i'm so excited to go to Japan next month (hopefully in time to catch the cherry blossoms!). my bf and i will be mostly splitting our time between Tokyo and Kyoto. dear readers, please share your recommendations for favorite places / good eats / shopping!
P.S.: i'll be doing a post or two on packing for Japan soon. please chime in if you've any travel/sartorial tips as well :)
i was in osaka, kyoto, and tokyo during cherry blossom season in 2009. it was beautiful and the best time to go!
ReplyDeletei highly recommend watching a sumo competition. when i was there it was several days long and quite addicting to watching and see who won. ippudo for ramen, kimukatsu for 25 layer tonkatsu, muji for sakura sponge cake, and tsukiji fish market, Fushimi Inari Taisha shrine in kyoto, taking shinkansen train were other highlights of my trip. hope that helps! you'll have a blast. i would recommend checking out kinfolk.com for great recommendations on japanese stores and coffee shops.
thank you for these stellar recs, Sandy! added to my list and off to check kinfolk now... :D
DeleteAh, I'll be in Tokyo for 3 days at the end of April! Looking forward to reading tips and tricks : )
ReplyDeleteIt's been many years since I was last in Japan, but surely you've seen the recent NYT 36 hours in Kyoto article? It seemed like there were lots of great tips in it. Have a great time!! Can't wait to hear more about it,
ReplyDeleteah, i'll have to finagle access to that article - damn paywall :P
DeleteI am so jealous! I spent a year teaching in Japan back in 2007 and have wanted to go back ever since. So unfortunately, I'm afraid my recommendations are probably way out of date. :( In Tokyo, my favorite thing to do is just wander around. It's incredibly safe and you never know what hidden gems you'll discover. Also, highly recommend checking out the (free!) observation decks at the top of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building in Shinjuku. If you have time, go to a hot spring; the Izu Penninsula is not far from Tokyo, especially by bullet train (and if you get a J Rail pass, it's worth a trip), and is famous for beautiful scenery and tons of natural hot springs!
ReplyDeletei am intrigued by hot springs and onsen, yet feel woefully clueless about how they work/what to wear. any tips? :P
DeleteTypically they are separated into male and female sections (there are probably some unisex ones out there, but I never went to one). After you pay, they give you a robe and slippers, which you can wear around the public areas (there are often lounges, massage chairs, a place to get food, etc.), but inside the locker room and the pools themselves, it's completely nude. Don't worry, after about 10 minutes, you get used to it. ;) You store your clothes and belongings in a locker and, most importantly, wash yourself before getting into the tubs. Usually there will be a variety of pools to choose from, with different temperatures, minerals, etc. Then soak to your heart's content!
DeleteAnother option, especially if you want to share the experience with your bf, is to book a night at a hot springs ryokan. Some of them offer a private tub with the room.
I went to Japan last year and the highlight of the trip was doing a sake tasting with a tapas style dinner at Yoramu, a tiny bar/restaurant run by an Iranian guy. I just looked up the name so I could recommend it to you and am shocked there aren't more/better reviews on Trip Advisor. A few people said they had a bad experience, but we had a lovely evening. Maybe try to go on a weeknight versus a weekend?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g298564-d2638005-Reviews-Yoramu-Kyoto_Kyoto_Prefecture_Kinki.html
thanks Abby - added to my list! such a fascinating backstory too. :)
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ReplyDeleteI was there this time last year! Best souvenirs: vintage kimonos and jackets from a tiny rental shop around the corner from the tiny amusement park in Asakusa. I bought 6, obis and all, for maybe $150? Shinkansen is awesome. The drugstore underneath Tokyo Station (beautifully restored) is huge and fabulous. And Kit Kat...all the Kit Kat...
ReplyDeleteok i'm definitely hitting up that vintage shop - thanks so much for the tip! your kit kat comment made me laugh - another friend is obsessed with the green tea ones!!
Deleteisetan in tokyo/shinjuku is my alltime fav departmentstore, worth a visit for clothes, furniture, homeware, traditional dishes/ceramics and so on. nearby is tsunahashi, a very famous tenpura restaurant. don't miss the commes des garcons shop in aoyama (they usually have stocked the play-mariniers and they cost 'only' about half of what they cost in europe. undercover's main shop is in aoyama as well, close to the commes des garcons boutique. aoyama is a great area for just walking around: it's residential but at the same time is one of the most popular shopping areas. you'll find nice cafes (yokumoku has delish pastries & cookies) expensive shops (the fantastic prada shop, a design by herzog&de meuron, is there too), and interesting architecture in general. if you have the time, the nezu art museum is fantatstic. fleamarkets can be awesome and i used to visit the one near togo-jinja, but i'm not sure if it's still operating - the last time i was in tokyo, in november, there was nothing going on. a bit googling may help. for beautiful paper, traditional postcards, ink, scents and so on i recommend kyukyu-do on ginza. tower records in shibuya is great for cd's, jazz, classical and pop (both western and j-pop).
ReplyDeletethank you thank you for this treasure trove of recs!
DeleteCheck out the neighborhood Nakameguro. It's so visually stunning. Enjoy your trip!
ReplyDeletethanks! definitely on my list - i remember a lovely old Sartorialist video featuring that neighborhood.
DeleteI don't have anything helpful to say since I have never been to Japan, but I feel super excited on your behalf and look forward to any posts you do about your trip!
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful time! I loved Tokyo when I visited in 2000. I also spent time in Kamakura, where I stayed in a ryokan, which was lovely. In terms of shopping, I splurged on paper products - Japan is a treasure trove for stationery. And of course, food (I love seafood and beef).
ReplyDeleteThe Fushima Inari Shrine outside of Kyoto is magical and haunting. Unlike any other place. In Tokyo, Nakameguro is cool and you have to go to Harajuku to see all the crazy kids in crazy outfits!
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ReplyDeleteNara, Kyoto, Uchi... all beautiful towns when you beam yourself back in time in a turn of the corner. Defintely try the ice creams in green match and soy milk flavor!
ReplyDeleteFew more things to suggest:
ReplyDeleteif you have time, check out Shin-Yokohama Ramen Museum in Yokohama
if you like hayao miyazaki films like my neighbor totoro and spirited away...go to Studio Ghibli museum in Inokashira Park in Mitaka. It's so darn cute! Quick tip, the museum sells limited tickets for each time slot and day. Buy tickets ahead of time.
lastly, there is a kit kat boutique in Seibu Department Store in Tokyo's Ikebukuro that just opened in January 2014
all of these sound so fun - and Spirited Away is one of my favorite films! added to my list :)
DeleteLove this picture!
ReplyDeleteHum, I think most of my recommendations would be out of date, but there are places you can't go wrong with, depending on what type of thing you want to see of course:
ReplyDelete- For stunning views of the city, I recommend Roppongi Hills (they have a vista you can access for a fee, a museum and many restaurants), or the Shinjuku Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building. They also have an access to the top floors with a vista, a tea lounge, and one of the towers is open until late at night for night views of the city.
- For the "traditional" experience, I recommend the Meiji temple & Yoyogi park, both on the Yamanote line (I think you can access the temple from the Harajuku station). If you are there during the sakura blooming, I highly recommend you go to the Kichijôji park, avoid the week-end though. The sakura blooming April view in this park is amazing. There is also the Ghibli musem in that area if you are into Miyazaki's art. If you do want to go to that museum you have to book in advance though, like, now. Also, for traditional trinkets to bring as souvenirs, I recommend you go to Asakusa. There is a temple there, but also a lot of little streets filled with traditional souvenir shops.
- For the "Japanese craziness" part, I recommend Harajuku, where you should see a lot of Japanese people with their own style (like gothic lolitas for example) and a lot of "indie" kind of shops. There is also the famous Akihabara neighborhood, if you are into the tech/manga side of Japan. Finally, if you're there with your bf you should definitely go to Odaiba one evening. It is not "traditional" at all, it is more of a "date entertainment park", with attractions for 2, a reconstitution of what looks like an Italian city... It's not very japanese in the traditional sense of the term, but it gives you a taste of what japanese dating looks like haha.
- Outside of Tokyo, within 1/1.5 hrs train (the kind of trip you can do in one day, there is:
--> Kamakura, it is a whole town full of temples and traditional buildings. There is a giant buddha there, and the beach, if the weather so allows.
--> Nikko, another site with interesting temples. Different from the other ones, very colourful, more "chinese" like than traditional Japanese.
--> Hakone, if you are into hot springs you definitely should spend a day in Hakone. This is a mountain with a lake, a lot of activities to do, there is a sulfur site which is quite impressing, with a wonderful view of the mount Fuji on top, if you arrive there early enough (before sundown).
--> the island and temple of Ise. I never went so I don't know how long it takes to go there, but I know it's worth the trip. They rebuild the temple every 20 years, as I heard.
- Food: I don't have any specific restaurant to recommend, but I suggest you try the "shabu shabu" fondue, there are restaurants offering that everywhere. Also, the kaiten zushi - sushi restaurant with an automated mat of sorts that makes sushi stroll in front of your eyes. You just grab a plate and eat. Also, if you are really into raw fish, you should go to the Tsukiji market, early in the morning. (Like, at 6AM). There are sushi places there that serve the fish right out of the boat. The thing was swimming 2 hours ago, it can't get any fresher than that.
I think that's about all I can think on top of my mind, but if you have any specific activity in mind, don't hesitate to ask :)
So excited for you! Can't wait to read your travel posts!
ReplyDeleteI am also going to Japan in April, and trying to decide what to bring. Make sure you leave plenty of space in your suitcase though because you will want to bring a lot of things back!
ReplyDeleteThere are so many good recommendations here, but I would have to add Tokyu Hands to the list. It is a huge store in Tokyo selling stationary, kitchen goods, tools, really almost everything- things that you would never find anywhere else.
Also, if you visit any department stores (like Isetan), be sure to go downstairs, where there is a whole floor of food vendors. They are amazing (and a good place to pick up small gifts to bring back).