My first time in Tokyo I realized, there’s no place in the world like it. Think New York City, but crazier. It’s a city where old meets new: picture ancient shrines, late-night arcades, and a bullet train that runs at 200 miles per hour. The reality was that I was filled with the best kind of uncertainty about all the adventures that were about to take place.
Exploring the Golden Gai district of Shinjuku.
Welcome to Golden Gai 🎌
My first time in Tokyo was spent exploring Shinjuku solo. Our Airbnb had perfect access to a subway, so you could easily walk to Golden Gai. I was on a mission to taste hand rolls from Onigiri Manma, unlike any others I had ever tasted! While there was a language barrier, I still felt the hospitality and gratitude of sharing hand rolls sitting next to the locals.
“What I like most about Tokyo is there’s always something new happening. It’s so diverse and you can always find something that fits what you want. I’ve been here for almost seven years and it’s never difficult to find new places or fun experiences!”
— Fan, Local Living Like a Tourist
Shibuya Sky: A Picturesque Skyline 🌇
The next day I couldn’t contain my excitement about seeing the city during the day. Our first stop was to observe the stunning skyline at Shibuya Sky. It was there I realized that Tokyo was home to 37 million people. I couldn’t fathom how a city this size could run so seamlessly! For miles, you could see the vast landscape that united Tokyo in perfect harmony.
Girls we met from China who were obsessed with fashion too!
The Best of Tokyo Shopping
Next, we made several stops to shop: Harajuku Street and Takeshita Street. It wasn’t until we stumbled upon Shimokitazawa that we knew we were in for a surprise! Vintage stores appeared out of nowhere while a vintage daytime market graced us with its presence. My first time in Tokyo, I was amazed at the unique finds while wandering the streets, especially the arcade games.
Exploring Shimokitzawa and stumbling upon arcade games!
“Shopping in Japan is next level! From high-end luxury stores to second-hand thrift shops, they really have it all. If you like shopping then you must go to Japan and bring an extra suitcase!” —Christina, Wardrobe Stylist, Cat Mom
Vending Machine Ramen: A Unique Experience 🍜
After all the shopping, we were getting hungry! We were excited to find that Japan had many categories of food to choose from—even some not-so-Japanese. From pizza to pancakes, seafood, and ramen, it was satisfying to appease your palate with so many rich cuisines. Of those, we chose ramen! Not just any ramen: vending machine ramen.
Dining in at Ramen Tatsunoya Shinjuku.
We grabbed our tickets from the vending machine at the front of the restaurant and waited in line! While this was a popular spot, we were still able to get seated to enjoy our first bowl of ramen in Japan, and man, it was good! I’m a spicy lover so I tried the pork broth with extra spice. Yum! 😋As the spices settled, there were tasty layers of flavor in every bite.
“I was surprised by this lemon ramen I finally tried, across the street from where I live. The shop had chicken tempura, spicy, sour, sliced lemon, and pepper flavors in the ramen. One thing I love about ramen is it’s different everywhere you go and there’s something for everyone!” — Josh, Tour Guide at Arigato Travel
Looking to try some of the best local ramen? Go on Arigato Travel’s Retro Shibuya Food Tour to visit a famous 60+ year old ramen shop!
Unexpected Flavors in Japan
Some other interesting foods we tried included wagyu beef, matcha, and poisonous blowfish. Waygu beef is the highest, most delicious grade of beef I’ve ever eaten! Matcha from Uji, on the other hand, is the best matcha you’ll find in the world. Poisonous blowfish gets a special mention because my friends and I sampled this for my birthday, and survived 😳😏
Pictured left: poisonous blowfish we tried! Pictured right: wagyu beef 🤤
Tokyo’s Vibrant Nightlife: Shibuya 🔮
That same night, we explored Shibuya’s nightlife scene. Our first stop was experiencing Karaoke Kan: a popular chain in the neighborhoods of Tokyo where you could sing your heart out. We relived every angsty emo song by singing and screaming at the top of our lungs. Dogenzaka – The Church and Rockaholic were also fun stops!
Hanging outside of Rockaholic in Shibuya.
A World-Class Super Store: Don Quijote
I would be remiss in this article if I didn’t mention one of the greatest stops of all: Don Quijote. Typically open until 4 am, and sometimes 24 hours, this 5 to 8-floor superstore hosts all of your wants and needs as a local—and a tourist. It felt like heaven between the souvenirs, snacks, skincare, and discounted designer wear! Don’t think twice about stopping here, just do it!!
World’s First Digital Art Museum
During our trip, we got to explore one of Tokyo’s most exciting new art museums, teamLab Borderless. This state-of-the-art immersive experience takes you on an adventure through fifty secret rooms, some of which are impossible to find. I couldn’t believe my eyes when we stumbled upon this room with thousands of orbs!
So something crazy also happened with my flight for my first time in Tokyo, where my original return flight was overbooked, and the airline automatically added a day to my trip. While it was frustrating when this happened, eventually I realized that this additional day would be one of the most unforgettable adventures of the whole trip!
Looking for a travel planner to help you organize your trip to Japan? Check out Marian Goldberg and her travel planning services.
Hanging With the Locals in Taito City📍
The first thing that happened was I found this photographer meetup for the Taiko Drum Show in Taito City. Not only were the photographers there to hang out, but they were there to photograph the live monk band playing under the cherry blossom trees! It was the experience of a lifetime to run into so many like-minded creatives from all over the world.
“Experiencing the Taiko Drum Show in Tokyo was an incredible experience! It was my first week in Tokyo and I couldn’t have had a better introduction.” —Tristan, Yonderpreneur
The monk band was a sight to see!
The Local’s Favorite Park: Ueno 🌸
A photographer that night recommended one last stop before I left Tokyo (Fan—quoted earlier in the article!) He recommended that I stop at his favorite local park, Ueno, to see the cherry blossoms in all their glory, since after all, this was the only two-week period of the year where you could see them. 🤩
I arrived at a flurry of people exploring the park. Between the raindrops and the freshly bloomed cherry blossoms, I felt pure happiness! Ironically, I ran into another photographer who was visiting from Australia. After hearing about his trip to Japan, I asked him if he could take a photo of me and the cherry blossom trees.
That’s a Wrap, Tokyo! 👋
After getting to experience one of the most densely populated cities in the world, I felt fulfilled being able to see this city in all its wonder—full of surprises. Between the inspiring people and the vibrant culture my first time in Tokyo, I’ll never forget the incredible experiences I had here! If you’re planning your next trip to Tokyo, get started with my 5-day Tokyo itinerary (Coming soon!).
Until next time nomads,
Sydney
