The last time I lived in Japan, the Internet wasn’t really a thing yet. At least not for the general public. I had heard about something called Mosaic and it sounded interesting, but ultimately, I still wrote letters home and navigated using maps on paper.

The last time I was in Tokyo, I didn’t have a smartphone. So while the Internet aided in the planning of the trip, it didn’t help me on the ground.

This time I’m carrying around my own wireless hotspot and visiting places I’ve already seen through a browser window.

The thing about Tokyo is that you can spend hours (and I have) researching places to go, things to do, and dishes to eat, but you’re never going to see, do, and eat it all. Which is why I still like to leave time for wandering, for the chance discovery, for getting lost. Tokyo is the perfect place for that.  It can still be a place that defies logic and Google maps. So plan to your heart’s content and embrace those moments when the plan falls apart.

Which brings us to how I ended up at Hara Donuts. This is one of those planned stops that turns out to be better than expected and for that I have to thank Daisuke Horie. Knowing that I’d be staying in Meguro I checked nearby moments and saw his moment on Hara Donuts.

It’s just as lovely as he described.