Kōenji Awa-Odori is one of Tokyo’s largest summer street festivals with up to 11,000 dance team participants and over 1.2 million visitors over the two day event. Highlights Be a one-day Japanese traditional dancer in the Tokyo Koenji Awa..
Hot off the launch of Mary and the Witch's Flower—one of 2017's biggest anime releases yet comes this theme cafe running for a limited time in Tokyo's Omotesando area. Film fans will be excited to know the venue is modeled on the wo..
Sanrio Puroland, also known as Hello Kitty Land, will host the "Summer Festival in Sanrio Puroland" open from July to September. Surrounded by their favorite Sanrio characters, Hello Kitty fans are able to participate in a Japanese festival..
Take Harajuku and remove the bustling crowds, clamour of street noise and the somewhat gaudy aesthetic. What you get is the quaint, trendy neighbourhood of Shimokitazawa (下北沢), also known by locals as Shimokita for short: a town stripped down to a refreshingly organic form with its own unique person..
Odaiba is a the place that’s closest to my heart in Tokyo—at least as close a place a man-made island in the middle of Tokyo Bay could possibly claim. The area sometimes known as Teleport Town came to be during the bubble economy of the eighties, its land reclaimed from the water. Once..
Imagine a place you can go to experience old world Tokyo; shop in quaint markets, visit a monumental shrine, buy plastic food and take a cruise down the Sumida river in a futuristic ferry. More than other areas in Tokyo, Asakusa blends the old with the new seamlessly. Located in Taito-ku, Asakusa i..
Oyster House Kodaharu (かき家 こだはる), located 2 minutes from Shimbashi station, is somewhere not to miss if you are an oyster fan. The oysters are carefully selected from different areas around Japan, so they taste different in terms of saltiness and swe..
Although eel is usually considered an expensive cuisine, the good news is that Unadondon, the first unadon speciality restaurant, has arrived in Jimbocho, aiming to provide eel at a reasonable price. It is also the first restaurant that specializes i..
Rated as one of the premier steakhouses in New York by Zagat, Benjamin Steakhouse established itself as a top New York steakhouse after opening in 2006. With three locations in New York City, Benjamin Steakhouse has opened its first international loc..
The elevator doors open and your eyes adjust as you walk into a dimly lit room. No one is behind the counter to greet you and there are no visible doors. Hesitantly, you ring the call bell on the counter. As you wonder if that’s what you’..
When I come to Tokyo I sometimes stay in the urban hubs like Shinjuku or Ueno, but I can then get worn down by the crowds, especially late at night when the club and bar touts are active. So with the subway running until after midnight, it's ofte..
If you have an early departure or late arrival at Tokyo's Haneda Airport, then Kamata is a good place to stay: there are direct trains that get you to or from the airport in twenty minutes, and it also has fast, frequent connections to central To..
You're visiting Japan for the first time and have booked a very busy schedule. Much of what you will see and hear may be difficult to comprehend. How about a quick trip to the Tokyo National Museum near Uneo station for a little history lesson? A..
Fukushimaya Tasting Market is a supermarket in the heart of Tokyo where you can find lots of delicious organic food. Here you can buy products produced by farmers from all over Japan, ready-made deli dishes, and organic goods for your home (for examp..
The entrance of 'Poppins' Coffee and Tea in Koenji, Suginami Ward, conjures up a vivid image of the famous nanny. However, upon entering the shop you will see no further elaboration of the topic. Moreover, the current owner of 'Poppins&qu..
