My First Autumn-Winter Experience, Tokyo Winter Illumination, and Tokyo Tower Visit in Japan

Hi, WorldMapPin community! Just in time, I can share my first autumn-winter experience in Japan but it was my second time already. The first time happened in spring-summer. I've been to Japan twice in 2015. This is my entry for the #winterchallenge in this community.

Having a Filipino passport, and visiting a 4-season country was a dream come true. The nearest country to visit is Japan since it was 5 hours of air travel from Cebu, Philippines.

I booked this flight cheaper than my first Japan trip. This happened from November 28 to December 7, 2015. It was a birthday treat for myself. I was on a solo trip. For 9 days, I stayed mostly in Tokyo and visited other districts I had not explored on the first trip.

To prepare for this cold trip, I bought a winter jacket from Uniqlo Singapore in September 2015. I only had one fuchsia winter jacket for the entire Tokyo trip. I just made sure I have several clothing items to wear for layering. I got long-sleeved sweaters, long socks, gloves, scarves, and a winter hat. As for the shoes, I just had a pair of rubber shoes.

I had a smooth exit from the Philippines and a smooth entry to Japan as they thought I was half-Japanese. Well, my last name sounds Japanese. Tamayo-san!

Tamayo Origin and Meaning

The name Tamayo is a girl's name of Japanese origin meaning "generation jewel".

Source: here

Alright, let's move on to my autumn-winter trip to Japan.

Midtown Christmas in Roppongi

I arrived late afternoon in Tokyo as I arrived at Narita Airport. I had to take a train to Shinjuku and stay in a hostel where I stayed before.

Just from the airport I already felt the cold. For me, it was winter already in Japan but no snow yet. There was smoke going out of my mouth because of the cold. I took a little nap in my hostel before going out for dinner.

I woke up in the early evening so I decided to see the Tokyo Tower for the night. But I need to find food for dinner. Anyway, I went to Roppongi to enjoy my evening walking on the streets.

Here is a map of what you can see at Midtown Christmas in Roppongi. I wasn't able to visit all because my ultimate goal was to see the Tokyo Tower.

But you can see already that the people were enjoying it.

And so was I. It was 13 degrees Celsius and damn, it was really cold. My nose was in pain. I got a headache.

I asked a stranger if she could take a photo of me.

This was just a sneak peek experience of winter illumination.

I needed to go and find my way to Tokyo Tower.

I was alone but I never felt sad.

Carretta Shiodome Winter Illumination

I had no idea what to expect on my way until I reached Shiodome. I passed by Carretta Shiodome, it's an entertainment shopping area and I was surprised by this winter illumination just in time.

I stopped here for a while and took photos and videos of the illuminations and music. I really enjoyed it.

I took selfies and vlogs for this surprising moment. I will share a video at the end of the blog.

I had no pocket wifi so I could not do any live videos on Facebook. I really enjoyed my first night in Tokyo off-the-grid. I was just using a map to walk on my way to Tokyo Tower.

Geez, I was proud of myself. I felt like a local walking around in Tokyo. Traveling solo really improves your sense of direction.

Tokyo Tower

I've read somewhere on the internet that Tokyo Tower is the unromantic version of the Eiffel Tower. It was a Japanese guy who said that if you're single and alone, go to see Tokyo Tower. But if you're in love and a relationship, go to Paris to see the Eiffel Tower.

LOL. Knowing that Japan has the highest rates of being single. Oh, well, better read down below to understand what I am talking about.

Living alone is becoming more common in Japan, as 34.0% of all households are single-person households.

Source: here

I felt I belonged here in Japan as I was single for how many years. Hahahaha!

Seeing the sight felt better. Yeah, it was not romantic but it was fine for me as a solo traveler.

At least, I have seen Tokyo Tower many times in my life. Well, yeah, more than once. Haha.

Let's check out what to see at Tokyo Tower.

One Piece Tokyo Tower

Anime fans would be happy to take photos here. I wasn't a fan of One Piece as I wasn't able to follow all the series but I published this photo on my Facebook for the One Piece fans on my friend's list.

I had to ask a Japanese lady to take photos of me, so kind of her. Japanese people are all nice and lovely.

There was a One Piece shop under Tokyo Tower but it was closed as I arrived late. Too bad, I wasn't able to check some souvenirs. Anyway, as of now, the One Piece Tokyo Tower shop is not here anymore. They closed a few years ago as I've heard the news.

Selfies and Making a Birthday Wish under the Tokyo Tower

Please excuse me for all my selfies. I needed to take photos of myself, or this trip wouldn't have happened. Hahaha!

Since it was a super duper late birthday trip, I still made a birthday wish: to see the Eiffel Tower in Paris with someone I love. LOL, that's so cheesy.

I never thought it would be possible but there is nothing wrong with making a wish even if people would say I couldn't see the Eiffel Tower. Please, don't stop wishing and dreaming. :D

It is possible to go up and see the panoramic surroundings of Tokyo Tower. You can even enjoy dining in a restaurant. But I had my dinner in Roppongi so I was fine.

I just spent train tickets and dinner for my first night in Tokyo but I love the surprises I met on the way. I had to get back to my hostel before midnight as no trains were operating after that.

The nightlife experiences in Roppongi are also fun so if you have the chance to meet other solo travelers, you can experience it as a group. Go to different clubs, dance your night until daylight, and go back to the train station at 5 AM.

I hope you enjoyed my relaxing first night in Tokyo.

Ciao!