Tokyo Travel Tips

10 things to do that don’t involve karaoke

I was asked for some travel tips by a work friend of mine, and as I was putting a reply together decided to turn this into a Substack post. The accompanying photos were all taken by me, but I downsized them as I’m unsure of how originals perform on Substack … I’m still learning. I have tons of photos I can share for the interested via links such as this and this.

I’ve been to Tokyo about 16 times over the past 30 years, and still find it specifically (and Japan generally) to be one of the most fascinating places in the world to visit.

Getting around by train is surprisingly easy, although if you use Google Translate, cabs are readily available.  Google Translate’s camera translation function works really well for menus etc.

Touristy stuff:

1) The Imperial Palace grounds are definitely worth seeing ; one can arrange for a private tour, but the East Garden is usually open .

2) The Sensō-ji has a huge open-air market on the street leading up to the shrine itself with some seriously great kitch.

3) Kabuki theatre performances are very long (think Wagnerian opera), but the Kabuki-za has a ticket option for tourists with a special section where one can dive in and see a short selection.

For shopping, I think it’s neat to visit:

4) Ginza; amidst all the tony shops and ¥500 strawberries is the world's best toy/hobby store, Hakuhinkan Toy Park ... think how FAO Schwartz was in the '70s.  There’s also the world’s coolest office supplies/stationary store called Itoya.

5) Takeshita Street (Takeshita Dori) in Harajuku is the main drag for Japanese teen pop culture and fashion.  It’s like a Barbie World come to life.  There are also a lot of “cat cafes” which are a hoot, as well as the place for “Harajuku crêpes”, which must bee seen (and tasted) to be believed .

6) Also in Harajuku, Omotesandō is the Champs Élysées / Rodeo Drive of Tokyo, with lots of über-cool specialty shops.  It’s also home to the Oriental Bazaar, which is about the only place I’d ever buy high-quality souvenirs for the folks back home.

7) Akihabara Electric Town, back before smart’phones wrecked consumer electronics, was *the* place in the world to see whatever the next up-and-coming items were.  It’s still true to an extent, although it’s become more about the must-see cacophonous pachinko parlors and “maid café” costume play locales. There are still all sorts of back alley electronic parts vendors, and Llaox is still worth a visit .

For nightlife, I think it’s neat to visit three places:

8) The area around Shinjuku station has a "scramble crosswalk" almost as famous as the big main one in Shibuya.  It’s also close to Omoide Yokocho (a.k.a. "Memory Lane", a.k.a. "Piss Alley"), which is more “authentic” than ...

9) ... Roppongi, which is a bit tourist-trappy but fun nonetheless.  Watch out for pickpockets and hucksters thought.

10) There’s a music club in Ginza called “Kennedy House” that’s a real trip.  I still have a coaster that’s the favorite one in my collection:  “Those ‘60s but goodies!”

Hope that helps. Safe travels!