I had the opportunity to attend an international conference in Japan and present the latest work of my research. The following article will show Tokyo from my point of view over the course of seven days. Before we start, I would like to point out two helpful things for your trip to Tokyo. First, if your smartphone supports dual SIM, order a local SIM card for mobile internet in advance. You can get the card shipped to your location or you can pick it up at a store inside the airport. Second, on arrival get a so called Suica Card. The Suica is a prepaid rechargeable contactless smart card used for payment transactions in stores and restaurants as well as a fare pass for the Tokyo subway and the train lines in Japan. You get the Suica directly in the airport or at almost every subway station from a ticket machine.
こんにちは、元気ですか?
Kon’nichiwa, genkidesuka? Hello, how are you?
Frankfurt Airport to Haneda Airport
The flight took me 11:15 hours with Star Alliance member All Nippon Airlines and was an overall smooth experience. Even when you book flights with Lufthansa Airlines from Germany, I would recommend booking the code shared flight which is executed by All Nippon Airlines because they have more leg space than Lufthansa.
Tokyo developed a set of helpful measures to provide comfortable living conditions for its 14 million citizens, ranging from the perfectly timed subway system to playable water fall sounds on the toilet to generate privacy by the push of a button.
Getting Around Before Check-In
Since I had some time to spend before I was allowed to check-in at the hotel, I decided to spend the remaining time explore the surroundings area.
Hotel Room
Tired from the flight and the time shift I checked-in at Hotel Mystays Asakusa and took a nap. The hotel room itself was 14 square meters in size and fulfilled all my needs.
Tokyo City
During my seven day stay I tried to see as much of Tokyo as possible. But it is just too much. Even after you have explored the streets, there is so much more behind every door and in every shop.
Digital Arts Museum
I followed the recommendation of a colleague and visited the teamLab Planets. A museum of digital art that guides you through different rooms of impressive light installations. To stimulate not only the sense of sight the museum is explored barefoot. At one point you even walk through water with glowing fish.
Food
Man, you must eat! Definitely visit a traditional sushi restaurant and UOBEI Shushi in Shibuya City, Dogenzaka. Every meal is served with free water in a carafe, which the Europeans can really learn from instead of charging eight dollar for a bottle of water in a restaurant.
Thanks for stopping by. I hope you had a good time.
