29 September 2026
4:45 in the morning. Beds shaking from one side to the other for a few seconds, then nothing more. The result of a magnitude 4.3 earthquake close to Tokyo. Unusual to feel, but I just kept on sleeping.
We tried to sleep until 9:55. Jetlag still going strong, we were both awake several times this night.
Weather still rainy, but no time to waste. Off to get breakfast.
Yellow line train to Yoyogi station, then the Yamanote line (green) to Shibuya. First getting a stamp at Ryogoku station, I gave Tim one of my stamp books and he’s on it now. At Shibuya, the famous Shibuya crossing is underwhelming. Maybe it only works with a huge crowd or better weather. Otherwise it’s a normal crossing with a statue.
For breakfast we go, all very Japanese, to L’Occitane, which has a café with a view over Shibuya crossing. Got a piece of cake and some citrus-infused herb tea while Tim opted for a waffle with salmon. As I said, very Japanese. 😂
Then into the streets around the crossing, shopping of all kinds. The Japanese like flashing signs, signs with too much information written on them (which I can’t read), and being loud (loudspeakers). We walked around and read somewhere that Shibuya 109 is a sight. It’s a department store that looks like it’s mostly women’s clothing, so nothing to buy here.
Off again, following some streets, I attempt a geocache but it’s too crowded and not the right weather. Good to have an umbrella with me.
We make our way up to Yoyogi Park. In contrast to the colorful, flashing area of Shibuya, most of the non-commercial areas are gray and full of concrete. Not too attractive. And as said before, no real architecture, just functional, rectangular buildings.
The park is mainly under construction. We try to get to the north exit, but that doesn’t fit with the next stop on our list, and it also starts to rain more. So we turn around and back to the main street. It’s no problem to find public toilets here, by the way. The park had about 13 marked.
The rain is terribly annoying. As we read later, Tokyo has now had 34 days of rain, the longest streak ever. And yesterday it rained three times the amount they normally get in the whole of September.
Next stop is the Meiji Jingu shrine. Passing through a massive torii gate (not through the middle, we’re not gods) and through a big forest in the middle of Tokyo, you arrive after a while at this big Shinto shrine. First we purify ourselves at the station.
Only 105 years old but an impressive structure. One older guy just in front of the main shrine holds a sign telling people not to take pictures and to put down their umbrellas. There’s also a stamp station, and I get my goshuin and the right book for it at a small office.
Then back to the main road and starting to look for lunch. Following Google Maps we get to a street with some small restaurants. We find one with people in it. First, umbrella into a plastic bag, then sit down at a table. They have an English menu and we order a small set: pork soup (me normal, Tim spicy) and some rice cakes with miso.
The soup tastes amazing, just the meat is all pork belly fat. I don’t like it, so I leave the meat, but I knowingly ordered a small piece of fried chicken as well, so I’d have some meat. But all in all, this was great-tasting, freshly made food for 6.59 € per person. Amazing value for money. And free cold green tea on the side. The restaurant was [maps link]. People were waiting outside in the rain to get in, so it must be good.
Then into the station and one stop to Shinjuku station. Here I have two quests. First, some stationery for friends in Molde, special masking tape at a department store called Hands. I find it after some time, and Tim got a new orange umbrella since his old one gave up.
Back to the station and my second side quest, camera equipment. I’m looking for a used RF 16mm lens for my Canon, and batteries. Research beforehand gave me Map Camera shop as a recommendation. Canon equipment is on the 4th floor, and they have some used lenses in stock. The new one is about 70 euros cheaper, but the used one is about half the price, and not available in Norway at the moment. And two original batteries for 60% less than in Norway. A good buy. And an easy 10% sales tax off as tourists.
Back out into the heavier rain, walking through the streets with all their neon signs on. A small detour to Golden Gai, known for all its small bars with nearly no space. In any city in Europe I would not have gone there. It looks like shady alleyways, but Japan is safe. It’s not allowed to be loud or rowdy; British tourists would have a problem here.
And on to the Hanazono shrine. I get my second calligraphy for the special book, for 500 yen. We’re a little fed up with the rain that doesn’t let up, and it might be time to think about a place for dinner.
First a detour to the big Godzilla head (we’re tourists after all). It’s only for tourists, on top of a cinema. Nothing special, but done that one too.
There’s not much for dinner around here that isn’t very touristy, and we’d like a place to sit a little longer, more comfortable than the last restaurant with its small stools.
Best to try outside the tourist area (Tim’s idea), a short train ride to Yotsuya. Not many tourists, but long lines of office workers walking to the metro station. After some looking around we go into Yakitori Miyagawa Yotsuya. A small restaurant full of mostly Japanese people. It seems to be fully focused on chicken, but in an interesting way. Skewers are the main dish they have. You have to order a set menu that consists of starters, a number of skewers, and some other small dishes. I chose a small one, and Tim went all in.
Three small starters for me: some potato with curry, some marinated mushrooms, and some chicken breast. Followed by two juicy pieces of fried chicken with ponzu. I get 5 skewers fresh from the charcoal grill: chicken breast with wasabi, 3 chicken hearts (they’re very chewy and not the nicest texture, so Tim gets 1), quail eggs (very tasty with a still runny center), ginkgo (not much taste of its own), and chicken neck (which was not for me, not a nice texture and too chewy).
Radish as a palate cleanser, and then one last chicken leg skewer. I have one last dish, egg rice, but that’s definitely not for me. It’s cooked rice with egg white (beaten and raw) and the raw egg yolk on top, mixed together. Not my kind of food. I do not eat it. Raw egg is not nice anyway, but culturally it’s a breakfast dish in Japan.
To that I had a plum soda and a peach soda, both very nice. A really nice restaurant and good atmosphere. On the pricier side for food in Tokyo, my bill was around 7,000 yen (38.90 €). A very nice experience.
Back through the rain to the station and onto our yellow JR line that takes us back to the hotel. Now we see what a full train is like in Tokyo. Taking off the backpack is a good idea to not take up too much space. No mercy, they press in until the doors close, no turning possible. But we can look over their heads. This is also where I lose my lens cap, finally.
Stuff dropped off at the hotel, then to FamilyMart to stock up on drinks, and a stop at the small café downstairs. Having a drink and a small croissant.
Time for our room, a needed shower after all the rain and humidity. It will rain tomorrow, that’s the forecast. We take it as it is. We also walked some steps today, as seen below.
