Japan tips
i have been fortunate enough to visit Japan many times since my parents moved there in 2013. back in 2017, i put this guide together for a friend who was visiting Tokyo. having forwarded it to several others since then, i’ve decided to publish it online. updates, additions, and edits from 2023 indicated like so.
General tips
Carry cash! A lot of places are cash only.
Some places (bars, restaurants) will refuse to serve you because you’re white and/or don’t speak Japanese. It sucks and I’ve been victim to this too. Nothing you can do about it.
I would get a tokyo metro card. Shit I had one I could’ve given you, but they’re really useful. They work on the metro but also work at a number of other places (7-11, other restaurants, other convenience stores). there are a bunch of different “brands” but they are all interchangeable. you will probably see Suica and PASMO. either works.
Don’t be afraid to try food even if you don’t know what they are. I’ve listed some of my favorite foods below but there’s really just too many awesome dishes for me to list. If you’re at a street market or a food court you can definitely ask for a sample.
Tokyo is humongous, even bigger than the NYC metropolitan area. There are a ton of neighborhoods (Ginza, Shibuya, Roppongi, Shinjuku) that all have a different feeling. Use the metro to travel around. Up to you whether you want to get a taste of a bunch of neighborhoods or explore a few more in depth.
Metro - FYI there are two separate metro systems in Tokyo. Your metro card should work for both. It can be little confusing because you may have to leave one system and then pay to get into a station in the other system.
You could spend a solid day just wandering around, without a destination in mind. I’m copy and pasting from wiki-travel, I agree with this:
The sheer size and frenetic pace of Tokyo can intimidate the first-time visitor. Much of the city is a jungle of concrete and wires, with a mass of neon and blaring loudspeakers. At rush hour, crowds jostle in packed trains and masses of humanity sweep through enormous and bewilderingly complex stations. Don’t get too hung up on ticking tourist sights off your list: for most visitors, the biggest part of the Tokyo experience is just wandering around at random and absorbing the vibe, poking your head into shops selling weird and wonderful things, sampling restaurants where you can’t recognize a single thing on the menu (or on your plate), and finding unexpected oases of calm in the tranquil grounds of a neighbourhood Shinto shrine. It’s all perfectly safe, and the locals will go to sometimes extraordinary lengths to help you if you just ask.
Food - no particular order, I would try everything if possible
Ramen - You’ll see ramen shops all over the place. It’s hard to go wrong with any place. There are a ton of different styles so don’t be afraid to explore.
Other noodles - Try some udon and soba as well. Udon is really thick white noodles and soba is really thin buckwheat noodles (darker color). Soba is often served cold. Ramen has really made it to the US but udon and soba have not. Therefore it’s a lot harder to find good udon and soba in the US so I’d take advantage of being in Japan to try the other noodles. Also in general with noodle dishes people slurp them up rather noisily, and it is not seen as being rude as it would be in the west. Don’t be afraid to slurp, especially with hot ramen. There’s supposedly a functional reason to slurp hot ramen, because you bring in a bunch of air along with the noodles so that you don’t burn yourself as badly. I thought about investigating that idea as practice for heat transfer quals but never got around to it.
Rokurinsha - This is a place in “Ramen Street” in the basement under the Tokyo Station. David Chang (Momofuku chef) says its the best ramen in the world. It’s a little different from standard ramen in that the noodles are served on the side. They’re served on the side because the noodles are so good you should be able to eat and appreciate them on their own. Try the noodles on their own and then the rich broth on its own to appreciate the separate flavors and then you can dunk the noodles in the broth the rest of the way. Once you finish your noodles you can ask them to give you some dashi (I think). They’ll spoon a flavorful soup into your bowl of broth so that you finish it all off. Lines are super busy around lunchtime and dinnertime but worth the wait. I’ve gone around 3 or 4pm on a weekday and the wait was super short. this place is awesome and i still go back every time i go to Japan. they also have a location in the airport haha so you can have a bowl on the way out. not quite the same though..
here is a random place i found last time that has a spectacular curry ramen. they’re located right near Kappabashi Dougo Street (street with lots of kitchen and cookware). again, don’t be afraid to wander in to a random restaurant that looks good - that’s how i found this one!
Okonomiyaki - aka Japanese savoury pancakes. You must have these. There are a couple different regional variants of it so ingredients vary. Most version will have some sort of batter, cabbage, eggs, onions, meats, and usually topped with aonori (seaweed flakes) or bonito flakes. The flakes are really cool because they’ll flutter and move around due to the heat. You can find these at street markets (highly suggest getting here) or at grill-at-your-own places (can be fun once but generally not as good), or at a restaurant (could be good). Osaka has their own style of okonomiyaki so perhaps try these there.
Sushi - Definitely try a sushi conveyor belt place. Within conveyor belt places there a range, from the dirt-cheap budget version (still a good meal) to nicer places in Tokyo. Can’t go wrong with either. I would also definitely try going to a nicer sushi place, just because the experience is quite different and the sushi is much better at somewhere that is not a conveyor belt place.
Sushi Dai - This is the best sushi place I’ve been to but it takes a lot of work to get there. I’ve been there twice so far. They used to be located right next to the Tsujiki fish market (although the fish market may have moved recently). They’re a tiny place and can only seat ~10-12 people at a time. You pay ~4600 yen if I recall correctly for a set of 10 or so sushi. They give you only one sushi at a time. At the end you can choose to have a second piece of your favorite sushi. Then if you’re still hungry you can pay a bit more for a couple more pieces of sushi. It’s to die for. The rub is that people line up crazy early to get to this place. The line starts to form around 3am and if you get there after 4:30am you’ll be waiting for a while. They open up at 5am and people will take about 45 minutes in there so if you don’t make the first sitting you’ll be waiting a while. What we did last December was chill in bars in Ginza around 3:30am and then walked over to Sushi dai. We made the second sitting, so if you get there a little earlier you could make the first sitting. Also protip for sushi consumption at nice places: use your fingers to pick up the sushi and if you dip the sushi in soy sauce, dip the fish side into the soy sauce. Otherwise the rice will fall apart and you’ll make a bit of a mess. this place has moved! haven’t been to the new spot but probably stil worth checking out. but if you don’t feel like staying up super late or waiting in line then you can get a similar experience at any Omakase. i think a lot of those place take reservations pretty early so may be worth planning ahead if you want to try that out.
Curry - Japanese curry is completely different from Indian curry so don’t let the name put you off if you’re not usually into curry. Coco curry is a chain all over the place that is pretty good, just get the curry with chicken or pork katsu (fried). They have varying levels of spiciness, explore as you dare. It can get pretty damn spicy. One of my roommates after pushing through a particularly spicy dish: “Oh my god, I have to pay for this?”
Yoshinoya - This is another casual chain that you’ll see all over the place. Their specialty is rice bowls topped with teriyaki. There are boxes full of ginger at the counter that go well with it as well. I think some of these places are open 24 hours as well.
Kobe beef - Pretty solid steak. Kobe is a region in Japan and I believe most beef sold as Kobe beef in the US is not actually kobe beef. In any case, Kobe beef in Japan is definitely cheaper in general than you’d be able to find in the US so take advantage of that.
Yakitori - Grilled meat on skewers over charcoal. There are places that will exclusively do this.
Taiyaki - these are fish-shaped cakes often filled with sweet red bean paste. They can also be filled with chocolate or custard (really good). You’ll often see them at street markets or food carts. It’s fun to watch them make them too, you’ll see huge molds with the fish imprints and the cooks get a pretty good assembly line going on. There’s also a variant around somewhere where the cake part is more like a pretzel. I’d try both for sure.
street market - definitely go to a street market. The food will be really good and it’s fun seeing them cook the food right in front of you.
mochi - absolutely get fresh mochi while you’re in japan, mochi in the US is nothing compared to the real thing. There are places where they pound the mochi right in front of you, I think that might be tough to find in Tokyo tho.
snacks - so many different snacks in Japan, try some and figure out which ones you like.
bento boxes - If you’re taking the train to Kyoto get this either at the station before you leave, or while you’re on the train a lady will walk up and down the aisles selling bento boxes. It’s just a lunch box that has a complete meal, but is sort of the thing to do when you’re taking a train somewhere.
Experiences
Tsujiki fish market - cool place to walk around in the morning (get there early), possibly after your breakfast at Sushi Dai if you try that. It’s sort of crazy, all sorts of large seafood. Be careful because the workers are moving all around with their motorized carts and stuff.
Onsen - the bathhouse I told you about. I’d definitely give it a try. It’s super relaxing and you won’t find anything like it in the US. If you’re trying to stay up one night I’ve heard there are also huge “mega-onsens” that are open 24 hours and you can just chill there all night. They even have rooms to nap and get massages and food you can eat. having now been to one of the mega-onsens i sort of prefer the smaller ones!
Tokyo Imperial Palace - huge park and palace in Tokyo, fairly close to the Tokyo Station. Definitely walk around the perimeter and get a look at the palace.
Meiji shrine - Huge forested park with a shrine in the center and a couple of large gates. It’ll be a relaxing walk and you’ll see some cool shrines and wine offerings (big rows of casks along the walkways) Right next to Harujuku street.
convenience stores - definitely check out a 7-11 or a Familymart or CircleK while you’re around. The convenience stores are way nicer and extensive than in the US and you can actually get decent meals there.
Tokyo station - Tokyo station is really cool, and under the station there’s a huge underground mall. Lots of stores you can browse and also Ramen street. Also lots of other food under there. Asian countries in general (Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, China for sure, and probably Singapore) make way more use out of space underground. It’s like an entire other city down there. Cool to just walk around and get lost for a bit.
Shibuya crossing - you have to go here at night. It’s like Times Square but even more so. Lots of shopping to do here.
Golden Gai aka piss alley - if you’re looking for a night out this is a cool spot. lots of tiny bars packed into a bunch of narrow alleyways spanning several blocks. very close spaces so you’ll definitely get to know the bartender and your fellow drinkers.
Live music - the music scene in Japan is pretty good if you’re looking for something to do just google for the closest venue.
Kabuki show - traditional Japanese theater with elaborate costumes.
internet cafes - if you need a place to chill or even take a nap you can drop by an internet cafe in a pinch. i did this last time i was in Tokyo and needed some rest. sort of interesting.
grocery stores - i’m not sure if you’ll have access to a kitchen but if you do consider checking out a Japanese grocery store for some meals. it’s incredible how extensive the seafood sections are there.
department store towers - it can be cool to just pick a tower and explore it from bottom to top. the basement usually has takeaway food and maybe a grocery store. ground floors and above usually have some pretty fancy retail and maybe some coffee shops or bakeries. there are usually restaurants towards the top.
Japanese whiskey - The japanese take their whiskey seriously, and it’s quite good. There are whiskey bars or you can just grab whiskey at any bar. Explore on your own but you can’t go wrong with Hibiki 12-year. You could also go on a distillery tour, I’ve never been though.
Harujuku street - check this out for sure. Street where all the japanese hip teenagers hang out. Super weird.
Roppongi - this neighborhood of tokyo is the place to go out, with nightclubs and “izakayas (bars, lots of barfood)”.
Fuglen - If you wanna chill, this is a pretty cool coffee shop. They are a Norwegian coffee shop originally from Oslo and their only other location is in Tokyo. Go figure. Good cocktails and whiskey as well.
Food courts in the basement of office buildings - There are a couple of office buildings where they will have a huge food court in the basement. Wander around and you can sample some stuff or buy a meal. I think a lot of japanese workers will drop by the food court after work to grab their dinner on the way home.
Robot restaurant - This is kind of a tourist trap but it definitely was a memorable experience. It’s a dinner show with a bunch of bright lights and robots and fog and shit. The interior is pretty crazy, I took a dump on a gold-plated toilet and they had robot dinosaurs (small ones) in the waiting room. Don’t get the food here.
Shinkansen (bullet train) - this would be the perfect way to get from Tokyo to Osaka and a cool experience. the trains run rigidly on time and are only at the station for like a minute so don’t miss it! also consider watching the movie haha. there is a rail pass that you can buy (but you have to buy it BEFORE you enter Japan) which might make things more economical.
Temples, gardens, shrines - there are plenty of these throughout Tokyo but definitely check some of these out outside of the city as well.
hiking - lots of good hikes when you get outside of the city.
Elsewhere
Some other places that come to mind in case you are around:
Osaka
It’s been a while since i’ve been but i remember:
- Osaka castle
- the cup noodle museum! official known as the “Momofuku Ando Instant Ramen Museum”
- okonomiyaki
it’s sorta cool to walk down the big covered shopping alleys “Tenjinbashi-suji” and there is a vibrant nightlife in Osaka too.
Kyoto
Kinkaku-ji - a spectacular golden temple nestled in a peaceful garden
a second Yume Wo Katare with a tiny (like four seats) Izakaya close by run out of what seems to be the lady’s home? she had great snacks and i made some conversation with the Japanese businessmen sitting next to me (who have been going there for decades!) there’s also a nice piano here.
unagi (eel) - worth splurging for i think! you can get a whole grilled eel or slices over rice with toppics and dashi to mix in. there are tons of restaurants dedicated to eel in Kyoto. i went to a place on the top floor of the Kyoto train station.
Nagoya
Nagoya castle
Toyota Museum of Industry and Technology - pretty cool museum going from their roots in loom manufacturing all the way to automobiles
Nara
temples and baby deer which you can feed!
Wishlist
some things i have not done but would like to!
Sumo - check to see if there are tournaments going on while you’re there! if not there might be practice sessions that you can sit in on.
baseball - the Japanese are very into baseball and i’ve heard the games are fun.
classes - you could take a cooking class or a crafts class (knife-making, glass-cutting, print-making, pottery repair, etc)
Mt. Fuji - my parents have hiked this several times.
