We stayed in the New Takanawa Prince Hotel, just a 5 minute walk from the Shinagawa train station. One of the things we had fun exploring was how easy it is to get around massive urban areas with efficient mass transit.
Saturday and Sunday we experienced Tokyo culture and history. We attended a martial arts demonstration in Shinukju area. And we enjoyed a “Tokyo Morning Tour” by bus, seeing the entire city from Tokyo Tower (tallest structure in Tokyo), witnessing the ancient Shinto Meiji Shrine, the Imperial Palace and East Gardens, along with driving through contemporary Tokyo’s shopping district, called the Ginza.
On Monday, we explored sites outside of Tokyo, taking a tour to Mt. Fuji and Hakone regions. The weather only gave us glimpses of Japan’s tallest peak, but the views into the lush Japanese countryside were incredible. The tour included a ride on a lake as well as an aerial tram to the top of a small peak. We returned to Tokyo via bullet train.
One remarkable blessing is that the members or our family that get motion sickness endured 8 modes of transportation in only 48 hours and didn’t get sick – bus, train, subway, car, boat, aerial tram, bullet train, and air plane!
Tuesday was an unscheduled day and we decided to let the kids choose the events. It was a no-brainer. Having now overdosed on culture and history the choice was easy – Tokyo Disney Sea! It was an absolute blast. School in Japan was still in session, so the crowds were minimal – no more than a 5 minute wait for any ride. It was a great family way to end our experience.
June 13 was the longest day repeated backwards. We left for the airport at 11 a.m. Our plane took off at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday from Tokyo and landed at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday in Detroit! Yep, we landed before we took off. And it still took us nearly 30 hours to get home.
