Japan Trip 23

Shibuya Nonbei Yokocho - Local Bars and Eats

- Official Site

Harajuku - Back Streets - Bars/Restaurants

Daikanyama

Daikanyama: A Guide To Tokyo’s Little Brooklyn

Kyu Asakura House
Five minutes on foot from Daikanyama station, this beautifully preserved private residence that has been turned into a museum provides a peek into a traditional Japanese home, constructed in 1919. The former residence of the Asakura Family was built by its patriarch, Torajiro Asakura, and is a fantastic relic of Taisho era Japan that lasted from 1912 to 1926. Its wooden architecture and meticulously manicured Japanese gardens make it a true hidden gem and important cultural site.

Le Cordon Blue is a French culinary academy, originally founded in Paris and now with branches across the world. This outpost in Daikanyama is called “La Boutique Cafe” and serves cakes, deli items, wine, beers, French bread and — of course — coffee. While students are busy learning the craft of cooking, the guests can enjoy some pastries on the little outside terrace.

Shimokitazawa (station): Tokyo’s Bohemian Hub - Setagaya ward, just two stations away from Shibuya and Shinjuku. Upon arrival to the train station, head towards the north exit. Shop to your heart’s content in the myriad of second-hand clothing stores and sundry shops that line the station’s front street and Sakae-dori Street.

=== 5/21

We'll spend a full day in Tokyo after arriving to unwind a bit before leaving for Osaka the next day. Luckily, jet lag is really only an issue traveling East, so we'll be tired from the flight, but not too disoriented. We'll have two more full days in Tokyo at the end of the trip as well.

Still, we'll have all day and night in Tokyo! There are also shrines and temples in Tokyo, but I've left them out. We will see far more beautiful ones in Kyoko, Koyasan and Kamakura. There are much more fun things to do in Tokyo:

teamLab Planets

Immersive, interactive multimedia art exhibition. This is definitely at the top of our Tokyo To Do List, if not now, then at the end of the trip if you choose to join us. It's like the Van Gogh Experience on steroids. The artists group, teamLab, worked with Senju on an exhibition in 2018 that we saw. Their work is amazing. This exhibit will close in December. It is extensive and will take a few hours to see. Address - Toyosu 6-1-16, Koto-ku, Tokyo

Shibuya Station (aka Shubuya Scramble Square) - home to the famous intersection of people scrambling in every direction.

• Shibuya Sky - observation deck overlooking the square - ¥2000
• Center Gai (センター街 Sentaa-gai). The narrow street leading away from the station to the left of the giant video screen. Lots of shops, though shopping at the end of the trip would make more sense.
• Tokyu Hands, 12-18 Udagawa-cho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo (end of Center-gai) - very fun lifestyle store.
• Music Stores - HMV and Tower Records still exist in Japan

Drink Beer

There are lots fun places to drink including rooftop beer gardens and other beer gardens, some with great views, some with great yakiniku. The Ginza Lion is a great German beer/food hall (indoors) that we've been to in the past.

Tokyo Dome

Home of the Yomiuri Giants baseball team. Definitely recommend catching a baseball game while in Japan, either here or in Yokohama (Bay Stars). More like a three-ring circus than a sporting event. It's a fun, crazy yet relaxing time.

Tokyo Imperial Palace and East Palace Garden

Official residence of the Emperor. The East Gardens of the Imperial Palace are open to the public. Guided tours are by reservation.

Ueno Park & Zoo

Large urban park with gardens, museums and famous zoo. Tokyo's version of Central Park.

Tokyo Skytree

The tallest structure in Japan, and the second tallest in the world (One World Trade Center is fifth). The downside is that there aren't a lot of tall buildings in Tokyo due to the frequency of earthquakes, so there's really not much to see except the immense urban sprawl. There's also its shorter predecessor, Tokyo Tower.

Roppongi

Roppongi is known for its nightlife (bars, restaurants, and dance clubs). It's also know for being the most diverse, cosmopolitan area of Tokyo, so, while there's plenty of great Japanese dining, it's also a good choice when you're finally sick of eating Japanese food.

Shinjuku

The east side of Shinjuku is devoted to shopping and nightlife, including lots of bars in Kabukicho and Shinjuku Golden Gai

Ginza

Ginza is the Tokyo version of 5th Avenue or the Back Bay in Boston. All the big brands have their flagship stores here. Fine for window shopping, but you'll find better deals elsewhere.

Click for Tokyo Overview on Wikitravel