Note to reader: When opening this doc, you may get a flag from Google indicating that “this file looks suspicious”. This is because there are 100’s of links to Japan-related sites that we thought would be useful. I’m not aware of any site links that might be compromised but if you are concerned, you don’t have to click on any of the site links and can still use this document.
Last major update: October 2020
Note: We no longer live in Japan and now live in South Lake Tahoe, California. If you have found this document to be helpful, we have created something similar for the Lake Tahoe area - link can be found here.
Short Update to Document Based on March 2025 Japan Trip
We recently returned from a one month trip to Japan (first time back in 4 years!), and were happy to confirm that the recommendations in this document are still largely valid and current. The weaker Yen made everything more affordable, with the exception of lodging, which was surprisingly expensive (in Yen) relative to what it was 4 years ago.
A few notable things to keep in mind: Pasmo and Suica are still the way go for train/subway/taxi transportation payments (with Suica a bit more popular) but travelers now use the apps on their phone instead of getting cards (old cards work if you still have them), the location of some of our favorite entertainment night spots (e.g., Bauhaus, Abbey Road) have changed so make sure to check Google Maps to get the current locations, we really enjoyed and highly recommend the immersive digital experiences at the various teamLab locations, the original Tsukiji fish market is still worth visiting even though the main commercial fish market has moved to a new location, we would add Cross Hotel to the recommended list of nice, affordable Kyoto hotels, and strong recent snow years and weaker Yen have dramatically increased the popularity (and the lift lines) of Japow skiing in Japan (especially for foreigners). Here is a link to a video of random experiences we enjoyed in Tokyo and Kyoto on our recent trip, and here is a link to a video of the tranquility in one of our favorite Tokyo gardens, Nezu Museum, that we revisited in March.
Also, one of the highlights of our recent trip was an overnight Zen Retreat at the recently constructed Zenbo Seimei on Awaji Island near Kobe. Highly recommend to anyone who wants to get a “light” taste of zen meditation and cultural lifestyle while in Japan. The experience includes zazen, calligraphy, Japanese tea, zen wellness, and delicious vegan food. What’s remembered most, however, is the Shigeru Ban designed facility built in 2021 (same architect that designed the Aspen Art Museum). Here is a link to a video of the experience at Zenbo Seimei.
What to Do When Visiting Japan - Our Hit List
Here’s a summary of things to consider doing in Tokyo, Kyoto, Koyasan, Shikoku, the central Japan Alps, and the northwest coast of Japan (Kanazawa/Noto Peninsula). This is a hit list our daughter started based on a few of her trips to Japan but the parents have now taken it over. We have also included a recap of our recommended ski locations in Japan for those interested in enjoying Japan’s famous light powder. Finally, at the end of the document, you can also find a range of recommendations for fun things to do with kids in a few different areas of Tokyo. Please note that we are only reviewing stuff we have done. This doesn’t mean that there aren’t other good places to stay or things to do in the different locations highlighted.
Here are links to the key sections (click on link to go to relevant section):
-Transportation and Internet Connectivity
-Best of Japan Recommendations
-Great ways to get an overview of Tokyo
-Mt. Fuji Five Lakes Region (special section):
-Central Japan Alps (Takayama, Nakasendo Highway: Tsumago to Magome…
-Japan Central Pacific Coast (Ise Shrine, Toshijima, Kamijima,...
-Shikoku Island (with en route stop at Himeji Castle)
-Southern Japan (Shikoku and Kyushu)
-Northwest Coast of Japan (Kanazawa & Noto Peninsula)
-Ski Resort Recommendations in the Japanese Alps
-Special Section on the Popular Niseko Ski Resort in Hokkaido
-Fun Things to do With Kids in Tokyo
Transportation and Internet Connectivity
Trains, subways and taxis are easy to use to get around both cities, especially once you get used to using either the Pasmo or Suica card in Tokyo or ICOCA card in Kyoto (pre-paid cards that work in all subways, trains and most taxis).
Japan rail passes are a very good deal and if you are planning to go to a lot of places, it will be good to have one. You need to purchase them outside of Japan before you arrive. Keep in mind that there are some private rail lines which are not covered by the pass, but the bullet trains are covered. Bullet train travel is expensive and for the price of a Tokyo-Kyoto round trip you can get unlimited train travel for 7 days with the pass. For only a little more money you can get the pass for the Green Car ... first class ... it will be worth it, so we recommend this. The Bullet trains go a lot of places now and very quickly and conveniently. You can even get to Kyushu and to Hokkaido by bullet train. Plan your itinerary to capitalize on the amazing value of your rail pass. For planning train travel within Japan, use the website www.hyperdia.com. You input your departure time and arrival and destination stations and it will give you several different options for getting there by train ... very convenient. Google Maps works too.
We strongly recommend you consider renting a cellular WIFI device at the airport when you arrive so you have connectivity for maps, search, IP calls, etc. - it’s not very expensive and free WIFI outlets are limited in Japan. You can reserve them and pick them up at the airports. This way you can make calls and do trip research on your phone as you travel, which is absolutely invaluable. Best iPhone app to download for quick English/Japanese translations is Imiwa?. Useful expressions in Japanese for transportation, accommodations, shopping, eating, greetings, help, apologies, etc can be found at this link here.
Narita vs. Haneda Airport
Try to fly into Haneda Airport because it is much closer to Tokyo than Narita. Haneda used to be the main airport for Tokyo, but since Narita was built in the late 1980s, it has hosted mainly domestic flights and shorter international flights, mostly to Asian destinations. Today there are a few long-haul international flights into Haneda and they tend to be more expensive, but it can be worth the extra money for the added convenience. Recent runway routing changes going into effect in March 2020 will increase the number of international flights into and out of Haneda.
- From Haneda you can take the monorail to Hamamatsucho (near Ginza) for a few hundred yen or a taxi into the city center for about $70 US.
- If you do fly into Narita, the simplest way to get into Tokyo is to take the Airport Limousine Bus to a hotel or a station. This costs $30 US and takes about an hour and a half depending on traffic and distance. When you exit the customs/baggage area, you will see the orange and white signage of the bus company directly in front of you. Choose the next bus going to your hotel or to a hotel or station near where you are staying. If there isn’t one leaving at a convenient time, another option is to take the Narita Express train to Tokyo Station (leaving Narita roughly every 20 minutes) which takes about an hour, then take a taxi to your destination. (Taking a taxi from Narita costs about $300 US, so it is not recommended unless you have yen to burn.)
Best of Japan Recommendations
As the list of recommendations in this document has gotten longer, several folks have asked for more prioritized suggestions on what to do if your time is limited when visiting Japan, and Tokyo in particular. Here’s our “best of” list based on our own experience of the locations highlighted in the pages that follow.
-If You Only Have One “Power” Day to Experience Tokyo: If you really only have one day to see the best of Tokyo, and have the energy to power through a full day and evening, we recommend you hop on the Ginza line first thing in the morning and head out to the last stop on the line, Asakusa Station (33 minute ride from Shibuya station, the other terminis). The primary destination is Senso-ji, our favorite temple in Tokyo, and it’s best to arrive before it gets crowded. The historical district of Asakusa also offers other attractions including a traditional shopping street arcade, shrines, and rickshaw cart tours. After a couple of hours in Asakusa, hop back on the Ginza line and head over (18 minute ride) to Ginza and wander through one of Japan’s flagship department stores (Mitsukoshi or Matsuya) making sure you allocate time to visit the food services floor in the basement of one of the stores. You can also stop by Nissan Crossing at the Ginza Crossing intersection to see the latest Nissan cars and have your photo captured in the foam of a cup of coffee. Just above Nissan Crossing starting on the 4th floor is a Sony Showroom/Store with Sony’s latest products. If the timing is right, you may have an opportunity to see “pet” owners socialize with their $3,000 Sony AIBO robotic dogs (Video of dogs here). When it’s time for lunch, enjoy Yakitori (grilled chicken on a stick) at Torigin if you want Japanese food, or The Apollo for a modern take on traditional Greek food making sure you get a window side table to enjoy the 11F views, and go up to the 12th (top) floor to Kiriko Terrace for wrap around views of Ginza.
After lunch, it’s back to the Ginza line for a 13 minute ride to Omotesando station. From there it’s a 10 minute southeast walk past the iconic Prada Building to the Nezu Museum, which has one of our favorite gardens in Tokyo. Next head back toward Omotesando station and walk down Omotesando street toward Harajuku, which has some of the best shopping in Tokyo, including the Oriental Bazaar on left at the bottom of the hill - a great place to find traditional, and affordable Japanese-stype gifts to take back with you. Work your way over to Takeshita Street in the heart of Harajuku to experience Japan’s Kawaii (“cute”) fashion culture and scene, and order a crepe from one of the many shops while you are there to hold you over to dinner. After the craziness of this busy shopping/fashion area, walk up the hill a short way and into the Meiji Shrine, the premier shrine in Tokyo, for some peace and quiet (and a chance to see wedding parties dressed in traditional Japanese clothes if you visit on a weekend).
Next catch the Yamanote Line at Harajuku station, and ride south (3 stations) to Meguro station and then go get in line (expect to wait about 30 minutes) at Tonki Tonkatsu for the best tonkatsu (breaded pork) you will ever eat. This might be our favorite place to eat in Japan! Make sure you order a “daaburu heray katsu”, which is a double portion (it’s that good) of ‘hire katsu’ and it comes with cabbage and delicious miso soup. A cold Kirin beer to wash it all down is a must.
After dinner go back to the station to take the Yamanote Line two stops north to Shibuya, a crowded shopping area that has gotten a lot hipper in recent years with new construction, including Google Japan’s new Shibuya Stream office building, which is located right next to the new Shibuya Scramble Square High Rise Complex, the highest structure in the Shibuya district at 230 meters tall overlooking Japan’s most famous scramble crossing intersection - Shibuya Crossing. If you time it right, you might be able to watch the sunset over Tokyo from the largest rooftop viewing space in Japan.
Plan on spending an hour or two in Shibuya, and then hop in a taxi (you’ve earned it) for the short ride over to one of the most popular bar and club scenes in Tokyo, Roppongi. There are lots of live music options in the area but the best is Bauhaus, for high quality rock renditions with a consistently lively vibe. There are a lot of very good live jazz options in Roppongi too. If you still have game after this power day (and pat yourself on the back!), there are plenty of other late night/early morning drinking establishments in Roppongi that can hold you over until sunrise and the first trains home. To see this day mapped out in a Google Earth Project, copy this link into a Chrome browser or open it on a mobile phone. Use presentation mode and be sure to click on the white arrow in the blue circle in each location to “fly above” each location in Google Earth. This journey through Tokyo includes many fun things to do with kids too.
-Best time to visit Tokyo: late March/early April for cherry blossoms (can catch end of ski season too!), or late October/early November (fall foliage, great weather, most likely to see Mt Fuji clearly)
-Best Japanese garden in Tokyo (free): New Otani Hotel Garden is a wonderful multi-layered Japanese garden with a large waterfall, colorful bridges, and great photo opportunities
-Best Japanese garden in Tokyo (paid): garden behind Nezu Museum is best during cherry blossom, Iris, and fall foliage periods
-Best Cherry Blossom viewing experience in Tokyo: Meguro River in Nakameguro is a great place to enjoy this quintessential Japan experience. We recommend going at night and enjoying the champagne and food stands that line the river during the season.
-Best Japanese food experience in Tokyo: Tonki Tonkatsu. We keep going back often over the years.
-Best Japanese lunch experience in Tokyo: Tofuya Ukai located next to Tokyo Tower; serves wonderful Tofu-based dishes in private rooms that overlook a beautiful Japanese garden
-Best Yakitori-ya (grilled chicken) experience in Tokyo: Toriyoshi in Nishi Azabu. You can point to what you want to order but they also have an English menu.
-Best Ramen experience in Japan: Ramen Museum in Yokohama features small ramen shops from some of the best Ramen Restaurants in Japan.
-Best Italian restaurant in Tokyo: Antonio's is our go to restaurant for anniversaries and special occasions. Very classy and has amazing sauces. Best veal parmigiana you will ever eat.
-Best pizza experience in Tokyo: Savoy's wood oven pizza never disappoints; served in a small, cozy atmosphere. Make sure you order the green salad too
-Best Mexican restaurant in Tokyo: Haciendo del Cielo in Daikanyama. Make a reservation to eat outside on the roof deck...one of the best rooftop dining experiences in Tokyo for any kind of restaurant
-Best live music experience in Tokyo: Bauhaus in Roppongi. Delivers an up-beat rock experience that is always memorable.
-Best 2-day ski weekend near Tokyo: we keep going back to the Phoenix Hotel at Shiga Kogen. High elevation ensures the best snow, lots of ski terrain, solid infrastructure and great to combine with a stop at Snow Monkey Park on the way to the resort if you make it a 3-day trip
-Best ski location for longer ski trip: Niseko in Hokkaido requires a plane flight from Tokyo but it’s worth it if you want a big mountain, high probability of fresh power, and the best apre ski scene in Japan
-Best 2-3 day trip away from Tokyo if you have a long weekend: after Kyoto, our favorite get away from Tokyo location is Kanazawa on Japan’s central west coast. It’s now much easier to get to on the bullet train, and it provides just the right balance of museums, fresh seafood, gardens and festivals (depending on the timing)
-Best biking experience in Japan: the 70KM Shimanami Kaido bikeway that connects Honshu and Shikoku Islands. Lots of dedicated bike paths and spectacular views from the multiple bridges that connect the islands along the bikeway.
-Nagasaki vs. Hiroshima: we recommend Nagasaki if you want to learn more about this part of WW2 history. In addition to the Atomic Bomb Museum, Nagasaki offers lots of other interesting destinations including Dejima (old merchant city for foreigners), Glover Residence (restored home and gardens of famous Scottish merchant) and Dejima Wharf (great waterfront bars/restaurants)
-Best hot spring in Japan: we’ve been back to Yumoto Choza in Fukuchi Onsen 3 times despite the significant effort required to get there. What brings us back: beautiful hot spring town in the mountains, great meals, lots of outdoor and indoor hot springs, and other fun things to do in the area such as the Shinhotaka Ropeway.
-Best thing to do in Kyoto: if you only have time to see one thing in Kyoto we recommend Kiyomizudera Temple. Large wooden temple on the east side of Kyoto. We have always enjoyed the walk up to the temple along small streets lined with lots of shops and restaurants. Great views from the temple, beautiful pagoda. Wonderful fall foliage. It can be crowded so best to go in the morning.
-Best festival in Japan: November Karatsu Kunichi Festival in Kyushu. Marvel at the giant visually stunning hikiyama floats. Usually coincides with the Saga International Balloon Festival located nearby, which is very cool too.
Tokyo
Tokyo is like New York if New York were always clean, everyone was extremely polite, there was (virtually) no street crime, ALL restaurants were 5 stars, and it channelled thousands of years of one of the world’s most sophisticated cultures. Below are our favorites spots, restaurants, and things to do around this city of 36 million people. Here is a great video created by someone testing the new iPhone’s video capabilities for Apple that nicely captures the vibrancy of Tokyo and highlights many of the locations recommended by us.
Harajuku and Omotesando
- Start at Harajuku Station (on the Yamanote Line) and visit the adjacent Meiji Shrine. If you are at Meiji Shrine on a weekend, you will see a succession of wedding parties parading through the grounds and having wedding photos taken.
- Take a stroll down Takeshita Dori in Harajuku, the place to experience Japan’s kawaii (“cute”) fashion and culture scene. (To get to Takeshita Dori take the north exit of Harajuku Station… the entrance is right across the street.)
- Then walk down the beautiful wide boulevard of Omotesando to experience the hip fashion/cafe scene. The neighborhoods on either side of Omotesando street are atmospheric and packed with boutiques and restaurants. You could spend a lot of time wandering around in here and not see everything or get bored.
- If you walk all the way from Harajuku Station down the wide, tree-lined section of Omotesando to its intersection with Aoyama Dori, you will be at Omotesando Station. Cross Aoyama Dori here, continue straight, and you will be on a narrower, more intimate lane which basically contains the cream of the crop of top Japanese and international fashion labels. Here you will find multiple Issey Miyake boutiques, a Yohji Yamamoto shop, the iconic Prada Building and a host of other gorgeous retail outlets. Even if you do not plan to buy anything, it is worth walking through this neighborhood. The next street over (behind the Prada building) contains Theory, Acne Studios (Yes, this is actually the name of a high fashion label.) and many more.
- If you proceed past the shopping district you will arrive at the Nezu Museum, a fantastic example of modern Japanese architecture which hosts exhibitions of traditional arts and has a great garden. (There is a cafe here, which is probably good, but we have not been there.). Video of Nezu Museum experience: here.
- Other things to consider in this area: walk through Yoyogi Park (watch Japanese enjoying themselves in one of the city’s biggest parks). In past decades, one of the most fun Sunday things to do in Tokyo was to go to the part of Omotesando street adjacent to Yoyogi Park where you could watch about 20 groups of young people dressed like 1950’s rockers twisting and shaking up a storm all afternoon (as well as some groups dressed in Chinese opera costumes performing traditional dance). This scene has for the most part disappeared but there are still a few hold-out groups of guys (and an occasional girl) dressed and coiffed like Elvis dancing here and it is fun to hang out and watch them for a little while, although it is no longer a destination on its own.
- Restaurants we like in Harajuku and Omotesando: The British India Cafe 1930 (an adorable, inexpensive and delicious Indian restaurant in the “Ura-Hara,” literally, “the back of Harajuku” with British colonial decor and a lace shop upstairs), Celeb de Tomato restaurant (all tomato cuisine - delicious, in the back streets near Omotesando subway station), Intersect by Lexus (this is the Lexus “lifestyle” shop, a place which has been impeccably planned and designed to embody the lifestyle of the typical Lexus owner. All Lexus owners and anyone with the remotest interest in automobile marketing should put this place at the top of their list. They have a great, reasonably priced lunch and a decor with very cool Lexus lifestyle touches! Across the street from the Prada building. Reservations highly recommended). Aoyama Torimikura is a reasonably priced yakitori-ya (grilled chicken) restaurant close to Omotesando station. Great atmosphere with english menus available. Just a few doors down a small street from a famous ramen shop called Soba Kiri Miyota, which is a great place for seasonal ramen selections (always a line in front of the shop). For a top floor outdoor deck drinking spot with a view down to the Omotesando fashion district we recommend Two Rooms Grill. This upscale restaurant has a large outdoor terrace where you can enjoy a spring/summer/fall evening. You can order from the main menu or more affordable bar bites menu. There are a few restaurants on the 2nd and 3rd floors of Omotesando Hills shopping mall that we like. First and foremost, we recommend a French Tapas and Wine bar called Partager Bar a Vin. Great spot for a light tapas meal and good wine - get the mushroom salad if they have it. Next to Partager is 37 Roast Beef. We always like stopping at the Hasegawa Saketen sake bar on the 2nd floor either before or after dinner for sake. We recommend reservations for both Partager and 37 Roast Beef but both restaurants tend to be less crowded than the Omotesando restaurants on street level.
Ginza
- Dusk into night time is the best time to visit Ginza because the neon lights are spectacular. Wander through Mitsukoshi and Matsuya department stores -- The flagship Uniqlo store is a MUST! This Uniqlo carries items that are not found in other Uniqlo stores. The destination stationary shop Itoya should be opening their new store in Ginza soon after a few years of construction … the temporary store is nice in the meantime.
- Most amazing ramen we've ever had is at Kagari (but you'll likely have to wait for a LONG time to get in). They moved to a new location here in Dec 2018. We don’t recommend going in groups of more than two as it is very small. If you are into ramen, another great ramen restaurant (with very good atmosphere -- unusual for a ramen shop) is Gogyo Ramen in Nishi Azabu. Here is a link to the so-called “best ramen” shops in Tokyo that includes Kagari.
- Our favorite Greek restaurant in Tokyo is The Apollo, originally from Sydney, located on the 11F of the Tokyu Plaza Ginza building. Great views from window side tables with a modern take on traditional Greek food.
- Delicious Chinese food at Blue Lily. (on the B2 level of a restaurant building down the block from Mitsukoshi on the Ginza main drag -- a little hard to find -- look for the small sign and go down the stairs. The decor here will make you want to visit Shanghai!). Located close to Blue Lily is an always good, and reasonably priced Yakitori-ya called Torigin. In addition to a full selection of grilled chicken items, the restaurant is also known for its authentic kama-meshi (rice dish cooked in a small iron pot).
- Ginza Music Bar is a fun place to go to after a dinner in the Ginza area. The bar was opened 3 years ago by a group of music producers who wanted to recreate the cultural mood of old Ginza (salon bar style setting with muted lights and decor) combined with a top of the line high fidelity sound system for playing over 3,000 vinyl records from a range of music genres.
- If you are looking to splurge (think ~$1,500 for two with drinks) but want to experience the quintessential Japanese “ryotei” dining experience consider Kitcho Honten in Ginza. (reviews)
- If you fancy getting dressed up in Samurai costumes and having a go at samurai sword and fan dance performance (Samurai Kembu), we recommend booking a workshop at Tokyo Samurai Kembu in the Ginza area. They offer a variety of workshop programs for adults (and kids) that involve learning the basics (and history) of using a samurai sword or fan, including the opportunity to deliver a small performance. Great thing to do with a group of friends. The authentic costumes provide great photo opps too. The workshops vary in length and cost with the shorter classes (1 hour) in the Yen 7,000 per person range and the longer classes (1.5 hours) in the Yen 9,000 range.
- Near Ginza is the Imperial Palace. Visiting, or even seeing, the “palace” is not actually possible, as it is set deep inside the vast, forested grounds behind a moat. You will see the ancient stone walls and moats and some very nice pine trees in the surrounding open spaces, but not the actual palace. However, it is worth doing. Video of Palace and nearby Hibiya park: here.
- Not too far from Ginza on the 38th floor of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel (Nihonbashi Muromachi) one can find a one-of-a-kind Japan dining experience at the Tapas Molecular Bar (reservations required weeks in advance). Very pricey evening but worth it you want to enjoy innovative tapas served sushi-bar style complemented with spectacular views stretching out towards the Imperial Palace and Shinjuku. Video of the experience here.
- Also not far from Ginza is a great fresh seafood izakaya called Shin-Hinomoto (also known as Andy’s), which is located underneath the railroad tracks near Yurakucho Station (Marunouchi side). The restaurant is owned and managed by a British man named Andy who shopped for the restaurant every day at Tsukiji Fish Market for over 25 years. The relationships he developed at Tsukiji allow him to consistently offer a legendary (among the Tokyo foreign community) daily selection of fresh and affordable seafood. When you reserve, request an upstairs table and ask them to save you some King Crab -- it’s a highlight! We had an opportunity to join him on one of his morning shopping trips to Tsukiji (video of Tsukiji shopping trip: here). The fish market has since moved to its new location, which unfortunately doesn’t have the charm and local feel of the original market. The renamed Toyosu Fish Market is more industrial and you can no longer walk around with as much freedom as you could before.
- Andy’s is a great place to try the drink called Grapefruit Sour. The traditional Lemon Sour cocktail is made with fresh lemon juice, soda and shochu. Shochu is a grain alcohol made from rice that has very little taste, so it is good for blending with other flavors and it is on the menu in most drinking establishments. Some places offer grapefruits as an alternative to lemons, and Andy’s gives you an entire big, juicy grapefruit (which you juice yourself with a citrus juicer) with each serving. It’s very refreshing, a gluten free alternative to beer, and pairs well with seafood. Lemon Sours and Grapefruit Sours are popular with women, but men like them, too! Don’t miss out on this fun drink -- especially in summer.
- Located a short walk south of Andy’s (on the right as you walk south) is an always delicious and reasonably priced yakitoriya called Teppei Yarakucho. Teppei specializes in charbroiled chicken skewers. They also offer a wide variety of Japanese izakaya foods and alcoholic drinks such as sake, shochu, beers, wines, and so on at an average cost per person of Yen 4,000. It’s hard to find...it’s on the 2nd floor across the street (catty-corner to the north) of a restaurant that has a large pig head above the entrance. The sign has Yakitori written in English.
- For an excellent overview of Japan’s unique food culture (including sushi), check out this overview created by Google’s Arts & Culture institute: Meshiagare! Flavors of Japan.
Tokyo Tower and vicinity
- A MUST visit destination restaurant at the base of Tokyo Tower is Tofuya Ukai. The service, decor and setting are supreme. It is a wonderful place to experience traditional Japanese high-end dining without a high price tag (at least at lunch). Tofu-based cuisine but you can add fish and meat courses with an extra charge -- the basic lunch course is plenty of food though, so don’t add these unless you are very hungry. Every party gets a private room overlooking a garden and some have views of Tokyo Tower. It just feels very special. Dinner is very expensive, so we recommend making reservations for a late afternoon lunch (3 p.m.). This way you can enjoy the garden and take photos there during the daylight hours and also experience the garden lit up at night, which is spectacular.
- A sister restaurant, Ukai Toriyama, located near Mt. Takao and Hachioji in western Tokyo, for a memorable day trip from Tokyo combined with a “hike” at Mt. Takao. This place specializes in grilled chicken cuisine -- most of the tables are in private cottages nestled in a spectacular garden with a stream running through it. (Be sure to request a private cottage when you reserve or you may be seated in a larger hall, which is not as nice).
- Big, spectacular traditional temple without travelling all the way to Asakusa: Zojo-ji. Great photo op for Tokyo Tower in the background of your temple pix. If you happen to be in Japan in early July, make sure to check out the Tanabata Light Festival at Zojo-ji. Each paper candle has a handwritten message or drawing, the work of nursery school and preschool kids from various prefectures in Japan. The messages contain children’s wishes, dreams, and hopes for the future. Good to combine a visit to Zojo-ji with a visit to Tofuya Ukai -- about 5 minutes walk from each other.
- Not far from Tokyo Tower and Zojo-ji are the Hamarikyu Gardens located along Tokyo Bay. We enjoy walking through the landscaped gardens and highly recommend the tea house where you can enjoy traditional Japanese tea and a snack in a lovely tea house overlooking the water.
- If you happen to be in Japan during cherry blossom season in March/April, I highly recommend you check out the cherry blossom scene along the Meguro River in Tokyo (see video: cherry blossoms along Meguro River). To do this, take the Hibiya subway line to Naka-Meguro and make your way over to the river. There are lots of stands selling food and champagne. It is a really fun scene. Another great place to enjoy cherry blossoms (day or night) is the north east corner of the Imperial Palace near the Indian Embassy. Riding bikes around the palace is an even better way to take it all in (see video here).
- This video (Tokyo Around Christmas Time) gives a flavor for what Tofuya Ukai tofu restaurant is like and includes vignettes of the popular Bauhaus club (see below) in Roppongi, Tonki Tonkatsu, one of our favorite restaurants in Tokyo (located near Meguro Station - best tonkatsu (breaded pork) in the world-video here), a trip to Yumoto Choza in Fukuchi Onsen (our favorite hot spring ryokan located in Gifu Prefecture), the Shinhotaka Ropeway (located near Yumoto Choza, a high alpine tram that takes you up into the mountains for great hiking/views), the famous Hakone-Mt. Fuji Round trip course (see below), and various sites around Tokyo during the Christmas holidays such as Senso-ji and Roppongi Hills.
Shibuya
- Fun, young shopping area that has recently gone through quite a building boom with lots of new construction around the famous Shibuya Scramble Crossing intersection, including Google Japan’s new Shibuya Stream office building, which is located right next to the Shibuya Scramble Square High Rise Complex, and Shibuya Hikarie Complex. All of these new buildings are now interconnected with above street level walkways and have lots of enjoyable restaurants and shopping.
- We highly recommend you pay the Yen 2,000 per person fee to go up to the top of Shibuya Scramble Square building to Shibuya Sky for the best rooftop, full 360-degree view of Tokyo that we have experienced. Try to pick a clear day so you can enjoy views of Mt Fuji, Tokyo Bay, etc. Here is a link to a video of the Shibuya Scramble Crossing and Shibuya Sky rooftop view experience.
- Tokyu Hands is a must-visit when you are in Shibuya. It's a huge "do-it-yourself" store that you can spend hours wandering around in.
- Not too far from Tokyu Hands you can find Genki Sushi, which is a fun place to eat sushi. Each serving is delivered right to your seat on its own remote control transport vehicle. See video here.
- One of our favorite fish restaurants is in the Maruyamacho area of Shibuya called Kaikaya - By The Sea. The sign out front reads, “In some country, there is a port town. In this town, there is a restaurant owned by a mysterious Japanese man, who cooks marvelous seafood dishes. Here you are!” The decor and seafood experienced inside is pretty much what is promised by the sign out front. This place is always full to capacity and reservations are mandatory. You can now book on Open Table at 6, 6:30, 8 or 8:30. They require a credit card upon booking and will charge 8,000 per person for no-shows, which is a reflection of how popular this place is.
- The Shibuya Stream building in Tokyo (Google Japan’s new Tokyo office location) has a number of great restaurants that we would recommend - at the top of our list are the Spanish paella restaurant, XIRINGUITO Escribà (Tokyo location of popular Barcelona restaurant that opened in 1992) and Craft Beer Tap Grill & Kitchen, for german beer and food.
- One stop south from Shibuya on the Yamanote Line is Ebisu - a growing hub for fun restaurants and shopping options. One of our favorite destinations near Ebisu that we often bike to from our home in Nishi Azabu (15 minutes ride) is Yebisu Garden Place, located on the former site of the Yebisu Beer Brewery. Great location for restaurants, drinking spots, photography museum, Yebisu Beer Museum, and great views of Tokyo from Top of Ebisu located on the 38th and 39th floors of Yebisu Garden Place Tower. There’s a Thai restaurant on the 39th floor called Longrain Tokyo. The views from Longrain are spectacular, but we found the food to be not particularly special. We recommend you visit Yebisu Garden Place in late November/ December to see the Christmas decorations.
- For a nice, hip feeling, sake bar with delicious food pairings run by a group of Japanese ladies try Gem by Moto in Ebisu. We’ve had great times here. (Japan Times Review). Across the street from Gem by Moto is a fun spot for a dinner called Fummy's Grill with a nice wine selection, fresh salads and vegetables. We recommend the roast chicken main course (Chicken Daisen). If you have a large group, Fummy’s also provides a set menu with their most popular items and all you can drink for 2 hours (~5,500 per person).
- Another great restaurant in the Ebisu neighborhood is a Mexican restaurant called Kiyas that serves a contemporary fusion of classic Japan stove dining with modern mexican cuisine. Great place to go with groups and reservations are recommended as the restaurant only seats 26 people. The menu is based on a set course that varies and the restaurant is good about letting you substitute in alternatives items if needed. The wines were great too!
- There is now a Din Tai Fung on the 7th floor of the new Atre Ebisu West building adjacent to Ebisu Station. This international chain of Chinese dumpling restaurants is in a league of its own in terms of consistently high food quality. The reason the food is so good is that everything is prepared fresh on site. See video here. This location is the nicest one we have been to, (we discovered Din Tai Fung in Shanghai and have been to branches in Singapore and Seattle) with several window tables for two and counter seating looking out at the city view - call ahead and book one of these window tables and you will not be disappointed.
Daikanyama
- Daikanyama is one of our go-to neighborhoods for dining, especially outside dining. It’s a very fashionable area with trendy restaurants and shops, and is sometimes called the Brooklyn of Tokyo. For a great rooftop Mexican dining/drinking experience with 360 degree views of Tokyo we recommend Haciendo del Cielo on the top 9th floor of a Daikanyama building overlooking the city. We have spent several very pleasant weekend afternoons here “sampling” Mojitos and Margaritas while enjoying the outside sunshine and great views.
- A five-minute walk from here is another favorite venue that provides outside seating, Spring Valley Brewery, where you can sit outside while enjoying beer and casual food. We like the beer sampler, and for something a little different and refreshing try the shiso infused citrus beer. They have a lovely kale salad and the food quality is high overall. The brewery is located in a rejuvenated area of Daikanyama called the Log Road that starts just north of Daikanyama station on the Tokyu line. Completing the outdoor dining trifecta in Daikanyama is a BBQ restaurant called Glams BBQ Lounge where you can enjoy BBQ on an outdoor terrace. Cedros, an American-style seafood restaurant with a California vibe (owned and run by two Japanese brothers who grew up in San Diego) is just up the hill. On the other side of the tracks, a great dessert venue option after dinner is Paletas, which offers colorful popsicles made from a variety of different fruit types. About a 7-minute taxi ride from Daikanyama (closer to Meguro Station than Daikanyama) is recently opened Locale, a farm to table style restaurant run by American chef Katy Cole. Tucked into a back street near the Meguro River, Locale is off the beaten track. A great place to bike to brunch for on Saturday and Sundays that is actually open when you would expect brunch to be served (9:30am -2:30pm). Also a fun, cozy atmosphere for dinner (but we have not been there for dinner yet).
Roppongi/Nishi-Azabu Area
- Popular bar and club scene. Popular bars with the foreign crowd in Roppongi include Trainbar, Propaganda (famous for Long Island Ice Teas), Geronimo Shot Bar (late night action), and Motown (very late night action, great but very loud music selection). For a bit more upscale, quieter dining bar/lounge experience where it’s easier to carry on a conversation try R2.
- Abbey Road - Japanese love to recreate Western music... and they're great at it. Every night, this bar band plays several sets of your favorite Beatles tunes ($25 cover). A must for any Beatles fan. Make a reservation for the best seating. The first of four sets starts at 7:30 pm. Another popular live music spot is Kento’s where you can enjoy (and dance to) live US music from the 50’s and 60’s (see video here). The first of 4 sets also starts around 7:30 pm each night with cover charge in the same range as Abbey Road.
- Bauhaus - Bauhaus is legendary among foreign residents of Tokyo for its high-quality rock renditions and consistently lively vibe. It is a bar like Abbey Road and Kento’s, but wilder and the band plays a wider range of rock music. We went here on Christmas Night a few years ago. Needless to say, it was epic. Long-established, Bauhaus has moved a few times over the years and they recently moved to a new, larger space close to their old location. Their signature is music by Queen, so if you have a hankering for a top-notch rendition of Bohemian Rhapsody while in Tokyo, you need to go here.
- Nogizaka Uoshin - great restaurant for sushi, sashimi and other fish dishes at a reasonable price in a fun, casual atmosphere (it is a 5-minute walk from Roppongi Crossing toward Aoyama Dori just past Tokyo Midtown). The building looks like (is) a ramshackle two-story shack with plastic film for windows, but this adds to its charm. They serve standard sushi and sashimi and many cooked fish and shellfish options, but their signature is is Nokke-Zushi -- literally, “piled-up raw fish” -- which consists of chopped tuna, crabmeat, ikura (salmon roe) and uni (sea urchin) over rice. (We aren’t partial to uni, but they are happy to replace the uni with extra crabmeat.) They also serve a delicious, shredded cabbage salad with a light, creamy dressing. Reservations recommended but not mandatory.
- Uokin Shimbashi is another good, affordable fish/sushi/sashimi restaurant with a Roppongi branch near Nogizaka Uoshin and Midtown. Unlike Uoshin, Uokin has an elegant space and atmosphere and so is good for quiet, relaxed conversation with comfortable seating.
- Another affordable seafood option in the heart of Roppongi we like is Uni Seafood. Although we are not big fans of Uni (sea urchin), don’t let the name of this restaurant put you off. They have a broad selection of seafood options in an upbeat atmosphere in a very cool corner of Roppongi.
- Gonpachi - located about a 15 minute walk toward Shibuya from Roppongi at Nishi-Azabu crossing, Gonpachi is a popular izakaya style restaurant that’s famous for the Kill Bill film scene shot there. A bit touristy but fun - reservations recommended.
- Also, near Nishi-Azabu crossing is our favorite local neighborhood yakitori restaurant, Toriyoshi located here. Make sure you order the “kijidon” (small chicken teriyaki bowl with peppers) at the end of your meal...absolutely delicious but order ½ way through your meal as it takes a bit of time to prepare. Here is a link to a video from Toriyoshi. Right around the corner from Toriyoshi is Bistro Champagne Tresors, a great Nishi Azabu place to go for a glass of champagne. The bar/bistro is run by a couple of folks who know their sparkling wines (and have collected wine cooler buckets from around the world). Their 6 - 7:00pm happy hour is a great place to start off the night.
- Another fun French Bistro not far from Nishi Azabu Crossing is Plate Tokyo where you can either have a full course or a la carte meal, or have just have a glass of wine nightcap - always served with lots of personality (location here.). A short walking distance from Plate Tokyo is a quiet, elegant, and traditional Japanese Izakaya call Ogi (highly recommend the cold sake and the pork-cabbage dish). Not far from Ogi is one of our favorite go to Italian restaurants for special occasions, Cucina Tredici Aprile (set menu only & expect to pay Yen 14,000 per person with wine). The restaurant is run by a charming husband-wife team with beautiful crockery - always a special evening. About a 30 feet away from Cucina Tredici Aprile is a fun place to stop for after dinner cocktails called Library Lounge THESE. It’s set up as a two floor “library” with lots of nooks and crannies for quiet conversations. When you arrive, the staff ask guests to pick a drink based on a bowl of fruit they show you and the alcohol of your choice. When the weather is right there is also seating on the roof. Not far from Library Lounge THESE is an affiliated bar called Boctok that serves similar seasonal fruit cocktails in a more traditional lounge atmosphere setting. Also located near Nishi Azabu Crossing is a recently opened “creative Italian” restaurant called Saccapau. A bit pricey but an amazing set course dining experience (we recommend doing the wine pairing) that delivers up some of the most creative dishes we’ve seen in Tokyo (expect to pay Yen 20,000 per person). Just up the hill from Nishi Azabu Crossing toward Shibuya is another one of our all time favorite Italian restaurants, Antonio's. Make sure to order the veal parmigiana. If you are looking for a good sushi restaurant in the Nishi-Azabu area, we recommend Sushi Furukawa where it’s best to order the “omakase menu” (let the chef decide) and just let the chef know if there is something you don’t like. Expect to pay Yen 15,000 per person including drinks for higher quality sushi outing. If you would prefer a less expensive sushi restaurant option in the area that still is quite good, we recommend Sushi Misakimaru near Hiroo station. If you like roasted chicken and vegetables served with a large wine and craft beer selection, try Le Plus Marche near Hiroo station next door to Sushi Misakimaru. It takes about 40 minutes for the chef to cook a full chicken but you can call in advance so it will be ready when you show up. A fun Japanese style yakiniku restaurant in Nishi Azabu is Niku Azabu where you can barbecue meat at your table in a fun, upbeat atmosphere (see video). Reservations recommended. For a nice French cuisine dinner near Nishi Azabu Crossing we recommend Epices Kaneko (reviews). Located on the 1rst and 2nd floor of a home reportedly owned by the famous Japanese actress, Kirin Kiki, the restaurant is very cozy with just a few tables, attentive staff and a delicious set menu where you can pick from a few options.
- If you are looking for something a little different to do in Tokyo one night after dinner you might want to check out Black Rose near Nishi Azabu crossing. It’s considered to be a “light S&M club” but is actually pretty tame, and can be a fun place to take out of town guests who want to experience the edgier side of Tokyo. The women, who are dressed in leather, mingle with the guests and have dance sets every 30 minutes. For a small extra charge they will drip hot candle wax on your arm (it doesn’t hurt). If you are looking for a nice, casual Japanese standing bar near Nishi Azabu Crossing, we love Joe's Bar, which is open 6:00pm - 6:00am and always has a friendly, lively crowd. Another fun place near Nishi Azabu in Minami Aoyama is a live band Karaoke bar called Gigabar where you can go on stage and play with the cover band (if you know how to play an instrument well!). It’s fun to watch guests take a turn at playing with the band - and some are really good. Tokyo also has a lot of great live jazz locations. Here is a list of the most popular places to listen to jazz in Tokyo. Our favorites on the list are Body & Soul, Blue Note and Billboard. Not on this list but very good in the Roppongi area are Alfie and Electric Jinja, the latter is especially good late on Tuesday nights when performers from other clubs and concert venues come here to jam until the wee hours of the morning.
- Mori no Beer Garden (literally, Beer Garden in the Forest) located in Meiji Jingu Garden (Meiji Jingu Gaien) is about a 10 min taxi ride from Roppongi. Highly recommended in late spring, summer, and early fall (check the website for exact dates of operation) if you want to get a taste of the traditional outdoor Japanese beer garden experience.
- Roppongi Hills is a beautiful shopping, eating, and office complex that we recommend wandering around. Go to the top floor of Mori Tower and do the observation deck or Mori museum (exhibits rotate). It is nice to be in the observation area around sunset for the prettiest light.
- Tokyo Midtown, near Roppongi, is an elegant mall with shopping and dining and the small and lovely Suntory Museum, which hosts exhibitions of traditional arts. Located in Tokyo Midtown is Tokyo Midtown Clinic where you can find medical care if needed with English speaking staff. They have a very good English website. One of the best places to have a drink and enjoy a great view of Tokyo is The Lobby Lounge at the Ritz Carlton on the 45th floor of Midtown. Be sure to get there before 6:00pm to avoid a cover charge. Other good restaurants in this complex are Napule Pizzeria (reservations mandatory - ask for terrace seating if the weather is nice - there are also heaters and blankets provided) and Union Square Cafe (a branch of the famous New York restaurant).
- If you happen to be in Tokyo around the holidays don’t miss the Illumination light show in the park behind Midtown. Very near Midtown is a great all-you-can-eat shabushabu restaurant called On Yasai, and a great little, and affordable neighborhood izakaya called Uoshin next to the entrance of Nogizaka Station. Not too far from Uoshin (in the direction of the National Arts Center) is another affordable seafood izakaya style restaurant called Uokin that we highly recommend. The popular seafood restaurant chain in the Shimbashi area recently opened up their first store in Roppongi.
- Architecture and art buffs will like the National Arts Center near Nogizaka Station (good to combine with a visit to Midtown -- it is very near.). The upstairs French Cafe here is a great place to take a break, enjoy an affordable glass of wine (by Tokyo standards), and plan your next stop. More background on the Arts Center and other Tokyo museums here.
- Also not far from Midtown (10 minute taxi ride) is one of the nicest Japanese gardens in Tokyo located behind the Hotel New Otani. The 10 acre garden, surrounded by the outer moat of the historic Edo Castle, is 400 years old and spectacular. You can enjoy brunch in the hotel garden restaurant overlooking the garden. A five minute walk from New Otani is a fun ninja-themed restaurant called Ninja Akasaka. The restaurant has trap doors and hidden hallways with Ninja actors interacting with guests. It’s a bit touristy but the food is actually quite good (expect to pay about Yen 10,000 per person for the set menu course). Here's a video that provides more background on the experience. Also in Akasaka is a fun little Japanese izakaya we’ve been to a few times called Musashi Chabu that has great food (sushi, shabu shabu) and a great selection of sake. It’s best to go on a weekend as restaurants in the Akasaka area can be quite crowded with business folks on weeknights. A good, reasonably priced Thai food restaurant in Akasaka is Ananda. For a traditional, chicken dinner (grilled, hot pots, etc) in Akasaka in an "old style" Japanese restaurant we recommend Yoinokuchi, which is located a short walk from Akasaka station. Private rooms are available. For teppan-yaki in Akasaka we recommend Dante. Another simple, traditional fare Japanese restaurant (with great ambience) we like is Umaya. Nice place to bring guests for an affordable, Japanese izakaya style meal in a beautiful, old traditional building with a charming entrance and landscaping. The food is based on ingredients from Kyushu...Great yakitori, pork shabu-shabu; simple nabe hotpots; plenty of vegetable dishes. You can order a la carte or by course (reviews). For Chinese in Akasaka try Baiwan Jukairo Akasaka. If you have a hankering for country music and a desire to give line dancing a shot in Tokyo, check out Country House right above Akasaka Station. Live country music every night, affordable cover charge/drink/food prices, and very friendly owner/staff. The bands usually mix in a little light rock & roll with the bar’s standard country music fare. Short video of the experience at Country House: here.
Azabu-juban
- The Azabu-juban area of Tokyo has a traditional yet trendy feel to it, and it’s not over taken by tourists though it has a large international population given its proximity to embassies and international schools. It is by far one of our favorite neighborhoods in Tokyo.
- A very hip boutique hotel called The Lively just opened here in November 2019. It’s the hotel chain’s 3rd location (the other 2 are in Osaka and Fukuoka). It has a very hip atmosphere and affordable (though small) rooms. The theme is “Urban underground subcultures, with the blending of creativity and technology”. The 2 things we like most about it are its cozy 9th floor bar for after or pre-dinner drinks with a view of the skyline and Tokyo Tower (open 6:00 - midnight), and its 2nd floor, outdoor terraced bar/lounge where you can enjoy a light meal (including a nice breakfast starting at 7:30am) or drinks until 10pm.
- Two of our favorite restaurants in the Azabu-juban (and here) shopping district near Roppongi are Savoy for great wood oven pizza, and the recently opened organic food restaurant, We Are the Farm. Savoy is a small (seats 12 people) pizzeria that consistently serves the best pizza we’ve found in Tokyo (reservations recommended; video here). We Are the Farm offers seasonal organic cuisine in a modern, cozy, low light and hip atmosphere in the middle of Azabu-juban. If you can’t get into Savoy and want delicious wood oven pizza, you can also try Pizza Strada nearby, which was established by one of the chefs from Savoy. It’s a larger version of Savoy, has a bigger menu, and has great Italian meatballs! Not too far from Pizza Strada is a small, casual 2nd floor Italian restaurant (no smoking), Nanohana Trattoria that seats 18 people and is run by the chef and one waitress (very polite). Dinner for two with a few glasses of wine runs about Yen 12,000. Very cozy atmosphere with a small but well thought out selection of Italian food - we recommend the meat, fish and pasta selections. Another neighborhood Italian restaurant we like for a quick bite to eat is Serenita, which is just up the hill from Azabu-juban in Minami-Azabu. Great spot for pasta and salads (we love the swordfish salad).
- For reasonably priced, traditional Japanese fair, comfort food (handmade soba noodles, sashimi, tempura, grilled chicken), strong nihonshu - Japanese rice wine - selection that is available to 4:00am most nights, we recommend Kawakami An Azabu. Great atmosphere, accessible English menu (Trip Advisor Review). The original restaurant, Kawakami An, is based in Karuizawa, Nagaon (Japanese Alps). We have also been to and like the Aoyama Branch. If you like tempura and a nice glass of wine or champagne, we recommend Tachinomi Tempura in Azabu-juban. It’s a stand-up tempura restaurant where you can choose from a selection of fresh tempura offerings, while sipping wine and watching folks walk by on the main street in Azabu-juban. It’s right across the street from Gelateria Marghera, a great place to grab Italian gelato ice cream after dinner. One block away from Tachinomi Tempura (headed back toward Roppongi Hills on the main street) is a great Thai Chinese restaurant called “I Am Dragon” - quiet, fresh reasonably priced Chinese cuisine that we also recommend if you have an itch for Chinese food. Another Chinese cuisine restaurant in the area we like is Dalian (great for Chinese dumplings). Hakata Hotaru is a great Fukuoka-style seafood izakaya in Azabu-juban that has private rooms and communal style tables. Very friendly, high touch service (they provided hand warmers to each of us as we left one cold January evening).
- If you are looking for a good take-out bagel sandwich for breakfast or lunch in Azabu-Juban, try The New York Club. For brunch in the area we also like the originally from Los Angeles, Blu Jam Cafe, which has two locations in Tokyo, Azabujuban, and Daikanyama. In 2016 a Japanese-American family, seeking to bring healthier alternatives and some authentic American brunch to Japan, decided to license BLU JAM CAFE from the LA owners and open the cafes in Tokyo. They also offer craft beers, wines, and rotational cocktails with burgers, sandwiches and burritos for evening dining. Our friends in LA recommended we try BLU JAM CAFE and we are glad that we did. For a super fresh, stand-up, social (friendly vibe, meet other folks) Yakitoriya bistro experience in the middle of Azabu-juban try Bistro-Awa, next to Patio-Juban park and the landmark Statue of Kimi-chan (also starting place for Azabujuban’s annual Fall Harvest O-Mikoshi festival parade. Video: here).
- Bistro-Awa is popular with foreigners, multiple TV screens play the latest sports events, very friendly, attentive staff. Table charge of Yen 300 per person, which includes a multiple choice appetizer that comes your way within a minute of coming into the restaurant. On the same street as Bistro-Awa on the corner of the main Azabujuban street above the Seijo Ishii supermarket is a wine bar we like called Le Bar a Vin 52. It’s a chain with other locations in Ebisu, Shibuya, Kamiyacho, and Yokohama. It has a very pleasant atmosphere with reasonable prices especially if you order by the bottle and not by the glass (happy hour on weekdays until 6:30 and weekends till 5pm). We recommend the selection of dry cured ham and cheese for wine platter, the power salad with kale, fruits and quinoa, and the Mussels à la Provence. A good reasonably priced Yakitori Izakaya in the area is Sata Juro, which has standard grilled chicken and hot pot selections, including access to English menus. Reservations usually required - we like sitting at the counter or in one of the 4 seats on the outside enclosed porch (heated in winter). For fresh vegetable shabu shabu, we recommend Yasaiya Mei, which specializes in vegetables grown in Japan. For those meat lovers, chicken, pork and beef shabu-shabu are also available. For “hawker-style Asian Canteen” Singapore cuisine and Hainanese Chicken Rice, our favorite spot is Hainan Jeefan Shokudo. In addition to Chicken Rice, they offer Laksa, Bak Kut Teh, Fried Hokkien Mee, and other dishes made from scratch sauces. Casual atmosphere with very attentive staff. For some reason a favorite spot with Sumo Wrestlers. Ramen pick in Azabu-juban: Ichikoro Ramen located near Azabu-juban station. Very strong reviews. Here is a nice breakdown of the menu in English. No-smoking, bright atmosphere (open to 4:00am) - we love the thicker chicken broth (aosasoba), gyoza and the very soft separate menu item chicken legs that have meat that falls off the bones...they must cook it for hours in the ramen broth.
- Just around the corner from Ichikoro Ramen is a quiet, small wine + small plates bistro (counter and tables for 2 only so never noisy with large groups) called Vineira Sacra Laundry. Great spot for dinner and a quiet conservation. We love the “salted chicken” - you can get a whole, ½ or ¼ chicken - the ½ is perfect for two people. The french fries were delicious as was the watercress salad. Wine is affordable with generous pours.
- Perhaps the most famous restaurant in Azabu-juban is a 230 year-old noodle restaurant called Sarashina Horii. The lines to get in can be quite long, especially during the New Year holiday period but they do take reservations. The restaurant got a boost with foreign guests after a visit by Anthony Bourdain that is captured in this YouTube video clip here. You can choose western style or floor seating. Keep in mind the 6 steps of eating soba that are outlined in a brochure provided to foreign guests: Step 1: Eat soba with chopsticks. Don’t eat by hand, Step 2: Pour soba broth into a cup. Don’t pour directly into soba, Step 3: Dip ⅓ of soba into the atsuya (soba broth that is matured for 2 years using dried tuna flakes (bonito)). Not all! Step 4: Put Yakumi (condiments) little by little into broth. Step 5: Slurp soba. Don’t be polite in chewing. Slurping allows you to enjoy the aroma spreading throughout the mouth to the nose. Step 6: Drink Sobayu (a hot broth poured into the soba broth cup at the end of the meal that you can drink to capture the last flavors of the soba broth).
- We recently discovered a new Yakitori restaurant in Azabu Juban that we liked called Torihan. The small, pleasant atmosphere restaurant is run by a husband and wife team, and only has approximately 5 tables that can hold up to 5 people each. Making a reservation is recommended. They offer a standard course (Yen, 4,300) that we like which includes 2 appetizer dishes, a salad, 7 chicken sticks, 2 fried vegetable dishes and soup. You can also order premium (Yen 5,300) and platina (Yen 6,300) courses that include more dishes and chicken. A la carte dining is available only after 9:00pm. When you order, it’s ok to ask for regular chicken meat (“futsuu touri”) that doesn’t include organs (“naizou”). Torihan also has a wonderful selection of sake.
Shinjuku
- Park Hyatt Shinjuku - Lost in Translation was filmed here. You will recognize the New York Bar in scenes from the movie. Fun place for a drink but pricey and it gets smokey. For a less expensive alternative, make a reservation for the “Peak of Joy” at the Peak Bar on the lobby level of the hotel (on the 41st floor). For about 5,500 yen per person at the Peak of Joy, you get unlimited drinks (including all of the nicest cocktails and wines) and a pretty good selection of appetizers (but not all you can eat) for a two-hour window. It is a fun way to see the great view from the 41st floor of the Park Hyatt and drink some interesting cocktails for not a lot of money. Important note: The Park Hyatt is a lovely, albeit very expensive, hotel, but it is not well-located for sightseeing, as it is about a 20 minute walk from Shinjuku Station and near no major sights, so we do not recommend staying here.)
- The Robot Restaurant - A weird show which includes a small “dinner” is a thing to see (once!). Here is a video of what to expect. (If you decide to do this, get there at least 30 minutes early … the first people in line will be escorted to a funky mirrored “robot bar” with wacky seating, robots on your table, and good photo ops … the earlier you get there the nicer the seating you will get in this funny bar and it is worth it. (Note to reader: this venue may have closed in the fall of 2023)
- Golden Gai - Recommend wandering around this unique bar district. This is how Tokyo looked before WWII - very narrow lanes with tiny storefronts that only fit a handful of people. Best to go with someone who speaks Japanese. Here is a link to a great tour of Golden Gai created by Google Arts & Culture Institute.
- Shinjuku Gyoen Park is one of the nicest parks in Tokyo. Huge beautiful landscape gardens with ponds, trees and fields where you can sit in the grass and enjoy a picnic lunch purchased from the nearby Shinjuku center. One of the best places to see cherry or plum tree blossoms. Link to video of Shinjuku Gyoen Park experience here.
- Restaurant recommendations in the Shinjuku area: Uoshin (great but affordable fish restaurant). Ushinoyotare (A very cozy restaurant near Shinjuku in a not so nice neighborhood but inside is nice. Best seats are at the counter that surrounds the Irori pit). Torishige (great grilled pork restaurant; only takes cash).
- If you happen to be in Tokyo in mid-February, check out the annual "Some no Komichi" festival over in the Nakai area of Shinjuku. The 3 day festival celebrates the art of dyeing and screen printing. Japanese dye producers have been located in this area for a long time going back to the Edo period. During the festival, colorful dyed fabrics are hung along the banks of the Myoshoji River. It’s a very colorful event with plenty of places to stop for lunch and/or a drink. Here is a link to a video of what to expect.
Akihabara:
- A few minutes by train from Tokyo Station. Those who are interested in comics, maid cafés (cosplay), J-pop (akb48) and electronic devices should visit Akihabara.
Senso-ji
- Great traditional temple near Asakusa (Senso-ji). This is also close to area where you can watch Sumo Wrestling at Kokugikan Sumo Hall. Or you can visit a sumo stable in the area and watch the morning training session, known as asageiko.
Nihonbashi
- Nihombashi is home to the main branches of Mitsukoshi and Takashimaya department stores. These (and other) department stores have special events happening periodically, from regional food festivals (like France Week, which features pop-up versions of some of Tokyo’s top French restaurants and special foods and other merchandise from France) to special exhibitions by regional craftspeople to fashion shows by top designers. While there are other branches of these stores around the city, these main branches tend to be the showplaces of the brands, so check their websites regularly to see if they are planning any special events that may be of interest to you. By coincidence, we happened upon a Junko Koshino fashion show at this Mitsukoshi which we were very glad we got to see.
- Nihonbashi Artizon Museum: The Bridgestone Museum, which contained the exceptional Western art collection of the founder of Bridgestone Tires, closed in 2005. It reopened in January 2020 in a new building and with a new name. The new name, “Artizon” is a combination of “art” and “horizon,” and the new facility, which occupies the first six floors of the new Bridgestone headquarters in Nihonbashi, is a cutting edge exhibition space. The materials used in the spaces were carefully planned, and each floor has a different layout theme, allowing the visitor to experience different ways of connecting with the art. The collection contains pieces of many of the masters of Western art.
- The museum also has an interactive digital “art wall” (created in collaboration with the Mori Borderless Digital Art Museum) which showcases all of the art in the museum with short explanations. This is a very cool feature, which we spent about 15 minutes checking out at the end of our visit. Art buffs will want to add this museum to their Nihombashi itinerary or even make a special trip there just to go to it.
Odaiba
- If you are looking for an opportunity to go on a bike ride in Tokyo, we highly recommend renting a bike (or using the bikes that many hotels provide to guests) and biking over to Odaiba, which is right across the Rainbow Bridge on the Minato-ku waterfront. The route from Roppongi takes about 1 ½ hours on bike (including the required “ bike walk” across the Rainbow Bridge). Once you are in Odaiba, we highly recommend brunch/lunch at Bills, and if you’re with children (or are young at heart), the Trick Art Museum is a lot of fun. When you are ready to return, you can bike back over the Rainbow Bridge or catch a ferry back over to the Tokyo side of the bay (recommended and you can bring your bike onto the ferry for a small upcharge). Here is a link to a video to give you a sense of the Odaiba bike experience.
Places to stay in Tokyo
- There are lots of options, and it depends on your budget. Here is a list of full service hotel options in central Tokyo. Our family has stayed at the Grand Hyatt and ANA Intercontinental both near Roppongi. The Grand Hyatt is very nice, relatively new and located in the posh shopping/dining/office complex of Roppongi Hills. It is easily accessible to Roppongi Station and a short cab ride from many sights. If it is within your budget, this would probably be our top pick.
- In the budget category, the K's House chain gets great reviews. We stayed in a private room at the one in the Izu Peninsula (K's House in Ito Onsen) and loved it. Great value. They are in Kyoto and Tokyo and a few other places. Very popular, but you usually need to book in advance if you are interested. Check out the website at https://kshouse.jp/.
- If your budget is a little higher but you are still looking for value, there are two hotel chains that we can recommend. One is Dormy Inn. These are very clean and cute and they almost always have a nice onsen on the roof, including breakfast and late night noodles. The other is APA Hotel. These are a little more expensive, but they are plentiful all around Japan.
- For other affordable options, lots of visitors to Tokyo have found great locations and deals through Tokyo Airbnb. Also, Here is a fairly current list of budget hotels and hostels in Tokyo.
Great ways to get an overview of Tokyo
- A great way to get your bearings in Tokyo is to do a bike tour with Tokyo Great Cycling Tour. They run a few different routes with experienced guides, each about 6 hours (~25 kilometers) including stops for lunch and tours of local attractions. Check out a video of the bike tour here.
- Another fun way to see the Tokyo area in a 2 or 3 hour window is to put on a funny character costume and ride around the city in go-karts with MariCar. A video of what the MariCar experience is like here.
- If you think you can walk 42km (26 miles) in one day consider joining a group of walkers who circumnavigate the central Yamanote train line on the first Saturday of each month starting from Ueno Station and ending there about 10-11 hours later. The group, as a general rule, meets at 7:45am in front of the Tokyo Cultural Institute (Tokyo Bunka Kaikan) at the west exit of Ueno Station, and walk clockwise and counterclockwise around the Yamanote Line on alternate months. It costs Yen 100 to register, and expect to make a brief introduction to the group as a newcomer. After a short warm up, the group leaves around 8:00 and usually gets back to Ueno around 6:00pm. The folks leading the route know the way to go so all you have to do is follow. It’s a great way to take the measure of Tokyo, and experience the different urban centers that surround Tokyo’s central core. Here is a video of what to expect.
Short Trips from Tokyo
- If you are looking for a fun overnight trip in late Fall, Winter or early Spring - consider going to the Snow Monkey Park in Nagano - about two hours from Tokyo on bullet train and connecting train lines, and stay at an onsen (hot spring) in the town of Yamanouchi.
Here is a video of what to expect at the park. Grab a draft at Shiga Kogen Brewery on your hike back to town.
- Hakone Round Trip Course - easy day trip from Tokyo. Take the Romance Car Train from Shinjuku to Hakone and enjoy great views of Mt. Fuji on a loop that involves trains, trams, pirate boats, and short hikes.
- Ramen Museum in Yokohama. This is a museum that recreates Japanese streets in the 50’s and houses several mini store fronts from the most famous ramen houses across Japan. Come, take some wacky pictures, and try a sampling of the small ramen bowls from the different vendors.
- While in Yokohama, if you have a full day, we recommend taking a walk along the Yamashita Promenade that goes along the port of Yokohama - you will find lots of museums and beautiful views of the port. We recommend stops at Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse (2 historical building constructed about a century ago that are now home to restaurants, retail outlets and exhibitions...great place for brunch is Bills - go for the banana pancakes), Hikawa Maru (only surviving 1930’s luxury passenger/cargo ship that is in its original state - feels a bit like walking through a smaller version of the Titanic), and spending some time out on the Osanbashi Pier (a 400 meter pier with walkways and green spaces that are open to the general public...an interesting attraction even for travelers not boarding a ship).
- Kamakura was the capital of Japan from the 12th - 14th century. It’s about an hour train ride from Tokyo with lots of shrines and temples, including one of the largest buddhas in Japan.
- Kawagoe: If you are looking for an opportunity to visit a town that is about an hour from Tokyo’s Shinjuku station that has lots of preserved Edo era clay warehouses and merchant homes (called Karazukuri) that survived the war, we recommend making a day to visit the Edo-period castle town called Kawagoe in Saitama northwest of Tokyo. Think of it as a rural Asakusa where you enjoy a range of traditional and cultural Japanese experiences (think Kimono testing, sake testing, pottery classes, rickshaw rides, etc) and visit Kita-in, a major Buddhist temple that features remnants of the former Edo Castle. It is also less crowded than Kamakura. We have always enjoyed the many traditional cafes and shops with crafts and food along Taisho-Roman Street and Chuo Doori Street. Be sure to check out Penny Candy Lane (Kashiya Yokocho) where in the late 1800s there were over 70 shops making hard candy that was shipped all over Japan. There are still shops making candy on the old machines. If you happen to be in Japan on the 28th of any month, Kawagoe hosts one of the most popular shrine sales in the Tokyo area. Shrine sales in Japan provide an opportunity to purchase antique nick-nacks, statues, ceramics, furniture, kimonos and other kinds of traditional stuff. We have only visited Kawagoe on the shrine sales days, and combine the visit with time in the broader town, especially at night when you see the old merchant buildings lit up. Kawagoe is very accessible on three different train lines and there are lots of English language tour maps to help you get around.
- A nice weekend day outing is Minka-en Open Air Museum in Kawasaki. The museum is home to 25 preserved buildings from the Edo Period (1603-1867) which were relocated to Kawasaki from all over Japan. We enjoyed seeing the old architecture in a natural setting that gives you a feel for what it was like to live in Japan during this period. A must if you like traditional wood architecture. One of the houses is set up as a soba restaurant. We went around children’s day in May when they have special programs for kids (old time games, traditional crafts). Easy parking.
- Another option if you like traditional Japanese architecture is the Edo Tokyo Open Air Museum located on the west side of Tokyo. Most of the architecture is from the Meiji period, and it has a broader selection of architecture styles vs. Minka-en that focuses mostly on farm houses. This is the sister museum of the well known Edo Tokyo Museum located more centrally in Tokyo in the Ryokugo district of Tokyo. The Edo Tokyo Museum is most famous for its dioramas, miniature models of different scenes in traditional Japan. Not too far from Edo Tokyo Museum in Ueno is one of Japan’s oldest and largest museums, The Tokyo National Museum, which has a well curated overview of Japanese art, including nearly 100 national treasures. Ueno Park is also a famous place to take in Japan’s famous cherry blossoms if the timing is right. Check out this Japan Times Review of some of the Tokyo museums mentioned here and others for more details.
Mt. Fuji Five Lakes Region (special section): One hour and 40 minutes drive from Tokyo
In the summer of 2020, with the Coronavirus situation in full swing, and working from home the new normal, we decided to rent a cabin in this area on the north side of Mt. Fuji. We’re glad that we did! We were amazed by the beauty and plentiful things to do that kept us busy over several months. Our favorite activities were catching different and constantly changing views of Mt. Fuji depending on weather and light conditions, biking and walking around the lakes, playing tennis, hiking to waterfalls and more views of Fuji, exploring local restaurants, cafes and museums, & enjoying quiet evenings under the stars.
The Fuji Five Lakes region comprises Yamanaka, Kawaguchi, Saiko, Shoji and Motosu lakes. We rented a cabin at Lake Saiko so got to know this lake the best.
At 900 meters, it was a bit higher (and cooler) than the more developed Kawaguchi Lake (830 meters). You can walk around the 10km perimeter in about 90 minutes with fabulous views of Mt Fuji from the northeast side of the lake and beautiful views of Mt. Junigatake from the south side of the Lake (the blue water and steep green mountains around Lake Saiko reminded us of the Nepali coast of Kauai).
Highlights of Lake Saiko include Iyashi no Sato open air museum and traditional craft village, hiking trailheads for the famous (for good and bad reasons) 30 square kilometer Aokigahara Jukai Forest (Sea of Trees), lots of fishing spots including the opportunity to catch (and release) the Japanese kunimasu trout (only place in the world where this species of trout still exists), several caves created by past eruptions that can be explored including the Saiko Bat, Ice and Wind Caves, and plentiful campgrounds including PICA Fuji Saiko campground. Our favorite place to stop for breakfast/lunch along the lake was the Sun Lake Restaurant. For accommodations, we highly recommend Weekend-House Lake Saiko from whom we rented a cabin for the summer.
The owner and property manager are delightful. They have several cabins located at two different locations on the north side of the lake that can be rented for the weekend, week, or month. Here is a link to a video of a short hike behind the cabins to a great Mt. Fuji view, here is another video of the same hike taken with drone footage.
Our experience of Lake Shoji, the smallest of the five lakes, and Lake Motosu, the deepest and western most of the five lakes (and the remote lake featured on the back of the 1000 yen bill), came primarily from bike rides and picnic outings. Both lakes have spectacular full views of nearby Mt Fuji, ample water sports activities (fishing, sailing, kayaking). A great bike ride is combining Saiko, Shoji and Motsu into one 30 mile loop ride. Here is a link to a video of that loop ride, which provides an overview of what you can expect to see around the 3 lakes. To see this day mapped out in a Google Earth Project copy this link and paste it into a Chrome browser, or open it on a mobile phone. Use presentation mode and be sure to click on the white arrow in the blue circle in each location to “fly above” each location in Google Earth.
Lake Kawaguchi is the most developed of the Fuji Five Lakes, and there is lots to do and see around the lake’s 20 km perimeter. We highly recommend taking a full day to bike around the lake so you have the freedom to stop and linger at different spots along the way. Lake Kawaguchi is also the most accessible lake with direct train and bus connections from Tokyo if you don’t have a car. The best views of Mt Fuji are from the north side of the lake. We typically started our ride on the western side of the lake (closest to Lake Saiko) and then went around counterclockwise with the lake on our left. Notable stops along the way in order include Gris Cafe (great place to stop for breakfast/lunch - really like their croissant sandwich), Fuji Omuro Sengen Shrine, Yagizaki Park (great panoramic views of lake and Mt. Fuji), Asama Shrine, including its associated Haha no Shirataki waterfalls (the views of Mt. Fuji and the lake from Aun Cafe at the waterfall parking lot might be one of the best views in the region), and Oishi Park (best photo ops of Fuji with flowers in the foreground, several restaurant choices).
Here is a video of what to expect to see on a bike ride around Lake Kawaguchi. To see this day mapped out in a Google Earth Project copy this link into a Chrome browser or open it on a mobile phone. Use presentation mode and be sure to click on the white arrow in the blue circle in each location to “fly above” each location in Google Earth.
A nice photo op of Mt Fuji with a Japanese pagoda in foreground is the Chureito Pagoda at Arakurayama-Sengen Park.
For great views of the Mt Fuji and the Fuji Five Lakes check out Koyodai Observation Deck, which is located on the top of Koyodai Mountain, one of the smaller mountains on the south side of Lake Saiko. The mountain is famous for and named after its autumn colors (koyo). The Koyodai Observatory is accessible in an easy 30 minute hike from the nearest bus stops, and offers excellent views of Mount Fuji, Aokigahara Forest, Lake Saiko and Lake Motosu from a paid observation deck. It is also accessible by car via an unpaved road that was a bit dicey when we drove up at the tailend of the rainy season. About a 15 minute hike from the observatory heading south is another viewpoint platform called Sankodai that looks down on Lake Saiko and also has great views of Lake Motosu and the forest. Another 50 minutes of hiking from here gives you access to the summit of Mt. Ashiwada that has views of Mt. Fuji and all Five Fuji Lakes. Here is a video of what to expect to see from the Koyodai observation deck and Sankodai viewpoint. If you only have an hour for a short hike to a great view of Lake Kawaguchi, consider hiking up to the Haneko Summit Viewing Platform. If you have the time and motivation, you can also continue on from here to a much longer hike to the summit of Mt. Ashiwada.
If you are looking for a local English speaking guide who has lived in the Mt. Fuji area for almost 20 years, we recommend you reach out to Chris at Hidden Japan Tours. Chris and his wife, Yumi, provide a variety of planned and custom tours that give visitors access to the best that the region has to offer from hikes around the region's lakes and forests, visits to caves, waterfalls, shrines & other sacred sites, and bike/kayaking tours. We had an opportunity to do a short hike through the Aokigahara Forest with Chris and Yumi, and were very impressed with their knowledge of the region's geological history, the local flora and fauna, and willingness to cover just about any topic on the region that you may be interested in. They are also a fount of information about local restaurants, shopping options, and the many tourist attractions in the Five Lakes area.
If you want to do some serious shopping, check out Gotemba Premium Outlets, which is about a 40 minute car ride from Kawaguchiko (great Fuji views with all your favorite brand outlets selling discounted merchandise, lots of restaurant choices).
Favorite restaurants around Fujikawaguchiko include Moose Hills Burger (best hamburger and fries in the area but can get crowded), 38 Kawaguchiko (order the grilled chicken with tomato sauce dish), Yam Cafe for delicious (and very fresh) Thai food, Shaw's Sushi Bar (US style sushi rolls!), and our favorite place to stop for lunch on bike rides around Kawaguchiko, Cafe Mimi, which has outdoor seating next to the lake, views of Fuji and set menus (including sandwich, currey or pasta sets). For noodles and tempura in an outdoor setting along a beautiful mountain river try Kawazashiki Suzuran, which is situated along the banks of the Ashi River located just outside of Kawaguchiko on the other side of the Wakahiko tunnel. It’s open only on weekends.
Lake Yamanaka is the largest of the five Fuji lakes, and the second most developed. Its 15 km perimeter is shaped like a whale when seen from the air. It is also the closest lake to Mt. Fuji. The Yamanakako panoramic viewing platform provides a great view of the lake and Mt. Fuji. Here is a short summary of fun things to do at Lake Yamanaka. As of this writing, we haven’t had a chance to visit the lake yet.
For a view of the Fuji Five lakes from high above, see the video here that was taken with a drone. It provides views from above of many of the Fuji Five Lakes locations highlighted earlier. Stand Up Paddle Boarding is quite popular on the local lakes. We ended up getting an inflatable paddle board that makes it easy to transport in the car. See video here of the paddle board experience on Lake Saiko.
In the last week of our summer stay in the Fuji Five Lakes region we were lucky to see the first snow of the season on Mt. Fuji (28 days earlier than the prior year). It was a clear day so I hiked up Mt. Juni-gatake behind our cabin to get a clear view of Mt. Fuji. In addition to seeing Fuji, I had a clear view of the Fuji Five Lakes and Jukai (sea of trees) at the base of Mt. Fuji. Here is a video that includes drone footage high above the lakes.
Kyoto
Tokyo is Tokyo. Kyoto is real Japan. Spend as much time here as possible. The top tourist sites (Kiyomizu-dera, Kinkaku-ji) are must-sees, but are always extremely crowded. We recommend going to these sites first thing in the morning to beat crowds. In the fall (from late-October or mid-November), many of the sites have special lighting in the evening hours -- 5 p.m. till about 9:30 p.m. ... we saw Kiyomizu-dera this way and it was spectacular ... but still very crowded. (Check tourism websites for other sites in the city that are lit up at night.)
Spend time wandering into lesser known temples and shrines to get a real feel for the way these spaces are designed to be experienced. A central and totally under-rated site is Kennin-ji near Gion. We love the architecture and mood of this place -- it is quiet and meditative even in the height of tourism crazy season. If you like dragon paintings, be sure to check out the ones on the ceiling of the annex building here. Here is a helpful, concise overview of Kyoto from National Geographic.
If you only have two days:
- First Day (in order) This itinerary is walkable from beginning to end. If you are interested in warrior statues, start at Sanjusangendo (adjacent to Hyatt) and proceed to Chishaku-in from there. From Kiyomizu-dera to Heian Shrine, you will walk along a series of very picturesque lanes lined with shops, restaurants and temples… if your time is short, we recommend starting at Kiyomizudera and proceeding on this route from there. Another option: after visiting Heian Shrine walk east to the southern starting point of the Philosopher’s Path and walk north along this canal-side path to Ginkakuji (the Silver Pavilion).
- Chishaku-In Temple - We went here early on my first day in Kyoto. Large, beautiful temple and there were only a handful of people there.
- Kawai Kanjiro’s house - (traditional home of a famous ceramic artist maintained as a museum)
- Kiyomizudera (temple on the hill) - on this trip we skipped this during the day and came back after dinner to see it lit up at night - fantastic, but only at certain times of year.
- Entoku-In Temple (small one)
- Shoren-In (here)
- Heian Shrine - The main courtyard of this large, bright orange shrine is dramatic, but don’t miss the garden. To access the garden, go to the far left corner of the courtyard, pay a small fee, and proceed on the path. The garden walk takes about 30 minutes. Depending on the season you may see meticulously cultivated irises, fall foliage or snow-covered bridges and rooftops.
- Second Day (in order) Arrive as early in the morning as you can manage at Kinkakuji, as it get VERY crowded as the day progresses. Best to do this on your sunniest day, as the Golden Pavilion really glows in the sunshine. We usually take a taxi to get here to save time, though it is a little far from the center. From Kinkakuji to Ryoanji and Ryoanji to Arashiyama take taxis… the rest is walkable. To get back to Kyoto Station take the very nice and quick train from Saga Arashiyama Station (there are three different train lines that have their terminus in Arashiyama -- be aware of this when planning your itinerary).
- Kinkakuji (the Golden Pavilion)
- Ryoanji Temple (most famous Zen rock garden in the world)
- Arashiyama Bridge + Hozu River (here) - requires a taxi ride (17 minutes) from Ryoanji Temple to get over to the west side of Kyoto.
- Okochi Sanso Villa - 1,000 yen gets you into this incredible private garden and the admission fee includes a tea service. Highly recommend.
- Bamboo Forest Path (here and here)
- Tenryuji World Heritage Site (here)
- Watch a recent video of Kyoto here to see most of the places in Kyoto mentioned above for the 2 day tour.
- Another option for sightseeing around Kyoto is to rent bikes for the day (we recommend electric bikes - because they are fun and help on the hills!). We have rented electric bikes at both Kyoto Eco Trip Rental Bicycles and J-cycle - you can rent an electric bike for the day for less than $20, and it’s a great way to get around to lots of different temples and shrines in a short period of time. Reserving bikes in advance is suggested. We also recommend spending time on bike paths along the Kamo River and Katsuragawa River. I Here is a link to a video of what it’s like to bike around Kyoto.
- Other interesting places in Kyoto
- Daitoku-ji (temple complex in the northwestern part of the city)
- Sanju-Sangendo - Museum of warrior statues (near Chishaku-In and the Hyatt Regency)
- Kokadera: Also known as Saihoji -- has the most famous moss garden in Japan. The temple is located a bit out of the way on the west side of Kyoto but is well worth the visit if you have the time. Reservations in advance are required and every visitor to Kokadera is asked to contribute to the observances of kito and shakyo (respectively, the chanting and copying of Buddhist scriptures, called sutra) by participating in a 30 minute session to copy Buddhist sutras by hand. Highly recommended. To request a reservation to visit, you must write a letter to the temple enclosing a prepaid return postcard which they will send back to you telling when you can come -- allow at least 4 weeks to turn this around -- more at popular times. If you don’t have time to organize this and you really want to see moss, don’t worry. There are a lot of other nice moss gardens at other temples around the city -- Kokadera is just one of them.
- Nijo Castle - grand medieval palace and sprawling gardens in the center of the city. Be sure to go through the gardens to the raised platform in the corner of the compound -- from here you have a vista of the city … It is lovely.
- Kyoto International Manga Museum: Just a short taxi ride from Nijo Castle is the Kyoto International Manga Museum, which is worth an hour or two if you like Japanese manga. The museum provides a history of manga in Japan with lots of exhibits (geared toward children and adults) and manga artists on site drawing manga.
- Gion - Stroll around at dusk you might catch a glimpse of an apprentice geisha on the way to work!
- Places to Stay in Kyoto
- Motonago - We recommend this as an affordable ryokan in a great location (at the foot of the Eastern hills near many nice temples). It's the ryokan experience -- that means fairly thin futons (you can always add extra futons from the closet!). But it's something you have to experience at least once. This place gets high marks on TripAdvisor. While the ofuro bath in this ryokan is not spectacular by any stretch, it is nice (and kind of unusual) in that you can reserve the bath for private use for 30 minute intervals. This way couples can use it together (something you cannot do at places that only have large single sex bath facilities) and the modest need not feel stressed about using a communal bath.
- Shirakawa-an (Cottage on the White Stream) - a very affordable one bedroom Japanese Machiya (town house) VRBO rental property close to historical Higashiyama (Eastern Mountains) district. Nice and well-located but very small with a very cute small garden and charming bath. We stayed here for 3 nights and loved it. The experience got us hooked on staying in vacation rentals and we are still fanatics about doing that.
- Minoya-cho - a high end Japanese Machiya riverfront rental opportunity on the Kamo River between Shijo and Gojo station (sleeps 8 people so good with a large group but there is an upcharge for each additional person so be aware that the cost can get prohibitive). This property is managed by Iori, a company that maintains and rents about 10 very nice properties around the city. This is far from a budget option, but worth it if you can afford it and want to experience the feeling of a lovely traditional Japanese home in the best location in Kyoto.
- Sakura Terrace - The Gallery - this is a very reasonably priced, fairly hip new hotel that is one block south of Kyoto station that we just discovered. Very convenient location, large hot baths, free drink for each guest at check-in, and very close to Kyoto Eco Trip Rental Bicycles where you can rent regular and electric bikes for the day to sightsee around Kyoto (highly recommended)
- Hyatt Regency Kyoto - this is a newer, lovely property, well located for sightseeing in the Eastern part of the city. Views are not spectacular but we read that the garden view rooms are nice, though we didn’t have one because we booked at the very last minute. Room rates vary quite a bit by the season -- staying here in November is very expensive and you need to book very far in advance. It is a comfortable Western style hotel and we highly recommend it.
- Kyoto Restaurants
- Negiya Heikichi- A restaurant that specializes in all kinds of onions and looks over the river. Special place. Go to the Takasegawa branch -- the Pontocho branch does not have the same level of cuisine or atmosphere and is not recommended. (Reservations required). It is located about 10 minutes walk south of Shijo street.
- Salvatore Pizzeria - On the Takasegawa canal at Sanjo. If you're ready for a change from Japanese food, this place serves amazing pizza and overlooks a small river. (Great deal for all you can eat lunch, open in the evening from 5 p.m., reservations recommended in evening unless you are there right at 5, great wine selection, outdoor canal-side heated patio to die for).
- Yoshimura Soba Shop - Best soba we’ve had in Japan. Kyoto vegetables and tempura with your soba and beer (as well as all other beverages) served in rustic stoneware cups - very cool. Go here and put your name down (1-2 hour wait on busy days). You can put your name on a list and then go up the hill and then wander around and come back at the time they say they will seat you. We went to see Okochi Sanso Villa, the Bamboo Forest and Tenryuji while we were waiting the 1 hour and 45 minutes for our table.
- If you want to see footage of additional worthy locations in Kyoto such as Ginkaku-ji (silver pavilion), Philosopher's Walk (as you walk south to north on this walk, make a right pretty much anywhere to find worthy temples and shrines), Yasaka Shrine, the affordable VRBO Shirakawa-an mentioned earlier, a nice Japanese Izakaya restaurant called Yagenbori near the Shirakawa River and Gion -- check out the video here.
Koyasan
Another wonderful off-the-beaten-track spot is Koyasan, or Mt. Koya, which is about a 2 hour train ride from Kyoto (about an hour from Osaka). Koyasan is the headquarters for the Shingon (Pure Land) sect of Buddhism that was established in 816 by Kobo Daishi, considered by many to be the founder of Japanese culture. The trip to Koyasan involves a cable car ride that takes you up to the plateau where the temples and shrines are located, including Japan’s largest temple rock garden (Banryutei rock garden - it is like Ryoanji in Kyoto, but much larger and quite spectacular). To get to Koyasan, take the train from Osaka and a tram (up the steep mountain! Due to the higher altitude, the temperature is cooler than Kyoto and Osaka, so plan accordingly.)
- Koyasan is full of small and large Buddhist temples. It is a wonderful and quiet place to wander around and experience gorgeous traditional architecture and a fantastic 1,000 year old cemetery.
- One of the highlights is the opportunity to stay overnight at one of the many active temples in Koyasan where you can get up early and meditate with the monks. The cuisine served is vegetarian temple cuisine -- delicious with a tall bottle of Japanese beer! There are many temples which offer accommodations. You can research which one would be the best fit for you here.
- We stayed at Ekoin Temple. This is one of the only temples in town where they perform the Fire Ceremony. To attend the early morning meditations and the Fire Ceremony, you will be asked to confirm with the monks the night before whether you plan to attend and which ceremonies, as space is limited. These events happen quite early in the morning (something like 6 a.m.), so do not plan to stay here unless you are interested in getting up very early. Our recollection is that they require that you attend the early ceremony if you stay there, as it is intended to be more of a religious experience than a tourism experience. If sitting on your knees for a long time is not possible, there are a few low chairs in the back of the room. The Japanese visit Koyasan and stay in the temples as a religious pilgrimage, so it is appropriate to approach your visit in the same way and to be respectful of the traditional practices and the experiences of the people around you. Ekoin Temple also gives night time tours in English of the 1,000 year old cemetery which are spooky but fun. We recommend going to the cemetery both in the daytime and on one of the night tours, rain or shine. It is very atmospheric and amazing. There are groups of Japanese on pilgrimages and so it makes for great people watching. When it is raining it is actually better because the umbrellas look so cool in photos!
- See this video (Koyasan) to get a sense for what Koyasan is like including the temple where we spent two days.
Central Japan Alps (Takayama, Nakasendo Highway: Tsumago to Magome)
One option to consider if you have a couple extra days, and you want to venture beyond the Kyoto and Tokyo areas, is the Japan Alps.
- The largest town is Takayama. This historic Japanese town wasn’t bombed during the war (conscious decision by the US military) so you will have an opportunity to experience and see sections of the town that look much like they did a couple hundred years ago. If you are interested in traditional thatched roof farmhouse architecture (my mom is a fanatic in this regard) there is an outdoor museum of them here. (If you are really into the farmhouses and have an extra day, go see them in Shirakawa-go, but this really requires a full day. The farmhouse museum in Takayama only requires ½ day.)
- About a 2 hour train ride from Takayama, is the historic town of Tsumago, one of the original 69 post towns on the famous Nakasendo Highway (also here), the old road/trail that was used for travel between Kyoto and Tokyo during the Edo Period. You can still walk the very scenic Nakasendo trail and stay in some of the post towns that have been maintained as historic sites with original buildings.
- One of the most famous hikes is from the post town of Tsumago to Magome (here). It is basically two towns set up as historical preservation museums, kind of like Williamsburg. If you are interested in experiencing the Japan of old, you might want to do it. It is a little difficult to get in and out of there, but if you have time you might enjoy it. They have a service that will transfer your luggage from one town to the other while you walk .. described in the link.
- See this video (Japanese Alps) to get a feel for whether or not Takayama, Fukuchi Onsen hot springs (mentioned earlier), and a hike along the Nakasendo Highway is something you might want to include in your trip to Japan.
Japan Central Pacific Coast (Ise Shrine, Toshijima, Kamijima, Mikimoto Pearl Island)
Video of the area: Seafood and Shines in Central Japan Video
Mie Prefecture is located on the eastern side of a large peninsula directly south of Nagoya, which is between Tokyo and Kyoto on the Shinkansen route. Its most famous destination is Ise Shrine, the most important Shinto shrine in Japan. Ise Shrine on its own is a bit out of the way if you have limited time in Japan, but combining an Ise Shrine visit with a trip to nearby Toba and its surrounding islands can be a worthwhile detour if you are interested in experiencing Japanese seaside life along with one of the most sacred religious spots in the country.
There are a number of trains that get you to the Ise area and Toba from Nagoya, but for a real treat on rails, make a point of riding the Kintetsu Line’s Premium Express Shimakaze Sightseeing Train. (You can also access Ise and Toba from Osaka and Kyoto via this train.) Cars 1 and 6 are elevated observation cars, and are the best spots on the train, but the whole thing is very nice.
The 10:25 a.m. Shimakaze from Nagoya to Iseshi or Ujiyamada Station (the two best stations from which to access Ise Shrine) takes about 90 minutes. You can visit the outer and inner shrines (Geku and Naiku) as well as spend some time exploring the charming adjacent Oharaimachi and still get to Toba by dinnertime. Oharaimachi is an authentic Edo era shopping street just outside the entrance to the Naiku. I would plan for 2 hours on this street for shopping and lunch or late afternoon coffee. Isuzugawa Cafe, in a wooden building overlooking the river, is very atmospheric.
Fifteen minutes south of the Ise area on a local train is the seaside town of Toba, the home of Mikimoto and the birthplace of the cultured pearl industry. Mikimoto’s pearl museum and amasan (pearl diver) demonstration are fascinating. If you are staying in or passing through Toba, definitely plan a meal at the excellent Italian restaurant Cuccagna near Toba Station. It offers unexpectedly high quality and very reasonably priced pastas, pizzas, salads, desserts in a chic and cozy atmosphere. Seafood is the featured ingredient, focusing on local oysters. There is also a branch of this restaurant near Ise Shrine. Cuccagna 2 is equidistant from Iseshi and Uji Yamada Stations, near the entrance to the Geku of Ise Shrine. I wish they had a branch in Tokyo, but maybe in the future? It is really that good!
A 15-minute boat ride from Toba is the fishing-centric Toshijima. A visit here is a great opportunity to experience Japan’s fishing industry culture firsthand. On Toshijima you can dine in a seaside hut operated by amasans, the women divers who collect shellfish from the ocean floor, visit a regional fish market and auction and an oyster processing facility and see some great views of the surrounding islands and coastlines from a spectacular viewpoint.
On Toshijima, we recommend staying at Suzunami Ryokan, a large, well-maintained and comfortable ryokan, with pleasantly large rooms, all of which face the harbor. Each room has a mini-bar fridge stocked with chilled bottled beer, sake and soft drinks. The harbor view and ambience of the rooms are so nice, I would factor in time in your room in the late afternoon to enjoy the view and the sunset and debrief with your traveling companions over a cold one before heading to the rooftop onsen which also commands a spectacular view of the harbor.
For dinner on Toshijima, we recommend the very new and chic Kikuya, which opened in February 2017. Offering local seafood, sparkling modern decor, comfortable “horigotatsu” seating and dedicated, cheerful proprietors, Kikuya is a worthy destination restaurant experience.
After your morning onsen and checking out of your hotel on Toshijima, another short boat ride will take you to the island of Kamijima. Kamijima, which you can circumnavigate on a well-maintained, but, at times, steep trail in about 2 hours, was location on which the setting of Yukio Mishima’s award-winning novel, The Sound of the Waves was based. (The trail has many steps, so hiking only, no cycles, unfortunately.) The celebrated author resided on the island for 3 months while he wrote this important novel, which was also partially filmed here, at a former World War II lookout affording spectacular views of the coastline. Kamijima can be covered in about 3 hours … and you will be glad you did!
Back in Toba, make sure to save a couple of hours for the Mikimoto Pearl Island, where you can watch an amasan diver demonstration, learn all about the cultured pearl industry in their museum, and shop for pearls at their shop (we ran out of time for the shopping, which kills me, but I bet it is great).
A 5 p.m. train out of Tokyo will put you in Nagoya around 6:30 and back in Tokyo by 8:30.
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Don’t Miss: City Bakery, Hidden Gem in Shinagawa Station
Anyone traveling south of Tokyo on the Shinkansen leaving from Shinagawa needs to be aware of the City Bakery in Shinagawa Station, located near the Shinkansen ticket gate. This is a branch of the City Bakery in New York, and it is a fantastic place to get coffee and scones (as well as a whole array of wonderful baked goods) for an early morning train trip. If you are going to be traveling long enough to also need a packed lunch, they have lovely salads and sandwiches which are superior to any that you will find on the train, the train platform, or in the stations along the way, so I recommend that you stock up on your traveling food here. And, as lovely as Japanese breakfasts are, some of us would prefer a scone or croissant to rice and miso for breakfast, so if you fall into that category, grab some extras of these to keep for the next morning or two (or three) if you are planning to stay in Japanese accommodations which are not likely to offer Western breakfasts.
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Shikoku Island (with en route stop at Himeji Castle)
Shikoku is Japan's 4th largest (and quietest) island out of the big four. If your travel schedule allows time for a visit to this more remote Island, we highly recommend traveling by car up Shikoku's Iya Valley, which is known for being one of the last few vestiges of old world Japan with its dramatic mountain valleys, thatched roof farmhouses and historic vine bridges. We spent one night at Chiiori, a 300 year-old farmhouse (restored with modern conveniences) located high up in the mountains of Iya Valley. Here is a link to a video of what to expect to see while in Shikoku.
We recommend making the trip to Shikoku on the bullet train (change trains at Okayama Station to JR's Marine Liner for the trip over inland sea to Takamatsu on Shikoku island). This route allows you to stop at Himeji Castle (one stop before Okayama station), which in our humble opinion is the most spectacular of Japan's big castles. The castle, and its well preserved and complex castle grounds, is a world heritage site and survives as one of Japan's 12 original castles that was never destroyed by war, earthquake or fire. It is very easy to include a 3 hour stop at Himeji on your way to Shikoku.
We chose to make Takamatsu our primary stop in Shikoku. The city's port used to be the main entry point to Shikoku Island until the opening of the Great Seto Bridge, the world's longest two-tiered (highway-railway) bridge system, which connects Okayama (Honshu) and Kagawa (Shikoku) prefectures across the Seto Island Sea. The train trip on the Marine Liner across the 8 mile long bridge provides great views of Japan's coast. We stayed at the JR Clement Hotel, which had great views of the harbor and provided easy access to multiple train lines. The room rates vary by season and size (but pass on the breakfast package, which wasn't worth it). An alternative way to venture onto Shikoku Island from the main island that we didn’t have time for is the Shimanami Kaido Highway, a 60 kilometer-long highway exclusively for automobiles that links the islands of the Seto Inland Sea with nine individual bridges. Each bridge consists of a road way and a pedestrian walkway, which makes it a great bike route for those who want to add a biking adventure to their Shikoku trip.
Key points of interest in close vicinity to Takamatsu include: Ritsurin Garden, one of Japan's most famous historical gardens (amazing pine trees), Yakuri Temple, (#85 temple on the 88 temple Shikoku Pilgrimage), which can be accessed by taxi/car or by the Yakuri Cable Car (we took a taxi to the top and the cable car down), Isamu Noguchi Garden Museum, Japan home of the famous Japanese American artist and landscape architect (reservations required and a very pleasant 20 minute walk from base of Yakuri Cable Car), and Takamatsu Castle, which is located right next to Takamatsu Station. A nice side trip from Takamatsu is the short ferry ride over to Naoshima Island, which is known as Japan’s Art Island. You can go for the day or spend the night there. Naoshima is famous for its contemporary art museums as well as outdoor contemporary art installations throughout the island. We have stayed at Benesse Art House. If you chose to go to Naoshima directly from Tokyo or Kyoto you can pick up a ferry from Uno Port near Okayama Station.
The highlight of our Shikoku trip was the drive up the remote but very beautiful Iya Valley. You can rent a car in Takamatsu and drive there (couple of hours) or take a train to Oboke (one of the entrances to the Iya Valley) and rent a car there. We did the former but with hindsight probably would have tried the latter to enjoy what looks like a spectacular train ride into the mountains. While in Oboke you can take advantage of the Oboke Gorge boat rides on the Yoshino River. The drive up the Iya Valley is on some of the most narrow, 2-way roads we have ever driven on but there are lots of viewpoints and hot springs to see along the way, including the famous vine bridges like Kazurabashi, which used to be the only way to make it across the deep gorges that make up the valley. What made the trip to the Iya Valley most special was our overnight stay at the 300 year-old Chiiori Farm House that was restored by an American named Alex Kerr. You can learn more about his experience in renovating the house by reading the Iya Valley Chapter (#2) of this book Lost Japan. Even if you don't have time to visit Iya Valley, we recommend reading this short chapter of his book to get a very interesting perspective on the Japanese psyche. If you are unable to get a reservation at Chiiori ( ~Yen 15,000/person/night), you can also try to book a vacation rental at one of the other traditional farm houses that have been restored in the area with Alex Kerr's guidance - see Tougenkyo-Iya Mountain Village (a collection of thatched roof farmhouses that are available for vacation rental). One thing we did on the trip and is not recommended is the Unpengi Ropeway - while the ride provides a beautiful view of the mountains and coast, it is a bit remote and the temple at the top of the mountain is not that spectacular.
Southern Japan (Kyushu and Shikoku)
We made a last minute trip to Shikoku and Kyushu in early November and found it to be a perfect time to visit this part of Japan. Here is a video that highlights what to expect during this time of year, including the one of the best bike routes in Japan. The weather was great for biking the Seitouchi Shimanami Kaido, enjoying ferry boat rides in the Seito Island Sea, and taking in local festivals. This is also the time of year when the fall foliage season starts in Kyushu. The route we took included the Shinkansen down to Fukuyama, local train to Onomichi, 70 kilometer bike ride from Onomichi to Imabari (sending luggage ahead via Takkyuu-bin), ferry boat from Yawatahama to Beppu hot spring resort on Kyushu Island, rental car ride to Yufuin Hot Springs near Mt Yufu, and then on to Nagasaki with a stop at the Saga Balloon Festival. We also had an opportunity to see the Karatsu Kunchi Festival.
Seatouchi Shimanami Kaido
The Shimanami Kaido is by far one of the nicest long distance bike rides in Japan (see video link above). It was on our bucket list and didn’t disappoint. The 70km bikeway connects Onomichi on Honshu Island with the islands of Mukaishima, Innoshima, Ikuchijima, Omishima, Hakatajima, and Oshima, ending in Imabari on Shikoku Island. Cycling is a great way to go. The route includes dedicated lanes for bikes and pedestrians, typically alongside but separated from the car roadway. Special bike lanes have been created to provide “graded” and easy to bike approaches to each of the seven bridges connecting the islands. There is some debate about which direction to do the ride...we liked going from Honshu to Shikoku Island arriving at the last bridge, Kurushima-Kaikyo Bridge (world’s longest suspension bridge) around sunset (see video link above for overview of bike ride).
To do this route, we recommend catching the bullet train (Shinkansen) from Tokyo around 10am, down to Fukuyama, and then catching a local train to Onomichi. While in Fukuyama, you can check out Fukuyama Castle (ok castle but not our favorite). This will get you into Onomichi in time to enjoy the port city and prepare for the big ride the next day. We highly recommend staying at Hotel Cycle located on the Onomichi Pier in a converted warehouse called Onomichi-U2 that includes the hotel, bike shops and dining. It’s an industrial hip concept hotel in a former portside warehouse where many bikers stay on the eve of their trek across the Shimanami Kaido. Bikes can be rented or dropped off at any of the 14 bike depot locations along the route (Y1000 to rent, Y1000 deposit, deposit forfeited if you return to a depot other than the one you rented at). Bike depots have a variety of bicycles including 8-speed road bikes, 3-speed "upright" bikes, and electric assist bikes (electric assist must be returned to the original depot it was rented from). Helmets are available but sizes may be limited. The bike depot at the Onomichi port (7AM-6PM, +81 0848-22-5332) is located in the parking structure to the right of the Green Hill Hotel, located opposite the JR Train Station (also close to Cycle Hotel). You should plan to rent your bike before 8am (they say 10am but that was too late for us) if you are starting from Onomichi and want to take a more leisurely ride.
There is excellent information including a printable map of the route at this link here. You can also get a larger map at Onomichi port or any of the bicycle rental places. The map is nice to have but the route is marked on the road with distance markers every km. Turns are shown with arrows and the entire route has a blue stripe on the road. Follow the stripe and you are on route. If you get tired en route there are multiple locations where you can drop off your bike and catch a ride on a bus for the rest of the route. In Imabari we stayed at the Imabari Kokusai Hotel, which had a very nice large onsen which was most appreciated after the 70 kilometer ride. If you book the hotel through Expedia you will have better access to non-smoking rooms.
Kyushu Island
Rather than going back over the bridges to Honshu and on to Kyushu, we took the ferry boat from Yawatahama Port to Beppu and rented a car there for our time in Kyushu. We spent the first night at Yufuin Hot Springs resort - about a 45 minute drive from Beppu up into the mountains. The resort is located next to Mount Yufu, a picturesque volcano shaped mountain that has beautiful foliage in the fall. The town of Yufuin has lots of hot springs hotels. We stayed at Makiba No Ie located near the center of the town. All the hot springs at this hotel were outside style (outside bathing). If you have chance to stay in Yufuin, we highly recommend walking along the river up to the lake and then back through the town.
Our next stop in Kyushu was the 2017 Saga International Balloon Fiesta - the largest hot air balloon festival in Asia that is held in November every year in Saga - about an hour north of Nagasaki. This year there were 102 balloonists from around the world competing in several different competitions.
From Saga we continued down to Nagasaki with a primary goal of visiting Dejima - the small merchant city at the tip of Nagasaki that was the only place in Japan where foreigners were allowed for 250 years until Japan opened up to more foreign trade in the mid-1800’s. From 1636 to the end of the Edo period, Dejima was the one location in Japan where the Tokugawa Shogunate allowed traders (Dutch East Company) to trade with Japan. Over the last 10 - 20 years, the city of Nagasaki has been restoring Dejima and there are now 16 buildings from the early 19th century that have been brought back to life. A short walk from Dejima is Glover Garden, which is situated on a hill overlooking the harbor. The park was built for Thomas Blake Glover, a Scottish merchant who contributed to the modernization of Japan in shipbuilding, coal mining, and other fields (it is said Glover played a key role in the founding of Mitsubishi). In it stands the Glover Residence, the oldest Western style house surviving in Japan and Nagasaki's foremost tourist attraction. He also started a beer company called Japan Brewery Company. It is also said that the stone guardian lion-dog sitting next to the greenhouse was the model for the picture on the Kirin label. Any trip to Nagasaki also deserves a stop at Peace Park and the Nagazaki Atomic Bomb Museum. After a long day of touring, we highly recommend a stop at Dejima Wharf, a series of waterfront bars and restaurants near Dejima and a great place to watch the sunset over the water. We also enjoyed a drink at Bar IWI, a small street side bar in the entertainment district of Nagasaki run by New Zealander Brynn Jarvis.
Our final stop in Kyushu before catching a flight back to Tokyo from Fukuoka Airport was the visually stunning Karatsu Kunchi Festival (see link to video above).
Northwest Coast of Japan (Kanazawa, Noto Peninsula and Sado Island)
See this video (Kanazawa Video) to get a glimpse of what you can see and accomplish on a 2 day trip to this region.
The recent extension of the Hokuriku Bullet Train line (March 2015) from Nagano all the way to the west coast has made it very easy to get from Tokyo to Kanazawa in about 2 ½ hours. This is a great overnight destination that is easy to slot into a weekend get away from Tokyo. Kanazawa is considered to be the best-preserved, major Edo-period city in the country (along with Takayama). The city is part of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network as a City of Crafts and Folk Art. Kanazawa cuisine is famous throughout Japan, particularly its seafood since it lies in the sweet spot of the hot south and cold north currents. It is also located at the southern end of the Noto Penisula, which is known for its rocky beaches and “Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System” designation. Not too far from Kanazawa is Japan’s sixth largest island, Sado Island, of the west coast of Japan near Niigata. Sado Island offers visitors a pleasant summer getaway with rocky coasts, green hills and quaint fishing ports Our recommendations for this area of Japan:
- In our humble opinion, Kenroku-en Garden is one of the most beautiful gardens in Japan. If you happen to be in the area in May, the Irises are amazing. It was originally the outer garden for Kanazawa Castle. If you visit on a busy weekend, try to go in the morning when it opens at 7am or go late in the day - both to enjoy the garden when the light is nicest and to avoid crowds.
- The recently reconstructed Kanazawa Castle is a great example of large Japanese castles. Much of the castle was rebuilt recently using traditional Japanese construction techniques that don’t require nails.
- The D.T. Suzuki Museum is a must see (short walking distance from Kanazawa Castle and the recommended 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art). The museum commemorates the life and works of Suzuki Daisetz Teitaro, who is credited with introducing Zen Buddhism to the West. The outdoor contemplative water mirror garden will make you want to take up zazen meditation.
- It’s easy in Japan to rent a car for the day at very affordable rates and this is what we recommend for seeing the Noto Peninsula. You can pick up a rental car in Kanzawa at 10:00am, drive up the west coast of the Peninsula, return down on the east coast, and drop your car off by 6:00pm to catch a bullet train back to Tokyo. The drive is spectacular with rugged coasts, salt farms, rice terraces going down to the ocean, lovely hikes and lots of great views. We recommend stopping for a sushi lunch in Wajima City.
- For very nice and affordable accommodations we recommend Hotel Mystays Kanazawa - ask for a corner room. A bit more pricey, but worth it, is Kanazawa Hakuchoro Hotel Sanraku. This hot spring hotel is located right next to Kanazawa Castle and Kenrokuen and many of the sites you want to take in on a trip to Kanazawa. We had a lovely stay here. Walking distance from Hotel Sanraku is a highly recommended restaurant called Fuwari for great Japanese created Izakaya cuisine. It’s highly recommended on Trip Advisor so you won’t get in unless you make a reservation. Also not far from Hotel Sanraku is Higashi Chaya, an old preserved entertainment district that includes many traditional restaurants and shops. On a separate weekend trip to Noto Peninsula we stayed at two ryokans that we highly recommend: one on the east coast of the peninsula, Flatts By the Sea (great food, reasonably priced), and the other on the northern tip of the peninsula, Lamp No Yado (amazing location right on the water,natural hot springs, a bit pricey but worth the splurge). Here is a link to a video with content on the two ryokans and surrounding areas.
- Sado Island is accessible by ferry from Niigata City (best if coming from Tokyo) or Naoetsu port near Joetsumyoukyou (best if you are coming from Kanazawa). The ferry ride is 1 - 2 hours depending on what type of ferry you take. Due to its remote location, the island once served as a destination for political exiles. Prominent figures sent into exile to Sado were the former Emperor Juntoku, the Buddhist monk Nichiren and the founder of Noh, Zeami Motokiyo. Landscapes are incredibly diverse with stunning cliffs along the shoreline, beautiful forests, rice paddies, fishing villages and mountains. It’s best to rent a car to get around. We stayed at Hotel Oosado, a nice size hot spring hotel on the west coast of the island, which is also located near two of the major attractions on the island: Sado Gold Mine and the Sado Magistrate Office. The Sado gold mines were an important source of revenue for the Tokugawa Shogunate, and the reconstructed magistrate office provides a glimpse into the life of the ruling class and samurai who made sure the mine operations ran smoothly. If we did it again we would have spent one night at Hotel Oosado, and one night at Futatsugame View Hotel, which is located right above the beautiful Futatsugame Beach on the northside of the island. There are a lot of great hiking spots on the northside of the island including Ohnogame Rock. For a great view of the southern half of the island we recommend Oosado Skyline Drive. We highly recommend Seisuke Next Door for their set course dinner one night - it might be one of the nicest dining experiences we have had in Japan - anywhere.
Ski Resort Recommendations in the Japanese Alps
Japan has some of the best (amazing powder) and reasonably priced (lift tickets ½ US rates) skiing in the world. The best thing is, you can show up at Tokyo station around 5:00 p.m. on a Friday, hop on a bullet train, arrive in Nagano and be at your hotel in one of the many resorts in the Japanese Alps (home of the 1998 winter Olympics) in about 2 ½ hours -- in time for dinner and a full weekend of skiing. There are numerous places to ski. Here is a good article on things you should know about skiing in Japan before making your first trip.
- One of our favorite ski resorts for a ski weekend near Tokyo is Shiga Kogen. Shiga Kogen is actually a collection of 21 ski areas in the high Shiga Plateau (northeast of Nagano City) that are all interconnected. We stayed at the affordable Shiga Kogen Prince Hotel (West Building). The 3 Prince Hotel buildings were built for the 1988 Nagano Olympics and are a little dated in layout, facilities and decor but are among the higher end accommodations here. The East Building is the nicest of the three, but the West building is in the most central location for accessing the various ski areas around it. Harder to get a reservation, but you might also want to check out the Hotel Grand Phenix in Okushiga (at the very end of the resort road). It is highly recommended with great restaurants and beautiful onsen overlooking the slopes and the valley. Shiga Kogen is located close to the Snow Monkey Park highlighted earlier in case you want to ski and check out the snow monkeys on the same trip to Nagano.
- Here are a couple of videos that give you a flavor for the Shiga Kogen ski scene (Shiga Kogen Video, Shiga Kogen Video 2, Shiga Kogen Powder Video).
- Just a short distance as the crow flies from Shiga Kogen but an hour car ride around a mountain is Nozawa Onsen Ski Resort, a large ski resort that was originally a town before becoming a popular ski resort destination. Built around 1,650 meter Mt. Kenashi, the resort includes a 3,515 meter gondola and a town with numerous public (very hot) and private hot springs.
We highly recommend Sparina, a private hot spring that includes a large outdoor onsen that can be enjoyed by everyone (bring a bathing suit or rent one). The ski resort has excellent expert and beginner terrain but has limited intermediate runs, and can be reached from Tokyo station in 2 ½ hours (2 hours on the bullet train + 20-30 minute taxi or bus ride).
- See Nozawa Onsen Video to get a flavor of the resort.
- Another popular ski resort in Nagano is Hakuba, where many of the 1998 Olympic Alpine events took place. Hakuba has more challenging ski terrain than Shiga Kogen. We have stayed at and recommend La Neige Higashikan (a bit pricey but one of the nicest lodging options near Happo One ski area). Before going to Hakuba you might want to confirm that everything is running as planned after the November 23, 2014 earthquake (6.7 magnitude) that hit this area the hardest.
- Here is a video to give you a sense of the ski terrain at Hakuba (Hakuba Video).
- Zao Onsen, located in Yamagata 2 ½ hours north of Tokyo, is a bit dated as far as Japan ski resorts go but has lots of varied ski terrain. It’s most famous for its hot springs that are believed to give those who bathe in the them beautiful skin, and for the famous Snow Monsters of Mt. Zao, which are trees so covered in snow and ice they begin to look like surreal snow sculptures of monsters. The snow monsters are a rare natural phenomenon made possible by the alignment of very specific climate and geographic conditions.
- Further north from Tokyo about 4 hours by train is another popular resort called Appi Kogen in Iwate Prefecture. It’s a popular family resort. What it lacks in challenging terrain it makes up for by having snow that can be as light as the famous powder at Niseko on the island of Hokkaido. We have stayed at the Appi Grand Hotel, which is right on the slopes. We recommend the Korean barbeque and the French restaurants here and be sure to make your dinner reservations in advance of your arrival, as dining options are limited and these are the two nicest places).
- Here is a video to give you a sense of the ski terrain (Appi Kogen video).
- Closer to Tokyo are ski resorts that are accessible from Echigo Yuzawa Station in Niigata prefecture, including Ishiuchi Maruyama Ski Resort, which we enjoyed recently in late January (video here).
- The Echigo Yuzawa Shinkansen station is only 70 minutes from Tokyo, and you have access to several popular ski resorts from the station. We had a pleasant stay at Maruyama Onsen Kojyokan Hotel, about a 10 minute walk from the base of Ishiuchi. Very friendly staff and reasonably priced at ~Yen 30,000 per night for two including breakfast and dinner at the hotel. The hotel picks you up and takes you back to Echigo Yuzawa Station and there is a shuttle to the local resorts for skiing.
- We decided to make 2019 the year of exploring only ski areas in Japan we had not been to before and over the 3-day weekend which fell on the second weekend in February, we had finessed some last-minute hotel reservations at two resorts in the Myoko Kogen region of Niigata Prefecture.
- We picked Myoko Kogen because (according to the Snow Japan website) some of the resorts there had the highest accumulation of snow in Japan at that point in the season -- a 430 centimeter base at Seki Onsen as of February 8. All the ski resorts in the area are within 30 minute taxi rides of each other, which makes it easy to rotate through different ski areas each day.
- A friend had recommended Akakura Kanko Hotel, an elegant hotel built in 1937 and recently remodeled and added on to (English Info). The hotel is located halfway up the ski slopes of Akakura Kanko Ski Resort.
- Our first day at Myoko (which was in early February), we spent the morning skiing at Suginohara Ski Area, which is most famous for its claim of having the longest ski trail in Japan (8.5km/5.3 miles). Here is a one shot video of the entire top to bottom run. Suginohara has a very nice gondola and some decent lifts. Unfortunately, even though we got there early and were at the top by 9, and there had been a lot of new snow the night before, that long trail was already icy and skied off when we did it, so it wasn’t very satisfying. The snow on the other parts of the mountain was nice, but not amazing and we wondered if it might be a micro-climate of that particular area. If you enjoy skiing trees, check out the far right side (skier’s right) of the mountain behind the terrain park for a long tree run. Video here of tree run and the Suginohara ski area.
- We were done with Suginohara by 12:00 and decided to take a 25 minute taxi ride to spend the afternoon at Seki Onsen Ski Area. If you want to check out what skiing was like in Japan a few decades ago, go to this family run ski resort. What it lacks in infrastructure (only has two older lifts), it more than makes up for in atmosphere, and great on mountain dining. It looks like there is also great access to back country options but you need to know what you’re doing (guide recommended). A short video of the Seki Onsen ski experience here. The second day we skied right from our lodging at the Akakura Kanko Hotel. This resort has a nice balance of intermediate groomed runs and a bit more challenging ungroomed runs (and free ski areas) at the top part of the mountain. We got lucky and had a deep powder day (video of powder ski day and Akakura Kanko Hotel here). The Akakura Kanko Ski area is adjacent and connected to Akakura Onsen Ski Area, which we didn’t have time to explore.
- The biggest pleasant surprise of our long ski weekend in the Myoko Kogen region was the Lotte Arai Ski Resort. The Arai ski area was closed for 15+ years and just reopened a couple of years ago under the management of the Korean Lotte Hotel Group. Lotte has built a first class hotel at the base of the ski slopes, and has installed new ski lift infrastructure to make the ski experience here closer to what one expects at US West Coast ski resorts. We think it has some of the best off piste free ski zones in Japan that are accessible with short hikes off the top of the mountain or quick detours off the main trails. Arai also has the longest Zip Line run in Asia, which you can enjoy during the ski season too.
- The resort is close to the Japan Sea, which you can see from the top of the mountain. While being close to the ocean causes the snow to be slightly heavier, there is a lot of it. Here is a video of hiking for powder and the zipline at Arai.
- Geto Kogen is the place to go for early season skiing in Japan (i.e. Christmas ski vacation when it can be hit or miss on snow conditions) due to its reputation for getting lots of snow (15 meters/year), and often earlier than other resorts in Japan. We have had to cancel Christmas ski trips to other Japan resorts and rebook at Geto Kogen to ensure enough snow for early season skiing.
- Here is a video of the powder we found at Geto Kogen on Christmas 2019 when most other resorts in Japan were not fully opened yet. The resort is located in a narrow section of mountains in Iwate Prefecture in northern Honshu (Tohoku region) that captures precipitation coming across the island ensuring huge amounts of snowfall in a concentrated area every winter. The bowl-shaped resort also catches windblown snow from nearby peaks...all of which creates scenarios where it has significantly more snow than other Japan resorts in the early season. The resort is a bit off the beaten path meaning you can expect fewer foreigners (and less English spoken), and fewer skiers competing for the daily fresh powder runs. Geto Kogen has great tree runs, which helps make the small size relative to other resorts appropriate for a multi-day visit. Accommodations are limited at the resort but there are AirB&B options in the area. The resort at the mountain is known for relatively nice dormitory style sleeping and eating arrangements, but we enjoyed our stay in the new slopeside premium rooms that just opened for the 2020 ski season. The only dining option if you stay here is a Japanese homestyle breakfast and dinner buffet -- a fun experience. We loved the Ramen served in the lunch food court. During our stay we also appreciated the resort’s spacious indoor and outdoor hot springs (one of the best we have experienced at a Japanese ski resort). Video of Geto Kogen ski resort experience here.
- Another northern Tohoku region resort we recommend is Hakkoda Ski Resort in Aomori at the northern tip of Honshu. The resort averages 15+ metres of snow each year and has runs as long as 7km. Hakkoda, like Zao, is also known for its “snow monsters”. The Snow Monsters are produced when water droplets carried by strong seasonal winds clash with the evergreens and freeze in place to create unique shapes.
- Most of the longer runs are accessed from the resorts one ropeway tram. There is also a double chair that provides access to a few intermediate and beginner runs. A ski vacation at Hokkoda only makes sense if you want to dabble in a little back country/off piste skiing, which is what the resort is best known for. There are lots of options for doing this but all options are best with a guide. You can hire a guide for the day to take you on backcountry runs accessed from the top of the Ropeway. We visited in the early season before runs off the top of the Ropeway were open and used a guide service at the base of the mountain to skin/snowshoe up the mountain.
- Here is a video of our backcountry ski experience at Hakkoda Mountain in the middle of a snow storm.
- While the skiing is good, what also makes the trip this far north from Tokyo worth your while is the opportunity to stay at Hakkoda Hotel, a western style lodge which is located a short 8 minutes drive from the ski resort (transportation from the hotel provided). The hotel has comfortable rooms, a nice onsen, and serves either western or Japanese style meals in an elegant dining room. The staff or super friendly. If you travel up to Aomori by bullet train we recommend you stop by the Furukawa Fish Market in Aomori if your schedule allows. They have a unique system where you purchase a bowl of rice and tickets, and then walk around the fish market to select the fish you want to include your seafood “donburi” bowl. It’s located a short block away from where you can catch the free Hakkoda Hotel shuttle bus. The fish market management will watch your skis and bags while you shop and eat. Here is a video of the Hakkoda ski experience, including the fish market stop in Aomori on the way to the resort and Hakkoda Hotel.
- One of the closest large mountain places to ski from Tokyo is the Minakami region in Gunma. Jomo Kogen Station is only about one hour from Tokyo Station on the bullet train. The area is dominated by Mount Tanigawa. We had a great ski weekend here with ski outings at Tenjindaira on a Saturday and Hodaigi on a Sunday followed by a shortstop at the famous Takaragawa outdoor hot springs.
- Our accommodations for the weekend were a modern style Japanese Inn called Keisetsu no Yado Syoubun. The inn has both western and Japanese style rooms, and some rooms come with a private “rotenburo” (outdoor open air bath). We liked the modern yet traditional decor, friendly staff, and wonderful dinners. The inn is a bit off the beaten path so going by car can be helpful (it also be dangerous if there is lots of snow) but we managed to get there and travel to our ski destinations using a combination of taxis and buses with some transportation help from the inn. Here is a video of the Syoubun Inn experience.
- Tanigawadake Tenjindaira (locals call it “Tenjin”) is a highly rated ski resort in Gunma Japan. Reportedly the global favorite ski resort of the founder of Burton Snowboards :-). While there is on piste skiing, we recommend Tenjin mostly if you go there for the off piste skiing. There are lots of backcountry options with steep inclines but guides are highly recommended given high avalanche risks in the area. Skiers take the Tanigawadake ropeway up to the actual resort. From there 3 lifts service a varied but limited terrain if you don’t plan to go off piste. At the end of the day, you can ski back to the base instead of downloading on the ropeway. Accommodations are limited. Closest accommodations are at Tenjin Lodge. Here is a video of the Tenjin experience.
- Hodaigi is the largest ski resort in the Minakami area. Its family-friendly wide slopes and decent infrastructure (many but sometimes slow lifts) make it easy to get around. There are a few good expert runs off of the No. 9 and No. 7 lifts, which sometimes close due to high winds. There are a couple of very nice places to stop for lunch and/or coffee, including Cafeteria Pegasus at the base of the No. 6 chair, and the small cafe/bar at the base of No. 1 lift. If you want accommodations close to the resort, it looks like Chalet La Neige is highly rated and has ski in/ski out access from the No.8 chairlift. Given all the great ski resort options in Japan, we would probably only recommend Hodaigi if you were planning to combine it with a trip to the Takaragawa outdoor hot springs that are about a 10-15 minute bus or taxi ride away from Hodaigi. Here is a video of the Hodaigi ski experience.
- Takaragawa Onsen Onsenkaku is one of the most famous outdoor hot springs (“rotenburo”) in Japan. It is situated along the banks of a small river valley with multiple outdoor springs that guests can enjoy out in nature. They now provide (and require) guest bathing suits (as of spring 2019) making it easier for everyone to enjoy all the pools. While Takaragawa has accommodations, you can also buy a day pass (Yen 2,000 per person, which includes a rental bathing suit and towel) that gives you access to the indoor and outdoor hot springs. If you are lucky (as we were), and have a chance to visit Takaragawa while there is snow, it is a truly magical place to spend a couple of hours after a day of skiing. We also enjoyed a delicious bowl of udon and a cold beer at the end of the hot spring experience while waiting for our ride back to the bullet train station and our return to Tokyo. Here is a video of what to expect at Takaragawa hot springs.
Special Section on the Popular Niseko Ski Resort in Hokkaido
- Niseko may be the most famous ski resort in Japan. Located 100 km south of Sapporo on the Island of Hokkaido, Niseko is comprised of 4 resorts located on one mountain. You are likely to run into more Australians here than Japanese. Seasonal winds from the Eurasian continent pick up moisture over the Sea of Japan and drop lots of powder on this area of Japan; the snow is considered some of driest, lightest powder in the world. It is particularly dry at Niseko because the volcano, Mt. Yotei, which is just to the east of Niseko, pushes the weather systems flowing west to east over Niseko back over the ski resort. The weather though can be hit or miss with white outs very common so unless you are prepared for very harsh (windy and cold) conditions, you may wish to plan your Japan ski vacation on the main island of Honshu, where the conditions are generally milder and more predictable. One thing that definitely sets Niseko apart from other ski resorts in Japan is the resort has a true apres ski scene with lots of bars, restaurants and what you would expect at large international ski resorts. Given that it is not just about skiing at Niseko, don’t miss out on the apres ski opportunities…do your restaurant research and get reservations as far in advance as you can if you want to get into your first choices, especially if you are with a group.
- Check out this Niseko Ski Video to get a sense for what a 4 day ski vacation at the resort is like.
- Getting to Niseko: The most convenient way to get to Niseko is by bus from Chitose Airport in Sapporo. We opted for the White Liner. They have an easy to use English website which allows you to book online. Round trip from Chitose Airport to Hirafu Welcome Center takes 2 1/2 hours and costs about 7,000 yen per person.
- Getting around Niseko: While the four resorts of Niseko United ski resorts are connected at the top, if the snow conditions are not good, the lifts at the top of the mountain can be closed, which means that you cannot ski between all of the sections. Even if the lifts are open and you wish to ski between areas, we would say that the access at the top is best suited for skiers of stronger intermediate ability and above. There are shuttle buses which connect the four areas, but shuttle frequency between different areas varies considerably, making getting between certain areas somewhat challenging. The free bus connecting Hirafu Welcome Center and Hanazono runs every 20 minutes and takes about 15 minutes, however, the bus between Hirafu and Annupuri comes only once an hour and has many stops, so it takes about 40 minutes to make the trip, even though it is only about a 15 minute ride if you go directly. A taxi from Hirafu to Annupuri costs 3,700 yen. If you would like to explore outside of the vicinity of your hotel, we recommend getting your hands on the bus schedules for the city buses as well as the free shuttles and getting an understanding of bus access early on in your stay. The Welcome Center in Grand Hirafu has some schedules, so you can pick some up there when your bus arrives and if you want to research this in advance, you can probably find the routes and schedules online.
- Niseko Hotels Chalet Ivy (0136-22-1123) is a luxurious 70-room European style boutique hotel located on Hirafuzaka, the main street of Hirafu, in the Upper Village. We chose it because it is well located for getting to the slopes easily as well as being walking distance to the main village and many restaurants. The hotel picked us up at the Welcome Center and gave us a lift to and from the slopes each day. Filled with whimsical and eclectic art, the decor is modern and chic and the property is impeccably clean and well-maintained. There are two connected buildings, one which faces Mt. Yotei (the mini-Mt. Fuji) and the other faces the ski mountain. We always prefer facing the ski mountain so we can keep an eye on the changing ski conditions, but the Mt. Yotei view from most of the rooms on that side of the hotel is really spectacular, so it is a difficult choice. Our Deluxe Onsen Suite had 3 heated water radiant heating units which were silent and kept the room beautifully cozy without fan noise. The bed and furniture were extremely comfortable and the decor was stylish. It was nice to have a private bathtub (with a mountain view!) in the room, but it was not really necessary, as the onsen areas in the hotel are very nice. A cozy bar and plenty of comfortable common areas for relaxing or working outside of your room are kind of unusual in Japanese ski hotels and guests were happily using them. The buffet breakfast offers Western and Asian options and we loved the freshly brewed coffee from the two espresso machines in the breakfast area. There is a spacious and pleasant workout room with state of the art machines, a variety of intriguing equipment, and mirrors. This hotel was a great choice for our 4-night stay in the beginning of March and we had a wonderful, relaxing time.
- Niseko Dining: There are loads of dining options in Niseko and it can be difficult to choose where to go. Some factors to help you narrow down your options:
- Location…The different parts of Niseko are fairly spread out, and you can be looking at up to a 30 minute drive to get to some restaurants. Taxis are expensive and Uber has not found its way to this part of the world yet, but there are shuttles and city buses and some hotels will provide transportation to dinner and some restaurants provide pickup services for dinner (but not lunch).
- Timing … It seems that the more popular places have two seatings per night, one at 6:00 and one at 8:00 or 8:10. If you take the 6:00 seating, be prepared to be scooted out by 8:00. Some places serve lunch, so you can plan to hit them on days when the mountain is closed or the conditions are less than perfect.
- Sake…We really recommend getting into the sake scene in this area, as it pairs so well with seafood, and a lot of it is produced locally. As sake novices, we just learned that better quality sake is served cold, as the taste is most easily appreciated this way. The cups and tiny pitchers which are used to serve sake are an entire art form unto themselves and the best way to appreciate this is to drink sake, or “Nihonshu,” when dining out. If you are wondering how to choose which sake to order, try asking for a “dry” or “karai” option. This is what we always do and have never been disappointed.
- Seafood…Hokkaido, relatively remote and surrounded by the sea, is one of the best places in Japan to enjoy seafood. Oysters, crab, scallops, clams, salmon … these are some of the most often featured. If you like seafood, opt for seafood choices when dining here.
- Our restaurant recommendations:
- The Alpinist: Located on the 3rd floor of the chic new Odin Place dining/shopping complex at the main Hirafu intersection, The Alpinist is a casual, welcoming place with modern decor, a fireplace and views up the ski hill, specializing in crepes and fondue. We loved the crepes and salads, but the French Onion soup was nothing to write home about. There is also a bakery, a brew pub and a bar in this building, all of which looked inviting.
- Del Sole: Wood-fired pizza! Del Sole is about a 3 minute walk from the base of Annupuri, so it is a good option for lunch. The margherita pizza was perfect with a great tomato sauce. Nice wines by the glass and beer on tap. The seating consists of two tables for four, a table for two, and four counter seats. Reservations are mandatory at dinner. No reservations at lunch.
- Rin: Rin is an off-the-beaten-track izakaya in Lower Hirafu village. It was recommended to us by Australian friends who go back to it every year on their annual Niseko trip. Our concierge was able to get us last minute reservations for 8:10 on our first night and we walked there in about 10 minutes from Chalet Ivy in the Upper Village. Rin is truly special. The atmosphere is electric yet cozy. The decor is traditional yet hip. The food is inexpensive yet impeccably fresh. Emphasis on seafood, some excellent salads (the tofu salad was especially memorable). Rin has a hori-gotatsu (Japanese low table, with recessed area underneath so you don’t have to sit on your knees) table for 11, a table for 8, a table for 2, a table for 3-4 and about 4 counter seats. Book it for your first night if at all possible. You will probably want to go back a second time.
- Snow Castle: is the elegant, low-key Japanese restaurant at Chalet Ivy. Highlights were the perfect sushi made by the chef tableside (a first for us) and the personal, careful service, but we loved everything about our meal here. If you are not a big fan of kaiseki cuisine or sushi, do not let that stop you from dining here. The meal was very much oriented toward Western tastes. This place is great if you want to escape from the hustle bustle of the Niseko dining scene but still have a very special meal. Impressive sake and sake presentation, too! They offer course menus at Yen 8,000, 15,000 and higher. We had the 8,000 yen course which was wonderful.
- Asperges Hanazono: Hanazono is the newest of Niseko’s four main ski areas, opened in 1992. A friend alerted us to the existence of this unique on-mountain dining option at the Hanazono base. We didn’t think we would make it there, but we found ourselves in Hanazono at lunchtime on our second ski day. The chef at this restaurant has 3 Michelin stars. The least expensive course menu at dinnertime is 16,000 yen, but at lunch, they serve a three course menu including coffee and dessert for 4,500 yen (plus 15% service charge). The minestrone soup was light and tasty, the oysters on the half shell served with a leaf-wrapped sushi onigiri were refreshing, and the roasted pork with mashed potatoes tender and elegantly presented. The piece de la resistance, though, was dessert. The Ice Cream Souffle appeared at first glance to be a rustic angel food cake, but upon tasting this fluffy concoction, it was vanilla ice cream which dissolved, air-like, on the spoon! Bottles of wine ranged from $100-$700 U.S., so we opted for glasses, which were much more manageably priced. Asperges Hanazono is probably not a good choice with children in tow and not something you want to do every day, but for an elegant midday interlude for a couple or group, we would highly recommend it. (They will come pick up at your lodging for dinner, but not at lunch. It is easily accessible from Hirafu by the Hanazono shuttle which leaves from Hirafu Welcome Center every 20 minutes.)
- Bang Bang: This cozy seafood-oriented izakaya across the street from Chalet Ivy on Hirafuzaka has been in business for 32 years and has a sister restaurant, Bang Bang 2, located next door. The friendly owner, Mr. Saito, makes the rounds greeting guests, many of whom are repeat customers. We had a chef’s choice sashimi platter, a tofu salad, and some yakitori and sake served cold. Popular, so reserve well in advance.
- L'Ocanda: This family run Italian restaurant, located in the East Hirafu Village, is a great choice when you want to take a break from Japanese dining while at Niseko. The whole family participates in running the restaurant. The chef brothers make delightful cakes and authentic Italian cuisine using local ingredients.
- Niseko Drinking: The bar scene in this town is legendary and we only scratched the surface. Recommendations:
- Gyu Bar (a.k.a. The Fridge Bar): This well-known bar in Lower Hirafu is very popular, so go early unless you want to wait in line to get in. It is nicknamed the Fridge Bar because the front door is the door of an antique Coke machine. At the risk of hyperbole, we must say that this is one of the coolest bars we have ever been to. Order the apple pie cocktail or whatever you like, but go. Just go.
- Buddha Bar: Another bar with a low door, the interior is spare, the focus is sake, the owner is charming and fun.
- Other recommended places but we have not been to them yet:
- Rakuichi Soba: Rakuichi was recommended to us by a few different people and also listed in someone’s “Top 5 Niseko Restaurants” blog post. It is in Annupuri, but a bit far to walk from the ski hill in ski boots. You either need to reserve for dinner far in advance or arrive by 11 and wait to get a table at lunch. (They don’t take reservations at lunch.) They make soba from scratch and it seems to have a great atmosphere and food.
- Villa Lupicia: This was also in that “Top 5 Niseko Restaurants” blog post. We think it is fairly spacious and we could have gotten in on our last night, but decided on L’Ocanda instead. It seems to be Italian/Japanese fusion, a newer restaurant with clean modern decor.
- Coto Bar: Specializing in sake, a relatively new bar in Lower Hirafu. It was highly recommended.
- Niseko in the Summer: Niseko is also a great resort to visit in the summer with golf, tennis, hiking, biking and lots of other adventure/entertainment options that you would expect at a large resort. If you have an extra day in Hokkaido, we would also recommend you check out The Windsor Hotel (location of the 2008 G8 summit), which is about an hour drive from Niseko. This luxurious hotel has its own ski slope (beginner level mostly) and has really amazing views of both Lake Toya that was formed from a volcanic caldera, and Mt. Uzu that last erupted in 2000. It is pricey, but if you have budgeted one splurge night on your Japan vacation, make it here. The atmosphere, service and views are completely spectacular and you will have a memorable experience. The teppanyaki restaurant (reserve well in advance) and the soba restaurant in the hotel are recommended. From the hilltop hotel you can take a private cable car part way down the hill to a fantastic wood-fired pizza restaurant.
- Here is a video that includes a few vignettes of Niseko and The Windsor Hotel during a Typhoon in Sept 2013.
- For more information on Niseko, here is a link to a recent (Feb 2020) informative NY Times article about Niseko
- If you want more detailed information about skiing in Japan, go to the website, Powder Hounds Japan, which has a lot of good detail about resort terrain levels, apre ski, locations to stay, etc. for all ski resorts in Japan.
Fun Things to do With Kids in Tokyo
While Tokyo is fun for adults, it is also equally fun for children. Below are recommendations for what to do with the kids in a few different areas of Tokyo.
Best mix of activities for a historical experience of Japan is in the Asakusa area of Tokyo. In addition to walking around the famous Senso-ji temple with the kids, there are lots of other activities in the area. The Taiko Center located near Senso-ji offers both private and group kid friendly classes (including drop-in classes). No Japanese or experience are needed and you can learn the basic taiko technique, simple traditional song, as well as some history and structure of taiko. Great shopping for different types of trinkets is available on the Nakamise Shopping Street Arcade that leads up to the temple. For a break (and a bit of adult fun) you can also go to Asahi Beer Hall located next to Asahi Beer’s HQ and try craft beers and get a close up photo of the famous gold sculpture designed by French designer Philippe Starck. It's actually a flame meant to represent the passionate heart of the Asahi Beer company, and is considered one of the most recognized modern structures in Tokyo. After a couple of beers, you might be ready to take the family for a tour in a rickshaw cart. Rickshaw drivers line up outside of the Karinanimon Gate, offering tourists personalized tours in these two-wheeled man-powered carts. While often hailed as the best thing to do in Asakusa, these rickshaws can be rather expensive. Make sure to check the price before you get on, the Asakusa rickshaw carts typically have a set price on a signboard so you can plan your tour accordingly. A bit more info about a rickshaw tour of Asakusa (including price ranges) can be found here.
For a kids’ outing in the Harajuku/Omotesando area of Tokyo, we recommend Kawaii Monster Cafe, and enjoying the surrounding art in the cafe created by Sebastian Masuda who is the creative director of pop idol Kyary Pamyu Pamyu. It’s sort of like a Robot Cafe/Disney experience for kids (reservations recommended). The food is not stellar, but it is kid friendly. Check the website so you can plan your visit around the scheduled shows. You can also visit Hedgehog Cafe where you can play with actual hedgehogs! Along Harajuku’s famous Takeshita Street, besides the obvious shopping for trendy fashion, there are three stops that must be on your list. First, at Squishy Shop Mooosh, kids can stock up on squishy toys made of memory foam that release different smells (e.g., a strawberry- shaped foam object releases strawberry smell when squeezed). These are pricey, but prized by the younger set. Then, even grown-ups will not be able to resist "rainbow mountain-like cotton candy" at the Totti Candy Shop. Finally, if you have not done this already, there is also the opportunity to take puri kura photos at one of the many puri kura photo booths in the area. Here is an English step-by-step guide on how to get the most out of a puri kura photo experience in Harajuku. Other recommendations for kids in this area include Kiddy Land, one of the largest and most famous toy stores in Tokyo, Heiroku Sushi (conveyor belt sushi), and a walk through Meiji Shrine if you need some peace and quiet and a break from all the craziness in Harajuku.
Another fun area for kids is the Odaiba area of Tokyo (covered earlier). The hottest new attraction in the city (with high appeal for both kids and adults) is here: the Mori Digital Art Museum. The 10,000 sq m space uses 520 computers and 470 projectors to create a number of very engaging digital art experiences. Go early to avoid crowds and don’t go tired -- there are several exhibits here and many of them are interactive and require a lot of energy. Here is a brief Mori Digital Museum video that provides a glimpse into what to expect at the museum.
Not far from the Digital Art Museum is one of the most noteworthy attractions for kids in Tokyo, Kidzania (specific info here on the Tokyo location). KidZania is a city founded by the children of the world where they can be leaders and learn about society while having fun. Kids get to role-play as employees at jobs and activities using real-world tools and equipment. Complete with shops, vehicles and a functional society, and relevant work costumes, KidZania is a 2/3 scale city just for kids. Activities include Radio Station, Airplane, Bank or any of the over 60 pavilions. Though most activities are in Japanese, a limited number are conducted in English every day. (We recommend doing further research on how to plan your visit to get the most out of it. Also, KidZania is best appreciated by a certain age group, so before committing to spending a day doing this, be sure that your child is at the appropriate age to get the most out of it.)
Other recommendations for kids in the Odaiba area include the Trick Art Museum (a museum that specializes in optical illusions - great photo ops), The National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation (for science-minded kids), and checking out the 20 meter tall Gundam Robot.
This list of recommendations of what to do with kids in Tokyo wouldn’t be complete without mentioning Tokyo Disney Resort. You actually have a choice between Tokyo Disneyland or Tokyo Disney Sea. Both resorts (next to each other) offer all that you would expect from a Disney experience. Disney Sea is the only theme park of its kind in the world, while Tokyo Disneyland is like other Disneylands around the world. If it helps with your choice, Tokyo Disney Sea restaurants also serve beer and wine (unlike Disneyland). Both resorts are only a 22 minute train ride from Tokyo station!
We hope you enjoy your trip to Japan, and have as much fun as our family has had over the years in the land of the rising sun! Fun fact side note about why China historically is sometimes referred as the “land of the setting sun”: This was due to Japan’s position east of China, and in a correspondence between the two there is a phrase something like “from the land of the rising sun to the land of the setting sun”, meaning from Japan to China. So, within this context China would be the “land of the setting sun”.
Finally, for a helpful site to get timely information on special events, festivals and happenings around Tokyo, check out Best Living Japan, a site created by a couple of Tokyo moms for “globally minded families”. We also recommend Timeout Tokyo for up-to-date information about events around the city that may coincide with your travels to Japan.
If you found these recommendations helpful, we would love to hear from you. Also, things are always changing in Japan so please let us know if anything needs to be updated at edwardcrawford@gmail.com.
