What is the best place for me to go shopping or eat Japanese food in Tokyo?

by Micaela
(Philippines)

Hello,

If I'm already in Tokyo, what is the best place for me to go shopping or eat Japanese food?

Hi Micaela,

Your question is a pretty difficult one to answer as there are so many different kinds of Japanese food to try... and they're all good!

Here's what I think but feel free to ask more questions if you need to : )

Where to go to eat Japanese food?

If budget is no option then one of my personal favorites is the Ritz Carlton Hinokizaka restaurant. I wrote a page on this and scanned the menu that I tried so you can see what's on offer. This one isn't cheap but you'll get to try lots of different Japanese food in one sitting and it really is delicious!

For a more local option I recommend going to a Tokyo izakaya - you'll see several options in this section.

Izakayas generally serve a whole range of Japanese food in small servings so you can order a few different dishes and share between your friends. It's a really social night out and a lot of fun.

If you're in Tokyo, head out to Tsukishima and try the Tokyo version of okonomiyaki, monjayaki.

Shopping In Tokyo

For shopping in Tokyo, again the list is pretty much endless. We've listed some of the popular areas on our Tokyo shopping page. Here's one of my favorites as well:

Musashi Koyama shopping street. Jump on the Tokyo Meguro line at Meguro station and go 2 stops to Musashi Koyama. The shopping street is just a minute away from the train station exit and it's under cover so even if it's raining you don't need to worry about battling umbrellas!

I love this area because there are loads of smaller shops here. Some sell traditional Japanese goods, there's an amazing hardware type shop that is a bit like stepping into a tardis.

When you walk in the entrance you think you're walking into a small shop and then around the corner it suddenly opens up into a huge area and there's an upstairs too! Lots of fun. You can also grab some really good sushi here too if you feel peckish.