Incheon Airport. 7am, I checked in for an early flight to Tokyo.
The trip from Seoul is barely three hours, so honestly, how could I resist? I’ve always wanted to visit Tokyo and lately, it felt like everyone had been to Japan except me. The FOMO was real. Was I influenced to go this year because of social media? Probably.
The weather was a little hotter than Seoul and the mosquitoes were on demon time, but as soon as I dropped my luggage at my Shinjuku hotel, I was out the door.
Tokyo is BUSY.
My first thought was: why is everybody and their mama outside?! I’m rarely overwhelmed by crowds, but Tokyo is a different beast. Sure, Shinjuku isn’t exactly the quiet part of Tokyo, but still, it was suppose to be low season . This city genuinely does not sleep. The lights, the people, the cars, and the shops blasting music.
Transport
Unlike in Seoul, I got lost so many times I stopped counting. Shibuya Station? Pure chaos—but like… organised chaos. Navigating the metro isn’t easy, and most staff workers don’t speak English nor have the patience to show the directions, so keep Google Translate or Papago on standby.
Activities
I didn’t pack my Tokyo days as tightly as I did in Seoul. I knew the travel fatigue would hit, and I still needed some relaxation time but with only five days, I didn’t want to “waste” time, so I spent most of my days sightseeing and soaking it all in. I mean… I was in JAPAN!I wanted to simply take everything in.
My first stop was Shibuya crossing, and it was smaller than I thought. Then Shibuya Sky , the rooftop where we can see the whole city and Mt Fuji if the weather allows it. I missed the slot for the sunset but it was still nice to see Tokyo at night.
I went to the Imperial Palace for an history walking tour. The attention to detail there is unreal—every tree, flower, and garden patch is perfectly harmonised with the city around it.
I also went to TeamLab Tokyo, which was a first for me. Really fun, but honestly, if you miss it, there are so many other attractions you can do instead.
Looking back, I should’ve booked a spa day, a sake tasting, or a matcha-making class.
Food
As a solo traveler, I’m usually more cautious with food—being sick alone is not cute. But in Japan? No restrictions. My taste buds came back to life during this trip. Every place I went slapped but special mention for Grill Bon, in Ginza, where I had the best wagyu sandwich ever.
Tokyo is food heaven. No extra seasoning, no extra sauce—everything is cooked to the perfection and you can eat well for relatively cheap.
Then I went to Sushi Yoshikawa Shinjuku. A 19 courses omakase booked month in advance. I am not new to solo dinning but I was sceptical, as my Japanese is non existent, I was not sure if I would enjoy the experience alone . My worries left as soon as I took the first bite. Everything that touched my mouth was immaculate (pause). Their famous Yoshikawa futomaki completely ruined all other sushi for me. The service was top notch as it only serves a limited number of people for the 2 evenings services. I left there with a full belly and a smile on my face. The best meal I ever had. I haven’t been able to look at regular sushi in the eye since, as I’m still recovering emotionally.
Also, all the convenience stores:7-Eleven, Lawson and Family Mart absolutely deserve every bit of hype especially with a limited budget. The egg sandwich? Hits every time. That coolish ice cream thing? Divine.
Shopping
Tokyo streetwear is edgier than Seoul. Tokyo fashion is avant-garde—Comme des Garçons and Issey Miyake are literally starter pack level there. Fashion feels like an art form, and as a Congolese woman, I was feeling right at home.
I like to call myself a fashion girl. And as a fashion girly, I feel like I didn’t do my due diligence correctly. I knew about the vintage shops in Tokyo, but I didn’t realise how affordable or shall I say accessible some luxury pieces could be. However, ten thousand Korean won is NOT ten thousand Yen—I learned that the hard way.
I can also confirm: you will need an extra luggage if you are planning to shop in Tokyo. Travelling from Seoul, I was already on my last kilos so it was inevitable as I did some damage. The highlight? Finding a vintage Celine Phantom *my dream bag*. I gasped, snatched my card, and didn’t think twice. The price was half of what I’ve seen on eBay; it was a no-brainer.
Now…Don Quijote in Shibuya… yeah, I didn’t even make it past floor two. That Don Quijote theme song alone is an experience—it’s a full sensory takeover. The overstimulation defeated me. I just grabbed the few things within arm’s reach—face mask, eye patches, strawberry KitKats—and escaped.
Note, the yen was low, but not that low. High end luxury is still luxury. TikTok doesn’t lie about the deals, but remember: good deals in yen hit differently depending on your home currency.
Overall
My five days in Tokyo flew by, and I’m glad I experienced as much as I could before heading back to Seoul. However, I might sound like a hater but I wasn’t that impressed.
Hear me out – TikTok is ruining the vibe.
Don’t get me wrong, Tokyo is absolutely that girl: futuristic yet traditional, stunning architecture, insane attention to detail, unmatched hospitality, elite street fashion, and top-tier food. Tokyo is worth the splurge.
Social media makes it incredibly easy to figure out where to eat, shop, or “chill” and take the perfect Instagram photo—especially in a country that isn’t exactly English-friendly. In exchange, we hand over our decision-making to strangers online and let their reviews dictate where we go.
The problem is that social media tells you exactly what you’re going to see, so the element of surprise is gone. Even grabbing a simple matcha at a new spot now means showing up before opening, lining up at dawn to get a ticket, then coming back at opening time… to line up again. All because one video went viral and suddenly everyone needs to experience it.
So why am I waking up at 6 a.m. on holiday for a pair of Onitsukas? I get the whole exclusivity thing, but when you really think about it, are the shoes actually that great—or is it just hype because everyone else is wearing them? Yes, they’re cheaper in Tokyo than in the UK, but do we honestly all need to spend hours queuing outside the Ginza store?
TikTok is killing the element of surprise. You don’t get to discover anything anymore.
By following every TikTok recommendation, you end up spending more time in line than actually exploring the city’s underrated gems. I try to avoid viral spots, but that’s getting harder when social media keeps pointing everyone to the exact same places. Most of the hype is about aesthetics, not substance( there are exceptions, of course). And many of these viral spots are overpriced and barely accessible to locals, which could explain the growing frustration toward tourists.
Is social media the cause of Japan’s over tourism? Probably not. But it’s hard to deny that it plays a role.
What starts out as a useful tool somehow ends up directing everyone to the same places, at the same time, to recreate the same photos we’ve already seen a hundred times.
I ended my Tokyo break with this thought and a visit to the Meiji Jingu Shrine. I went early in the morning to avoid the crowds, and it was so quiet and lovely. I said my little prayers and left feeling rested. I was still searching for answers as my return was getting closer. What I didn’t know was that my last three days in Seoul would finally bring me some direction…
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