After spending twenty days in Japan this summer, I am sharing my top twenty Tokyo list of my favorite bites, sites, and robot fights.
I took an 8 week Sabbatical from work and planned to travel to Japan and Southeast Asia. My first stop was Tokyo, and I arrived a few days before my friends. Besides my hotel and a dinner reservation at Narisawa, I hadn't planned much.
When I finally settled into my hotel room, I crashed. I woke up at the crack of dawn desperately needing some food and coffee. Check out my Chasing The Buzz Blog.
Some basics, how to get WiFi and get around:
WiFi - Before your flight, hop online and reserve a WiFi router. I booked one via Ninja Wifi for pick up at Narita Airport and was easily able to drop it off at Haneda Airport. You can use the router all over Japan, not just Tokyo, and it makes navigating and booking reservations much easier.
Subway - At first, I kept purchasing one way tickets, but the amounts varied per destination and transferring during rush hour was insane. Do yourself a favor and get a Pasmo Card the subway station ticket machine, it makes life a lot easier.
Uber - They are reasonably priced and easy to access. At one point we were traveling as a group of 7 people, and it was great to see that most of the standard cars were actually large vans. Great if you’re traveling in a group with luggage!
Hotel - loved the Park Tokyo, it's in an excellent location. They have direct buses to both major airports and the concierge desk will save your life by snagging impossible dinner reservations.
Tokyo Top Twenty:
Sites + Shops:
Shibuya Crossing - near Sushi Gonpachi if you want to check it out in the evening and then grab a bite.
Yoyogi Park - Bonus, it's near Harajuku if you want to make a day of it.
Senso-Ji Temple
Tsukiji Fish Market - Come hungry. Lots of excellent food stalls and great shopping too!
Tokyo Skytree - Amazing view of Tokyo, and if you're traveling in the summer, it's air-conditioned.
New York Joe Shimokitazawa - I love Shimokito, it has some amazing coffee shops, record stores and great thriftstores. This is one of my favorites, snagged a bunch of great band t shirts.
Ginza - Ginza 6 has lots of luxury shopping and restaurants, bars, and coffee options.
Nightlife:
Golden Gai - 300 speciality dive bars clustered together in one neighborhood, I loved this. Ace’s was one of my favorites!
Tender Bar - in Ginza, very fancy and requires a dress code. I'm serious about the dress code, we got kicked out...
Karaoke Kan in Shinjuku - Once we discovered this spot we couldn't stop going back. It's near Golden Gai and the Robot Restaurant, and it's quite the experience doing Karaoke in a high rise in complementary costumes. My vocal chords still haven't fully recovered. Also, great end of the night (or early morning) bar bites ;)
Robot Restaurant - definitely not a restaurant, and more of an experience. I don’t think you could ever do this any place on earth besides Tokyo.
Food (high brow to low brow):
Narisawa - World’s top 50 restaurant with two Michelin stars. The menu was innovative and delicious. Unbelievable service too, they literally walked us from our taxi to the door and created a bespoke menu to accommodate dietary restrictions. I loved the wine and sake pairing and would definitely recommend this spot for a special occasion. I went for my birthday :)
Teppanyaki Sakura - great neighborhood gem
Itamae Sushi Atago - buttery tuna sashimi and sushi
Sushi Gonpachi - good for groups, accepts online reservations and has a great view
Menya Shichisai - ramen with hand pulled noodles near Ginza
Fuglen - coffee shop near Yoyogi park with a mid-century modern vibe. Switches to a bar in the evening too.
Tokyo Kenko - really good breakfast!
Museums/Art Galleries:
Yayoi Kusama - Remember to pre-purchase tickets, not much to do around the gallery but the exhibit was amazing!
Mori Art Museum - Great modern art exhibits and gorgeous view of Tokyo.
Bonus round, two day trip ideas:
Head to an Onsen on Izu Peninsula - Pro tip: book the western room with the private onsen on the balcony. Nothing like bathing with a view!
Hike around Mt Fuji and check out Hakone, Onsen are available here too. Check out Yama No Chaya