Robertism

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japan recommendations

12 min read

I don’t know much about Japan, but I’ll offer what I can to help you plan your trip. I’ve found these posts to also be useful for me in my planning:

  1. patio11’s blog
  2. nathan wentworth’s blog
  3. hipo’s vlog

If there is an asterisk next to a spot, it's because I haven't actually been to it yet, only saved it because others have recommended it. For the sake of not repeating “supposedly”, etc. I’ll just talk as if I’ve been to it, mentioning what I’ve heard.

Tokyo

Shibuya

  • Share Lounge Tsutaya is a neat co-working space with unlimited snacks, drinks, and ice cream for like $10 an hour. It also has great views of Shibuya crossing and surroundings.
  • Nikuya Yokocho Udagawachi* serves unlimited Kobe beef for $32 a person.
  • PDX Taproom is a Portland inspired bar. Can be a neat place to meet other Americans traveling to Tokyo.
  • LOST* is a speakeasy owned by YouTuber Abroad in Japan.
  • Iyoshi Cola* serves artisanal soda.
  • Mom’s Touch* is a fast food restaurant serving korean fried chicken sandwiches.
  • Togoshiya* has onigiri. Damn I love the ‘giri.

Meguro

I really enjoyed my morning walk around the neighborhoods of Meguro and Nakameguro. The Meguro Sky Garden is accessible to the public and has great views of the city. Walking along the Meguro River, you will eventually arrive at the Starbucks Reserve Roastery. Somewhat nearby is Daikanyama, which has some quaint book stores and restaurants 1. I’ve heard the bars around here also have nice cocktails, albeit a little pricey.

Shimokitazawa

I haven’t been, but is apparently mecca for thrifting. Also has a great live music scene. I think some thrift stores operate outside in parking lots on the weekends, could be fun to even walk around and people watch.

Ikebukuro

North of Shinjuku is the land of Waseda University (one of the top schools in Japan), Ikebukuro (Akihabara (anime mecca) for women), and I suppose suburbia. Jazz SPOT Intro* is an intimate jazz bar. Get there maybe 20 minutes before opening if you want a seat.

Akihabara

It’s best to visit at night when everything is lit up. Tons of arcades to explore. I saw more claw machines in one building than I had seen in my entire life up to that point. If you like browsing electronics and don’t think you’ll get overstimulated, step into Bic Camera. For otakus, there are two nightclubs: MOGRA* and Anison DJ. If you’re visiting at a time near Comiket, it’s possible there will be foreigners partying there. Otherwise, you’ll likely be the only one there. Anison at least has multiple floors, the first of which is a standard bar with the upstairs (paid entry) shenanigans being streamed on a TV for you.

Asakusa

North of Akihabara is Asakusa, which Google describes as retaining

“the vibe of an older Tokyo, with traditional craft shops and street-food stalls … near the ancient Sensō-ji temple”.

All true. Plenty of snack stalls, gift shops, and picturesque shrines. Try seeing if there is a festival going on during your trip. This neighborhood turns lively during them.

Shinjuku

Important note: Be very careful talking to anyone on the streets of Shinjuku or nearby Kabukicho. Especially West Africans. DO NOT FOLLOW ANYONE UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES.

  • Golden-Gai is probably one of the must-visit spots as a tourist. Just pick a bar and walk in.
  • ZEROTOKYO is a night club with three levels to it, with about five different DJ areas. Very fun.
  • Tokyu Kabukicho Tower* has a four story arcade with unlimited gaming for a reasonable price that I don’t remember. Open late.
  • SOBOONG* has buttery taiyaki. ‘Nuff said.
  • izakaya 1*
  • izakaya 2*

Ebisu

Bar TRAM is a cool spot, and it’s sister location Bar TRENCH is supposed to be even better. The Yebisu (still pronounced Ebisu) Garden Place is a beautifully manicured shopping mall with lots of great restaurants to choose from. If you were considering a guided tour of Yebisu Brewery to test your Japanese skills… maybe don’t. Oh, just me?

Minato City

The areas of Roppongi and Azabudai Hills are very boujee. Lots of luxury stores and business parks. Also where you can see Tokyo Tower and one of the teamLab locations. Pizza Studio Tamaki makes some of the best pizza I’ve had in my life. They have two locations: one in Roppongi, one in Azabu. You can (should?) call ahead for reservations, just make sure you arrive at the correct one. There’s also Yakiniku Miyabi which has a great wagyu lunch deal. Outside of lunch hours, it might be a bit pricey though.

Ginza

The last of the glammy neighborhoods on this list. Labyrinthine luxury department stores that have every snack and sweet known to man. It’s probably rude to eat while walking around it but I don’t care. If you want one of the best steaks of your life, get a big ol’ Yamagata steak from Coco Nemaru.

Tsukiji Market

Tourist hotspot, but some nice food. Get the salmon belly onigiri (sha-ke harasu). Beware overpaying for kobe beef on a stick, especially if you’re going near Kobe later in your trip. Nearby is one of the locations of Glitch Coffee Roasters, which, while a neat experience, probably wasn’t worth $25+ for a single cup of coffee. If you do go, for the love of God, please get the Colombia Huila Las Flores (iced).

Shinbashi

Where all the Salarymen go to drink after work. Good for nighttime photography. Lots of neat standing bars (tachinomiya = stand + drink + store). 韓国屋台ダン* is a tachinomi with good Korean food.

Etc.

Tokyo Adjacent

Enoshima Island looks like a really neat place to visit, especially the beaches in the summer. See Nathan or hipo’s content above. Yokohama has the cup noodle ramen museum*. I once spoke to a Japanese girl who said it’s her favorite place in the country, but I think she was just crazy. Though I’ve heard two people say Yoshimuraya* has the best ramen in all of Japan, so Yokohama must know their ramen.

For fans of architecture or design patterns within computer science, a school built by Christopher Alexander can be found nearby. No idea if it’s open to tourists, though.

An underrated neighborhood west of Tokyo is Kichijōji.

Nagoya

Between West and East Japan, there lies the engineering suburbia of Nagoya. Lots of R&D firms have their sprawling campuses here, the big one being Toyota. As a tourist there would be little reason to go here, but the density of kissaten beckons me. One day.

Kyoto

Probably my favorite place in all of Japan. The people are as kind as can be. Nature abounds. Cafe game on fleek. Vibemaxxing for sure.

Visit Kiyomizu-dera and have some coins ready for the entrace fee. If you visit Fushimi-Inari shrine, a hack a local gave me is to visit it at night. Hardly any crowd. If you visit Yakasa Shrine, also do it at night, not because any local told you to, but because I told you to.

There will be some paths that look coned or barred off, but Maruyama Park behind Yakasa is open 24/7 and is sooo pretty at night. When I visited, there was also a bar in the park blasting house music lol. Such a vibe. Also nearby the park is 3-michelin star kaiseki restaurant, Kikunoi Honten. Last also: in front Yakasa is a stretch of road lined with gift shops. Touristy? Yes. But a nice selection nonetheless.

Near the northeastern edge of Shimogyo Ward along the Kamo River lies a sublime density of kino. Restaurants, cafes, you name it. It’s there and it’s more beautifully hipster than you could imagine. Up a little north from there is Karawamachi, a shopping district full of anything you could want, navigable by photogenic narrow alley a la Golden-Gai or wide neon-lit main streets. In the afternoon, it’s not uncommon for people to sit beside the river and picnic, even with their guitars. Make sure to bring your JBL speaker and blast Fetty.

The Nintendo store is somewhere in Kyoto, and apparently has really cool merch. I know someone who spent two hours shopping in there.

The Arashiyama Bamboo forest is a famous tourist spot. I’d try to arrive there no later than 7am. 6:30 would probably be best. The forest itself is neat, albeit a bit underwhelming for those who expected it to be like a 20 minute walk. No, you’ve walked thorugh the whole forest in maybe 5 minutes tops. That being said, the park at the end at to the left is equally beautiful and has more trails to enjoy 2. When you’re done, you’re also in one of the cutest neighborhoods in all of Japan. Walk around and enjoy the scenery.

Final note on Kyoto: I don’t think it will ever happen, but if you’ve stayed somewhere a while and they ask if you want more tea, that means they’re asking you to leave.

Now, a list of spots:

Omihachiman

A small town an hour train ride from Kyoto. Looks insanely cool.

Uji

The place to be for matcha. Also a neat town. I’d try visiting Marukyu Koyamaen*.

Kobe

I don’t have much personal experience with Kobe, having only passed through for a few hours. I instead direct you to Japan Eat’s YouTube, as he lives in the city and knows all about its food.

Nara

Whereas Kyoto was my favorite part, I know others for which Nara was their favorite. I was personally too sick to visit Nara on the day my friends visited. That being said, in addition to the deer, there are plenty of temples to visit.

Osaka

Unlike Tokyo, Osakan people love to give directions. They will also pretend to die if you shoot them with a finger gun. Like Nara, I was also too sick to do much here. From what I’ve heard, it’s a friendly city that likes to party. In the America-mura district, for example, you’ll find a vibrant nightlife of people that love interacting with foreigners. Nearby Namba is supposedly similar.

If you’re in town on the third Sunday of the month, you can visit the Osaka Up Market, an “outdoor craft and farmers market”.

On Speaking Japanese

The first three are perhaps the most important to be able to pronounce properly. After that, maybe asking where to find a toilet/washroom. You can use the japanesepod101 dictionary to find audio samples for the below words.

(On mobile, you may have to swipe to see the fourth column on usage.)

JapaneseRomajiMeaningUsage Notes
すみませんsumimasen”Excuse me”When getting someone’s attention, moving past someone on the train, etc.
お願いしますonegaishimasu”Please / yes”When the clerk asks if you want a bag.
大丈夫ですdaijoubudesu”I’m okay / no”When the clerk asks if you want a bag.
ごちそうさまでしたgochisousamadeshita”Thank you for the meal”Thanking the chef(s) as you leave. They go crazy for this.
美味しかったですoishikatta desu”It was delicious”
お邪魔しますojama shimasu”Pardon the intrusion”If you think you might be refused at a restaurant for being a foreigner.
いいですか？ii desu ka?”Is this okay?”While pointing to a seat, asking if you can sit there. When entering a restaurant 20 minutes before closing.
一人hitori”One person”
二人futari”Two people”
三人san nin”Three people”
お会計okaikei”Check”okaikei onegaishimasu for “check please”.
ごめんなさいgomennasai”I am so sorry”
ありがとうございますarigatougozaimasu”Thank you very much”
おはようございますohayougozaimasu”Good morning”Don’t use after 10am.
こんにちはkonnichiwa”Hello”Note there are two n’s in a row, pause for a split second longer.
こんばんはkonbanwa”Good evening”Note: You had this as “Good afternoon” in your original text.
〈物〉がありますか？<thing> ga arimasu ka?”Do you have <thing>?”
〈物〉はどこですか？<thing> wa doko desu ka?”Where is <thing>?”
アメリカAmerika”America”They have no idea what United States is.
お任せomakase”Chef’s choice”It’s not really important at all to know. But every influencer pronounces it wrong and it’s my personal pet peeve.

Footnotes

  1. For fans of shiso leaf, their shiso cocktail is amazing. ↩

  2. If you get there early like I did, there’s a possibility they haven’t restocked the vending machines yet. You may find yourself on a long hike being more dehydrated than you’ve ever been in your life, having only slept two hours. Find a convenience store to get water beforehand. ↩