What can I tell you about Tokyo?
- It is vast. Accept that you won’t see everything.
- The food is incredible. Eat local.
- The back streets are what makes it. Venture off the tourist trail. Walk as much as you humanly can.
I arrived in Tokyo having very little planned other than “rambling about”. Coming from Hong Kong, I thought that this was quite doable, until I realised how big Tokyo is. It is a sprawling city, with so much to do/see/taste EVERYWHERE. It is a city where you should keep your eyes open, I found myself constantly veering off track and into tiny alleyways just to have a glimpse at how the locals live.
Someone told me before I came that “there is no such thing as bad food in Tokyo, there is only good food or great food”. They were right. Everything I ate was delicious. I stayed away from the fancy restaurants, and chose to eat local. I am a vegetarian, so I thought this would be difficult but it was completely fine. There are loads of veggies served in Japanese cuisine, and I even found the most incredible vegan restaurant (thanks to Happy Cow). It was a no frills place, but so delicious and I was happy out sitting cross legged on the floor with no shoes on, sipping an ice cold beer and devouring Japanese style veggie treats. It’s a serious mission to find the place, but also a lovely adventure and it’s worth it at the end :)
There is something empowering about placing yourself in the middle of a group of people who do not speak your language, and being “okay” with it. I found myself in this situation on Tuesday night, in a bar called “Vowz” run by Buddhist Monks. I arrived at this tiny spot, took a seat at the bar and observed my surroundings, immediately aware that nobody was speaking my language. Yet I felt welcome. Nobody stared at me, or (seemed to) wonder why I was there. Probably because they are getting used to the odd randomer popping in after being covered in VICE this week.
It is also quite common for people to do things by themselves in Tokyo. Often referred to as the worlds loneliest city, there are several services available for people in search of affection (e.g. rent a cuddle, animal cafes).

You can sense this from Tokyoites — they are very polite yet fiercely private. When I am in a new city, I like to read a book set there. One line in “Strange Weather in Tokyo” struck me. “Out on the street, I wanted to make sure I wasn’t the only one here, that I wasn’t the only one feeling lonely”. Beautifully poignant. Side note — I also like to watch a documentary about the city or country in advance. I found “Midnight Diner” on Netflix and it is the perfect depiction of Tokyo!
I always choose to stay in an Air BNB when I travel and this time I stayed in a neighborhood just outside Shibuya called Tomigaya .. I prefer to stay local — you learn so much more about a country through “living” there rather than just visiting. I really dislike staying in hotels, they feel impersonal and I hate the confines of them.
My favourite book is “Kafka On The Shore” and I am fascinated by the deeper side of Japanese culture. The allure of the forest as a living being. The depiction of the crow as the will of heaven (the crows in Japan are HUGE and make a caw-caw noise that would give you a heart attack). The power of reincarnation.

Throw yourself into Tokyo. 虎穴に入らずんば虎子を得ず。Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
More pictures can be found here.
Here is what I got up to, incase you are planning a trip :)
Monday Evening
- Ramble around Shibuya (Shibuya Crossing, Hatchi Statue)
- Dinner @ Nagi Shokudo
- Ramble around Daikanyama (described as “The Brooklyn of Tokyo by Vogue http://www.vogue.com/article/brooklyn-of-tokyo-daikanyama-guide)
- Ramble around Tomigaya
Tuesday Morning
- Walk to About Life Coffee (super cute and gorgeous coffee; I am a coffee snob)
- Walk to Daikanyama
- Lunch at Garden House Crafts (great for veggies and recommended in Vogue)
Afternoon
- Harijuku lots of interesting people watching here)
- Meiji — Jingu Shrine & Temple; Old Well and Gardens (beautiful park walk)
- Roppongi — Hedgehog Cafe Harry
- Ebisu — Dinner number 1 at We Are The Farm (organic produce, so delicious)
Evening
- Explore Shinjuku — rambled around for a good hour, so many side streets
- Dinner and drink @ Golden Gai
- Walked to Vowz Bar (outskirts of Shinjinku — gorgeous neighborhood)
Wednesday
- Ueno — local streets & temples (old Tokyo)
- National Museum of Tokyo (Stroll amongst pine trees)
- Lunch at a local restaurant — best noodles I have ever tasted.
PS — Remember to bring an umbrella!

