Japan Recommended (by the Steemians who live there)

Source: Pixabay

Planning a trip is usually fun and exciting.

But it can be difficult and time-consuming as well. There are so many sources to look at and things to consider, and if you want to get a real feel for the location you are visiting, something that goes beyond the guidebooks and is recommended by the locals, it can be hard to know where to turn. But in a global community like Steemit, all you have to do is ask.

And that is exactly what I did to help get some insider suggestions for another Steemian who is planning to visit Japan in the very near future. I reached out to the growing Japanese community here and got a number of great suggestions for what to do and where to go while visiting Tokyo, Kyoto, and a small area in the Nagano/Niigata area known as Jigokudani, which translates to Hell Valley.

Here is what they had to say.

A special thanks goes out to @akipponn, @yadamaniart, @crystalandhawaii, @sho-t, @steemitjp, and @afukichi for giving such great and detailed suggestions.

First Installment: Tokyo

If you’re interested in architecture and city skylines, be sure to drop by some of these places.

1. The Tokyo Tocho in Shinjuku. It has an observation deck in each of its two towers that are free to access, and a reasonably priced cafeteria with a lunch buffet. Google Maps Locations

2. The viewing deck from Roppongi Hills. In addition to giving you a great view of the Tokyo Tower, the viewing deck here gives you nice sprawling views of much of the city and beyond. Additionally, there is a library that comes highly recommended by @akipponn on the 49th floor of the Roppongi Hills Mori Tower. The library is called Academy Hills and has been described as giving visitors the feeling of being in a different universe. If that doesn’t peek your interest, I don’t know what will. Day passes can be purchased for 3,000 yen and will give you access to the entire library, which includes a members’ café, a workspace, a share room, and WIFI. Library Website

3. Park Hyatt Hotel in Shinjuku. For fans of the movie Lost in Translation, stopping by the New York Grill for a lunch buffet, or dropping in to the hotel’s New York Bar to do your best Bill Murray impression might be for you. Beware though, a cover charge of 2,500 yen is charged from Monday to Saturday starting at 8:00 pm and beginning at 7:00 pm on Sundays. If you want to try just dropping in to enjoy the restaurant’s 360 degree view of Tokyo, it’s best to do so before these times. Hyatt Website

4. The roof of the KITTE shopping mall in Marunouchi. Located just across the street from JR Tokyo Station, this makes a quick and easy getaway for any traveler stopping in or passing through Tokyo. Seeing as how many visitors pass through Tokyo Station shortly after arriving at Narita Airport and taking a train into the city, making a quick trip to the top of the KITTE shopping mall might be one of the fastest ways to get a first glimpse of the city. The roof can easily be accessed from the Tokyo Station Marunouchi Underground ticket gate: For more directions, please check this Website.

5. Mount Takao While not located in the city, this a popular site among people living in Tokyo that has been worshipped as a sacred mountain for over a thousand years. In addition to giving visitors access to a monkey park, hot springs, a museum, and a number of other traditional sites, the view from the Mt. Takao’s summit, which takes approximately 90 minutes to reach on foot, gives you tremendous views of the Tokyo skyline and, when the weather cooperates, Mt Fuji as well. It only takes 50 minutes to get to from Shinjuku Station and comes highly recommended, again by @akipponn. Train fare is 390 yen one way. For more information, please look Here.

Source: Pixabay

If horticulture and Japanese garden design is more your thing:

Or, if you feel like you just need to take a break from the city, which I’ve been told many Tokyoites do, @sho-t highly recommends Koishikawa Korakuen Garden, which borders the Tokyo Dome and Tokyo Dome City (something else that is worth paying a quick visit to). Entrance to the garden costs 300 yen. For glimpses of the views that await you there, please check the gardens Homepage.

If you happen to be traveling in autumn, and would like to see foliage that is said to rival that of Kyoto:

@steemitjp recommends stopping by Goutokuji Temple in Setagaya. While being described as being somewhat out of the way, a legendary collection of manekineko, the iconic cat that can be seen inviting customers into restaurants, izakayas, and shops all across the country, is waiting to reward you for your efforts. For More Information

For lovers of food and cooking, I have received two suggestions.

One is a tonkatsu restaurant in Ogawa Machi called Ponchi-ken. This restaurant is regularly ranked among the best tonkatsu restaurants in Tokyo and is featured in the Michelin guide to Tokyo. If you like pork, and you have never tried tonkatsu before, this is a must eat food while you are in Japan. For access, please refer to this Website.

The second recommendation, is an area near Asakusa (another must see location when in Tokyo) called Kappabashi Dogu Street, or as @akipponn has lovingly dubbed it, kitchen town. Here, you will find more than 170 stores dedicated to selling kitchen utensils, tableware, and all things related to eating and cooking, not to mention collections of the plastic food replications that adorn many restaurant windows across Japan. As @akipponn has recommended in her own Tokyo Guide series, this can be a great place for buying souvenirs for yourself or your friends.

Be warned, though, shops start closing at 5 pm and many of them are closed on Sunday.

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That's all for this first installation of Japan Recommended

A Japan travel guide made for Steemians by the Steemians who live here.

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This particular version was made for a Steemian who expressed interest in architecture and sky scrapers. If you are looking for an insider's perspective on a certain topic or a specific place in Japan, feel free to contact me. I will make a post asking the Japanese community for their insights and opinions, and report them back to you.