My Favourite Spots In Japan

It’s been a while since we got back from Japan, and I’ve been wanting to create small guide of places we enjoyed! Like many people, we leaned heavily on TikTok when planning, as we didn’t really know where to start. While it gave us plenty of ideas, a lot of those viral places ended up feeling so touristy. What we were really searching for were smaller, independent, more authentic Japanese spots but instead, we found ourselves ticking off a lot of the big, crowded highlights. So given that I’d say to plan your trip based on what you enjoy, not what everyone else tells you to do. It might sound contradictory given that I’m about to share my recommendations, but the key is not to feel like you “have to” see everything. You don’t need to visit every shrine or every photo spot just because it’s popular.

For us, Kyoto and Osaka didn’t quite live up to expectations, and they’re probably not places we’d rush back to. Areas like Nishiki Market, Tsukiji Market, and Dotonbori felt a bit too busy and tourist heavy almost like the Japanese equivalent of Piccadilly Circus. Tokyo, on the other hand, was an incredibly cool place and somewhere I am desperate to return, asap!

Tips Before You Travel:

ESIM - Ubigi for ESIM

SUICA - Download Suica for Metro payments

CASH - Lots of places are cash only

CARD - Take physical cards for some payments

IMMIGRATION FORM - Fill in before you fly

SHINKANSEN - Can buy tickets at the station

TIKTOK - Don’t rely on TikTok for reccos

TAX FREE - Take your passport out with you for tax free shopping

AMAN - Kyoto

We landed in Tokyo and went straight over to Kyoto to try and get over the jet lag, before heading into the city. It was a bit of a splurge, but we stayed at Aman Kyoto and it was so good. It’s set right in the middle of a forest and just feels really calm and quiet. After nearly 24 hours of travelling, it was the perfect place to chill out for 3 days.

SAKAI - Kyoto

One of the main things on our Japan shopping list was Japanese knives, so we did a bit of research and headed out to Sakai while we were staying in Kyoto. It’s about an hour outside the city and the home of Japanese knives. There’s a knife museum there, which is a great place to start and get your bearings on the different types of knives. The whole neighbourhood is then filled with traditional workshops. Our favourite was Mizuno Tanrenjo, a fifth generation blacksmith, where we ended up buying two knives. We asked to have a look behind the scenes and ended up seeing the guy making a sword which takes him 6 months!

TEPPANYAKI - Steak Kiraku

We only did one teppanyaki while we were in Japan, and that was in Osaka, slightly outside the main city at Steak Kiraku. And honestly, I can’t recommend it enough. We were the only people there at the time and ended up having the most unreal, no frills, seven course dinner. The quality of the beef in Japan is on another level I genuinely can’t explain how good it is until you try it.

HOSHINOYA FUJI - Lake Kawaguchi

Most people head to Lake Kawaguchi for a day trip to see Mount Fuji, but the reality is it’s not always visible, so I knew I’d be gutted if we went all that way and didn’t actually see it. Instead, we booked a couple of nights at Hoshinoya Fuji. They describe the rooms as “glamping pods,” which might sound a bit off putting, but don’t let that put you off. Yes, the rooms are set in the forest, but it still feels like a hotel stay. The rooms themselves are slightly tired, but the views make up for it. It was also a really nice way to slow things down after Osaka and Kyoto before heading into Tokyo. We were lucky enough to get the most unreal views and sunset over Mount Fuji which felt even more special as we visited in June, when clear days are pretty rare. If you’re planning a stay, definitely book a room with a balcony we spent most of our time out there.

RAMEN - Ramen Matsui, Tokyo

There’s honestly not much to say here apart from this was the best ramen we had in Japan. We tried a few other places, but nothing else really hit the spot like this one. It was recommended by a friend and I still think about it now! You do need to book (three days in advance), they only take cash and you only have your seat for 30 minutes so don’t be late!

STEAK - Shima Steak, Tokyo

This is Hailey Bieber’s favourite steak restaurant in Japan so obviously we had to try this, because who doesn’t trust a Hailey recco. It’s super rustic, located in the basement of an office building. The staff don’t speak much English and the menu is very simple, basically fillet or sirloin, weighed out in front of you, plus a couple of starters. The steak was easily one of the best we had. It had this unreal crispy outside from being cooked over the fire, but was so soft and tender inside. Everything is cooked and weighed by the owner, and the whole place has that authentic, family run feel which makes it even better. We also had the raw beef tenderloin with soy sauce to start, and my mouth is watering now thinking about it. You’ll need a reservation, but because their English is limited, we used TableEx to book it for us it was about £15. Get this one on your itinerary.

SHOPPING

Ok I don’t know where to start here. The shopping scene in Japan is another level! I mean i’ve never seen a second hand market like it. My favourite place for shopping was 100% Tokyo. We did Kyoto and Osaka too, but didn’t love it as much. Second hand prices were a little lower outside of Tokyo but we didn’t find many cool authentic Japanese brands, maybe we were looking in the wrong place! In Tokyo Harajuku is such a good place to mooch around as well as the Daikanyama area, defo go to the Hollywood Ranch Market shop it’s amazing.

Solakzade is an amazing vintage eyewear and jewellery store, it’s appointment only but it’s easy to WhatsApp them before your trip. They have about 3000 pairs of vintage sunglasses and they bring out pairs they think you’ll like after a consultation, such a cool experience!

For second hand designer shopping, Ragtag in Ginza is a must, and the men’s Komehyo in Ginza was honestly unreal. Think Tom Ford and Saint Laurent leather jackets !!! Although they were a little too large on me. In fact, all of the Komehyo stores we visited were insane. For bags, QOO had some of the most insane Chanel pieces I’ve ever seen. I’m still dreaming about a cashmere chain strap shoulder bag I spotted there, one of those pieces I know I’ll never forget! However, I was on the market for a large leather tote because believe it or not I dot have one! Amore was another favourite, and it’s worth visiting all of their locations as the Women’s, Men’s and Jewellery collections are often in separate shops, usually opposite each other or just around the corner. And then there were the Chanel only stores. We came across entire Amore boutiques dedicated solely to Chanel Tweed or Chanel bags. Heaven. I would also say Nuir Vintage in Shibuya, they have such a good selection of older Loewe bags. Though we didn't love Osaka for shopping my favourite there was the Kindal on orange Street but I wouldn’t rush back to Osaka now I’ve been.

I actually didn’t buy as much as I thought I would, mainly because the sizing of the second hand designer clothing was tiny. I’m not exactly Japanese sized, so that was a little heartbreaking! I did, however, manage to bag a black tote on the last day!! Though this wasn’t second hand thanks to tax free shopping, we manage to save quite a bit!

The whole shopping experience in Japan is just so lovely. You can wander around and take your time without a shop assistant hovering over you, and if you want to sling a Chanel over your shoulder to see how it looks, nobody bats an eyelid. It’s relaxed, unhurried and exactly how I wish shopping everywhere felt!

PASTRY - Pain Des Phillosophes, Tokyo

Pastries in Japan are definitely a thing and they’re actually really good. For breakfast in Tokyo, we ended up going to quite a few bakeries, but this was the one we queued the longest for the whole trip. It wasn’t even a viral spot, just full of locals picking up pastries on a Sunday morning, which says it all. And when I say pastries, I mean just pastries… they didn’t even serve coffee! We were a bit tight on time that day, so we didn’t get to properly explore which we were gutted about because it looked like such a nice neighbourhood!

GYOZAS - Kyoto

If you see a gyoza spot, just go in. We were having pre lunch gyozas, pre dinner gyozas, honestly, they were so good. They’re also ridiculously cheap. I think at one place we got 24 gyozas for about £4.50 !! Also on that note make sure to try the Katsu Curry places that are around about £5 they’re honestly delicious! A few places we tried were Chao Chao Gyoza, Motoi Gyoza and Gyoza no Ohsho, but to be honest, it’s hard to go wrong. Even the random dodge looking spots ended up being great.

PANEVIA - Tokyo

Yes, Italian in Japan! Apparently it’s one of the most popular cuisines there, and Panevia was seriously good. Tiny place, about 10 counter seats and maybe three tables. The menu is all in Japanese on a chalkboard, but the chef talks you through everything and brings out the raw meat, fish and vegetables so you can see what’s being cooked - such a cool touch. It’s really interesting seeing how Japanese chefs interpret Italian food and make it their own. Definitely worth adding to the list, but another one you’ll need to book in advance.

AZUMA SUSHI - Kyoto

A lot of sushi in Japan is omakase style, and because I’m quite fussy with food (oops), it just isn’t really for me. We also found ourselves coming across a lot of conveyor belt sushi spots, which aren’t really my thing either, so it was actually harder than expected to find something that suited us! Anyway, our hotel recommended Azuma Sushi, and we were so glad they did. It’s a tiny spot, just six counter seats, cash only, and they only speak Japanese, which all adds to the experience. We didn’t book, but we went quite late (around 9pm) and managed to get seats. The menu is super simple: just a nigiri platter or a deluxe nigiri platter. Everything is prepared right in front of you, and the fish was some of the freshest we had the whole trip!

TECH DISTRICT - Akihabara, Tokyo

If you’re into tech or just fancy having a mooch, this is the place. It’s pretty cool. We were on the hunt for some cool old cameras and ended up picking up a Canon G10, which is so fun for night time pics. The flash is a bit dodgy though, so definitely check everything properly before you buy (we thought we did).