Our first stop was Senso-ji Temple and the nearby 5-story pagoda. Senso-ji is Tokyo’s oldest temple, over 400 years old. As we walked toward it along Nakamise-dori Street, we passed rows of vendors selling food and souvenirs. The delicious smells filled the air as we strolled toward the grand temple. So many visitors come here to admire the temple and take part in traditions like purifying themselves with incense smoke and drawing fortunes.
Afterward, we did a bit of shopping and then made our way to lunch at Menya Yoshi, a deaf-owned ramen restaurant — the ramen was amazing!
We ended the day with a visit to the Tokyo Skytree. The views at sunset were incredible, and we even caught a clear glimpse of Mt. Fuji (a rare sight since it’s often hidden by clouds). Standing there with a 360-degree view of the city, we realized just how huge Tokyo really is, with city lights stretching out as far as we could see.
We thought about going out to explore more in the evening, but we were too tired and headed back to the hotel after dinner.
By Tamryn Smith
