Earlier this month JNTO invited Team GB diving sensation and Olympian Tom Daley on an adventure around Japan's beautiful Tohoku region to see, do and taste all that it has to offer! Tohoku bore the brunt of the devastating 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and has been at the centre of recovery and revitalisation efforts in the run up to Rugby World Cup 2019 and the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
After five fun-filled days gallivanting around the beautiful Tohoku region, Tom returned to rather more familiar (yet so unfamiliar!) territory in the form of Tokyo, Japan's futuristic and funky capital. As one of the world's largest and most populous cities, Tokyo can faze even the most seasoned traveller, but where better to find your bearings then Shibuya, arguably the city's buzziest neighbourhood? Shibuya is a mecca for shoppers and fashionistas alike, with many flagship and department stores located within walking distance of the world-famous Shibuya Scramble Crossing. Nowhere else in the world will you see roughly 2000 people cross a single junction at any one time! By all means join the hectic mix, but please don't dawdle - you don't want to get trapped when the lights turn green!
Just a single stop away on Tokyo's iconic Yamanote Line train is Harajuku; fans of J-pop and 'kawaii' pop-culture, welcome to Heaven. Shops selling everything from the loudest and proudest fashion accessories to rainbow-coloured treats form a seemingly endless line along Takeshita-dori (Takeshita Street), Harajuku's busiest and brightest shopping street. Keen to taste the rainbow? Just head to Rainbow Sweets Harajuku for gigantic rainbow candy floss, rainbow cheese toasties and many more colourful snacks and sweet treats. Like almost every other visitor to Harajuku, Tom just had to give these social media sensations a try! Then came the main course: lunch at the incredibly zany Kawaii Monster Cafe. Nothing compares to the psychadelic swirls, monster decor, rainbow-coloured food and live pop performances at the Kawaii Monster Cafe so prepare to leave any preconceptions or assumptions at the door! Now back to the real world! Just a stone's throw away from the pop-crazed hustle and bustle of Takeshita-dori is arguably one of Tokyo's most serene and atmospheric shrines, Meiji-jingu Shrine. An enormous wooden torii gate marks the entrance to the shrine's densely forested grounds, as does an impressive collection of beautifully decorated sake barrels a little further down the shaded path. Once you arrive at the main shrine, watch and learn as shrinegoers pray through a series of rituals: first you toss money into a 'saisen' box, then bow twice, clap twice, and finally bow. May your wish come true!
After a rather heady mix of colour and pop, Tom checked in to The Capitol Hotel Tokyu in Akasaka, the heart of downtown Tokyo. Aside from its luxurious guestrooms which sport an elegant fusion of traditional and modern designs, The Capitol Hotel Tokyu can also provide authentic Japanese experiences: from an evening being entertained by shamisen-playing Geisha to a private shinto experience at Hie Shrine next-door, a true taste of traditional Japan is closer than you think! Not to mention the delicious teppan-yaki, sushi and 'kaiseki ryori' (traditional Japanese multi-course dinner) on offer in the hotel's "Suiren" restaurant!
In Tokyo the night is always young. Where else in the world can you eat well into the next morning with ease? Hungry Tokyoites have been gorging on delicious Japanese streetfood and cheap drinks around the clock at Shinjuku's Omoide Yokocho ("Memory Lane"), one of the city's most beloved and prime foodie quarters, since its inception in the late 1940s. Yakitori is king here, as both the red lanterns and the smell of barbecue smoke thick in the air will attest to. Grilled vegetables make up the majority of vegetarian dishes at Omoide Yokocho's izakaya; edamame beans, tofu, boiled daikon radish, and of course rice are good alternatives if you'd like something a little healthier.
Tom flew to Japan with Japan Airlines (JAL) and explored the Tohoku region with the help of InsideJapan Tours.
To stay up to date with all the latest happenings in Japan follow us on Facebook or Twitter.
