Kelly and I both love breakfast, it’s our favorite meal of the day. So for the entire time we’re in Asia, we’ve made sure all of our accommodations include breakfast. Trying to find and make yet another meal decision every day will get tiring, so this setup gives us a nice start to each morning.

The Tokyo subway system might be the best in the world. After our sleepy introduction on arrival, we were much more organized today. We picked up a “Welcome Suica” IC card, which makes getting on and off the many trains (owned by various companies) much easier.

That said, our first train ride of the day was intense. Getting on and off required fully pressing your body into the crowd around you, personal space is not really a thing during Tokyo rush hour. We actually skipped the first train that arrived because the doors tried—and failed—multiple times to close around one woman’s purse. The conductor kept yelling down the train, urging people to push in further.

Inside, the trains are equipped with TVs broadcasting their own network of content, “Train TV”. They played a fast-paced mix of ads and ultra-brief content snippets: cooking demos, quiz shows, fashion clips, even someone sliding down a waterslide.

We eventually made it to Asakusa, where we explored the Senso-ji Temple and the bustling Nakamise shopping streets. The photos below include us in front of the iconic Kaminarimon Gate (the entrance to the processional road), a five-story pagoda, and Kelly in front of the Hozomon Gate.

Around the temple grounds were several fortune-telling stations. Kelly tried one, which involved shaking out a stick from a container to determine which drawer held her fortune. There’s also a photo of me in front of the “Bell of Time.”

When we first arrived, the crowds were light, but as the morning wore on, the area became packed with tourists. Below are a few shots of the market stalls along the processional road, followed by Kelly posing in front of one of the many, many Buddha statues we saw throughout the day.

After exploring the grounds, we started walking towards another district. On our way, we decided to sample a pastry filled with red bean paste. It was pretty good. A little sweet, but mostly just tasted how it looks – like beans.

We eventually arrived at Ueno Park. It is a spacious, beautifully landscaped park with fountains, wide paths, and great people-watching. Within the park is the Tokyo National Museum. Kelly may write a future post diving into the art and objects we see in museums here in Tokyo.

Next, we made our way to the Shibuya area to see the famous “Shibuya Crossing”—the world’s busiest pedestrian scramble. But first, we visited the observation deck at the top of Shibuya Sky. I’ve been in taller buildings before, but never actually out on the rooftop of one. The view was staggering: a sea of buildings in every single direction, as far as the eye could see. It was a unmistakable reminder that Tokyo is the largest city in the world.

After soaking in the skyline, we spent a few hours exploring the Shibuya Scramble building itself—17 floors of shops, restaurants, and cafes. We often think of the U.S. as the land of abundance, but Japan may give that idea a run for its money. We eventually made it down to the crossing itself and got to experience the organized chaos of the scramble.

One final note: Japanese batter and pitcher Shohei Ohtani is pictured everywhere in Tokyo. It quickly became a running gag between us just how many places we saw him advertising – drinks, clothing, lotion, cologne, and more. He was even greeting us at the airport when we arrived. He’s clearly a national icon.