Where do we go from here?

On Saturday, January 13, Blake and I embarked on what is probably one of my favorite Tokyo adventures thus far - The Underground Mysteries! It's a scavenger hunt using the Tokyo Metro and nearby sites. You have to find things around the city to solve puzzles and figure out your next destination. They offer the game in both Japanese and English, thank goodness. For the locals reading this, it's available until the end of the month!

Part of a puzzle!

For us, it took somewhere around 4-5 hours, including a couple stops for snacks and lunch (during which we worked out the latest puzzle). We saw a lot of Japanese couples and friends and a handful of Western families doing it as well, and it was always a good sign we were on the right track when we ran into a bunch of other people with puzzle kits doing the same things we were doing.

Puzzle kit! Each participant has to buy one and it includes a 24 hour pass to the Tokyo Metro

Snack break! Cupcake like thing filled with a layer of vanilla custard and a layer of strawberry jam. Yum!

Another part of the puzzle!

Puzzle solving lunch break!

More clues!

My favorite parts were the couple of times we got on a train and didn't know where we were heading. We were just following instructions to get on the next train at a particular platform and go to the next stop or, even better, to follow clues along the way and get off when certain clues were observed. I loved the mystery!

On the train!

Blake's favorite part was a puzzle that involved "reading" some stone pillars of varying heights. He started reading them so fast I stopped trying to keep up and stuck with verifying that his interpretation made sense.

We really enjoyed doing this together too - what would stump one of us was usually solved by the other and we just generally make a really good team. As much as I am into solo adventures sometimes, this wouldn't have been a good one. I am also grateful for the opportunity to work on navigating the Tokyo Metro without our smart phones! Instead, we only used the map and clues provided. The Metro alone isn't too bad, but you add the JR and Keikyu lines and other municipal and private train companies, it leads to a whole bunch of options that really confusing really quickly. Smartphones are a lifesaver for sure, but it's nice to do it without one when we can.

Not great on the detail, but one of the final clues!

If they do another one this fall (and I'm subscribed to their email newsletter to find out) - we are in!