japanese & American beers.

Wednesday, 2/18

If I could do one thing over again, I would wait until we were in Tokyo to select our Disney day. I wanted to save time by buying tickets online ahead of time but unfortunately, you’re forced to commit to a specific date upon purchase.

Sadly, it was cold and rainy most of the day. The worst weather of our trip. SIGH.

My favorite of the two parks is Tokyo DisneySea so that’s where I dragged the boys. 🙂

We took the complimentary shuttle from our hotel and arrived before park opening. It wasn’t raining yet but there was definitely a cold breeze. We were freezing!

This is the reason we got to the park early. The Japanese are fanatical about Disney so basically the early bird gets the worm. Note how the cast members are holding signs that say “for safety, please walk.” People were running anyway. It was intense! We should have gotten video footage — you have to see it to believe it.

Mount Prometheus! I just adore the detail and theming in this park. Everywhere you turn there’s something to see. For our first ride, we took the Transit Steamer Line, which is a boat that takes you to & from various points in the park. We took it from Mediterranean Harbor in the front to the Lost River Delta in the back.

I love the views of the park that you get from the vantage in the boat.

Our Indiana Jones ride photo!

Sindbad’s Storybook Voyage was a walk-on so that’s where we went next. I’m not sure why this ride isn’t more popular — it’s a solid dark ride that features the adorable Chandu the tiger. He’s adorable!

We spent some time in Mermaid Lagoon while trying to stay dry.

One of my favorite rides in the park, Journey to the Center of the Earth, was closed for rehab. Boo. So instead we went on 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, which is a ride I’m not particularly fond of. Mostly because it’s a tight fit in the ride vehicle and the narration is all in Japanese so I have no idea what I’m experiencing.

I just love the Mediterranean Harbor. It’s so scenic!

The rain wasn’t letting up so we decided to head for the Roosevelt Lounge in the American Waterfront. They serve alcohol! My friend Sebastian opted for a pretty parfait. 🙂

Cape Cod is my favorite section of the American Waterfront. It’s so picturesque.

We walked over to Port Discovery where we found that despite the rain, ride wait times were still quite long. So we decided to call it a day.

A rainy Disney day is still better than no day at Disney at all.

Next up: Our last two days in Tokyo… including the Robot Restaurant and a train ride to see cherry blossoms!