RTW Trip Day #4: Tokyo: Shibuya, Meiji Jingu and Shinjuku

andrewsco3
Oct 3
3 min read

Updated: Oct 8

2 October 2025

Steps: 16,964

I can't believe it's day number 4 already! We've seen a lot but still have quite a bit more to fit in before we leave to Kyoto.

Shibuya

This was one of the days that we had something set in stone as we had pre booked Shibuya Sky before we left Canada. Thankfully we missed the rain from the day before and got clear sky for our photos!

Shibuya Sky

We had already pre-booked the adult tickets, but the kids’ ones had to be bought at the kiosk.

Luckily it only took a few minutes, and soon we were riding the lift up to the top floor. The moment we stepped out it was obvious why this place is so popular, and I can see why the sunset slots always sell out so quickly.

It was busy, and we had to wait in line for photos at a few of the most popular viewpoints, but it was still worth it. I expected the view of the Shibuya crossing to be clearer from the top, but it turned out we were almost too high up to really see it.

Shibuya Crossing

Shibuya Crossing is one of the most famous intersections in the world, and it was a lot of fun to join the crowd with people crisscrossing in every direction. It wasn't as busy as I expected it to be when viewing from above, but it was definitely busier when we were down there in person around lunch time.

Ramen Lunch

After exploring Shibuya, we started walking to Meiji Jingu Shrine expecting to find somewhere to eat along the way. We seemed to be walking along the only street in Tokyo that didn't have any places to eat on it!

Eventually we found a small ramen shop near Harajuku station that only held about 20 people. Each seat was an individual spot at the bar but we luckily got 4 next to each other after a bit of a wait.

Me and Susie both ordered ramen and the girls both got given sharing bowls. Jess liked the noodles best and Evelyn the broth, because of course, they can’t both like the same thing!

Meiji Jingu Shrine

I have to say that the Meiji Jingu shrine was really impressive, but after the more relaxing and peaceful experiences that we have had so far at the other temples and shrines, it was a bit of a disappointment.

It was SO BUSY, it was almost impossible to make our way up the steps to the front of the shrine. If we did it again, I'd try visiting early in the morning or later in the day.

sake barrels on display — The Meiji Shrine iconic sake barrels

We were all pretty worn out and I think still suffering from jet lag, so we headed back to the hotel for a few hours to recharge.

No photos (for obvious reasons!) but we all experienced our first Onsen at the hotel. Basically it was a large hot tub but the difference is that you have to go in naked, and it’s all same sex. An interesting experience for sure…..!

Shinjuku, Tokyo

Shinjuku was a lot of fun, and we were glad we chose to visit at night. It was crowded but in a way that added to the experience.

The lights, the energy, the animal cafés, everything felt exciting and so different from the quieter part of Tokyo where we were staying.

Right outside the station there is a huge 3D cat billboard that the girls enjoyed watching. I’ve never seen a 3D billboard before - very cool!

Next up was a walk down the Main Street to see the famous Godzilla head. We also found a shop selling over ten flavours of Kit Kats!

The girls convinced us to go for dinner at Shogun Burger and it was actually pretty good! The burgers were made from wagyu beef and the were so incredibly juicy!

To round out the evening we went to play at the Taito Station arcades! It was tacky as hell but the kids had the best time. Evelyn even won a toy from one of the claw arcades which she was over the moon about.