Brompton tours: Tokyo
I love travelling in winter. Flights tend to be cheaper, especially when you're flying between late November and mid-December, like we did. It's also a less busy time in Japan; Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka were still heaving with tourists but I do think we escaped the worst of it. And if you're planning to bikepack or cycle tour around Japan, nothing beats an onsen (hot spring) or a sento (public bathhouse) recovery bath during the cooler months.
Two weeks, two Bromptons, four carry-on bags. And no stopover in Fiji is complete without some Fiji Bitter.
Matt and I flew from Canberra to Tokyo via Nadi using Qantas Classic Rewards. From memory, it was about 63,000 points + tax per person. The stopover in Fiji did turn the journey into an 18-hour trip, which wasn't ideal but still worthwhile given that the flights were practically free. As usual, I didn't get a wink of sleep on the flights, but I always use time in the air to catch up on "terrible" films Matt will never watch with me.
But first, Lawson.
After dropping our bags at our hotel in Asakusa (check-in wasn't until 3:00 p.m.), we jumped on our Bromptons for a konbini (convenience store) breakfast before heading to a bike shop in Daikanyama.
The second photo from the top was taken from the store's website.
Life with Bicycle specialises in Bromptons, Brompton-related accessories, and components. I managed to somehow restrain myself from buying any accessories and settled on a manga by illustrator Saeko Hoshii. "I started using a folding bicycle" is a story about a woman getting frustrated with her desk job and house chores, and dreams of cycling to bakeries, rivers, and onsens around Japan with her dog. A flawless depiction of my ideal life, really.
I wanted to buy the whole series, but had to rein it in given that we were attempting to travel light.
A quick coffee break at Blue Bottle, then onward to Daikanyama T-Site, one of the most beautiful bookstores you'll have the pleasure of spending time in. After a decent amount of stationery-ogling, it was time to make our way back to the hotel. We would have stayed longer, but at this point I was running on no sleep for more than 30 hours. It didn't help that my body decided to shut down on the first day of my first proper break from paid work all year—which seems to happen almost every time I go on holiday.
Day 1 snacks. Our Muji haul, which lasted us two days 😏
After a pit stop at Spring Valley Brewery and Muji for beer and snacks, we were finally able to check in at our hotel. Unfortunately, Matt had mistakenly booked a smoking room ☠️ Breathing in stale cigarette smell while battling a cold was undesirable to say the least.
No one was more pleased to see Guinness on tap than Matt.
Napping in a stinky room wasn't an option, so we ducked out to the nearest decent pub I was able to find on Google Maps, The Auld. Run by a lovely Japanese publican with a penchant for English, Scottish, and Irish beer and whiskey paraphernalia, drinking in a quiet pub on a Saturday evening was blissful—a luxury that you don't get to experience often in Canberra, where we live.
A steel bike enthusiast's Disneyland.
Day two in Tokyo started with a trip to yet another bike store, the world-famous Blue Lug. There are three Blue Lugs in Tokyo and one in Kagoshima; we went to the one near Yoyogi Park. Matt went to town with stickers, and I bought a new Brooks C17 carved saddle in burnt orange, which was slightly indulgent but necessary for a comfortable two weeks ahead. As a female cyclist, I absolutely swear by carved saddles.
My current favourite cycling YouTuber Marcus Gomersall of Probably Riding fame—I highly recommend this channel if you're into cycling ASMR—suggests visiting the Kamiuma store for a more old school, less overwhelming experience. We'll have to visit that branch and Wood Village Cycles, another Probably Riding recommendation, the next time we're in Tokyo.
With lighter wallets, but full hearts, it was time for an afternoon beverage. I asked one of the staff where their favourite watering hole was, and they suggested Oslo Brewing, which was conveniently just down the road.
More merch and Matt's sticker haul featuring a bum bag sewed and gifted by our friend Toby, and the most eye-wateringly intense/effective nasal decongestant I've used.
Pit stop at the Yebisu Beer Hall in Ginza. FYI Ginza is car-free on weekends and public holidays 😌
For dinner, we had miso ramen at Noriaki Bibi (Google Maps listing below) in Asakusa, an unassuming hole in the wall we walked past which could fit 10 people at best. A few locals were lining up outside, so we knew it had to be good. And it was.
The charred meat against the rich miso, chilli, and raw yolk was perfect for a cold winter's evening. If anyone knows what the Japanese term for wok hei is, let me know!
Next stop: Kyoto.
All photos and videos were taken using an iPhone 16 Pro.
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