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Tokyo Before Dawn: Jet Lag's Hidden Reward
A jet-lagged preschooler leads to early morning Tokyo adventures, from empty parks to hidden food stalls, revealing a serene side of the city most tourists miss.
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At 3:47 a.m. my daughter sat up in bed, fully awake. She was ready to start the day. The sky outside our Tokyo hotel room was still dark, but you can't explain time zones to a 4-year-old.
I had never struggled with jet lag before. Caffeine and enthusiasm usually carry me through until my circadian rhythm catches up. A 16-hour time difference is a different problem with a preschooler. Her body said it was noon. The sky disagreed.
We flew from San Diego to Tokyo on a red-eye I booked because it was the only direct flight. I hadn't thought through the arrival schedule. We landed at Narita feeling like it was 1 a.m. after only a few hours of sleep. Customs and immigration took forever. The drive into the city was an hour and a half. The sun was setting behind skyscrapers by the time we reached the hotel. I couldn't tell if it was morning or night.
Tokyo was a deliberate first stop. It's safe and efficient. I thought that ease would make for a gentler landing. What I hadn't considered was the flip side: a city built on quiet order, and a jet-lagged 4-year-old still learning to modulate her volume. I spent a lot of time picturing a loud public meltdown.
We checked in early evening. The hotel room had blackout curtains so thick I couldn't see my hand in front of my face. I set up her inflatable toddler bed. We were both asleep by 8 p.m.
I planned to keep us in the dark until 5 a.m., even if we woke up early. But when she sat up before 4 a.m., I had already been up for more than an hour. We moved to plan B.
We walked to the closest 7-Eleven. We split an egg salad sandwich and explored the neighborhood before dawn. Japanese convenience store food has a cult following. At 4:30 a.m., it was the right mix of comforting and exciting. We ate at Shiba Park, dazed, watching a cluster of cosplay teens parade past in full costume. Then we headed to the closest playground. It was empty except for a couple of stragglers finishing their night from a nearby bar. They tossed their empty drink cans into recycling when they saw us approach and headed out.
Several hours later, the hotel breakfast buffet opened. That's when the magic slipped away. "MOM, CAN YOU GET ME SOME FRUIT?" she shouted from across the room. I gave her my best mom big-eyes and gestured for her to come closer. She shouted it again, louder, standing up on her chair. A room full of quietly eating guests did not react. That made it worse.