Polar bear walking toward the camera
Japan,  The Archives,  The places we've been

Adventure to the Ueno Zoo

March 16, 2023 /

After a good night’s sleep, we were once again up at an unreasonable hour. I think we were awake by 3am and by 7am, we were STARVING. The weather took a breezy turn, making the high for the day barely above 40 degrees. Our original plan included a trip to teamLab Planets, a walk through art installation, that includes ankle deep water and walking bare foot. Not feeling this was still the best plan, we opted for plan B. Here is the story of our second day in Japan – the adventure to the Ueno Zoo.

The Fun Before Getting There

The Breakfast Buffet

As soon as the buffet opened at the hotel, we went down for breakfast. Most days they serve salad, miso soup, roasted fish, rice, curry and croissants. Certainly not what we usually eat back home but BOY is it tasty!

Man wearing a Boston Scally cap and a blue Chicago Marathon jacket, eating fish with chopsticks
All this and chop sticks too!
Four white, round plates containing rice and curry gravy, runny scrambled eggs, salad, fish and kimchi. There are chop sticks on the rice and a glass of iced green tea behind it.
All this and chopsticks too!

The Train Station and the Ride

The train stations here are like upscale malls with dozens of food vendors, clothing stores and restaurants. Since we were up so early, we decided to use that time to explore and get some coffee.

Refrigerated counter with assorted fancy pastries
The Pastries!
Wooden case filled with fancy watches and clocks
Anyone have the time?
Cold counter full of assorted sandwiches
So many sandwiches
Two trays of display food outside a restaurant
The display food
Tray with two mugs of lattes. One has chocolate shavings on top of the foam
Two yummy lattes

Not only was the station warm and inviting, check out the inside of the train.

Train seat in a very clean car with a red floor and black and red upholstered seats
Inside the train
  • The seats are upholstered
  • The seats are HEATED
  • The whole train is clean

It was literally the best public transportation experience we’d had-until the Bullet Train, that is! (More on this coming next week!)

The Ueno Zoo

As you know, we are zoo enthusiasts – “Zoothusiasts” and Tokyo did NOT disappoint. Our original schedule didn’t have a slot for the zoo so it all worked out for the best. And, unlike Animal Kingdom or the San Diego Zoo, admission is super reasonable at only 600 yen (about $4.40 USD).

The habitats were very natural and we were able to get so close to the animals. Talk about “WOW’ factor.

Polar bear walking toward the camera
Polar Bear
A meerkat standing on his back legs, looking around
Meerkat
A small hippo standing toward the back wall
Pigmy Hippo
A flock of flamingos standing in the sun
Flock of Flamingos
Large crocodile sitting near the water with his mouth open
Croc sitting in the sun
Alligator with a very toothy grin, sitting by the water
The toothy grin
Momma panda with her cubs, playing
Momma and cubs, playing
Red panda running along the window in his enclosure
The Red Panda

Lunch at the Train Station

We were so enamored with the train station, we decided to head back over and get some freshly made sushi.

Interior of a sushi restaurant with a wood counter
Train Station Sushi
Bowl of miso soup and sushi on a wooden platter
Sushi and miso
Woman in a hat and turtleneck sitting next to a man in a jacket and a neck muff
Warming up, finally!

You may wonder how we were able to order food, since neither of us speak Japanese. Well, here are our secrets:

  • The Google Translate App is AMAZING. You can take a picture of any print, and the app with translate it for you in a matter of seconds
  • You can get pretty far by pointing and nodding
  • We are adventurous eaters so usually things work out okay

Afternoon Tour of the Temples

There are more than 1,400 temples and shrines in Tokyo so we were able to visit a few almost every day we were there. The best thing about these places is that in a city of more than 30,000,000 people, they offer a quiet spot where you’re surrounded by nature.

Five level red pagoda
This pagoda is at the zoo!
Image of a wooden Japanese shrine with a cherry blossom in front of it
Yushima Tenjin Shrine
Hundreds of rectangular wooden ornaments with painted writing on them hanging from a pole
Each ornament is a prayer
Concrete stairs leading up to a red tori (archway)
Steps from the busy street to the Kanda Myoujin Shrine
Red tori (gateway) in front of a small red shrine with a green roof
The tori and shrine
Metal globe shaped like a heart with a hundred little pink and white cloths tied to it
Each ribbon is a prayer
Red building with a green tile roof and gold accents that serves as a Shinto shrine
Kanda Myoujin Shrine
Red gateway to the Kanda Myoujin Shrine with a green tiled roof and gold accents
Gateway

Evening Walking Tour of Tokyo

Even though the thermometer continued to drop, we didn’t let that stop us from one of our most favorite activities – walking through the city at night.

Gateway with red poles and a green illuminated sign that reads “Omoide Yokocho”
Memory Lane
Outdoor metal table with two half moon chairs under a red lantern
Table for Two
Narrow street with many signs showing bars and restaurants
Street in Memory Lane
Narrow street with many signs under a white street light in Tokyo
Bars in the Golden Gai
Archway a yellow illuminated sign in front of a narrow street with many signs
The entrance to the Golden Gai
Red shrine with a green tiled roof and golden accents
Hanazono Shrine

Education Over Dinner

I had hoped we would be able to grab dinner in Memory Lane but since the seating was mostly outdoor, we needed a better plan. We walked for a bit before landing on this beautiful place with plenty of lanterns. I was SOOOO looking forward to enjoying some soup or ramen to warm up a little. Instead, I ordered Soba noodles. Not only are they not hot, they’re served chilled! Well at least the beer was on point and the lanterns were great.

Metal bowl with liquid in the base, a round piece of pork, topped with dark orange shredding and an egg. A glass of beer sits behind
The Chilly Feast
Interior of a restaurant with wooden walls and hanging lanterns
The Udon Restaurant

Up Next…Kyoto via the Bullet Train!

Join us next week as we unpack our bags in Kyoto. You can subscribe for free to get our adventures via email or follow us in real time on Instagram at the__travel__oracle. Until next time, bai bai!

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