| A | B | C | |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | JAPAN APRIL / MAY 2019 | ||
2 | Cells highlighted in green are my faves. This is Emily tying, Ben probably has some differing opinions, so ask him too! | ||
3 | Monday, April 29th | ||
4 | IN TRANSIT | LAX to Tokyo - ARRIVAL TIME: 2:20 PM @ Tokyo Haneda International - ~35 min drive to Shinjuku | |
5 | Tuesday, April 30th | ||
6 | |||
7 | Pro tip: everything from cafes to museums to (of course) restaurants, requires a reservation. Plan in advance! | ||
8 | Tokyo | Get the JR Rail Pass for trains throughout Japan - order ~1 month in advance online before your trip, it has to be mailed to you. | |
9 | Get the pocket WiFi! I have an international plan through verizon so didn't understand why this was necessary but it 100% is. International plan doesn't have great service and pocket wifi can connect mulitple devices with REALLY strong signal - so helpful when you desprerately need Google Maps (or to stream Game of Thrones) | ||
10 | ARRIVAL TIME: 2:20 PM @ Tokyo Haneda International (Haneda is much closer than Narita - we fly back from Narita) | Can take 2 train from Tokyo Haneda or an Uber - we were jetlagged and had a ton of stuff so sprung for the $80 Uber. There's something called an "airport limousine" that seems cheaper that I'll have our hotel investigate on the way back. ATTN: IF YOU'RE COMING FROM NARITA AIRPORT, TAKE THE TRAIN. Ubers are around $270 (We didn't take one thank god, but scoped it out and thought that was insane) | |
11 | HOTEL | Shinjuku Granbell Hotel 2-14-5 Kabuki-cho, Tokyo, Tokyo-to, 160-0021 Japan | Rooms are incredibly tiny, like, so tiny you can barely fit your suitcase next to the bed! We got it for 100% free on Chase points so can't complain too hard, but this wouldn't be a spot I'd recommend to others proactively. |
12 | AREA: CHECK OUT SHIBUYA - 2-3 Hours | ||
13 | ACTIVITY | Nonbei Yokocho in Shibuya | Grab a drink at this secret street in Shibuya where there are a ton of little bars that only seat around 4-8 people each. Some don’t let you in unless you’re a regular but others are very welcoming and the bar owners are super nice. Cute street that's confusingly un-crowded vs the craziness of Shibuya crossing. The one we ended up at specifically was Curva, but there were many. |
14 | Shibyua Crossing | (This is the Tokyo you’ve dreamed about and seen in movies: the frenetic pace, the mind-boggling crowds, the glowing lights and the giant video screens beaming larger-than-life celebrities over the streets. At Shibuya’s famous 'scramble' crossing, all of this comes together every time the light changes. It’s an awesome sight. Come during the day to get the perfect overhead shot from a nearby rooftop, or on a Friday or Saturday night and you’ll find the whole scene turned up to 11.) - from a website | |
15 | Purikura No Mecca | If you want to check out what Japanese teenagers are into these days *and* bring back a unique souvenir, go here. Basically it’s a high-tech photo booth place with options for making crazy modifications (e.g. giving yourself big round eyes like a cartoon character, etc.) ER Notes: This was on the 3rd floor of a random building and really hard to find, but was really funny and quite the experinece. All japanese teenagers screaming and giggling. | |
16 | Shopping @ 109 Shibuya, Shibuya Magnet | Insane streeet styles, the people working there are all into the fashion, we didn't buy anything but I almost did. Have to be tiny, all the sizes are small | |
17 | AREA: SHINJUKU | ||
18 | DINNER | Ramen Nagi | There are multiple locations, some have lines - check the website and scope out the location nearest you. The one we went to was not terribly crowded, and you order from a vending machine. Ben LOVES ramen and was into it, so he's the expert here. http://www.n-nagi.com/english/ |
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21 | Wednesday, May 1st | ||
22 | |||
23 | TOKYO | ||
24 | AREA: HARAJUKU | Note: Most things don't open till 10am, so keep this in mind when you're jetlagged waking up early. | |
25 | |||
26 | MORNING ACTIVITY | Meiji Shrine & surrounding gardens - Do this in the morning! take advantage of fewer crowds, cooler temps and the fact that things don't open till ~lunchtime | Meiji Shrine is Japan's most impressive Shinto shrine. Daily 9 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Admission free, but there is a museum with a ¥500 fee. Meiji-jingu shrine is open sunrise to sunset. Take the JR Yamanote line to Harajuku station. 1-1 Yoyogi, Kamizono-cho (next to JR Harajuku station and Meijijingumae subway station on the Chiyoda Line), Shibuya-ku. Beautiful forest/garden areas around the shrines with cranes in the trees and koi fish in the ponds. great for a morning walk, takes 1-2 hours. |
27 | Harajuku (原宿) | It is the center of Japan's most extreme teenage cultures and fashion styles; the focal point of Harajuku's teenage culture is Takeshita Dori (Takeshita Street). Takeshita street in Harajuku is crazy, but awesome. It’s got all the weird cultural things you think about when you think about “cutesy” Japanese culture, but also things like Goth and Anime japense culture. It's super fun/weird and you'll take a ton of pictures. It’s a quick stroll and really fun to check out. It's also near the Meji Shrine. | |
28 | Takeshita Street | Crazy crowded street - similar to Shibuya crossing. Nightmare but surrounded by crazy stories, crazy fashion, and teens eating a ton of cotton candy. | |
29 | Owl Cafe / Hedgehog Café Harry Harajuku | Went to Owl cafe which was kind of amazing - get to hold and feed beautiful owls for ~35 mins + a cup of tea for $35 US for 2 people. It's hard to find, on the 4th floor of an apartment bulding. We didn't have a reservation but lucked out - big line by the time we left. https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g14129746-d8766373-Reviews-Owl_Cafe_Bar_Owl_Village_Harajuku-Jingumae_Shibuya_Tokyo_Tokyo_Prefecture_Kanto.html After owls, we were all set so we skipped the hedgehog cafe, but I was intrigued. | |
30 | The Zoo Ice Cream Shop | This Harajuku ice cream stand is disguised as a pink ice cream vending machine, but you actually order from the staff hiding inside. You can choose your preferred ice cream animal including elephants, koalas, panda bears and more. Cute & hard to find - below street level | |
31 | Shopping for Japanese street wear | In this area, but not on Takeshita street specifically, are dozens of stores selling cool japanese streetwear (mostly bright colors with japanese characters + english words.) A little overpriced but fun to try to fit in with the wildly dressed japanese teens. | |
32 | LUNCH | Gyoza Lou (Gyozalo) | Gyoza/Dumplings - on every "must try" list in Tokyo. It was good, and not a terrible wait - 2 kinds of dumplings: fried or steamed. They also offer a garlic & chive version fried or steamed, which was so good. The menu is super short - dumplings + cucumber dish, rice, and beer. However - ( I realize I'm 100% an example of this problem) most of these recommended spots by Eater, Infatuation etc end up being ALL white people - the place was probably half filled with white people who had read about it online (such as myself) which feels less authentic/like we kinda ruined it. |
33 | |||
34 | AREA: SHIBUYA | ||
35 | AFTERNOON ACTIVITY - | Samurai Museum | Ben made me do this! $18 a person and 1 minute from our hotel. 90 minute guided samurai museum tour. https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g1066457-d8652405-Reviews-Samurai_Museum-Shinjuku_Tokyo_Tokyo_Prefecture_Kanto.html |
36 | |||
37 | AREA: Ebisu - this ended up being my favorite neighborhood, super cute | ||
38 | DRINKS | *Buri (Ebisu) | They have 100s of different Sakes served in single, self serving portions for like $6.5 each. They’re all kept very cold and they serve them by tapping on the bottom of the glass containers so that it semi-freezes before serving. I really liked this place, it’s a small, standing bar. We liked the sake so much, we came back later in the trip ( https://buri-bar.business.site/? |
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40 | DINNER | Sushi Matsue Ebisu | Awesome experience - 17 piece omakase Make reservations 1 month in advance (April 1) $100 per person |
41 | |||
42 | Thursday, May 2nd | ||
43 | Tokyo | ||
44 | AREA: TSUKIJI | ||
45 | BREAKFAST & MARKET TOUR - 8am - 9:30 | Tsukiji Market tour | booked on Airbnb. Fun way to see the fish market without waking up super early for the tuna auction. |
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48 | LUNCH | Conveyor belt sushi - Rotating sushi Edo Kanda | This place was awesome - our first conveyor belt experience. Super gritty, authentic - not at all fancy - but such a fun experience. Most of these placdes are listed as "rotating sushi" if you want to find one yourself, that's what you'd search |
49 | AREA: Yomiuri Giants - TOKYO DOME | ||
50 | AFTERNOON ACTIVITY 2pm Baseball - 5pm | Yomiuri Giants Baseball | Tokyo Dome - Baseball game at 2pm 5月2日（木）開場時間(Open) 12:00 試合開始(Start) 14:00 This was the highlight of Ben's life. the Japanese get SO into baseball - lots of organized cheers. A cool experience. Also, the waitresses running around the stadium carrying kegs on their backs and upselling you with tons of beer in plastic cups served through a hose were awesome. |
51 | |||
52 | Roppongi | ||
53 | DINNER 8:30 PM | Robataya Roppongi | It's a kitschy thing where they lay everything out on a large table and you select what you want, they cook it and serve it on a long paddle they reach over to your table. Feels a bit reminiscent of hibatchi. Careful - no prices on the menu, and all the clientele are non-Japanese.... us (American,) russians, europeans. We ordered light after reading reviews and the beef skewers were really good, but tread with caution. this could become really expensive really quickly. Also, no cancellations within 24 hours or charged $90 PP |
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55 | Friday, May 3rd | ||
56 | Tokyo | ||
57 | |||
58 | AREA: KOTO | ||
59 | MORNING ACTIVITY | TeamLab Borderless Exhibit | This was a cool art installation, but had a long line (even with tickets in advance) and way too many children for my taste. Google it and see if it's your thing - I'd say proceed with caution |
60 | |||
61 | LUNCH | Tokyo Abura Soba Ginza Main Branch, 6-chōme-12-16 Ginza, Chuo City, Tōkyō-to 104-0061, Japan | Amazing dry ramen (no broth) - mix all the ingredients together, add chili oil, smash the egg - incredible. This was one of my favorite meals. Pay in a vending machine before you sit, wait outside a few minutes and you'er invited in when there's space. |
62 | AREA: GINZA - relatively close to Koto | ||
63 | AFTERNOON ACTIVITY | Ginza Area | Walk around and shop. We got some really good gifts. What we saw: Café L'Ambre- simple black drip coffee served this way for 100 years. Smoky inside. Dover Street Market: Japanese and International fashion, curated by Commes De Garcons Rei Kawakubo Ginza Motoji: rare fabrics at a kimono-maker to the Imperial family Other recos we didn't get the chance to hit up: Ginza Natsuno: Amazing chopstick selection Gallery Koyanagi- one of the best art dealers in Tokyo Daimaru Japan - famous store |
64 | |||
65 | AREA: SHINJUKU | ||
66 | DINNER | Sushi Zanmai | Quick and inexpensive dinner before robot show at Sushi Zenmai, which is a sushi shop with multiple locations famous for being...quick, good and inexpensive. The owner is famous for having spent over $1mm on a giant tuna as a press stunt. Check it out for a non-important but good sushi dinner! |
67 | EVENING ACTIVITY - w JM and Laura | Robot Restaurant - 9:30 | SO tacky, fun-ish if you've been drinking...would not advise going sober! We also met up with friends from NYC to go to this together, which was likely more fun than if we'd gone with just the 2 of us. I wouldn't go back, but I felt like I had to do it to experience it once. Also, not enough robots....it's more like a live-action video game play....could certainly have used more robots https://www.shinjuku-robot.com/pc/ - "Robot Restaurant’s cabaret show is a spectacle that can only be likened to a live action video game. Each show runs for about 1 hour and features loud techno music, taiko drumming and garishly bright light displays. Located in Kabukicho, Tokyo’s red light district, this sci-fi fever dream is an exercise in camp excess that has to be seen to be believed. Though billed as a dining establishment, Robot Restaurant’s main draw is its massive flashing LED screens, crazy graphics, over the top robot battles and glowing neon tanks. Sit back in wonder as oversized pandas, lithe dancers and women in sparkling bikinis move across the stage in outrageous choreographed routines." - NYT |
68 | DRINKS - w JM & Laura | Golden Gai | This is a must-try IMO - really cool section of bars where you're bound to meet other travelers. Go with a small group (no more than 2-3). "Shinjuku is the biggest nightlife district in the land of the rising neon sun. There is truly something for everyone here, from the anachronistic shanty bars of Golden Gai, a favourite haunt of writers and artists; to the camp dance bars of Tokyo's gay quarter, Shinjuku-nichōme; to the old-school izakaya (Japanese pub-eateries) of Shinjuku-sanchōme, where co-workers go to unwind after work. There are all-night karaoke parlours, jazz dens and hipster cocktail bars. The options are dizzying, the lights spellbinding and the whole show continues past dawn." - NYT |
69 | Saturday, May 4th | ||
70 | |||
71 | Tokyo -> Kyoto | Train | During the day, there are several shinkansen (superfast trains) every hour between Tokyo and Kyoto. You rarely have to wait more than 10 minutes for a train. The approximate first and last departures are listed below: Westbound (Tokyo-Kyoto): 6:00am first / 7:50pm last Approximately 2 hours and 20 mins |
72 | HOTEL | Sakura Terrace - The Gallery | 39 Higashikujo Kamitonoda cho, Kyoto, 601-8002 Japan Hotel is super cute and slightly hip, very inexpensive, and steps from Kyoto Station. It's not super-luxe by any means, but it's a fantastic & economical convenient option for exploring Kyoto. We got it free on Chase points. I really liked it and would recommend. |
73 | MORNING ACTIVITY | Arrive at 11:30 | |
74 | AREA: INARI | ||
75 | LUNCH | Gontaro Okazaki | Really good udon, tempura & hot pot right around the corner from super popular spots. Much less of a wait and really good food, sitting cross legged on tatami mats. we were the only white people there the entire time / no white people in the long line when we left. |
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77 | ACTIVITY | Heian Shrine | Big temple/shrine near lunch place |
78 | Gion District | Walk around Geisha district. I'd recommend doing a free walking tour of the Gion district, which we did later in the trip - the tour guides know everythig about the history of Geisha and they focus on this area - just hit "going" on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KyotoFreeWalkingTour | |
79 | Arashiyama | Bamboo forest - this was definitely my favorite place in Kyoto, and one of the highlights of the trip. So serene and beautiful. | |
80 | DINNER | Gion Kappa | Simple izakaya in Gion district - Gion district is amazing. The food wasn't anything incredible here, but a fun atmosphere - sit at the bar and watch the chefs prepare millions of different dishes. mostly japanese, had a line |
81 | NIGHT ACTIVITY - 7pm | Bar Turquoise | Cocktail bar in gion district. Note, smoking is legal inside bars and restaurants in Tokyo, but illegal on the street - many bars will be smoky, like this one was. |
82 | Sunday, May 5th - Day trip to Osaka | ||
83 | HOTEL | Sakura Terrace - The Gallery | 39 Higashikujo Kamitonoda cho, Kyoto, 601-8002 Japan |
84 | Train is SO FAST - takes like 20 minutes from Kyoto. | ||
85 | I LOVED Osaka - must visit, best food city, so much fun! | ||
86 | FOOD | Ajinoya | More Okonomiyake - recommended by an Osaka local, SO SO good. Was about 30 minute wait at 2PM. Highly recommend this spot |
87 | Sumibiyaki Wakon | PEAKING at this hip yakitori spot. Mostly japanese, playing hip hop, sit at the counter and drink sake. Pork belly, steak, chicken.... We had like ~8 skewers total between the 2 of us and fried tofu. Nina & Kon reco | |
88 | Kuromon ichiba market | Walking tour takes you through here, but a must-visit | |
89 | |||
90 | ACTIVITY | Osaka Free Walking Tour | I thought a 3 hour tour would be WAY too long and consider myself far too cool for this type of thing, but Masa (tour guide) knows exactly what he's doing and was an incredible guide. We loved it. Sign up on Facebook at the link below. Tip ~$10 per person post-tour. Nina & Kon reco Free walking tour with an Osaka local who spent 25 years in the states, great experience. https://www.facebook.com/events/2415861365142753/ Meeting spot: In front of the place called Namba Hips (Pachinko place), across from Family Mart Store, on the ground level right outside of Exit 14 or Exit 15B, Namba Metro(not JR) Station. |
91 | |||
92 | DRINKS | Bar Nayuta | Speakeasy in the Amerika-mura area, have to take the elevator up to the 5th floor. Hard to find but SO worth it. Amazing cocktails. No menu, just tell the bartender which spirit you like and he will take it from there. |
93 | Bar Core | Bar Core is a tiny little spot, maybe fits 4 people, standing only, great price for Hibiki 17yr (Nina's favorite), otherwise have one type of beer and some other spirits and soda to mix. | |
94 | EVENING ACTIVITY | Travel back to Kyoto | |
95 | Monday, May 6th | ||
96 | Kyoto | ||
97 | HOTEL | Sakura Terrace - The Gallery | 39 Higashikujo Kamitonoda cho, Kyoto, 601-8002 Japan |
98 | MORNING | ||
99 | Kinkaku-Ji (Golden Pavillion) | This took like, 10 minutes. Super easy to see and check off the list. https://www.lonelyplanet.com/japan/kyoto/attractions/kinkaku-ji/a/poi-sig/402672/356698 Kyoto's famed 'Golden Pavilion', Kinkaku-ji is one of Japan's best-known sights. The main hall, covered in brilliant gold leaf, shining above its reflecting pond is truly spectacular. Needless to say, due to its beauty, the temple can be packed any day of the year. It's best to go early in the day or just before closing, ideally on a weekday. | |
100 | Imperial Palace | This was much smaller and less impressive than I had imagined- likely skippable! | |