What Tokyo and Kyoto Taught Me About Pace and Presence
My trip to Japan was a departure from my usual tropical destination, but as a lover of flower gardens and forest bathing, it always owned a spot on my travel bucket list. We landed in Nagoya, and I immediately felt childlike and whimsical as we journeyed our way to Tokyo. Now don't come for me, I'm not the biggest anime fan, but I could feel the love this country has for it in every playful, anime-inspired design scattered throughout the airport. I was excited for whatever this trip had in store.
Tokyo: Rhythm in the Midst of Chaos
People often ask how I prepare for a vacation when the destination is kept a secret until I land. The honest answer is, I don't. When Patrick plans my birthday trips he handles every detail from reservations and excursions, down to the snacks available (super important detail), leaving me to focus on one job: packing enough swimsuits.
This time, he threw me completely off. While I was rolling bikini strings into a ball and tossing them into my suitcase, Tokyo wasn't exactly what came to mind. Still, the moment we stepped off the train into the chaos of Tokyo Station, I was whisked into an entirely different world. It was a lot to take in, multiple platforms, train lines running all directions, signage in Japanese and, fortunately, English, and people moving with an urgency that told you they had somewhere to be. School or work would be my guess based on all the uniforms and suits we saw, but one look at us and you knew immediately we're here for the sight-seeing and sushi.
The first time we transferred lines, I genuinely didn't know if we were doing it right. One lesson I learned fast is that the train waits for no one. Oh and you'll need cash to purchase your ticket, so maybe that's two lessons. It took us a few near misses before we figured out the system.
Outside the station, the city moves the same way. Neon signs stack on top of more neon signs. Crowds part and reform with a rhythm entirely their own, but what struck me the most is that jaywalking is essentially nonexistent. Even with no cars in sight, people will stand and wait for the signal before stepping out onto the street. Yes, even at Shibuya Crossing, the infamous intersection used as a backdrop in The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift.
It's one of the busiest pedestrian crossing in the world. It's estimated up to 3,000 people flood the street at once under what Japan calls the scramble system, where every direction of traffic halts so pedestrians can cross from all over. When the walking signal turns green, it's madness out there! You will see people dolled up in prom dresses, graduation gowns and all types of fits and fashions, sprinting to the middle of the intersection to snag a photo, or ten. You know I had to do what any tourist would do, and I too jogged to get my flicks off before being engulfed by the crowd.
There's something almost humbling about a city that runs with that much precision. Like the chaos is only chaos until you understand the flow behind it. Tokyo doesn't slow down for anyone, you either match its pace, or get swept into it anyway.
Once we'd found our footing in the city, we rolled our suitcases a few blocks east of the station when I caught a familiar face in the crowd. And yes, I know what you're thinking,
A familiar face? Who do you know in Japan?
That was the exact thought running through my head too. It was my college bestie, Muse, and her partner, Ralphy. She's been living abroad since we graduated, and in eight years we've crossed paths twice. Once when I visited her in Thailand, and six years later with her visit to me in Dallas. Running into her in Japan, three years since we'd last seen each other, was the best birthday surprise a girl could ask for.
I nearly tackled her on the sidewalk as we dissolved into a flurry of disbelieving laughter and the kind of reunion only old friends understand. We made our way to the hotel rooftop together, catching up on years of life over sushi and seaweed wraps under the watch of the Tokyo Skytree.
Kyoto: The Exhale
As it turned out, this reunion had been quietly engineered for months, which meant our plan to head to Kyoto the next morning was already locked in. Train tickets purchased and at this point our only job was make it to the station and into our assigned seats on time. Easy enough!
This is where your packing choices come back to haunt you. We hauled carry-ons, checked bags, and personal items through escalator after escalator, elevator when we were lucky, and stairs when we weren't.
Our saving grace was Tokyo Station itself, which opens up into an entire underground world of grab-and-go food options to enjoy on the ride. I found two salmon and shrimp spring rolls and then reunited with the crew as we rushed off to our seats.
The train itself had overhead storage for carry-ons and oversized lockers for checked baggage, giving us plenty of room to eat, stretch out, and actually relax for the leg ahead. The seats recline far enough for a proper nap, though I'd recommend staying alert for at least the first hour. Around the 40 to 45 minute mark, Mount Fuji appears in the distance in all her glory.
When we exited to train station in Kyoto, the first thing I noticed if how much calmer, slower and quieter this city is compared to Tokyo. Our Airbnb was a traditional Japanese-style home that came
with five bikes for guests to use, and we wasted no time. We let our inner children take over, pedaling in circles, relearning balance, and settling into the ease of what would be home for the next three days.
Tokyo felt like dancing in city lights, Kyoto felt like I could finally catching my breath. We spent the following days biking across the city to Kiyomizu Temple, Kodaiji Temple, the Bamboo Forest, and Sanjusangendo. What I respect and appreciate the most about these tours is that they ban photography inside the temples. What feels like a charming or cool tourist attraction from the outside is, in reality, someone's home, their place of worship and space for spiritual reflection.
If you find yourself spending a cultural day in this city, put your phone away, remove your shoes, and light an incense in honor of what a blessing it is to be alive, capable, and able to step, even if only for a moment, into a world that was never yours to begin with.
You'll thank yourself for it.
The Wagyu Burger I Still Think About
When you're biking with friends, the goal usually isn't mileage or elevation, it's making sure no one falls or gets left behind and laughing the whole way through. After an adventurous day, we paused our ride to rest along the river, timing it perfectly to catch the sunset. That's when it hit me: all those hills, all those miles, had caught up to your girl. I was starving, and for the first time on this trip, a sushi roll wasn't going to cut it. I needed something heartier.
A quick Google search pulled up a top-rated wagyu spot that wouldn't stop calling my name, no matter how many other options came up. I wanted a wagyu burger, and I was getting one.
We biked over to a halal wagyu ramen spot, well, I walked my bike up that last hill because I didn't have another pedal stroke left in me, and were greeted by a server whose excitement to meet foreigners and practice his English matched our excitement to be there.
He walked us through the menu, detailing the journey from farm to table for their prime wagyu, prepared by a fifth-generation wagyu butcher. That burger remains, without exaggeration, the best beef I have ever tasted. I'm literally thinking about it as I write this.
One of many things we picked up from our server that night, was his genuine excitement about trying a California roll for the first time on a future visit to the States. Over laughs we talked about how most sushi purists consider the California roll a little basic, but that didn't matter to him. Personally, I happen to love a good California roll, so I am firmly on his side of that debate!
It's these small moments of cultural exchanges that help me to see that what may be simple and mundane to you, could be the experience of a lifetime to someone else, and vice versa. It only deepens my gratitude for both the life I have and for the privilege of traveling and experiencing different cultures, people, and ways of living.
What Japan Taught Me
While both cities moved at a different pace, I can't say I have a favorite. Looking back, I find myself grateful for the contrast and for what each city revealed. Tokyo showed me that calm, routine, and rhythm can exist even inside chaos, you just have to find the pulse underneath it. Kyoto showed me the inverse: that slowing down on purpose and choosing intention over urgency can change the shape of an entire experience.
It made me appreciate the dichotomy in life, and the dichotomy in myself. Both places and paces serve their purpose. Neither one is the "right" way to move through the world. They're just different rhythms, and learning to move fluidly between them might be the actual skill worth practicing.
Practical Tips for Navigating Tokyo and Kyoto
If you're planning a visit to Japan, here's what I'd tell you before you go!
Download an IC card (like Suica or Pasmo) before you arrive. It makes tapping through train stations significantly faster and removes the stress of buying individual tickets at every stop.
Ship your luggage ahead via 7-Eleven or a hotel-to-hotel luggage service if you're moving between cities (a day or two in advance). Wheeling checked bags through a packed train station is not the memory you want from this trip. Trust me!
Carry cash. Most places accept cards, but for the full local experiences, small vendors, temple donation boxes, certain restaurants, cash makes everything smoother.
Build in buffer time at train stations. Tokyo Station alone can take 15-20 minutes to navigate between platforms if you're unfamiliar with the layout.
Rent bikes in Kyoto if you can. It's the single best way to experience the city's pace and gives you access to spots a car or bus simply can't reach.
Respect the "no photography" signs inside temples. These are active places of worship, not just photo backdrops. The experience is more meaningful when you're fully present in it.
Eat on the train. Tokyo Station's selection of bento boxes and grab-and-go options rivals some sit-down restaurants. Don't skip it just because you're in transit.
Until next time!
-Ki 💫
Next stop: Our return back to Bali for a full week to close out the trip. Stay Tuned 📲
Wow such a great read! I’ve always wanted to go to Japan. I need to have sushi straight from the source! 🍱🍣