Japan Travel Guide: Tokyo
In case you missed the massive amounts of IG posts, I recently went to Japan! I’ve been procrastinating SO HARD writing this post because I wanted to capture every single activity, temple, ramen situation and local hidden gem, so it felt almost impossible to recap.
Back in April, six of us traveled to Japan for almost two weeks and visited four different cities: Tokyo, Hakone, Kyoto and Osaka. Tip #1: if you’re trying to catch Sakura AKA cherry blossom szn, make sure you go in early April because the blooms only last about two weeks. We went the last week of April and by the time we landed, they were all pretty much done for. Tip #2: make sure to do your research on Golden Week ahead of booking your flight. Unbeknownst to us, we planned our trip simultaneously to Japan’s 10-day government holiday, which meant extra long lines, larger-than-normal crowds and lots of closures. It didn’t ruin the trip but it definitely made it more difficult to get around and even plan simple things like where to eat for dinner.
I’ll be writing a post for each city we visited but up first: Tokyo! Tokyo was my favorite of the four cities - I loved the big-city feel, the shopping scene seriously exceeded my expectations and the food was crazy good (but let’s be honest, the food was good everywhere). Between Harajuku vintage shopping and Shibuya Crossing, you will never run out of things to do; but these are the spots you need to add to your itinerary.
What to Eat:
Tsukumo Ramen - this was one of the best ramen spots we visited the whole trip. And trust and believe, we had a lot. It’s a super small spot inside the neighborhood of Hiroo in Shibuya. The menu allows you to customize your ramen dish with various “sides” to add to your ramen to your liking (think extra garlic, sprouts, etc.)
Oreryu Shio-ramen - you’ve got to order Ramen from a “vending machine” at least once and this spot in Shibuya was soooo good! I ordered the Oreryu Gabachi (it’s spicy) and it did not disappoint.
Harajuku Gyoza Lou - BEST. DUMPLINGS. IN JAPAN. NO CAP.
Shin Udon - if you’re looking for perfectly cooked noodles smothered with melted butter, cracked pepper and onions, this Udon bowl is at your service. It was so good, we had to go back twice. Order the shrimp tempura, too.
Burn Side St. Cafe - fluffy pancake heaven in Harajuku. Perfect pit stop for breakfast or brunch followed by animal ice cream and platform shoe shopping.
Where to Grab Coffee:
KOFFEE - this is the most extra coffee experience I've ever had in my life, but it’s worth it. I’m pretty boujee about my coffee, and rarely drink it black (I’m a vanilla-latte-with-oat-milk girl). This is not the place for that kind of coffee. When you walk up to the counter, the baristas ask you about your food palette and taste preferences and before you know it you’re sipping a cup of coffee brewed to your liking with beans from the southern side of Costa Rica like a got damn queen.
Anywhere else - The rest of Japan has great coffee. You’ll find a place or 12.
Where to Drink:
Brussels Beer Project Toyko - this was right next to the Udon place, so it ended up being a great night cap once we stuffed our faces noods.
Sky Blue Elephant - this bar felt more Americanized than most places we went to. It’s in Shibuya, and you order everything straight from an iPad so there's no language barrier.
Baobab - a fun record bar that’s open late-night. I should warn here that smoking is allowed in many bars and this one is tiny, so plan to suck it up or avoid it altogether.
What to Do:
Shibuya Crossing - the wildest street crossing I’ve ever seen. Head to the top of one of the surrounding buildings to take a timelapse video of all the people crossing (or just observe like a non-annoying Millennial).
Louis Vuitton ESPACE - this popup in Harajuku made for a cool photo opp. I believe they frequently change the theme so double check before taking my word on a visit.
Meiji Shrine - there are many, many shrines to visit in Japan. This is one of them.
Tokyo Skydeck - one of the best views we had of the city. The line was super long but we bought tickets to the museum and were able to skip right up to the important part.
teamLab Borderless - think Yayoi Kusama’s Inifinty Mirror exhibit on drugs. You’ll want to get tickets in advance.
HARRY in Roppongi (Hedgehog Cafe) - Japan is notorious for their small animal cafes, including rabbits, cats and hedgehogs. I wanted to go to a rabbit cafe in honor of Roo, but the hedgehogs were pretty damn cute.
AMORE Vintage - the most Chanel I’ve ever been surrounded by at once. It was beautiful but also depressing considering I couldn’t afford a single item.
Karaoke - if you saw videos of drunk Austin doing karaoke in Tokyo, you know this is a must-do. You’re led to a tiny room complete with a private server and as the night goes on and everyone has more drinks, you’ll eventually hear every tone-deaf drunk screaming from each room.
Eat all the ramen + sushi, drink all the sake and NEVER leave leftovers on your plate. Girls, don’t even bother bringing heels - we walked over 100 miles during our whole trip. Be patient with yourself/travel partners as you’re navigating the subway and train systems, it can get a bit confusing. Everyone is super clean and polite so make sure to learn a few key Japanese phrases like “thank you” and “excuse me.” Lastly, buy a pocket wifi at the airport or activate data on your phone because otherwise, you’ll have a lot of trouble getting around.
Up next: the quaint town of Hakone!