Tokyo. A city thats known for fashion, technology, gaming and sushi.

Stepping out of Thailand and into Japan was a huge culture shock. The 6 hour plane ride made a world of a difference between the two Eastern countries. Although I was only in Tokyo for 4 days, I did as much as I possibly could.

I was lucky enough to meet up with an old friend from Chicago who had already been there a few days and knew some of the tips and tricks of being in such a gigantic city. There were a lot of things that surprised me about Tokyo, and I decided to make a comprehensive list for those looking to travel to this dynamic city.

Ginza – The CBD of Tokyo

1. There are 47 total neighborhoods that make up Tokyo.

REALLY. And most of them are pretty different. I was able to check out a few of them, including:

• Akihabra – This neighborhood features a ton of gamers and gaming. There are just buildings everywhere full of video game arcades… and they’re all packed. If you’re visiting, be sure to go inside and go up the floors to check them out.
  

  Losing money in Akihabara

• Harajuku – This is where all the Japanese fashionistas congregate. Lots of cool shops and delicious sweet stores (ice cream, crepes, etc.). Its great to walk around this area and do some admiring. Be sure to bring your camera!
• Odaiba – This is the place to go to for some incredible views (and photos) of the Tokyo skyline. There are two Odaiba stops, make sure you get off at the second one. If planning a visit, you’ll know what I mean once you get on the train.
  

  Views from Odaiba

• Shibuya – This area is known for having the best places to eat & shop. This is the area you imagine in your head when you think of Tokyo.
• Roppongi – The nightlife neighborhood. I was able to check out Feria nightclub one night. It was kind of upscale, had 3 floors, and the entry fee also covered 2 drinks (about $12USD for females, $20USD for males).

Side note: While kind of out of the way, I highly recommend checking out the nightclub AgeHa (ageha.com) if you’re in Tokyo.  ITS ALL LOCALS, its GIGANTIC and freaking awesome. I had the absolute best time there. Check out the app BandsInTown, set your location to Tokyo and see who might be playing there while you’re visiting. The venue even has free shuttles set up throughout the main parts of Tokyo to get you there and back effectively.

2. You Use Vending Machines To Order Food in Restaurants

Most places in Tokyo have this large vending machine set up. You walk up to the vending machine, you select what you want (there are photos of the food available), put in your money and it’ll print you a ticket. Then you hand your ticket to the waiter and take a seat. It was SUPER bizarre when I first got there, so knowing this ahead of time is really helpful!

The food vending machines used in Tokyo restaurants

3. Capsule Hotels

TRY AND STAY AT ONE OF THESE IF YOU CAN! Super cool and unique, but mostly catered to men. If you decide to stay at one of these, make sure to ask if you are required to leave for cleaning at any point in the day. Sometimes they make you leave with all your stuff so they can clean the capsules. This could be very inconvenient if there aren’t any lockers available.

Note: I never stayed at one of these, but they’re dorm style rooms with ton of beds in the walls that close off. Do a quick google search to see what I mean.

4. A lot of Japanese people speak English. WRONG.

You’ll find a lot of people don’t speak English like you may have thought. Be sure to prepare for worst case scenario and have a way to translate phrases. If you get lost on a train somewhere and nobody speaks English, try to get someone to communicate with you via Google Translator on their phone. I actually had to do this twice. The second time resulted in me making a new friend for the evening!

Shoutout to my Japanese friend, Kimmi! This was likely in the middle of our google translator conversation.

5. 7/11 is your best friend. Yes, the convenience store.

Everything you need can be found at 7/11. If you need a break from Japanese food, hit your local 7/11. They can be found almost everywhere and they also have free wifi. You can get beer or hard cider and walk the streets as well.

Other tips: Take public transportation everywhere. Its easy to get around. What you will need to do first is go buy a card (for about $5 USD) from the train station, and then load it. It deducts $ based on where you stop. If you aren’t going too far, it’ll just be a few dollars. But this is the best and most effective way to get around.. and its pretty easy. Just note that the trains usually stop running around 12am or 1am and most places are open later than that. Uber works very well in Tokyo, so if you have a long night out, be sure to get into a wifi area and request your Uber. Its also easier than trying to communicate directions to your driver. Want a free $20 Uber ride? Use my promo code: stephaniem4320ue!

Overall, Tokyo was a pretty cool city and I wish I had gotten to explore for a few more days. If I had more time, I also would have hiked Mount Fuji (about an hour outside of the city), and I would have visited Kyoto. That’ll be on the next world tour.

Thanks for reading!

XO Steph

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