What's Good In Tokyo For A Newbie? Something That's Not In The Guidebooks!

by Don
(Honolulu)

A friend and I will be traveling to Tokyo for a couple of weeks. We'll be headed off to Nagano to do do some skiing but have around 8 or 9 days to do some serious sightseeing after.

I've been to Japan many times, but mostly in the care of family... it's the first for my friend. What do you recommend for the newbie?

To tell you the truth, we really don't know what we'd like to do... We will have a rail pass, so I figure the best way to take advantage of it would be to take a little trip to Kyoto and Hiroshima, you know, to see a little culture and history, ride the shinkansen. That'll probably take two, at most three days, so the rest is in Tokyo.

I think we'd like to go off the beaten track, some hole-in-the-wall type local restaurants that is not on the guidebooks, go to a few bars here and there... My friend mentioned he wouldn't mind just riding the trains and getting off at a station that looks interesting (aka Soko Ga Shiritai).

I mentioned I've been to Japan many times (born there actually), so I can take him to the usual spots, Asakusa, Tokyo tower, Imperial palace, Tokyo Dome, etc... but I'm by no means a travel guidebook. We need your help!

Hi Don,

No problem - by the way I think Soko Ga Shiritai is a great idea too. I have done that many times myself and loved it. Sometimes it's the best way to find the hidden gems : )

Here's some thoughts on what to do. Let me know if this is in line with what you might have in mind and I'll see if I can add anything else:

• Try wandering round one of the more local suburbs of Tokyo - I live in the south end and it is the area I know best. One of my favorites is a place called Musashi Koyama. From Meguro station on the Yamanote line, take the Tokyo Meguro line heading south - it's only two stops away. There is, or so I've been told, the longest shopping mall in Japan here and it's full of local shops. My fella and I sometimes pop up here for kaiten sushi and a wander round. I love this blog about it http://www.f-banchan.net/tokyo/musasikoyama/koyama_AD.htm



• Places to eat or drink. This is actually also located on the Meguro line - a little further out this time at a station called Shin Maruko. There is a little bar called Powers Bar that is run by a group of Japanese surfers. It's not high end or anything but it is a really relaxed and social night out. I can't find the website right now - I usually just go - it's about five minutes walk from the station. As you come out of the train ticket gates (there is only one exit) you turn right - you will see Kaldi Coffee Farm in front of you (shop). Your turn right and go down the road that Kaldi Coffee Farm is on. You take the first turn left (there is a Family Mart opposite the turn) and then just keep walking straight for about 1/2 minutes and Powers Bar is on your right on a corner. It's not open Mondays.



• Do you like walking/hiking? Take the Odakyu Line from Shinjuku and get off at Shibusawa station. Take a bus from there (200 yen) to Okura and then follow the signs for walks (they're in Japanese). There is also a book written by Gary Walters called Day Walks Near Tokyo - this is where I've learned my walks from. It's a great guide - you can see a sample on google books if you type in the title.



• To find places that I fancy eating at I use a site called www.bento.com - it really is an excellent resource and I've never been let down yet. You can either type in an area you want to visit and see what comes up or type in a type of food you fancy and they'll bring back area selections.



• I don't know when you were last here but another favorite of mine is the Odaiba area. The Museum of Future Science and Innovation is fab if you like science type things (I do) and there's also the Monogatari Onsen which is fun! http://www.ooedoonsen.jp/english/

Don, let me know if this is the kind of thing you mean. I'll help if I can : )