I assume you may have a pro tour guide, so I’ll mostly stick to random things I like that they may or may not touch on. (Only half of the photos are mine – I grabbed the rest off the internet.)
In Tokyo:
Shibuya Sky observation deck (reserve in advance), near Shibuya Crossing.
(The crossing is world famous.)
7-11s
Check out all the fresh food if you go before the lunch rush.
My favorites are the fried chicken, omusubi rice balls, fresh salads, and nikuman.
Mini-stop (convenience store) – the “Spicy Fried Chicken” is one of my favorite foods in the world. I know I’m simple, but it’s awesome. It will take them 3–5 minutes to fry it once you ask for it.
Try canned coffee—both the hot and cold options.
Check out “Georgia” canned coffee—made by Coca-Cola for the Japanese market.
Visit a good onsen (hot springs or public bath). Warning – no clothing, but they separate men and women. Try all the different pools, as they have different minerals and healing properties. (In some high-end hotels, you can reserve a private one.)
On the bullet train (“Shinkansen“), upgrade to the green car (~+$25/person/trip). The wider seats and carpeted interiors dampen the noise and make for a much more peaceful ride. Consider it the economy-to-business-class upgrade.
There are basically three types of train services on the Shinkansen:
- Nozomi – fastest, with the fewest stops/cities served
- Hikari – second fastest
- Kodama – stops at every major station
Often, a Nozomi or Hikari leaving later than the Kodama will still arrive earlier, so check timetables carefully. If traveling between Tokyo and Kyoto, the Nozomi is worth planning around.
Be sure to reserve seats on the side facing Mt. Fuji for good views as you go by. Keep in mind – Fuji is frequently hidden by clouds, and I only see it about 10% of the time I pass by.
If you are traveling from Tokyo to Osaka/Kyoto, you want to be on the right side of the train—Seat A.
Traveling from Osaka/Kyoto to Tokyo, Seat D is the window you want (E if you’re in the normal car).
I’ve seen many travel blogs get this backward (and wrong) – be careful when just searching Google. Now AI has trained itself wrong on many of these incorrect blogs, so ChatGPT isn’t any better. (Oddly – they tell you the same seat regardless of whether you’re traveling to/from Tokyo, even though the trains change direction.)
Ordinary car:
Green car:
If invited to someone’s home, take a gift like sweets or a melon or something. Every store will have some form of boxed sweets because this is customary. The best gift is something unique you bring from your hometown. Bring a handful if you plan to visit many people. Consider a local T-shirt with your city’s name, or something similar. In Birmingham, we have a store dedicated to crafts with Birmingham written on them. A football-related shirt, cutting board, mug, etc., always works too!
Visit a McDonald’s or KFC and compare the quality to what you find in the U.S., or try Mos Burger. The #1 “Mos Burger” with a fry/onion ring combo is excellent.
Consider watching before you go:
- Spirited Away (animated Ghibli movie)
- Whisper of the Heart (animated Ghibli movie)
- Lost in Translation (slightly depressing, but interesting)
- Mr. Baseball (aging, but a good classic exploration of cultures crossing)
- Tokyo Vice (Caution – viewer discretion)
- Shogun (FX series) (Caution – even more viewer discretion)
- Visit a 100-yen store (or 300-yen store). Much better than what you’ll find in the U.S.
- Muji is now in America as well, but is a great store for high-quality organizational products. I love their smaller organizers for travel gear.
- Visit the basement of a high-end department store and try the sweets.
- Basement of Tokyo Station shopping (multiple city blocks)
- Meiji Jingu
- Emperor’s palace (tell him I said hello)
- Sumo match (tickets often sell out in advance)
- Tokyo Disney!!!! Compare it to the U.S. parks.
And DisneySea is another separate theme park that’s great. It’s basically a second theme park with more rides. The name is confusing – it’s by the sea, but it’s not a waterpark and doesn’t otherwise have a significant focus on the ocean.
- Reserve the Yamazaki distillery tour in Kyoto months in advance. World’s best whisky, IMO.
Heading home – one of my favorite meals on the planet is at Haneda Airport on the fourth floor. Pork tonkatsu. Splurge for the good stuff. There is usually a line outside, but I never wait more than 20 minutes, and it’s worth it. It’s a great way to pass the time if you’re going to arrive early anyway.
Safe travels!
Josh