Latest posts from our Tokyo expert:
Finding that special something
One of the really fun things about spending some time in Tokyo is the opportunity to happen across some item, gift, product or food that has you immediately reaching for your wallet. Shopping here can elicit more than a few expressions of delight, and it’s one of reasons some people like visiting here again and again. It’s not just about the luxury brand stores. It’s actually much more to do with the fact that with the number of people here, there is a greater market for niche products that target a particular segment of the population or particular taste and sense of style. Plus quality products are very much appreciated and valued. That’s not to say there aren’t a lot of cheap, mass-manufactured imported product, there are. But, there are also plenty of unique, exceptional items that can be treasured for a long time and make great gifts or souvenirs of your trip.
Whether you are looking for something for yourself or someone else, there are many areas and shops that are well worth exploring. Unless, of course, you just want that shirt that has “Number 1” written on it in Japanese, in which case all you have to do is go to the hotel or airport gift shop.
Tokyu Hands is one of those stores that has something for everyone. Mainly a retailer of daily and household goods, this department store brings together carefully selected products many of which are available only in Japan. With lots of things and lots of diverse styles, the best thing to do on your first visit is start on the main floor and work your way up. The stationary section is quite good with many Japanese products, especially really interesting cards, paper and wrappings. There are also some really good personal products and gadgets for the home. Perhaps the best Tokyu Hands store is in Shinjuku, near the station part of the Takashimaya complex. The website is at: http://www.tokyu-hands.co.jp.
If you are looking for something a child or traveling with children, then Toyland in Ginza is a terrific store to visit. With 4 floors, and all sorts of toys, games, dolls, stuffed animals, anime characters, it is a very popular spot. Being Japan, there are lots of character products like, Hello Kitty, Doraemon, Dragon Ball Z and Ultraman. Some of the Japanese brain teaser puzzles and games are quite unusual, fun and make good souvenirs.
Finally, for people who really appreciate the Japanese aesthetic, either traditional or modern, J-PERIOD (as in J.) in Jiyugaoka offers so many really attractive, amazingly well-designed products. The store focuses on furniture and things for the Japanese-inspired home with products throughout the store that complement one another. The kitchenware section has beautiful ceramic bowls, cups, dishes and chopstick holders. There are many wooden products like miso soup bowls, finely crafted chopsticks along with sake containers and items for making tea. For the home, the store sells soft tablecloths, bed covers, cushions, mats, noren curtains and a host of other products. The website is at: http://www.j-period.com
With so many unique, wonderful products, Tokyo can put the excitement back into the most jaded, cynical shopper.
Kitchen Town
With about 160,000 restaurants in the Tokyo area (according to the people behind the latest Michelin Guidebook), the restaurant industry here is big business. And, to support all those restaurants and eateries, there are a huge number of suppliers providing everything from tableware, and furnishings to kitchen utensils and cooking equipment. What’s more, most of these suppliers are located close together on a single street, near the center of the city. If you are interested in cooking or are curious about the world of Japanese cuisine, then Kappabashi is a wonderful place to poke around, and to be amazed at the quantities and incredible selection of every conceivable restaurant-related product.
Start at one end of Kappabashi street and just go end to end, then double back. Besides an incredible array of kitchen stuff, there is so much merchandise that is produced for the Japanese market. The area does really offer a chance to learn about Japanese food culture. There are stores selling fine hand-crafted knives of all shapes and sizes, simple wooden miso soup bowls, very elaborate lacquerware, beautiful ceramic plates and bowls and chopsticks of all types. The stores here offer many things you don’t see everyday, like incredibly real-looking plastic food—fruits, vegetables, plates of spaghetti with a fork suspended in the air, noodles, hamburgers, steaks, and just about any food you can think of, including a roast turkey. They are pretty neat, but surprisingly expensive. Decorations, such as the red lanterns that you often see hanging outside izakayas, are also available.
While kitchen supplies might not seem like a thrilling subject to investigate, it’s hard not to be a little intrigued once you happen upon some of the more exotic products for sale. If you are already interested in cooking, then you will most likely be quite charmed and surprised by what awaits at Kappabashi.
The closest stations are Tawaramachi or Inaricho, both on the Ginza subway line, close to Ueno station. Stores in Kappabashi don’t stay open late, and many are not open on Sundays so the time to go is before 4pm on a weekday.
A hot spring in the city
A trip to Japan isn’t complete without a trip to an onsen (natural hot spring resort). Hot spring resorts offer good accommodations, really delicious homemade Japanese cooking, and, of course, hot spring bathing areas, many outside that are incredibly soothing and relaxing. While the best onsen are in the countryside or mountains, Hakone or Nagano, for example have some fantastic resorts, there are a few onsen in Tokyo. One place to go if you feel like experiencing Japanese bathing culture, but can’t make it out of the city is Sanganoyu Seta Onsen located in Futako Tamagawa. This is a real hot spring with hot, mineral-rich water from deep underground used in the pools both indoor and outdoor. The water can be very hot, about 40 degrees Celsius, however usually people get in and out of the baths if it the heat is too uncomfortable. There is also an outdoor Jacuzzi, and a relaxation room where you can lie down. After all, what’s better than enjoying a bit of a snooze after having a long soak in a hot bath. Once you have finished bathing, dinner is often next on the list. Sanganoya has three restaurants serving traditional Japanese food and drinks. The price for the onsen is a fairly reasonable 2,300 yen, and if you go between 10:00am and 1pm on a weekday, there is a 600 yen discount available.
Sanganoyu Seta Onsen is close to Futako Tamagawa Station on the Tokyu Denen Toshi line from Shibuya or the Oimachi line from Oimachi. It only takes 10 minutes to walk and it’s easy to find, however, there is also a shuttle bus going from the station.
The is a definite reason why the onsen experience has never lost its popularity in Japan, and why so many people, young and old, look forward to the chance to visit a hot spring resort. And, anyone visiting Japan should consider trying out the onsen experience for themselves.
The Seta Onsen website is: http://www.setaonsen.co.jp
Tokyo Midtown
Completed in the summer of 2007, this urban renewal project in Roppongi, which also has the tallest building in Tokyo, opened as part of a complex that includes shops, restaurants, offices, residences and a luxury hotel.
This is the second such redevelopment in Roppongi—the first being the chic, very sleek Roppongi Hills—and both projects have helped to make this formerly seedy entertainment district into a more fashionable trendy area.
While both locations are good to visit, Tokyo Midtown is the more visitor-oriented of the two with a very sleek, yet accessible design—the buzzword is organic—and attracts crowds, particularly on the weekends.
On the 4th floor of the Garden Terrace in the Tokyo Midtown complex, the Suntory Art Museum is a popular attraction with its focus on the discovery of Japanese art and everyday life. The current exhibit, wa mode, has a number of exhibits from Edo era Japan like clothing, lacquerware, houseware, and paintings that have practical value but also reflect the sophistication and refinement as idealized in the past. Next to the Garden Terrace, is 2121 Design Sight, a modern exhibition space focused on contemporary styles in design and creativity. It often has exhibitions and installation work, and is popular with arts and media people.
There are plenty of shops, restaurants and bars, and while some are quite expensive many are reasonably priced. Check out the Muji store for all sorts of cool products for the home or office. And, the lower floor in the Garden Terrace has quite a few nice restaurants, some offering lunch for about 1,000 yen.
Tokyo Midtown is an excellent way to see a modern take on urban living and, while many redevelopment projects fail to live up to expectations, this one might just impress.
Ikegami Honmonji
A Buddhist temple complex off the radar of many tourists in Tokyo is Ikegami Honmonji in Ikegami. Overlooking the Tama river plain below, visitors must first climb a steep set of 96 steps to reach the temple grounds. The temple area is spread out and has many cherry trees, beautiful when blossoming in early spring. In addition to a number of temples, there is a five-story pagoda on the temple grounds, which is extremely rare for Tokyo. The pagoda itself dates to 1608 and even survived a heavy bombardment of the neighborhood during World War II. The main temple is a very large structure, incredibly ornate inside with wonderful carvings, gilded artifacts and religious objects. Visitors are not allowed where services are held, however, the public area does offer a fairly good view. Next to the temple is a particularly large Buddhist cemetery as well that dates back hundreds of years. The monuments there, many uniquely designed, are found jumbled along small pathways interspersed with trees and bushes and the occasional sleeping cat. Wandering around the temple complex is pleasant and serene, surprisingly so as it is in the middle of a busy city.
Walking back to Ikegami station affords the opportunity to explore the Ikegami neighborhood, which has a small-town, close-knit atmosphere hard to find in many parts of the city. There are many small eating places as well as a number of stores selling traditional, Japanese snacks and family-run shops selling clothes and everyday items.
The best times to visit Ikegami Honmonji are during festivals times, like cherry blossom season and O-Eshiki, October 11 to 13, which commemorates the death of Nichiren Shonin, the founder of this particular Buddhist sect. This is an extravagant festival—over 700 years old— with a lantern parade, drumming, chanting and rituals. It attracts thousands of people from all over Japan.
Vibrant, Street Market with Ties to the Past
Ameyoko is a shopping area quite unlike any other in Tokyo. The name refers to a district in Ueno between Ueno station and Okachimachi station that was the site of a farmers market prior to the war and afterwards the site of a large black market in American and European goods. There are hundreds of small shops and market stalls selling everything from seafood, fresh, home-made tofu, and Korean kimchi to jeans, electronics, camping gear and fake brand name goods. The market is actually quite similar to Asian markets in places like Seoul and Taipei with the variety of products and the vibrant atmosphere. It has a gritty feel and is loud with hawkers shouting prices or offering special discounts. There is a refreshing amount of openness that does not normally manifest itself in the overly polite formalities that you see in many of the upscale department stores or other shopping districts in the city. Jostling for space or that great deal is common along with raised voices and exaggerated facial expressions. Unlike many stores in Tokyo, haggling and bargaining are par for the course here, and if you look around you’ll see many customers, especially Japanese housewives doing just that. A lot of the stalls have more traditional Japanese foods, candy and toys, which, if purchased in souvenir shops in other parts of the city, are a bit more expensive.
The market also has a variety of food stalls selling cheap meals and snacks, like Takoyaki, battered bite-sized pieces of fried octopus, as well as ramen and soba.
Ameyoko is close to Ueno park and a number of museums such as Tokyo National Museum and Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, so it makes sense to include a trip to Ameyoko if your itinerary includes any of the popular tourist spots in Ueno.
The best way to access Ameyoko is from Ueno or Okachimachi stations on the Yamanote line.
Techno Geek Paradise
Akihabara, or just simply Akiba, is a direct hit on the pleasure centers of any technophile or techno geek who visits this electronic wonderland. Akiba is one of the world’s leading districts devoted to all types of electronic technology, gadgets and components. If it requires an electric current or an integrated circuit to operate then it’s here among the maze of shops and stores with the blinking lights and store jingles and loudspeakers announcing a new product or store discount. Although the small manufacturing places are declining, there are also still a number of small-scale manufacturers making components and unique products. And, the area is the center of Japan’s so-called otaku (nerd) culture where men and women find sustenance for the soul among the electronic shops, cosplay cafes and stores selling manga and anime covering almost all conceivable subjects. For tourists, Akiba has done a fantastic job of making itself accessible to non-Japanese. There are many duty-free shops, electronics specifically for regions outside Japan, and English signage and English-speaking staff.
In particular, stores like Laox, Ishimaru Denki and Yodobashi Camera all have an incredible selection of digital and electronic equipment, video cameras, DVD players, cell phones, GPS devices, appliances, wireless devices and eco-technology. Prices are, for the most part, still fairly expensive for recently released products, however, for older models there are often good discounts at certain stores.
Even for non-technophiles, there is a lot to see and do in Akihabara. Look around here and there to find one-of-kind products that are not sold—could not be sold—anywhere else. The store to go to is called Raremono Shop. There is something almost endearing about items that have extremely questionable practical value. How can anyone not like the USB cushion warmer and USB slippers, the Gold Ingot USB Hub—looks just like a gold ingot and weighs 2kg—and the Magic Mirror Webcam? Japan’s rampant consumerism often has a lot to answer for.
Akihabara is also the place to see the wonderful examples of otaku culture showcased in the manga and anime shops along with music idols and the cosplay cafes and stores are fascinating from a sociological perspective. While some are dismissive of the idea of otaku culture, it is a unique form of expression that has an eye to the future.
For anyone wondering what the future might look like, a trip to Akiba is always an eye-opening experience.