Since I am living in Tokyo for over 10 years, I am proud of myself as Tokyo Trip Expert. Here, I will tell you everything I know about how travelers from all over the world can amazingly enjoy the journey with all reasonable hotels, tasty food choices, and amazing spots including my secret recommends with travel tips in this biggest metropolitan city in the world. For Tokyo trip, I believe 4 days stay should be minimum, and if you prefer including staying hot spring spots close to Tokyo, around one week would be ideal to maximize your all fantastic experience in this trip.

For Vol.4, I’ll talk about major fashion and culture district in Tokyo which are Omotesando, Harajuku, Shibuya, Yoyogi Park, and Meiji jingu.

Omotesando and Harajuku

Omotesando and Harajuku area is one of my favorite spots in Tokyo because there is lots of cozy cafe, and new independent fashion brands shop. Those are very unique and you can discover cutting edge cultures for fashion and art in Tokyo. On google map, the area you should walk around is blue-marked area. Especially, new and independent fashion brand stores and small Japanese pop culture art galleries are located in not along with major streets but more inside of the major streets. If you are fashion lovers, walking around these inside area will be nice.

Open Terrace Cafe in Omotesando

If you feel a bit tired of walking, I have some recommends for taking rest in cozy cafe.

Anniversaire Omotesando

This cafe has Paris style open terrace cafe in outside, so, very nice place to relax yourself. Also, actually this cafe in the part of wedding chapel, so, somtimes you can see wedding ceremony. I like the mood which people spontaneously feel warm air once the ceremony starts. That’s good 🙂


Here is Google Map Link. Sometimes, this cafe is buzy, so, better to make reservation in advance.

 

CrissCross & Cicada

This cafe is located to close Nezu Art Museum which I tell you later and another my favorite spot in Omotesando. This cafe also has open terrace space and they have very tasty bread and bekary shop.


This cafe is actually the part of the restaurant, Cicada.Cicada is Mediterranean cuisine restaurant, and this restaurant is also fantastic place to relax yourself and can have cafe, too. The taste is very good, and I like the interior design of this restaurant. Looks like walking through the cave, then, see ocean view from there.


Here is Google Map Link.  For dinner, you should make reservation.

Nezu Art Museum

They has pretty good lunch spot inside, also beautiful Japanese garden inside, too.

From Wikipedia – The Nezu Museum (根津美術館 Nezu bijutsukan), formerly known as the Nezu Institute of Fine Arts, is an art museum in the Minato district of Tokyo, Japan.The museum houses the private collection of pre-modern Japanese and East Asian art of Nezu Kaichirō (1860–1940). The museum foundation was established on the death of the founder Nezu in 1940 and exhibitions were first opened to the public in 1941. The museum collection was stored away from central Tokyo during the second world war and escaped the destruction suffered by the estate property in the bombing of May 1945. Exhibitions were restarted after the war in 1946. Closed due to large-scale renovation and renewal from 2006 onwards, the museum re-opened in fall 2009 with a completely new museum building by the Japanese architect Kengo Kuma. Included in the collection are a pair of Edo period folding screens, Irises, by Ogata Kōrin. It also includes other paintings of renown, calligraphy, sculpture, ceramics, textiles and archaeological materials, as well as objects in lacquer, metal, and wood. The collection also consists of Chinese bronzes of the Shang and Zhou dynasties. The Nezu Museum is also known for its extensive, Japanese-style garden.

If you are Japanese Garden and Japanese Art Lover, the best timing to visit this place must be the beginning of May. It’s because they exhibit the master peace of Ogata Korin, “Kakitsubata-zu” only during the moment Kakitsubata, a beautifully purple colored flowers, reach full blooms. It looks just like “Perfectionism in Japanese Art”. I was speechless when I saw the following view.

The ticket is around $10 per a person. It’s worth to see it before you die 🙂 Here is Google Map Link.

Yoyogi Park

This big part is a part of Meiji Shrine. It will be like Central Park in Tokyo. I like to picnic sometimes here. In autum season, you can see very beautiful red colored view there.

Meiji-Jingu

From Wikipedia – Meiji Shrine (明治神宮 Meiji Jingū), located in Shibuya, Tokyo, is the Shinto shrine that is dedicated to the deified spirits of Emperor Meiji and his wife, Empress Shōken. The shrine does not contain the emperor’s grave, which is located at Fushimi-momoyama, south of Kyoto. Meiji Shrine is located in a forest that covers an area of 70 hectares (170 acres). This area is covered by an evergreen forest that consists of 120,000 trees of 365 different species, which were donated by people from all parts of Japan when the shrine was established. The forest is visited by many as a recreation and relaxation area in the center of Tokyo. The entrance to the shrine complex leads through the Jingu Bashi bridge. Meiji Shrine is adjacent to Yoyogi Park which together is a large forested area.


And, you can take this photo, too 🙂

Meiji Shrine is extremely popular for Japanese to celebrate end of year and new year season. If you wanna experience it, you can try, but, really busy there, so be careful 🙂 Also, you are lucky, sometimes you can see Japanese traditional wedding ceremony in the main gate of this shrine. It has aesthetic beauty of Japanese culture.

Shibuya

Shibuya is a Hub for young generation pop culture, and you can feel a kind of chaos in this biggest metropolitan city in the world. I guess the must thing you should go across “Shibuya Scramble Crossover “. You see this view in some of major Hollywood movies such as “Biohazards”.

Shibuya Scramble Crossover – ling-tang-unsplash

To me, the best timing to visit here is Halloween season in October 31st. You can see lots of unique and funny costume shows there. I have some photos. It’s worth to watch 🙂

 

One more thing, if you stay the hotels in Hamamatsucho area base on my recommends, the easiest way to get to Omotesando area is to use Oedo Line. And the destination will be Aoyama-Itchome station. From there, you can walk to Omote-sando by 15 min walk. And the middle of the road in Autum, you can see beautifully colored line of ginkgo( biloba ). I like to visit here every fall. It’s impressive.


Oh I forgot one more thing 🙂 If you really like to experience cutting edge Tokyo fashion and art culture, the best timing will be Fashion Night Out by Vogue. They have this culture event usually in September. You can see lots of pop-up style fashion and art show and stores during the event. It’s really fun!


You can check the schedule here.

Also, about my hotel recommendations, here is the link.

Tokyo Trip Vol.1 – Why you should stay in Hamamatsucho

For Vol.5, I’ll tell you about Odaiba and Odaiba Oedo-onsen. Please move to this link.

Tokyo Trip Vol.5 – Odaiba, Oedo Onsen, and Hilton Tokyo Odaiba