Tokyo is everything we dreamed of and more. This beautiful city is indescribable: the people are so hospitable, the sounds so delightful, and the food so satisfying. We spent two weeks in Tokyo, Gotemba, Kyoto, Osaka and back to Tokyo. Our highlights included visiting old friends, meeting new ones, and simply being in a place where you want to do it all, but cannot even begin to scratch the surface of this special place with endless adventure.
The rumors you've been hearing about Japan are true - it's a hidden gem that people are finally discovering. I keep going back to the hospitality and general customer service because it is incredible and seems to be people who genuinely love their job! The streets are incredibly clean, the trains are on time and extremely efficient, and the toilet - yes, they are amazing with heated seats, a button for "privacy" music, and clean - even in a train station. They've made great accommodations for English speakers with signs in English and their generosity toward our very poor pronunciation of Japanese words.
Apps we downloaded
Suica - we added Suica to our Apple Wallet and were able to easily use the trains, bus, and even use it to pay at participating places.
Line - for texting our local friends. This app is similar to What's App and helped us make plans to meet up with these special friends below. Years ago, J.J.'s family hosted exchange students in a college program his dad started. After staying in contact here and there via social media, we finally got to visit them and their families in Tokyo! We're so grateful for all their help and hospitality and can genuinely say how wonderful of friends they are to us!
GO - for rideshares. Easy to use and every time we used it, the drivers were quick to pick our ride up and inexpensive.
Getting Here
We flew direct from Minneapolis to Tokyo (HND). We took advantage of some great premium economy fares and are glad we did! Business class was a bit out of our price range, but we still wanted some extra leg room and as much comfort as possible on an over 11 hour flight.
Stay
We stayed in two different hotels at the start and end of our trip.
Muji Hotel Ginza - is the hotel for you if you've ever dreamed of staying in a store for the night! Muji Hotel is located in Ginza, an upscale shopping area that sort of reminds us of 5th Ave in New York City. Floors 1 - 5 host the Muji store which is filled with home goods, clothing, stationery, and food. The front desk and lobby area of the hotel is on floor 6 with rooms spanning from 7 - 10. They have a variety of rooms and we stayed in the one and only RE (paper) room - an art installation of sorts that is clean, cozy, and comfortable for two people. A traditional Japanese breakfast was included and lovely.
The Westin Tokyo - is the hotel for you if you enjoy a large room, great service, and are looking to be in a more neighborhood setting. If you're traveling with your family or a group, this is a great hotel for you! We always love staying at Marriott properties because in general, you know what you can expect no matter where you are in the world. The beds are plush and our view boasted a perfect picture of Mt. Fuji.
Coffee and Eats
We found that coffee shops open quite a bit later than what we are used to - but it's worth the wait for a perfectly curated hand drip coffee.
About Life Coffee Brewers - we went to the 2 Chome-17-1 Shibuya location twice because it was such a vibe. On a nice day, the doors are open and there's indoor/outdoor seating. They serve a small food menu which include hot grilled cheese sandwiches done super well, absolutely delicious coffee and have a few beers on tap or bottled. J.J. likes it because they complimented him on his Japanese.
Northernwood Ginza - this cozy coffee shop was perfect on our rainy day! We thought about standing in the line for Glitch Coffee - but no dice...way too long and wasn't moving. Northernwood had great service and a small seating area that was perfect for us.
Joe Talk Coffee - great coffee where you can see them roasting the coffee beans. Small shop, but on a sunny day there's a bench to sit out front.
Ippudo Ginza Ramen - this was our first meal and super close to our Muji Hotel. It was a delicious intro to Japan.
FUKU Yakitori - if I could tell you to go one place in Tokyo, this would be it. Hands down, our favorite meal and experience. We wandered from Yoyogi Park through a quaint neighborhood with bikes and trains and people in coffee shops...a walking postcard. We didn't have reservations, but suggest you do if you want to ensure to get in.
Jennifer Seven Old School Burger Shop - we stumbled upon this burger joint while shopping in Shibuya and it was honestly amazing. It's sort of a hideaway diner in the back of a small shop with seriously great burgers. The whole vibe is old Americana with details like Meyer's hand soap, Ace Hardware buckets, fries, banana splits, and the stars and stripes hanging on the wall. Way more fun than kitschy.
Toritoshi - close to the Tokyo Westin is this yakitori restaurant. Great atmosphere and delicious food. Again, we didn't have reservations, but we found if we went at opening, we'd be able to get a table.
Ginza Six Shopping Mall and Isetan Shinjuku - malls in Japan are like no other. Floors and floors of independent shops all sharing spaces with beautiful clothing, an entire floor of stationery, a beautiful bookstore, outdoor goods, and amazing restaurants. Each mall is a bit different, but they all have this in common - the stores are all so well manicured. Clothes are folded crisply and steamed to perfection. We ate a set meal at Ginza Six and explored a high end food hall at Isetan Shinjuku where we had some amazing sushi!
Breakfast and Brunch Jade5 - we were looking for a highly rated breakfast spot and this came up on Google. Funny enough, we sat and enjoyed a conversation with the Andre3000! The service was amazing and the food really delicious.
Bio C Bon - if you're looking for an organic market - we found this! We got some fresh items for our flight home and it was a lifesaver.
Atelier Lala - was our last meal in Tokyo and it didn't disappoint. If you stay at the Westin, you have a ton of coffee, food and shopping options where you can walk from your hotel room down an escalator and through a tunnel to places like Atelier Lala.
What to See and Do
Tokyo is a lot of walking, shopping, and people watching. With so many people, it can be surprisingly quiet. There are a lot of people, but in most areas we didn't feel like it was chaotic. I will say this, walking on the sidewalks is puzzling. People don't really pick a side. It's not like in New York where there are strict unsaid rules about which side to walk on and at what pace. But, it's all part of the fun of travel.
Yoyogi Park - one of our favorite places in Tokyo was this large park in the Shibuya neighborhood. Many tourists go for the Meiji Shrine and Sake barrels, but if you find yourself wandering through to get to your next destination, that is the true prize.
Mustard Seed Church - was one of our highlights. It's a Christian church with several locations around Japan where people from around the world worship the Living God. It's in English and Japanese.
Imperial Palace - in truth, we walked all the way up to the palace and it was closed. Definitely on our list for next time.
Nintendo Tokyo - if you have any Mario fans in your house, go to a Nintendo. It's busy and crowded, but you sort of can't miss the speciality only in Japan gachapon. Speaking of which, gachapon stores are a thing and they're amazing and you'll spend more money than you want to finding the perfect miniature souvenir.
Conbinis aka Convenience stores - Lawson, 7-Eleven, Family Mart - we visited them all and enjoyed trying things like egg salad sandwiches & onigiri, buying stationery & clothes, and getting cash. People use conbinis like Americans use Target.
Shibuya Sky - this reminded us a lot of Top of the Rock or Empire State Building in New York City. It gave great views of the city and Shibuya Crossing.
So much of our time in Tokyo consisted of wandering and popping into little stores, sitting down to enjoy a cup of coffee, and being immersed in a completely different culture. There are also great day trips to take from Tokyo including to charming Kamakura.
As I write this, there are little things I could keep adding, but overall this is our comprehensive list of Tokyo from first time visitors...hoping to be second, third, fourth. Enjoy!
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