A 48 Hour Layover in LAX | Joshua Tree & Palm Springs in Summer

Spring Time in Tokyo!

Visiting Tokyo during sakura season had sat firmly on my bucket list for years, so seeing Haneda appear on my roster felt unusually lucky. Cherry blossom season arrives briefly and disappears almost immediately — a short stretch where the city softens into pale pink before returning to its usual rhythm. Hanami carries a quiet reminder: nothing lasts.

For 48 hours, despite the looming 15-hour flight home, the plan is simple – make the most of it.

I’m positioning back as a passenger for once – a rare luxury that means swapping jump seats for a window seat, silence, and uninterrupted rest. Princess treatment, really.

Day 1: Mount Fuji

After a sleepless flight and a slightly surreal arrival, a few of us decide to attempt Mount Fuji anyway.

What should be a simple journey turns into a series of missed connections and sold-out buses, and eventually a much longer route out of Tokyo than expected.

Still – Mount Fuji has a way of making the journey feel irrelevant the moment you catch its first glimpse.

It appears almost unreal: symmetrical, still, impossibly composed. In Japanese culture, Fuji represents purity, perseverance, and eternity – and standing beneath it, that feels immediately present.

The climb to Chureito Pagoda delivers the view in full: the red structure set against Mount Fuji, framed by hundreds of sakura trees in bloom.

Reality is less composed – queues, crowds, and at one point being gently moved along by men ringing cowbells in an oddly calm rhythm.

Later, Honcho Street in Fujiyoshida shows a different side: Mount Fuji rising behind wires, signage, and traffic lights — the monumental sitting inside everyday life.

Fuji Tips

Instagram vs. Reality: Expect long lines and crowds at the famous photo spots. Be prepared for a quick photo op and lots of people with selfie sticks (we were ushered along by men with cow bells!)
Bug Spray: We got some nasty unidentified bites up there, so come prepared.
Pre-Plan Transport: Pre-book bus tickets, take the bullet train, or drive. Avoid the metro journey we endured at all costs.
Bring Yen: For purchases at the pagoda and shrines.

The return to Tokyo unravels after we miss the last train, and the day ends in Shibuya at Uobei.

Conveyor belts move under neon light, plates arriving in rhythm. There’s something oddly cinematic about its precision.

At one point, I win a tiny nigiri ring through an in-seat game — delivered moments later via a gold token.

The night ends at The Church in Dogenzaka — stained glass, techno music at the alter, and a surreal blend of calm and chaos. Not your usual version of midnight mass.

Day 2: Sakura Season

Morning arrives slowly, with coffee as the only non-negotiable.

Harajuku is already in motion – colour, noise, everything happening at once. Takeshita Street is packed with pastel storefronts and sweet and sugary food stands that feel almost overwhelming in the best way.

Travel tip: Only Yen is widely accepted on this street.

A stop at Café Reissue offers a brief pause. The latte arrives as an Easter bunny floating in foam – almost too detailed to disturb.

Sakura Season!

But Tokyo in spring belongs elsewhere.

At Chidorigafuchi, the city softens. Cherry blossoms spill over the moat, petals drifting across the water as rowboats move slowly underneath. For a moment, everything stills.

This year’s bloom arrives slightly late, but the scattered blossoms only heighten the effect — pink appearing in unexpected places, between buildings, along streets, across intersections.

By late afternoon, Ueno Park shifts completely.

Lanterns come on as daylight fades, and the sakura canopy starts to glow. Beneath it, the park becomes loud in the best way – food stalls, music, people everywhere.