From what I’ve seen on my social media feeds in the past year, more people than ever are going to Japan for travel.  Whether it’s the food, anime, scenery, baseball, spirituality, retail therapy or all the above, the draw of this island country, which is roughly the size of California but has three times its population, is unmistakable. As a person of Japanese descent, I naturally desire to visit.

I’ve only been there once before, six years ago, with my family on a small group tour with mostly families of teenagers. That was probably the ideal situation for a guided vacation since my kids could have others their age to hang out with. We traveled to Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Hiroshima and Hakone, a national park area at the base of Mount Fuji, riding the Shinkansen (bullet train) between each city. It was a solid introduction to the country, giving us enough thought and inspiration to return in the future.

Well, that future suddenly and unexpectedly arrived just last week when JRS and I flew to Tokyo for three days to help NLS return from her study abroad program. She needed to leave early, and I had to make it a short stay because I would be going to Italy in a few days. So we took what would typically be a big-deal vacation for nearly everyone else and made it a weekend jaunt. But we managed to have fun, as whirlwind as it was.

Shibuya Crossing

On our first day, we took the train to Shibuya, probably the most photographed and socially posted place in Tokyo. It’s a seemingly chaotic crisscross of walkways and sidewalks with imposing buildings and neon signs on all sides. My kids got some shopping done, but we headed to Shibuya Scramble after that. It’s a multi-level retail center with designer items and gourmet food, with the Tsukada Shabu-Shabu restaurant near its top floor. That’s where we had lunch for a mere $70 – a good value considering it included tender slices of Kobe beef. We also walked past the Hachiko statue, just outside one of the train station entrances. This commemorated a dog who would loyally wait for his owner to return from work and even waited in that spot years after his death.

Yogogi Park

After lunch, we headed to the Harajuku area and Yoyogi Park, which had a small grove of cherry trees and spring blossoms. The time roughly between March and April in Tokyo is an ideal time to view the cherry blossoms, and travelers will build their itineraries around them. Of course, with this impromptu trip, we didn’t plan much and weren’t even sure where to go in the city to see them.  But NLS looked this park up, and seeing this incredible natural phenomenon was worth the extra effort. We also saw a dogwalker with 20 charges who knew precisely what he was doing, as the dogs were all well-behaved.

Gotokuji Temple

I was curious about this place, and it took effort, even with a ride-share. But this is your place if you want to ask for good fortune or luck. You can buy a maneki neko (beckoning cat) statue and write your wish or request on it, then place the statue amongst hundreds of others lining the temple ground walkways. NLS did this, but JRS and I didn’t. It was still an interesting experience.

Diver City

This was one of two American-style malls close to our hotel, the Grand Nikko Tokyo Daiba (the other is AquaCity). We came to this one because my kids wanted to go to an arcade on its seventh and top floors. However, this place was similar to a moderate and high-end retail center, with affordable stores and designer boutiques. We enjoyed going to their food court, where I got a Hiroshima okonomiyaki for lunch.

Ikebukuro

I’m quickly mentioning this area because if you love anime, as my kids do, this is a must-see.  One of the largest stores, Animate, has everything a manga/anime fan would want, but that’s just the beginning. There are themed restaurants and cafes featuring different characters. Finally, Sunshine City is a large mall with a Pokemon retail store.