Lagamorph wrote:Qikz wrote:Parksey wrote:Lagamorph wrote:Snagged a reservation for the Pokemon cafe in Tokyo
A reservation for the Kirby cafe is proving to be elusive however.
Have you been to the Nintendo store in Shibuya yet?
Hit me up if you want some Tokyo recommendations - my girlfriend (now wife) lived there for 4 years when I was living in Japan, so used to go a lot.
I know a few good places now as well so can also be of service
Not been to Shibuya yet but we are planning on it! We've been to Akihabara and are heading to Ikebukuro today, planning to go to the Evangelion store, Sunshine City (the big Pokemon centre and the Sanrio cafe in particular) and Otome Road. Possibly hit up a temple or two in the area as well, we really liked the ones we visited in Nara, plus we can get more stamps in our goshuinchos.
Always happy to hear suggestions for things around Tokyo though!
We're currently planning on visiting Shibuya (Nintendo store and the scramble) as well as returning to Akihabara for the Eorzea and Monster Hunter cafes.
Okay, here's a quick list off the top of my head. If you want more detailed recommendations (like recommended restaurants) let me know. Some of these suggestions will be typical tourist things you likely already know about, but would be worth doing:
*Asakusa - temple/shrine area in Tokyo. Swarmed with tourists but looks good in photos
*Tokyo Sky Tree. A 500m tall tower which has a pretty impressive view at the top. Makes you realise what an urban sprawl Tokyo actually is. Only a clear day you can see Fuji. Tokyo Tower is a lot smaller but is perhaps more iconic.
*Ueno. Get off at the tube station here and you've got a selection of things - the National Museum, the zoo and the park. It's a pretty busy area in general and there's Ameyoko market street right next to the station.
*Yoyogi Park/Meiji Jingu - Another nice park to walk around, with Meiji Shrine in the centre of it. You can get off at Harajuku station.
*Harajuku - Good for walking around the busy shopping streets and seeing "alternative" Japan. It's where you'll see slightly quirkier, edgier fashion. It's where you'll see teenagers and young people at the centre of Tokyo subculture.
*Akihabara - you already mentioned this and it's quite impressive to walk around under the neon. I'm not in to manga or anime so I only really checked out the games stuff. Super Potato is the famous one - it's got loads of pristine second hand games, though they are expensive. Try and find a big Book Off store if you want cheap games. Things like the Switch are now region free and they'll be cheaper than the UK. Last March, I picked up Pokémon Legends Arceus for £13. The yen is really weak at the moment.
*Koishikawa Garden - a nice peaceful walk around a traditional Japanese garden. With Tokyo Dome in the background to remind you that you're still in the biggest city in the world. Tokyo Dome has a shopping centre and a rollercoaster next to it if you like that sort of thing. I'd suggest a Tokyo Giants baseball game but I think you might be slightly too early for the season to start, unless you're there for a few more weeks.
*Team Lab Planets - Never been here, but I've seen it on friends' Instagram. Looks like a quirk modern art place. I think it's in or near Odaiba, which is quite popular with young people.
Eating and Drinking - My wife used to live in Omorimachi, which is basically a small town within Tokyo, about 15 mins from Shinagawa. There was quite a small yakiniku place and a really nice mazesoba place, but it might not be the most tourists. Shinagawa is a busy rail hub and has loads of bars and restaurants nearby.
I also used to like going to Meguro and Ebisu for eating and drinking. These are on the Yamanote line so fairly easily to get to. Walking along the Meguro river in the day is nice (has cherry blossom trees too, though it might be a bit early). Nakameguro a little bit along is quite an affluent area abd nice to walk around. A lot of small cafes etc. Also has the Starbucks Reserve if you're into that sort of thing (Starbucks is really big in Japan and the Reserve is a cool place to get a coffee or a coffee-related cocktail - I don't think we have one in the UK).
Again, let me know if you want specific restaurant or bar recommendations.
Day trips - Yokohama, Kamakura (got a massive Buddha statue), Nikko (a big temple complex which I think you'd like, and if you have a rail pass you can take the shinkansen), Hakone, Tokyo Disney Land/DisneySea.