Asakusa, Sumo and the Art of Eating Alone

 August 31, 2025

We kicked off Day 2 at the luxurious hour of 5:30am, which, compared to the day before, felt like sleeping in.

First order of business: a redemption run back to Don Quijote for a fan. This time was a quick in and out. Much more efficient than last time. 

Next stop: Lawson, which is essentially 7/11. Evan picked up a breakfast sampler of sausage, rice and egg that I was sure was going to make him sick. I, in contrast, chose safety in the form of a yogurt.

We hung out at the hotel until about 9:15 so Evan could charge his new prized possession (the fan), and then we were off to our walking tour in Asakusa.

We looked at (and learned) A LOT on the tour. 

One of the first things we did was a traditional fortune ritual at Sensō-ji Temple. You drop money into a box, shake a metal container full of sticks like you're playing a very spiritual version of Yahtzee, and then pull one out. The number on your stick corresponds to a drawer, which holds your fortune.

Mine? VERY GOOD.
Evan’s? VERY BAD.

Luckily, there’s a system for that. If you get a bad fortune, you tie it onto a designated rack so the monks can spiritually neutralize it (aka burn it later so it doesn’t come true). Evan promptly secured his fate to the rack, while I held onto mine.

After lots of walking we headed to the ramen spot our guide recommended-Ichiran- with another girl from our tour. We waited about 30 minutes outside, and spoiler alert it was definitely worth it. 

The experience itself was very unique. You order from a vending machine that spits out a ticket, then get seated in individual cubbies so you can focus solely on your ramen and whatever thoughts are swirling in your head. It’s completely silent because everyone is eating alone, side-by-side, like a socially acceptable introvert’s dream.

Inside the cubby, there are little wooden tags you place on the counter to communicate with the staff (no talking required), and a bamboo shade that lifts when your food arrives, like a tiny noodle reveal. It was one of the most unique dining experiences I’ve ever had, and honestly? Kind of peaceful.

After lunch Evan treated himself to a GLITTERY matcha green tea ice cream. He didn't love the taste, but I sure did love the glitter. 

Next up: a sumo wrestling demo and FAQ session which happened to be the unexpected highlight of the day.

Sumo, for context, is Japan’s national sport and has been around for over 1,500 years. It’s deeply tied to Shinto traditions, which is why you’ll see rituals like salt-throwing to purify the ring. Wrestlers (called rikishi) live together in training stables, where they follow intense daily routines that include early morning practices and eating massive quantities of chankonabe (a protein-heavy stew designed to help them gain weight). They also drink beer to add calories. They follow their boozy lunch with a nap. Evan was up for trying this side of Sumo. 

The wrestlers walked us through their lifestyle, diet, and training and then demonstrated different moves in the ring. The real entertainment began when they invited audience members to try their luck.

Children went. Adult men went. 

No one won. (obviously!)

We wrapped it up with photos with the wrestlers which was pretty cool and pretty stinky.

After that, we headed to Tokyo Tower, (quite a long, steep walk up) which… didn’t quite live up to expectations. We couldn’t access the top observation deck, and the middle level was dominated by an all-you-can-eat BBQ that we weren't feeling, so instead, we pivoted to an açaí bowl in the food court, which felt like a strange but necessary reset.

We took the train back to our neighborhood and found an izakaya for dinner which happened to have standing room only. Surely if all these people were paying to stand and eat it had to be good. Spoiler alert: it was. 

We ended up chatting with another American who was living in Japan as an expat, which turned into one of those random travel moments where you’re like, “How did we end up here, discussing life over beers while standing in a packed bar in Tokyo?”

We followed that with a stop at Bar and Junk Mikaku, an underground “5am bar” which sounds like chaos but... never fear... we were home by 9:30pm. #jetlag. Again.

They had a whiskey gacha (a mystery alcohol dispenser), which Evan tried. I opted for a tequila version, which… was not so desirable. #WhenInTokyo

What a great, full way, to spend another day in Tokyo. 

Our First Full Day In Tokyo: Temples, Trains and Too Much Good Food

 August 30, 2025

Our first full day in Japan started aggressively early: 4:30 a.m. Wide awake thanks to jet lag, we decided to lean into it and head straight to Don Quijote—an experience I can only describe as eight floors of overstimulation. Music, ads, and flashing lights all playing at once combined with packed aisles stacked floor-to-ceiling with everything you could possibly need (and many things you absolutely do not). And then, just when you think you’ve seen it all, the top floor turns out to be a sex toy shop.

Evan was on a mission. After reading on Reddit that Japanese nail clippers are superior to all others, he purchased a pair. The verdict is still out, but the confidence with which he bought them was next level.

From there, we stopped at Excelsior Café, a cozy little coffee and tea shop, before heading back to the hotel to drop off our nail clippers. At the train station, I got my Suica card, tapped through the gates, and successfully rode the train with zero issues—a personal victory worth celebrating.

We arrived in the neighborhood for our food tour an hour and a half early, so we decided to do some exploring. We wandered into a nearby temple, where we sat quietly and watched a ceremony of some sort. It was peaceful and grounding, especially compared to the sensory chaos of earlier. One of the rooms housed a small art exhibit, and the artist himself was there. He didn’t speak English and we don’t speak Japanese, but thanks to Google Translate he was able to explain the story behind his work. 

We grabbed coffee at a tiny café afterward—only to discover they wouldn’t take our empty cups because they didn’t have a garbage. This began our very sweaty walk through the neighborhood, carrying our cups and desperately searching for a trash can. (Spoiler: public garbage bins in Japan are extremely rare.)

Eventually, it was time for our food tour, which turned out to be just us and one other couple from the U.S. They had gotten married the same weekend we got engaged—us celebrating our engagement, them celebrating their honeymoon. The heat, however, was no joke. The real feel that day was 108 degrees.

Our guide, Sachi, began the tour at the same temple Evan and I had explored earlier. Outside, she pointed out the stone guardian dogs flanking the entrance. One has its mouth open, the other closed—known as Agyō and Ungyō. The open mouth represents the sound “A,” the beginning of all things, while the closed mouth represents “Un,” the end. Together, they symbolize the cycle of life and the protection of sacred spaces.

Inside the temple, Sachi explained that the ceremony we had been watching earlier was a ritual honoring the dead. She insisted on taking our photo during the ceremony which felt deeply awkward.

Outside, she showed us the purification ritual before entering sacred spaces: pour water over your left hand, then your right, then rinse your mouth—cleansing yourself before going inside.

From there, we headed to the fish market, where things escalated quickly—in the best way. We ate everything:

• a corn ball on a stick

• an assortment of flavored nuts

• dried squid (which Evan was convinced I wouldn’t try—joke’s on him, Thailand prepared me well)

• mullet ovary

• green tea

• enormous grapes

• wagyu skewers

• sushi

Everything was incredible, though being outside in that heat made it a true endurance sport. Eventually, we cooled off indoors and watched a sushi chef expertly cut and prepare fish right in front of us.

After the tour, we wandered the market a bit longer because Evan, unsurprisingly, wasn’t done eating. Frozen strawberry mochi made the cut. We then sat down for a beer and watched workers prepare massive crabs-- the biggest we had ever seen.

Later, we walked toward the Imperial Palace, stopping through Ginza along the way—the Tokyo equivalent of Chicago’s Mag Mile. The air conditioning alone was reason enough to linger. We spotted a Delirium Tremens, so naturally we stopped for another beer. While there, we saw a bride taking photos in a vintage car. The bartender explained that Japanese brides traditionally wear three outfits on their wedding day: a white ceremonial dress, one in their favorite color, and a kimono. Damn, that's a lot of outfit changes.

We continued on, cutting through a beautiful park, only to arrive at the Imperial Palace gates to learn it was closed. The approach was long, sun-exposed, and completely unforgiving—no shade, no trees. By that point, I was fully overheated and needed to sit down.

We walked back through another park, this one hosting a concert, and made our way to the train station. Dinner was at Sushi Dai, a highly recommended seafood spot where we snagged seats right at the sushi counter. It absolutely lived up to the hype. Evan was especially thrilled to try sea urchin, which he described as unbelievably creamy.

Having been awake since 4:30 a.m., we called it a night after dinner and headed back to the hotel. It was a long, hot, food-filled, first full day in Japan and we were officially all in.