Tokyo & Kyoto April 2022

[curiousbynature12]

I'm in the process of confirming hotel and other reservations for a solo Japan trip in mid to late April next year. The plan is to  spend 6 nights in Tokyo and 3 nights in Kyoto/Osaka via the Shinkansen bullet train.

This will be my first trip to the country, so I'm focusing on as much museums and history and culture, with some shopping and nightlife mixed in when I have time.

Let me know if you have any recommendations for things to do or where to stay in either city.

Fingers crossed the country will be open by next spring for foreigners.

Edited November 2, 2021 by curiousbynature12

[curiousbynature12]

Current list of activities in Tokyo include:

• Nezu Museum
• Yoyogi Park
• Omoide Yokocho
• New York Bar (Park Hyatt Tokyo)
• Cat Cafe MOCHA
• Bohemian Tokyo in Shimokitazawa
• teamLab Borderless
• Yakiniku Champion Ebisu Honten: A Good spot for some Wagyu Beef in Tokyo
• Meiji Shrine & Inner Garden
• Ruby Room: Local live music venue.
• Tokyo Pub Crawl
• Walking Food Tour of Shibuya at Night

I'm still working on confirmed activities for Osaka and Kyoto, but it will include more museums and shrines, hopefully a night at a really nice ryokan (Hiiragiya reservation would be ideal), and experiencing Dontonbori and the foodie scene in Osaka.

I also would like to experience more of the gay scene in Tokyo, but that'll be harder here since I am not a local and don't have a local guide to help me get into these places.

[curiousbynature12]

For accommodations, I'm mainly looking for places that are close to metro stations and central to their cities and to major tourist spots and restaurants. For Tokyo, this would be places near Ginza, Shinjuku, Shibuya, and near Downtown in Kyoto.

These are the places I'm considering so far. Let me know if you have other recommendations:

Tokyo:

• Andaz Tokyo
• Park Hyatt Tokyo
• Conrad Tokyo
• Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo

Kyoto/Osaka:

• Hyatt Regency Tokyo
• Hiiragiya Ryokan - Downtown Kyoto
• Tawaryan Ryokan - same area
• Noku Kyoto
• Conrad Osaka
• Osaka Marriott Miyako Hotel
• The St. Regis Osaka
• InterContinental Hotel Osaka

 

 

[cany10011]

For a ryokan, have you considered doing a side trip to Hakone/ Mt Fuji? You can do that on your way from Tokyo to Kyoto. Lived in Tokyo for 2 years… you mentioned a lot of nice spots. Hoshinoya in Kyoto can also provide a nice experience.  

Do you like shopping? There are a lot of cool local stores that sell pottery and japanese ceramics. Tokyo Midtown has a nice shopping mall with some traditional stores selling handicrafts that make great souvenirs.  Do check out some fun neighborhoods Naka Meguro, Azabu Juban, Omotesando/ Harajuku neighborhoods.  

Have fun! Don’t forget when taking cabs you don’t need to open or close the doors. The drivers hate that. Just let them open and close (automatically) for you. Also, if navigating the subway system, make sure you know what exit you  are exiting as exits can be whole neighborhood blocks away, even though the subway station is the same. 

 

Edited November 7, 2021 by cany10011

[+ nycman]

20 hours ago, curiousbynature12 said:

Yoyogi Park

Beautiful park. Worth a visit. 

20 hours ago, curiousbynature12 said:

Omoide Yokocho

Cute. Go see it, but there are much better places to eat in Tokyo. 

20 hours ago, curiousbynature12 said:

New York Bar (Park Hyatt Tokyo)

Massively overrated. Would you hang out in a Park Hyatt in New York? Then why do it in Tokyo?

20 hours ago, curiousbynature12 said:

Cat Cafe MOCHA

Unless you LOVE cats….I don’t get it. These places are creepy. 
Now the Owl cafe on the other hand fucking rocks!
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g1066443-d7083924-Reviews-Owl_Cafe_Akiba_Fukurou-Chiyoda_Tokyo_Tokyo_Prefecture_Kanto.html

20 hours ago, curiousbynature12 said:

Meiji Shrine & Inner Garden

Beautiful, be prepared for lots of walking. It’s next to Yoyogi Park. 

20 hours ago, curiousbynature12 said:

I also would like to experience more of the gay scene in Tokyo, but that'll be harder here since I am not a local and don't have a local guide to help me get into these places.

I would strongly suggest hiring a local gay tour guide. Google it, they’re not hard to find. There are hundreds of 12 seat "gay bars" in Tokyo. Westerners are allowed into about three of them. With a Japanese guide that number increases to about 12. I’m not kidding. It’s an incredibly closed society. There are a few larger street level gay bars that are relatively welcoming. My favorite was the Tokyo Eagle. https://www.eagletokyo.com The guys there were really happy we were there and went out of their way to make sure we knew they wanted us to be there. Most of Japan is like that. It will be very clear where you are welcome, and where you are not.  

The Mandarin Oriental Tokyo is a stunning and damn near flawless hotel. 
https://www.mandarinoriental.com/tokyo/nihonbashi/luxury-hotel

19 hours ago, curiousbynature12 said:

The St. Regis Osaka

Nice hotel. Boring city. I’d skip it in the future. 
As Philadelphia is to New York, so Osaka is to Tokyo. 
More xenophobic and less interesting. 
In my book a local gay guide is almost essential here, but I’m not sure I’d even bother. 
Kyoto is so much more beautiful and interesting….but zero night life. 

And of course, there is only one…..https://www.aman.com/resorts/aman-kyoto

Edited November 7, 2021 by nycman
Fixed my typo as noted by Mr. Nicholas below

[+ BenjaminNicholas]

12 hours ago, nycman said:

And of course, the(re) is only one…..https://www.aman.com/resorts/aman-kyoto

Agreed.  

I'd say the same for Aman Tokyo.  https://www.aman.com/hotels/aman-tokyo

If you can, you should.  It's quiet, very private and their bar is one of the sexiest places for a drink in the city.

They also have a concierge team who can do anything.  Literally.  They're incredible.

[curiousbynature12]

19 hours ago, cany10011 said:

For a ryokan, have you considered doing a side trip to Hakone/ Mt Fuji? You can do that on your way from Tokyo to Kyoto. Lived in Tokyo for 2 years… you mentioned a lot of nice spots. Hoshinoya in Kyoto can also provide a nice experience.  

Do you like shopping? There are a lot of cool local stores that sell pottery and japanese ceramics. Tokyo Midtown has a nice shopping mall with some traditional stores selling handicrafts that make great souvenirs.  Do check out some fun neighborhoods Naka Meguro, Azabu Juban, Omotesando/ Harajuku neighborhoods.  

Have fun! Don’t forget when taking cabs you don’t need to open or close the doors. The drivers hate that. Just let them open and close (automatically) for you. Also, if navigating the subway system, make sure you know what exit you  are exiting as exits can be whole neighborhood blocks away, even though the subway station is the same. 

 

I did not, thanks for the suggestion and tips! I'll look into options for a night in the Hakone/ Mt Fuji area.

I'm usually not much of a shopper, I tend to stick to carry on items only, but I'm considering spending more time shopping for skincare and other fun art, ceramics, books, gadgets, and other cool items to take home with me.

 

 

[+ Charlie]

17 hours ago, nycman said:

Beautiful park. Worth a visit. 

Cute. Go see it, but there are much better places to eat in Tokyo. 

Massively overrated. Would you hang out in a Park Hyatt in New York? Then why do it in Tokyo?

Unless you LOVE cats….I don’t get it. These places are creepy. 
Now the Owl cafe on the other hand fucking rocks!
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g1066443-d7083924-Reviews-Owl_Cafe_Akiba_Fukurou-Chiyoda_Tokyo_Tokyo_Prefecture_Kanto.html

Beautiful, be prepared for lots of walking. It’s next to Yoyogi Park. 

I would strongly suggest hiring a local gay tour guide. Google it, they’re not hard to find. There are hundreds of 12 seat "gay bars" in Tokyo. Westerners are allowed into about three of them. With a Japanese guide that number increases to about 12. I’m not kidding. It’s an incredibly closed society. There are a few larger street level gay bars that are relatively welcoming. My favorite was the Tokyo Eagle. https://www.eagletokyo.com The guys there were really happy we were there and went out of their way to make sure we knew they wanted us to be there. Most of Japan is like that. It will be very clear where you are welcome, and where you are not.  

The Mandarin Oriental Tokyo is a stunning and damn near flawless hotel. 
https://www.mandarinoriental.com/tokyo/nihonbashi/luxury-hotel

Nice hotel. Boring city. I’d skip it in the future. 
As Philadelphia is to New York, so Osaka is to Tokyo. 
More xenophobic and less interesting. 
In my book a local gay guide is almost essential here, but I’m not sure I’d even bother. 
Kyoto is so much more beautiful and interesting….but zero night life. 

And of course, there is only one…..https://www.aman.com/resorts/aman-kyoto

I agree with the Philadelphia to New York/Osaka to Tokyo comparison. (Note: I have lived in both Philadelphia and New York, and spent time in both Osaka and Tokyo.)

[curiousbynature12]

17 hours ago, nycman said:

Beautiful park. Worth a visit. 

Cute. Go see it, but there are much better places to eat in Tokyo. 

Massively overrated. Would you hang out in a Park Hyatt in New York? Then why do it in Tokyo?

Unless you LOVE cats….I don’t get it. These places are creepy. 
Now the Owl cafe on the other hand fucking rocks!
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g1066443-d7083924-Reviews-Owl_Cafe_Akiba_Fukurou-Chiyoda_Tokyo_Tokyo_Prefecture_Kanto.html

Beautiful, be prepared for lots of walking. It’s next to Yoyogi Park. 

I would strongly suggest hiring a local gay tour guide. Google it, they’re not hard to find. There are hundreds of 12 seat "gay bars" in Tokyo. Westerners are allowed into about three of them. With a Japanese guide that number increases to about 12. I’m not kidding. It’s an incredibly closed society. There are a few larger street level gay bars that are relatively welcoming. My favorite was the Tokyo Eagle. https://www.eagletokyo.com The guys there were really happy we were there and went out of their way to make sure we knew they wanted us to be there. Most of Japan is like that. It will be very clear where you are welcome, and where you are not.  

The Mandarin Oriental Tokyo is a stunning and damn near flawless hotel. 
https://www.mandarinoriental.com/tokyo/nihonbashi/luxury-hotel

Nice hotel. Boring city. I’d skip it in the future. 
As Philadelphia is to New York, so Osaka is to Tokyo. 
More xenophobic and less interesting. 
In my book a local gay guide is almost essential here, but I’m not sure I’d even bother. 
Kyoto is so much more beautiful and interesting….but zero night life. 

And of course, there is only one…..https://www.aman.com/resorts/aman-kyoto

Good points!

I generally like cats, but given my limited time, I could fit in other places to visit instead.

I was about to ask exploring the local gay scene is worth it but the Eagle Tokyo alone sold me on trying.

For Kyoto, I'm only there for the day time activities so no expectations on the nightlife. Osaka, I'm fine with skipping for this trip.

A few questions:

• What are you favorite places to eat in Tokyo?
• Is Kyoto worth seeing for 3 nights or should I save it for a longer trip to the Kansai region?

[+ Charlie]

If you get tired of the tempo of Tokyo and feel you would like to get out of the city, you might enjoy a day trip to Nikko.

[curiousbynature12]

4 hours ago, Benjamin_Nicholas said:

Agreed.  

I'd say the same for Aman Tokyo.  https://www.aman.com/hotels/aman-tokyo

If you can, you should.  It's quiet, very private and their bar is one of the sexiest places for a drink in the city.

They also have a concierge team who can do anything.  Literally.  They're incredible.

I'm so tempted to do it. Aman Tokyo seems like a great central spot and waking up to those kind of views would be great too...

This hotel and Aman New York would be great to visit during the spring.

[+ Lucky]

It's a bullet train ride to Hiroshima, where the Peace park includes a very large scale model of what the city looked like after the bomb dropped. It is very impressive.

[cany10011]

56 minutes ago, curiousbynature12 said:

I did not, thanks for the suggestion and tips! I'll look into options for a night in the Hakone/ Mt Fuji area.

I'm usually not much of a shopper, I tend to stick to carry on items only, but I'm considering spending more time shopping for skincare and other fun art, ceramics, books, gadgets, and other cool items to take home with me.

 

 

You will like Don Quixote- they have so many gadgets and electronics. You can spend a whole day there!. I noticed others have mentioned a cat cafe. If you are in the Harajuku/ Meiji Shrine area… there are a few cat and rabbit cafes next to each other as well as the famous Harujuku dumpling house. 

Not sure if others have mentioned, but the food halls in Ginza - Mituskoshi are fantastic.  For upmarket stuff, Isetan is the place to go. But, it’s nice to do shopping in the small neighborhood stores, where it seems every store specializes in something unique. 

Edited November 7, 2021 by cany10011

[cany10011]

43 minutes ago, curiousbynature12 said:

Good points!

I generally like cats, but given my limited time, I could fit in other places to visit instead.

I was about to ask exploring the local gay scene is worth it but the Eagle Tokyo alone sold me on trying.

For Kyoto, I'm only there for the day time activities so no expectations on the nightlife. Osaka, I'm fine with skipping for this trip.

A few questions:

• What are you favorite places to eat in Tokyo?
• Is Kyoto worth seeing for 3 nights or should I save it for a longer trip to the Kansai region?

3 nights is fine, including a day trip to Nara. 

[+ nycman]

2 hours ago, Charlie said:

I have lived in both Philadelphia and New York, and spent time in both Osaka and Tokyo.

I always knew we were kindred spirits on this Astral Plane.
Which was also one of my favorite restaurants in Philly.
What can I say? I was poor and didn’t really know great food, 
but I did appreciate alternative decor!

[+ BenjaminNicholas]

23 minutes ago, nycman said:

I was poor and didn’t really know great food, but I did appreciate alternative decor!

So, I could have served you hotdogs as long as the lighting was interesting?

Fuck.  I need to jot that down for future reference.

[+ WilliamM]

Not a suggestion, just a comment.

 

When I was in Tokyo in 1995, I was encouraged by the jazz performances and even more by the jazz  CDs available in so many stores.

Extraordinary

[curiousbynature12]

21 hours ago, WilliamM said:

Not a suggestion, just a comment.

 

When I was in Tokyo in 1995, I was encouraged by the jazz performances and even more by the jazz  CDs available in so many stores.

Extraordinary

This is why I want to go the Ruby Room. I keep hearing the live music there is good, there's a diversity of genres played, and its welcoming to non-japanese people to play and to watch.

 

[curiousbynature12]

I'll also need to get a mixture of a loaded Suica card and the JR Pass to go to Kyoto (and potentially Nara or Hiroshima), though it would be fun to try out the "Nozomi", the fastest bullet train in Japan, which isn't covered by the JR Pass.

First Class also looks really nice on these bullet trains (at least compared to many American airline seats), and I want to try that during the trip.

Edited November 9, 2021 by curiousbynature12