If you are visiting Tokyo (come on, that’s a must-see!), you’ll likely find yourself at Tokyo Station. Servicing mostly JR East Rail lines with underground passages and quick walks to more, you may think of it as just a major transit hub but don’t let it fool you.

Located near the Imperial Palace and Ginza shopping districts, Tokyo Station boasts a beautiful architectural design that is a popular place for portraits and architectural photography.  But it is so much more!

[Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in November of 2016 and has been updated for freshness, accuracy, and comprehensiveness.]

Disclosure: Kristenabroad.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and other affiliate programs. For some links to products or services in this article, I may earn a small commission by you using my link.  The price for you is not affected.

Tokyo Station Basics

There are 14 platforms with 28 track lines in Tokyo Station, add that with all the other goodies and you get an area of 182,000 square meters it’s easy to get lost! 4000 trains pass through Tokyo Station every day making it one of the busiest in the country. Many of the JR lines connecting to the rest of Japan “start” at Tokyo Station. How can you tell? The station numbering has them at Station 1! The two main gates are Marunouchi on the West and Yaesu to the East.

Tokyo Station originally opened in 1914 but WWII air raids damaged it and the post-war rebuild knocked off the top floor. It wasn’t until a recent reconstruction effort that it was brought back to its former glory, including the full third floor.

The domes on the Marunouchi North and South exits are 27 meters high and a must-see. Make sure to look out for the detailed zodiac features!

Yaesu Gate was renovated in 2013 and has a cool sail-like aesthetic. It is the closest to the Shinkansen terminal.

The station building is designated an important cultural property and it has something nothing else with that designation has.

What’s that? A hotel. A very, nice looking, I want to stay it, hotel. It’s called the Tokyo Station Hotel and it’s been part of the station since 1915. However, it’s so seamless that you won’t notice it if you aren’t looking for it.

The hotel restaurant and bar are open to the public. They have a signature drink that’s been made by the head bartender for 30 years called “Tokyo Station” that is on my list of things to try.

Train lines Serviced from Tokyo Station

If you are taking the train in Japan and around Tokyo, Tokyo Station has a plethora of options. Though not as well-trafficked as some of the Tokyo area stations, keep in mind though, this is a BIG station. The distance between two separate lines can push close to 1 km.

A good thing to note if you are heading to Tokyo Disney (the MiraCosta Hotel is well worth the splurge by the way!), the Keiyo Line is a long walk from the other lines!

Side Note: JR Passes

Before you come to Japan, you should check out the JR (Japan Railway) Rail passes and decide if it will be worth you to get one.  JR Lines expand to all reaches of Japan.  Though not the only transport you’ll need (think private lines and metros, for which I highly suggest a Pasmo or other IC card), the pass can save you money if you’re going to be doing a lot of train travel and makes getting around Japan easier.  

The biggest benefit is instant access to the 新幹線 (shinkansen, or bullet train). The pass (depending on length) normally pays for itself with just one trip on the shinkansen.  A more dedicated post to come in the future.

Things to do in Tokyo Station

Underground, the system of hallways boasts a large shopping area and food eateries. If the weather is bad, you can use this network to reach specific businesses in the area — without ever stepping a foot outdoor! Watch out for the signage everywhere and you’ll have no problem finding a different platform or area of interest inside or out! 

There are multiple different shopping areas inside Tokyo station. If you are here on a tourist visa, look out for the tax-free office that if you show your passport upfront you don’t have to worry about getting taxes reimbursed after the fact. If you are looking for any number of character souvenirs, like Studio Ghibli, there are tons on the first basement floor.

If you haven’t gotten enough ramen yet (I’m personally a huge fan of the spicy ramen options in Tokyo), there is a Tokyo Station Ramen Street within the station that has 8 shops including one that has vegan ramen and gluten-free options. While it doesn’t have the “Epcot-like” feel of the Ramen Museum in Yokohama, it still has 8 different ramens to check out all in one spot!

Tokyo Station surrounding Neighborhoods

The two closest neighborhoods to Tokyo Station with exits to match are the Marunouchi district to the West and the Yaesu district to the east.

Marunouchi is a bustling business district and the direction you will be heading for Edo Castle and the Imperial Palace. The name harkens to when this area was within the castle walls, which if you’ve read my post on everything Japanese castles, you’ll have a better idea about!

If you want a nice overhead view of the station head to the Kitte Department Store across the street. Kitte comes from the word for “postage stamp” and is fitting as this is the old post office building. On top, there is a free garden that you can see the station from!

The Yaesu side also has plenty of shops and dining and is closer to the shinkansen lines – not aforementioned mention to the size of the station! If you are leaving early on the Hayabusa Shinkansen heading to Aomori for a weekend trip from Tokyo, best to look for a hotel over on this side! And while Yaesu sounds like a Japanese word, it is actually named after a famous Dutchman for his service of the Tokugawa regime.

Close by, if you would prefer to get some exercise is the famous shopping district of Ginza to the south and just a bit north will take you to Kanda, one of my favorite areas for izakayas.

Tell me about your experiences

Have you been to Tokyo Station? Where’s your favorite station in the world? I’d love to hear about your experience in the comments below!

If you are a fan of Sailor Moon, there are plenty of events whether permanent as Shining Moon Tokyo is or temporary like the pop-up Sailor Moon cafe that happen in Shibuya or at events like the Sailor Moon Exhibition. Since 2014, Q-Pot Cafe has been having yearly collaborations called “Q-Pot X Sailor Moon” both at their cafe and flagship store in Tokyo.

Usagi’s birthday kicks it off every year on June 30th (or there about depending on how days fall with the weekends) and it runs to sometime in the middle of August. You have a choice of a fun treat, each with it’s own take home merchandise and there are other products for sale at the Sailor Moon cafe as well. Across the street at the main store, you can see other merchandise like jewelry and dresses.

Note that thanks to the Coronavirus in 2020 they have already alluded to the 6th collaboration as being merchandise only. However, as they continue to do this collaboration, the below should still stand for non-crazy years in the future!

[Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in November of 2016 and has been updated for freshness, accuracy and comprehensiveness.]

Disclosure: Kristenabroad.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and other affiliate programs. For some links to products or services in this article, I may earn a small commission by you using my link.  The price for you is not affected.

Tips for Sailor Moon Cafe Reservations

The reservation period for the Sailor Moon Cafe is first-come, first-serve (as opposed to a lottery, thank God) internet system. As with everything in Japan, I suggest you get on as soon as possible if you want to get a spot. It opens up a few weeks before the start of the event normally. And don’t worry if you don’t know Japanese (however, if you’d like to start learning, I highly suggest Minna no Nihongo), there is an option to change to English on their website! They have very good directions to walk you through the process.

Weekdays are a little less heavy for reservations in general so look at that as an option. You also get slightly more time during your time in the cafe to enjoy the decorations. Depending on when you sign up, the take home gifts you receive may change. If there are still openings available, you can still sign up after the initial reservation times.

You are required to select your meal (snack? it’s more like dessert) for each seat and pay at the time of reservation. You won’t be able to add food items later so choose wisely — and you can always get more than one if you want!

If you live in Japan and would like to buy some of the other products, you can also reserve those at the same time and have them shipped to you. This is a good thing because they tend to sell out!

How to Queue in Line the Day of

The queue area outside is well marked and you are allowed to enter 10 minutes before your appointed time. If you are running late, as long as you are there 30 minutes before your session is supposed to end, they’ll still let you in.

Sailor Moon Cafe Praline Planet Party @ Q-Pot Cafe

While I attended the Sailor Moon Cafe several years ago when it was dubbed “Praline Planet Party”. Each year the theme changes, in 2020 to commemorate the release of Sailor Moon Eternal it will be “Sugar Kaleido Dreams”. The idea of the food items and products is similar each year so this will give you an overview of what to expect as some possibilities!

The Cosmic Heart Macaron Plate came with the plate and the “special drink” (you can normally choose from two) for 3900 yen. Bit expensive for a dessert but the plate is a nice ceramic and you are also paying for all of the decorations inside I would think. The mouse cake is shaped like Sailor Moon’s Cosmic Heart compact (hence the name) as well as the cookie as you can see!

Let me first say, I LOVE parfaits in Japan. I know plenty of Americans that don’t like the addition of the corn flakes (you can see them near the bottom) but I love it. Such a good texture combination in my opinion. The Pink Sugar Heart Parfait is supposed to resemble Chibi Moon’s Pink Moon Stick and came with a coaster and a set drink for 2500 yen.

“Gift of the Moon Fairies Tea” was my set drink of choice and inspired by the three cats from the show: Luna, Artemis, and Diana. It had a blueberry cream taste.

Q-Pot Sailor Moon Cafe Collaboration Items

Because I got the two items with my cafe items, I only ended up getting one further item and that was one of the coffee mugs Q-Pot was offering that year with Luna, Artemis and Diana in silhouette. I chose to have it delivered because with plans to run around Tokyo, I didn’t want to carry it around. I love the handle.

Q-Pot Flagship Store

If the merchandise offered at the cafe wasn’t enough to fill your Sailor Moon needs, you can head across the street after your dessert to check out some of the other merchandise they offer. Forewarning, most of it is on the expensive end but it was fun to look at it. There are also some spots for photo ops on the upper level.

How to get to Q-Pot

If you are utilizing the JR Pass, the easiest way is to take the train to JR Harajuku station or for a closer walk, it’s only 3 minutes from the Omotesando Station on the Tokyo Metro.

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Tokyo Marathon was my second marathon in Japan.  Marathon in every sense of the word. All the big–name races in Japan (at least every one I’ve done or heard about) are raffles, and the Tokyo Marathon lottery is hard to win.  The Japanese are active.  Very active.  Every once and a while you luck out and get “special treatment” for being foreign (like spots open only to foreigners that the Shonan International and Yokohama Marathon offer) but it’s still hard with that even. My first year trying to get into Tokyo I didn’t make it. Here’s what to expect for entrance and what to do when you make it!  

[Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in July of 2018 and has been updated for freshness, accuracy, and comprehensiveness.]

Why is the Tokyo Marathon so Popular?

We’ll ignore that it takes place in the last megalopolis in the world. What makes the entry process even more competitive? Tokyo Marathon is part of the series of six largest marathons in the world that make up the Abbott World Marathon Majors. If you want to make a name for yourself, you do it at Berlin, Boston, Chicago, London, New York or Tokyo.

Needless to say, that results in some 300,000+ runners jiving for some 37,500 spots, more like 27,000 spots once you get rid of the early entries.

Entry process and the Tokyo Marathon Lottery

Thanks to the coronavirus rattling events around the world and cancelling the 2020 Tokyo Marathon, there’s a good chance that entry for next year will be affected. 2021 Charity runner entries are already being impacted. There is room for the 2020 participants to defer as well and they’ll be announcing more in the coming months.

So here’s hoping for 2022. The process changed slightly since I got in during the 2016 race. Charity runners are the first window to open and that’s normally near the beginning of July. That’s on first come, first serve basis and it’s limited to the amount of people that can get in that way (in 2020 it was 5,000 runners).

Then there is the One Tokyo Premium Entries which I don’t fall under and can’t speak to. For Tokyo Marathon, the overseas entitlement goes to the semi-elite crowd who get a chance at earlier entry. The last with any chance at better odds are Tokyo Residents can get in one a first serve basis. But when you consider there’s millions of residents in Tokyo, those 1,000 stops go fast!

All other entry into the Tokyo Marathon is a lottery which runs the entire month of August. If you get in, you’ll be notified in late September and your entry fee is due in October.

The other option? Which is actually how I got in, find a tour company running a package. Not necessarily the cheapest but if you are flying from overseas, many are all inclusive. I met a lot of groups from Europe!

Lodging in Tokyo the night before

Another benefit of the Tokyo Marathon tour option – The package included hotel for the evening before, breakfast in the morning, as well as transportation to the start line (well, close, I think I still walked a good 2 km but that’s pretty normal for Japan).  

The race starts around 9am so staying outside of Tokyo is an option if you don’t mind the early wakeup call. Just make sure you give yourself ample time as there will be 30,000+ other runners plus spectators making the same trek you are.

Also, don’t be me. However you book your hotel, don’t forget to look it up beforehand. You might want to spend time there! I was informed AFTER the race by some friends that I was in, the Hotel New Otani, one of the nicest hotels in Tokyo!

Leave it to me to not realize part of the price spike was the fact I would be staying in a 5-star hotel. Completely apparent the second I walked in. If I’d known that before hand, I wouldn’t have spent as much time just hanging out at dinner carb-loading (however, the beer and pizza at DevilCraft is spectacular! more on that later).  

Don’t miss out on the race expo

The expo for Tokyo Marathon is the biggest running trade show in Japan. The year I ran it was held at Tokyo Big Sight. Lots of great booths with products, shoes, KT tape. Yes, just like the states, you can get taped for free. My favorite booth was the demonstration of the new 3D printing of shoes to perfectly fit your feet.  Cool concept but I’ll stick with my On running shoes.

One of the nice touches for the Tokyo Marathon Race Expo that it was very personalized. A nice touch for a highly spectated event.

Carb Loading Options

The joke is you run for the carb loading pre- and post-marathon. In the land of sushi, never fear, there’s plenty of Italian and Pizza offerings. However, sushi rice and ramen do fit the carb-loading wickets as well!

One of my top choices in Tokyo is DevilCraft – Craft Brew Pub & Pizzeria Kanda and personally, I’m all about a pre-race beer (it IS liquid bread after all).  The pizza here is amazing.  Chicago deep dish style, yes, in Tokyo, Japan.  They do it up right. There are two other locations in Hamamatsucho and Gotanda if the location in Kanda, the original, is busy.

Morning of the Tokyo Marathon

The tour company had about 400 people staying at the hotel from all over the world and had charter buses to the race front. If you are “on your own”, metros are the best way to go with the streets closing.  The race expo generally has passes you can use similar to a Pasmo or Suica. If you need help with navigating the trains this guide should help.

Before you head to the corrals, there’s a very large pre-race area set aside to check your baggage, find some bananas, water and stretch out.

Pro tip: They start announcing moving to your corals early and if you miss getting there, you are shoved to the back of the pack.  Once the fireworks went off I was surprised how quickly they got people moving.  No wave starts here but everyone, for the most part, seemed very properly placed pace-wise and it worked well!

Disclosure: Kristenabroad.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and other affiliate programs. For some links to products or services in this article, I may earn a small commission by you using my link.  The price for you is not affected.

Tokyo Weather in February

Average temps on race day are a low of 36F/2C and high of 51F/11C. Perfect running temperature if you ask me! It can be known to rain or snow though so bring some foul weather gear just in case.

Hands down, best crowd support of any marathon

The race supporters were by far the best I’ve ever experienced.  There’s an absurd amount of people that come out to watch, granted, Tokyo is a big city.  Millions is still impressive.  The streets are packed at least three deep the entire course. Designated aid stations contained your typical water, sports drink and bananas, but there were also stations with a definite Japan twist of cookies and umeboshi (picked plums) and various other “delicacies”.  There was also plenty of spectator supported aid from candy to fruit.

Post race celebrations

There is an after party but I didn’t make it due to travelling back home. That didn’t stop me from stopping by my local izakaya for a beer!

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BBQ! In Tokyo! If you are looking for an option of good food in Tokyo, you might be surprised by the first authentic American BBQ in Tokyo. Not only that, Urban BBQ Smokehouse by T.Y.Harbor Brewery has a terrace. Swoon. If you know me, you know I LOVE alfresco dining. Any excuse to sit outside while I eat, I will take.

After a long day of shopping for unique clothes in Harajuku or the upscale stores of Omotesando, head over to Cat Street for this gem.

[Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in July of 2018 and has been updated for freshness, accuracy, and comprehensiveness.]

American BBQ in Tokyo at Urban BBQ Smokehouse

There are four types of house made BBQ sauces to choose from: House Pit, Carolina Vinegar, Voodoo Hot and Porter Pepper.  All of the meats went very well with them.  Ah yes, the meat. Your options include:

• Beef brisket burnt ends (バーンエンドブリスケット) — yes, it really says burned ends
• Black Angus beef sausage (ブラックアンガスビーフソーセージ)
• the very specific, espresso rubbed USDA Prime beef brisket (エスプレッソを使ったプライムビーフブリスケット)
• Homemade smoked bacon (自家製スモークベーコン)
• Kansas city style spare ribs (ポークスペアリブ、カンザスシティースタイル)
• Pulled BBQ pork (プルドBBQポーク)
• Smoked chicken thigh (スモークチキン)

The brisket I think was the best I’ve every had in my life.  Not gristly at all and melted in your mouth.  The ribs were falling off the bones and amazing. Pulled pork was delicious too. If I had to choose a favorite, brisket, hands down. But why choose? You can get a 3, 4, or 5 BBQ combo platter.

Don’t forget the sides! Buttered and garlicked to perfection, definitely try the eggplant dip and veggies.  The platters come with cornbread and coleslaw as well.  The coleslaw had a kick of dill to it which I enjoyed.

T.Y. Harbor Brewery Craft Beer

Now on to what to drink! While the microbrewery scene swept the states and Europe in the 1980s, Japan was a little later to the party starting in the mid-90s thanks to a change in brewery license regulations. 

T.Y. Harbor Brewery has been brewing beer within the 27 wards of Tokyo since 1997 in Tennoz. Why am I mentioning this in a post about Urban BBQ Smokehouse? T.Y. Harbor Brewery owns the place. Meaning? They have a lovely selection of craft beer.

Year round there are options of pale ale, amber ale, wheat ale, IPA and Imperial Stout. They usually have a few seasonal beers that are also available at all of their restaurants (they have 14 businesses) and some limited offerings until they run out.

Beer not your thing? The bar also has an assortment of craft spirits to wet your whistle.

Best American BBQ in Tokyo, maybe Japan?

There are not a lot of places in Japan that are what Americans would call “BBQ”. I will report, that this is the best I’ve been to yet! If you are looking for some more authentic BBQ options in Japan, Yokosuka’s Nawlins (sadly now closed) and Yokohama’s Bashamichi Taproom both are delicious.

Pro-tip: Since there are so few American BBQ restaurants, if that’s what you are hankering for, make sure you specify it! If you aren’t careful in Japan, throwing out a “wanna go get BBQ tonight?” can lead you to Korean BBQ, which is a completely different experience that you should also have!

The Roastery

If you need a pick me up after dinner or while you’re here exploring Cat Street, check out The Roastery downstairs from Urban BBQ Smokehouse. The coffee shop sells only single origin coffee that they roast onsite. It smells amazing and was even wafting over to the Coco Agepan when it was there.

Tips for Deciding on Food in Tokyo

Let’s face it, Tokyo is a big place. If you notice though, the neighborhoods are all very unique. When I’m out exploring, I like to feel out the vibe of the area I’m in and actually try a spot or two. Japan is more known for smaller dishes that you order a lot of. Look at a typical meal like Kaiseki, lots of small plates with a wide variety of food!

A rule of thumb is that portions are a lot smaller, unless you’re getting something like ramen, or Japanese curry. So why not scope out a few options while you’re looking for food in Tokyo? And don’t think American BBQ in Tokyo is your only option! You could make a game out of it and try Korean BBQ, Yakiniku AND American and see which you like the best.

Bottom line, you can’t really go wrong when you are search out food in Tokyo, or really, anywhere in Japan.

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Slightly off the beaten path and away from the craziness of Takeshita Dori in Harajuku is Cat Street. Paralleling Omotesando and it’s high end shopping, this windy, narrow street with cafe’s, restaurants and a plethora of mostly foreign name brands is another fashion mecca of Tokyo. Close to my New Year’s eve shrine of choice, it makes a great afternoon stroll.

What’s in a name?

Don’t go thinking this is just an American nickname (feel free to email me for a multitude of stories on made up names! They’ll all make it here to Kristen Abroad eventually!). When your left with nothing else, sometimes you just latch on to something is a visual reminder. No, Cat street is referred to as the same in Japanese, キャットストリート, kyatto sutori-to (Katakana is my least favorite of Japanese…).

It still conjures up images in my head of at one point being over run by cat’s or something to the like.  Not a single 猫 (neko – cat) was to be seen though. According to Shibuya ward’s official website, there are three going theories.

1. The narrow opening of the street reminds you of a cats forehead (really Japan?!)
2. There are many cats. (See aforementioned I’ve never seen a cat on this street).
3. A band called “Black Cats” was born here.

Regardless of where it came from, it makes a unique and common showing to Japan. Right next to expensive brand name shops are little grandmother’s putting out their clothes lines on their balconies without a care to the shoppers abounding around their humble abode.  

Cat Street キャットストリート Shopping

Lots of great shops to check out.  Surprisingly, a lot of outdoor stores and there are even more if you head a few streets parallel to Meiji Street or closer to Harajuku Station. Bottom line:  There’s lots of shopping to be had in Harajuku and this is definitely a place to hit while you’re there!

Where as this use to be purely a pedestrian street, to help in case of emergencies a vehicle street was added. However, like most places in Japan, pedestrians spill over when it’s not being utilized.

Cat Street キャットストリート Dining

All that shopping can work up an appetite. For a little taste of American Northeast, there is Luke’s for some delicious lobster rolls. They are small but they make a great snack.

Quick note on Japanese etiquette, you don’t generally see people walking and eating or drinking. They’ll generally stand close to where they made their purchase (yes, even a vending machine!) and consume the product on the spot. This is also a fairly good way to ensure that there is a trash can to dispose of the rubbish!

For a quick enjoyable drink (alcoholic or not) and some fried bread, there is Coco Agepan. This donut like treat is slightly less sweet than you might imagine them to be.

If dinner is something more up your alley, there is Urban BBQ Smokehouse for some absolutely delicious American style BBQ. Also, if you are like me and like to try all the craft beer when travelling or exploring (that’s only a slight exaggeration), this is your place! TJ Harbor Brewery owns the restaurant and serves up their craft beer that they’ve been making in the Tokyo Ward since nearly the dawn of the craft beer in Japan.

Getting to Cat Street

Easiest when you are already in the Harajuku area of the Meiji Shrine or other events in Yoyogi Park. A quick walk from the Omotesando Metro stop or JR Harajuku Station. Of course, trains will always be the recommended mode of transportation but depending on where you are, buses may be better suited for your needs! And surprisingly, it’s not that far from Shibuya and it’s famous scramble crosswalk, so if you need some exercise, I highly suggest taking the scenic route.

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I don’t know how to tell you this. Ok, I’ll just come out with it. You WILL miss something when you go to visit teamLab Borderless if you don’t go in with a plan. It’s inevitable, with 10,000 square meters (!) of basically a maze with hidden pathways, it’s a game just to find everything! But that’s not all, take a guess about why it’s named “Borderless” and it might clue you in further.

What makes Kristen Abroad a good place to start on your knowledge learning? I’ve been to multiple teamLab exhibits around the world, but most importantly, I’ve been to Borderless three times with the sole goal of helping attendees have the best experience.

First: Who is teamLab?

I know for me, teamLab is all over my Facebook feed ads (by the way, have you followed my page? You know you want to) but that’s perhaps because I live near two of their major installations in Tokyo (teamLab Borderless and teamLab Planets). So, if you haven’t heard, they are an interdisciplinary art collective founded in 2001. They have installations all over the world combining the work of artists, engineers, architects, programmers, animators… you get the drift. Mathematicians even! Yes, because these exhibits are so complex.

The art? Digital and sensory overloads, in the most intense, amazing ways possible. These aren’t just moving, interactive lights. Sound, touch, SMELL, discovery is all part of the play. Their goal is

“explore a new relationship between humans and nature, and between oneself and the world through art “

teamLab

and by damn, they succeed.

teamLab Borderless: Get your tickets early

If you go on a weekday, there may be tickets at the door but it’s best not to chance them being sold out. While teamLab Planets has set windows when you can enter, teamLab Borderless is free game. However, you do need same-day tickets. Tickets for the following month go on sale at the middle of the current one.

They’re easy enough to get on their website. Or you have the option to get them at the machines at your local コンビニ (konbini, Japanese for convenience store).

Go the website route and you’ll be able to change your ticket date up until 9am on the original day of admission. Beware though, you risk them not having any for when you reschedule.

Once you check-in, you’ll be asked to turn your screen to full brightness for the machine. Tickets are on the high side at 3,200 yen but trust me, it’s worth the splurge.

When to enter teamLab Borderless

Since it’s a free-for-all, I suggest getting there right away. Especially if you want people-less photos. Officially, doors open at 10 am. The lines get crazy early though so don’t be surprised if you show up at 9:30 am and they have already let some groups go in!

Disclosure: Kristenabroad.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and other affiliate programs. For some links to products or services in this article, I may earn a small commission by you using my link.  The price for you is not affected.

By early afternoon you can expect to see a line around the building. Not a great place to be when it‘s in the hotter months of summer! I suggest you embrace the parasol culture of Japan to help in this case!

TeamLab Borderless opens every day at 10 am and on weekends and holidays closes a little later (2100 vs 1900). It’s closed on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday. Last entry is an hour before but you need WAY more time than that.

How much time do you need?

I would give yourself at least three hours to fully enjoy all of the different exhibits. When you count the fact that some of the rooms contain multiple works of art or color schemes, there are more than 70 different pieces split into the five sections of the museum: A Borderless World; Athletics Forest; Future Park; Forest of Lamps; and the En Tea House.

A Borderless world contains nearly 50. Athletic Forest in comparison is 8 distinct pieces. And when they say “athletic” they mean it! Look for slides, trampolines and climbing features. Future park has 5 pieces and Forest of Lamps has about 10 different color sequences.

What do you mean, “the art is moving”?

Yes, ah-ha! We’re into why it’s “teamLab Borderless”. The engineering and ingenuity that had to go into this 10,000 sq. meters is ASTOUNDING. Got to get something out of those 500+ computers and 450+ projectors after all!

The art moves. As in, it doesn’t feel like being in that room anymore…so it walks down the hall. That’s really the best way to describe it! To the extent that one room will “clear out” until they (yes, “they”, it may as well be alive!) decide to come back.

My favorite is probably crows, they go everywhere (even technically into the Light Cave) and make sure you see both the Cave and the Nest when the Crows are in!

Don’t miss interacting with the art

I’m not just talking in the Athletic forest, where there’s things (art) to climb on, jump on, roll around and slide down. All of which interact. There’s rooms where you can move play pieces and basically effect these little gnomes lives. Catch trees on fire! It’s ridiculous and so much fun.

In other spaces, such as the Light Cave, the Crystal World, Memory of Today’s Topography and the Forest of Lamps, make sure you read the information before heading into the room. It will give you tips on how best to interact with the art.

In other areas, the sensory technology allows the digital water to flow around you and oh, so much more. Stand in one place and you’ll start flowers sprouting.

Speaking of flowers

Don’t miss “En Tea House”, the tea house on the second floor. One, the tea is outstanding, and two, it interacts with you as well. Have tea? Make flowers. As long as there is tea in your cup, you can make infinite flowers.

It doesn’t open until 1 hour in so no need to rush. Note that it is an additional 500 yen cost so don’t stick your wallet in the lockers or bring some yen with you!

Your options on beverage are green tea or green tea with yuzu (a Japanese citrus fruit). Either hot or cold.

Getting around

I would go so far as to say that running your hands along the wall isn’t a bad way to go. The doorways are curtains and with the aforementioned art running around all over the place, it’s hard to see them sometimes. Trust me, you’re going to be distracted by a wild cat or bunny hopping around. Or a procession of frogs marching to some festival.

There are two “main” floors, Borderless World takes up the first level with everything else upstairs. With that being said though, there are some lofted areas you can find. Another tip? Familiarize yourself with the exhibits and make yourself a mental note so you don’t miss anything.

I wasn’t lying at the beginning though

Don’t beat yourself up if you DO miss something. In fact, expect you will and then you won’t be disappointed ;). By default, even if you most definitely get to all of the rooms, in one day, you won’t be able to see everything that happens.

This art learns, after all. And depending on how people interact with it, it changes.

Tips on the rooms in teamLab Borderless Tokyo

A few observations to help:

• There are three places that develop lines: Crystal World; the Nest; and The Forest of Lamps; hit those early.
• The Forest of Lamps will not progress through all of the colors while you are in there. If you want to get a wide range of pictures, I suggest sucking it up and standing in line more than once.
• Get the app for the Crystal world and get there early so you’re not trying to use it with 100 of your newest friends. You can directly affect the patterns in the room. There is also a back corner that has a displace console!
• The Laser Cave has over 10 different patterns or “shows” it goes through, each a different piece of art. Expect to spend 20 minutes to see them all. Also read the instructions – it’s best viewed from the middle of the room.
• Go back to the same rooms you’ve been to from a different angle, you’ll probably find a passage you missed. Also, go back just because they will undoubtedly be changed!

No big bags or tripods

Or selfie sticks for that matter. You’ll just have a phone or camera and check your other things before you go in. There are lockers provided at the front but they are only really big enough for a normal-sized backpack. If you have something bigger, try the lockers at the train stations.

If there is anything you need, take it on your person! You won’t be able to reenter once you leave and the lockers are outside in the lobby.

Ladies with dresses

There are lots of mirror floors in here. Never fear though! They will give you apron like skirts to wear before you enter a space that you’d risk getting up-skirted at. Does that count if you could just photo the floor? Downskirted?

How to get there

The MORI Building DIGITAL ART MUSEUM is located in Odaiba, Tokyo. Don’t get it confused with the Mori Art Museum, which has great art exhibits as well, but is located on the other side of Tokyo in Roppongi. teamLab Planets is ALSO located in Odaiba so make sure you have the correct tickets and are in the right spot.

There are two stations nearby, Tokyo Teleport Station on the Rinkai Line and Aomi Station on the Yurikamome Line. Head toward the big Ferris wheel and you’ll start seeing signs.

Nearby Attractions

Once you’re done at the exhibit (they WILL eventually kick you out), there is a lot to do in Odaiba! Enough that you could get a hotel and stay for a few days. Just to name some:

• Venus Fort right next door reminds me of the Bellagio with its Roman-themed shopping. During winter 2018-19, teamLab had a temporary exhibit here!
• Lifesize Gundam Statue (it moves on the hour) and the Gundam Cafe
• Miraikan – The National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation – actually where I first learned about teamLab!
• Fuji Television Building has exhibits and an observation deck
• Legoland Discovery Center Tokyo
• Tokyo’s “Statue of Liberty”
• teamLab Planets
• Tokyo Big Sight – There is always a convention of some sort going on and if you are an anime fan, it’s a pretty iconic and recognizable Tokyo landmark.
• Food options on the island (it’s man-made, by the way) are mainly in the malls. Plenty of options though!
• There in March? AnimeJapan is one of the largest anime conventions in Japan and a great treat for a look into the culture!

Where else in the World?

Along with an ever expanding list of temporary exhibitions (including the upcoming on in Kyoto), teamLab has permanent exhibitions in the following locations. So if you aren’t making it to Japan quite yet for their pride and joy, there’s others to see around the world!

• Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney
• Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide
• Asian Art Museum, San Francisco
• Asia Society Museum, New York
• Borusan Contemporary Art Collection, Istanbul
• National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
• Amos Rex, Helsinki

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The first time I saw Yosakoi (よさこい) was when I was in Japan on a work trip in 2013. I had no idea what it was called. I couldn’t read Hiragana yet and none of the signs had anything to give it away. It was hot and balmy in the middle of Tokyo, as August tends to be. My friend and I headed up to Yoyogi Park (Pro tip, there’s always something in Yoyogi on the weekends!) to see what was going on.

And I was blown away.

These festivals have a way of getting into your soul with the upbeat music and the high energy dance style. You may think that it’s been around a while, but it has a surprisingly short history mixed in with some very old elements.

History of Yosakoi

Yosakoi began in Kochi Prefecture on the island of Shikoku in Japan. There is mention that at the 南国高知産業大博覧会 (translating organization names is hard but basically the “Kochi Industry Exhibition”) in 1950 there was a performance of the dance. It wasn’t for another few years though that he Kochi Chamber of Commerce and Industry organized the first Yosakoi Festival in 1954. A multi-faceted attempt at recovering the economy and the people of Koichi after the war.

A bit of competition?

However, if you look through the internet closer, on the Japanese side at least, there’s definitely a bit of competition between Kochi and Tokushima Prefecture, whom already had Awa Odori festival. What’s Awa Odori? Generally considered the largest dance festival in Japan, it’s been taking place since the 1580s(!!). There are quotes to the extent of “let’s make a festival better than Awa Odori!”.

Let’s go to both!

With Tokushima’s festival from August 12 to 15 and Kochi’s from August 9-12 every year, if you have the chance — go to both!. Whereas they are both centered around dancing now, they are definitely still some roots to obon as well which is given away by the time of year. However, Kochi’s claims that this was “the best weather days”.

What’s “Yosakoi” mean?

You won’t find that word translated in any dictionary that I’ve been able to find. Some say it’s a local dialect but really it’s more complicated than that. So the dance (which is based off of Awa Odori, by the way) was made in 1950 but the “official music” didn’t follow till right before the festival origination. There is an old folk song in Kochi prefecture that’s been around since Edo times that talks of a love affair between a Monk and young maiden in the castle town of Kochi. A completely taboo thing to have going on.

“よさこい節”

There’s a line in the song saying “Yosakoi”. Written in Kanji is “夜さ来い”, and though that’s not normal Japanese anymore, means “Come at night”. You see where this is going… Though I think there is some more morbid pieces to the song and I wish I understood Japanese better! Because that line is repeated a lot the song is just referred to as “よさこい節” or “Yosakoi Bushi”. That normally gets translated to as “clause” from what I’ve seen but can also mean “stanza” or “melody” which are more appropriate.

Due to the popularity of the folk song, it was one of the pieces incorporated into the composition. Most of the festivals I’ve been to are during the day BUT the original? Always starts the first day at night!

Five Necessary Requirements

There are now over 200+ festivals around the country, what are the consistent factors?

#1 Music

We kind of touched on this part with the meaning behind the word. It’s kind of similar with obon where there’s practically an “official” song. However, in this case, there legitimately is.

Be prepared to have this song stuck in your head after attending a festival: “Yosakoi Naruko Odori” (よさこい鳴子踊り) by Eisaku Takemasa. The song actually incorporates a few local folk songs into it from what I can tell. However, you HAVE to use part of the lyrics from よさこい節 for it to count.

Just the lyrics? you ask. So, there’s no copyright on it so where as the words are mandatory, many of the teams compose there own compilations to go with it. Styles range from the original “bon-type”, as I like to say, music to rock, samba, anything!

Don’t worry, the song will still get stuck in your head.

#2 Naruko (鳴子) or wooden clapper

Teams are allowed to have all sorts of props during their performances. However, you MUST have a Naruko. The kanji on this one 鳴子 can be split as “sound” and “child” which I think is hilarious. Originally, Naruko was a tool to scare birds hanging out at fields. They are small wooden panels with three wood “finger” sticks on each side so that when you twist your wrist, the sticks tap on the paddle and make a noise.

Traditionally, these are painted black and yellow. But now teams paint them all sorts of colors. Many times at festivals, you can find booths where you can make your own. I have ones with my name engraved on the handle.

There’s that competition again

Remember how I say there HAS to be a competitive factor between Kochi and Tokushima’s Awa Odori? Awa Odori is famous for its style with bare hands. So, of course, we can’t have something matching! So Yosakoi started to use instruments. Naruko was already used by the locals so they went with that.

While Naruko are “mandatory” for it to be considered Yosakoi, many teams have various other props they use as well. From parasols, to lanterns, fans, and flags.

#3 Costume

I’m not going to be able to do this justice. Sure, all dance styles have costumes. These are so amazingly unique though. When Yosakoi first started, men and women simply work Yukata. Japan’s summer traditional clothing of lighter cloth than kimonos. But now, these are works of art. Vibrant colors, different styles — though still harkening from their traditional pasts.

What gets me though? Most have “costume changes” that are built into the very fabric of the outfit. These have got to be absurdly hot as it’s summer usually when this is going after all! But it is like a game to see if you notice them mid act switching gears into something all together new.

# 4 Jikatasha 地方車（じかたしゃ）

OK, another weird local/old Japanese word. Jikatasha translates to “regional car”. These are trucks, so I guess its something like they were used regionally to move goods? Anyway, it’s basically a truck and what’s that have to do with dancing?!

Jikatasha didn’t show up until the 4th Yosakoi Festival in Kochi. They are a way to signify a new team and generally have the team logo or name on them. Think of it like a float. It also serves as mobile live stage. I actually wonder what they did for the music at first because this is how the sound systems and/or band reside now.

#5 Dance!

Where as it started as a specific dance based off Awa Odori, it’s evolved and become more fusion of basically anything you want. The best part too is this is open to everyone! You have men and women of all ages taking in on the fun. From small children to grandparents!

Main Festivals to put on your list

What started in Kochi has now turned into hundreds of Yosakoi festivals all over Japan so chances are you can find one where you are visiting. However, if you want to go to one of the “big” names, here’s your choices.

Koichi Yosakoi Festival

The original! What started with 21 teams and 750 participants, now over 60 years later, is closer to 20,000 dancers!

The Yosakoi Festival in Kochi is one of Japan’s 10 largest festivals. The festival is held from August 9 to 12 every year, starts with a fireworks display, it’s summer after all – Japan loves fireworks!

If you miss the main event, don’t worry, Kochi has you covered. Teams perform in the city’s central arcade every Sunday from May to July and in front of JR Kochi Station every Sunday from August to December.

There is also a museum you can go to which I missed when I was there for Kochi Castle.

Super Yosakoi in Harajuku, Tokyo

Since 2001, the local shopping avenue association “Harajyuku Omotesando Keyaki-kai” has organized the Harajuku Omotesando Genki-matsuri Festival or in other words Super Yosakoi! Are you seeing a pattern? These completely started as a reason to get people to shop!

Held the last weekend of August, it’s how I was originally introduced and a must see if you are in Tokyo. Performances are held at multiple venues with stage and parade performances.

Yosakoi Soran Festival in Sapporo

Yosakoi Soran Festival held in Sapporo is a combination of Yosakoi and Soran, a type of dance specific to Hokkaido. Around 1991, a student from Hokkaido happened to see the festival in Kochi and brought it back with him to Hokkaido, or so the story goes.

What started as 10 teams and 1,000 dancers in June, it is now a major event attracting some 30,000 dancers from Japan and abroad. Similar to the Snow Festival in winter, the main venue is Odori Park. There are both stage and parade performances to watch and of course, a lot of food!

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If you are visiting Tokyo, 99% chance you are going to go see the Shibuya Crossing. If you are into history and want to see a blast from the past, you should head over to the Daikanyama area of Shibuya and see the Kyu Asakura House. Since you are there and all! One of the Important Cultural Properties you can see in Tokyo.

Important Cultural Properties

Important Cultural Properties? What’s that?! Though there were several laws prior to it, in 1950, the Law for Protection of Cultural Properties was enacted. Within the cultural properties there are many subsets.

• Tangible Cultural Properties
• Intangible Cultural Properties
• Folk Cultural Properties
• Monuments
• Cultural Landscapes
• Groups of Cultural Buildings (Think whole towns)

Within each, they are further broken down. Properties generally fall under the first bullet and can be “Important Cultural Property” (重要文化財 jūyō bunkazai) or if they are really special “National Treasures” (国宝 kokuhō). The 12 Original Castles fall into one of these two categories. They hold important academic, historical and cultural merit for Japan.

Collect them All

If collecting your stamps for the 100 finest castles isn’t enough for you, how about ALL of the important cultural properties? As of writing this, the Agency of Cultural Affairs designated 2, 445 Important Cultural Properties, of which 223 are National Treasures. The number is actually quite larger than that. Why? Because those are “places” and a lot of them have more than one building. Like Himeji Castle with her 80+ Important Cultural Properties. You’ll be busy ;).

Kyu Asakura House (旧朝倉家住宅)

So what makes the Kyu Asakura house special? First of all that “旧” or “Kyu” in the name is just one of the word’s for “old”. She’s a relic from the Taisho Era in Japan. Crammed between the Meiji Period and the Showa period, Taisho was pretty short due to a sickly emperor from 1912-1926. So honestly, not that old when you consider some things in Japan as it was built in 1919. However, it not only survived the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake but also the fire bombings during WWII. So she’s resilient!

So, it’s the “old” Asakura House, named after the owner, Tojiro Asakura. He served on Shibuya’s council and later in life he was apart of the Tokyo Prefectural council. And yes, it was a private residence. Keep that in mind when you walk through the expanses.

Most of the floors in the two-story mansion are tatami mats so you’ll need to leave your shoes at the front entrance. Built into the hillside, the pictures available for the taking in the garden are definitely worth a stroll.

The details: Where and How much

At only 100 yen for adults, it’s well worth the 30-60 minutes you may spend walking the house and grounds. Open from 10 am to 6 pm most of the year, winter hours shorten due to the sun light issue. Watch out for Monday’s! Unless it’s a National Holiday. It’s a quick walk from Daikanyama Station on the Tokyo Toyoko Line. Trains are my favorite way to travel in Japan!

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Japan is not known for liking spicy things. Sure, there are Thai and Indian restaurants all around but unless you’re amping it up at Coco’s, you’re not going to find many things with a kick to it. Enter spicy ramen or tan-tan men (担々麺). If you’re looking to ramp up your noodle game, I present to you some of the best spicy ramen options in Tokyo.

3 Contenders for Best Spicy Ramen in Tokyo

Everyone’s tastes are different so here are three excellent choices for spicy ramen in Tokyo. Plus the bases and spices are different and if you’ve read my ramen guide, you know that multiple “best” and “favorite” ramen’s is completely on the table!

鬼金棒　カラシビ味噌らー麺　Kikanbo’s Karashibi Miso Ramen

Kikanbo’s originally opened the shop in Kanda in November 2009 and quickly took off in popularity. Since they they’ve added a tsukemen version next door (well, it’s actually now in the original shops location), another ramen shop in Ikebukuro and have two overseas outlets in Taiwan.

Tsukemen (つけ麵) is “dipping” ramen, in other words, a dish in which the noodles are separated from the rest.

It’s not ramen without noodles

Because one noodle type isn’t enough, this shop mixes THREE. 中太麺、中細麺、細麺. Medium thick, medium thin, and thin. Different types of noodles work with different types of broths, so we’re covering all the bases here.

Flavoring

The miso is a original formulation with cheese, spices, fish sauce and peanuts for taste fermented in a wooden barrel.

Making it on of the Best Spicy Ramen in Tokyo

The Kara (カラ) and Shibi (シビ) in the name refers to the two different of spice flavor profiles they utilize. Kara is a combination of 6 different peppers that gives it heat. Shibi comes from Japanese Grape Peppers (ぶどう山椒) from Wakayama Prefecture and Sichuan Peppers that they make into an oil by cooking them at very low temperature. This gives you a moth numbness feel. Both you can add to your soup in varying “stages”, 1 thru 5!

A “Double” Soup

Don’t come here if you’re vegetarian. The soup is pig bones (tonkotsu), pig backs, chicken, and lots of vegetables. They simmer it every day for at least 10 hours and you end with a bowl of milky, rich goodness. It’s considered a “double” soup as they take a savory fish stock and add it at the end with your spice, miso and noodles.

Price and Toppings

The prices ranges from 880 yen to 1500 yen. The base is always the same but the price increases based off what you add to it. A few of your choices:

• Soft Boiled Eggs
• Bean Sprouts
• Cilantro (My favorite and a rarity as it tends not to mix well with the Japanese pallet)
• Wasabi (in case the original spice mixes weren’t enough for you)
• More chashu!

Getting here

Hop of the JR Yamanote Line and ride to Kanda Station. It’s a quick 5 minute walk from the station.

護摩龍 地獄の担担麺 Gomaryu Hell’s Tantanmen

If the name doesn’t give it away, I don’t know what does. “地獄の担担麺” or “Jigoku no tantanmen”. Hell’s tantanmen. Tantanmen is Japan’s version of the Sichuan specialty, dan-dan noodles. It’s hot to begin with. Gomaryu kicks it up a notch, as Emeril Lagasse would say.

What makes it Tantanmen?

Automatic toppings, ala tantanmen, will be ground meat and some vegetables, in this case, spinach. The broth is some of the richest you will ever have. Something to make the flavour profile more substantial is the peanut or sesame miso paste that is added.

The Stages

There are five “stages” to this one as well. Elementary stage (初級ステージ ), second stage (セカンドステージ ), middle stage (ミドルステージ), hard stage (ハードステージ ) and MAX stage.

Those are just translations though to the “fun” names they have.

• 護摩龍, the “non-spicy” (it’s still spicy, as all tantanmen have some spice to them) is just the shop name, Gomaryu
• 飢餓, Kiga, or Hunger
• 阿修羅, Asura, which I’m pretty sure harkens to the Hindu mythology of demigod’s that fight gods.
• 血の池, Chi-no-ike, Blood Pond
• 無限, Mugen, Infinity. I.e. as much spice as they could put.

Making it the best spicy ramen in Tokyo

As you go up in levels, there are different spice additives. You start with from just chili powder, to chili oil, to dried chilis… you get the idea. I’m a huge fan of middle stage.

Toppings

You can get the typical toppings egg, butter (ok, that’s “normal” for tantan, no usual ramen!), add more spinach, quail eggs or you can get more meat and miso.

If you go at lunch at the Gotanda location, they’ll give you rice for free. Rice, you ask? Yes, that was new for me too! You can add it after you are done eating, after, or you can transfer some of the toppings to the rice bowl.

Insider tip

Ok, not really an insider tip but it is if you can’t read Japanese or don’t notice someone else getting it. Save a bit of your broth at the end. Why? Because you WANT the cheese risotto. It’s close enough in Japanese that you can just say it like that and you’ll be fine. They will take your bowl, dump some rice in it and a pile of parmesan and torch it with a blow torch. Delicious addition to the best spicy ramen in Tokyo.

Getting here

There are three locations, two in Tokyo and one in Fujisawa. Each of them close for a few hours between lunch and dinner so be on the look out for that.

Nakiryu 鳴龍

Around the corner from the first-ever Michelin Star Ramen restaurant, Tsuta, is Nakiryu.  Their specialty? 担担麺, tantanmen, the Japanese take on spicy, Szechuan dandanmen. The first announcement of their 2017 star was in December of 2016, the second ramen shop to receive it, and they’ve again received one star in 2019.

The Queue

It’s a Michelin starred restaurant, there is going to be a line! The queue starts at the door. There are two chairs that never go cold, the line wraps the building, hops over the street by the stop sign and continue a u-shape back towards the park.

One plus? It IS a queue system. Some of the more popular ramen shops have a ticket system in which you basically must come twice in one day. The queue, though tedious and long isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

Business hours are lunch from 11:30-15:00 and dinner from 18:00-21:00. Monday is open only at lunch and their regular holiday (seen in Japanese as定休日) is Tuesday. Expect to wait: I was there at 1030 on a Sunday and there were already 15 people in line in front of me.

The seating capacity is 10 and while ramen is fast, it still takes time. By opening time there were another 30 people behind me and it took me until after 12 to get in.  

The Spice

The spice comes in a couple of levels in case you don’t want it TOO spicy, and they also have different style: ramen, tsukemen and sanramen. Want some added spice? Sansho—a powdered Szechuan pepper, is available at the counter.

Spicy not your thing? There are also shoyu and shio options, but the star was for the spicy version.

Where as Gomaryu’s tantanmen broth is very thick, the broth at Nakiryu is much lighter, still a good sesame taste but more Tokyo Style to me.

The cost

At 850円, the 担担麺 is one of the cheapest Michelin star meals you can have in the world. I highly recommend you add the “specialty” ingredients which are an option if you go at lunchtime.

As far as the ramen, it’s one bowl per person so as many people as possible can have some but there are kaedama for the tantanmen and oomori for the ramen and tsukemen. What do those words mean? After you are done with your noodles, you ask for more noodles!

Getting there

The easiest is the Otsuka station on the JR Yamanote line. Alternatively, especially if you are coming from Yokohama, is the Shin-Otsuka Station on the Marunouchi Metro Line.

How to eat at a Ramen shop

Most ramen shops start with a trip to the ticket machine at the front, pick your noodle option, any toppings, and drinks and hand your tickets to the cook. Some, like Nakiryu, will hand you a menu while you are in line to help speed up the ordering process.

Can’t make it?

Nakiryu and Gomaryu both have their tantanmen in an instant version! Look for them at your local convenience store!

Yokohama Options

There is a fair chance that if you are visiting Tokyo, you might also be visiting Yokohama. If you are a ramen lover, does Yokohama have you covered! Not only is there the Cup Noodle Museum where you can make you own and find out the history of instant ramen, there is also the Epcot-like Shin-Yokohama Ramen Museum.

Looking for a spicy option? A quick trek from the Minato Mirai area where the Cup Noodle Museum is Noge. Filled with great nightlife, they also have a full–on Sichuan option that I like to call “Color Ramen”.

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The official name of Kappabashi is “かっぱ橋道具街” or “kappabashi dougu gai”. English? “Kappa bridge tool district”. Why’s everyone call it Tokyo’s Kitchen district then?! Well, those tools over the years have converted mostly to the kitchen variety. Located in the Taito Ward between Ueno and Asakusa, it’s a great location for unique Japanese gifts and an insight into Japans culinary side.

First though: That name!

Before you get excited, there isn’t a bridge. According to the official website, there are two theories behind the name. Both a little far fetched and have to do one with a guy making shoes and another with a guy reacting to the area flooding frequently. (Honestly, they are a little hard to follow with my limited Japanese!).

Whatever the reason for the original “kappa” part of the name, in honor of its 90th anniversary in 2003, a mythological Kappa statue was erected. The official title being “かっぱ河太郎像” which is “Kappa Kawatarou zou“. That second word? The Japanese word for the mythological water-dwelling creature, kappa. (Zou just means statue). So it’s Kappa’s kappa statue. Why’s that important? Because Japan LOVES homonyms. The mythological creature correlation was added later due to similarities in the area originally being called “Kappa”.

Exploring Kappabashi

Though originally it was probably more general tools as the name implies, today, if you need restaurant equipment? Come to Kappabashi. There are over 170 different stores in the 800 meter long stretch of road, not including the side streets!

There’s bakery equipment, crazy fancy coffee implements, Japanese, Western, and Chinese tableware. Appliances of every sort. Need some good Tupperware items? There’s all sorts of sizes, brands, colors. Even some that will work for miso containers!

Decorative goods for your shop such as pretty curtains (暖簾, noren, are the fancy half curtains that are at the front of restaurant entrances), nice chairs, lanterns. If ramen is your thing, why not get a nice set of bowls and spoons?!

Probably the best place you’ll find “fake” food. You know those cool displays of perfect looking food in front of some shops? Yeah, you can commission your own here! Want to feel like a real chef? There’s coat and apron shops.

What do you really go for though? The knives

As far as a great souvenir for while you are in Japan, the knives are amazing. Kappabashi has PLENTY of stores for you to feast your eyes on. Fun thing as well? A lot of them will engrave the knife with your name!

Kappabashi Tokyo’s Kitchen District Shop Hours

Don’t make the mistake of missing the whole openings! Holidays and Sundays much of the street shops are closed so I don’t recommend going then unless that’s your only choice (I bought my knife on New Year’s eve so there is some luck to be had!). Monday to Friday is a much better time to go and the shops are usually open from 09:00 to 17:00. Saturdays are a pretty good bet as well with most shops open.

Oh yeah, how do you know you’ve made it? Look for Kappa heads all over the place or signs like this one.

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