I’d always wanted to walk through Asakusa, Sensoji and Nakamise without the crowds of tourists to wade through. This week I got my wish several times. Being the first one awake has its privileges. I could quietly get ready, slip out of the hotel and head through the side streets. The air was chilly, but not too cold, and was exactly the kind of thing I’d always imagined to be “brisk”.

Not many things are open at 8am, and the few that are, run sleepy little local breakfast places that locals congregate at. Once done with my walk I hurried back, because we had a long-standing appointment with the Shinjuku Gyoen.

Somehow on previous trips, our plans to drop by and visit were always foiled, mostly due to poor planning on our part. This time around, we did our research and prepared accordingly. The only part of the trip we couldn’t control was just how packed the Yamanote Line would be heading toward Shinjuku. And man, was it packed.

It was worth being packed like sardines for the 45 minute trip, though. The park is immaculate, from its walking paths, to the little pavilions you can rest at, to the newly refurbished toilets scattered around the grounds. It makes the 500 yen entrance fee almost laughably low.

We stopped at one of the two tea houses in the park to sample the traditional sweets. The zenzai, a sweet red bean dessert served hot with mochi balls, was warm, rich, and comforting. Equally delicious was the monaka – matcha ice cream and adzuki bean paste served inside a Japanese style wafer.

Time seemed to stand still as we sat on the grass and watched the sky. The kids rolled on the ground, marveling at the feel of the grass. We could see couples and other families enjoying the park, and I couldn’t help but wonder if we could ever have the same feeling back home.

The sun sets early in winter, so we had to beat an exit too soon. Dinner was at an izakaya we’d discovered on our first trip which had since moved to accommodate the multiple new construction projects post-COVID, and then we headed back to home base.

Tomorrow we had a first time thing to try. We had to see Fuji.