5 Unique Experiences in Tokyo

Tokyo, Japan’s modern capital has many highlights from the ancient Sensoji Temple in Asakusa to the nightlife of Shinjuku. Tokyo pretty much has it all and is a city like no other on the planet.

If you are looking for something a little bit different from the norm and a totally unique experience, check out these 5 unique experiences in Tokyo.

MORI Building DIGITAL ART MUSEUM – teamLab Borderless 

One of the most popular and unique museums in Tokyo is the MORI Building DIGITAL ART MUSEUM – teamLab Borderless. This futuristic digital art museum in the Odaiba area of Tokyo is a world of artwork without boundaries that will stimulate all of your five senses. Wander around and experience art moving out of rooms as well as a chance to interact and communicate with the art in a three-dimensional 10,000 square meter world.

Official Website

MORI Building DIGITAL ART MUSEUM | Photo by rabbit_akra on flickr

Robot Restaurant 

Japan is known around the world for its robot technology and now you can experience it first-hand at the Robot Restaurant in the Kabukicho district of Shinjuku. One of the top tourists attractions in Tokyo, it is one of the wildest and craziest shows on the planet. Be prepared for your eyes and ears to be bombarded with laser lights, noise and kitsch. Enjoy a bento-box meal while you watch the fun-filled show, which includes fembots, robot fights, dinosaurs and sexy dancers.

Official Website 

Fembots at the Robot Restaurant in Shinjuku | Photo by Cory Doctorow on Wikimedia Commons

Join a Cooking Class 

Tokyo has more Michelin Stars than any other city in the world with some amazing authentic regional food on offer from all across the country. Food is a big part of any trip to Japan, so why not take it to the next level by joining a cooking class in Tokyo. A wide variety of cooking classes are available such as sushi making, ramen, bento making and wagashi (traditional Japanese confectionary). You can even join a regular Japanese family for some traditional home-cooked Japanese dishes as well as vegan and vegetarian options. They have about 480 cooking classes in Tokyo, so you are bound to find something that interests you.  

Book an authentic cooking class in Tokyo!

Sushi Making Class

Anata no Warehouse Kawasaki 

Tokyo is home to some of Japan’s best video arcades including Anata no Warehouse in Kawasaki, an industrial city in the Greater Tokyo area. This five-story arcade is specifically designed to look like the former Walled City of Kowloon in Hong Kong. This dystopian amusement arcade is strictly for adults with its sci-fi Blade Runner-esque atmosphere, it feels like you are entering an alien world. If you are a gamer, this is heaven for you, with each level of the building dedicated to different type of gamers.

Official Website

Anata no Warehouse | Photo by Ken Ohyama on Wikimedia Commons

Odaiba 

Odaiba is a high-tech entertainment and shopping area on an artificial island in Tokyo Bay. Here you will find the iconic rainbow bridge which connects Odaiba to the heart of Tokyo as well as a life-size Gundam statue and a replica of the Statue of Liberty. Odaiba is home to the MORI Building Digital Art Museum, Venus Fort, a Venice-themed shopping mall, Zepp Tokyo, one of Tokyo’s largest concert halls/nightclubs and the Aqua City and Diver City shopping centers.

Rainbow Bridge at night from Odaiba | Photo by Gussisaurio on Wikimedia Commons

Super Cheap Hokkaido Book Review

Hokkaido is Japan’s northernmost island and is home to an abundance of unspoiled nature, hot springs and ski resorts, along with arguably some of the country’s best-kept culinary secrets. This northern wilderness attracts many fans of the outdoors with fantastic skiing and snowboarding in the colder months and hiking and camping in the summer months.

This often overlooked part of Japan might seem a little scary due to its sheer size but with the right travel guide, you’ll have no trouble in planning your long overdue trip to Hokkaido.

The Book’s Content 

Super Cheap Hokkaido is the ultimate budget travel guide for exploring Japan’s nature paradise on a shoestring budget. The travel guide covers Sapporo and Hokkaido Prefecture and the must see destinations such as Sapporo, Hakodate, Niseko, Furano, Otaru and Noboribetsu.

The book covers a wide range of money saving tips such as how to spend next to nothing drinking local beer in Sapporo, relax in free hot springs, spend a cheap day’s hiking in the mountains or where to find the best, inexpensive super fresh sushi and sashimi. It’s all here in this amazing travel guide.

Inside the book you will find:

Budget Food – comprehensive listings of low-cost restaurants, take-outs, cheap roadside stations and supermarkets.

Budget Shopping – all the best attraction discounts, free sample hot spots, 100 yen shops and tax-free shopping.

Colour Maps – ideal for budget travelers, making it easy and stress-free to get around.

Highlights and Itineraries – for those with rental cars or using discount train passes.

Cheap Accommodation – the best and cheapest hostels, family-friendly hotels, campsites, mountain lodges, capsule hotels and net cafes.

Travel Guides – all the major destinations are covered with Sapporo, Niseko, Furano, Otaru, Biei, Hakodate, Matsumae Castle, Daisetsuzan National Park, Lake Mashu, Shiretoko National Park, Abashiri and much more.

My View 

Why I really like the book? Like the other books in the Super Cheap series, Super Cheap Japan and Super Cheap Tokyo, it is compact and easy to use with all the information at your fingertips. I like how the book provides a quick guide on how to use it and how to save on your holiday before moving into the travel guide and covering the must see places.

The travel guides provide information on how to get around, discount passes and tickets, transportation maps, things to do, budget food, best places for shopping, recommended cheap accommodation and how to get there.

It is easy to use with colour maps making it easy and stress-free to get around. The maps use landmarks and walking routes to help get you around and include convenience stores, cheap supermarkets, 100-yen stores, budget accommodation and tourist information.

This book is perfect for backpackers, budget travelers, families on a tight budget, students and those of us who just want an amazing time, without blowing all their cash in a day.

About the Writer 

The author, Matthew Baxter is a British travel writer living in Tokyo. Having traveled across the country for more than a decade, without much money, he has built up an extensive knowledge of budget travel in the Land of the Rising Sun. He now writes professionally for several websites and publications, such as the Japan National Tourist Association, Japan Visitor and All About Japan. He is the author of Super Cheap Japan and Super Cheap Tokyo.

Super Cheap Hokkaido is all you’ll need for a fantastic budget friendly trip to Sapporo and Hokkaido. This book gives you some great money-saving tips all in an easy-to-use travel guide. Take the plunge and explore Japan’s northern frontier on your next trip.

Super Cheap Hokkaido is available now from Amazon.

Small Buildings of Kyoto: Volume II Book Review

The second volume of John Einarsen’s delightful little picture book, Small Buildings of Kyoto: Volume II has recently been published by Kyoto Journal. The book came about from a hit photo series on Instagram which focused on the charm and visual richness of seemingly ordinary structures in Kyoto. This photo series led to the first edition, Small Buildings of Kyoto being published in 2017.

Kyoto Journal is an award-winning quarterly English magazine founded in Kyoto in 1987 with the goal of presenting cultural insights from Japanese and Asian culture.

The Book’s Content 

Small Buildings of Kyoto: Volume II is a great insight into the real buildings and architecture of Kyoto that usually don’t make it into the books and travel guides about this historic city.

Kyoto, Japan’s ancient capital is famous for its masterpieces of Japanese architecture and UNESCO World Heritage Sites with many of its buildings listed as National Treasures and Important Cultural Properties.

While the buildings in this book might not have the stunning beauty of these national treasures, they do have their own charm and beauty through their quaint and quirky characteristics. Each building has its own story to tell, offering you a fascinating insight into the way Kyotoites live today.

My View 

Why I really like this book? It is compact and full of beautiful colour photos that highlight the enduring charm of Kyoto’s everyday architecture.

The colour photos in the book are not of the iconic postcard-worthy attractions of Kyoto such as Kinkaku-ji (The Golden Pavilion) and Kiyomizu-dera Temple, but the everyday buildings that make up the urban fabric of the city.

I love the range of buildings covered in this book that showcase a mix of influences with some dating from the pre-war Taisho era (1912-1926) and others an interesting hybrid of textures, materials and shapes.

One thing that I really admire about Japanese architecture is how they get the most out of working with limited space to create elegant and graceful structures.

The best way to really get out and explore Kyoto is on foot by walking through the backstreets and tucked-away neighbourhoods that offer you the magic of the everyday charm of modern Kyoto.

This book is perfect for anyone looking to get some real insight on the everyday life of modern Kyoto. The quirky, humble and endearing buildings in the book reveal another side of Japan’s ancient capital city.

About the Writer 

The author, John Einarsen is a photographer and long-term resident of Kyoto. Originally from Colorado, he fell in love with Kyoto on his first trip there and settled down there in the early 1980s. He is the founder editor of Kyoto Journal and has served as an advisor to the Japan Times.

Small Buildings of Kyoto: Volume II is available now from the Kyoto Journal Website.

Super Cheap Tokyo Book Review

Tokyo is one of the most exciting cities on the planet with its mix of the traditional, from historic temples and colourful shrines to the ultramodern, with neon-lit skyscrapers and pop culture. Tokyo has it all. With so much to see and do in Tokyo, it can be overwhelming trying to plan a travel itinerary without the right travel guide.

The Book’s Content 

 

Super Cheap Tokyo is the ultimate budget travel guide to exploring Japan’s capital on a shoestring budget. The travel guide covers the greater Tokyo metropolis and the surrounding Kanto region on the cheap. Unlike other Tokyo guides, this book shows you exactly how, where and when you can save money.

The book covers a wide range of money saving tips such as how to grab a traditional Japanese meal for only $3, buy clothes in the fashion mecca, Harajuku for under $10, and how to spend next to nothing on a day’s hiking or relaxing in a Japanese garden.

Inside the book you will find:

• Budget food – a comprehensive list of low-cost restaurants, take-outs and supermarkets.
• Budget shopping – the best tax-free shopping, shopping hot-spots and 100-yen stores.
• Highlights and itineraries – based on discount subway and train passes, so you can explore while keeping the costs down.
• Tokyo’s hidden treasures – walking routes to all the hot spots and must see places to visit.
• Cheap accommodation – the best and cheapest hostels, budget hotels, family-friendly hotels, internet cafes, overnight spas and more.

My View 

Why I really like this book? It is compact and easy to use with all the information and tips at your fingertips. I like how the book provides a quick guide on how to use it and some useful information about Tokyo before moving into the travel guide and covering the must-see places. Each area of Tokyo is broken down into a brief intro, a little bit of history about the area, things to do, and getting around, before moving into budget food and shopping.

Tokyo offers countless tourist attractions to visitors, and this book gives you plenty of great travel options to explore without breaking the bank.

It is easy to use with colour maps making it easy and stress-free to get around. The maps use landmarks and walking routes to help get you around and include convenience stores, cheap supermarkets, 100-yen stores, budget accommodation and tourist information. The book covers all the best of the region including the highlights of Tokyo such as the Imperial Palace, Tokyo Skytree, Harajuku, Asakusa, Shibuya, Shinjuku, Ueno, Akihabara, and Odaiba, as well as the Kanto region with Mount Fuji, Kamakura, Yokohama, Nikko, Hakone along with many other off-the beaten-track spots.

Shibuya Map

The colour photos in the book add to content giving you a glimpse of the amazing places that you will visit.

This book is perfect for backpackers, budget travelers, families on a tight budget, students and those who just want an amazing time, without blowing all their cash in a day.

About the Writer 

The author, Matthew Baxter is a travel writer living in Tokyo. Having traveled across the country for several years, without much money, he has built up an extensive knowledge of budget travel in the Land of the Rising Sun. He now writes professionally for several websites and publications, such as the Japan National Tourist Association, Japan Visitor and All About Japan. He is the author of Super Cheap Japan.

Super Cheap Tokyo is all you’ll need for a fantastic budget holiday in Tokyo and the surrounding Kanto region. This book gives you some great money-saving tips all in an easy-to-use travel guide. There is no better time to come to Tokyo and Japan than now.

Super Cheap Tokyo is available now from Amazon.

Houses and Gardens of Kyoto Book Review

Living in central Japan, Kyoto is one of my favourite places to visit with its deep history and traditional architecture. Kyoto is considered by many to be the cultural heart of Japan with its ancient shrines, temples and Zen gardens.

The city has managed to survive many of the wars that have affected Japan and even a lot of its modernization in certain areas, giving us a time capsule of Japan’s rich architectural and cultural history.

The Book’s Content 

Houses and Gardens of Kyoto takes you on a journey via over 500 photos of traditional Japanese architecture and gardens spanning the centuries. The book features a variety of traditional Japanese houses, from aristocratic summer villas, temple residences, and merchant townhouses, to ryokan inns, private retreats and tea houses.

The book covers Kyoto’s traditional houses from every period of the city’s history and their associated outdoor spaces, which come in many forms from courtyard gardens and picturesque stroll gardens to “dry landscape” stone gardens and “borrowed scenery” gardens that make use of distant landscapes.

My View 

Why I really like this book? The beautiful photos make the book almost feel like a photo album, but it doesn’t stop there as the informative text turns the book into a fascinating historical study of Kyoto.

The book is split into six chapters with each exploring a style of traditional Japanese house which include aristocratic villas, temple residences, merchant townhouses, traditional ryokan inns, private retreats and tea houses.

It is easy to read and flick through with its compact size and the beautiful images really show you all the finer detail of Japanese architecture and garden design. I like how each house has a brief description under the name telling you about its location, when it was established and who it was built for, or its owner. The text is very informative and tells you all you need to know about each of the fascinating houses. The detailed map at the very end of the book allows you to pinpoint where each house is located in reference to the other in Kyoto.

I checked out the new hardcover edition which is a smaller and more compact version of the original book, which is perfect for me as a traveller and photographer on the go. This new edition also contains a new forward by architectural historian, Matthew Stavros, which places these exquisite houses within the broader context of Japanese history.

About the Writer 

The author, Thomas Daniell is a practicing architect, originally from New Zealand, who has been living and working in Kyoto since the early 1990s. He is a contributing editor for the architecture journals Mark and Archis and is widely published.

The vibrant collection of photographs is from Akihiko Seki, a photographer born in Tokyo, who has spent over 20 years working outside of Japan. Since taking early retirement, he has traveled with his wife and cameras throughout Japan and Asia. He is the photographer and author of Asian Resorts and also photographed and co-authored Ryokan: Japan’s Finest Spas and Inns.

Houses and Gardens of Kyoto is a great collection of exquisite classic Japanese houses and garden styles that will serve as a lasting inspiration to anyone interested by Japanese architecture and design.

Houses and Gardens of Kyoto is available now from Tuttle Publishing.

Tokyo Geek’s Guide Book Review

Tokyo is ground zero for Japan’s famous “geek” or otaku culture – a phenomenon that has now swept across the globe. In fact, many people are now visiting Japan not only for its famous temples and shrines, but in search of geek hot-spots such as high-tech Akihabara and trendy Harajuku in Tokyo.

Japan’s geek culture comes in many forms, from Japanese manga in bookstores and anime cartoons on TV to giant Gundam transformer toys and video games.

The Book’s Content 

Tokyo Geek's Guide is a comprehensive Japan Travel Guide for those interested in this subculture and Tokyo’s geeky underworld. The book provides a detailed run-down on each major Tokyo district where geeks hang out. Covering 11 of Tokyo’s best geek neighbourhoods (Akihabara, Jimbocho, Harajuku, Shibuya, Shimo-Kitazawa, Shinjuku, Nakano, West-Tokyo, Ikebukuro, Roppongi and Odaiba), this is the most extensive guide to the best places for geeks in Tokyo.

The book provides full details of the iconic shops, restaurants, cafes and clubs in each of the geek hot spots, including directions to each location, maps, urls, and opening hours. If that is not enough, 400 fascinating colour photos bring you around Tokyo on an unforgettable trip of Japanese manga, anime and geek culture.

Insider tips are also provided from interviews with geeks on the street and local otaku experts to give you the best insider tips and insights from those in the know.

My View 

Why I really like this book? It dives right into everything otaku from the start and covers all the bases for everything that you need to know. It takes you on a tour for the best places for restaurants, cafes, shops, clubs, museums, manga, anime, video games, toys, cosplay, festivals and events in Tokyo.

The book is easy to read with its compact A4 size and soft cover. The bright and colourful pictures throughout the 144 pages show you all the things you can do, see and enjoy in the world of otaku culture in Tokyo.

About the Writer 

The author, Gianni Simone is the Japan correspondent for Vogue Italia as well as a regular contributor to The Japan Times. His writings have also appeared on Flash Art and CNN Travel websites and in Zoom Japon and San Francisco Arts Quarterly magazines. Residing in Yokohama with his family, he has around 25 years’ experience living and working in Japan.

Tokyo Geek's Guide is the ultimate guide to Japan’s otaku culture. If you are interested in Japanese manga, anime, gaming, cosplay and idol culture at its very source, this is a must have book for you.

Tokyo Geek’s Guide is available now from Tuttle Publishing.

Top Spots in Tokyo to Eat for Free

Tokyo is a great place to eat out, with a bewildering choice of exciting restaurants and new, surprising flavours. One great way to try out many new flavours without splashing too much money away is to visit places that generously give out small samples to customers. It means you can try many types of food, and take your time to find the right snack or meal for you. It’s also useful for picky eaters, as it means there is less chance of ordering food that won’t get eaten!

With my new book, Super Cheap Japan: Budget Travel in Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Nara, Hiroshima and Surrounding Areas, I have made a guide to show exactly how you can travel on a budget in Japan. I have been all across Tokyo and collected a list of free sample spots, which I included in the book. Here are some of my top spots for free food!

Walking past the wide number of choices

Shinjuku is a good start to experience a bit of free food. The two main department stores, Isetan and Takashimaya, both have huge food courts on their basement floors. Isetan is a little more upmarket and seems to have an ever changing selection of stalls and shops, so it’s worth visiting more than once. Takashimaya, next to the tax-free Tokyu Hands variety megastore, has a good range of bakery goods and snacks to take home as souvenirs.

Head a few stops down on the Yamanote Line for more options in Shibuya. Tokyu Food Show has lower prices than the above department stores, and also has a few stalls offering free samples. There is also a good choice of western food, as well as Japanese twists on western favourites, such as cheese fondue and pasta dishes. Also located on the lower level, it can be accessed via Shibuya station.

Trying some Kimchi in Hikarie, Shibuya

Another awesome spot for free samples in Shibuya is Hikarie, also connected to the station. Only a few years old, the higher levels are full of fancy items, with prices more reasonable than most department stores. Downstairs there are two fabulous floors, full of many original snack creations, such as a macaron inside a taiyaki! The shops here are still eager to establish themselves, and are very generous with their free samples. You might not even need a proper meal after visiting here…..

Shopping in Isetan, Shinjuku

Outside of Tokyo, Chinatown in Yokohama has several stalls offering free samples to tourists on the main street, as well as to customers lining up. Favourites here are the Nikuman (meat bun) and Gyoza (Chinese dumplings). All the free samples are a great way to save money here, as the restaurants can be a little pricey.

Finally, remember to ask for tax-free shopping if you buy lots of items, as all the shops in this post have tax-free for tourists!

This post was written by Matthew Baxter, author of the new book Super Cheap Japan: Budget Travel in Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Nara, Hiroshima and Surrounding Areas. It's the ultimate budget travel guide to Japan, full of the most useful, up-to-date information for a cheap holiday in Japan. With extensive tax-free shopping, crazily discounted train passes and an unbelievable exchange rate, there has never been a better time to visit. The book shows you exactly how, where and when you can save money. Go shopping for $4 clothes in Tokyo, enjoy inexpensive hikes in Nikko, or visit Kyoto’s beautiful shrines and gardens on the cheap; all with this super helpful guide.

*** Competition Time ***

To celebrate the release of the new book Super Cheap Japan: Budget Travel in Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Nara, Hiroshima and Surrounding Areas, we want to know what your best money saving tip is for traveling in Japan. The top idea will get a free copy of this awesome new book! Know a great place to eat on the cheap? A super way to save on accommodation? An unbelievable travel hack to get something for free?

Just leave your tip in the comments and we will select the lucky winner from the responses. Good luck!

Entries close on Sunday, 8 October 2017

Japan Travel Advice

I am really happy to announce that my latest project Japan Travel Advice has just been launched. This has been a labour of love for me the past year as I have planned the site and gathered the required material from my 10 years in Japan.

The site has lofty ambitions as can be witnessed by the Japan Travel Advice slogan “The Complete Japan Travel Guide”. We have aimed high and realize that in no way the current content is up to our desired goal. We have the basic structure for the site in place and will continue to build upon what is in place. Over the coming months we will continue to post new content on the specific destinations and attractions in Japan to build up the site and reach our goal of being the complete Japan travel guide.

I would love for you to visit the site and let me know what you think. You can do that by clicking on this link Japan Travel Advice

You can leave comments here below and we welcome all feedback from you about the site. We know that it is not perfect at this stage, but will strive to meet our goals and ambitions of being the complete travel guide.

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