Let's Go to Tokyo (Ai-yo!)
Tokyo was our fourth and final stop in Japan. Having spent almost two weeks in Japan, Asher is now fluent in the phrases necessary for ordering biiru (beer). We also found a rhythm to our travels and pockets of “home” in Japan.
A day in the life of - Stasher in Toyko
9 am - 12 pm
A typical day in Tokyo started with coffee.
— coffee swamp was a favorite in the Shinjuku neighborhood. Delicious coffee, friendly service, eclectic vinyl records collection.
— Blue Bottle is everywhere in Japan!
— About Life Coffee Brewers was a solid rest stop after logging a few thousand steps in Shibuya.
— A stone’s throw away from our second hotel was Bridge Coffee and Ice Cream. We really enjoyed spending our mornings here while waiting for baby Ada to wake up!
— % Arabica, with various locations in Japan and Hong Kong (and perhaps elsewhere?). Solid coffee but the matcha soft serve was a little too bitter.
— Stephanie’s dad, uncle William, is a retired Starbucks partner so of course we have to support the family biz while traveling. Asher enjoyed a melon frappuccino on the day of its release in Japan.
Getting Our Steps In - Tokyo Edition
As usual, we got our steps in by visiting or re-visiting different neighborhoods. We spotted a Nike run club jogging through the streets of Shinjuku. Asher discovered an obsession with fishing themed vintage clothing in Nakameguro. We visited the consecrated sake barrels by the Meiji Jingu, and walked into a Michael Jordan shrine in Shibuya. We had a fantastic view of Tokyo Tower from the Mori JP Tower in Azabudai Hills, and caught the last bit of sakura season on the streets of I Forget Where.
12 pm - 6 pm
Lunch
Lunch break is always an adventure and a reflection of that day’s mood. Asher is always in the mood for noodles and have been dreaming about eating at Ichiran for many years. It was a fun experience and a good spot if you like pork!
Fried vs. Fresh
— We tried Gyukatsu for the first time at one of the Gyukatsu Motomura locations. It was novel but a bit fatty/greasy for our taste.
— Tendon (tempura donburi)! We ate a lot of fried food :)
— Sushi Panchi was a Nom Life recommendation. Unfortunately we both found the rice to be a bit…undercooked :( We appreciated the omakase experience but were a bit disappointed by the food. The chef was very skilled and kind, and we still love you Nom Life — keep creating awesome contents!
Afternoon Activities
6 pm - Bedtime
More food!
Some of our favorite foods were eaten at dinner, including :
A lovely all-lamb/mutton dinner with a dear friend Rebekah at Lamb Chan.
Yakitori dinner under the train tracks at 焼き鳥と酒 ヒトツナギ as our last dinner in Tokyo with Andrew, Alice, and Ada.
Gorgeous wagyu sukiyaki with family and friends at Ningyocho Imahan.
A budget balancing 7-11 dinner <3 in the hotel room.
Rebekah recommended this pizza place in Nakameguro (our favorite neighborhood). We had just devoured a New York slice in Shimokitazawa (with cousin Dave, see below) but wanted to continue the Tokyo pizza tour so we came to Seirinkan. IT WAS AMAZING. We were especially blown away by the pasta. We never thought we would get tired of Japanese food (we LOVE Japanese food), but we kind of did, so this was a nice change of pace.
Taiyaki from the street corner shop between the subway station and our hotel! Adzuki (red bean) was Stephanie’s favorite while Asher could never decide between sweet potato and custard.
Enjoy some other highlights!
We spent a fun morning at teamLab Borderless (baby Ada slept through the whole thing)! Highly recommend visiting while in Tokyo.
We caught up with cousin Dave who was also in town, and roamed around the city with Andrew and Alice. These are the moments we will cherish forever that made our trip so special!!
Final Thoughts
Visiting Japan was a dream come true for the both of us and we are so happy we ended this leg with a bang-in Tokyo. We loved getting to know the different neighborhoods and were enriched by the culture, history, food, and the people of Japan. We each found our favorite coffee shops to help jump start our days, and were reminded of why we love to travel while navigating this metropolis. We will definitely be back, Japan!!
Next stop, Hong Kong!
Obsessed with the 6 hour lunch time hahaha.
It sounds (and looks) like an amazing time in Tokyo! Loving the concept of finding little pockets of “home.” It’s so cool how quickly you can collect familiar places you feel comfortable in while traveling.
Safe travels to Hong Kong! Highly recommend Lucas Sin’s YouTube videos eating in Hong Kong if you haven’t seen them, love him.