First time in Tokyo?
“I’ve been to Japan, but not Tokyo… where do I start?”
How We Met
Travis, or otherwise known as @tokifoto on IG is a commercial photographer in Hawaii who shoots for well-known local magazines, brands and events. Travis and I met at Pacific Edge’s Awards Ceremony in 2022, where I was selected for “Influencer of the Year.” He was the event photographer that night.
We instantly clicked, remained friends and a year later, he booked a full-day City Tour (Harajuku, Shinjuku, Shibuya) in support of my small tour business. That means a lot to me, and I have a feeling we will be friends for life.
Travis came to Japan alone, but he needed a partner in crime to show him how it’s done. Especially right before Christmas Day.
“This trip is to prove to myself that I can be on my own”
The best part about traveling solo is flying on the airplane alone, staying at nice hotels and meeting up with different characters along the journey. Sounds familiar? This is exactly what Eugene Levy did on “The Reluctant Traveler.”
Choosing the right company makes a whole difference.
However, there are a few things you can’t do alone in this city. Let me show you how to have fun in Tokyo! First stop is Harajuku.
Kawaii Adventure
Zutomayo had a pop up store. She is one of my favorite artists (produced by Universal Music) and I found out above her when I watched the ending credits to the anime movie “The Promised Neverland” … Instantly became a fan.
Watch my cover MV here: "Can't Be Right" by ZUTOMAYO Cover + MV (THE PROMISED NEVERLAND)
Normally, you need a reservation to enter but we were there early so they let us in :) Bunny Power! A long line formed after we left at 11:15 am.
Kyun Kyun Pet Cafe
Kyun Kyun Cafe in Harajuku opened in June 2, 2023.
This is where you can play with hedgehogs, chinchillas, hamsters, guinea pigs, and a gecko!
Admission: Children: ¥1,100 Students: ¥1,600 Adults: ¥2,200
No time limit. Animal food is included. No reservation needed, just walk-in. The space is big enough for at least 20 people.
Compared to other pet cafes in the area, this has the best value if you want to spend more than 30 minutes here. However, this place does not provide a drink bar like most cafes.
We also got some special holiday stickers
They have chinchillas!
A quick bite
Caramel Banana (no whip) crepe from Santa Monica, located at the end of Takeshita Street
Pokemon Themed Purikura
There was a Pokemon campaign going on at the time, so we had to pick the photo booth with Pokemon prints.
Shopping Assistant
Harajuku and Omotesando is full of trendy stores. Travis introduced me to brands I’ve never heard of before and totally out of my budget! (You’re talking to someone who only goes to thrift stores!)
My job was to tell him “NO, DON’T BUY THAT.”
Fortunately, nothing expensive was bought that day since large men’s T-shirt size is very popular and always out of stock, so be prepared for some disappointment.
Travis is born in the Year of the Tiger so he had to pay a visit to Onitsuka Tiger.
Evisu Jeans Brand
Bape
Passion Fruit Slushie 790 yen | Sky Lemonade 750 yen | Fries 620 yen
Shibuya Sky
We hopped on the Bunny Mobile to Shibuya Sky for our reservation at 2pm, which we purchased on Klook.
Shibuya Sky Tickets via Klook: 5% promo code is CYBERBUNNY.
(Ticketing process was very easy with a QR code for each person. Highly recommend!)
Sunset slots (around 4pm in December) were sold out about 3 weeks in advance. We entered early and killed time at the Paradise Cafe as we enjoyed the view.
You can spend an hour grabbing a bite, looking at the art installations, gift shop before going outside.
There is a selfie stand on this corner of the deck. But a nice guy took this shot for us.
He literally caught the sunset!
Omoide Yokocho in Shinjuku
This is a must-stop for first-time visitors to have a drink and pupus at Omoide Yokocho (“Memory Lane” in Japanese). You feel like you’re back in time during the Bubble Era in the 80’s.
This was on Travis’s bucket list. I thought it was necessary to accompany him for happy hour because I wouldn’t want to go here alone. It’s even intimidating for me!
Be aware that izakaya (“pub” in Japanese) will charge a table fee from 350~500 yen which they will give you a mini appetizer in the beginning. No tipping here!
Here are some dishes that was worth going back for!
We hopped to two shops. At the first shop, Mama-san grilled us yakitori and the best motsu-nikomi モツ煮' (left photo above).
I ordered this thinking Travis wouldn’t like this because this comfort soup stew is filled with pork chitterlings (aka. intestines). I like to push people’s comfort zones and make them try new things. After all, we pressured Eugene Levy to eat sashimi. Surprisingly, Travis loved it and ordered another one! It is perfect for the cold weather and goes great with alcohol.
At shop #2, Travis wanted to eat tori-tsukune 鶏つくね(“grilled chicken balls” in Japanese). This place BLEW OUR MINDS! (center photo). Great choice! Their assorted yakitori was unbeatable and cooked all the way.
Until we meet again in Hawaii…
I’m pretty confident I will see this one again, whether that be in Hawaii or Japan.
