Shane’s Guide to Japan: Part 2
Welcome back!
This is the second part of my Guide, click here for Part 1.
Japan is an incredible place, and Tokyo in particular is so rich that you could find literally anything you are looking for. Want to spend a week trying out world-famous sushi, centuries-old sake breweries, and seeing live music every night of the week? Or perhaps go on an all-night bender through Shinjuku & Shibuya between scouting the nerd-Valhalla of Akihabara? Or a serene week of ancient temples interspersed with martial arts training in the mountains? Whatever you want, you will find.
You could take a lifetime of exploring to only scratch the surface. Here are a few of my favorite spots and a few day trips that I have found to be fun, as well as a few recommendations.
5) TAKING THE SHINKANSEN, ANYWHERE
Look, no trip to Japan is complete without taking the bullet trains at least once, especially if you did your homework and got that JR Pass I mentioned in Part 1. You can (and should!) take a day trip to the opposite side of the country: book your tickets, pick up a bento box lunch to enjoy on the train, explore, try some regional specialty food, visit a museum, and head back. You’ll be flying across the countryside, passing cities, rice fields, mountains, and forests, going so fast you can barely get a photo of it, and riding so smoothly you won’t even spill your coffee. A far cry from taking the train in the States…
I did one such trip to Aomori in the north, which is famous for their Nebuta festivals where they carry giant 2-ton paper lanterns that depict historical and mythological scenes, and checked out the breathtaking Nebuta museum. They are also famous for the apples that are grown there, so I had a tasty apple-burger with apple beer and some truly fantastic apple juice before returning to Tokyo. I’ve also done similar day trips to Kyoto or Osaka. Since these trains are often used by daily commuters, seats tend to fill up. While it is not impossible to show up that day and get a seat, you will be much safer if you reserve your seats a few days in advance. Don’t forget the to book your return trip as well— one time I got stranded in Kyoto for a few days because I didn’t realize there was a massive festival happening that week, and I couldn’t get a single train back to Tokyo and ended up needing to take an overnight bus. If I had to choose, I’d definitely pick the Shinkansen trip.
4) TOSHOGU, NIKKO
Nikko is a mountain town located a few hours long train ride outside of Tokyo-- a perfect day trip opportunity using that JR Pass. The Toshogu is the funeral shrine for Tokugawa Ieyasu, founding ruler of the Tokugawa shogunate which unified Japan and started the Edo Period. The shrine was built in 1617 and is in a forest at the top of a mountain. I recommend taking the bus that goes to the top, and walking back down through the town. You’ll get some great shots of the famous red bridge and waterfalls, with plenty of great restaurants and antique stores along the way. If you’re lucky you might find the shop that also specializes in old woodblock prints.
3) OLD JAPAN NIGHTLIFE IN GION, KYOTO
Kyoto was the capital city before Edo and Tokyo, and things haven’t changed much here. There are many temples and shrines, often in beautiful parks or carefully manicured gardens. In a country that prides itself on traditions, Kyoto stands out for having not changed very much in the last few hundred years. I once read a translation of an early novel written in Japan in 1682, and the streets the protagonist explores are pretty much all still there, with the same names.
Gion is the old town neighborhood of Kyoto, and miraculously the wooden buildings survived World War II. Located along a small river, this is one of the most picturesque places in the city, and is where you might catch a glimpse of an actual Geisha. The decorated people you see walking around in the outfits in parks around Kyoto are usually tourists who got dressed up as an experience, the actual geishas are rarely seen, usually only going out to perform events for the top brass of big companies. These events are usually after work, so if you are in the neighborhood around 6 or 7 pm when they are going out or 11 pm when they are coming back, you may hear the ‘click-clack’ of their tall wooden ‘geta’ sandals, and you will recognize them by their outfits, which are orders of magnitude more elaborate than what the tourists wear, with long trailing obi belts that go up to their head and then trail to the ground. I’ve only seen them a couple of times, but it’s cool to see a living tradition that is secretive by nature.
If you would rather not leave things to chance, you also can book entertainment with lower-tier beginner Geishas, in solo or groups, but often you need a referral. For the high tier, if you need to ask, the answer is no. There is a dinner experience with the Geisha trainees (called ‘Maiko’) you can look up online, I think tickets start at $200 per person for the 2 hour dinner experience.
Near Gion there’s a restaurant I like called Issen Yoshoku. They have an expansive menu and I recommend trying their Okonomiyaki. Okonomiyaki is a flat omelet-like dish with a name that literally translates to “Whatever you like” and usually contains pork, seafood, ginger, cabbage, and other good stuff. Issen Yoshoku serves one that is the traditional style from over a century ago, which is a bit different from the kind you find at most other spots. It also has fun decor…
2) NEIGHBORHOODS OF TOKYO:
Tokyo is a huge sprawling metropolis, which has grown like an amoeba, and consuming and incorporating many other neighboring towns over time. Here are a few of my favorite neighborhoods to explore, and some of my local spots:
Shinjuku:
The ultimate nightlife and bar neighborhood. Many office buildings, and many many places to stop for a drink and all price ranges. There’s a little area called Golden Gai that houses many old school 1950’s style micro bars that can only seat 4-10 customers, each with its own style and vibe dictated by the person running it. You will need some luck to find the one that’s dedicated to photography, where everyone inside including the bartender is an avid photographer or editor. Bring a photobook of your work or some prints to share if you are so inclined. (hint: There is a sign, but it is simply the name in Japanese. The place is upstairs…)
Naka-Meguro & Daikanyama:
These neighborhoods are next to each other, and are a lot of fun. Daikanyama has many hip cafes, shops and an excellent Tsutaya bookstore. Naka-Meguro has tons of shops and restaurants along the cherry-blossom lined Meguro river, as well as many nestled under the elevated train line that runs across it. If you are there for the Cherry Blossom season, you owe it to yourself to check this neighborhood out.
Ueno & Ueno Park:
Great art museum situated in a huge park. Don’t miss Shinobazu pond & shrine across from the park. That’s where I shot my Lotus series. During the cherry blossom season it is customary for groups of friends or entire offices of coworkers to claim a spot with blankets and have a picnic, snacking on yakisoba noodles or chicken skewers and sipping big cans of beer while admiring the flowers. This lovely tradition is called Hanami (“flower viewing”).
Shimokitazawa:
Super hip area with a young crowd. There is a seemingly infinite number of small venues for rock & acoustic shows. GARDENA is a small flower shop by day, which changes by night into an aromatic bar with live music. BAR MOTHER is a funky bar that has unique decorations and equally unique cocktails. Last time I was there, there was an ancient bar near the train station that must have been around since the 1940’s. Everything else around it had already been demolished and was getting ready for the 2020 Olympics construction rush.. Let me know if its still there. Little pockets of history don’t always survive in fast-building cities like Tokyo.
Sendagi/Nippori: Yanaka Ginza (谷中):
This is another old-town part of Tokyo that dates back to the edo period, with some truly incredible shops for everything from traditional pottery and crafts to teas and food. If that doesn’t sell you, it is also famous for its love of cats. Almost every shop has cats as part of the decoration, or actual cats greeting you as you enter. There’s also a historic cemetery (with the burial plot of many famous people, including the last of the Tokugawa shoguns), and buildings which still bear the scars of battles from centuries past.
You can get there from From JR Nippori Station (along the JR Yamanote, Joban, Keihin-Tohoku, Keisei Main, Toei Nippori-Toneri Liner) using the West Exit, or from Sendagi Subway Station (along the Chiyoda Line).
Asakusa: Senso-ji (Asakusa Temple):
This is one of the most famous temples in Japan, and if you have ever looked through images of Japanese illustration or paintings, I can almost guarantee that you’ve seen images of it. Seriously, its as famous as Notre Dame in Paris. Naturally it is popular with tourists, so try to get there on a weekday when it isn’t so packed, you can really take in all the details. There are some good restaurants nearby, including a soba noodle house where there’s a window so you can see the chef slice the noodles by hand. There’s also a fair number of second-hand kimono shops nearby if you want to get a souvenir, like a Yukata (light cotton summer kimono), Haori (short outer jacket for kimonos) or cute tabi socks.
Harajuku: Yoyogi Park & Meiji Shrine:
At Harajuku station, you have two options. To the left, you have all the bright flashy fashions of Harajuku and Omote-Sando shopping areas… to the right, you have a huge gate that towers over the pathway leading into the forest known as Yoyogi Park. Walking among the huge trees you might never suspect that the forest is actually new, only becoming the park as we know it in 1967 (prior to that it was used for the Olympics in 1964, US military barracks during the occupation, and before that it was parade grounds an an early airfield in the 1910s). Meiji Shrine has been undergoing intense renovations in preparation for the 2020 Olympics, so it will look like new. If you are lucky, you may catch a procession of priests or a traditional wedding taking place.
Also, tucked away in Harajuku there is an excellent woodprint museum that does fantastic exhibitions of work from their truly incredible collection. Some of the exhibitions I’ve seen have been dedicated to depictions of the moon through various illustrated folktales and histories, or heroes and villains. One of my favorite spots.
Harajuku itself is mostly fashion, as is its high-end neighbor Omote Sando. If you explore the back alleys, you may find some cute cafes and shops tucked away from the noisy tourist avenues. There’s also an excellent outdoor beer-garden & food truck spot called COMMUNE, at the other end of Omote Sando away from Harajuku station.
Ebisu: Tokyo Photographic Art Museum, Ebisu Beer Museum, BAR MARTHA
Two excellent places to spend an afternoon, with plenty of great restaurants nearby. This is one of my favorite photography museums, and the book store is great too. They usually have two large shows happening at a time. Next door is the Ebisu Beer Museum, which chronicles the history and pop culture influence of Ebisu beer (and has samples on tap). If you’re into history, you’ll be delighted to discover that unlike most places in which the beer is named after the place it originates from, here the Ebisu neighborhood was named after the station that was built to accommodate the burgeoning Ebisu beer factory, which in turn was named after a local fisherman god of good fortune.
Around the corner and down the alley is one of my favorite Whiskey & Records bar, BAR MARTHA. Great selection of whiskeys, and an incredible setup of vinyl records being played through analog vacuum tube amps, into huge speakers that will make even songs you’ve heard since childhood sound completely new and alive. At places like this you keep your voice down so people can hear the music, and cell phone use & Photography is strictly prohibited. If you look at travel reviews websites, this place has a 1 star rating from Americans who were looking for a place to get wasted and got thrown out.
Personally, that’s how I know its good…
And most important of all:
1) ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. JUST EXPLORE
Seriously. You could meticulously plan every moment of your stay in Tokyo and still not see nearly everything. I’ve traveled there many times, living there for up to six months at a time, and I still find new surprises every time. Plan out a few days so you can catch what you are most interested in, but also leave at least a full day open to just walking around, and seeing what you find. The city is so dense that you are practically guaranteed some strange synchronicity just around the corner. Whether it’s a small jazz bar downstairs from a ramen joint or a pizza place that sources every single ingredient from southern Italy (including the pizza oven!), you’ll find something magical happening. The key is to follow your intuition and sense of curiosity.
The only way to miss it is to follow someone else’s recommendations…
Thanks for reading! Let me know if this helped you, or if you want any more specific recommendations.
Also, I just made a bunch of postcards of new work, use the link below if you are interested in receiving one!