Trip report: Geezer first-timers–May 8-June 5. Last of 3 parts: Tokyo, Nikko, Kamakura

For independent western travelers, Japan demands more planning than, say, a trip through Europe. But the corresponding rewards are huge. And you absolutely don’t need to hire a guide, so long as you do basic homework (which is half the fun of travel, anyway).

This is the last of three reports from our recent four-week journey, covering ten nights in Tokyo, one in Nikko and three in Kamakura.

**HIGHLIGHTS**

Tokyo–Nippon Professional Baseball at Tokyo Dome; May Grand Sumo tournament, Hamarikyu garden; Tuna auction

Nikko–Toshugo shrine

Kamakura–Sunset spectacle at a seaside park

TOKYO, Monday 5/22

For this 7-night leg, we chose Park Hotel Tokyo (the top floors of the Shiodome Media Tower; $208/night with breakfast). The lobby is on the 25th floor, requiring separate elevator rides to reach your room. Access to subways is a mixed bag (Shiodome Station is next door; more useful Shimbashi is a longer walk). There were far more Americans than our other hotels, and the ample breakfast buffet wasn’t as fabulous, either (an admittedly high bar). On the other hand, the area teems with great, affordable places to eat. Our room had something we’d never experienced: a fog-free bathroom mirror (the new must-have!). And when we opened the curtains of our 28th floor room in the morning, there was Fuji in all her glory, an unforgettable vista. What more could you want?

TOKYO, Tuesday 5/23

Our first stop on a drizzly day was the Imperial Palace grounds, last of our highly recommended Imperial Household Agency tours. The adjacent East Garden, open to all, is worth seeing, too.

After lunch, we checked out the nearby National Museum of Modern Art. Kudos to management for allowing photography. The highlights room on the top floor is a great survey, and if you’re short on time you could skip the rest, unless a special exhibition piques your interest.

We caught a fantastic show about Tokugawa Ieyasu at the private Mitsui Memorial Museum–the best single exhibition we saw. Unfortunately, it closes tomorrow, June 11; but that’s a place you might keep an eye on.

TOKYO, Wednesday 5/24

We visited Senso-ji first thing. We liked it so much we went back a few nights later to see it lit up. Either way, it’s a must.

Lunch was at Onigiri Asakusa Yadoroku, a welcoming place that’s been dishing up made-to-order onigiri for almost 70 years. It’s a Bib Gourmand. Show up just before 11 am to avoid a wait; otherwise, you’ll be given a time to return for a seat.

We went to Tokyo Dome to catch a Yomiuri Giants game, stopping off first at the adjacent, very worthwhile, landscape garden, Koishikawa Korakuen (geezers over 65 half-price!). The game itself was a trip, much like an American football game, with non-stop chants by fans and on-field cheerleaders between innings. Our lower-deck seats, bought in advance from the team’s website, cost under $35 each.

TOKYO, Thursday 5/25

Like other great cities, like New York or Paris, Tokyo is made for strolling. On this day, we were flaneurs, with stops along Omotesando, the tree-shaded fashion avenue that calls itself *Harajuku Champs-Elysees,* and hip Cat Street nearby. The area wakes up slowly, so consider a visit at midday or later.

Lunch was a pure pig-out (pun intended) at Tonkatsu Nanaido. Can’t recommend it highly enough; the wait was a tolerable 30 minutes (dinner reservations possible). Try to ignore the health implications of tender pork, fried (extremely lightly) in pure lard. Pure heaven.

TOKYO, Friday 5/26

Meiji Shrine and garden got us going in the morning, and the Meiji Jingu Museum was well worth a stop.

We were somewhat ambivalent about sumo but bought advance tickets to the big May tournament because, well, when might we ever see sumo in person again? It turned out to be the surprise hit of the trip: a spectacle with deep historic roots, more engaging and suspenseful than we imagined. Advance online tickets are gettable; no middleman required.

TOKYO, Saturday 5/27

The Tokyo National Museum lives up to its reputation as the best in the country (at least the best we saw). We made repeated visits and still didn’t see it all. And it’s free for those of us over 70. One of our favorite items: a 1,500-year-old ceramic sculpture of sumo wrestlers and a judge. The museum’s enlightened view toward photography means we’ll always have our pictures to remind us of what we saw.

TOKYO, Sunday 5/28

We spent a relaxed Sunday morning at verdant Hamarikyu Gardens, a park that borders Tokyo Bay. The former playground of feudal shoguns is an urban oasis of water features and classic landscape design. You can happily spend a couple hours strolling its paths.

In the afternoon, we checked out Ginza’s main drag, closed to vehicle traffic. We wish, though, that we’d known that Akihabara’s Chuo-dori is also pedestrianized on Sunday afternoons.

NIKKO, Monday 5/29

We cabbed it to Asakusa Station and caught the Tobu Kegon express to Nikko. Light rain didn’t stop us –or hundreds of other umbrella toters–from visiting glorious Toshugo Shrine. Far better, though, was our visit the next day. At 8:30 a.m., the shrine was essentially deserted; crowds started arriving at 9:30. That quiet morning hour was reason enough to have spent the night in Nikko. It also kept us ahead of the crowds at Rinnoji Temple and nearby Taiyuin and Futarasan Shrine, all well worth visiting.

Nikko Station Hotel Classic ($270, including excellent meals) was the most old-school place we stayed (They still put top sheets on the beds). Masking is requested, and at breakfast, guests are asked to don plastic gloves before going through the buffet line. The onsen in the basement was absolutely first-rate, as was our meticulously prepared tofu kaiseki dinner at the hotel restaurant.

TOKYO, Tuesday 5/30

For our third and final Tokyo stop, we chose the Ueno area and weren’t disappointed. The well-run and sophisticated Nohga Hotel Ueno Tokyo ($217/night, including breakfast) is on a quiet street just a short walk from Ueno Station and park, with its many attractions.

TOKYO, Wednesday 5/31

We wandered through Yanesen, a traditional neighborhood sometimes described as a hidden gem, and began our end-of-trip shopping on mid-century Yanaka Ginza.

Lunch was at Inshotei, a lovely traditional restaurant in the heart of Ueno Park, booked online before our trip. 3.59 on Tabelog.

TOKYO, Thursday 6/1

Tuna! We initially took a pass on the early morning auction, discouraged by reviews on this sub and elsewhere that dismiss the relatively new Toyosu auction site as vastly inferior to the former one at Tsukiji market. But an old Japan hand persuaded us to give it a try. We’re extremely happy we did. We were lucky enough to get tickets to the open-air observation platform and the experience became a trip highlight.

Up and out by cab before 4:30 a.m., we had about half an hour to watch and hear the action directly below us. It may not be Tsukiji, but it’s the only Tokyo tuna auction you’ve got. I say go, especially if you can snag open-air gallery passes.

KAMAKURA, Friday 6/2

There weren’t a lot of great choices for lodging in the coastal town of Kamakura (a day trip for Tokyo residents). We needed a quick getaway to Haneda Airport on Monday morning, and Hotel Metropolitan Kamakura, a JR East property, fit the bill. It was pricey ($292 per night with meals) but our room was spacious, even luxurious by Japanese standards, and smack in the middle of the action.

KAMAKURA, Saturday 6/3

I wondered, before leaving home, if we’d get templed-out, like other travelers do. It never happened, though torrential rainfall, spun from the remnants of Typhoon Mawar, tested us at the end. On the plus side, we had the Great Buddha and Hachimangu Shrine completely to ourselves; the downside was soaked clothing and shoes that would take time to dry out (fortunately, we brought extra pairs, and our collapsible umbrellas did the best they could).

By afternoon, the skies cleared and hundreds of surfers rushed to ride the storm-generated surf. We caught the action from the sands of Yuigahama Beach.

KAMAKURA, Sunday 6/4

Early, before other tourists arrived, we checked out Engakuji temple, but were helpless in the face of Sunday crowds at Meigetsuin temple, better known as Hydrangea Temple. The blossoms were exploding after the rain but visitors clogged the pathways. We fled to Kenchoji, totally empty by comparison, and had a final, restorative Zen moment in the peaceful garden behind the main hall.

Last stop of the tour, after one more omakase sushi dinner, was sunset at Inamuragasaki Park. We never expected what we found: a spectacular view of Fuji, the entire mountain outlined against a multi-colored sky, with pounding waves and a few hardcore surfers in the foreground.

It was a concluding surprise in a trip filled with them, a journey that greatly exceeded expectations. Four weeks turned out to be just about right for a couple of geezers. But it left lots of stuff on the cutting room floor, like Nagasaki, which I still want to see, and much more. Next time, maybe.