This post has been long over-due, but it’s finally here! My guide to Tokyo for first timer’s! Before I get started, I did write a post on What To Know Before Visiting Japan where I go over transportation, language barrier, rules, and general things to note about Japan. This guide will only be about the things we did, eat, and see during our time there. Tokyo was truly a beautiful city with so much character, I can NOT wait to go back again and explore more of Tokyo and Japan.

Let me not waste your time any further and get right into the post!

What to Do:

I would be a liar if I said you could fit everything you wanted to do during your first trip to Tokyo! Unless of course, you’ll be there for an extended period of time. So my advice is to make a list of everything you would like to do and prioritize what you really want to see and what will work with your schedule.

Ride Mario Kart:

You grew up playing the video game. But have you thought that you could actually ride it, in real life? Well, in Tokyo you can! We originally had this on our list but we found out that you need an International Driver’s License to be allowed to ride. While it’s not hard to get an international driver’s license, we really did not want to be bothered to get one prior to leaving.

We saw the drivers riding around in their karts and costumes throughout the city during our stay. It looked really fun and something I am definitely doing on my next trip!

video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44vS1XSd_4w

Sensō-ji Temple:

Tokyo’s oldest Buddhist temple. Lined up before you get to the actual temple are over 90 stands, shops, and seasonal events too. It’s also the most colorful temple in the city. When you walk towards the temple, you will see people standing over what looks like fire pits. People will be seen wafting incense smoke over their body— which is said to cure any ailments you may have and improve health.

My favorite part of the temple was walking up towards it, and heading to where the fortunes are. You pay 1 yen and shake a box to get a number. Once you pull the number, you pick your number from the board in front of you. You will either get a good or bad fortune. If your fortune is bad you have to hang it up on a board right in front of the door. I’m not sure why exactly you have to do that but I ended up getting a bad fortune! The views around the temple are beautiful and the buildings are architecturally beautiful and very traditional.

Address: 2 Chome-3-1 Asakusa, Taito City, Tokyo 111-0032, Japan

Team Lab Borderless:

Probably the most instagrammable place in Tokyo. Although it’s bit pricy for a museum at almost $30 a ticket, it’s worth it. All of the installations are unique and out of this world. My favorite were the Forest of Flowers and The Way of the Sea. Although, there are dozens of dreamy installations, this museum is a must while in Japan.

Address: Japan, 〒135-0064 Tokyo, Koto City, Aomi, 1 Chome−3−8 お台場パレットタウン

Shinjuku’s Golden Gai:

If you’re into non-typical nightlife, you have to check out Golden Gai. Golden Gai is made up of 6 small and narrow alleyways filled with bars. Generally, the 150+ bars located inside of Golden Gai operate until 5AM. Unlike most nightlife, many bars do not allow photos or tourists. If you are a tourist, you have to be really careful and make sure that you’re allowed inside. Bars will either have notes pinned outside or you can tell from the vibe inside as you peak your head in. Many of the bars will greet you if you are welcomed.

You could also check tripadvisor or yelp about which bars are good for tourists, but then it would be hard to tell which bar they’re talking about if you can’t read Japanese, for me it would be anyway. Be prepared because Golden Gai prices and entry fees are relatively expensive.

Meiji-jingu Shrine:

One of the bigger shrines in Tokyo, spanning over 170 acres. Meiji is noted as a recreation and relaxation center in Tokyo. With forest areas, sake bottles, central sanctuaries, and more you can easily get lost here. We got lucky and witnessed a traditional Japanese marriage ceremony. Entrance opens at sunrise and closes at sunset. It’s near Harajuku so I would suggest doing these two on the same day.

Shibuya Crossing:

Of course you have to go to the Shibuya Crossing while in Tokyo. I remember getting out from the subway and thinking “this is it?” But once the people start piling across the street in all four directions, you’re like “woah, that’s hella people.” I’m pretty sure I sat there and saw that crossing like 10+ times. I heard that the best seat in the house is the Starbucks above the crossing but the seats on that side of Starbucks actually has a wait time (crazy, right).

Kabukicho:

The entertainment district and the Red Light district. Kabukicho is filled with bright lights and plenty to do from bars, pubs, restaurants, and more! Males are more of a target in this area so be mindful to not let people lure you into places you aren’t interested in going in.

One of my favorite parts about Kabukicho is the oversized Godzilla that sits atop of a building.

Kanda and Nezu Shrine:

These shrines are smaller than both Meiji Shrine and Senso Ji temple. We visited both Kanda and Nezu on our rainy day in Tokyo. Kanda was quite empty and made for a great photo op. Nezu, one of the city’s oldest places of worship, was a bit packed. Nezu is a gem in the city with it’s narrow pathways and the greenery surrounding it, it reminded me of the Tokyo and Asia we often see in movies.

Other notable things you should consider doing during your first trip is visiting the Tokyo Skytree, Piss Alley, Tokyo Tower, Godzilla Statue, Tsukiji Market, and the Tokyo Bay.

My other top advice for Tokyo is to take a day trip. There are plenty of options for day trips. We personally were looking to go to Hakone, but every day we tried to go – it rained, alot. If you’re interested in making Hakone your day trip (on a clear day you are able to see Mt Fuji up close and personal), click here.

What to Eat:

Genki Sushi:

A must-experience in Tokyo. Not the best sushi, but the experience is one of a kind. A Japan based chain, this conveyor belt restaurant is fun time. Best part about it? If you’re balling on a budget, this is where you need to go as your Yen will go a long way. Genki is a short walk from Shibuya station and is convenient because you can ‘order from your seat.” Once you order from the screen in front of you, your dishes will come towards you on the belt as the sushi chefs finish making them.

Once your dish gets to you, you pick it up and put it in front of you. After you’re done clearing the belt you push the button and it leaves! So easy, right? You don’t really have to deal with a waitress or waiter unless you really have to speak to someone. When you are done, you just go up to the front cashier and pay your bill. I’m not a sushi fan, so I enjoyed the experience. If you’re a sushi snob, this may not be the spot for you.

Address: 24-8 Udagawacho, Shibuya City, Tokyo 150-0042, Japan

Shin Udon: (or udon shin)

My favorite meal from Tokyo. This spot was so good that I’m STILL craving their udon noodles. Not to mention, their service was very on point. Pro tip: Get there early. They open at 11AM but the line gets super long, super early. We showed up around 11:20 and it was already a 40 minute wait. The good thing about this place is that a staff member comes outside and hands you a menu. You can look through the menu and he comes back in 10-15 minutes and takes your order.

Once you come inside the building (it’s extremely small), you sit down at your table and within 5-10 minutes, your food comes out! Besides the waiting, everything else was very quick. I got the Udon noodles with the beef and egg. The flavors were out of this world, the beef was sweet and had a hint of tasting like bacon. The noodles were thick and soft, and absorbed the flavors from the egg and beef really good. Of course, the egg was just the cherry on top, an added level of texture. We also, got the tempura shrimp and it was damn near (if not) the best tempura shrimp I’ve had up until this point in my life. If you love tempura shrimp, get THIS tempura shrimp.

Address: Japan, 〒151-0053 Tokyo, Shibuya City, Yoyogi, 2 Chome−20−16 相馬ビル １F

I mentioned Golden Gai in things to do, but like I mentioned, you can also eat here at some of the establishments. I didn’t get a chance to eat but i did see a couple of spots that were packed to the brim throughout the night. If you’re deciding on where to eat at though between Golden Gai and Piss Alley, I would go to Piss Alley as Golden Gai is more centered around bars.

Address: 1 Chome-1-6 Kabukicho, Shinjuku City, Tokyo 160-0021, Japan

Fuunj:

If you want to eat Tsukemen Ramen, this is where you need to be. Don’t know what Tsukemen Ramen is? Don’t worry, neither did I. Upon doing research prior to my trip, I keep seeing this word and I was intrigued because I had no idea what it was. In short, Tsukemen is a ramen dish in Japanese cuisine consisting of noodles which are eaten after being dipped in a separate bowl of soup or broth. The noodles come cold and the soup (dipping sauce) comes hot, this allows to season and moisten the noodles. The soup is usually richer in flavor than normal Ramen soup.

Be mindful, because Fuunji also has a line as soon as they open. The way that you order your food at Fuunji is through a vending machine located at the front of the restaurant. The vending machine was not in English but did have photos of the dishes if I remember correctly. I’m not going to lie, when I got up to the vending machine I had a mini panic attack because I couldn’t figure out how to use it, and the man behind me didn’t speak English (and the workers were so busy) that I let him go in front of us so I could see how he used the vending machine. The first thing you do is put your money into the machine. You then pick your meal of choice, get your ticket, and change if you have any. Don’t worry, just because you made it to the vending machine doesn’t mean you’re done with the line. So you get back in line and as you get closer to the chef, you hand him your ticket (he speaks very bare bones English) and wait your turn to sit down.

After having Tsukemen ramen, I don’t know if I can go back. It was truly so good and I’m pretty sure I slurped the bowl up in record time. Fuunji is small and you do have to eat with a line of people inches away from you waiting to be sat, but the chef and staff were accommodating and nice to everyone, and the ramen was spectacular.

Address: Japan, 〒151-0053 Tokyo, Shibuya City, Yoyogi, 2 Chome−14−3 北斗第一ビル１F

Menhan Shokudo Nakajima:

Let me start this story with the truth. This was not the original restaurant I had on my list to visit. I had “NAKAJIMA”, a michelin starred restaurant that has super affordable lunch. In my quest to dine at a michelin starred restaurant, my research led me to the discovery of Nakajima. The reviews were good and I was comfortable with the prices for a Michelin starred restaurant.

So, on my last day in Tokyo… I set out to Nakajima. When I arrive at Nakajima, I realize it looks nothing like the photos (inside or outside). I had arrived to MENHAN SHOKUDO NAKAJIMA. I honestly should have known that a name as common as Nakajima may have multiple businesses with that name – but hindsight is always 20/20. When I realized that I was at the wrong restaurant, it was too late to try to make my way to the Michelin starred restaurant because both restaurants closed at 2PM and it was like 12:30PM at that point and subway rides would have just been too long. So I stayed at Menhan Shokudo Nakajima.

I’m not going to lie, I was disappointed. This was probably the meal I most look forward to but it was my last day and I was hungry so I just brushed it off. In the past during my travels, I haven’t had much luck finding a bomb restaurant off of pure luck or simply walking into a random place. So I wasn’t too hopeful. The only thing that kept me at the wrong Nakajima was seeing a semi line out of the building. The place itself was on the smaller side, alot of business people on their lunch breaks, and friendly staff. The hostess didn’t speak English but took me to the vending machine to place my order and did her very best to describe the dishes as they didn’t have pictures and there were no words in English. I honestly just ordered a random ramen that I understood her about and we sat down. The place was so packed that we had to share a 4 person table with 2 other people. The food arrived, and it was actually really good! Way better than I had expected but then again the restaurant had a buzz. The guy in front of me had a ramen dish with the fish cake that looked delicious, so i ordered that one too by waving the hostess down and pointing at his dish. Trae got the fried rice and enjoyed it.

In conclusion, this was a very good lunch and I’m happy that I found this gem in the city. When you google Nakajima you will more than likely get the Michelin starred restaurant, so make sure to use the full name of this restaurant if you want to come here.

Address: Japan, 〒150-0002 Tokyo, Shibuya City, Shibuya, 3 Chome−18−7 ナルセビル

Well that’s all for now, folks! I still can’t believe I got to explore Tokyo. The city is modern, full of life, and so vibrant. It’s beauty will definitely keep me coming back, very soon. If you have any questions about the places, restaurants, or questions in general.. feel free to reach out!

Xoxo,

Wynee

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