DW had a work trip to Tokyo last week, so I tagged along. Figured it was a cheap way to see a country I'd always wondered about, both from a cultural and urban planning perspective. For only the cost of a flight and my meals, I would probably stay cheaper than most people would in a hostel.
The results were mixed. I found the city to be striking, admirable, captivating. I love the urban design, the architecture, the efficiency. But for the most part, I couldn't really get into the grind of touristing. Out of the whole experience, the only parts I can say I wholeheartedly enjoyed were Mt. Takao (and especially the hour I spent at the onsen at the bottom), and tramping around the back streets of Nakameguro looking at cool Japanese houses. And I guess Golden Gai in Kabukicho was pretty amazing.
The rest of it, I could have done without. Sensoji, Meiji shrine, Harajuku, Shinjuku, Shibuya, Akihabara, much of the rest of Asakusa, the metropolitan government tower lookout, etc., bored me (these are all prime tourist destinations).
I'm not sure if something is wrong with me, or if I'm just not a tourist person. (Strike that, I'm sure something is wrong with me, but I'm not sure this is that thing.) Part of it is that many of these districts are very consumption focused. I am not going to buy the clothes, watches, electronics, gaming doodads and anime crap that are on sale, and that goes for pretty much anywhere we might travel. The only things we bought were one small package of baked snacks, and four postcards. I did love all the restaurants we went to and the food we tried. I could probably make a vacation out of just going around to different spots and trying a dish at each one. But you can only eat so much. Maybe part of it also is that my feet were tired from walking ten-ish miles per day for five days in a row, but toward the end, I was struggling to get joy out of the time. That seems like a huge waste, even if it was only the cost of airfare.
Whenever I go places, what really captures my imagination is what it would be like to live there. If we ever go back to Tokyo, we're going to stay for at least a month, and work remotely rather than take vacation. I am not interested in seeing things, I guess is what I'm realizing. I want to experience the lifestyle of a place, and it just doesn't seem possible for me to do that while wandering and looking all day.
I guess what I'm wondering is, does anyone else feel this way? If you do, have you figured out how to get more out of your touring time? We have another international trip in the near future for a wedding, and I'd love to gain some insight before we go!