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I recently turned forty, and to celebrate that fact my family and I took a trip to Tokyo.

Japan has been near the top of my Travel Bucket list my entire life.  I grew up listening to my grandmother’s stories about her days as a young girl living on the Air Force base in Yokohama, Japan just after World War II. She has scrapbooks and old photo albums from her days there that I used to spend hours looking through while growing up. The culture was just so foreign and fascinating to a little girl like me from Memphis, Tennessee.

Since we only had two full days to explore and get as much out of Tokyo as we could, we decided it was best to break our trip into two components: Traditional Japan vs. Modern Japan

Spending day one in a historically older neighborhood, while soaking up as much Japanese religious temples/shrines and traditional customs as we could. The plan for day two was to find a neighborhood that was more with today’s Tokyo vibes. We wanted to experience modern Japanese culture, technology, and trends. Plus, it was the first time a few members of my family had ever been to a city as large as Tokyo, so I wanted them to fully get a real city experience of crowds and navigating through them successfully.

After researching online and talking to friends who had lived in or visited Tokyo, we settled on Kamakura for the first day and Harajuku for the second. We rented a place through Air B&B in the Toshima Prefecture (neighborhood). We were a quick three-minute walk to the train station from our house, which was so convenient. From there it was a 45-minute train ride to Kamakura and a 15-minute ride to Harajuku.

Kamakura was once the Imperial seat of medieval Japan. Today, the seaside town is a favorite with tourists as it hosts dozens of Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines. The most popular tourist spot is the Kamakura Daibutsu (Great Buddha of Kamakura).

Built in the 13th century out of copper after the original wooden Buddha burned, it was originally housed inside a hall. After several typhoons and earthquakes,  the Great Buddha now sits in the open air. For a few extra yen, you can even tour the inside of it. I will warn you though that the stairs are very narrow and very dark. The crowd is going both up and down the stairs at the same time. If you are claustrophobic, this part of the tour probably isn’t for you.

There are temples and shrine just about everywhere you look in Kamakura. Walking down the road you will find any number of them to explore. Most of the bigger temples are connected by walking paths, including the Great Buddha.

The last temple we went to for the day was the Tsurugaoka Hachimangu temple. The temple is one of the oldest temples in Kamakura, being just over 1000 years old.

This temple is dedicated to the warrior god,  Emperor Ojin. This is a very sacred temple to the Hachiman faith. In later years it was used as a military base for Minamoto Yoritomo during the suppression of a rebellion in 1051.

While we were there, we got to see a traditional Japanese wedding being performed outside the temple. I was mesmerized by how beautiful the ceremony was. The bride’s outfit, the priests singing, the musicians- everything was just so perfect in that moment. The feeling of gratitude I had from bearing witness to that extraordinary moment is exactly the reason I travel.

Our second day of sightseeing was spent in Tokyo’s modern hub- Harajuku. The best way I can describe it for comparison is that Harajuku is very similar to downtown New York City.

Very tall buildings with magnificent stores that make window shopping fun.

Crowds and digital billboards that rival Times Square.

http://https://youtu.be/Na0afCJSup4

And something new to see and do everywhere you look.

We spent some time in a few different arcades that we found. Arcades are everywhere in Tokyo, and they are absolutely nothing like American arcades! To begin with, most of them are four to five stories tall. Each floor is a different type of arcade – with there usually being an entire floor dedicated to crane machine games.

These arcades are very popular and mostly full of adults, rather than the teens I was expecting. Be fair warned though – smoking is allowed in most arcades. You might want to think twice before you take your little kids in them as well. Most of the prizes you can win are more of an “adult” nature and are on full display, so take heed.

Harajuku was one of my most favorite places I’ve ever visited. There are so many amazing shops, restaurants, and incredible sights to see. I mean- it’s not every day that you see a live-action Mario Cart race!

Make sure to add Tokyo to the top of your Travel Bucket list. Tokyo is a MUST DO! Even with only two days, we managed to squeeze in so much Japanese culture, learn a ton of history, and ate the best the city had to offer. Don’t let limited time be an excuse to miss out on this travel hot spot!

What are your favorite places to visit while in Tokyo? Let me know in the comments.

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For more pictures from our trip to Tokyo, please visit my Instagram by clicking here.