Navigating Tokyo as newlyweds a memorable adventure

Like a lot of busy working couples, my husband and I delayed our honeymoon until several months after we got married. We considered a few options but ultimately decided to head to Tokyo for a week.

My husband and I grew up with Japanese influences, he through books and television and I through my family roots. But ultimately, it came down to the cost — fares to Japan are very decent nowadays, thanks to competitive rates and budget airlines like AirAsia and Scoot.

Amazingly, despite our travel backgrounds, neither of us had spent time in Tokyo. We know many people who have been to Japan and regaled us with their experiences, but we still weren’t sure what to expect.

Both of us studied the Japanese language throughout our schooling years, but we weren’t confident we’d be able to get by.

Would we be able to navigate the transit system and other places with lots of signs to read? Would we look like fools, stumbling through communication and getting around the city?

It turned out we didn’t have to worry about any of that. Exploring Tokyo was a blast, and we already are contemplating other cities in Japan to visit on our next trip.

I can’t quite put my finger on what made the trip so great. Getting around definitely wasn’t as scary as I feared it could have been — printed English is prevalent in Tokyo, and I could make out enough Japanese characters to understand most things that had no English option.

The language barrier cropped up in conversation, where our still-elementary-­level Japanese was betrayed as soon as we interacted with locals. Nevertheless, they were kind as we tripped over our tongues, and my husband and I made it work with gestures and basic vocabulary.

Perhaps the most interesting thing about visiting Tokyo was taking on the role of tourist, like so many Japanese do in Hawaii. Whenever I see Japanese tourists here, I wonder how they feel being immersed in a place so unlike their hometowns, from the language to the transit system to the cleanliness (Tokyo is amazingly tidy, which makes me wonder why more cities can’t be the same way).

Part of what eased my travel anxieties was thinking that if they can enjoy Hawaii despite all the potential barriers, we could take on Tokyo, too.

Overall, experiencing a new place with my new husband was what made our Tokyo trip so memorable. Our previous travels have involved family visits and adventures; this time we were on our own, and we had a great time. We are looking forward to visiting loved ones again, but keeping company with each other was just as wonderful.

“She Speaks” is a weekly column by the women writers of the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Reach Celia Downes at cdownes@staradvertiser.com.