Fuji by Day, Tower by Night

Mount Fuji! Kawaguchiko by day.

I was staring at the ceiling of my hotel room. The time was perhaps quarter past 3. Deep into the night. Jet lag was to blame. I read that happens to plenty of travellers. Some land, go for a curry, take a bath and chill out until they finally crash and let the lag wear off. Some perhaps are out clubbing. Others embrace the lag and rent a bike and discover the city by night. I missed that point on my bucket list last time. I’m sure that next time I will have the time for some night crawling.

While it was fine to lay in bed and think of plans, schedules and itinerary, I had an even better idea to prepare a bit for next days’ excursion. I went grocery shopping. No famichiki though. So that one needs to be on the next trip. But I did score some onigiri and a croissant with curry filling.

Let's clear up something I misunderstood. When I thought of curry, I thought of chicken masala, or maybe butter chicken curry, or even vindaloo. The packaging showed a brown sauce. Maybe something like goulash? Stoofvlees? Boeuf bourguignon? Nope. Just a gravy boat stuffed into bread.

If I weren’t hungry I would struggle much more and even my grandmother's spirit cheering on me from heaven wouldn't make a difference. At least it satiated the void in my tummy and I was able to go back to sleep.

***

Alarm I set up last night woke me up. I was pretty grumpy from the choppy sleep I had, or perhaps from the lack of coffee. Make your pick. I’d go with “sparkling personality”if I could make a choice. My predicament was easily solvable - the vending machines stand on every other corner in Japan. Grabbed a can of coffee and made my way to the nearest metro station. I had to wait for the coffee to cool down a bit so I enjoyed its warmth as an impromptu hand warmer, while riding towards Shinjuku station.

Backgrounds passed, people came and left, ads on the screens changed. It felt very slice-of-life, although I’m not Kobayashi-san nor I have a maid. Did it feel like the anime wholesomeness? Did it stop me to embrace the moment? Yes! Oddly I enjoyed the business of the carriage and relaxed.

As time passed I arrived at the dreaded Shinjuku station. The usual “follow the group” approach failed me this time. I lost about 20 minutes backtracking and searching for the correct exit, as the plan was to take a coach from a bus station nearby, but by the time I found the right exit, I realized I had just missed the previous coach. Great.

With nothing special to fill the time with, I wandered and explored the surroundings. This wasn’t the most effective use of my time. Wished I prepped more optional todo’s that could fill in such “blanks” in schedule. The only noteworthy spots I visited were the Disney Store and Suica’s Penguin statue, and after high fiving the penguin it was time to queue to the coach.

I had a better opportunity now to enjoy the scenery than on the express from the airport. That time I only caught glimpses of passing background when my sleep was disturbed.. The ride was uneventful, traffic progressed, no accidents happened. Not even a minor fender-bender to keep things interesting. Business as usual for some. The views were fine though.

Arrived at Kawaguchiko eventually and it appeared I had dozed off again. Must be getting on in years, haha. The town was besieged by tourists. Well, we all have schedules so I stopped staring at the throngs and moved towards the lake. The day’s highlight was Mt Fuji admiration - lakeside.

Feeling my caffeine levels dip, I took a quick detour to a café. At first I was excited about the hot coffee in a can thing, but soon enough it turned out to be more of a necessity than a luxury. The coffee wasn’t to my taste - too sweet, too milky. All the flavor from different roasting or bean quality is just hidden under all the layers of distraction. What I was starting to truly miss was an espresso.

Which wasn’t even an option at this café. Brew coffee it is then. I even managed to check off another item from my bucket list - the strawberry cream sandwich. This… made no sense with coffee and I wasn’t too thrilled by that combo, so I hurriedly finished the cup and continued trek towards the lake.

The cruise was short - just under an hour. Plenty of time to take some pictures, chat with others or just take in the scenery. The weather was great for outdoor activities albeit a tad cold. Almost completely blue sky with some lazy clouds sailing along and no wind. Very enjoyable, much outdoors, so Japan. I was already satisfied with observing Fuji, so it didn’t bother me that I missed the “Fuji with a hat on”.

Cruise came to an end eventually, everyone disembarked and went for souvenirs, most likely for friends and family. I figured I could squeeze one last stroll to Kawaguchiko’s best photo spots. Unfortunately the competition was high, plenty of people and a contest of who gets the better selfie was imminent. I took some shots, dodged some selfie sticks and called it a day.

Tokyo Tower by night.

Back at my hotel, I finally had a moment to breathe. Did you know that public trash cans are almost non-existent in Japan? I learned that the hard way, lugging around onigiri wrappers and empty bottles all day during my trip to Kawaguchiko. Small inconveniences, but they added up.

Tonight, though, was different. No rushing, no scrambling—just a long-awaited plan unfolding exactly as I’d hoped. I had booked a table at a high-rise restaurant in the Tokyo Edition Hotel, with a view that stretched across the city: Tokyo Tower, Rainbow Bridge, and Tokyo Bay, all in one breathtaking frame.

The moment I stepped inside, I was spellbound. Tokyo Tower glowed like a beacon, so close it felt like I could reach out and touch it. Further in the distance, Rainbow Bridge spanned across the bay, exactly as I had seen it countless times before—through city cams, photos, and daydreams. But now, it was real. I was here.

Oh, how many times had I wished for this moment? To see Japan with my own eyes, to live my own tropes? And I did.

I giggled to myself as I ordered a strawberry parfait—a staple of every romance anime I’d ever watched. It felt like a tiny tribute to all the stories that had shaped my expectations of this city.

***

Frankly, I was hyped for the evening. After a long day of navigating expected—but still exhausting—challenges, I was ready to just sit back and enjoy. I knew the place was upscale. I knew the view would be spectacular. I knew I had to book in advance. But none of that prepared me for the sheer immersion of the moment.

Tokyo’s skyline stretched out before me, glittering, alive. The tower felt impossibly close, almost within arm’s reach, standing proud in its brilliant orange glow. And just beyond, the Rainbow Bridge—no longer just an image on a screen, but an actual presence in the night.

I let myself sink into the atmosphere, the service, the luxury of it all. And then, at last, I ticked off another trope—The Parfait.

This time, though, it wasn’t a random café indulgence. It was the perfect conclusion to a proper meal, paired with just the right drinks. No hurried bites between errands. No awkward mismatch of coffee and bread. Just a moment that felt right. Maybe that made all the difference.