 |
| Cover photo: The entrance to Meiji Shrine in Tokyo |
Previous trips to Japan:
Previous part:
Kamakura is a popular day-trip destination from Tokyo due to its accessibility (about 1 hour away), seaside location, and historical landmarks. Like Nara and Kyoto, Kamakura was once the capital of Japan and the seat of the shogun (1185–1333). Even at the train station, it was clear that this destination is truly popular. Decent crowds of people were heading from the station along Komachi Street toward the Tsurugaoka Hachimangū shrine, located about 1 km away on foot.
This shrine, like the entire city of Kamakura, was built following the principles of Feng Shui. The current location was chosen because there is a mountain to the north, a river to the east, an important road to the west, and it is open and accessible from the south—each direction protected by a different deity. From the south, a straight 2-kilometer-long road leads to the shrine from Sagami Bay, lined with three large torii gates.
 |
| The arched Taiko Bridge |
Before entering the shrine, there are three small bridges—two flat ones on the sides and one arched bridge in the center. In the past, only the shogun was allowed to cross the arched bridge; today, it is considered a bridge for deities. The bridges span a canal that connects two ponds named after the Minamoto and Taira clans, who fought each other in the 12th century, with the Minamoto clan emerging victorious. The red lotuses in the left pond symbolize the spilled blood of the Taira clan.
The shrine grounds are quite spacious. At the center stands a stage used for various traditional performances during festivals and religious ceremonies. Behind it are 61 steps leading up to the main shrine.
 |
| Islet in the middle of the right pond associated with the Minamoto clan |
About a 20-minute walk from the Tsurugaoka Hachimangū shrine, you’ll find a small Buddhist temple called Hōkoku-ji, also known as the “Bamboo Temple.” Within its tastefully landscaped and modest grounds lies a small bamboo grove, where visitors can enjoy various types of Japanese tea. In the rock walls surrounding the area rest members of the Ashikaga family. During our visit, autumn was at its peak, and the trees were beautifully colored.
 |
| Play of colors beneath the sunny sky |
After visiting the Hachimangū shrine, we had to hurry back to Kamakura Station, as our day’s itinerary was quite ambitious (which later turned out to be too ambitious 😅). At the station, we hopped on a train of the Enoden line—the Enoshima Electric Railway, whose history dates back to 1902. After a short ride, we got off at Hase Station, as our next destination was the Kōtoku-in temple and its famous Great Buddha statue.
This bronze statue was completed in 1252, stands over 13 meters tall (including its base), and weighs nearly 100 tons. It is the second-largest Buddha statue in Japan, after the one in Tōdai-ji in Nara (which I write about in my blog here).
 |
| The Great Buddha of Kamakura |
Interestingly, the Buddha was originally housed in a temple building, but nature repeatedly destroyed the structure—a storm in the 14th century (twice), and in 1498, a massive tsunami swept it away. The statue itself survived and has stood under the open sky ever since. Not even the Great Kantō Earthquake of 1923—one of the most devastating earthquakes of the 20th century—was able to destroy it.
Visitors can also peek inside the statue, where construction techniques are described in more detail.
The train ride from Hase to Enoshima Station takes about 20 minutes, and most of this scenic route runs along beaches beside the sea, making the train a popular subject for photographers. Enoshima is a favorite destination for surfers, and the nearby beaches serve many Tokyoites who can reach the area from central Tokyo in just over an hour.
The island itself is small (only about 2 km in diameter) and connected to the mainland by a nearly 400-meter-long bridge. The walk from the station to the island takes about 20 minutes and, in clear weather, offers beautiful views of Mount Fuji. As sunset approached and time was running short, we had to hurry. We managed to photograph the island from the mainland, dash across the bridge, and climb at least a few steps of the main shopping street. There, we found quirky treats like denim-flavored ice cream and rice crackers with octopus.
 |
| View of Mount Fuji at sunset |
I was sad to leave so soon, but we had already purchased our return tickets to Tokyo in advance. I definitely want to come back in the future to explore Enoshima more thoroughly—visit the Sea Candle lighthouse, the botanical garden, and the island’s caves.
On the way back to Tokyo, we used a rather unusual mode of transportation—one of only two operational suspended monorails in Japan (the other is located in Chiba, about 40 km southeast of central Tokyo). It runs between Shōnan-Enoshima and Ōfuna stations, covering the 6.6 km route in just 14 minutes. It was quite an interesting experience: the cars gently swayed, and below us were streets full of cars.
Back in Tokyo, we were greeted by brides posing for photos in front of the main train station (no need to even consider comparing it to the one in Bratislava 😄), and security robots patrolling the building corridors.
Leaves as red as the Eiffel Tower
We continued our autumn adventure the next day with a visit to Koishikawa Park. The Japanese garden located within dates back to the early Edo period (17th century). It is one of the three preserved daimyō gardens (daimyō = Japanese feudal lord or noble) in Tokyo, along with the Hama-rikyū and Rikugi gardens.
Attractive year-round, the beauty of this garden truly shines in autumn, when the maple trees planted around its three garden ponds burst into vibrant shades of red and orange. Ginkgo trees add to the palette with their bright yellow leaves.
 |
| Autumn palette |
An interesting fact is that the park is surrounded by two baseball stadiums—at the northwestern tip of the park, there’s a smaller youth baseball stadium, while the eastern side borders the massive Tokyo Dome. Completed in 1988, it holds 42,000 spectators and serves as Tokyo’s main baseball stadium. Its predecessor, Korakuen Stadium, was built back in 1937.
By the way, baseball is Japan’s most popular sport. Its origins date back to 1859, when it was introduced to Japan by Americans. It was incorporated into schools in 1872, and its popularity really took off after the Japanese team defeated a team of immigrants in 1896.
When in Koishikawa Garden, if you hear screaming, look toward Tokyo Dome.
You might spot a massive roller coaster and Ferris wheel peeking out from behind it. These belong to the LaQua entertainment complex and reach heights of over 80 meters. The Ferris wheel even offers karaoke in its cabins, and the roller coaster—passing through the wheel—features a maximum drop angle of 80 degrees and speeds of up to 130 km/h.
 |
| The red bridge, where wedding couples in traditional kimonos pose for photos |
The garden grounds are quite expansive, tastefully landscaped, and highly photogenic. You’ll find numerous tea houses and seasonal food stalls. On the water, you can even try hopping across stones in the style of Takeshi’s Castle. At one of the ponds, a large group of photographers with massive lenses had gathered. After a while, I noticed why—they were photographing a beautifully colored common kingfisher perched on a rock.
I wholeheartedly recommend the gardens in Koishikawa Park. With some hindsight, I can say they are probably the most beautiful I’ve seen in Japan. Later, we also visited the Hama-rikyū gardens, which are even larger than Koishikawa (an impressive 250,000 square meters), but I think if you’ve already seen Koishikawa, you can skip Hama-rikyū in your itinerary. If not, go see Koishikawa instead :-).
 |
| The common kingfisher poses for photographers on a rock in Koishikawa Garden |
Tokyo Tower is a 333-meter-high tower in central Tokyo, built in 1958.
It held the title of Japan’s tallest tower for quite a long time—until the completion of the Skytree in 2012 (I write about my visit to Skytree in my blog here). It resembles the Eiffel Tower in Paris (except for its white-and-red paint), and actually surpasses it in height by nearly three meters. Thanks to advanced construction technologies, it weighs 3,300 tons less than the Eiffel Tower.
Tokyo Tower has observation decks at 150 and 250 meters. A broadcasting antenna was added in 1961 and was used by many Japanese TV stations. After the switch to digital broadcasting in 2011, the tower’s height was no longer sufficient, and today it’s used by only two radio stations.
 |
| Tokyo Tower at night |
🎄Under the tower, there is an experience center, shops, and during our visit, Christmas markets were also taking place (similar markets were held under the Skytree, for example). The markets combine traditional Christmas treats, mainly inspired by German cuisine (mulled wine, Christmas stollen, currywurst, cheese sausages with fries ☺), with a Japanese twist such as boiled mussels. You can also find French crêpes, which are very popular in Japan—both traditional sweet ones and interesting savory varieties (various chicken crêpes with pizza, teriyaki, curry or chili sauce, cream, and lettuce). 🍷🥞
🥩 I, however, was finally craving a taste of the famous Japanese beef—wagyu. So, as we were heading back to our accommodation from Tokyo Tower via Asakusa in the evening, I was tempted by wagyu sushi for 500 yen at a restaurant proudly advertising authentic Kobe beef. This was the cheapest way to get a taste of this mythical meat. When we ordered, I thought they'd just hand us the sushi on a paper tray or something (takeout), but instead, they seated us next to a statue of a bull wearing a Christmas hat. While waiting for our food, we chatted with the waitress, who spoke surprisingly good English—she told us she had studied in Australia. 🎅🐂🍣
 |
| The kind waitress, Ruslan a I (a few seconds before disaster) |
After a few minutes, our sushi arrived and we posed for a group photo (it felt a bit too staged, but hey—we were in the most touristy part of Tokyo). I haven’t mentioned yet that when choosing the sushi, we went with the “tough” meat option. At 550 yen including tax (around €3.40), it already felt pricey for a single piece of sushi, so we passed on the “tender” option, which cost 880 yen with tax (about €5.50). Turns out, sometimes trying too hard to save money doesn’t pay off...
As soon as I put the sushi in my mouth, I tried to chew it—but it just wouldn’t budge. So, with smiles (and full mouths), we left the restaurant. Ruslan went off to wander somewhere, and I headed back to our accommodation. For the entire 20-minute walk, I kept chewing that overpriced piece of Kobe beef—but no matter what, I couldn’t break it down. In the end, I spat it out into the trash at home (my apologies 😓)...
The next day, we headed to the Zōjō-ji Temple, which is located directly beneath Tokyo Tower and offers beautiful views of it. The temple is accessed through the 21-meter-high red gate called “Sangedatsumon,” built in 1622. It’s the oldest wooden structure in Tokyo—and the only part of the temple that survived the bombings during World War II.
Zōjō-ji is the burial site of 6 out of the 15 Tokugawa shoguns. In one part of the cemetery, there are numerous statues dedicated to unborn children. These statues are dressed in knitted caps and bibs, and they hold small pinwheels—gifts for the deity Jizō, meant to help ease the children’s journey into the afterlife.
🗼 The ticket to Tokyo’s Eiffel Tower cost us 3,300 yen (€20) and included access to both observation decks (at 150 and 250 meters). The lower deck featured a souvenir shop and a café, as well as a special mailbox and a shrine (plus a glass floor for the brave ☺). Before entering the higher deck, we passed through a room filled with small screens playing short videos about the tower’s history. There was also a “secret” room where we learned about the tower’s construction, its founder, architect, and its early use as a broadcasting tower.
✨ The upper observation deck had an interesting design with mirrors arranged in a mosaic pattern. The view from the top was beautiful (although Mount Fuji was only faintly visible), and unlike Skytree, it offers a panorama filled with skyscrapers. Among them, I’d highlight the recently completed Azabudai Hills and Toranomon Hills, which I’d love to explore up close in the future. The main skyscraper, Azabudai Hills Mori Tower, stands at 325 meters, making it the tallest building in Japan. It has 64 floors and, with a total area of 461,395 m², it’s the largest skyscraper in the world by floor space.
 |
| View from Tokyo Tower at a height of 250 meters (in the center: Toranomon Hills, and in the back right rises the 634-meter-high Skytree—still the tallest tower in the world) |
⛩️ On the way back from Tokyo Tower, we stopped at the Meiji Shrine in the Shibuya district. The shrine is dedicated to Emperor Mutsuhito, the 122nd Emperor of Japan (known as Emperor Meiji – “The Enlightened One”). His reign is most closely associated with the Meiji Reforms, which marked the end of the Tokugawa shogunate and the restoration of power to the emperor. The shogunate officially ended in 1867, but battles between the former shogun’s army and imperial loyalists continued into 1869. That year, the shogun’s forces were decisively defeated during the siege of Goryōkaku fortress in Hakodate on the island of Hokkaidō (we visited that fortress in May 2019).
🌳 The shrine is located in a vast forest covering 70 hectares and containing more than 365 species of trees. In total, there are around 120,000 trees, many of which were donated by people from all over Japan. It borders the popular Yoyogi Park, and the entrance paths are adorned with large barrels of sake (in Shinto shrines, these represent offerings to the deities), as well as barrels of Burgundy wine. Numerous ceremonies and festivals are held here, and the shrine experiences its largest crowds around New Year’s, when long lines of Japanese visitors form to pray for good fortune in the coming year (I’d compare it to going to church at Christmas back home).
 |
| Eastern torii gate to Meiji Shrine |
Meiji Shrine is the most important Shinto shrine in Tokyo, but personally, I’m not sure I’d recommend visiting it. There are more interesting and beautiful shrines and temples in and around Tokyo, and you might want to spend your time and energy elsewhere (there’s quite a lot of walking involved here). I don’t know—along with the Imperial Palace in Kyoto and the one in Tokyo, this forms my trio of biggest disappointments. Yes, these are immensely significant places in Japanese history, but they’re often associated with restricted areas and vast spaces that feel empty.
🔋 In my blog from May 2019, I mentioned Japan’s strict waste separation system and how seriously the Japanese take it. You can’t just throw anything anywhere. Trying to dispose of a broken power bank (external battery) turned out to be quite a challenge. According to the internet, electronics stores should have collection bins for this type of e-waste, but I couldn’t find any—even after asking the (not very helpful) staff. So I ended up throwing the power bank away back in Slovakia, at the first electronics store I came across.
🎁 What would a visit to Shibuya be without diving into the whirlwind of crowds? In the Parco department store, you’ll find everything your fan heart desires—shops filled with toys and souvenirs from Nintendo, Sega, Pokémon, Jump comics (One Piece, Bleach, Naruto...), and even Godzilla. Just make sure you’re armed with enough money and patience to handle the massive crowds. By the way, don’t miss the rooftop terrace—it offers a lovely view of Mount Fuji on clear days.
🛍️ Nearby, you’ll also find a Disney store and Tower Records, a well-known Japanese music retailer. When I was buying a Christmas gift for my sister—a CD by a famous member of a Korean group—the shop assistant asked me if it was okay that the content wasn’t in Japanese. Well, music is a universal language, isn’t it? 😉
 |
| One of the newer additions to the ever-evolving Shibuya - Shibu S |
 |
| Shibuya Sakura Stage |
🌆 Miyashita Park, which is essentially a long shopping complex with a rooftop park, attracts many young people. It offers a skatepark, climbing wall, beach volleyball, and various restaurants. Of course, nearby is the iconic Shibuya Scramble—the busiest pedestrian crossing in the world, with up to 3,000 people crossing at once during peak hours (!). The statue of the dog Hachikō, located here, is a popular meeting point. If you love crowds, this is the place to be 😎.
 |
| 🚦 View from Shibuya Crossing |
On the second-to-last day of our Tokyo trip, we stopped in the Shinjuku district to take a closer look at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building and Park Hyatt Tokyo. The city hall building stands just under 243 meters tall, has 48 floors (it splits into two towers at the 33rd floor), and is the tallest city hall in the world. The observation decks are located on the 45th floor at a height of 202 meters and are free to enter (you just need to pass a security check where you show the contents of your backpack).
🎹 The atmosphere at the observation deck was pleasant—no crowds, piano music playing in the background, and there’s a café and a shop with Japanese souvenirs. I definitely recommend including it in your Tokyo itinerary. The view from the top was decent, although it was cloudy during our visit.
Shinjuku Park Tower consists of three skyscrapers fused together. In the tallest one (235 meters), you’ll find the five-star Park Hyatt Tokyo hotel, made famous by the Oscar-winning film Lost in Translation starring Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson. The hotel occupies floors 39 to 52, and if you're on a tighter budget, spending a night here will set you back around €1,000 on average.
I wasn’t sure how accessible the hotel is if you’re not a guest, and getting all the way to the top was quite a challenge. Finding the right elevator is practically a science. Eventually, we made it and got to enjoy the lavish interiors of this legendary hotel and the nighttime view from the 52nd floor, where the restaurant and bar are located.
 |
| 🌃 View from the top floor of the Park Hyatt Tokyo and the pool where Bill Murray swam |
On our last day in Japan, we spent time shopping in the well-known Ueno district. This area is often your entry (and exit) point to Japan, as there’s a good chance you’ll land at Narita Airport. The Skyliner train runs between the airport and Ueno, taking just 41 minutes (I recommend buying your ticket via the Klook website—and even better, through the mobile app for a 5% discount, or bundled with metro tickets).
🛍️ In Ueno, you can buy just about anything—from sweets, where one shop will fill a whole bag for 1,000 yen, to toys and electronics. A surprise for me was a Czech advent calendar featuring illustrations by Josef Lada (which reminded me of my first trip and the Czech Christmas tree at Kyoto Station). Ruslan was tempted by Star Wars figurines and even bought a heated electric blanket. But here’s a warning when buying Japanese electronics: they come with a Japanese plug and run on just 100 volts, unlike our 230. When Ruslan plugged the blanket in back home, it short-circuited...
Summary: Despite some initial hiccups, our third trip to Japan turned out well. It was shorter than usual and we visited “only” Tokyo, but our itinerary was truly packed. I definitely recommend adding two full-day trips to Nikko and Kamakura to your travel plans (though plan Kamakura more carefully so you can fit in Enoshima too ☺). Despite my food intolerances, I managed to get by and find suitable meals—though it was a real challenge at first. So, planning the next trip didn’t take long to begin 😎.
🎥 I’ve edited the images and impressions from my third Japan trip into a 👉5-minute video👈 that complements this blog.
🎬 Thank you for watching and reading, and to wrap things up, here’s a short video of a robot patrolling a building in Tokyo:
Komentáre
Zverejnenie komentára