Japan!
- tkseckler
- Jan 20
- 9 min read
Japan is trending as a travel destination these days and I just want to say, for the record, that our December trip to Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka was not a case of us jumping on the "what's hot now" bandwagon. In fact, we were originally planning to go in Summer 2020 but that had to be cancelled for obvious reasons. Thankfully, last month we finally got our rain check. And although anticipation has been building for four and a half years -- and tourists are flocking there lately en masse -- the Land of the Rising Son did not disappoint. Truth be told, I am glad so many people are planning trips to Japan right now. I probably would have blown off writing this blog post if not for at least six friends asking me for details on my trip. If you're one of those people who wanted to hear the details, thanks for the motivation!
Before I dive in to the amazing 10 days we spent in Japan, a brief note on getting there: If you know me, you know I used points to book our flights. To get the best points value, I had to pull off some convoluted maneuvers. But it was worth it -- paying cash for five round trip tickets would have blown my budget for the entire vacation. If you want to learn more about my ninja moves using points, scroll to the bottom of this blog post for details.
OK, now that we got that out of the way, here we goooooo...first stop: Tokyo!
Shimokitazawa
The whole family agrees that the highlight of our Tokyo adventure was spending time in Shimokitazawa, the hipster neighborhood we chose as our home base. We absolutely loved the funky Brooklyn neighborhood vibe, the artsy people, the endless opportunities to wander into a tiny bar or shop and talk to an interesting person or discover a cool collection of unique items for sale.
The one down side of staying in "Shimokita," as it is affectionately known, is that the hotel we stayed at, The Mustard Hotel, had some cause for hesitation, and there don't seem to be any better alternatives in the area. Airbnb is definitely worth a try, but with a wheelchair and the language barrier, we weren't willing to risk ending up in an apartment with doorways too narrow for us to fit through. On the plus side, the hotel lobby is very cool, with a a hip coffee shop and an outdoor patio that runs the length of the building where locals gather with their dogs to hang out and chat. The people who work there are super nice and offer helpful suggestions for restaurants and activities. But the rooms are, honestly, just barely passable. The upstairs hallways need to be painted, the carpeting needs to be replaced or at least deep-cleaned, and some art needs to be hung on the walls. The rooms are very small and one of our rooms, which was supposedly wheelchair accessible, was extremely tight even for Charley's foldable travel chair. If we had his big kahuna with us, it never would have worked.
Spending a day in Shimokita rather than staying there is definitely an option, but you'd miss out on the things we loved the most about setting up camp there for four days -- coming back to our friendly neighborhood after a long day of sightseeing in downtown Tokyo, chatting with locals over coffee every morning at Sidewalk Coffee Roasters in our hotel, wandering the streets and seeing elderly couples ride by on bicycles and groups of preschoolers with colorful hats holding onto a long lead so they all stay together, wandering around the outdoor flea markets on our last day when we only had an hour to spare before heading to the train station to make our way to Kyoto.
Whether you decide to stay in Shimokita or just visit for the day, definitely hit up these spots:
Flipper's pancakes: These are not the pancakes you're used to. They are so fluffy, they're almost souffle-like in consistency, and absolutely scrumptious.
Universal Bakes -- The AM donut was one of the best things I've ever eaten. It was like a Japanese gourmet Munchkin -- a cross between a the best cinnamon sugar donut you've ever had and a traditional Japanese daifuku (mochi made with bean paste).
Hakko Department -- Blink and you can miss this tiny grocery shop focused on all things fermented. Everything's in Japanese, so bring whatever translation app you're using so you can stock up on crunchy miso snacks, umami ketchup, and lots of other snacks, sauces and spices you can't get at home.
Oreryu Ramen -- Classic, delicious, cheap and filling.
Kamakurayama Komotem -- order onigiri (rice balls) from an automated machine and then watch the yummy snacks with varied toppings like salmon roe, seaweed, and pickled veggies being made with care and precision.
Now that I've shared a list with you, I must say that one thing I realized a few days into the trip is this: don't hyper focus on a list someone gave you. The best part of our trip was wandering around and discovering places. If you keep an open mind and spend a lot of time exploring, I know you will hit upon similar finds.
Discovering Tokyo
We had a walking route mapped out for each day in Tokyo, but there wasn't a day when we made it through even half of the planned destinations. Everything took way longer than we thought it would, in a good way. We spent nearly an hour in Don Quijote, a discount store selling anything and everything under the sun. That set us back in terms of our itinerary, but we didn't care...browsing through aisles jam packed with items ranging from Japanese makeup to electronic gadgets to corn in a bag was a fascinating detour.
Of the spots we did make it to, here's what I wouldn't miss:
Walk down Omotesando Street to Meji Shrine -- I'm not one for high-end chain store shopping -- why travel around the world to go to Chanel or Prada when you can do that at home (if you do that sort of thing at home). But the architecture on Omotesando Street is unique and modern, and definitely worth checking out -- not to mention the crowds of Japanese people bustling about wearing mini skirts, knee high platform boots and cropped puffer jackets. The Meji Shrine is peaceful and stunning, all the more impactful for being a sanctuary of calm in the middle of a buzzing metropolis.
Tsukiji Fish Market -- We almost skipped this destination for fear of it being too touristy, but so glad we checked it out. We arrived in the morning and proceeded to make our way through the various food stalls, devouring tuna hand rolls, crispy sweet potato chips, wagyu beef skewers, black sesame soft serve, and green tea daifuku all before 10 am.
Kappabashi Street -- Blocks and blocks of kitchen supply stores selling everything from $10,000 artisan knives to plastic sushi. At Kama-Asa, Charley bought a knife with his name engraved on the blade in Japanese characters (Ten grand was a bit steep for him so he spent $60).
TeamLab Borderless -- It's hard to describe this immersive, digital art experience. You wander from room to room and everything shifts before your eyes, shapes and lights and colors. TeamLab Planets is a similar exhibition in another part of Tokyo, but Borderless is 100% accessible so we chose to go there. FYI -- To keep the floors clean, they have you leave your wheelchair at the entrance and transfer into a manual loaner chair.
Ironically, our least favorite meals in Tokyo were at restaurants we booked in advance because they looked really special and had 4.9 stars. We found out later that only foreigners give such high ratings, so the best local joints are hard to find using Google reviews. Our best meals were at casual restaurants we found on the fly, from a soba noodle shop on the 14th floor of an office building where the noodles are made fresh right in front of you to a kaiten sushi spot, where ridiculously affordable sushi is delivered by the piece directly to your table on a conveyor belt.
As far as accessibility goes the subways are, by and large, accessible although sometimes the elevators are hard to find. All of the streets have cutouts so we never found ourselves stuck. Many of the eateries are tiny; we ate at several places where there were eight cramped seats in the in entire establishment. We know we like to wander around and find hidden spots like that, so we brought Charley's foldable travel chair for maximum flexibility. If you're traveling with a large, heavy chair, plan your itinerary in advance to avoid any snafus and you should be totally fine as there are many places to enjoy that are accessible to all. Accessible Japan is an incredible resource.
Kyoto Wanderers We took the bullet train to Kyoto, which was fast, clean, comfortable and accessible -- plus we got a great view of iconic Mount Fuji from the window. In Kyoto, we stayed at the Ace Hotel which was a fun, hip spot in a central location. In Kyoto, we had no pre-planned outings, just a vague idea of areas we wanted to cover. We all loved walking through the Nishiki market, a busy marketplace with tons of fascinating food items from freshly roasted chestnuts to caramelized sweet potatoes to squid on a stick. Maisy and I stole away for an hour to experience a Japanese scalp massage, which was incredibly relaxing. We sat in a huge comfy recliners in an old house while two masseuses deftly released stress using pressure on various points on our head, neck and shoulders. Afterward, I felt like I was floating.
Kyoto can get crowded, but it's not too hard to avoid the most popular spots while still getting a great feel for the city. The Philosopher's Walk is a beautiful area for a stroll, and we also found zen moments at Yasaka Shrine and Sanjūsangendō Temple. If you don't have mobility challenges, I would check out Fushimi Inari shrine, which is reportedly beautiful and moving but involves a hike.
We loved our dinner at Ashiote, a vegetable-forward restaurant where all the cooks seem to be having the time of their lives. The mood was happy and the food was scrumptious, from the yellowtail cooked in crockpot with rice to the delectable, silky smooth eggplant to the sweet potato ice cream. This one's cash only, so come prepared.
If I could do it again, I would plan at least one experience in Kyoto like a traditional tea ceremony or a tour of the historic Gion district. I loved wandering around without an agenda, but there's also so much rich history and culture to learn about. That said, do not over plan your days. One of our most memorable experiences in Kyoto was spending upwards of an hour at a tiny tea shop we discovered. We had nowhere to be that afternoon, so we could spend our time leisurely tasting dozens of tea varieties and learning from the shop owner.
Osaka
I do not have much to report about Osaka because by the time we got there, we were fried. One logistical error I want to highlight -- I was so enamored of the bullet train that we took it again from Kyoto to Osaka, which I would not recommend. It would have been much easier and faster -- and not much more expensive -- to take a taxi.
We used points to stay at the Conrad, which is in a high rise building with breathtaking views of the city. Although it's not my vibe -- I prefer boutique hotels over international chains -- the rooms were palatial in size and the service was impeccable. And we were so tired from walking all around Kyoto and Tokyo that we spent most of the two days leisurely eating everything in the hotel's delicious breakfast buffet and decompressing in the hot tub and sauna. We did love walking around the Nakazakicho neighborhood, which is full of cool little thrift shops, art galleries, and cafes. And we had a delicious dinner at Gyoshoku Dokoro Kazutoyo Dosho Ten including lots of sushi, tempura, a scrumptious whole fish cooked in delectable broth, and more -- all for about $25 per person.
My main takeaway from our trip to Japan, is that in this fabulous country full of so much to see, do, eat, and buy, you cannot go wrong. In the cities we visited, just walking down the street is an adventure. If you're going, plan in advance to hit a few must-see sites (in my opinion, not more than one each day), and spend the rest of the time exploring various neighborhoods. During our ten days in Japan, we covered an average of eight miles per day on foot. My final words of advice: bring an open mind and a comfortable pair of shoes, and you will have an epic adventure!
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