Visiting Japan

Jiro, Jen, & Bryan at Sukiyabashi Jiro

Japan is one of my favorite countries in the world. I fell in love with it when I lived in Tsukuba as a college during a summer internship. Since then, I’ve traveled back numerous times (usually tagging along on one of my husband’s business trips). As a result, I’ve had quite a few opportunities to enjoy the fabulous food this country offers.

I’ve had enough friends ask my for recommendations about traveling to Japan that I thought I’d write a brief guide on my favorite places to eat, shop, and hang out.

Where to Shop?

As a food person, my favorite kitchen shopping neighborhood is Kappabashi Dori and Tsukiji Fish Market (for knives!). At Kappabashi, which is the restaurant supply neighborhood in Tokyo, you can pick up tons of cool Japanese kitchenware for really low prices. Make sure to bring cash, as a lot of places don’t accept credit card. This is also the place where you can buy plastic fake display food and gorgeous dishes for ridiculously reasonable prices.

Ginza is the ritzy part of town lined with high end boutiques. It is great if you’re shopping for high-end stuff, but it’s pricey! On Sundays they close down part of the street to traffic, so it’s fun to walk and shop during that time. Harajuku and Omotesando (adjacent areas) are really fun too – you’ll see a bit younger crowd, especially in Harajuku. One of my favorite shops in Omotesando is Kiddie Land, which has one of the best selection of Totoro stuff in Tokyo (even better than Studio Ghibli itself). 

Shibuya is not too far away, and sometimes I’ll walk from Shibuya to Harajuku and then to Omotessando. Between Shibuya and Harajuku is the NHK Studio, which has a fun shop that sells all sorts of Domokun stuff (Domo is their mascot). 

 Bryan absolutely loves Akihabara for electronics. The largest electronics store (possibly in the world) called Yodabashi Camera is there. They sell everything from electronics to kitchen applicances to even luxury handbags. It’s sensory overload but definitely worth seeing.

Akihabara is also not too far from Asakusa, where you can sample all sorts of fun Japanese snacks on the path leading to the huge temple (freshly made sembei crackers, red bean filled cakes, fresh mochi, etc).

Speaking of snacking, don’t miss roaming around the basements of the high-end department stores (called depachika), where you can gaze at (and sample!) endless amounts of incredible food. Definitely check out the basement of the department store called Isetan in Shinjuku, which houses many of the world’s most famous bakeries (yes, I buy a Pierre Hermes Ispahan macaron every time!).

Even if you can’t make it out to Shinjuku, there are plenty of department stores in Shibuya, Ginza, and other areas with fun basements in which to explore. I would highly recommend grabbing lunch at least once from one of these places. You can also come back to purchase exquisitely wrapped food-focused gifts to bring back home. Nobody tops the Japanese when it comes to beautifully wrapped cookies, cakes, and other snacks as gifts.

Favorite Places to Eat

Tsukiji Fish Auction

As for real dining – the options are endless depending on how much you want to spend. Definitely check out Tsukiji Fish Market and try to have super fresh and reasonably priced sushi there. I think Sushi Dai and Sushi Bun are the most famous, though lines can get long. I’ve personally never had the patience to wait at Sushi Dai, but even the other places are perfectly decent (we went to Sushi Bun instead, which was fine, but I actually think nearby Sushi Iwa, where we went a few years prior, is better, though more expensive).

If you have patience, you can line up super early in the morning (we arrived at 2AM) to watch the traditional sushi auction at Tsukiji Fish Market at either 5:30AM or 6AM (there are two shifts). The fish market’s days are limited because it will soon move to a different location. They only let 60 people watch the auction per day, so if you’re not in line by some time between 3AM and 4AM, they won’t let you in. We lined up at 2AM for a post (!). To see our entire experience, check out this full post.

Favorite tonkatsu (breaded pork cutlet): Butagumi, which serves all sorts of different breeds on pork including tonkatsu made from the famous Iberian pig in Spain. It’s a little off the beaten track, so if you’re short on time, you can still enjoy excellent tonkatsu at Maisen, which has several locations around Tokyo.

Favorite ramen: Rokurinsha has a history of having long lines out its door – which is a sure sign of a good ramen place in Japan. Visit the location at Tokyo Station on “Ramen Street” or go to the new Tokyo Sky Tree and enjoy it there. They specialize in “tsukemen”, or dipping noodles. If the line at Rokurinsha is too long for your liking (it often has the longest line at Ramen Street), head over to Ramen Honda, which is still excellent. You can also go for breakfast, when the lines are only about 20 minutes long. For a lighter, yuzu-flavored ramen, try Afuri. For an authentic experience (no English menus!), check out this charming little ramen shop in Shibuya called Suzuran. 

Favorite tempura: Tempura Kondo in Tokyo boasts 2 Michelin stars and churns out the most delicate tempura using the freshest ingredients all over Japan. Try the sweet potato (even though it costs extra). This is supposedly one of the best items on the menu, though I haven’t had a chance to try it since it was not in season when I went. Mikawa Zezankyo (1 Michelin star) is also very good, though I personally prefer Tempura Kondo just a tad.