TOKYO 2019

MUST SEE EAT DO HITLIST

by CHEEKY WOMBAT 01 November 2020

Check out our MUST SEE EAT DO HITLIST video above for the highlights of our trip in February 2019 to the city that never sleeps, Tokyo!

SUMMARY

First impression

If Japan were a delicious roll of crunchy sushi, Tokyo would be the essential bowl of soy sauce that makes it even better! Tokyo is a quirky fusion of fun, food and play that left me wondering to this day whether it was even real. In early 2019, we flew to Japan for a 2-week holiday with a group of friends. We spent a week skiing in Hakuba, a few days in Osaka and Kyoto, and a total of 5 nights in Tokyo. Thanks to Ruth’s impeccable organisational skills, we managed to do loads of cool stuff in Tokyo, albeit on a compressed itinerary.

Accommodation: Keihan Tsukiji

The Hotel Keihan Tsukiji Ginza Grande was luxurious compared to our previous week’s stay in a hostel in Hakuba. While the rooms were compact, the decor and furniture was modern and comfortable, especially the bed. They also had a fitness gym and a coin-operated laundry, which, while not ideal, was better than no laundry facility at all. We really appreciated the included buffet breakfast which spanned a variety of warm food and cereals. Everything was neat, tidy and well-organised. Our room was serviced daily and all of the staff were extremely courteous.

MUST EAT: Inakaya

After the 5h shuttle bus ride from Hakuba, we were definitely ready to dig into some tucker at Inakaya (@roppongi.inakaya) which is our MUST EAT pick for Tokyo. Inakaya means “farm house” or “rural home” in Japanese, which perfectly describes the cottage-style interior and the classic Japanese robatayaki dining style. While it was expensive, our reservation at Inakaya was an unforgettable traditional Japanese dining experience and definitely a highlight of our trip. While we could have got away with our non-existent Japanese speaking/reading skills, we were fortunate enough to rendezvous with Ruth’s brother who lives locally and fluently speaks Japanese.

The dining table is a large horseshoe shape with two chefs in the centre, each with their own wooden tablet displaying their name and hometown in Japanese script. This is one example of the intimate, personalised experience we enjoyed at Inakaya. All of the staff were extremely friendly and respectful; they greeted us warmly and regularly checked in to make sure that we were enjoying our food and having a good time.

The food was super fresh and absolutely delicious. The chefs were surrounded by an ocean of beautifully displayed food including vegetables, fruit, noodles, rice, meat and seafood. Instead of ordering from a menu, we just pointed at whatever we wanted and the chefs would retrieve it with a pair of giant chopsticks and cook it in front of us.

The chefs used giant wooden paddles to deliver food and drinks to our placemat. They also have a little ritual that really lifts the energy of the restaurant and makes everyone laugh; whenever the chefs deliver a dish, they announce (by yelling) the name of the dish in Japanese and all of the waitstaff repeat it. Thankfully they didn’t do this whenever we ordered a drink because otherwise they would have lost their voices by the end of the night! They have a selection of beers and wines but we opted for sake served with fanfare - they poured it out of an ornate stone bowl until our little cubic wooden masu cups overflowed.

You need to witness it to appreciate how strong and talented these chefs are. The wooden paddles are quite heavy even without a plate of food or a drink on them. I was able to lift one of the paddles with a single bottle of beer on the end but I didn’t have a chance of lifting two bottles - even though these guys were doing it all night long! They invited me to try and lift a paddle with two drinks and I discovered a newfound humility and appreciation for their craft!

Overall, Inakaya was an incredible dining experience and we’ll definitely be going back. If you’re in the area, make a reservation and thank us later!

Miraikan National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation

The morning following our exquisite Inakaya dining experience, we popped over to the Miraikan National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation (@miraikan) for a quick squiz. They had a huge variety of exhibits showcasing really interesting technologies and ideas. We paid for standard tickets and wandered through the multi-storey museum admiring all of the cool displays. During our visit we watched a live performance involving ASIMO the humanoid robot, who kicked a soccer ball and walked around onstage. Museums aren’t everyone’s cup of tea but our visit was a pleasant experience and it was really interesting learning about a range of emerging technologies and their applications.

Robot Restaurant

After our museum experience, we caught a 1h train ride to the Robot Restaurant (@robotrestaurant) where we witnessed the most bizarre theatrical performance ever! Our group of 5 were advised to book online in advance and since we turned up early they welcomed us through to the lobby which featured a bar and cafe that served light refreshments. From the moment we walked in we realised everything about this place was designed to overwhelm your senses. The hallways and stairwells are covered in an array of vibrant, fluorescent colours and patterns. The lobby had a red velvet carpet and I couldn’t see a single space on the walls or ceiling that weren’t studded with faux gems or painted gold.

When it was time for the show to start, we were ushered to our grandstand-style seats. The seats were arranged in rows on either side of the stage with the two sections facing towards each other like at a fashion show catwalk.

There were massive screens on either side and thousands of lights, speakers, smoke machines and laser devices that hung from the ceiling. Without spoiling too much, the show was an extremely overwhelming audiovisual, theatrical performance during which giant animatronics and props entered from both sides of the stage with lots of dancers, actors and musicians in the mix. There are giant dinosaurs, robots, dragons, pirate ships and lots of other things that I can’t really describe! Pretty much the entire show is in Japanese, but I doubt that we would have understood what was happening even if we were fluent in Japanese!

The choreography, costuming and energy of the performers was amazing. I’ve never experienced anything like it before. We don’t have a strong desire to go back in the near future but we’re glad that we went!

Samurai Museum

After the Robot Restaurant, we wandered around Shinjuku and stumbled across the Samurai Museum (@samuraimuseumtokyo). We went on the guided tour which was affordable and super interesting! The museum contains dozens of displays containing ancient Samurai-related artefacts and our English-speaking tour guide explained the history and significance of each. Different types of Samurai swords featured heavily but there were also suits of armour, paintings, photographs and sculptures. We were also lucky enough to watch a complimentary traditional musical performance in their function room that featured two uniquely Japanese instruments - the koto (table-like stringed instrument) and shakuhachi (bamboo flute). Overall, we really enjoyed the Samurai Museum because it was one of the few times we were able to escape the rapid pace of globalised modern Tokyo and quietly appreciate a glimpse of traditional Japanese history and culture.

Tokyo DisneySea

The next day, we opted to go to Tokyo DisneySea (@tokyo_disneysea) instead of Tokyo Disneyland because it’s currently the only DisneySea in the world! We spent all day and most of the night there and it was definitely one of the big highlights of our trip. Aside from all of the whimsical magic, characters and costumes you expect to encounter at a Disneyland theme park, our favourite rides included Journey to the Center of the Earth, Tower of Terror and Sindbad’s Storybook Voyage. Unfortunately, Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Crystal Skull was closed when we went, so we’ll definitely have to go back one day because it looked like one of the best rides! We bought the FASTPASS which allowed us to jump into the faster-moving queues and we planned our rides so that we went on the big ones early in the day when queues were shorter.

One of the things that distinguishes Tokyo DisneySea from Tokyo Disneyland is that there’s a huge lake and series of waterways fed from the ocean that weaves throughout the entire park. This makes for some spectacular views and also means you can catch steamboats and gondolas to get around!

By far the most spectacular part of our DisneySea experience was the evening water show, which blew our minds. Without giving away too much, there are animatronics, live actors, fireworks, fire, lasers and music. Some iconic Disney characters also make an appearance. When we were there, the show was running every night for free and the production value was unreal!

If you decide to stay for the evening show, try to book somewhere for dinner in advance as the restaurants fill up quite quickly and it’s not pleasant having to wait in the cold for a table. We had to wait for about 20 minutes to get into a cute little Italian restaurant (Ristorante di Canaletto) but luckily they had an indoor waiting area. The restaurant was right next to the show so it was easy to find a vantage point after dinner.

If you want a little something to nibble on during the show, I’d recommend grabbing some chocolate popcorn from one of the many popcorn carts throughout DisneySea. If you’re not keen on chocolate, you can pick from several other popcorn flavours: black pepper, caramel, curry, salt, matcha white chocolate, garlic shrimp or strawberry!

Overall, we had a great time and highly recommend Disney fans to consider incorporating DisneySea into their Tokyo itinerary!

Accommodation: Super Hotel

We were relieved to hop off the train in Tokyo and check in to the Super Hotel Shinjuku Kabukicho (@super.hotel_shinjukukabukicho) after being cooped up during a 3h ride from Kyoto. While still a budget experience, the hotel was adequate. The room was small, the decor was basic and the bed was a little uncomfortable but it was good enough for us because it was in a great location and we barely spent any time in the room (only to sleep and store our luggage overnight).

In addition to locking our room, we also locked all of our important stuff in our luggage and hid our luggage as best we could in the wardrobe, in case someone managed to break into our rooms. They also had a complimentary breakfast buffet which was useful so that we didn’t have to venture out into the cold of the early morning to find breakfast.

Shinjuku VR Zone

We decided to pop into Shinjuku VR Zone for a few hours and it was a blast! While the tickets range from cheap to expensive (depending on how many and which types of VR games you want to play), we opted for the basic ticket that gave us access to Mario Kart, Dragon Ball Z and some other games (including a horror puzzle game which was absolutely terrifying!) Mario Kart was extremely fun; the go-kart-like-machine rumbles and the sensors on your hands allow you to grab and use items. You also have a headset for the sounds and to talk to the other player (it’s a 2-player game!) There’s also a screen behind each player showing what they can see in their VR headset, so you can see how good (or bad) they’re driving!

Dragon Ball Z was also unreal. A Dragon Ball Z character teaches you how to power up, charge and fire the kamehameha blast and then you battle against the other player. It was really immersive and your opponent’s character mimics their movements in real life quite closely. Also, I got Goku as my teacher, which made my day.

If you’re in the area, it’s definitely worth checking out Shinjuku VR Zone.

MUST SEE: Akiba Fukurou Owl Cafe

Next up, we went to the Akiba Fukurou Owl Cafe (@owlcafe_akibafukurou_tokyo) which is our MUST SEE pick for Tokyo without a doubt! There are “animal cafes” all over Japan that are essentially indoor petting zoos where you can see, and sometimes play with, cute animals like cats, hedgehogs and… owls! We weren’t really sure what to expect so we arrived early to the owl cafe. We were greeted by a gentleman who was dressed head-to-toe in a sharp white uniform and a sparkling gold badge which read “OWL CONCIERGE”, which, to this day, is still the greatest job title I’ve ever seen.

The Akiba Fukurou Owl Cafe is a peaceful sanctuary. Calming music lulled gently while the owl concierge explained the rules: stay quiet and whispers only; look, don’t touch; and you can pick any 3 owls with which to take a photo (unless the owl had a little sign up that read “break time” indicating that they’ve finished they’re shift!)

Ruth got heaps of photos and footage with Sweet Potato, who was the smallest and sleepiest little owl, and the only owl whose weight she could support with her arm… for a little while at least!

I made the mistake of requesting a photo with Gorilla, the biggest owl in the cafe. He came with a thick leather glove and an armrest for obvious reasons.

While they’re kept in captivity, these owls are treated and fed extremely well. Many of them were rescued from adverse situations and nursed back to health. All of the owls seemed extremely content and happy.

If you plan on visiting any animal cafes in Japan, make sure to do some prior research online to confirm that their animals are treated well, just like those at the Akiba Fukurou Owl Cafe.

ChikuChikuCAFE

We’d heard some great reviews about Musée du Chocolat Théobroma, so after the owl cafe we caught a train there to grab some of their famous chocolate cake to eat later at the hedgehog cafe, ChikuChikuCAFE (@hedgehoghome.cafe). The chocolate cake was pretty delicious but probably not worth going out of your way if you’re not already in the area.

The hedgehogs were absolutely adorable! There were several different enclosures filled with cute miniature decorations and furniture. However, the hedgehogs were very shy and I think they may have been a bit overwhelmed being handled by humans all day, every day. I’m not sure whether these hedgehogs were being properly looked after or whether owls are just a lot more open to human interaction, but some of the hedgehogs really didn’t seem to be enjoying themselves.

MUST DO: Mario Kart Street Racing

In the evening, we went Mario Kart Street Racing which is our MUST DO pick for Tokyo and a real thrill! Technically it’s not called “Mario Kart Street Racing” for copyright reasons and because it's not endorsed by Nintnedo, but the misnomer sums it up pretty well! They let you select an outfit from their collection of onesies that you can wear while you joyride around the streets of Tokyo. I chose Buzz Lightyear because the Mario Kart characters were noticeably absent! Ruth chose Pikachu because, aside from being her favourite Pokemon, Pikachu and Buzz Lightyear fit right in with the other members of our motley crew: batman, cookie monster and stitch!

Our first “lesson” involved our tour guide pointing at the accelerator, the brake and the motor start switch before he jumped into his own go-kart and drove off unexpectedly into the night. We were all a bit confused and stood around wondering whether we were supposed to follow him! Apparently all you need is an international drivers permit and a 5-second lesson and you’re good to joyride Tokyo’s streets at night in a go-kart!

Thankfully, the tour guide first took us around the block a few times to get us used to driving in Tokyo traffic. The go-karts were noisy, their lights were very visible and other cars on the road tend to give you a wide berth, so we felt pretty safe. The max speed of the go-karts reaches around 60km/h and the group generally sticks together in dual-file formation.

We drove around the streets of Tokyo admiring the big city lights for an hour and it was so much fun! The tour guide took us to lots of different inner-city locations that we wouldn’t have otherwise visited.

A quick word of caution: when booking your go-kart tour online make sure that your tour is a GUIDED TOUR! We almost booked a non-guided go-kart tour online, which I can only assume involves driving off into the night never to be seen again! Even if we managed to survive the traffic without a guide, we would have never found our way back to the garage and probably would have had to ditch the go-kart and catch a taxi home!

Shinjuku Golden Gai

Thrilled that we had survived our street go-kart experience, we cracked onto Tokyo’s infamous Golden Gai precinct, a collection of tightly-packed alley ways in Shinjuku lined with almost two hundred intimate, unique bars full of personality and good times. We hopped between several bars, some of them barely large enough to accommodate our party of four, and had an absolute blast. At one of the bars we chatted to the owner for almost an hour listening to his crazy life story and journey prior to him starting up his bar (not sure if all of it was true but it was a great story anyway!) There were a couple of strangers at the bar and I got the sense they had peaked too early that night on account of the fact that they had fallen asleep at the bar mid-drink.

We ended up at a karaoke bar and sang the night away with a bunch of other tourists. All things considered, it was a fantastic night and we’ll definitely be going back because there were plenty of spots that were either at full capacity or that we overlooked on our Golden Gai bar crawl.

Kansai International Airport

While our time at Kansai International Airport (@kansaiairports) waiting to fly back to Australia was bittersweet, we were pleasantly surprised to discover that this airport was far more exciting than ours back home! While waiting for our flight to depart, we visited the Pokemon Store within the airport, which stocked an excessive amount of Pokemon merchandise - Ruth was beside herself in the plush section.

There was definitely a strong Pokemon theme at the airport, it would have been the place to be during the Pokemon Go craze of 2016.

We also hit up Nigirino Tokube (a sushi train) for lunch prior to our flight home. Rather than picking from the train, we ordered on an iPad and were extremely shocked when our orders were transported to us on little mechanical trains!

By far our highlight was the Nintendo popup we discovered in the airport terminal. I think we spent around an hour playing Nintendo games and enjoying the Nintendo-related exhibit. There were no chairs (to discourage people from playing for too long) but we had the stamina to enjoy a few solid rounds of Super Smash Bros and Mario Kart 8.

After two weeks of hauling our luggage through airports and train stations, we weren’t expecting anything special to greet us at the Kansai International Airport. We enjoyed our last few hours in Japan and were reminded how much effort has gone into enhancing spaces and experiences for the benefit of Tokyo’s tourists.

Reflection

Tokyo was a shock to the system. The culture, places and people were amazing and we’ve already decided that we’ll have to go back to visit both Tokyo and other parts of Japan. The variety of delicious food is reason enough to go back but next time we’ll make sure to take our time to savour the journey and explore this amazing country.