Today was technically a travel day, but it really didn't feel like one. I woke up at 3:00 AM which wasn't ideal, but the day ahead would prove worth it.
We were picked up from the hotel in Beijing at 4:00 AM and given breakfast packages to munch on during the bus ride. Once we got to the airport, checking bags and getting through security was smooth, which gave us some time to relax. We grabbed food at the Starbucks in the airport. I got a ham and cheese croissant and a chocolate scone, both delicious and a much needed boost of energy. The plane took off at 7:20 and landed in Tokyo at 11:20.
In the airport we met our tour guide Riki from WorldStrides, who directed us to a coach bus for the hour and a half ride to the hotel, Mystays Ueno East. During the ride Ricky handed out our public transportation passes, which work on the subway and public buses. Once we arrived we checked in, got settled, and had about an hour and a half of free time. The room isn't spacious but it gets the job done.
Spencer and I used the free time to walk over to the Ueno district and find somewhere to eat. We found a cafe that served pasta and meats and both went for the carbonara. We absolutely devoured it. After waking up at 3 AM it was exactly what we needed. It was about a 15 minute walk back to the hotel to meet up with the rest of the group before heading out for the afternoon.
At 3:30 we headed as a group to Asakusa, one of Tokyo's most iconic neighborhoods. We visited Sensoji, Tokyo's oldest temple, and walked through the Nakamise shopping street. The shrines were really fascinating. There's genuinely nothing like them back home. The detail and scale of everything was impressive, even just walking around the grounds.
After the temple, Spencer, Jason, Ryan and I split off from the group and explored the surrounding streets. Every single corner had a food spot that looked incredible. I genuinely had never seen that many good looking restaurants in one place. I was tempted to grab something the entire time, but I kept reminding myself that dinner was going to be worth the wait. I was right.
Our welcome dinner was at Hokkaido Hananomai and it did not disappoint. Seven courses of Japanese food that just kept coming, sashimi, wagyu, chicken steak, chirashi sushi. The Japanese Black Wagyu hot plate was the standout for me. The whole meal was on another level. It's the kind of dinner that makes you want to move to Japan.
After dinner I went back to the hotel and spent the rest of the night relaxing. An early start and a full afternoon meant I was ready to be done for the day. Tomorrow is a big one as we are meeting with MLB Asia, visiting the Tokyo Baseball Museum, and going to a game at the Tokyo Dome. Really looking forward to it.
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