In May 2023, I traveled to Japan. Here’s a list of the places I visited, from must-visit spots to those I found overrated.
Map
Sections
6
Tokyo
Osaka
Kyoto
Nara
Himeji
Yokohama
Tokyo
My mum's cousin owns this restaurant. It specialises in Hokkaido-style ramen. You can request a level of spice in your ramen - level 4 has a good amount of kick.
Menya Shirahige, Asakusa
Unlimited variety of cool and cute stickers and other merch.
B-side Label, Harajuku
My Disney-obsessed friend loved this place.
Disney Store, Shibuya
A dango shop with a huge range of flavours. I tried a ramune soda flavour and a mitarashi (soy sauce flavour).
Hakata Yamadaya, Shibuya
A famous street in Harajuku known for wacky, youth-driven shops and sweet shops.
Takeshita Street, Shibuya
The inner child in me calls this place paradise.
Kiddy Land Harajuku
A museum dedicated to Studio Ghibli's films. I especially like the rooms that replicate Hayao Miyazaki's private rooms. You need to book tickets a month in advance.
Ghibli Museum, Mitaka
A cute cafe where the baristas create art with foam, either 3D or 2D. Mine was a 2D drawing of the wolf from Princess Mononoke. The drinks themselves are average.
CAFE REISSUE, Shibuya
This shop sells castella cake as well as nice bubble tea. Fun fact: bubble tea is known as tapioca in Japan and is not trending as much compared to London.
EN SHI DA JI PAI Shibuya
Amazing yakiniku! My friend and I were obsessed with the wagyu beef.
Aburi Shibuya Honten
The district to buy electronics and play lots of arcade games.
Akihabara Electric Town
A department store with adult entertainment and products. I went there out of curiosity. Some of the products are very sus, bordering on illegal e.g. my friend bought a “perfume” called ‘Niece’s Sweat'.
M's Pop Life Department Store
A nice, big park with a little temple and torii gates. There's also a handprint monument of several famous figures.
Ueno Park
A famous spot in Asakusa for street food, temple stuff and yearly festivals.
Sensō-ji Temple, Asakusa
It's a viral hot bread with pullable cheese. These stores are everywhere in Tokyo and Osaka - don't queue for the big one in Shibuya's Don Quixote.
Viral ¥10-Shaped Bread
Seafood BBQ restaurant, excellent fresh fish
Isomaru Suisan Seafood Rest. Ueno 6 Chome
It's a famous crossing, packed all day, every day. I suggest finding a cafe in one of the higher buildings nearby and watch the chaos below.
Shibuya Crossing
An affordable capsule hotel for women only. It's a narrow building with a grungy stairway, but the capsules themselves are clean and comfy. It has a lovely public bath and all the amenities you need. Perfect for female solo travellers.
Nadeshiko Hotel Shibuya
A luxurious cafe where you eat expensive fruit desserts/breakfasts. In case you don't know, fruits are expensive in Japan. I had pancakes with strawberries.
Shibuya Nishimura Fruit Parlor Dogenzaka Shop
If you book a room, you can access the roof and get up close to the Godzilla.
Hotel Gracery Shinjuku
An immersive art experience that is a must-go to impress your friends on IG. You have to book a month in advance.
teamLab Planets TOKYO DMM, Toyosu
I had a yummy soba set there
Shinshu Sojibo DiverCity Tokyo Plaza
Happens on the third weekend of May. A portable shrine is carried around Asakusa.
Sanja Matsuri (Sanja Festival), Asakusa
Yummy taiyaki. They have sweet potato, anko and custard flavours.
Naruto Taiyaki Hompo Asakusa Shin Nakamise
Osaka
Very popular takoyaki place in the Dotonbori strip.
Atchichi Honpo Nishinari
Gyoza place in Dotonbori strip.
Osaka Ohsho
A restaurant that specialises in crab dishes. I had a crab steamed bun, which was tasty.
Kani Doraku Dotonbori Main Branch
You can take a picture in front of the Glico man anywhere else. Don't bother queuing up at the selfie spot.
The Glico Running Man
If you want to go to Nintendo World, you have to book a time slot in advance.
Universal Studios Japan
The waiting time is insane - up to an hour - but the wait is worth it. The okonomiyaki is amazing.
Namba Okonomiyaki Ajinoya Honten
This is perhaps my favourite castle. The history is so rich and well presented.
A Korean chicken restaurant in Korea town. It's themed after the Japanese cartoon Shin-chan.
Nene Chicken
The picture is self-explanatory.
Namba Yasaka Shrine
This museum recreates the townscape of Osaka back in the Edo period. I highly recommend this.
The Osaka Museum of Housing and Living
The owner and chef is a young woman. I had the soy sauce ramen - so yummy!
Ramen Chonmage Osaka Tenroku
A nice sushi restaurant on the Dotonbori strip.
Daiki-suisan Kaitenzushi Dotombori
This is a chain cafe that can be found in parts of Osaka. The souffle pancakes are wonderful!
A Happy Pancake Shinsaibashi
Kyoto
An AirBnB in what used to be a ryokan. The owners are super friendly and the man is easy to talk to.
Dozen Ryokan
Their honey drinks are like fruit juices on crack. There are a few chains around Kyoto.
[Sugi Bee Garden] Kyoto Sanneizaka Store
I had an apple pie with custard and chestnut paste - very nice combo. If you arrive at Sannenzaka too late to try the other food spots, this place will still be open.
Apple Pie Lab
It's a nice-looking Starbucks set in a Kyoto house. Same appeal as the fancy McDonald's in Portugal. Your Frappuccino is not going to taste any better here.
Starbucks Coffee Kyoto Ninenzaka Yasaka Chaya
An izakaya where you grill different parts of chicken, including heart, liver and skin (the latter really confused my friend, she thought she would get meat along with it)
Oicho
A beautiful bamboo grove that leads into a park with beautiful viewpoints, numerous walking paths and the river to dip your toes in. I recommend going in the night or very early morning to avoid tourists.
Arashiyama Bamboo Grove
A matcha cafe popular for its pretty cloud cake. The coating is white chocolate and the filling is a soft matcha cream cake.
KUMONOCHA Kiyomizu Sannenzaka
Miffy-themed shop. It's cute.
Arashiyama Miffy Sakura Kitchen
Beautiful matcha baumkuchen store.
Kyo-Baum Arashiyama
Their tonkotsu ramen is amazing!
Gion Kyoto Ramen
Nara
There's a museum that showcases old Buddha statues and shrines. It's worth checking out to see how old Nara is.
Tōdai-ji
A mochi shop popular for the demonstrations of the cake pounding. They do this every half an hour.
Nakatanidou
If you're a melon-pan fan, definitely try this place. There are so many delicious flavours. Honey butter toast is a flavour sent from the heavens!
Melon de Melon Sanjo
Himeji
It's perhaps the most beautiful castle in all of Japan. The museum itself is a little basic as the interior is stripped bare. You have to download a AR app to see what the rooms would have looked like with furniture and decorations.
Himeji Castle
The garden next to Himeji castle is just as beautiful.
Kokoen Garden
This little store sells delicious warabi mochi desserts. I had it in a little pot with cream.
Warabimochi Kadofuji Morinomiya
Yokohama
Rabbit-themed sweets from Yokohama. 🐰
Hama Usagi 濱うさぎ, Gumyoji
One of the most famous sukajan jacket shops in Yokosuka. They are tailored and hand-stitched, so expect a big price tag (average ¥30-40K). Note: expect a long wait, it took 1 and a half years for my jacket to finish.
Prince Shokai, Yokosuka
A Nepalese restaurant in Yokohama. The curries are mostly creamy with hardly any spice.
Saffron, Yokohama
Kamakura is worth checking out for its rich history and the giant Buddha statues
Kotoku-in, Kamakura
It's a photogenic island. You can take pictures of Mount Fuji from there. My brother recommends watching the sunset from there.
Enoshima Island
There are chain restaurants throughout Japan that serve katsugyudon. I had a lunch set for only ¥2000.
