My Favorite Places in Tokyo
Hiii, it’s Remi!!
Traveling is one of my FAVORITE things and I miss it so much!! If I could go anywhere in a snap of a finger, it would be Tokyo. Today I want to share with you guys some of my favorite parts of Japan.
The first time I lived in Japan for an extended period of time was when I studied abroad for six months in 2009 — I had the time of my life!!! The culture, the food, the lifestyle I’m giving myself serious FOMO right now just thinking about it, haha!
It’s been one year since I went with my best friend, Amanda. She’s a HUGE foodie — like out of 10 (I’m a level 10), she’s a 19!! I knew this trip was going to be full of delicious, one-of-a-kind meals and experiences.
So today I am excited to take a trip down memory lane and share some of the places that we visited and LOVED. Here’s where I recommend you visit on your next trip to Tokyo — whenever that may be!!
Japan, 〒151-0053 Tokyo, Shibuya City, Yoyogi, 2 Chome−20−16 相馬ビル １F
Amanda promised me on the plane that this udon would be the BEST udon I’ve ever eaten...so I had very high expectations! This was our first stop as soon as we got to Tokyo, and OMG, this place was 10000% worth the hype. We shared so many bowls and I of course left with a noodle belly! I was blown away with the handmade chewy noodles they make right at the window.
After that, we visited different stands close to the subway and tried dessert after dessert after dessert. That first day we were sooo jet-lagged that we ended up going to bed way earlier than planned. Luckily jet lag meant we also woke up suuppperrr early and got in a good workout before another big day of eating. We worked up a good sweat, got our energy levels back up, and headed out for breakfast!
Katsuo Shokudo Restaurant
Japan, 〒150-0032 Tokyo, Shibuya City, Uguisudanicho, 7−12 GranDuo渋谷 B1
One thing about Tokyo is that restaurants tend to have long lines, especially if they’re good! At Katsuo Shokudo, you can try different bonito flakes with fresh rice. Their specialty is in bonito flakes so you know you’re getting the real deal. Bonito is the base of most Japanese dishes- it’s how I make dashi stock aka your favorite meals like udon, miso soup, etc. The woman literally shaved fresh dried bonito right in front of us onto a piping hot bowl of rice. We got huge bowls of food that were so tasty. Worth the wait!
Then, Amanda and I headed out to do some shopping!! We stopped by Comme des Garcons in Omotesando (5 Chome-2-1 Minamiaoyama, Minato City, Tokyo) as well as the MoMA Design Store(3F Gyre, 5-10-1 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku Tokyo). We went to get our glam on at RMK Ginza Six, a cosmetics store (Japan, 〒104-0061 Tokyo, Chuo City, Ginza, 6 Chome−10−1 GINZA SIX B１F) and then to Palace (5-9-20 Jingumae Shibuya-Ku, Tokyo)!! Then we took a little snack break at…
Toraya Cafe, Omotesando
(3 Chome-12-16 Kitaaoyama, Minato City, Tokyo 107-0061)
Such an aesthetically pleasing spot. Naturally, we went for matchas!! At Toraya Cafe, we tried the matcha anko (sweet bean paste with matcha) and matcha shaved ice. WOWW, they were SO tasty. I may or might not have spoiled my appetite for dinner — but it was so worth it!
Sushi Shin, Hiroo
(4 Chome-18-20 Nishiazabu, Minato City, Tokyo 106-0031)
After a quick change, we headed out to Sushi Shin, an authentic, small, intimate sushi house. To this day, we rave about this sushi place and sweat it’s the best sushi we have EVER had. The fish was sooooo fresh, and it was prepared in a way where you can taste all its subtle flavors- the way it should be! Not covered in sauces etc. Not surprising though, since this restaurant is Michelin-starred. I left there wondering how I would ever eat the sushi in LA again knowing that sushi could taste this amazing!!
(Japan, 〒104-0061 Tokyo, Chuo City, Ginza, 1 Chrome−7−7 ポーラ銀座ビル 2階)
On day three, after a quick morning workout, Amanda and I went to this quaint peaceful Japanese tea shop in Ginza. Check out my vlog to see how the tea shop prepared our welcome drink — it’s a traditional process that plays to not only your sense of taste but also your sense of smell! It’s such a cool experience that you definitely shouldn’t miss if you’re in Tokyo. The whole process is slow, intentional, deliberative, and meditative, letting you savor the entire meal. I’d never tasted tea like that before —it was so special.
One cool thing I learned at Higashiya is that once you’ve strained green tea leaves enough times, you can actually eat them with a little ponzu sauce. They taste just like spinach!! We finished the meal with a traditional summer dessert made with kudzu root powder — so yummm — and, of course, MANJU with MATCHA!!
By the time we left Higashiya, we’d been there for three hours savoring different flavors and enjoying every little detail. We learned so much during our meal that I definitely recommend you stop by and try it for yourself. We will definitely be back! My mom wants to go next time too!
Then, we headed out for MORE SHOPPING!! Amanda and I went to Ginza 6 (6 Chome-10-1 Ginza, Chuo City, Tokyo 104-0061) to buy souvenirs and more. We also hit up Nakameguro, this cool neighborhood with lots of boutiques and hidden gems. Definitely worth exploring if you’re in Tokyo!
Visiting My Family in Ibaraki!!
The next day, Amanda and I headed out to the country to visit my family! They live about three hours outside of Tokyo and had an amazing home-cooked lunch waiting for us — including pickles, chicken wings, celebratory red rice, miso soup, and eggs. Simple and delicious! We ate and then went on a family walk to visit the graves of our ancestors. It’s really important to me to do this — we go reconnect with my family history every time I’m in Japan!
We spent some quality time with my family and then my cousin came back from the fish market with...drumroll please...live eels!! They’re called “do-jyo” in Japanese. My other cousin thought they were gross, but I was kind of into them haha!! We fried them for dinner, and my uncle let me try the first one. It was pretty good!!
I really love visiting my family in Ibaraki because it brings me back to my childhood. I get to relive what it was like to grow up in the country and play — it makes you appreciate the simpler things in life. My family cooks amazing meals, and we all have one big sleepover. It’s so fun!! I’m really happy I got to share that part of my life with you guys.
Snacks and Souvenirs!!
[youtube=://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aE6FPnTXFNQ&w=854&h=480]
Finally, I want to show you guys how much cool stuff I picked up the last time I was in Japan. While we were there we drove about an hour outside Tokyo to a town called Mashiko, which is in the Tochigi Prefecture. They’re known for their Japanese pottery. There, I got these really unique, white, clay bowls in the shape of a flower (check out the video to see what I’m talking about!). I also wanted a bigger miso soup bowl and some green teacups and some bowls for Nate and my MASSIVE salads!! I went a little nuts shopping for pottery and also got some rice bowls and chopsticks from our stay at an Onsen in Hoshinoya, Kinugawa.
I’m also OBSESSED with furikake, a Japanese seasoning that gets sprinkled on top of rice. I got a whole bunch of snacks with furikake (like, so many, hahaha) that you can find at any local grocery store in Japan. I also just missed chestnut season last time I was in Japan, but I did pick up some ready-to-eat chestnuts that come prepackaged.
When Amanda and I went to Katsuo Shokudo, I took home some of the fresh bonito because it was soooo good!! Plus some dashi, which is something that adds tons of flavor to soup. I got some more Ippodo Tea, my favorite brand of matcha, called Sayaka no-Mukashi. I picked up some Shichimi, which is a type of blended spices that you can have with literally everything.
My cousin sent me home with some shrimp crackers, which are super popular in Japan. My aunt gave me monaka, a type of chestnut-flavored treat that’s typically served with tea. It’s a delicacy and SO yum.
Every time I go to Japan, I HAVE to get Akebono rice crackers. Akebono is a specific brand of rice crackers, and I highly recommend getting crackers from this store. I ate them all the time growing up! I also always get their sugar-coated apricots. <3
I know it looks like I got a year’s worth of snacks, but I promise they did NOT last long, hahaha. It was SO fun to go to Japan with Amanda, a fellow foodie. I hope you enjoyed reading about our last trip to Japan! I miss travel and my family, and I hope I get the opportunity to travel safely in the near future.
In the meantime, watch my Japan vlog on my YouTube channel, and let me know what your favorites spots (and snacks) in Tokyo are — tag me on Instagram, @rrayyme!
LOVE YOU LOTS!
