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Japan Guide

Generalඞ

How to Spend 14 Days in JAPAN - Abroad in Japan

In Tokyo the train stations are coded like JY01 JY02 etc because the Japanese names are so long. when you use google maps keep an eye out for that. There’s a learning curve but once you get it you’ll always take the train. One thing about this though, if you ask a random stranger on the street how to get to a train station by its code there's a high chance they won't know what you mean.

There are express trains when you go to and from the airport. Some of them you need to get extra tickets (besides the Suica card)

Get cash for shopping and refilling suica etc

If you have iPhone. Get the Suica card on the Apple wallet because it’s hard to charge physical cards with credit cards.

Download google translate download Japanese and you can translate any Japanese words with the camera on.

Try to learn a bit of Japanese. People generally know English, but they'll rake you over the coals for a bit before they realize they're not getting anywhere.

General places:

  • Watch a godzilla movie in theaters
  • Mount Fuji, different routes, front is shielded from winds, back is not, so it's colder. But front is more crowded.
  • traditional onsen
  • arcades
  • shirnes
  • stay at a machiya

Manners, Dos, Dontsඞ

  • eating and drinking while walking
  • always say food was the best youve ever eaten when waiter asks
  • being late is a major faux pas
  • significance of handling business cards
  • taxi doors
  • answering phone calls in public places forbidden
  • wearing sunglasses and shorts
  • using escalators
  • pointing
  • someone has reserved the table using their possessions

Citiesඞ

Tokyoඞ

Places:

  • Harmonica alley (less known bar district)
  • Takao mountain and surrounding area with parks, lakes, nature: (Kristen soovitas!)
  • Omoide Yokocho - Maze of narrow alleyways with bars and restaurants
  • Golden Gai - Similar to Omoide, but more cyberpunkish, more verticality. Kind of a tourist trap, expensive.
  • piss alley
  • Day trip destinations: Kamakura/Enoshima, Hakone (There's an onsen there you can book for an hour with private pools that look out over the mountain. There's also a gorgeous cedar grove on the shores of the lake. On a clear day, you can see Mt. Fuji from the lakeside.), or Takao-san
  • jazz kissaten, My absolute favorite kissaten in Tokyo is Cafe Edinburgh in Shinjuku 3-chome. It's on the second floor above a Family Mart right outside one of the Metro exits. If you go, get the morning set. The coffee and toast are divine.
  • Ghibli museum
  • Asahi Building
  • Ramen Museum
  • The National Museum
  • Edo-Tokyo museum
  • Hamamonyo's shop. They sell tenugui - small cloth towel.
  • Maid Cafe/other cafes, Cat Cafe, robot/Heavy Metal like bar
  • Arcades
  • parks, Ueno park
  • big shopping areas like Ginza and Omote Sendo are like big Fashion Valley malls. So neat if you want to shop big brands but not particularly interesting or novel.
  • If you're into fashion, you should check out Shimokitazawa. Lots of vintage and thrifting.
  • Aoyama Cemetery - the serenity.
  • Nihonbashi and 'kilometer zero' on that bridge - to feel the weight of history and brashness of modern day construction practice that put a highway above it. The area used to be the starting point of major travel routes, including the one that went all the way to Kyoto. What is believed to be the first department store in Japan is nearby.
  • Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building Observatory is free and you get a great view of Tokyo!
  • Team Labs in Toyosu. It's like an interactive art exhibit that you walk through.
  • Shibuya Sky when you're in Shibuya: https://www.shibuya-scramble-square.com/sky/
  • super-tiny-bar hop tour enough.

Food:

  • Toyko Hyatt in Shinjuku. $$$ but the view is amazing as is the vibe and food. Where Lost in Translation was filmed.
  • Lost bar, abroad in japan bar
  • Shibuya Parco bar
  • Momopara is an all you can eat shyabu-shyabu place. You will die from meat but oh what a way to go.
  • Tsujiri - Green Tea parfait place
  • $$$ - Jiro in Ginza. It’s not sushi. It’s something else.
  • Poniprika
  • favorite Indian place is カレー専門店 マサラ in Ekoda
  • best pizza I've had in the world is DevilCraft in Kanda, it's deep dish and they are also a brewery. Reservations required.

Kyotoඞ

Places:

Food:

  • obanzai food which is home cooking style not very heavily seasoned dishes
  • sake breweries

Osakaඞ

Places:

  • Mount Koya (Koyasan), south of Osaka
  • Dotonbori
  • osaka castle
  • http://www.spaworld.co.jp/english/
  • baseball games, batting cage?
  • Cup Noodles museum
  • Den Den Town is the Osaka equivalent to Tokyo's Akibahara district
  • Square-Enix cafe
  • Parco shinsaibashi, 6/7th floor (can’t remember exactly sorry) has the ghibli store, Lego store, Godzilla store, capcom store, good for fun pics
  • Parco shinsaibashi, B2 has some cool little bar type restaurants etc
  • Tsutenkaku/shinsekai area for some kushikatsu
  • Osaka aquarium
  • umeda sky building
  • Uranamba, a very japanesey looking street with some nice bars and restaurants. Also runs parallel to douguyasuji which is the kitchen street that supplies restaurants, some interesting shops to get some souvenirs and a shop that makes fake food for window displays where you can buy some quirky stuff
  • Misono Building - (from: small brained american) renovated hotel where each room is a different bar, but might be demolished at the end of 2024???

Food:

  • takoyaki
  • okonomiyaki, Osaka specialty
  • Sumiyoshi Taisha

Grocery storesඞ

7/11 - Best

FamilyMart - Similar to 7/11

Lawson - Worse than others

Fast Foodsඞ

Burgersඞ

McDonalds - Good prices, better menu, seasonal menu items.

Mos Burger - Good burgers, but SUPER tiny.

Beefbowl/gyudonඞ

Sukiya - Most variety, manarisu place.

Matsuya - A little less interesting than Sukiya, a little worse.

Yoshinoya - cheapest, almost like a knockoff version of the others.

Hang out placesඞ

Torikizoku - Everything is around 3 dollars, including alcohol, meant to be a good place to be for a long time and hang out without spending a lot of money.

Comfort foodsඞ

Yayoiken - Set meals, aka teishoku, basically japanese mom foods, super good.

Hotto Motto - Similar to yayoiken, but bento style, a little less interesting, a little worse.

Cocoichi - Curry place, expensive, but best curry in the world.

Seveteen Ice - Ice cream place/vending machine, cheap and tasty

Sushi/kaitenzushiඞ

Sushiro and Kura Sushi - quite similar and can't go wrong with either.

Chineseඞ

Gyoza no Ohsho - Good japanized chinese food.

Italianඞ

Saiseriya - worst "italian" food ever, cheapest worst wine in the world.

Shakey's pizza - worst pizza in the world.

Otherඞ

Bikkuri Donki - Weird place, little pricier, but good food.