Here for the travel advice and not to read my life story? Jump to Travel Recommendations for the tl;dr [too long; didn’t read] to plan your trip to Tokyo now!
Two very brave, intrepid, and slightly wayward young travelers arrived through the front door. Their arrival was my first exposure to Japan. Two university students promised a cultural exchange homestay in San Francisco. Instead, they found themselves sent out and up into the Sierra Nevadas. Deep into the California countryside where my parents lived. Theirs was exactly the kind of misadventure I would end up replicating over and over 20 some-odd years later.
My home town Somerset boasted a post office, a corner store, and not much else. The beautiful and untamed surrounding wilderness offset what that tiny country town lacked in infrastructure and rich cultural experiences. The singular dangerous beauty of the west coat. Thundering mountain rivers scattered with granite boulders. The churning water was always dangerous, freezing, and frothing as it crashed over the banks with snowmelt in the spring. The forest blanketed the foothills in every direction. An impossibly dark and thick tangle of pine, oak, and manzanita.
But what some might consider their misfortune was my improbable good luck. Out there, I only really knew one kind of person. But they brought with them an entirely new way of being. I was young and don’t remember many details but I remember them being excited, nervous, and very sweet with me.
They taught me to fold origami cranes with the delicate, hand dyed paper they had brought with them. They gifted me a box of all different kinds of candy in forms and flavors that I could have never even dreamed of myself. It contained tiny pastel-colored stars in the form of 3D asterisks, made of sugar. Flecks of dried seaweed embedded in rice crackers. An entire universe of unimaginable earthly delights on an improbable journey from the other side of the world.
It was by no means a straight line, or even the goal. But 20-some-odd years later, I ended up tracing that same improbable journey in reverse. Over the river and through the woods, I spent some time in San Francisco and a few other major cities as well. Then I made my way onto a plane out of the country and eventually touched down on the island of Japan.
I was just as nervous and excited as those college students all those years ago. The friendly airport staff herded me through customs, using a universal sign language to indicate “go this way”, “stop”, and “come forward.” and melting away my hesitations. By the time I boarded the express train from the Narita airport to the city center, excitement had replaced all my nervousness. I was giddy and entranced by the landscape passing outside the train window.
Fields filled with new kinds of plants, that gave way to new kinds of lawns buffering new kinds of houses, and new kinds of gardens ornamenting new kinds of apartment buildings, and eventually the city of Tokyo itself with all its lights and buildings and buzzing energy.
Travel Recommendations
I spent over a week getting lost among the many different parts of Tokyo and would like to share with you a few highlights that I recommend, listed in order of how much I enjoyed the experience.
Must dos for any trip to Tokyo
Tsukijo Outer Market
This is at the top of the list because if you love to eat, this is one of the best places to do it in all of Tokyo. The outer market is next to the largest fish market in Tokyo. You can try premium sushi, matcha, and Wagyu beef. This is also home to the famous “Tako Senbei,” giant octopus cracker. Tsukijo is another morning stop. I would try to come before 10 am or else you will spend most of your time waiting in lines to try the food.
Team Labs Experience
This immersive art experience is not to be missed! It is a genuinely cool and worthwhile activity, and as a bonus, it is guaranteed to level up your Instagram account. You need to make a reservation in advance but be prepared to wait around a bit regardless. Book the 9 am time slot of the day for the best experience. Otherwise it gets too crowded and the whole place starts to smell like feet pretty quickly.
Meiji Shrine
This is a beautiful Shinto shrine in the heart of the city surrounded by a sprawling park and it is absolutely worth a visit. Maybe you will even get lucky like me and see a traditional wedding ceremony in progress.
Recommendations for a longer visit
Kabuki theater in Ginza
Makeup and costumes that are out of control! Trap doors and flying theatrics! Male performers only in both male and female roles due to female prostitution which of course only led to an increase in male prostitution! What is not to love about Kabuki, the traditional Japanese form of Opera? The Kabuki Theater in Ginza is a beautiful building attached to the Ginza train station. and the cheapest tickets are only a few bucks.
Unless you are a super fan, I recommend buying tickets for a single act. This is the cheaper option that still offers an authentic Kabuki experience in less than an hour. You don’t need to plan way in advance but I recommend buying tickets a few days before you want to go to ensure you can find seats together for everyone in your party and for the time you want. I recommend buying online. If you go in person to the box office, you can purchase only one ticket per person. You can purchase audio guides for an additional ¥1000. They are available in many different languages, including English.
Sumo wrestling
Go see a sumo tournament! This will take a bit more planning and foresight. Matches only take place during odd months I.e. January, March, May, etc. You must buy tickets well in advance. They will sell out fast. They go on sale about one month before the tournament starts, you can view the complete schedule using the link above. There are also many different options available to purchase a ticket with a local guide, but these will also sell out iquickly so be sure to plan in advance.
Ghibli Museum
Getting entrance to this museum takes probably the most planning out of any of the activities I have mentioned yet. Tickets go on sale on the 10th of every month for the following month at 10 am JST.
“Ex. Tickets for February 1st through February 28th go on sale on January 10th. Tickets are good only for the specified date and time of entry, with no set exit times.”
Be prepared to register for the tickets right when sales open and wait in an online queue. It is a bit of a journey to get to the museum which is small and crowded. Be prepared to wait in long lines to see everything, and no photos or videos are allowed. If you don’t have a lot of time in Tokyo, I would recommend skipping it.
However, if you have the patience and the opportunity, you should go. I thoroughly enjoyed my time there. The exhibits are thoughtful and the architecture of the museum itself transports you to the feeling of being in a Ghibli film. The entrance ticket also includes the viewing of a short film. As someone who is diametrically opposed to whimsical fancy, this experience still took me in completely despite the aforementioned drawbacks.
Joyopolis
Don’t miss Joyopolis, the mother of all arcades. I recommend buying the full-day pass and bringing your passport for a discount for foreigners. As expected, most of the games are in Japanese. You will receive a map when you enter that indicates which games are friendly to English speakers. As you enter the open design of the multi-story complex prepare to be completely immersed in the experience. Games and rides cram the entire floor space, competing for your attention with light and sound. There are arcade-style games, experience games with live actors, and much more. A great way to spend a day, especially if the weather isn’t cooperating.
Golden Gai
This nightlife area in Shinjuku offers a truly unique drinking experience. Over 200 bars crammed into 6 narrow alleys. Many of them are only large enough for one person to fit through at a time. Most bars have a single theme for their decoration to distinguish them from the others. They will often offer a simple food menu as well. I recommend finding ones that do not charge a cover and stopping in for a drink at as many different places as you can.
Tokyo Tower
The iconic Tokyo Tower is worth visiting for the views day and night. There is no better place to marvel at the sheer magnitude of the urban sprawl that is Tokyo up close and personal. The observation deck offers a reasonably priced ticket, and the queue operates efficiently. This is one of the rare instances where you don’t need to plan ahead in Tokyo. You can just buy a ticket when you show up at the tower.
Let’s go shopping
I’m not much of one for shopping, and I’m certainly not a fashionista. But I did go to Japan to buy a bunch of stuff to take back with me. There are just so many cool things to get that are difficult if not impossible to buy outside of the country, or much more expensive. I brought an empty suitcase with me to fill up while I was there and I recommend that you do the same!
Don Quijote
This chain store is a great place to pick up all kinds of souvenirs and is an experience in and of itself. Each location features six or more stories filled with every kind of good imaginable. It is crowded, chaotic, and fun. It functions as a microcosm of Tokyo itself. Be sure to bring your passport here to enjoy duty-free shopping.
Harajuku
This famous street is definitely geared towards tourist these days, but if you are indeed visiting Tokyo as a tourist, who cares? It is a super fun street and you can marvel at the outlandish fashion and maybe even pick up an item or two to expand your own wardrobe.
Shibuya
Shibuya is known for the Shibuya Scramble Crossing, the busiest pedestrian crossing in the world. But it is also the fashion capital of Tokyo. You can find established chain stores and more unique places as well. This neighborhood also hosts the biggest and best Don Quijote location.
Shinjuku
Shinjuku is known for its nightlife. But it is also home to many megastores and shopping centers. Be prepared to get lost wandering around one of the many fancy malls!
Ginza
Ginza is known for high fashion and high-end shopping. I am not a high-fashion or high-end kind of person. But I still enjoyed wandering around this expensive neighborhood. I highly recommend a visit to the stationary store Itoya. They offer floor after floor of quality goods and is a great place to pick up some unique souvenirs. I even found ann origami instruction book in Spanish!
Akihabara
This neighborhood is known as the go-to spot for anime and manga shopping.
Travel tips
Plan ahead
If you are not a planner, odds are Japan is going to cramp your style. Some activities can be organized last minute, however many things will need to be booked well in advance. Also, this city is the largest in the world after all, so everything is pretty spread out. I recommend grouping what you want to do by location so you are not running all over the place.
JR rail pass
The first thing you should plan for after nailing down your itinerary is the JR rail pass. If you are traveling between cities, you may want to consider buying one. You must purchase this outside of Japan. I didn’t realize that they mail you a physical pass after you buy it online. So be sure to purchase it at least a few days ahead of time. There are different passes you can buy that are valid for seven, 14, or 21 days.
Riding the metro
The Tokyo metro may seem intimidating at first, but Google Maps is there for you every step of the way. Input your destination and it will guide you explicitly. It will tell you the platform you need to be on, the best train car to board for a speedy transfer, and the numbered exit you should take out of the station.
It does shut down at the shockingly early hour of 12 am for such a populous and vibrant city. Fortunately, we had no trouble using Uber in both Tokyo and Kyoto.
Be sure to load up your metro card! Public transportation is the best way to travel the city, so you will be using it a lot. The same card will work for city buses and conveniently even the vending machines inside the metro stations.
Bring cash
Japan is still a very cash-based society. In Tokyo, many places only accept cash, including when you need to reload your metro card. ATMs are everywhere, so it is easy to always have at least a few thousand yen on you.
Duty-free shopping
Bring your actual physical passport to enjoy duty-free shopping, a picture on your phone or even a paper copy will not work because they need to scan it and check that you have a tourist visa. The staff will seal anything you buy in a bag, similar to shopping duty-free in the airport. Allegedly you will need to wait until you leave the country to open it or you may have to pay taxes on your items. I felt fine carrying my passport with me since Japan is so safe, I just tried to be extra aware and not lose it or leave it anywhere.
Google translate
Keep your Google Translate at the ready. Most people do not speak English outside of the most touristy areas. But almost everyone is polite and patient and will try to help you get by.
One pro tip is to translate what you are looking for to Japanese in Google Maps. Searching nearby for “ramen” vs “拉麺” will bring up different restaurants.
Helpful vocabulary
Adding the word gozaimasu is a way to make any statement more polite. From what I could tell cannot be overused during your travels. Add it to your basic survival expressions such as Arigatou (thank you) gozaimasu or ohayou (good morning) gozaimasu for example to receive a warm response and feel superior to the average tourist.
What we call Hibachi is Teppanyaki in Japan.
Conveyor belt sushi is Kaitenzushi .
Try to be polite
I don’t know the half of it, but many things are uniquely considered rude in Japan. But I wanted to share a few that stood out to me during my travels.
The first one that may not be so obvious is walking and eating. If you stop to get something at a street vendor or the corner store, it is best to eat it while standing adjacent to the store before moving on.
You will notice that the metro is very quiet. It is also considered rude to talk on public transportation. I really didn’t follow this cultural norm but it is something to keep in mind.
Most folks already know this, but it is important to take your shoes off before entering a non-public building, even if it is your hotel room.
Tattoos
Tattoos are still very taboo in Japan. I was nervous because I have a lot of them and I had heard that there was a lot of stigma around them. However, I had a very positive experience as a foreigner with tattoos. Even much older people were polite and interested in my tattoos. However, it is still very difficult to go to a gym or visit an onsen (public bath) with tattoos. I didn’t have a chance to visit one until I got to Kyoto, but there are a few scattered throughout Tokyo. If you have tattoos, even small ones, it is best to do your research ahead of time.
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