Going to Japan for our honeymoon was a genuine dream come true for me. I've wanted to see the country from the time I was a kid, and have told myself for the majority of my life that, one day, I'd go there. On October 14, the day before our one-year anniversary, Zack and I flew out from SFO to Narita Airport — it was finally happening. Stepping out onto the streets of Tokyo for the first time, dragging my luggage behind me, was a surreal experience I'll never forget. Our two weeks in the country flew by and we were certainly burning the candle at both ends trying to see and do as much as we could in Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Himeji, Nara, Yokohama, and Hakone.
While I won't dive into everything we did in Japan, because this blog would wind up becoming a novella, I'll share some of the places I enjoyed the most and feel are must-see, must-do things in the cities we visited, and give small tips to help make your trip easier.
Tokyo
To See:
Akihabara: If you're a gaming, anime, or manga fan, this is the place for you. The area is stuffed full of shops and arcades catering to this demographic. Some must-see locations include Super Potato (the retro gaming shop I'd argue also counts as a mini museum), Akihabara Radio Kaikan (multilevel shopping center dedicated to gaming, anime, and manga collectibles), and the Eorzea Cafe (FFXIV players should absolutely try to get a reservation here). I had to control myself here. We visited Akihabara on our first day and I easily could've filled a small piece of luggage with things if I let myself go wild buying as many gaming collectibles as I wanted.
Harajuku: While Harajuku has a reputation of being a place where everyone dresses in outrageous, avant garde outfits, there are only certain areas of this district where you'll see that. However, Harajuku is definitely a fashion-focused place and style lovers will have plenty of places to shop. I had a great time thrifting here, especially at ANCHOR Nishikaigan, where I found a great vintage flannel jacket. This store was two stories of men's and women's clothes and there was a lot to look through. Also, be sure to check out Kiddy Land, the five-floor store with so many goods from so many IPs. From Nintendo (Kirby, Pokémon, Mario Bros.) to Sanrio, Peanuts, Disney, and way more, you'll find plenty of things to bring home for yourself and family or friends. It's certainly not just for kids!
Shibuya: Nintendo fans can't miss Nintendo TOKYO in the Shibuya PARCO shopping complex. This is the place to find amazing Nintendo merchandise, from home goods to stationary to clothes, accessories, snacks, and more. Right across from Nintendo TOKYO is the Capcom Store; while significantly smaller, there's a nice selection of goods from a handful of Capcom's biggest franchises. And of course, don't miss the Pokémon Center in the same building for Pokémon products galore and a lifesized replica of Mewtwo sleeping in its tank at the store entrance. And for the fashion lovers, stop by Betty Smith Tokyo to either make a totally custom pair of Japanese jeans, buy some ready-made pairs, or buy some of their other clothing and goods. I made a custom pair, totally one-of-a-kind, and the owner patiently walked me through the process. The jeans came a month after I placed the order and they're such nice quality.
Ginza: I bought a shirt at UNIQLO in Ginza that says "Ginza loves fashion" and it's absolutely not an exaggeration. Fashion lovers can't miss this spectacular district for all things style. Quite frankly, I should've gone with my original plan to only pack a couple of outfits because I wound up buying a lot of clothes in Japan, between here and the many vintage/thrift shops I visited. If you love minimalist style, be sure to check out MUJI (RIP to the one that used to be in San Francisco) — and don't miss the makeup and personal care sections or the cafe. Ditto for the UNIQLO here. Both stores are massive, and UNIQLO sells products that they don't sell in the US.
Ikebukuro: Sunshine City is a massive shopping complex that's home to Pokémon Center MEGA TOKYO, the city's premiere Pokémon Center. The sheer variety of Pokémon products available here can feel overwhelming if you don't pace yourself and just go section by section. There's just so much to see here. Outside of the Center are the Pokémon GO Lab and the Pikachu Sweets Cafe, an adorable Pikachu-themed cafe with elaborate drinks and snacks and exclusive merchandise. NAMJATOWN is an indoor theme park inside Sunshine City that's a recreation of Showa era Japan. It was such a charming little place to walk through, though bear in mind that the attractions are all in Japanese. Be sure to check out Namja Gyoza Stadium, a small "street" with a handful of vendors all offering different types of gyoza.
To Eat:
For curry lovers, I recommend CURRY HOUSE CoCo Ichibanya; we went to the location very near to our hotel in Kabukicho. I got the katsu curry, which was absolutely delicious. At Katsumidori Seibu Shibuya, I tried kaitenzushi (conveyor belt sushi) and everything was incredibly fresh. It was also insane how much cheaper sushi was here than in the Bay Area and how much farther our money went. Sagatani Shibuya Dogenzaki was my favorite place we ate at throughout our entire trip: incredibly delicious soba made in-house that was astoundingly cheap and served in extremely generous portions. Yakitori Alley, located right up against Ginza and under the JR Yamanote tracks near Yurakucho Station, is an incredibly fun spot to get yakitori and other grilled foods. There are many places tucked away in this alley — just pick the ones that look and smell the best and let your stomach lead the way. My fellow gyoza lovers won't do wrong taking a trip to NAMJATOWN to try the various types of gyoza at Namja Gyoza Stadium. And while Rengatei was a little overpriced for lunch, it was worth it to be able to eat at one of the city's oldest institutions and enjoy some great omurice (though there are certainly less expensive places for omurice all around Tokyo).
Osaka
To See:
America-mura (Amemura): This was a thrifting paradise, and one of the funnest, coolest places we visited on our trip. Young Japanese people are loving American vintage clothing, which is what made up the entirety of the stock at the very many vintage stores in this district. Prices ranged from very affordable to absolutely insane (one store had nothing but vintage band tees and leather jackets for hundreds of dollars each). No matter your taste, there's something for everyone here. Even Zack, notoriously uninterested in shopping, found a great leather jacket at one of the vintage shops. WEGO and JAM were two of the best vintage stores in Amemura; WEGO in particular had a massive amount of stock, and JAM's curation was fantastic, especially in their women's section, Elulu by JAM. And for the collectors, stop by B.B. American Village Free Market — it's stuffed with vintage toys and collectibles from the floor to the ceiling.
Den-Den Town: Osaka's answer to Tokyo's Akihabara, you'll find all sorts of gaming and anime/manga collectible shops here, as well as more than a few card shops (Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Magic) and electronics stores. My favorite shops were the used collectible shops that sold random assortments of gashapon figures, keychains, and much, much more, from all sorts of gaming and anime/manga IPs. Everything was usually sold at incredibly low prices, and the particular shop I wandered into was offering many things on sale.
Universal Studios Japan: I knew I had to see the original Super Nintendo World before I make the trek down to Southern California to see ours. I'm so happy I did. It was so incredibly fun, and the attention to detail in the environments was impressive. The Mario Kart ride was worth the insane wait, and Yoshi's Adventure made me majorly nostalgic for my childhood playing Yoshi's Island. The souvenirs at the park are very high quality and varied. The Resident Evil attraction, which was essentially a haunted house meets arcade shooter, was one of the coolest things we did at the park and I'd definitely recommend doing it if you can. (Spaces are limited throughout the day and they fill up fast.)
Dotonbori Canal: This is especially beautiful to walk along at night, when the lights from the neons reflect on the water and light up the evening. Shops, restaurants, and food stalls run along both sides of the canal, and tourists can take sightseeing boat rides up and down the water (though we did not). Expect it to be packed if the weather is clear (and possibly even if it isn't), but I'd say this is a can't-miss experience in Osaka.
To Eat:
Osaka had some fantastic food. The signature dish at Mizuno, which is Michelin rated, is okonomiyaki; Zack really loved it, and I very much enjoyed the yakisoba I got there. (However, be prepared for a wait, and get there as early as possible; they cut the line off for the day at a certain point, which can happen as early as two hours prior to closing.) Gyoza Jinbee was a really cool little shop we stumbled on that sold almost exclusively gyoza — and they were totally delicious. Gyukatsu Motomura was very good (and Zack's favorite meal of the trip); it was fun cooking the gyukatsu at the table, and the meat was melt-in-your-mouth tender. For great yakiniku, check out Yakiniku Douraku. The meat was outstanding, the sauces delicious, and the vegetables very fresh — and you can cook everything to your tastes. The ramen chain, Kamukura, was offering a special mapo tofu ramen in collaboration with SEGA for the release of Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name. While it's unfortunately no longer available, it was a great meal and made me want to try the chain again in the future (though that likely won't be anytime soon).
Kyoto
To See:
Fushimi Inari-taisha: Kyoto's temples are stunningly beautiful, and the orange torii of Fushimi Inari-taisha extend for miles, lovely in their simplicity and leading deep into the quiet of the surrounding trees. The Shinto shrines were my favorite shrines to visit in Japan, but Fushimi Inari-taisha was definitely my favorite. I loved the sheer number of inari (fox) statues around the grounds and thought it was peaceful. The crowds are pretty dense at the start of the trail, but taper off the farther up the trail you go because most visitors start to tire out before long.
Kiyomizu-dera: Another gorgeous temple you should take some time to see. The fall foliage in the area was very pretty, and the views were amazing. Many Buddhist visitors were taking part in the various Buddhist practices around the grounds, and it seemed as though the visit was very much a pilgrimage for some guests.
Gion and Ponto-chō: Gion is best known as the geisha district, where teahouses still stand and geisha still host guests and perform traditional dances. Unfortunately, we were only in Kyoto for one day and night so we didn't get to see any that, but we did walk through Gion at night, which has the cleanest city streets I've ever seen, anywhere, in my life. And it was so beautiful. Ponto-chō is the other geisha district and comes alive at night, very near to the Kamo River (which makes for a very nice path to walk along on the way there). There are great restaurants here and shopping nearby, but seeing all of the history in just the architecture alone was great.
Marufukuro: The best place we stayed in Japan. Incredibly gorgeous, with unmatched hospitality. The hotel stands in what was Nintendo's original HQ; construction was completed in 1930, and the renovations maintained much of the building's original architectural details. The library in particular (which guests have 24/7 access to) pays homage to Nintendo's gaming history while maintaining the classy, midcentury aesthetic and styling that runs throughout the building. Certainly the nicest hotel I've ever stayed at and I really didn't want to leave.
To Eat:
We happened to come upon Musoshin while walking around Gion and had a fantastic (and unique) ramen dinner. The broth of the black ramen was thicker than any ramen I've ever had and had great flavor. We also had some totally tasty udon at a small shop, but unfortunately I don't remember the name of the place. But udon places should be easy to find throughout Kyoto. And on the paths along the way to shrines, there's a ton of food stalls selling incredibly delicious, incredibly cheap street food. The shichimi dango I tried at one of these stalls was less than $1 a stick and one of the best things I ate in Japan. Crepe City made some fantastic crepes, hot and fresh, and the cute shop was empty when we walked in so we got ours right away.
Himeji
To See:
If you want to see a Japanese castle, go to Himeji Castle. This is an original, surviving structure (unlike many of the other castles, which are modern reconstructions), and climbing to the top was an incredible experience. It was raining the day we went, and the sounds of the rain echoing throughout the rooms was so peaceful while the grounds were still and quiet. The neighboring Koko-en Gardens, which were built for the former lord of the castle, were massive and one of the most beautiful places I've ever visited. The city zoo is on the castle grounds and was more sizable than I expected (though not as large as, say, the Oakland Zoo). There was a wide array of animals, including those native to Japan and other Asian countries, and even lions, a bear, and a hippo. Himeji, like Kyoto, is rich in very old history, and I highly recommend taking a day trip here to experience it.
To Eat:
We tried to eat at an udon shop very near to Himeji Castle, known for its house-made noodles, but they were inexplicably closed hours early. So instead, we went to a place a short ways down the road whose name roughly translates to Skewers Kobe Beef. I got the Kobe beef bowl and the beef was outrageously tender. Zack, ever on the quest for a great cup of coffee, took us to a small coffee shop tucked away on a back street called Kuuhaku Coffee. The owner was very kind, gave us samples of various coffees, and made recommendations. It was a nice moment for a pause and great coffee in a cute shop.
Nara
To See:
Nara is the city of deer, where they walk alongside tourists down the street, hang out in the park, sit in planters, and in general are as ubiquitous as pigeons are in most other cities. One of the biggest attractions to Nara is deer feeding. Locals sell shika senbei (deer rice crackers) to feed to the deer, who are extremely eager to eat them out of your hands. Some will even bow to you before taking one. And then another. And another. While you should still exercise the appropriate amount of caution around them given that they're wild animals (the signs around the city also provide tourists with plenty of reminders of this), these deer are not the deer that we here in the US are used to, which you shouldn't get close to for a variety of reasons. It was amazing being so close to them, feeding them like you would animals in a petting zoo.
Once we were out of shika senbei, we made our way to Todai-ji Temple, which was awe inspiring. The humongous statues of Buddha inside were truly a marvel to behold, and the sweeping grounds were very pretty. On the way to the temple, I stopped to try shine muscat grape ice cream (despite the rain and the cold), which was so good. The deer are really into the ice cream, too. A small family sitting on a bench in front of us learned this the hard way when one of the deer approached them and then suddenly took a bite of one of their cones. So bear in mind: the deer don't just want shika senbei! Protect your food accordingly.
To Eat:
Absolutely make sure to stop by Wakakusa Curry Honpo on your trip to Nara. This was some of the best Japanese curry I've ever had, and the shop was so charming and inviting. I got the katsu curry while Zack got the four-curry sampler, and we shared a curry pan. Everything was so hot and fresh, and the curry definitely had some distinct Indian flavors, more so than any other Japanese curry I've had.
I do wish they were a little more generous with the rice (I even paid for extra) given how generous they were with the curry — definitely need something to help eat all that great sauce — but minor complaint aside, this was a great meal. We arrived before it opened and there was already a small line ahead of us, so be sure to get here earlier rather than later because the line builds fast.
Yokohama
To See and Eat:
We took a half-day trip to Yokohama to go to the Shin-Yokohama Ramen Museum. In addition to some great information on the history of ramen in Japan, as well as insight into the various regional recipes, there's plenty of ramen to try in-house. In the basement of the building is a huge, life-sized recreation of a Showa era street scene with ramen stalls serving real ramen. Lines for certain stalls are longer than others, and many of the stalls only serve a certain number of bowls each day, so plan your trip accordingly.
At the time of our trip, a special ramen was available to try. The 100-year-old recipe is based on the earliest known recipe of ramen, using the same variety of wheat for the noodles that was used back then. One hundred servings are offered a day and the ramen is only going to be available for three years. The clear broth was light but flavorful and the use of char siu rather than chashu helped underscore the fact that ramen's roots are in Chinese noodle soups brought to the country by Chinese immigrants. The simple recipe certainly felt like a product of its time: nothing fancy, no frills, just noodles and meat in a basic but flavorful broth. I'm very glad we got to try it.
Hakone
To See and Eat:
Hakone is a perfect place to enjoy the ryokan experience, which is exactly why we took an overnight trip here. The natural scenery was astounding, and the ryokan we stayed at was very, very old and beautiful. Dinner and breakfast were included with our stay; dinner was a traditional, two-course Japanese meal, while we had a choice between either a traditional Japanese or western breakfast. The food was as delicious as it was pretty, and the staff were all so welcoming and inviting. We were given yukatas, haori, tabi, and slippers to wear during our stay.
If you're not comfortable with the traditional hot spring experience, which involves nudity in front of strangers (I definitely am not), you can opt for the three private onsen (hot springs) that the ryokan has. The futons were fluffy and warm, and we fell asleep to the sound of the rushing river below us, which we were able to enjoy the view of during the day on the covered porch of our room. The ryokan experience is one I would highly recommend to anyone visiting Japan.
In Conclusion
Japan was outstanding, and the two weeks we spent there were the best two weeks of my life. However, it can be easy to go unprepared, so these are my final, parting recommendations to close out this already-lengthy blog.
Learn some Japanese before you go. You don't need to be fluent, but do try to be comfortable with some basic phrases and words. While nearly everyone we encountered spoke some amount of English (from basic to fluent), you shouldn't count on everyone feeling comfortable enough with their English to speak to you in it. Try Japanese where you can; at minimum, they'll really appreciate you for it, and are very patient and understanding.
For the fashion lovers and collectors: pack lightly. Seriously, you WILL be buying about an entire suitcase worth of stuff on your trip. I really didn't need to pack as much as a did, which is saying a lot given that I packed a capsule wardrobe in an attempt to bring as little as possible. This is especially relevant if you're not trying to check a bag either on your trip to Japan or your return trip.
Bring comfortable shoes. I walked an average of 10-12 miles every day of our trip. There's no way I would've made it through without comfy shoes for every outfit.
Do some research on what's considered appropriate and inappropriate to wear in Japan. Neither the fashion police nor the real police are going to be arresting you for wearing something taboo in the country, but out of respect for being a guest in someone else's home nation, it would be a good idea to do some research on what's considered appropriate to wear and not. For women, cleavage is still taboo, but showing a lot of leg and wearing mini skirts/dresses is totally in. When visiting temples, skirts must be below the knee; some temples actually will enforce this (and there are signs on some temple grounds making this clear). Distressed jeans are really not a thing in Japan; denim is fine, but generally speaking the Japanese are sharp dressers. Think business casual: denim with nice shirts and jackets, slacks/drapey pants, etc.
If you're still here, thanks for sticking through the whole thing. I can't wait to return to Japan and see even more of what I didn't get to see. While two weeks seems like a long time, it was barely enough to scratch the surface of things to see and do in the country. But I hope this guide was able to give some insight into some great things to do if you take your own trip there.
Note: All photos in this blog were taken and edited by me. As is the case with all of the photos in all of my blogs, please do not use, repost, or reproduce these photos without my permission.