Three Days In…Tokyo

Location: Tokyo, Japan

Visit: January 2020

Japan has been on our bucket list for a few years. Friends who have been there and had time to explore, have given it rave reviews and everyone says they are anxious to visit again. With only a week to travel and another Asian city on our agenda, we decided to spend our time just in Tokyo, Japan’s capital city.

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Where to Stay:

Tokyo is a HUGE city, with dozens of neighborhoods and millions and millions of people. Although getting around is fairly easy (great subway system), what neighborhood you stay in will dictate a lot of your activities and dining options. We knew we wanted to stay in the center of the city and choose two hotels that were in different neighborhoods, but both close to the action.

The first thing you need to be prepared for is that luxury hotels in Tokyo are not cheap, but given that you’ve just flown up to 14 hours to get there, a great hotel is worth the splurge.

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The Prince Gallery Hotel ($400 – $800) (1-2 Kio-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 102-8585, JP) (www.marriott.com). Part of the Luxury Collection Hotels brand under the mega-brand Marriott, the Prince Gallery is a spectacular five-star hotel in the Akasaka neighborhood in the Chiyoda district. Like most luxury Tokyo hotels, it is perched on top of an office building, affording guests spectacular views of the neverending skyline of skyscrappers. Although it has all of the amenities that you’d ever want (gym, spa, room service, pool, etc.) the jewel of this hotel is the three-story-high lobby bar with 30 foot windows overlooking the city. Additionally the rooms are spacious (which is saying something in Tokyo) and the hotel is very updated. Highly recommended!

General Rating (price neutral): 96 (Four Star!)

Four Star Rating (price included): 86 (Exceptional)

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The Park Hyatt Tokyo ($500 – $900) (3-7-1-2 Nishi Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 163-1055, JP) (www.hyatt.com). Famed for its role as the central location in the movie Lost in Translation, the Park Hyatt is probably the most popular luxury hotel in the city. Although it has lost a step in terms of updates (and to a certain extent, service), it makes up for it with the crown jewel of the Tokyo lounge scene, The New York Bar. Smokey from cigarettes and cigar smoke (until mid 2020 when the laws change), the jazz ensemble plays music while the patrons sip on classic cocktails and talk in low voices. It’s a scene, but one that’s worth it. On the weekends, the hotel hosts an epic brunch too. A great place for a kobe steak if you haven’t had a chance to have one yet.

General Rating (price neutral): 94 (Four Star!)

Four Star Rating (price included): 82 (Exceptional)

What to do:

There are almost 10 million people in the city of Tokyo and a total of more than 38 million in the metropolitan area (about the same as ALL of California), so suffice to say there is A LOT that you can do. We mostly stuck to the neighborhoods we were staying in, but getting around on the subway is easy, so we did venture out a bit. Here are some of the highlights:

Odaiba neighborhood

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teamLab Borderless exhibit: From their poster – “teamLab (f. 2001) is an art collective, interdisciplinary of ultratechnologist whose collaborative practice seeks to navigate the confluence of art, science, technology, design and the natural world. Various specialists, such as artists, programmers, engineers, CG animaters, mathmaticians and architects for teamLab. teamLab aims to explore a new relationship between humans and nature, and between oneself and the world through art. Digital technology has allowed art to liberate itself from the physical and trancend boundaries. teamLab sees no boundary between humans and nature, and betweens oneself and the world; one is in the other and other in one. Everything exists in a long, fragile yet miraculous, borderless continuity of life”. Enough said. Very cool experience!

Asakara neighborhood

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Shinto is the major religion in Japan and the Hie-Jinja (or Hie or Hai) is one of the major shrines and the kick-off location for one of the major festivals – Sanno Matsuri. Located smack in the middle of a bustling business district, it’s a nice escape from the hustle and bustle of the rest of the city.

Shinjuku neighborhood

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Known for it’s bright lights, adult arcades and the infamous Robot Restaurant, the Shinjuku neighborhood is not to be missed. Be sure to plan ahead and get tickets to the Robot Restaurant well ahead of time, as it sells out quickly. Be sure to visit Shinjuku at night, when the lights are brightest and the energy of the crowds is at its max.

Harajuku Neighborhood

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If Shinjuku feels like the world’s biggest arcade, Harajuku feels like the world’s biggest “Hello Kitty” store. As one of the major shopping districts in the city, huge crowds come to Harjuku each day and the vast majority pass through one particular street to get from the subway station to the main drag, where the department stores are. Along this path, you’ll find an amazing collection of clothing shops, dessert stands, pig/puppy petting cafés and other miscellaneous retail. If you are hungry, give yourself some time, as lines for ramen or sushi can be over an hour.

Shibuya neighborhood

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Another major retail and shopping center is in Shibuya, which is also home to some of the better nightlife in Tokyo. The main intersection, Shibuya Crossing, is considered to be one of the busiest in the world. We didn’t come during the peak time of day, but even at night there are tons of people.

Where to Eat:

There are literally thousands of hole-in-wall and neighborhood sushi and ramen restaurants in Tokyo. Recommending just a few would be a fools errand. Suffice to say that the Japanese take their food very seriously and it’s hard to find a bad meal.

High-end sushi is on most visitor’s to do list, but again this can be tricky. Tokyo has over 200 restaurants that have at least one Michelin star, but the top of the top is ultra-exclusive. Places that have topped the list in prior years (like Jiro, Sushi Saito and others) no longer take reservations. You have to go with a local and/or be a repeat customer. Your best bet is to work with your hotel concierge and see what they can get you. We were lucky enough to get a reservation at Kyubey Sushi, which was ranked highly on “La Liste”, another guide for top restaurtants that competes with the Michelin Guide and the Top 50 List. We booked through American Express, who then liaised with our concierge at the Park Hyatt. The upside is that the chef spoke English and the menu was a fixed Omakase style, so you got whatever was best and most fresh. Definitely one of the top sushi experiences of our lives!

• Kyubey Sushi Keio Plaza Tokyo Branch (2 Chome-2-1 Nishishinjuku, Shinjuku City, Tokyo 160-8330, JP) (http://www.kyubey.jp/en/en_shoplist_keiou)

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Other dinning recommendations

• New York Bar (bruch) – see “Where to Stay” section above. Get the Kobe steak. It’s worth it for a one time splurge
• Yoroniku (Yakiniku/grilled meat/BBQ) – Trusted traveler recommendation. (6-6-22 Minamiaoyama | Luna Rossa Minami-Aoyama B1, Minato 107-0062, Tokyo, JP)
• Ichiyanagi (Sushi) – Trusted traveler recommendation. (1-5-14 Ginza 1F Ginza Cosmion Bldg., Ginza, Chuo 104-0061 Tokyo, JP) (www.sushiya-ichiyanagi.com)
• Den (fine dining)- Trusted traveler recommendation and World’s 50 Best Restaurants member. (2-3-18 Jingumae Kenchikuka Kaikan JIA Bldg., Shibuya 150-0001 Tokyo, JP) (www.jimbochoden.com)
• Kagari (Ramen) – Trusted traveler recommendtion. Best ramen place they visited in their week in Tokyo. Dipping style ramen (seperate noodle bowl, not in the broth) (2-3-18 Jingumae Kenchikuka Kaikan JIA Bldg., Shibuya 150-0001 Tokyo, JP)
• Shima (Steak) – Trusted traveler recommendation. Best steak (wagu/Kobe). (3-5-12 Nihombashi MM Bldg. B1F, Nihonbashi, Chuo 103-0027 Tokyo, JP)

Where to drink

• New York Bar @ Park Hyatt (see above) – classic cocktails and live jazz
• Lobby Bar @ Prince Galley Hotel (see above) – views of the city
• Code Name Mixology – great cocktails and service. On the World’s 50 Best Bars list. (1-6-1 Yaesu Yaesu Dai-3 Park Bldg. 2F, Chuo 103-0028 Tokyo, JP)
• Bar High Five – Liquor.com best bars in the world. (5-4-15 Ginza | Efurore Ginza 5 Bldg. B1F, Chuo 104-0061, Tokyo, JP) (www.barhighfive.com)
• Bar Orchard – Liquor.com best bars in the world. (6-5-16 Ginza, Chuo 104-0061 Tokyo, JP)
• Bar Martha – Liquor.com best bars in the world. (1-22-23 Ebisu Vera Heights Ebisu 109, Shibuya 150-0013 Tokyo, JP) (martha-records.com/martha/)
• Beat Café – Dive by in Shibuya. (2-13-5 Dogenzaka | B1f, Shibuya 150-0043, Tokyo, JP)
• Womb – Intimate nightclub for late night dancing. (2-16 Maruyama-cho, Shibuya 150-0044, Tokyo, JP) (www.womb.co.jp)

Summary

Overall, our three days in Tokyo were amazing! It’s definitely a place that you could spend weeks and weeks, and we didn’t even get a chance to visit any other cities (Kyoto – you are next!). It’s definitely important to plan ahead, as restaurant reservations are hard to get without the help of the concierge). Be prepared to spend more than you would normally in a big city. Most Japanese don’t speak English very well, so pay the premium for a 5-star hotel where you will be guaranteed a good experience. Also be prepared to spend a lot on fine dining and cocktails. Japan is great, but it isn’t cheap!