Japan Recommendations
This article contains some recommendations for trips to Japan.
Trip Structure
For a first trip:
- 1 week in Tokyo
- 1 week in cultural cities (Kyoto, Nara, Kanazawa)
- 1 week in another city, preferably in the country (Inaka). Matsumoto, Sendai, etc.
I have not been able to enjoy Osaka.
Be prepared to walk a lot, and to ride a lot of trains.
Experiences
To do
- Video Game Arcades: The japanese arcade business is still kicking around with many unique games.
- Dance Dance Revolution and a wealth of other Rhythmgames.
- Fighting games, etc.
- Collectaton games of many kinds: Pokémon, magical girls, gacha gmes, etc.
- Realistic horse racing games with huge lounge chairs.
- Token games (often in their own buildings): Coin Pusher style game taken to the extreme, with involved mechanics. Some are more fun than others, so look for the tables that are almost fully occupied, or where "the professional" is sitting (you can recognise them by their filled buckets of tokens and their gloves.) This is not gambling, just a quick way to spend money.
- Pachinko: Kinda actual gambling. Involved with the mafia, but apparently not more dangerous than regular gambling. Never tried it, because I get a migraine from the noise, and my girlfriend coughs her lungs out from the cigarette smoke.
To Eat
Good food is everywhere; on the streets, in the backstreets, basements and on second floors of buildings.
Try as much different types of food as you can stomaches. Some you will already recognise, others you won't:
- Ramen
- Udon
- Teppanyaki
- Okonomiyaki,
- Curry
- Onigiri
- Japanese Fastfood Burgers: Such as MOS Burger is also great.
- etc.
Each city often have their own specialty: Try them, even if they sound yucky. Examples: Sendai has Cow Tongue and Edamame, Fukuoka has Motsunabe (entrails soup).
Tokyo
For nerds:
- Akihabara: 90ies center for nerd culture. Great place to experience, but a bit pricy.
- Ikebukuro: Huge entertainment district with the world's largest Gacha store, and the largest Pokémon Center.
- Nakano: Has the Nakano Broadway shopping center with a large selection of nerdy stores. Several stores sell original animation cells from anime; some of the Ghibli ones has prices in the millions of yen.
- Odaiba: Huge shopping centers, and museums. The Gunpla statue is cool, the shop itself has long lines. Miraikan, a science museum nearby, is great.
Culture:
- Shibuya and Harajuku: Shopping and nightlife. Be sure to attend a show at a Live House (Guide here)!
Sleeping:
- Shimbashi: Very central, lots of food nearby and energy into the night.
Further Links
