After all the craziness with the wedding planning, I went straight ahead to plan our Honeymoon vacation. For our trip, we stopped over in Taipei for 4 days and spent just over 3 weeks in Japan with a 9-day cruise in between.
Our itinerary looked like this: Taipei > Tokyo > Hokkaido cruise to Kushiro, Korsakov (Russia), Otaru, Aomori, Sapporo, Hakodate > Osaka > Kinosaki Onsen > Kyoto
Frankly speaking, planning the trip was a lot more enjoyable than planning for the wedding. Ha-ha.
Japan is one of my favourite countries that I've been to. The country is always so welcoming and the locals are very friendly and polite even though you may not know how to speak their language or vice versa. It is a country just full of great food, gorgeous scenery with an unique culture and a lot of cool things to do. Every visit to Japan renewed my love for this country and I could never get tired of it. This time around, I was ecstatic that I was getting to discover more unique and interesting things to do in Japan with my significant half as a newly wed. And I want to share them all with you. Let's start with Tokyo!
Tokyo, being Japan's capital, has 23 major districts and is where all the main hustle and bustle happens. You might also find a historic temple or shrine in the middle of neon-lit skyscrapers as well. We spent 4 fulfilling days there and so our short stay was jammed packed with lots of eating, drinking and fun!
Here are 16 unique and interesting things I recommend doing in Tokyo on your next visit:
1. Drinking in a Medical Prison Themed Restaurant
Japan is famous for their creativity and unique culture, and dining in a themed restaurant is one way to get a taste (pun intended) of their creativity. We went to Alcatraz E.R, a medical prison themed restaurant on our first night in Shibuya. From the moment you exited the elevator, the atmosphere felt like you just entered in one of those creepy Saw movie settings (Saw was one of my all-time favourite thrillers by the way).
Stay tuned for my upcoming post on all the details of this theme restaurant.
2. Playing with owls at an Owl Café while drinking coffee
If you think Cat cafes are cool, owl cafes are like the next level up. Owls were literally everywhere when we went to Forest of Owl in Akihabara district. It could be a little bit intimidating when you first walked into the café because you might just walk into an Owl in the dim forest-like surroundings. But owls in different breeds, size and shapes were available for you to hold and make friends with. Just be careful that they might leave you a "little gift behind", if you know what I mean ;)
Check out my short clipwith my owl friend.
READ MY POST ON: WHAT IS IT LIKE TO BECOME FRIENDS WITH OWLS
3. Tokyo drifting in Mario Kart Style like a celebrity
This was one of the coolest or I should say, wackiest activities we did in our trip. We dressed up, aka cosplayed in Super Mario costumes and drove around the main streets of Akihabara district in go karts. We weren't in an isolated, fenced-off course. We were driving on actual roads through high rise buildings without helmets, with real traffic and pedestrians crossing. It was a bit scary at first but so fun and electrifying to say the least. We had a tour guide with us and we basically just followed behind him one by one on the street like a parade. But it also made us feel like celebrities in our Mario and Luigi costumes, driving the coolest
From the left, Super-sized Toad, Warrio, Yoshi, Luigi, Mario
4. Watching crazy robots performed at the Robot Restaurant
Like I mentioned, creativity is everywhere in Japan. Besides drinking in a themed restaurant, we also watched the robot show at the Robot Restaurant in Shinjuku district. The dinner and show was truly entertaining and at the same time crazy and bizarre. We did not try their bento boxes for dinner as I heard their food was only mediocre. What they were really known for was the entertainment and performances that these robots put on! Lasers, extravagant costumes, over the top robotic creatures, pumping musics were all part of keeping the show alive and interesting. There were certainly moments where we felt completely speechless. But it certainly blew our mind in a positive way as it was so full of energy and unlike anything we had seen in the past.
Stay tuned for my detailed blog and vlog on this crazy robot experience!
5. Partaking in Shibuya Crossing like nobody’s business
Shibuya crossing is undoubtedly on every traveler's list when visiting Tokyo. It is one of the highest traffic intersections in the world! Due to the large advertising displays in surrounded buildings, this landmark was featured in films, television and even at the 2016 Summer Olympic closing ceremony! While some people might prefer to observe all the traffic actions at Starbucks with a cup of coffee, we'd rather be part of it to experience what it is like. We were swept along by a sea of people every time the pedestrian light turned green. So, taking a picture with ourselves in it became very challenging but the result could be amazing if done right. See how others are doing it, here and here.
6. Indulging in “fresh off the boat” seafood in Tsukiji Market for breakfast
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| Premium Tsukiji-don (on the left) with fatty tuna, medium fatty tuna, white fish, salmon, scallops, sea eel, salmon roe, sea urchin, shrimps and crab flakes for 3780 yen plus tax |
Even if
you're not into seafood, paying a visit to Tsukiji Market is still worthwhile. It
is clean, open and a lot of other food to try. Who knows maybe it will
change your mind towards fishes.
7. Watching sport matches at Tokyo gymnasiums or at sport centres
We were very lucky that the Yonex Badminton Japan Open was happening in Tokyo during our visit. Will and I have always been badminton fans. As a matter of fact, badminton was the sport that brought us together. So, to watch an international match of the sport we loved during our honeymoon was meaningful to us. But, getting tickets for these games in Japan from overseas were not easy at all. After being unsuccessful in purchasing tickets online, we found out we could actually buy them locally at a convenient store, like Family Mart.
We did a lot of sign and body languages to communicate to the Family Mart staff what kind of tickets we wanted to get. And it turned out that the tickets could be purchased from their kiosk machines. But for some reasons, the machine was only in Japanese and we also need a local phone number to get these tickets. Like why on earth do they need a local phone number? Good thing was that I had my Airbnb host phone number with me ;) So, we finally got the tickets to the Quarterfinal match but we didn’t realize how popular the sport was in Japan.
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| Items from the cafeteria at Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium are very reasonably priced! |
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| I got this bowl of noodles for 550 yen and it was delicious! |
It was a Thursday afternoon and yet the entire Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium was full. The general seating was on a first come, first serve basis. So, even though we got there early, the best seats were already taken. We didn’t have time to have lunch before the game so it was great that there was a cafeteria in the gym. I was so surprised that the food there was so reasonably priced (unlike Toronto, ahem). You could get a bowl of noodles for 500 yen (approx. $6.5 CND) and it was delicious! Watching the game was so satisfying for us because we got to see a lot of the Olympic champions played.
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| Malaysia's Lee Chong Wei vs China's Shi Yuqi |
We also planned to watch a sumo wrestling match but instead of purchasing the tickets up front at the Family Mart like we did for Japan open. We thought we could get the tickets at the door. We arrived 10 after 7 in the morning to find out that all the tickets were already sold out! We were told that tickets need to be purchased before 7 for guaranteed seating on the day of the match. But it was a lesson learned. Next time, we’d definitely buy the tickets at the kiosk in Family Mart if we could not buy them online. Other than tickets for the Japan Open that happens once a year and sumo wrestling matches that happen 3 times a year, you could also buy tickets to Disneyland, Universal Studios and baseball games at these kiosks. But remember, you’d need some communication skills when purchasing at a local convenient store.
8. Enjoying a bowl of ramen bought from a vending machine at a restaurant without any human interaction
We went to Ichiran Ramen for dinner and were surprised to find out that we had to order our ramen from their vending machine. From the moment we entered the restaurant to finding our seats, there wasn’t anybody to help us. We finally realized that this was a self-service restaurant. The need of limiting human interaction is supposedly to let the customers “focus on their food”. And in fact we did. Because staffs weren't available to greet you nor were we able to have eye contact with other customers. Everyone was "focused on their food" so to speak.
We actually enjoyed their pork broth based ramen despite the non-existent interaction with the staff. The whole process was completely anonymous yet totally efficient and interesting.
9. Spoiling yourself to a charcoal grill dinner with the best beef in town
Besides eating sushi and ramen, Japanese people also enjoy a good Yakiniku with a few beers. Yakiniku, originally means grilled meats. It is now refer to as grilled meat dishes or barbecue over flaming charcoals. We tried Yakiniku twice during our visit, one at a pricier price point for dinner and a cheaper one for late night.
Black Hole Yakiniku in Shinjuku Golden Gai area was where we went for dinner. The restaurant offered 2 set menus aside from the a la carte menu. We went for the set menus so we could try different meats and cuts. The 2 set menus were a Wagyu set and an Original set for 1000 yen difference (approx. $13 CDN). You’d get slightly the same amount of meat except you wouldn't get the Wagyu beef from the Original set. So what is Wagyu beef? Wagyu beef is the meat from a Japanese breed cattle, which is known for quality and high marbling, aka fat running through the meat. So, it is also more expensive. We wanted the good stuff so we opted for the Wagyu set, and it included:- salad
- assorted kimchi
- 3 pieces of sliced Wagyu ribs
- 3 pieces of the Wagyu loins
- 2 slices of the beef bone short ribs
- 2 slices of thick pork ribs
- Sausage
- Mushrooms
- rice
- a drink
There were also dipping sauces for us to mix for each meat. And can I just tell you how tender the Wagyu meat was? It almost melted in my mouth! I think my teeth went soft when I had my first bite. Although Yakiniku was only bite sizes pieces but we still got pretty full at the end. It was a great feast at Black Hole and we enjoyed it a lot.
We tried another Yakiniku around our Airbnb apartment when we just arrived to Tokyo. It was already late, so we didn’t travel too far as the subway closes at midnight. We stopped by a small Yakiniku bar called, Kouei Horumon (辛永炭火燒肉) and had our first meal there. The restaurant was lively and warm. We met up with a friend and ordered a few meat dishes to share. We grilled our meat on a ceramic charcoal stove from the table, so the meat has a charcoal barbecued flavour to them. It was a lovely night chatting, drinking and grilling our meat at the same time.
10. Strolling down Harajuku with a crepe in your hand
Harajuku is a central hub for leading edge fashion and teenage pop culture. One of the more popular spots is Takeshita-Dori, where you'll find elaborate accessories, fashion boutiques, drugs and cosmetics stores, dessert shops and crepe stands. It was raining when we visited Harajuku but that didn't prevent tourists and locals to stroll around Takeshita-Dori. The street was a bit overwhelming and jam-packed with people, so we had to be cautious with our umbrellas (and other people's) when we were there. |
| Experiencing Japanese's transparent umbrella culture ;) |
Here are my favourites:
Sweet Box Crepes - Their crepes are made to order and they offer a huge selection of choices. It was very tough for me to decide which one to get from their pretty window display.
Calbee Plus - I grew up eating Calbee chips. So, this shop was a must-try place for me. It offers soft serve ice cream with freshly fried potato chips. Or you could add other toppings to the chips.
Zakuzaku Softcream - This is absolutely the best cream puff I've tried! Super crunchy shell and delicious and creamy custard inside! No wonder there's a line up. I should have gotten more!!!
11. Wishing for good fortunes at Meiji Shrine
Meiji Shrine is also located near Harajuku station. After strolling around the busy Takeshita-Dori, we wanted to wind down and take a peaceful walk at one of the major srhine, Meiji Jingu. We found it a bit enchanting to see such a beautiful and historic architecture located inside a highly dense city. We followed along the path into a large forested park. The park was covered by trees so tall that it felt like you're in a rural area instead. It was a great place to unplug and escape from the loud and fast paced environment of the city.
It is ideal to follow the traditional etiquette when visiting temples and shrines in Japan. Before you get into the shrine, you must first rinse your hands and mouth at the water basin, Temizuya and bow just before you enter the archway. It is also important to not take any videos or photographs while you're at the main building. While we were there, we also saw a couple getting married. The couple were dressed in traditional Japanese wedding attire while the bridal party were in a suit and a dress. It was nice to see a fusion style wedding here in Japan.
Learn more about the proper etiquette when visiting Meiji Shrine here.
12. Playing games in a multi-leveled arcade game building
There are over thousands of arcade games and entertainments you could play in Round One Entertainment Inc and they are opened 24 hours! Round One is a multi-level sports and game centre, offering billiards, bowling, darts, batting cage, arcade games and ping pong, and much more! You could purchase an unlimited game card and easily spend a good hour there. A great place to de-stress and kill time indoor during a rainy day. We actually went a few times during the trip, and found out different locations offer slightly different games. Some even offer karaoke and arena for roller skates! Go check it out when you see one. Some games are so creative and hilarious, for example, there's a game that measures how powerful you are when you became angry enough to flip a table. You'll for sure have a good time there.
13. Taking sticky pictures at a Purikura machine
Purikura machine is a type of photo booth or kiosk in Japan that produces photo stickers. We actually did this while we were at Round One arcade centre (see above) but there were also specialty shops that we saw in Harajuku. With these Purikura machines, you could get doll-like eyes, apply fake eye lashes, change hair and eye colours, apply blushes on your cheeks and make yourself taller and slimmer. Japanese people love prominent features and these photo booth machines satisfy them all.
When we got into the booth, we first had to select the frames we liked. Then, the machine prompted us to pose in various angles (from the top, straight and below). After we were done snapping, we went to the next booth to personalize our pictures. The pictures turned out extremely hilarious. Our skins were airbrushed, eyes were exaggerated, and lips brightened with a rosy colour. We almost looked like characters from the Sailor Moon! We finished it off with some doodling, stamps and graphics and watched the machine print out the pictures. It was a true Japanese way of creating a fun piece of souvenir to bring home!
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| Our beautified sticky pictures from Purikura machine! |
14. Shopping 'til you drop at Don Quijote
15. Trying out all the functions on a smart Japanese toilet
Yup, you didn't read it wrong. Even their public toilets are cooler than my own! Toilets in Japan are smart, usually with a control panel on the side with a set of dazzling features. You could warm the seat first and listen to music while you're doing your business. You could also spray your behind and control the water pressure, all with a touch of a button. So, be sure to try one of these when you're there.
Read A guide to Japanese toilets.
These are only some of the things we did during our short four days stay in Tokyo. There are of course so much more that Tokyo has to offer that we did not cover during this trip. I'm so proud of us to be able to check off a lot from our jam-packed yet super fun itinerary! Stay tuned for more of my travelogue of Japan. I'll be posting about Osaka, Kyoto and Hakkaido!
Other things to do in Tokyo:
- Make your own cup noodles in Yokohama
- Pamper yourself in a hot spring in front of Mt. Fuiji in Hakone
- Re-live your childhood in Disneyland
- Watch a sumo wrestling match
- Indulge in a sumo wrestler hot pot
Hope you find this story helpful!
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Have you tried any of these? What do you think of Tokyo? Comment below and share with me!
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