Hello buns
In 2019 I spent two weeks in Tokyo, and I thought I would write a blog about my favourite things to do! I know that everyone likes to do different things but I wanted to share my favourite places to see and things to do. Some of these things you can do in any part of Japan, or even in other countries!
Happy reading,
Keri AKA Ichigo Bunny
xoxo
Nakano Broadway is full of wonders and I love it. It's filled with many different types of shops stuffed into one place and honestly, it's incredible. The basement and ground floor have pretty basic, normal shops - it's from the 1st floor up that you find some true gems. If there is something that you've been wanting to add to a collection you will almost definitely find it here. You can find books, vintage toys, literally anything you can think of! If you are collecting a certain gachupon collection but are missing one, or only want one from that collection, there are shops in Nakano selling these gachupon items. I LOVE it here, I found an unopened copy of Pokémon Gold (my favourite Pokémon game) and an old Disney Halloween plush that I had to buy. I cannot wait to come back and spend more time nosing around this wonderful place.
When you think of Tokyo you'll probably think of neon lights and crazy cities but nestled among the busy cities you can find a lot of shrines and temples to find peace and quiet. Some of these are pretty close to stations, some require a bit of a walk to get to them, some are really popular because they are pretty well known and others are really quiet because of where they are located or not as well known. There really are too many to list here but I found a lot by Googling "shrines and temples in.." and adding the location or name of the area I was planning on exploring. Some of my favourites were located in Ikebukuro because of the scenic walk to get to them and because of how quiet they were. I did really enjoy looking up various shrines to go to and making a full day out exploring that area to find that certain place and then taking the time to nose around for the rest of the day.
These are my favourite things to do in Tokyo, what's yours?
In 2019 I spent two weeks in Tokyo, and I thought I would write a blog about my favourite things to do! I know that everyone likes to do different things but I wanted to share my favourite places to see and things to do. Some of these things you can do in any part of Japan, or even in other countries!
Happy reading,
Keri AKA Ichigo Bunny
xoxo
My favourite things to do in Tokyo
Tokyo is the capital of Japan and an incredibly popular place to visit. I've been to Japan twice and like I mentioned above I stayed in Tokyo for the whole duration of my last trip. There are so many things to do in Tokyo, so many that if you lived in Tokyo for 2 years and done something different every day you would still find other things to do!
1. Walk around parks
There are 18 parks in Tokyo (find a full list of them here) to walk around and explore. I have only been to a handful of them and hope to check out some more next time I go to Tokyo but it is something that I really enjoy doing. Sometimes you can get so swept up in the craziness of the city or the jet lag and tiredness can hit you hard and a park is a really nice place to sit and chill. Out of the few that I have visited so far, Shinjuku Gyoen is my favourite. It's pretty big and there are different types of gardens to walk through. It's scenic and pretty and I loved the greenhouse there. It costs about £3.50 to enter, but I think it is absolutely worth it.
2. Check out the Pokémon Centers/ Eat at the Pokémon Cafe
I am a MASSIVE pokémon fan so going to the different Pokémon Centers around Tokyo is something that I really enjoy, and dining at the pokémon cafe was an amazing experience. There are 4 centers within the central Tokyo area and 2 within the greater Tokyo area (you can find a list and address each individual center here, but note that this doesn't include the newest Pokémon center in Shibuya or the new Pokémon Sweets takeaway store in Ikebukuro). Each center has it own unique look and vibe so it's pretty cool to visit each one. I cannot wait to go back and check out Pokémon Sweets and dine at the Pokémon cafe again. If you want to read my blog about my Pokémon cafe experience you can read it here.
3. Explore Harajuku
Harajuku is famous for it's quirky fashion and despite being a place stuffed with tourists it is still a lot of fun to visit and nose around. The one thing I do recommend however, is that you don't visit at weekends because it is horrendously busy then! The only downside of not visiting at the weekends is that you can miss out on the hustle and bustle and some markets that are occasionally held over the weekends. There are so many cool shops to look around, different places to buy food from and there are some shrines hidden away form the hustle and bustle. I love it here - I love seeing how beautifully decorated the shops are, I love nosing at the latest fashion trends, I love finding an amazing piece in the thrift stores and I love the giant candyfloss you can buy here! Harajuku is iconic and if you love fashion you have to visit it at least once. I really love how Takeshita Dori looks when the sun has set and the neon shop signs are glowing.
4. Go to Nakano Broadway
Nakano Broadway is full of wonders and I love it. It's filled with many different types of shops stuffed into one place and honestly, it's incredible. The basement and ground floor have pretty basic, normal shops - it's from the 1st floor up that you find some true gems. If there is something that you've been wanting to add to a collection you will almost definitely find it here. You can find books, vintage toys, literally anything you can think of! If you are collecting a certain gachupon collection but are missing one, or only want one from that collection, there are shops in Nakano selling these gachupon items. I LOVE it here, I found an unopened copy of Pokémon Gold (my favourite Pokémon game) and an old Disney Halloween plush that I had to buy. I cannot wait to come back and spend more time nosing around this wonderful place.
5. Go to Temples and Shrines
When you think of Tokyo you'll probably think of neon lights and crazy cities but nestled among the busy cities you can find a lot of shrines and temples to find peace and quiet. Some of these are pretty close to stations, some require a bit of a walk to get to them, some are really popular because they are pretty well known and others are really quiet because of where they are located or not as well known. There really are too many to list here but I found a lot by Googling "shrines and temples in.." and adding the location or name of the area I was planning on exploring. Some of my favourites were located in Ikebukuro because of the scenic walk to get to them and because of how quiet they were. I did really enjoy looking up various shrines to go to and making a full day out exploring that area to find that certain place and then taking the time to nose around for the rest of the day.
6. Go Shopping
I know that I have already covered Harajuku and Nakano Broadway but there are so many places to go shopping should you wish to. I really like nosing through shops to find an item of clothing that steals my heart and has to come home with me, I find it so interesting to look at different shops and brands to find inspiration for my outfit combos. Harajuku and Shibuya are currently my favourite places to go, but when I go back I want to check out Shimokitazawa and Koenji as they are supposed to have some amazing second hand stores.
7. Go Cherry Blossom Hunting
I know that this is a seasonal thing but there are some wonderful places to seek out cherry blossoms in Tokyo. There are several parks and areas to admire cherry blossoms and my 2 favourite places are Shinjuku Gyoen and Meguro River. Shinjuku Gyoen can be quieter than the other parks due to the fact that you have to pay to get in and there is an alcohol ban but it's perfect for getting those cute shots of the blossom. Many other parks have fences around the trees to protect them but here you can stand right next to the trees and take some beautiful shots. Meguro River is famous for the many cherry blossom trees that line the river and to me it was just as magical in real life. As the sun starts to set the lanterns along the river are lit up and there is something that feels so magical walking along the river in the lantern light.
Other places to consider are Ueno Park and Tokyo Imperial Palace Gardens and surrounding areas. Ueno Park can be incredibly busy but there are a lot of tasty street food stalls and shrines to visit, plus there is a lot to do in Ueno so you could make it a full day out. Tokyo Imperial Palace Gardens are busy but again, can be busy. You can see some really pretty sights of couples in boats floating amongst the fallen petals on the water which makes for a lovely picture.
Other places to consider are Ueno Park and Tokyo Imperial Palace Gardens and surrounding areas. Ueno Park can be incredibly busy but there are a lot of tasty street food stalls and shrines to visit, plus there is a lot to do in Ueno so you could make it a full day out. Tokyo Imperial Palace Gardens are busy but again, can be busy. You can see some really pretty sights of couples in boats floating amongst the fallen petals on the water which makes for a lovely picture.
8. Go to a themed Cafe
There are loads of themed cafes in Tokyo. Some are character themed like the Pokémon cafe and PomPom Purin Cafe, some are fashion/ style themed like the Vampire Cafe and the Kawaii Monster Cafe and there are some that have more of a focus on the food like the Milky Way Cafe. Going to a themed cafe is something that is a really fun thing to do, I've been to the Pokémon Cafe and I cannot wait to go back and experience more themed cafes! Some need reservations (like the Pokémon cafe) but many don't, especially low key themed cafes like ones dedicated to latte art. There is a cafe for everyone and I think it's something that can be really fun to check out.
9. Try cute and interesting food
If you love trying new foods you are in for a treat! Tokyo is home to all kinds of restaurants and food stalls and you can find some INCREDIBLE food if you are willing to put in some research and go nosing. I stayed in Asakusa for a few nights during my first stay and there is so much variety in the food you can eat. One of my favourite things that I ate there was a kind of dessert called taiyaki, it is fish shaped and traditionally has a red bean paste filling. I tried one with a sweet potato filling and one with a chocolate filling and they tasted incredible.
Convenience store food is something to consider buying if you are spending all day out and about. It's cheap, it tastes pretty good and there is a lot of variety in what you can get. You can find all sorts of snacks here and many have flavours that you can't get at home. I really enjoy nosing at the shelves and seeing what weird and quirky food I can find.
Convenience store food is something to consider buying if you are spending all day out and about. It's cheap, it tastes pretty good and there is a lot of variety in what you can get. You can find all sorts of snacks here and many have flavours that you can't get at home. I really enjoy nosing at the shelves and seeing what weird and quirky food I can find.
10. Visit famous tourist spots
There are some tourists spots in Tokyo that you cannot miss out on! One of my most beloved is Shibuya crossing at night, I love watching the madness of it. It's always crazy busy but that is what makes it so much fun. The Hachiko statue is next to the crossing but be warned - there is always a queue for this statue unless you visit at at 5am like I did. Another favourite of mine is the Tokyo Government Metropolitan Building. Here you can get sky high views across Tokyo for free and if you are really lucky you might see Mount Fuji in the distance. There are so many tourist attractions in Tokyo that I have no doubt that you can find something perfect for you.
11. Sitting back and watching the world go by
One of my favourite things to do on holiday is to buy a drink, sit down and watch the world go by. I really like finding a busy street, finding somewhere to buy a drink and watching the people walk buy. I think it's a good way to unwind for a little bit and to soak up a little piece of the neighbourhood. Shinjuku is one place that I LOVE to do this in as it's a popular area and you can see some interesting things going on here. Shibuya has a Starbucks that overlooks Shibuya crossing and I would love to have a coffee and gaze out over that sight.
12. Go to an arcade
I'm a sucker for arcade games, and I love the arcades in Japan! There are many arcades located around Tokyo and Akihabara is the ultimate playground. The arcades here and span many floors, with each floor dedicated to certain types of games. One of the things that I love about them is the variety of games that you can play, from old classic shooting and fighting games to the common claw game, from driving games to entire floors dedicated to VR games. There is something for everyone and part of the fun is nosing around and seeing what games they have. My favourite games that I found were Pokkén Tournament (a Pokémon fighting game) and an old shooting game called GunBullet that had some serious kickback on the guns! I can't wait to go back and play some games that I haven't tried before.
13. Play Pokémon Go
Pokémon Go may not be the coolest thing any more but if you still play it, it's a lot of fun in Tokyo! I played it A LOT during my last visit and really enjoyed it. It's great to walk around and catch pokémon, but the raid battles are the thing that I really loved taking part in when I was there. Sometimes it's really difficult to get enough people to join in with raids around where I live but in Tokyo it's the complete opposite. If you do want to join in a raid that is happening in a busy area you have to be quick as people will jump in REAL quick! If the raid is taking place in a really busy area and the raid party hits its maximum number, there are normally other groups of people doing it afterwards so you can get a second chance at joining in.
14. Walking around
I know this sounds vague but there is so much you can discover by walking around. When I was in Japan with my Mum we would walk almost everywhere and we discovered so many cool things by doing so. The longest walk we done was to Osaka Castle from our hotel, it took an hour but Google Maps took us through some neighbourhoods and we got to see some unique glimpses of Japan that we might not of seen if we hadn't of done that. One thing I done last time in Japan was getting off the train at the stop before the one closest to my hotel and walked back. This is really fun and another cool way to discover things that you might not see otherwise.
15. Take pictures of everything
It might sound really dumb, but take pictures of everything! If it amazed you, you thought it was cute or really sweet or amusing, take a picture! I took so many pictures during my trips to Japan, and took pictures of things that others may think is stupid but I've found that it's really helped me remember small details to my trips. I took pictures of the food and drinks lined up in the convenience stores, to the roads, random alleyways and paths, all of the food I ate, I took several at shrines, temples and tourists spots. Take pictures of everything you can because it will be something that you'll be so thankful you did when you look back at them.
Please remember to be considerate of those around you and don't take pictures of anyone without their permission - I shouldn't have to say this but don't be a creep and take pictures of school kids.
Please remember to be considerate of those around you and don't take pictures of anyone without their permission - I shouldn't have to say this but don't be a creep and take pictures of school kids.
These are my favourite things to do in Tokyo, what's yours?
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