The Big 40 in Japan - Day 4: Watch the Fish
July 31st, 2026
While Jenn slept and recovered from her midnight pizza and 3+ hour meeting, Jake and I got an early start to the day. We packed up most of our stuff and went down to our final breakfast at the Grand Hyatt. Jenn mustered some energy and joined us for breakfast to see what we had been raving about. Their omelets and smoothies were incredible. Jenn went back to her room to rest, and Jake and I went out for the day. Our first stop today was Kuhonbutsu Joshin-ji Temple, a beautiful Buddhist temple in Tokyo’s Setagaya district. When we arrived, we were among a handful of people walking the grounds and taking in the nine Buddhist statues. Much of the temple was being redeveloped, but the areas that were there were really beautiful.
From there, we jumped back on the subway and made our way to Nakano Broadway to find Jake a watch. We just so happened to stumble upon an Ichiran Ramen spot on our way there. We walked in and were pleased to find it was nearly empty. We ordered at the kiosk, sat down, and had delicious ramen. Jake was feeling a bit under the weather this morning, and the ramen definitely helped clear the sinuses. From there, we walked a couple more blocks to Nakano Broadway, a shopping mall with a few dozen watch stores selling new and used watches. We scoured the floors and didn’t find much of anything. Jake had written it off, and I pushed us to do one more store, where he found a used Seiko that he ended up purchasing. His mood completely shifted once he got this beautiful vintage watch, so we walked around the nearby area and grabbed a coffee at a very small store called Coffee Stand Ossaion.
We made our way back to the hotel, met up with Jenn, who had enjoyed a workout in the gym and sushi at the same restaurant Jake and I ate at the prior day. We grabbed our stuff, checked out, and made our way to the Mandarin Oriental Tokyo. I love this hotel. Jenn and I have had incredible memories here on both of our prior trips and staying here for my 40th birthday was truly special.
We made our way back to the hotel and met up with Jenn, who had enjoyed a workout at the gym and sushi at the same restaurant Jake and I had eaten at the day before. We grabbed our stuff, checked out, and made our way to the Mandarin Oriental Tokyo. I love this hotel. Jenn and I have had incredible memories here on both of our prior trips, and staying here for my 40th birthday was truly special. After getting out of the taxi, we were whisked up to the 37th floor to check in and take in the stunning views of Tokyo. Jenn and I were fortunate to get an upgraded room with panoramic views of the entire Tokyo skyline. I had to pinch myself multiple times a day while staying there. After we all got settled into our new rooms, we went back out for the afternoon. We decided before dinner that we’d quickly go back to Shibuya and go to the Nintendo store to buy a few items for Elle, who has fallen in love with Mario Kart over the last few months. After snapping a few photos at the famous Shibuya Crossing, we went to the ever-busy Nintendo store, bought a few items for Elle, and went back to our hotel to get ready for tonight’s dinner.
I ordered an Uber to pick us up at the hotel and take us to the one-Michelin-starred sushi restaurant Sushi Miura. There are so many starred Sushi restaurants in Tokyo that it can be really challenging to pick one. An abundance of riches for sure. We landed on Sushi Miura because of its close proximity to our hotel and the amazing reviews. Finding it, though, was a challenge. Eventually, we realized it was on the first floor of a house, and the main waiter welcomed us in. I won’t recap everything we ate, but as we sat down, we ordered sake and were given a dozen handmade sake glasses to choose from. Throughout the night, as we ordered more sake of different varieties, we were given new glasses to choose from. We started with a few appetizers, followed by over a dozen pieces of sushi, culminating in one of those moments you only get on trips. About halfway through the dinner, the chef, who spoke almost no English, showed a tank of fish and gestured that we’d be eating those soon. Little did we know that we would be eating them whole. Not only did I eat the whole fish, but I finished the half of Jenn’s she couldn’t muster down. I’m not sure if I hated it or loved it. We ended dinner two hours later having had some of the best sushi we’ve ever had, and some odd dishes as well.
