8 things you must do in Tokyo

Tokyo is an incredibly unique city but it’s also massive. It can be a little overwhelming figuring out what to do especially if you’re only visiting for a short time. This list will get you started on the right track.

1. VISIT HARAJUKU:

Drinking bubble tea on Takeshita street (I know, the name is gold).

Bubble tea, crepes, and shopping galore. There is so much to see and do in Harajuku, you can expect to spend a lot of time here. It is an extremely busy place, but even more so in the evening and on weekends.

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Shopping in Harajuku is exactly what you would expect it to be. It’s full of Hello Kitty, pink and everything small and cute. If you’re into this stuff, make sure to pop into Kiddy Land. It’s a multilevel store with more Hello Kitty and cutesy products than you ever thought existed.

It’s definitely a favourite of Harajuku girls…

2. GO TO A THEMED CAFE:

There are a lot of themed cafes in Tokyo including maid cafes, where you can get your ears cleaned and be spoon fed (seriously), and the extremely popular cat cafes. There’s even a vampire cafe, so you’re bound to find something that peaks your interest. We decided that we would check out an OWL CAFE. Yes, it’s a place where you can drink green tea and hang out with owls.

3. EXPERIENCE A PHOTO BOOTH:

The Japanese take photo boothing to a whole new level. There are literally dozens of photo booths that all take different styles of pictures. Look for the word ‘purikura’ which essentially means photo booth in Japanese. We stumbled upon a place on Takeshita street that you had to go downstairs to get to and once in this basement, there were DOZENS of different photo booths, costumes to rent, and there was even a massive changing area/makeup room for you to get prepared.

4. EAT YAKITORI IN PISS ALLEY:

This is where we had one of our most genuine Japanese experiences. Not only did we try one of the country’s traditional cuisines, but because all the little restaurants in (the unfortunately named) Piss Alley offer such an intimate environment, we got a chance to meet and have conversations with local people.

5. DRINK IN THE GOLDEN GAI:

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Pronounced Golden GUY, this area is filled with dozens of the tiniest bars you will ever see. Most of them are only big enough to fit a handful of people, so you’re basically guaranteed to make friends.

6. GO TO THE ROBOT RESTAURANT:

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I can’t say much about this place, because until you experience the Robot Restaurant for yourself, you won’t understand how bizarre it is. I should note that while it is called a restaurant…DO NOT go for the food. From what I saw they only have snacks and crappy bento boxes (as well as beer and sake), so eat before and just go for the show.

7. WALK ACROSS THE SHINJUKU CROSSING:

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How can you not experience the busiest crosswalk in the entire world? Chances are you will end up in Shinjuku anyway (there are some awesome restaurants and there is tons of shopping) so you might as well check out the chaos that is the Shinjuku crossing.

8. EAT SUSHI:

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This is an obvious one…but aside from a traditional sushi meal, you must try one of Tokyo’s train sushi restaurants. We went to Sushi Nova in Harajuku where you order your food/drinks on an iPad…and then it is delivered by train right to you. Totally gimmicky…but we loved it.