Day 1 in Japan: A Crazy Start to Our Packed Adventure!

January 7, 2025 – Tuesday

Alright, let me just say it upfront—our Japan trip is insane! We’ve got a jam-packed itinerary covering Tokyo, Takasaki, Osaka, Nara, and Kyoto in just 10 days. And to make it even crazier, we’re sleeping on a Willer Sleeping Bus for two nights. Yup, no hotel for two days because, apparently, buses are “good enough” to sleep on. (Rachmad’s idea, not mine! 😂)

Our flight from Taipei to Narita took off at 2:30 AM, and no, we didn’t even check in any baggage. Why? We’re geniuses who decided to buy luggage in Japan and check it in on the way back. Well, that plan backfired when JetStar’s strict 7kg limit made us pay an extra 1,500 NTD for carry-ons. Lesson learned.

We landed in Narita at 6 AM, running on minimal sleep but high on excitement. First thing’s first—airport bathroom rituals: wash face, brush teeth, and yes, poop. (When in Japan, embrace the clean and fancy toilets!) Immigration was smooth, and I swear when I heard Japanese everywhere, I felt like I’d walked straight into an anime!

From Terminal 3, we hopped on a shuttle bus to Terminal 2 to grab our Welcome Suica IC cards and tickets for the Low-Cost Bus (LCB) to Ginza. It was only 1,500 yen, a steal compared to the Skyliner’s 3,000 yen. We also grabbed onigiri (tuna and mushroom) from Family Mart, which was our first taste of Japanese convenience store magic. After praying Fajr in the airport prayer room, we were ready to roll!

The bus ride to Ginza took about an hour, and oh my gosh, the view was chef’s kiss! Japan is just as gorgeous as everyone says. I totally get why it’s such a dream destination.

First stop: Itoya Stationery Store in Ginza. Imagine an 8-story paradise for stationery lovers! I bought two postcards (because why not?) before we moved on to GU and Uniqlo Ginza, the biggest Uniqlo in Tokyo. I scored a sweater from GU and lightweight down jackets for both me and my husband at Uniqlo. Gotta stay warm! and it's super duper cheap here!

For lunch, we hit up Kura Sushi, and wow—it was both delicious and way cheaper than sushi in Taipei. After that, we rushed to Shibuya Sky because our ticket was for 2:10 PM. And let me tell you—the view was breathtaking! Pictures don’t do it justice. Even with my brand-new iPhone 16 (shoutout to my husband for surprising me with it the day before we left!), I couldn’t capture the full beauty of Tokyo from up there. We also went to the famous Shibuya crossing line and Hachiko statue.

                                            

                                            

From Shibuya, we went to GU Shinjuku to hunt for boots and small bags since we couldn’t find them earlier. Success! We also had dinner at Honolu Halal Ramen—warm, hearty, and absolutely delicious. Even though it was quite expensive, we paid 1,980 yen just for that one bowl of ramen, haha.

By the end of the day, we were ready to crash. We took a train from Shinjuku to Minami-Senju, where our hotel, Asakusa Hotel Fukudaya, awaited. It was a bit of a trek from the station, but luckily, we found a bus to save us from walking. The hotel? Small but cozy, and I got a killer Skytree view from my window!

And that’s how we wrapped up Day 1 in Japan—exhausted, happy, and already so in love with this country. Can’t wait to see what tomorrow brings! 🎌✨

Here's also the list on how much I spent during the day haha..