Day 5 (30th September 2026) More Tokyo

Another slow start to the morning—clearly we’ve embraced the “cruise‑adjacent lifestyle” early. Breakfast at 9am, where we met more Aussie travellers from Perth. At this point Japan must think Australia is empty because everyone seems to be here instead.

Exits on a train 

We took the train from Kannai to Akihabara, which is basically Tokyo’s neon‑lit shrine to anime, hobby gear, craft supplies, stationery, and IT gadgets. The ride was 45 minutes plus a short walk, all conducted in absolute silence. Japanese trains are so quiet you start questioning whether you’re the noisy one just by existing. Everything is spotless, efficient, and clearly labelled—like someone designed public transport after reading a thousand angry customer feedback forms.

Akihabara

Cat Cafe Akihabara

Food in Akihabara

Cat cafe -2000yen for 1 hour 

Akihabara itself was damp and overcast, but still buzzing. Lots of foreigners wandering around with the same expression Cos had: the “I might need a second suitcase” look. The streets were clean enough to eat off, though thankfully we didn’t need to test that because there’s food everywhere.

Anime Akihabara

Akihabara

Akihabara Yodabashi Akiba model heaven

Cos dove straight into the model shops. TamTam was two floors of temptation—plastic models on one level, trains on the other, and enough paint and supplies to make you wonder if you should take up miniature modelling professionally. Then came Yodobashi Akiba, which is less a store and more a vertical universe. Floor 6 is the model section, and honestly it’s so huge it feels like someone accidentally built a warehouse inside a department store. Cos went hunting for rare kits and tools with the intensity of a man on a sacred quest.

Racing exhibition 

Yodobashi Akiba

The sound of a cross walk in Tokyo, sounds like the hoot of barn owl😄 or some sort of bird!i

Typical street 

Not just Anime

Classy drinks?

Mad science meets make-up

Akihabara Street 

Craft supplies 

Cat cafe

Meanwhile Melissa hit BIC Camera for Christmas presents and Japan‑only gifts. Cos joined her after an hour, probably because he’d reached the point where he needed someone to stop him from buying a model kit the size of a microwave.

Time flew, and we headed back just before 4pm to dodge the commuter crush. We even got seats—miraculous. The schoolkids on the train were tiny, independent, and navigating Tokyo’s rail system like seasoned office workers. It’s a stark contrast to Australia, where a child can’t walk to the letterbox without a helicopter parent hovering overhead.

Some stations are 25-30metres below ground 

Train station storage 

Typical train 

After a quick break, we jumped on another train to Don Quijote and the ramen shop for round two. We chose a less volcanic ramen this time, which was still delicious and didn’t require medical supervision. Armed with a store map, Don Quijote felt less like a labyrinth designed to test human endurance. We picked up small gifts for friends and family, feeling very proud of ourselves for not getting lost.

Ramen round 2 in Yokohama 

Highly recommend Ten-Poo

Back at the hotel, we tackled the washing in preparation for boarding the Diamond Princess tomorrow—the same ship that had the first COVID outbreak back in early 2021. We waited in the guest lounge while the washing did its thing, feeling very domestic and very ready for cruise life.

Day 4 (29th September 2026) a visit to the centre of Tokyo

 We treated ourselves to a lovely sleep‑in this morning, blissfully unaware that we’d apparently snoozed straight through a 4.9 earthquake at 4:45am. Seventeenth floor, shaking building, and we didn’t even stir. Maybe the quake being 50km deep probably had something to do with us not noticing. Since arriving in Japan we’ve learned there have been twelve quakes, which really confirms that earthquakes here are just background ambience—like cicadas, but geological.

4.9 quake 

At breakfast we met more cruise travellers who announced, with great seriousness, that they plan to walk everywhere because the Tokyo train system “looks complicated.” Even Yokohama. On foot. Bold strategy.

We headed into the city to explore some everyday suburbs—the places where actual humans live and work—before making our way to Shibuya’s famous scramble crossing.

Typical street- buildings between 8-15 stories high

 Along the way we wandered into a camera shop that, curiously, sold everything except we didn’t see the cameras. I sure there were cameras but we were distracted by the other stuff. Instead we found mobile ovens, mysterious gadgets, and an entire wall of alcohol. The whiskey and gin were going for half to one‑third of Australian prices, which is confronting for anyone who has ever bought booze in Australia and wondered why it costs the same as a small car.

Interesting brand name 

Aussie prices 

The train system itself is a marvel: fast, efficient, and so punctual it could shame a Swiss watch. The only confusing part is the tsunami of passengers pouring through the stations. 

The little dog who waited for his master

Shibuya’s famous scramble crossing

Starbucks 

Collectables

Star Wars and Marvel shop

Pokémon lounge 

Outside, the streets buzz with neon, noise, and humanity. When it rains, umbrellas appear instantly, turning the footpaths into a polite fencing tournament. You can absolutely collect a few umbrella injuries from commuters who have places to be and zero hesitation about jousting their way there.

Shibuya’s famous scramble crossing

At one station we encountered a Cocobo security robot patrolling the corridor like a futuristic shopping centre security guard . Japan continues to deliver on its promise of “everyday sci‑fi.” 

Cocobo security robot

We grabbed some station food—a sit‑down raw fish meal and miso mushroom soup—which was delicious and far better than anything you’d expect from a place where trains roar past every three seconds to three minutes.

Train station lunch

The late‑afternoon train back to the hotel started out packed, then gradually emptied as we escaped the gravitational pull of central Tokyo. By the time we arrived, we were exhausted enough to appreciate a simple Japanese dinner near the hotel—no robots, no umbrella duels, no earthquakes (that we noticed).

Day 3 (Monday 28th September 2026) Yokohama here we come

 A Slow Start in Narita

Our morning drifted into motion at a wonderfully lazy pace. Our body clocks were still negotiating the one‑hour time difference—7am in Japan feeling suspiciously like 8am back home. For Cos, a lifelong early‑riser, this “sleep‑in” was practically rebellious.

Our train- the Narita Express 

Narita Express Green Car

Hotel Nikko Narita had been a pleasant surprise: 14,000 yen (about $130 AUD) for a comfortable room in a massive 600‑plus‑room hotel. After a good night’s rest, we hopped onto the free shuttle bus and glided back to the airport, then descended into the basement train station where the day truly began.

Japan greeted us with its trademark politeness. Even in the bustle of the station, people were kind, helpful, and often ready with a little English. We practiced our ohayō gozaimasu and polite nods, easing ourselves into the rhythm of Japanese manners. Breakfast was a classic fast Japanese meal from a station café—simple, cheap, and surprisingly delightful.

Narita Express to Yokohama

The Narita Express rolled out smoothly, cruising at 130 km/h and delivering us to Yokohama in about 1 hour 30 minutes. The experience felt on par with the European trains we’d taken in late 2025—clean, quiet, and efficient.

We’d booked the Green Car, Japan’s business‑class equivalent: wide seats, generous legroom, and dedicated luggage space. From Yokohama Station, our IC Suica cards made transferring to the local train effortless.

Our hotel was perched directly above the station, so check‑in was a breeze. By joining the hotel’s club, we secured a 2pm check‑in instead of 3pm and were able to leave our luggage early.

First Adventures in Yokohama

With an hour to spare, we wandered into the legendary 7‑Eleven—a wonderland of snacks, drinks, and quirky gadgets. Cos tried a smoked‑salmon‑and‑mashed‑potato sandwich (oddly delicious), while Melissa opted for a traditional bento 

7/11 experience 

Yokohama 

When we finally checked in, we discovered we’d been given a top‑floor room on level 17, complete with a view of the cruise terminal. After unpacking, we strolled down to explore the waterfront.

Cruise Terminal 

Cruise Terminal 

 The terminal itself is fascinating—wooden ramps spiralling up to a rooftop lookout where visitors can watch ships depart and admire the Yokohama skyline. Out at sea, a tornado was reportedly forming, so we’ll see what the weather decides to do by Thursday.

Strolling to the Great Shop

Along the way to the Great Shop, we fell into step with a Chinese woman who was wonderfully chatty and incredibly friendly. For a moment she assumed we were Americans, but we quickly set the record straight. The walk turned into a lively conversation, and her warmth made the journey even more enjoyable.

We paused at the harbour to take in the views—calm water, soft light, and that gentle sense of anticipation that comes with exploring somewhere new. A simple walk, but a memorable one.

The British merchant House 

The British built sewers in the 1870s

Don Quijote: A Japanese Fever Dream

Next stop: Don Quijote (affectionately “Donki”), a store that defies explanation. Imagine a department store crossed with a carnival crossed with an anime convention. Lights, noise, gadgets, snacks, costumes—aisles that go on forever. We bought a few things simply because resisting felt impossible.

Dinner: Ramen and Spice

Dinner was in the same complex—a ramen shop with a spice scale from 1 to 6. Melissa chose a 3; Cos bravely went for a 5. Both bowls were hot, flavourful, and deeply satisfying. And the price? $36 AUD for two meals. After Europe last year, that felt like a miracle.

Spicy Ramen 

The spicy Ramen was served by the staff that had very little English and we had very little Japanese. One of the young staff had a little bit of English but not much, so we found Google Translate became our friend and they became our friends I think. Lovely people will probably go back there again tomorrow or perhaps the next day because the train system will take us directly to their shop

Navigating Japan’s train system has been surprisingly easy and efficient. Stations are bilingual, people are thoughtful, and with Google Translate, Google Maps which works very well, and a touch of Copilot, everything clicks into place.

Evening Wind‑Down

After dinner, we zipped back to the hotel in minutes. The plan for the night: head down to the lounge on level seven for a quiet nightcap and let the day settle.