- Tokyo
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Japan
Now Iconic, thanks to Lost in Translation, the New York Bar is situated on the 52nd floor of Shinjuku’s Park Hyatt Hotel. The bar has arguably the best views in Tokyo and if you venture up there in the day before 8pm you won’t have to pay the 2200¥ cover charge. However, the view at night is priceless. They have an outstanding whiskey list if you fancy doing your best Bill Murray impression. If not, the house cocktail list is wonderful. Try the sublime L.I.T: a fusion of Sake, Sakura liqueur, Peachtree and cranberry juice. The perfect accompaniment to the live music.
tokyo.park.hyatt.com/hyatt/hotels/entertainment/lounges/index.jsp
3-7-1-2 Nishi Shinjuku Tokyo, 東京都 163-1055, Japan
+81 3-5322-1234
Google map: bit.ly/sAYLlq
Tokyo offers every possible shopping experience, from the achingly cool to the seriously quirky.
Try the traditional-style Nakamise Market in Asakusa for reasonably priced souvenirs, and the Harajuku district for off-the-wall fashion. The vast department stores in Shinjuku and Shibuya are great for designer accessories, and often have basement food halls that are a feast for the senses. They are also one of the best places to buy kimonos - usually cheaper than those in souvenir shops. The noisy, garish electronics district, Akihabara, is worth a visit even if you aren’t buying. However, be aware that some goods are exclusively for the domestic market, so check voltages etc. To experience the latest innovations in technology, check out the Sony Building in Ginza.
The power of the yen means that bargains are hard to find - but try the ‘100 yen’ shops, where you can pick up cheap souvenirs such as chopsticks, kites and fans.
Google map: bit.ly/vvfiW9
It's a job that anyone with a degree can do. It's well paid and easy. It'll give you an insight into one of the most enigmatic countries in the world and will change your whole perspective on the consumer society.
Because Japan has just started teaching English in Elementary schools, they are crying out for native speakers.
This small family-run inn in Tokyo's Ikebukuro district features ultra-clean singles starting at £45 and doubles at £67. The rooms are Japanese-style: tatami mats and futons with private baths. The free light-drenched public bath on the fourth (and top) floor is a delight, and so are the family that own Saiko Inn. It's a 10-minute taxi ride from bustling ikebukuro station (the inn gives a 1000-yen rebate on your arriving taxi receipt.) Ikebukuro's a cool area, with lots of inexpensive restaurants and cafés.
www.familyinn-saiko.com/
2-34-16 Nagasaki, Toshima-Ku
+81(0)03 3972 1315
This shop stocks the best tshirts ever - many of them designed by artists, all of them graphically striking and the prices are great - they tend to start at £18. They last forever and don't fade.
www.graniph.com/en/index.html
171-8557, Tokyo-Prefecture Ikebukuro PARCO 6F, 1-28-2
+81(0)3-3980-3007
Originally a school to teach girls how to be free, this 1921 Frank Lloyd Wright building is low-slung and plain-style, and one of the must-sees of the ikebukuro district.
2-31-3 Nishi-ikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo
+81(0)339717535
www.jiyu.jp/index-e.html
Google map: bit.ly/kFaBCV
Tsukiji Fish Market, in the centre of Tokyo, is the biggest in the world. You need to get there for 5am, but trust me, it’s well worth the agony. Visitor numbers are strictly limited and to get in on the action at the tuna auction you need the early start.
2000 tonnes of seafood is processed and sold here every day and the inner market is a maze of stalls selling every type of marine creature known to man. A plethora of fish, molluscs, seaweed and crustaceans, in every colour, shape and texture, from the beautiful to the grotesque.
Whatever you do, don’t miss breakfast at one of the tiny sushi restaurants in the outer market. Perch at the counter and feast on the freshest, tastiest sushi and sashimi. Without a doubt the most memorable breakfast I’ve ever eaten.
Tsukijishijō Station - Oedo line, Tsukiji Station - Hibiya line
www.tsukiji-market.or.jp/tukiji_e.htm
+81 3-3543-4176
Google map: bit.ly/hcECTP
This is one of Tokyo's best private art museums and was founded by Mr.Ishibashi (his name means stone bridge) the president of Bridgestone Tyres. It houses a small but impressive collection of French Impressionist art. It is also a rare opportunity to see Japanese paintings in the Western style dating from the Meiji Period onward. Since there are only 10 small rooms of displays, it makes a quick and worthwhile one hour detour if you're in the vicinity of Tokyo JR station (it's a short walk directly east). There is also the delightful, if expensive, 'Georgette' tearoom.
Bridgestone Building, 1-10-1, Kyobashi, Chuo-ku,Tokyo.
www.bridgestone-museum.gr.jp
+81 3-3563-0241
Google map: bit.ly/dKUb7i
Tokyo (Yaesu Central exit, 5 min.), Kyobashi (Meidi-ya exit, 5 min.), or Nihombashi (Takashimaya exit, 5 min.). On Chuo Dori (with an entrance around the corner on Yaesu Dori)
The photos in this blog simply make your mouth water.
What's more, the information is incredibly detailed and the guy is really helpful whenever anyone posts a question. The same applies to other parts of his blog which focus on West-Central Japan as well as Italy, Central Europe and Canada.
paulstravelpics.blogspot.com/2007/08/tokyo-food-trip-quick-navigation-guide.html
Tasty, unpretentious vegetarian cooking in the pricey but laid-back Azabu-Juban neighbourhood, with a good wine and beer selection to boot.
A stand-out even in such a foodie city.
Azabu-Juban 2-2-5, Tokyo, 106-0045
+81 3 3798 3191, eatmoregreens.jp
Google map: tinyurl.com/2uy8sne
Japan has a justly bad reputation for over-engineering its rivers - but sometimes the results are spectacular, like this underground concrete cathedral used for storing floodwater. It's a spectacular photo opportunity but you would never know was there, under rice paddies in the outskirts of Tokyo.
Bring good shoes and a Japanese-speaker for the tour.
Kasukae, Saitama
720 Kamikanasaki, Kasukabe city, Saitama 344-0111
Google map: tinyurl.com/3263c35
048-747-0281
Walk straight past the shrine and the revisionist war museum next door, and head for the transportingly beautiful garden at the back. Staring down at the rocks and the koi you can forget you were ever in a city.
3-1-1 Kudankita, Chiyoda-Ku, Tokyo-To, 102-0073
Google map: tinyurl.com/3abxuft
03-3261-8326
Apart from department stores and the Metropolitan Art Space, Ikebukuro isn't really on the tourist map, but the (free) earthquake simulator is worth a visit. Escape a smoke-filled room, learn how to use a fire extinguisher, and experience a seven-point earthquake (higher if the guide likes you) - and then watch a videotape of how you got on.
Lots in Japanese, though, so bring a friend or guide if you can.
2-37-8-4F Nishi-ikebukuro, Toshima-ku
Map here:
www.tfd.metro.tokyo.jp/hp-ikbskan/ikeb-map.htm
Google map: tinyurl.com/37my7k6
Hotel Chain Toyoko Inns provides over 200 budget hotels throughout Japan. They're cleaned daily, include en-suite, breakfast, cost around £50.00 for a twin/double room per night.
Shiodome City Centre is a 42 storey building with great choices of bars and restaurants on the top two floors. The view is as good as, or even better than, Park Hyatt.
I've been to Fishbank for drinks and Izakaya En for dinner and both of them were very reasonably priced and food was very good. It's very close to Ginza and Tsukiji but the nearest station is "Shiodome" on Oedo line.
Shiodome City Centre www.shiodome-cc.com/skyview/index.html
A chicken on a stick restaurant in Tokyo. Cheap, delicous food with friendly service that it is foreign friendly but you probably need to speak some Japanese. Dangerous shochu drinks may be too strong for the unintiated.
Jiyugaoka station, Tokyu Toyoko Line
Past the Starbucks and take the first right. www.jiyugaoka.or.jp/special/adomachi/index4.html
Japanese street fashion is famous around the world, especially for the Gothic Lolita style. If you're visiting Tokyo, a day out in Harajuku to people watch in some cafes is a great way to see the many different kinds of Gothic Lolita fashions worn by the Japanese.
Make-up is also important and it still amazes me how detailed some of the designs are that people paint on themselves. One great resource is La Carmina, herself a Japanese fashion lover with an interest in Gothic Lolita and many more. She also has some great guides on where to go in the city for the less well known stuff such as theme restaurants and punk style clubs.
The Japan Times English language newspaper is a great resource if you're visiting Tokyo. You can check listings for local festivals across Tokyo and Japan, find out about special deals that might be available during your stay, and learn about local customs and culture so you don't make any social blunders.
Odaiba is a man made island that sits right next to Rainbow Bridge in Tokyo Bay. There are great views of the city from here and you can enjoy lunch looking out over the bay from one of the many restaurants in the Tokyo Decks shopping center.
Nearby there are a number of museums (not the stuffy kind) to choose from as well as a huge game center Joypolis and Toyota Megaweb. This is an all-in-one day out in Tokyo.
If you are looking for an expert company doing phantastic walking tours in Japan, I can recommend Japan Travelogue. Lovely guys with a wealth of information doing tours for small groups and creating bespoke tours.
Is this your business?Search Been there
