Japan 2020: First Solo Travel

Tokyo, Japan.

It’s one of the countries that most people want to go to but it’s kinda expensive, right? At first, I was not sure if I’ll push through with this plan of travelling there. I had travelled to two countries back in 2019 — Hong Kong and Singapore. So travelling to another country in the first month of 2020 is something I had to think hard about due to you know, expenses. But I really wanted to go to Japan to celebrate my birthday. Reaching 25 years here on Earth is just a milestone for any person. I wanted it to be special. So having a solo trip to a country I haven't been to it is!

Before I booked for a plane ticket and hotel, I prepared and passed all the requirements needed for the Japan visa. When I got my passport back from the agency that processed my visa, I was the happiest when I saw that it was approved since it’s my first time to apply for a visa and it’s my first solo trip. I remember posting an IG story stating that I am happy early morning on that day. If you just want to know, I applied in Universal Holidays Incorporated in Makati. After I got my visa, I bought a plane ticket and reserved a room in a capsule hotel a few days after.

On the 8th of January 2020, I left the house early morning as my flight was at 6:15AM. I was drove there by my dad together with my elder sister. As I got to NAIA Terminal 3, I went through the basic stuff before boarding.

At the immigration, I was really nervous as it was my first solo trip so I was overthinking that I might be questioned a lot. But luckily, the officer just asked if it’s my first solo trip and I said yes. She just asked for other details like work related but other than that, I’m good to go. It was a relief! I waited inside then it was time to board. I was really excited back then as it was my first time riding the plane all by myself.

When I arrived at the Narita Airport, I rode the express train going to downtown Tokyo. As I reached Shibuya, I was speechless as I got to see the famous Hachiko statue and the Shibuya Crossing! I just see those on pictures before so I was really lost of words. Then I crossed the famous intersection walking towards the street to my hotel. I didn’t get to see the hotel right away since it was along a small path of a building but thanks to my instincts, I got there without a hassle. I took the elevator going up to their reception area. I waited for a little while ‘cause there were people checking out. Then I got to check in and get the card as my key as well as the iPhone which can control the lights and bed in the capsule. My hotel is called The Millennials Shibuya if you’re wondering.

After resting for a while, I started to visit the spots in Tokyo. First stop is to take a photo of the blue vendo machines that caught my eye when I was researching about Japan. Then I tried to look for the Yakiniku place I wanted to try since I have not eaten lunch yet. I walked around Shibuya over and over again but to no luck. So I decided to eat in Ichiran instead. It was my second time trying Ichirin. My first time was in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong. In Japan, there is a vendo machine where you select the order you want and a ticket will be released in which you will give inside for them to prepare your food.

After that, I went straight to the train station to go to Shinjuku. As I arrived there, it was really confusing on where I had to exit. There were so many exits! But then I exited in the nearest one I saw in the map and walked from there going to the Memory Lane Tokyo aka The Piss Alley. It was a long way but it was the easiest route I can follow back then. After that, I just roamed around Shinjuku. It was freaking 7 degrees Celsius during that time!

On my second day, I woke up early morning at around 6AM. Since it was very early, there was not much people outside yet so I got to take pictures with Hachiko. It usually has a long line. Since I was by myself, I asked a random guy standing near me to take a photo of me with Hachiko. Luckily, he was okay with it. I also got to buy a grape drink from the vendo machine near Hachiko. I saw this drink from one of Kianna Dy’s Japan vlog so I wanted to try it out as well.

Then I went to the train station going to Shinjuku. As I was walking to the Odakyu train station, I dropped by a temple along the way to take pictures. I setup my tripod for the DSLR so I can take pictures of myself there. After that, I went straight to the station where I rode the Romancecar, an Odakyu limited express train, going to Hakone.

In Hakone, I didn’t get to find the bus I was supposed to take going around Hakone right away. But after walking around, I was able to find the buses. The bus I had to take was full so I was standing the whole ride. I really held onto the pole so I won’t fall. When we reached the stop, I passed through this small commercial place to get to the Hakone pirate ship. Since I was a bit early for the next departure time, I went to eat lunch first. I went inside that commercial place again and found a restaurant upstairs. I ordered a salmon meal. I sat near the window overlooking the lake. My view there while eating was really breathtaking. I get to see the beauty of Lake Ashi and the Mt. Fuji far far away. What a wonderful sight!

After lunch while waiting for the ship, I just took photos of the surroundings. As the ship arrived, I went in line to ride it. I wanted to go up the ship but I was not sure if that’s allowed so I just sat inside and enjoyed the view outside as the ship goes to each of the stop.

Legend says that when you eat this black egg, your lifespan will be extended by 7 years.

As we arrived in Togendai, I went to ride the cable car going to Owakudani where the volcanic valley is located at. When I arrived there, I went around the place, took photos and appreciated the volcanic valley. It was really a sight to see when you go to Owakudani. I also bought some black eggs called Kuro-Tamago which is famous in Owakudani. I ate some while enjoying the view. I also got to see Mt. Fuji a little closer than the view I saw when I was in Hakonemachi. And wow, it’s indeed a beautiful sight.

After some walking around and photos taken, I went inside the building to buy some souvenirs. I bought chopsticks and a perfume. After that, I don’t want to leave yet. So I stayed outside for a little while, just sitting there as I appreciate and try to get the view stuck in my mind so I won’t forget the feel and beauty of the place.

When it’s time to go, I went inside and walked where we have to line up for the bus. This time, I got to have a seat on my own. Then I went back to Shinjuku and just dropped by some shops to check out things then I went straight to the station to ride back to Shibuya afterwards.

When I arrived in Shibuya, I planned to look for the Yakiniku place once again. And finally, I have found it! Then I went to Don Quijote and look around for souvenirs. Then after roaming around, I went back to the hotel and called it a day.

On the next day, it’s my birthday already! First thing I did was to eat breakfast at Ichiran. You know, noodles for long life! After eating, I went straight to Shibuya station to take the train to go to Tokyo DisneySea. On my 24th birthday last time, I celebrated it in Hong Kong Disneyland. So I planned to celebrate my 25th birthday this time in Tokyo DisneySea.

So before I get to Tokyo DisneySea, I have to take a train from Tokyo station going to Maihama station. When I reached Tokyo station, I actually got lost for a while. I didn’t know where the correct path to transfer onto a train for Maihama. I walked around and around for a little while. I tried to tap to exit a couple of times but my card didn’t work. So I thought maybe I forgot to buy a card for that exit or something. Or maybe it’s not the right exit. Basically, I kinda got stuck inside. I stopped walking and tried to browse Google for directions in the station but to no luck. That’s when I decided to ask for directions from one of the staff there. I tried my best to explain it since we had language barriers. So I went to that direction. And finally, I saw a sign for the route to Maihama. I’m back on track!

When I arrived at Maihama station, I went straight to the meeting place for the Klook where I get the ticket I ordered through their app. Then I proceeded to ride the train in the Disney Resort Line. I went down at the Tokyo DisneySea.

Before lining up, I went to the lockers to leave my belongings. I only brought the essentials and the allowed things inside. I inserted some coins so I can take the key from it, locked the door. Then I tried to open it again using the key. And it’s a wrong move ’cause I just lost some coins for doing that. So when I confirmed how the locker works, I proceeded to put my things inside, insert some coins again and lock it.

So there, I proceeded to the lines for entering the park. And boy, it’s so long! I kinda waited for a while before finally entering. When I got inside, I finally saw the big globe. You know, it’s like winter in Japan during that time so the weather was so cold. But when I was walking inside, I felt colder than ever. I thought maybe because there is water around the park which made it colder. I had to enter some shops just to make myself warm. As I was walking around, I saw that the rides had long lines. I was not really into riding the attractions anyway so I just roamed around and took photos and videos of the attractions. I went to a couple of attractions that did not have long lines. They were just chill attractions, just perfect for me. I remembered that I entered The Magic Lamp Theatre and the language of the show was not in English so I didn’t really understand what the characters were saying but I still enjoyed the performance. So it’s all good. Then there was a time while I was walking, I saw a stall that sells Disney character headbands. I dropped by and put on the Minnie Mouse one and I liked it. So I bought it as a souvenir for myself. I wore it afterwards as I was roaming around. There was a food stall that I saw while walking that sells fried pizza. I bought one to try and it was really good! I just sat on a bench as I was eating it while watching other people pass by. There was a time that I spent a lot of time taking photos of myself by the sea. It was a great view. I was alone and the people there walking were busy doing their own thing so I didn’t bother. Thankfully, I had GoPro which helped me have selfie photos.

When I basically roamed the whole park, I decided to stop and sit down on the floor where other tourists were. Then there was like a performance starting in a while so people around, including me, were gathered sitting on the floor. The wait was kinda taking long so I decided to leave my spot. Then I dropped by this canteen-like place. I don’t know what the shop was called. I didn’t know what to get yet but I tried to check it out. There, I saw there was this Toy Story Alien mochi that caught my attention. So that’s what I bought. When I already got it, I sat outside to eat it. The first bite, I was really surprised that it was yummy. The first mochi I ate was strawberry flavoured. I thought that all of it has same flavour. When I started to eat the others, I found out that they had different flavors. Amazing! After a while, I just walked around to pass time. I entered a shop and thought of buying souvenir but it’s really expensive so in the end, I didn’t get to buy anything. Before totally leaving the park, I went to the globe and took pictures of myself. Then it was time to go. I went to the lockers and back on the train.

When I got back to Shibuya, I just walked around first ‘cause it’s still early for my reservation at that sake place. While I was roaming around, I saw a stall that sells Kobe beef. And wow, it was really good. It was so soft in the mouth and just delicious! After a while, it was time to go to that sake place. But proceeding there, I dropped by a convenience store just along the way. I bought sushi and other snacks. As I arrived in the sake place, I presented my Klook reservation. There I was assisted to my seat. I then proceeded to choose different sake. I was assisted by the staff there of what I could try based on my liking. I was given nuts as well. I tried three different sake. I requested for an ice cream and beer since those were free and part of the deal from Klook. Although it was unlimited sake, I was really tired from all that happened from that day and decided to go back to my hotel after some time. When I said that I was leaving, the guy asked if I am going back since there, you can buy outside food and go back. But then I said no. And he just asked some other questions since clearly, I looked like a tourist there. And it was really a nice interaction. Oh, and part of the Klook deal was a souvenir. I was picking between a ceramic and wooden sake cup. I picked the ceramic one, just like the one in the photo. Then I walked back to my hotel and called it a day.

On the fourth day, I decided to have a breakfast in the pantry of the hotel. Since I bought sushi the night before and didn’t get to eat it, I had it for breakfast along with a coffee that I prepared in the pantry. As I was eating, I noticed that the staff there was preparing bread and fruits. I think it’s free for the guests. I didn’t get to have some since I got the sushi already but I thought to myself that I will have some on the next day. It was a chill vibe in the morning while I was in the pantry even though when I came out of the hotel, I instantly felt the coldness.

First stop of the day was in Asakusa to see the Sensoji Temple. I didn’t really get inside the temple but I walked around the place. I bought some street food such as dango, candied strawberry and skewered crab stick. I remembered buying a hot coffee from the vending machine as well ‘cause it was really cold and I needed something to warm myself. Luckily, there was hot beverage in the vendo.

Aside from eating food, I also tried to purify myself in the Chozuya / Temizuya. It’s like a small stone fountain where you get water to pour onto your hands. Also, I tried the Omikuji Paper Fortune. Omikuji is a strip of paper that predicts your future when you pray to the gods. It costs 100 yen. You insert the coin in the box and shake it until a rod pokes out. Based on the number on the stick, you must look for the drawer that has the number labeled on it. You then take one of the omikuji slip. There you read your fortune. It was said that if you didn’t get the good luck, you have to tie the strip of paper around the pole there. Luckily, I got Daikichi which means a great blessing so I get to take it with me. I still have it on this day, hidden in a safe place.

After a while, I decided to leave Asakusa and went to Tokyo Dome City. I looked for the Tokyo Dome Roller Skate Arena. When I got there, I paid for an hour of fun. It’s my first time rollerskating so I’m kinda nervous but excited. At first, I was just by the edge holding as I was skating. But then, I slowly got the hang of it and started to skate closer in the middle. Although there was a time that I lost my balance and fell on my butt. It was funny but I'm okay. I just stood up and continued skating like nothing happened. I was sad that I only had an hour. It was really fun that I didn’t know that an hour has passed. Just so you know, there were lockers inside where you can leave your belongings but it costs a few coins. Some of the people leave their belongings on the seats instead in the lockers. When I was done skating, I roamed around the Tokyo Dome City. There was a baseball park store. I am into baseball / softball so I went inside just to check out the items. I planned to buy some things I found there but didn’t get any since honestly, I don’t know the team that was printed on the items. They looked cool though.

My next stop of the day was at Ueno. When I arrived there, I walked and walked to get to Ameya-Yokocho, an open-air market. Thanks to Google Maps, I have arrived there. But I had a little hard time finding the right way. There were a lot of people there. I remember lining up to eat Takoyaki there. It was so hot that I can’t finish them all right away. The stall is just small so I looked for another place to seat where I can eat my Takoyaki. Aside from the Takoyaki, I also went to buy crepe. It was yummy. I was lucky that there was an available seat inside. After checking out the other spots there, it was time to go back to Shibuya. When I got back, I walked around and dropped by Don Quijote to buy souvenirs and snacks. When I was done, I went back to my hotel. I fixed my bag to fit all the things I bought. It’s going to be my last night in the hotel so I had to prepare my bags and other things in my capsule.

On the next day, I woke up a little late. I had breakfast in the pantry. I had coffee and the bread available there. After that, I checked out. I asked the staff if I can leave my bags there as my flight is still later. It was nice that they have a room for those guests who want to leave their bags. Then I went to Harajuku. First, I walked to the Meiji Temple. It was a long walk, I swear. I took some photos and videos along the way. I dropped by a souvenir shop there as well. And there were food stalls outside of it. There I bought some food. I actually enjoyed the walk there even though it was so cold. It was full of trees and the vibe was so chill. You can really feel the nature.

Next stop was the Takeshita Street in Harajuku as well. When I got there, there was a lot of people. I walked from one end to the another end of the street while checking out some of the shops. I saw a shop where they sell dog outfits. I got too excited as I saw a Kimono. I called my younger sister for the size of Chanel, our dog. After a little while of making assumptions of her size, we finally decided. So I bought one. It kinda cost a fortune but the outfit was really cute! After a while, I looked for the popular photo booths place called Purikura along the Takeshita Street. Glad that I found it. So I checked out the booths and found one that I liked. At first try of trying the photo booth, I didn’t know that you can edit the photos at the back of the booth. So basically I got one set without any option to pick the shots or edit them. So I tried once again and this time, I hurriedly went out after the shots so I can get to choose what shot to include and select the filter and template to be used. The prints were so cute.

After that, I went back to Shibuya. I roamed around for the last time. I even stayed in Starbucks at the second floor of the mall to get to see the overlooking view of the Shibuya Crossing. After spending some time alone there, it’s time for me to go to the airport. I got my bags from the hotel and proceeded to the train station. I took the Skyliner again to go to the Narita Airport. When I arrived there, there was still a lot of time so I just sat down and waited. When it was time, we got inside the waiting area. I went to look for some snacks. Then it was time to board the plane. But guess what? As we were already sat down and prepared for the flight, there was an announcement. It was announced that the flight was cancelled. This was time time when Taal erupted back in the Philippines. No flights were being accepted by NAIA. It was my first time to get a flight cancelled so I had no idea what to do. And I was by myself in this trip. I just followed the other Filipinos. So we went off the plane and went back inside the airport. We passed through the immigration again. I followed fellow Filipinos to where to go. We stayed in the arrival waiting area. You won’t believe this but we stayed there overnight. Like literally, we slept inside the airport. I had no choice. I tried to check out hotels near the aiport. I was willing to spend money to book a room. But a lot was going on in my mind that time. When I heard that some of the Filipinos there were going to stay, I decided to stay there as well and not book for a hotel anymore. Besides, a rescheduled flight might happen and if I booked a hotel, I might miss it.

The morning after, I woke up around fellow Filipinos inside an airport. My back hurt ‘cause I slept while sitting on the bench. We still don’t have any news on our flight. Then after a few hours, we got an email stating that our flight was rescheduled. So we hurriedly went upstairs to the check-in counters. There was still a commotion going on there. Some staff say that it’s still cancelled. Some say that it’s going to push through but it’s just gonna be delayed. Then after a while, fortunately, the flight was pushed through. We went inside again to our boarding gate. It got delayed but as long as it pushes through, I’m fine with it. So we just waited and waited. While waiting, I went around. I checked out the shops there. Back in our boarding gate, there was a vending machine where I bought an ice cream. It was so cool. Then finally, we boarded. No other flight announcement this time. Thankfully!

Honestly, this trip was one hell of a ride for a first time solo traveller. But overall, I enjoyed it. I had no regrets. Every part of this trip was worth it even the flight cancellation. At least, I have experienced something new and learned from it. And if ever, I would like to do this trip again. I would like to go back to Japan. No, I am going back to Japan after this global pandemic. Let’s claim it.

Thank you for an adventure, Japan. ‘Til next time, sayonara!