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| Zojoji & Tokyo Tower |
We've stayed in about 10 different Airbnb places now and have always had mildly pleasant to extremely amazing experiences. The key is to do your homework before hand, read through the house rules, amenities, do your research on the location, and most important of all, the reviews. Granted people will most likely describe their experiences to the best of their ability, often it is what's said in between the lines that's really insightful. In the end, you just have to know what you want, take a chance, and trust your gut instincts. The adventure is part of the journey after all!
Our Accommodation Checklist
Everyone knows that real estate is scarce in Tokyo, and for double the price of what we paid in Osaka, I was still having a hard time finding anything that meets the sweet balance between location, size, look/feel, and price. There were some good options out further in burbs like Setagaya, (West) Shibuya, (West) Shinjuku, and Nakano, but during days we ventured out to Miyajima or Mount Fuji on our last trip, the experience of needing to transfer train after train after train before finally getting back home was too exhausting to relive, so we decided to pick somewhere central.
We also had a long list of requirements, including a fully functioning kitchen with a regular size fridge (as opposed to a mini fridge that a lot of places offer). It needed to come with cookware/dishes, stove (this place had 3 burners), at least a toaster oven, and a microwave. We needed this for Japan particularly, as we eat at home a lot more there (compared to Taiwan). In addition, we require a washer/dryer as we pack really light, and do laundry every couple of days.
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| Our Tokyo Airbnb - Kitchen |
We found this apartment 10 minute walk from the Tokyo Tower (2 minute walk from the train) and it was gorgeous! Not only did it meet all of our requirements, it also had a huge bathroom, an automated bath, 4 large closets, and one of those fancy toilets. Our tradeoff was having only one queen bed (as opposed to the 2 we had in Osaka last time), which really isn't that big of a deal. At the end of the day, exhausted from all the walking and stair climbing, the apartment was still a real treat to come home to.
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| Our Tokyo Airbnb - Bed & Dining |
Our First Night
We landed in Tokyo around 2 pm, being a direct flight from Calgary, we actually weren't too tired. We shopped around the airport mall a little, then headed over to the Keisei Skyliner counter. For those who don't know, Skyliner is the fastest way to get from the Narita Airport to Tokyo city (36 minutes). The one-way tickets are normally ¥2,470, but I had pre-purchased round trip tickets, and it saved us ¥1,280 total.
We got to Hamamatsucho around 4:30 pm, and the weather was perfect.
Clear skies, 20 degrees, mild breeze. It felt unbelievable, too perfect, almost. As we walked towards our apartment, people were starting to leave work and the streets were filling up. We saw a corner standing skewer store filled with office workers and lot's more waiting in line for a few bites before heading home. Speechless, as we walked, taking it all in.
We decided "when in Rome" was the way to go and headed out to an Izakaya (Masuya) for dinner ourselves after dropping our luggage off. In the blackened wooden Izakaya among all the "Irashaimase" greetings, the coal burned under the row of skewers we ordered. The tv was playing a sumo match, and about 6 more people sat at the bar with us talking and laughing. It was the perfect welcoming party for our first night in Tokyo, and our vacation has just begun. After dinner, we walked around and main street, grabbed a few things from Family Mart and 7-Eleven, and called it a night. This was going to be our neighborhood for the next 7 days.
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| Menu @ Masuya |
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| Sashimi @ Masuya |
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| 10 Skewer Set @ Masuya |
Cooking at Home VS Eating Out
When we travel, particularly in Japan, we try to cook at home as much as possible as it is quite difficult to get vegetables on the go. Although in recent years there has been more salad bars and juice stands, it is still way too easy to fill yourself up with only carbs, sugar, and deep fried meats. So, in the past few trips, we bought groceries and tried to eat at least breakfast and/or dinner at home.
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| Ito-Yokado |
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| Our Groceries Haul |
We went to Ito-Yokado in Kiba the very next morning and got ourselves a 20" suitcase worth of groceries. Our meals usually consists of rice or noodles, a vegetable soup, and either sashimi or BBQ wagyu as our main protein. These meals are not only quick and easy to make, they (sashimi & wagyu) are exactly what we came to Japan for. A tray of tuna or salmon costs around $7 CAD back home, but in Japan, they usually go for around ¥300~400.
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| Home Cooked Meal - Sashimi with Vegetable Soup |
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| Home Cooked Meal - BBQ Beef Yakisoba |
Click here to see our Japan & Taiwan travel video!
To be continued...
