6 Days in Tokyo, Japan
Gyoza, tonkatsu, Teamlab, and I miss my dog already.
Hi everyone! I know I’ve been quiet but that’s because I’ve been on vacation. In my previous post, I mentioned that I was going to be traveling to Asia in a few weeks and I’m finally back! I’ve missed you all, and I can’t wait to tell you all about my travels.
Not sure if I mentioned this yet but my partner recently took his sabbatical. This means he basically gets a full month of pto (crazy right?!). He’s always wanted to go to Japan so I thought it’d be nice to plan a trip and make the most use of his time off.
While we were gone, Sony also went to a special boarding/training service in the Bay Area called JPK9. A friend recommended it to me since she took her dog there and saw great results. They have 2-week and 4-week programs but since we were going to be gone for almost a month, we opted for the 4-week program.
1 month is the longest I’ve been away from my baby and I was so excited when I picked her up 😭. Here she is, home and trying to rest while I record her every move LOL.
Ok, so back to the sabbatical. We ended up planning a trip to Japan and Korea (more to come on another post) and the breakdown of our time spent goes as follows:
Tokyo - 6 days
Kyoto - 3 days
Osaka - 4 days
Seoul - 6 days
I’ve been to Japan once before so this time around, I was really traveling to eat.
Since we booked a few things late, the days above were the most optimal based on price. If it’s your first time in Japan though, I think 2 weeks is a great start to explore!
Anyways, before I get into my trip, I must tell you all that we went to Japan at a terrible time. Our trip started in the first week of September and Japan was 90+ degrees fahrenhiet with 80-90% humidity 😬. Regardless, we made the most of it!
This post will be all about Tokyo. I’ll talk about Kyoto and Osaka in a later post so don’t you worry :).
To relive my trip to the fullest, check out this cinematic vlog my partner put together 👇🏼
Tokyo
Ok so Tokyo first. Honestly, there is just so much to do and see in Tokyo that you could easily spend 2 weeks here. For touristy stuff, we did the following:
TeamLab
Shibuya Crossing
Tsukiji Fish Market
Shibuya Crossing
Where to stay
During my first trip to Tokyo, we stayed in Ginza. This time around, since most of my bookmarks were split across Shibuya and Shinjuku, we decided to stay in Shibuya.
If you’re planning to visit Kyoto, Osaka or another city via Shinkansen (Japan’s bullet train), you have to go to the Tokyo Train Station which is located in Ginza. Shibuya ➡️ Ginza is around 35min on train.
Where to eat
In case you didn’t know already, I travel to eat so of course most of my bookmarks are for food.
Click the map to see my Japan bookmarks or click the link here :) One thing I noticed while in Asia — there is no concept of breakfast! Most places open around 10-11am unless it’s a coffee shop or local convenient store.
Having said that, I didn’t really eat my first meal until 11am-12pm which was kind of nice. For those that need breakfast though, Family Mart (711 on steroids) is open 24/7 and you’ll find everything you need from sandwiches, coffee, to their famous fried chicken (fami-chiki). There was a Family Mart on every other block while we walked around Tokyo.
I promise you, the soy sauce fami-chiki is the best 200￥ you will spendFood Highlights
📍Udon Shin - This spot was perfect for a hot (and humid) day in Tokyo! I’ve never had cold udon but thought it could be refreshing after the 20k steps I just put in 😂.
This spot makes fresh udon daily and as you stand in line, you might see your noodles being made in front of your eyes :).
Cold Udon w/ cod roe with soft boiled egg - mix and serve!📍Ichiran - Did you really go to Japan if you didn’t go to Ichiran? Yes, they have a location in the U.S. (NY) but it’s just not the same. You have to go to the Ichiran in Japan at least once (or multiple times a day, no judgement), and you have to get the works. The chashu is perfectly tender, broth is rich + flavorful, and the best part — you can eat in your own personal booth.
📍Sarashina Horii - This spot has been in business for over 200 years so clearly, they’re doing something right. The recipe has remained the same for multiple generations and their soba has been enjoyed by everyone from the Shogun Family (ruler of Japan from the 1600-1800s) to the Emperor of Japan!!
Top: Soba w/ duck
Middle: Egg omelette
Bottom: soba with mountain yam 📍Harajuku Gyozaro - If you’re shopping in Harajuku like we were, stop by here for some yummy gyoza. It’s a quick snack that can easily fill you up! Cash only.
📍Gyukatsu Motomura - The most tender beef katsu I’ve ever had! This was probably the most delicious meal of our Tokyo leg and I miss it already.
FYI, you can easily miss this spot since it’s down a flight of stairs in a building you may not be looking for. The meal was so delicious, we forgot they didn’t have AC 😂.
They cook the meat 30% so that you can do the rest on the stone grill they provide you! This is the regular portion but they offer 1.5 and double portions too. I definetely could've eaten more.Tokyo Reflections
Leaving Tokyo was bittersweet. It felt like we had so much more left to do and a gazillion restaurants left to try. Tokyo was exactly how I remembered it. Clean, efficient, and vibrant. If I were to do it all again, I would:
Stay at a hotel vs. an Airbnb.
We opted for prime location this time around and stayed in Shibuya. Our Airbnb was fine but not sure it was the right call. Most apartments in Tokyo are small. Our unit was ~200 sqft-ish and there was only AC in one room. If you recall me mentioning the heatwave we walked into, this was less than ideal. Also, due to the small space, our luggage took up all of our floor space so there wasn’t much room to sit and relax after a long day of walking 🥲.
Get an IC Card
The amount of time we spent scrambling for coins to pay for a bus ticket or train ticket could’ve been spent eating more food! An IC Card would’ve just been easier.
Not fall for all the viral spots you see on TikTok/Instagram
Our first meal when we landed was a revolving sushi restaurant I saw on Instagram. I had bookmarked it because it looked good but I left disappointed. The selection was limited (only toro and salmon), the cuts were way too thick, and the fish wasn’t super fresh.
Get lost more!
There were moments where I got us lost because the map didn’t update, or I stood on the wrong platform at the train station which caused us to end up in random areas of Tokyo we would’ve never explored. I think the best part about is that you’re always discovering something new and sometimes, you might find something you never knew you were looking for :).
💡 Thinking back on your last international trip, was there anything you wish you would’ve done differently?
As always, I would love to hear from you! If you’ve been to Japan, wanna go, or maybe you just like my photos, let me know your thoughts!