☆ Fukamachi
Food • Tempura
I thought I didn՚t like tempura, turns out I haven՚t had good tempura before. Hopefully you get seated at the short end of the bar for the best view of the chefs at work.
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(Reservation Required)
Tokyo
Tokyo is a great place to explore if you love delicious food. Please keep in mind that it՚s common for restaurants to only take reservations for tourists through the concierge services offered by hotels or fancy credit cards.
☆ Gen Yamamoto
Food • Drinks
A super small cocktail bar that makes specialty drinks using seasonal ingredients and fine liquors. You have the option to get the 4 or 6 cocktail flight. Gen Yamamptp can accommodate people who prefer a low alcoholic drinks.
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(Reservation Required)
☆ Ghibli Museum
Museum
Definitely worth the trip if you՚re able to buy tickets in advance. The museum is nicely themed with all things Ghibli, has lots of indoor and outdoor spaces to explore. Don՚t feel like you have to save your Ghibli souvenir purchases for the museum though, I found that I actually liked what I saw at other stores more. It took us about 30 minutes to purchase tickets from California, so don՚t get discouraged if you՚re struggling with connection to the website.
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Harajuku Gyozaro
Food • Dumplings
Great place if you՚re craving Japanese potstickers. I especially liked their cucumber with miso appetizer. Be prepared to wait in line!
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Hidemi Sugino
Food • Cakes
Try Hidemi Sugino if you want to enjoy fancy desserts and tea. From what I recall, they use stars to indicate the alcoholic content of their desserts.
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☆ Hotel Gracery Shinjuku
Hotel
Nice hotel in a convenient location. Rooms are small but the bathrooms are amazing. The hotel also has easy access to the Godzilla statue that towers over Shinjuku, we couldn՚t resist the photo opportunity.
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☆ Ishibashi
Food • Hot pot
This is most definitely our favorite meal from the entire trip! Delicious Kobe beef cooked at your table sukiyaki style. Our one regret was that we didn՚t go with an empty stomach, would have loved to try the rice dish.
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(Reservation Required)
☆ Ishikawa
Food • Kaiseki
Considering how much we enjoyed the food and the cost of the meal, it was a deal. Similar meals cost much more in California. It was CC՚s favorite kaiseki meal of the trip.
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(Reservation Required)
Katsusai
Food • Tonkatsu
All you can eat shredded cabbage with katsu restaurant located in the mall. We liked the standard katsu more than rolled pork and tomato + pesto options.
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☆ Kosoan
Food • Tea
A Japanese tea house in a traditional tea environment, only they՚re not afraid of more modern ways to prepare tea. Each drink order comes with a small dessert that pairs nicely with the tea.
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Pierre Hermé
Food • Macarons
If you՚re planning a trip to Paris, you should wait until you can go to Pierre Hermé there. They at least pass the passion fruit macron test.
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☆ Pizza Studio Tamaki
Food • Pizza
No regrets about eating pizza in Japan, it was delicious. Forever changed what we expect from a wood fired pizza. They even use juice ice cubes in their drinks!
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(Reservation Required)
Shinbashi Torishige Donburiko
Food • Oyakodon
An oyakodon place in the Tokyo Station located past the collection of souvenir dessert booths. We recommend that you get oyakodon, it՚s much better in Japan. This restaurant cooks the egg on the rare side, making it better than anything we՚ve had in America.
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Sobadokoro Yamato
Food • Soba
I thought I didn՚t like soba, I was wrong again. If you happen to be in the area shopping for fake display food or various kitchen wares, consider stopping here for a bite.
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Straw Hat Café
Food • Cafe
Only eat here if you՚re at the Ghibli Museum and the line happens to be short. When we went, the line started at the circle of chairs just outside the café doors. If you՚re looking for food that՚s nicely Ghibli themed, make sure to check for pictures online. Some dishes are only themed with a little Ghibli character flag.
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☆ Sushi Arai
Food • Sushi
This was CC՚s favorite sushi place from the trip. The fish and the rice was delicious, I thought the sushi chef was a little heavy on the wasabi though. For what it՚s worth, CC liked this restaurant more than the other place because he thought the rice was much better.
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(Reservation Required)
Tagetsu
Food • Kaiseki
We may have gone a little crazy with the photos at this restaurant. It was our first kaiseki place, we were in a private room, and every dish was photogenic. We learned that Ayu fish served whole is meant to be enjoyed from head to tail, minus the fins. Warning, when eaten whole, Ayu is very bitter.
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(Reservation Required)
☆ Takumi Shingo
Food • Sushi
This was my favorite sushi restaurant from the trip. The fish was delicious and the sushi chef didn՚t go crazy with the wasabi. (I honestly couldn՚t tell the difference between the rice, but for whatever reason, CC like the other restaurant՚s rice more.
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(Reservation Required)
☆ The Roastery
Food • Coffee
Want a cup of good hipster coffee? This is your place. Just be careful when ordering, when we went they assumed we wanted two cups instead of just one. Probably just a CC & TGP problem though, most people who walk into a fancy coffee shop want order a drink.
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☆ The Tokyo Station Hotel
Hotel
This is probably the nicest hotel we՚ll ever book. We mainly stayed here so we could use their concierge service to book all of our fancier restaurant reservations. They can even help you convey dietary restrictions at restaurants that don՚t speak English. (Booked with credit card points)
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☆ Yomiuri Giants
Sports • Baseball
We highly recommend watching a baseball game in Japan. The cheering sections for each team creates a fun atmosphere that can make any baseball-adverse person enjoy the game. Also, order a hot dog so you can marvel at the ingenuity of Japanese design. You can open and squeeze your ketchup with one hand!
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