Japan
Get ready because this is going to be my longest blog post! When determining where we wanted to travel in 2019, we were conflicted between exploring somewhere new or somewhere we loved. Ultimately, we decided to return to one of our favorite places in the world, Japan, because we had unfinished business. We spent 12 action-packed days and knocked off Maricar, TeamLab, Nakatanidou, Mt. Fuji, and inhaled tons of ramen. Every single experience was out-of-this-world and I still can’t get enough of Japan. Although I will say, I started to feel myself malfunction towards the end of Tokyo due to all the sensory overload.
There’s a saying, it’s impossible to eat at every restaurant in New York City within a lifetime. Well, I feel that way about Tokyo too but it never hurts to try. After two trips, it still feels like we only scratched the surface which is insane. We still need to try omakase, snowboarding, onsen, and maybe something offbeat like rabbit island. We have a feeling we’ll make it happen the next time we visit Japan in Hokkaido.
Shoutout to Andrew for planning both Japan trips! Also, thank goodness he’s great at navigating because when he leads, all I have to do is follow. Go check out our previous Japan trip for more details on where we explored.
Things to Know About Japan
Japan is definitely one of the cleanest places in the world. Ironically many public bathrooms at tourist attractions don’t provide soap or tissues. Bring your own hand sanitizer or hands wipes to be safe!
A number of times, clothing stores made me take off my shoe and wear a cloth over my head in the dressing room. I totally get that they wanted to prevent my makeup from ruining their clothes but it’s funny because it felt like “here hide your face.”
GET THE EGG SALAD SANDWICH AT 7/11. Anthony Bourdain shared how delicious these were and he’s was absolutely right. So simple, cheap, easy-on-the-go, and probably the best egg salad sandwich you’ll ever devour!
Pokemon Go is still popular in Japan. We saw a large crowd of people playing on their devices in Akihabara.
If you’re one of those people who enjoy trying out McDonalds in different countries then try the Shaka Shaka Chicken and seasoned fries.
Always have cash handy. You never know what places don’t accept credit cards. Plus you may want a beverage at one of the thousands of vending machines.
Crazy how a few years ago we barely ran into any Japanese people who spoke English. Now everywhere we went almost every Japanese person was able to speak to us in English. We believe due to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and the expected boom of tourism, they made it a priority and boy did it help!
This is just my observation so I could be totally naive… On the trains, I noticed people don’t naturally offer their seats even to the elderly. Whenever I offered my seat to an elderly woman, you could see the puzzled yet touched look on their face.
If you pay attention, you’ll notice a quirky looking statue of a Tanuki all over Japan. A tanuki is a Japanese raccoon dog that literally looks like a raccoon, and you guessed it, a dog. It represents a traditional Japanese prankster & shapeshifter god that is placed in front of shops to bring good fortune. If you look even closer, you’ll notice the tanuki has a large sac which serves an important purpose lol. You can find all about its important purpose & folklore here.
TOKYO
TEAMLAB: A must-see experience so purchase tickets in advance. We surprisingly ended up spending 6 hours here because there were so many interactive exhibits. We found that going early did not help avoid the large crowd of tourists. Don’t forget to order tea at En Tea House where you can watch flowers bloom from your teacup.
MARICAR: Dressed up in costumes & drove around the streets of Tokyo in go-karts. Unfortunately, they no longer provide the Marios series costumes due to Nintendo suing them for intellectual property. Hence why I was wearing Hello Kitty and Andrew wore Spiderman. In order to partake in this excursion, you must get an international driver’s license which we acquired at our local AAA.
OMOIDE YOKOCHO: At night, these alleyways called yokocho transformed into a different world where you feel like you walked onto a Quentin Tarantino film. This is the epitome of what I was imagining Tokyo to be. A surreal atmospheric place with dramatic smokey lighting as you inhale all the food at the izakayas along the narrow alleyways. It was a dream & I was all about it. I highly recommend exploring this area to satisfy your late-night cravings. Warning, the public restroom is strange & not hygienic. Women have to pass by exposed urinals that the men are using to use the restroom. I would suggest using the restroom before arriving or elsewhere.
GYUKATSU ICHI NI SAN: SO DELICIOUS! One of my favorite meals we had in Japan. I had ZERO expectations because the food looked so simple but I was blown away. Although Japanese food may appear simple it’s packed with so much flavor.
ROAST BEEF OHNO AKIHABARA: Our first meal of the trip! It was a massive rice bowl topped with thinly sliced wagyu. You gotta upgrade for extra beef.
FUUNJI: Andrew’s favorite ramen place that we absolutely loved from our first trip. Surprisingly, this tasted even BETTER the second time! Get the tsukemen, it’s incredibly savory!
YASUBI RAMEN: Stumbled upon this ramen place on our last trip and I really enjoyed it. It’s a couple of blocks from Fuunji. The tskukmen here is sweet & savory.
GINZA STEAK: First time eating wagyu and it was all you can eat A5 meat! You’re only allowed 90 minutes to eat, it ranges from $50-$140 per person, and make sure to make a reservation. You will leave happy & full! Thanks Ryan for recommending this place!
GODZILLA: Full-scale replica of Godzilla at Hotel Gracery on the 8th floor. He breathes fire every 1 hour interval.
AKIHABARA (ELECTRIC TOWN): We missed a whole plethora of arcades and anime at Akihabara on our last trip. If you’re not an anime fan (like myself), this is still a must. GPS Sega Akihabara as your destination so you don’t miss out like we did the first time.
MAMESHIBA CAFE: Entree fee covers a drink and a 30-minute time slot to play with Shiba Inus. Wanted to take one home so badly!
KATSU MIDORI SUSHI: Conveyer belt sushi. Personally, I think most of the conveyer belt sushi places are just as good as this one.
CHUREITO PAGODA: It took about 1.5 hours to get here from Tokyo by train & bus. Totally worth seeing Mt. Fuji in real life even if it was in the background. What a sight! Make sure to go early in the morning for the best lighting. Wished we could’ve explored the town but had to catch the last train back to Tokyo.
Places we were unable to try due to limited time:
RYOGOKU KAKUGIKAN: We wanted to watch sumo wrestling but we arrived on their offseason | HAKONE SHRINE: About 1.5 from Tokyo in an area known for hot-springs | CHUKA SOBA TOMITA RAMEN: Apparently the best ramen. It’s a 5-hour wait & pretty far which is why we didn’t have time to try it. | HINYOKOHAMA RAMEN MUSEUM | NONBEE YOKOCHO | DISNEYLAND | TONKATSU MAISEN | FUJI-Q HIGHLAND: Amusement park overlooking views of MT. Fuji | WAGYUMAFIA CUTLET SANDWICH: We would’ve loved to try this but it was out of the way for our itinerary. Plus one sandwich costs $230 but hoping to try next time!
KYOTO
KIYOMIZU-DERA TEMPLE: Beautiful temple especially at sunset/night during the fall season where the trees light up.
NISHIKI MARKET: Market that’s been around for over 400 years and it’s 1,500 meters long.
FUSHIMI INARI-TAISHA SHRINE: Finished the entire hike this time & rewarded ourselves with ice cream at the top!
STARBUCKS KYOTO NINENZAKA YASAKA CHAYA: Starbucks located in a traditional two-story teahouse. Opened in 2017 but it's already become a must-see staple in Kyoto.
KATSUKURA: Super crispy & flaky tonkatsu! So delicious!
WAJORYOMEN SUGARI RAMEN: Ramen restaurant that’s hidden so it’ll be a bit difficult to locate. Just Google search a photo of their ambiguous door which will lead you down a narrow hallway towards the courtyard of the restaurant. You sit at a huge kitchen bar and they also have cool seasoning dispensers.
ARASHIYAMA BAMBOO FOREST: One of the most photographed places so arrive early to beat the tourists!
OTAGI NENBUTSU-JI TEMPLE: We took a beautiful stroll from Arashiyama Bamboo Forest which took about 35-minutes. We can easily call it one of our favorite temples because it had so much personality! It rained but made the experience feel tranquil & serene.
% ARABICA: Go to the Arashiyama location. It’s a small coffee shop but it overlooks the stream.
MACCHA HOUSE: There are two locations in Kyoto but the Higashiyama location has ample amount of seating. Try the “Maccha Tiramisu” or “Maccha House Parfait.”
WALDEN WOODS: Out of the way but it was so pretty & minimalistic
KOE DONUT: Most beautiful donut shop you will ever see!
WEEKENDERS COFFEE: Cute hidden coffee shop. Just realized now they have second-floor seating.
ROCCA & FRIENDS: Cute coffee shop that’s in a truck
YUKI GION: This pub is cash only. We just went to grab drinks, but if you go, get their Miso Eggplant dish. Delish!
SHINKYOGOKU SHOPPING DISTRICT: Shopping center great for souvenirs.
POKEMON CENTER: Pokemon toy store.
Places we were unable to try due to limited time:
HIROBUN: Always wanted to try this place but they’re never open during the season we visit. Basically, noodles will slide down a bamboo shoot and people can catch it to go with their dipping sauce. Sounds like fun but I’m not sure how sanitary/acceptable this will be in the future considering COVID-19. | AWOMB: We couldn’t grab a reservation.
OSAKA
NAKATANIDOU: Famous mochi shop that’s known for dramatically pounding mochi using a mallet. It’s a Japanese tradition known as mochitsuki and it happens every 1.5 hours depending on how quickly it sells out. It’s one of the reasons I returned to Japan and it was worth every second! Some of the best mochi you will ever eat. Soft and chewy!
NARA PARK: Stopped by this deer park again since it’s near Nakatanidou. Watch your step! Lots of deer dung!
GYUKATSU MOTOMURA NAMBA: There are two locations that are walking distance so the hostess may guide you to a different location based on availability. I think the Gyukatsu Ichi Ni San in Tokyo was better but this was still damn good, so good, we ate it two nights in a row.
DONTONBURI: Type in Glico Man into your search and it’ll take you to the heart of Osaka.
DON QUIXOTE FERRIS WHEEL: Nice way to end our last night in Osaka with a view of the city.
For more things to eat & do, follow Paolo fromTOKYO or Mike Chen’s Youtube Channel.
