Tokyo is one of the most fascinating and populous cities on this planet. Brimming with the weird, the wonderful, and the wickedly tasty, Tokyo is a city that captures the imagination like no other. Here’s a list of ten trendy things to do in Tokyo, from the well-trodden paths to the quirky gems lurking in quiet neighbourhoods.
- Otaku Heaven
Sure, everyone knows about Akihabara and Harajuku, where cosplayers pose for tourists amidst the backdrop of maid cafes and other oddities. For a bonafide otaku fix with a less touristy vibe, go where the locals go: Nakano Broadway. This shopping mall just north of Nakano Station is otaku retail heaven, where you can find manga, collectibles and figurines, video games, and even a replica of a machine gun. Bonus: the basement of Nakano Broadway serves cheap and good yakitori, okonomyaki (pork pancakes), and ramen, all at less than ¥1,000.
- A Streetcar Named…
Step back into an era long gone, to old Tokyo before vast crowds flowed through the city’s veins every day, before the Harajuku girl was immortalized by Gwen Stefani. The Toden Arakawa Line is the only survivor of what was once Tokyo’s widespread streetcar network. The streetcar line goes through North and East Tokyo, and it’s a great way to seek out the hidden lanes of Tokyo.
- Steampunk + Pizza = Win
That’s right – a steampunk pizzeria. Considered to be one of the best pizzerias in Tokyo, Seirin-kan has a delightfully quirky atmosphere where you can soak up the steampunk décor, peruse your copy of The Difference Engine, and savour some excellent Naples-style pizza at the same time. Since beer and pizza make great companions, it’s a very happy coincidence that some of the best craft beer in Japan is a short walk away at Bryan Baird’s Taproom.
- Vintage Threads
Sokkyou is home to a lovingly curated collection of vintage clothes ranging from the 1920s to the 1990s. If you’re a hardened hunter of vintage threads with keen eyesight that puts Legolas to shame, you might just get very lucky and spot a couple of rare pieces from the 1800s, which of course are in short supply. Located in the hip Koenji neighbourhood, Sokkyou is just a short walk from the south exit of Koenji Station.
Shibuya: from Tower Records to Taverns and Thrift Stores
Apart from legendary nightclubs and love hotel hill, Shibuya also has many cosy izakayas (traditional Japanese taverns) dotting its streets, where the denizens of Tokyo meet for food, drinks, and to shoot the breeze after work. If fashion is what you’re after, head over to Shibuya 109, a labyrinthine mall with ten floors of shops catering to women under 25. Other noteworthy stops on the Shibuya trail include the well-loved Tower Records and Don Quijote, a somewhat bizarre thrift store chain selling everything from luxury watches to toilet paper.
- Get Your Anime On
Create your very own portable, personal otaku vortex that goes wherever you (and your nails) go with an anime manicure at Ita Color’s Yellow. The salon is one of Tokyo’s first otaku nail salons, where you choose the anime character that will adorn your nails. Manicures here start from ¥1,000 yen for every ten minutes. (Yes, they do Hello Kitty nail art.)
Epicurean Ebisu
Foodies, rejoice: Ebisu is the place for a night of glorious feasting and imbibing. Saiki is about as traditional as it gets, with a spartan wooden interior and no English menu. Bring a Tokyoite buddy or order randomly, if you’re feeling particularly adventurous. They do a succulent sashimi plate here, and the gyu miso (stew with elephant yam and tripe) is also delightful. If you’re an inveterate carnivore and the mood for yakitori, you will love Momotaro, where you can get a generous tasting menu that includes chicken sashimi and skewers of gizzard, neck, liver, and quail eggs. Wash it all down with some sake at Buri, a very popular tachinomi-ya (standing bar) specializing in sake which is served semi-frozen at about ¥750 a pop.
- Tsukiji Fish Market
Leave your reservations behind; the sights and sounds of Tsukiji Fish Market are well worth the early start. Gleaming slabs of seafood piled in massive heaps, the silvery skin of the freshest fish you’ll ever see, and a surreal live tuna auction before sunrise. Let’s not forget a sumptuous sashimi breakfast so fresh (and cheap) that it might very well reduce you to tears. Just outside the market, Sushi Dai and Daiwa-Zushi are both good bets for breakfast. If you have a sensitive nose or feel squeamish about the fish market, give it a miss and stick to the outer market, where you can pick up fresh uni (sea uchin), ikura (salmon roe), and sashimi knives..
- Lost In Books
Book lovers may want to allow for an extra day in Tokyo if they’re planning to visit the Jimobocho area. The lanes here are teeming with a myriad of second-hand bookstores – 180 of them at the last count. From cheap used books to rare collectors’ items, there’s something to please every flavour of bookworm here. Most of the books are in Japanese, but many stores specialize in foreign language books, including English.
Day Trip to Studio Ghibli Musuem
Step into a world of fantasy and dreams at the Studio Ghibli Museum, where you can gaze at anime maestro Hayao Miyazaki’s work. The museum, which pays homage to the creator of Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, and My Neighbour Totoro, will delight Miyazaki fans of any age. Bonus: there is a giant robot on the roof, a short film screen only at the museum, and a furry cat bus to play in. (No, I’m not making this up.)
Considering the vast array of the weird and the wonderful to be found in Tokyo, a giant furry cat bus seems like the perfect way to wrap up the Tokyo Ten list. What hidden faces of the city will you find on your Tokyo sojourn?
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