Day 2 in Japan: A Plot-Twist Wednesday

January 8, 2025, Wednesday. Usually, my Wednesdays start early with me working at a butcher’s workshop, cutting chicken. But this Wednesday? Totally different vibes. I woke up early, prayed Tahajjud, waited for Fajr, and got ready to explore Tokyo. What a way to start the day!

We hopped on a bus at 6 AM, heading to Asakusa to visit the famous Sensoji Temple. As we walked the 10 minutes from the bus stop to the temple, the sunrise greeted us—and wow, I don’t know what it is about Japan’s sun, but it felt 10 times more beautiful than the one I’m used to seeing. The neat and tidy trees, flowers, and plants lining the streets looked almost fake—they were just that perfect! We couldn’t stop talking about how amazing everything looked.

At Sensoji Temple, we took tons of pictures, wandered around, and had breakfast from a nearby conbini (convenience store). The menu? Gratin macaroni, soft-boiled eggs, and chestnuts. Oh, and we also picked up a small can of original matcha powder (because Japan, obviously). After that, we strolled to the Sumida Riverside, and let me tell you—the view was absolutely breathtaking. Every corner of Japan feels like a dream! It’s so clean, the people are so polite, and the scenery? Just wow. I thought Taiwan was nice, but Japan is super nice.

Next, we decided to go off-script and visit a second-hand store for clothes since we didn’t pack much. We took a bus to Koto City near Kameido Station (only the JR line operates there). We found Trefac 1 and 2, just 10 minutes apart, and scored some great finds! After shopping, we hopped on the JR line to Akihabara to buy luggage and grab lunch.

At Akihabara, we found an amazing deal—a 26-inch luggage for only 2,600 yen! 🎉 We packed all our new clothes into it, then headed to lunch at Niko Niko Ramen. Let me just say—BEST ramen ever! I had the spicy one, and Rachmad got the original. The ramen was only 1,380 yen, much cheaper than the ramen we had at Honolu Halal Ramen the night before, and honestly, it tasted even better!

After lunch, we made our way to Ginza, stored our luggage in a coin locker, and took the Kamiyacho Line to see Tokyo Tower. It’s HUGE! We rushed to get the best view near a nearby temple before sunset. Tokyo Tower looked stunning against the evening sky, so we took plenty of pictures before heading back to Ginza for dinner.

We had dinner at Kura Sushi, and once again, it was so delicious and affordable! It’s becoming our go-to spot whenever we’re in Ginza. Now, here’s where the plot twist happened. Feeling pretty confident about navigating Ginza (because we’d been there a few times), we assumed our luggage was in locker C6, the one we usually use. We tried tapping our IC card several times, but nope—no luggage. Turns out, it was stored near A1, which was on the other side of the station. We spent nearly an hour walking around trying to find it, feeling super silly for thinking we “knew” Ginza after one day. Lesson learned—don’t get cocky! 😂

                             

Finally, we grabbed our luggage, hopped on the metro subway to Asakusa, took a bus back to the hotel, and collapsed into bed after a quick shower and budget check. Oh, and I checked my step tracker—we walked almost 25,000 steps today! No wonder we were exhausted!

What a day! From peaceful temples to a frantic luggage hunt, Day 2 was definitely an adventure.

Japan, you’re keeping us on our toes, and I’m loving it! 😊 and here's the list of what I spent today.