An hectic Tokyo day – Ghibli treats, cool Shimokitazawa, Japanese Gardens & Shinjuko

After visiting Gotokuji and learning a little more about the origins of Sumo at Setagaya’s residential Shinto shrine, I was in need of some nourishment. A sugary one. And I had my sights set on Shiro-Hige’s Cream Puff Factory. As a fan of Ghibli movies, it was hard for me make the decision to skip the museum (hard to book, out of the way), but I had heard about the tiny Totoro cream puffs they do at this bakery and I had to go. I got there just before opening at 10am (my days always started early in Japan) and I was second on the queue. The day was a bit cooler with some rain, and I wanted to make sure I got a seat inside the bakery – you can get the cream puffs for takeaway and I saw quite a few people having them to go out.

I had the custard filled cream puff and it was okay. I’m not much of a sweet tooth, so take that into account… however, the when it comes to level of cuteness my rating is 5 stars. To the point that I felt bad eating it.Infinite. No regrets whatsoever. The staff was also so nice, and the space adorable, decorated with Ghibli characters all over. This was part of feeding my inner child, and she was happy, as well as my adult self.

A quick exploration of the cool Shimokitazawa Neighbourhood

After a bit of sugar and coffee in my system, I walked to Shimokitazawa. This neighbourhood seems to have escaped Tokyo’s obsession with order, and instead it looks born out of rebellion, not a violent one, but one based on being cool, anti-system, perhaps a bit anarchic.

Full of young people, this place is effortlessly cool, full of coffee shops, bookshops, vintage shops and artsy brands… and whilst I was able to control myself at the bookshops – simply admiring the stunning book covers and caressing spines without being able to read a thing (Village Vanguard was a highlight for me) – I ended up buying £20 worth of stickers at B-Side Label. If you are a stationary lover, either keep your wallet closed or accept your fate. I accepted it, knowing this was a one time opportunity for me to get stocked up.

Something else that stood out to me in this neighbourhood was the number of restaurants featuring international cuisine. After so much shop hopping, my stomach was grumbling one again, and I ended up choosing Vietnamese, treating myself to a Bahn Mi, treasuring the crunchiness of the baguette and warming myself with with a Miso soup – a Japanese touch, of course.

To Shinjuku‘s Goyen National Garden

As predicted in the weather app and to my relief the rain stopped. It was great because my plan was to visit Shinjuku Goyen National Garden. It’s easy to get there from Shimokitazawa, only about 21 minutes on the Odakyu Line… but getting out Shinkujo station, that was the challenge. In fact this was my biggest challenge in Tokyo… as silly as it sounds, it was difficult for me to understand many times where the exit was. Many stations end in underground shopping centres, a parallel world to the one living just above ground. At some point I spent 20 minutes just trying to find an exit, following the signs just to end up in same place… perhaps the jetlag and the sensory overwhelm were messing up with my navigational skills, which are lacking in normal situations… but often I felt I was in some sort of Alice in Wonderland nightmare, stuck underground, unable to understand how to leave it. And once I managed to get off into the street, I found a very different scenario around me – back to the tall buildings, the sea of people…but all incredibly megalithic and fascinating.

Now, I must warn you – if you’re visiting Japan in October, be aware – the weather is still warm and humid. And this means mosquitoes. Which it turns means bites. And so I urge you to bring some mosquito repellent with you. This is something that didn’t even crossed my mind, and I got some bad bites specifically at Shinkujo Goyen Gardens. These are stunning, beautiful – possibly one of the best places in Tokyo to see a proper Japanese Garden.

But at certain points it has a jungle feel – with the manicured, carefully curated gardens, given away to the chaos of the jungle. Except that this chaos is also controlled – because of course you’re still in Japan. I loved both sides of the Garden – the peacefulness of the lake, with the skyscrapers in the background, a tinge of Central Park, also reminding me a little of the Lumpini park in Bangkok.

My favourite find in the park was that of the very unusual aerial roots of the Bald cypresses. These are also known as the swamp cedar because it grows in wetlands and swamps. What really caught my attention were the strange looking roots growing vertically from the ground, alike stalagmites. These are in fact aerial roots, growing like these to bring oxygen to the roots underground – or, at times, under water.

At some point, I sat in the grass, not caring about getting my butt wet, enjoying the warm weather, unaware of the mosquitoes biting me or simply ignoring the itching, feeling content and yet exhausted. Jetlag only really hit me on my second day, and it was hitting hard.

I sat there for about 45 minutes, just resting, taking the stunning scenery in and observing the locals doing the same. Some reading, some picnicing, some having some family time. Humans are the same everywhere, are we not? Why do we insist on focusing on the differences…

Still in the park there are a couple of other places that deserve a quick visit – the Greenhouse showcasing indigenous Japanese flora and the Kyu-Gokyu-Sho, also known as the Imperial Rest House, a well-preserved Edwardian-style cottage originally built for royal visitors. 

My next stop was the Tokyo Government Building for the free view from the top. This building stands out in Shinjuko and was designed by one of Japan’s most importnt modern archictects, Kenzo Tange. It was completed in 1991, and it has the appearance of a gothic cathedral – one built in metal and glass. It’s two towers joined at the base. Each tower has 48 floors above ground plus 3 underground. The observation deck sits on the 45th floor, about 202 meters high. On clear days you might be able to see Mt Fuji from here, but I wasn’t so lucky. It was sunny but not clear at all. The views are fantastic though, and especially if you are travelling on a budget and want to avoid paying to go up an observation deck. Inside there is a shop and a cafe, many people were having some matcha ice cream. I wasn’t hungry, but still took the opportunity to rest a little.

Every night at 6 and 7pm there is a light show projecting animations created by different Japanese artists into the towers of the Tokyo Government Building. Something to consider adding to the itinerary if you have the time. I ended up going there on a different day.

Since I was in Shinjuko, of course I had to explore one of the liveliest areas of Tokyo. A few things to cross off the list was seeing the adorable 3D cat billboard, the head of Godzilla peaking out and the neon signs brighting the streets at night.

Shinjuku is one of those areas of Tokyo that electrifies body and soul. I had started the morning in quiet Setagaya, exploring Gotokuji, Setagaya Shrine and wondering through the querkyness of Shimatgowa. I had inhaled and exhaled slowly at the Japanese Gardens in Shinjuku Goen Park. And now, not that far away, I was living the oppositie of tranquility. The streets here have a special pulse, of a rapid beating heart, that never stops pumping life into the streets, the road, lighting up the whole area in shiny, blinding neon lights.

This was an hectic and tiring day, but I fell asleep easily back at my hotel in Nippori, completely in love with everything I was experiencing – which was indeed a lot. My third day in Tokyo was going to be a little calmer.

Love, Nic

P.S. Some links in this post are affiliate links. This means I may earn a small commission if you decide to purchase or book anything through these links. None of it is sponsored. All my recommendations are based on my lived experience.

Where I stayed in Tokyo: Hotel Almont Nippori: https://agoda.tpo.lv/maZXxi6c

Truely Sim Card: Get 10% Off with code wingedbone10