Doesn’t it feel like everyone you know has taken a trip to Japan in the last year or two? The combination of the super-weak yen and the country finally reopening after the pandemic seems to have moved Japan to the top of everyone’s list. Myself included!

My fiancé (who actually became my fiancé on this trip aw!) and I took our first trip to Japan in April. Despite everyone telling us we should try and hit multiple cities, we settled on staying in Tokyo for the week to really soak it up — and I’m so glad we did.

I didn’t grasp the sheer size of Tokyo until I was there. It truly is sprawling and every inch is filled to the brim with shops, temples, izakayas (Japan’s version of a pub or tapas bar), sites, tourists and locals alike, and so much more. The metro lived up to its reputation of being efficient and easy to use (combined with using Google Maps and a digital Suica card on my phone, it was like the NYC subway… but much better). We never had a bad meal, including the random late-night “meals” consisting of quick bites from Family Mart and 7-11, and our heads were spinning from the sheer amount of restaurants to pick from. We got super lucky and came right during the peak cherry blossom bloom, making the whole city feel even more unreal. And even though we did venture a bit outside of the city to Kamakura and Yokohama, we could have easily spent several more weeks wandering around Tokyo.

Below is just a sample of our trip with some commentary. You can check out my highlight on Instagram if you’re looking for more! It was a delicious, chaotic, and incredible trip — so much so that we’re already planning another trip back and, considering my obvious desire to explore new countries, you know that means it’s a special place.