Far East Fringe
In February of 2018, I crossed several time zones for a long weekend in Japan, centred around the Tokyo Marathon. The Good Lady Wife had a place but none of her running buddies got one, so wanted some company for a trans-continental journey. It was a flying visit (literally and figuratively) packed with colour, culture, and urban exploration.
A Place to Stay
We stayed at the Hilton Tokyo in Shinjuku. It was a solid choice with soft beds, sweeping views, and good elevators. Positioned nicely for trains, shops, and the start of the marathon, and it gave us a reliable and restful base to recover each evening.
Getting There
We flew direct into Haneda Airport, arriving somewhat jet-lagged. A swift bus took us directly to the hotel from the airport.
The Caches
Friday was all about logistics. We made a trip across the city to the Tokyo Big Sight convention centre for the Marathon Expo. While the Good Lady Wife picked up her race pack, I made use of the location to nab a few caches and enjoy the view of Tokyo Bay.
Saturday was our tourist day. We headed to the iconic Tokyo Skytree and spent some time up in the clouds before winding our way down toward Sensō-ji, Tokyo’s oldest temple. Both locations were busy but breathtaking, and offered a good mix of culture and cache.
Sunday was race day. Kas set off early for the start, and I took a leisurely walk through multiple Tokyo suburbs to get to the finish line near the Imperial Palace. It was a bit of a frustrating day for caching, but Kas did well in the marathon.
On Monday we took it slow with a meander around Shinjuku and Shibuya — famous for its scramble crossing and stylish shops. After this we scooted over to the Imperial Palace, but found that the grounds were shut.
Extras
We were amazed by Tokyo’s underground city life. We tried a number of interesting restaurants nearby – we didn’t have dinner in the hotel at all.
Individual Posts
Here’s the day-by-day write-up of our long weekend to Tokyo for the 2018 Marathon.
