After dreaming about Japan for so long, waking up on my first full day there felt a little surreal.
I had finally made it. This trip was all me. After leaving my things with my friends in Shinjuku, I decided the thing I was craving most in Japan was a little bit of familiarity. I hopped a train right on over to Taito-ku. A place I love.
I decided today was my day. No pressure, no responsibility. Anything I wanted to do, this was the day to do it on.
This trip was about more than checking places off a list. It was about giving myself time to breathe, wander, and enjoy finally being at a place I belonged. A place although foreign felt more like home than home did some days. A Slow Start in Taito-ku
My plans weren’t complicated step one: acquire caffeine. Any local cafe would do; in Japan it’s actually hard to find a bad one. Cafe culture here is on a different level: coffee shops practically drag you in, hand you a warm drink, and politely insist you claim a tiny kingdom of your own for as long as you like.
From there I would decide my plan of attack. What kind of trip would this be? My friends would be coming soon. I knew I also had an objective to find the places they wanted to visit ahead of time so none of us had to struggle. I also wanted to enjoy myself as much as possible.
I did just that. I found a local parfait shop and had a breakfast parfait and ice coffee.
Breakfast is whatever you put in your face in the morning. It doesn’t need to be complicated or convoluted. If you enjoy it, eat it. If you have been to Japan, tell me what kind of breakfast did you eat? Did you try Natto and toast? Or did you try to stick to something similar to home. Let me know in the comments below.
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