My first time in Tokyo was a sensory overload in the best of ways. At first glance, many aspects of the city seemed like typical quirks of urban life that I was familiar with as a New Yorker. But I quickly discovered that under every seemingly familiar facade was something new to unravel that was totally foreign to my life in the States. It was a constant lesson in adjusting my assumptions about what I thought I knew, and embracing the (amazing) uncertainty of admitting to myself that I understood nothing about how to navigate the culture of this overwhelming, new-to-me metropolis. All I could do was listen, learn, and commit as many moments as possible to memory.
Planning your first time in Tokyo? Here’s what you’ll see.
I first visited Tokyo on a girls’ trip to visit an American friend who was living in Japan at the time, just a few weeks before Christmas (and just a few years into adulthood). I wouldn’t trade that experience for anything. There was really no better way to experience my first time in Tokyo than with two of my oldest friends—one of whom was a resident herself.
Of course, I barely scratched the surface of all there is to see and do, but I left with a lot of long-lasting first impressions. Below, a few things that might surprise you on your first time in Tokyo…
1. The balance between historic and modern
It isn’t rare to see a centuries-old structure alongside a towering skyscraper, and that same juxtaposition seemed to show up among local business, city dwellers’ daily habits, and how people related to each other.
