🍱 Day Three – July 14: Backwards Contacts, Beef Dreams & Jet-Lagged Snackers

One of Slade's Many Snacks

Slade and Tara were wide awake at 4:00 AM—thank you, jet lag. Tokyo is 13 hours ahead of Florida, and their bodies clearly hadn’t adjusted yet. So, what did they do? Wandered around the hotel and the little convenience store and did what they do best: eat.

One thing is for sure—Slade loves Japanese food. You know how people say, “This reminds me of home” or “just like my mom’s cooking”? That’s what Japanese food is for Slade. For most people, comfort food is a short drive away. For Slade, it’s 21 hours by plane. Michael woke up around 8:00 AM, and the three of them went to breakfast. I woke up around 10:00 thrilled to report that my migraine was gone. We got ready and stepped out into our first full day of exploring Tokyo!

📅 The Plan Was:

• 🏙️ Shibuya Crossing & Hachiko Statue

• 🎌 Meiji Shrine & Harajuku Street

• 🛍️ Takeshita-dori Shopping

• 🌆 Evening in Roppongi

🍣 What Actually Happened:

Slade and Michael Outside the Sushi Restaurant

We kicked things off at an awesome sushi restaurant for lunch. Michael and Slade loved it. Tara and I… not so much. We don’t eat sushi, so we watched. And waited. And then walked across the street to a familiar favorite—CoCo Ichibanya, of course. Slade, by the way, ate a second full lunch like it was nothing. No regrets. He was thriving.

Tara and Slade at the Sushi Restaurant

After lunch, we looked at the schedule and decided to switch things up. Instead of Roppongi at night, we’d go to Meiji Shrine first, then hit Shibuya Crossing at night to see it lit up in all its chaotic glory.

Slade and Tara Getting on the Train

Getting there was... an adventure. We walked to the train station,

then took two trains to get to the shrine. It was more difficult to navigate than Okinawa—English is not as widely spoken here, and we took a few wrong turns along the way.

Michael Figuring Out Which Ticket to Buy

Also: it was hot. Like, questioning-my-life-choices hot. I seriously started second-guessing my decision to plan this trip in one of the hottest months in Southeast Asia.

But we made it. And it was worth it. The Meiji Shrine was absolutely beautiful.

Michael, Slade, and Tara at the Tori Gate to the Meiji Shrine

The only disappointment? I put my contacts in backwards. No, really. And I couldn’t read a single word on any of the signs. You know how I love to read every statue, plaque, and panel out loud so everyone actually learns the history? Today, the tables turned—Michael and Slade read them to me. Payback, in the most wholesome way.

Meiji Shrine

By the time we walked back to the station, we were exhausted. We had already logged over 4 miles, and the heat had drained every ounce of motivation we had left. So we called an audible and took the train back to the hotel to rest and recharge before heading out again at night.

💤 Evening Plans: Post-Nap & Pre-Beef

Back at The New Sanno around 5:00 PM, Michael and I grabbed a beer at the bar while Tara and Slade went (where else?)—Family Mart for snacks. Again. I know. I don’t understand either. We stopped in the slot room—I lost $100, Michael lost $150. I took a nap. Tara and Slade ate again. Slade woke me up at 8:00 PM to go eat (yes, again), so we got dressed and asked the front desk if there were any Yakiniku restaurants nearby. There was one just two blocks away, so we walked.

Michael, Slade, and Tara at the Entrance to Yakiniku

When we got there, it was clear this was a very local spot. We were the only non-Japanese

people in the place. The employees didn’t speak any English, and Michael and Slade’s Japanese is just conversational enough to get us in trouble. So, out came my translator app. It worked great going from English to Japanese, but the reverse? Not so much. At one point, it told us, “The socks will come out well.” What socks?!

Eventually, we gave up and just let the universe do its thing—and it paid off. It was Kobe beef. Slade said it was the best cut of meat he’s ever had. We were worried it wouldn’t be enough food… but nope. It was a crazy amount of meat. (Tara and I barely ate, so that helped.)

The Meat

Dinner was incredible. The bill came to 44,400 yen—about $300—and was worth every single bite. We walked back to the hotel, officially too exhausted to do anything else on the list. Tomorrow’s another day, and we’ve still got time to catch what we missed. Michael and I went to bed. Tara and Slade? Back to Family Mart for snacks.

How are they still hungry?!

Jet lag, wrong turns, backwards contacts, Kobe beef, and way too many snacks—but somehow, it’s all perfect. Thanks for walking this detour with me. Can’t wait to see what tomorrow brings.

—Kolleen