Getting Lost on Purpose in Tokyo – Discover Hidden Tokyo

When we headed over to Japan we wanted to totally immerse ourselves in this wonderful country we had traveled half the world to experience.

With awe and wonder we decided instead of being intimidated by the complexity and challenges of this new land, that we would embrace its exhilaration.

We set off to wander, with no particular destination in mind other than exploration.

To see the details, to come across the unexpected and to embrace the idea of being totally lost and the thrill of expectation.

Getting lost is part of the adventure, it is when the city takes you on a journey where you are never sure of what you might find or where you may end up.

We wandered the winding streets, jungle crows cawing from the tangled wires above. This was a Tokyo we hadn’t expected and loved discovering.

Little electric cars buzzed around us at the beat of a monks drum and the smell of incense filled the air. Amidst the glowing signs and the melody of sounds we found the wonderful hidden world of a tiny, ancient Shinto shrine.

We watched as locals came and went, wafting themselves with the sweet smelling smoke, washing their hands and clapping before bowing before the ornate temple.

We took our own turn to pay our respects, writing out our own “Ema” plaque and sending our wishes for continued travels and peaceful wanderings up to the “Kami”.

We discovered the quiet passion of Tokyo beyond the technology and modern metropolis, we sat and learned the ways of a new culture and shared someone else’s daily routine with wonderment and appreciation after stepping out of the safety net of certainty.

Traveling to Tokyo? Check out 3 best hostels in Tokyo.