Tokyo, Japan + Add a trip

D & Department

Off the beaten track store & cafe selling new and used contemporary Japanese furniture and household products.

French Pastry Heaven 1

Pierre Hermé of Parisian and Ladurée fame opened several locations in Tokyo. The macarons and chocolates and other pastries are uniformly yumtastic and not to be missed. The store at Aoyama is designed by Wonderwall; should be an event in itself just to visit.

Great Bars, Cheap price

Tokyo has many cheap bars that offer decent beer prices between 6-9. Usually Y200 is all a beer costs. Having lived in Tokyo for a year, I can highly recommend Standing Bar O. An underground bar with cool decor and friendlym english speaking staff. Happy hour is from 5-9 and all drinks are half price.

Head past McDonalds in Shibuya and it's opposite Tasu-ichi in the basement.

Nice and inexpensive sushi and sashimi

If you want to eat a really good sushi and sashimi and do not expend a fortune try Sushi-Zanmai.

Umenohana Tofu Restaurants

Umenohana is a chain of restaurants specializing in dishes made from Tofu (bean curd). There are several central locations within Tokyo (refer website) and the lunchtime set menus are recommended as the best way of being introduced to the versatility of this important ingredient in Japanese cuisine.

Academy Hills library - "virtual office"

If you are in Tokyo for a month or longer and need a quiet place to work, why not try Academy Hills on the 49th floor of the Mori Building at Roppongi Hills?

Its a private library with wlan internet access and cafe (you can even get Coronas with lime!). The membership is about 10,000 Yen (60 euros) per month.

Basically its supposed to be a meeting point for academia and business or anyone looking to continue on a life-long path of learning. But there isn't much to do unless you speak Japanese. Even becoming a member when your a foreigner is a show. After you pay the membership fee with a credit card, they'll still want to photocopy your passport. Well you have to remember that the Japanese are overcautious! :-)

The place has a beautiful view over Tokyo Tower and Tokyo Bay. Its a great place to spend a couple hours of quiet time. Nearby you'll find nice hotels, shopping, museums, restaurants from all over the world, a movie theater etc.

Daidai-ya

Daidai-ya, although mildly expensive, is a really pleasant dining experience. The establishment is in a large space on the top floor of a building, with lots of cosy, private spaces. The servers are young and friendly and the food is delicious!

It bills itself as a "fusion" restaurant, and indeed, there are some--fairly subtle, I thought--departures from traditional Japanese cuisine.

There are also branches in Shinjuku and Ginza (or near to Ginza).

For all the expats and business visitors hanging around Shinagawa, there's Tofuro izakaya in the Shinagawa complex (although Tofuro is a chain, so you can find it elsewhere). It's middle priced, but really good food. Fresh tofu every half an hour and I must say the creamy one is absolutely delicious!! Besides the good food, and village-style interior, there's also electronic fireworks =.)

Here's a pic I took on one of my trips to Tokyo:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/freckle_m/512090752/

More about Tofuro here:
http://www.tofuro.jp/tofuro/english.html

Enjoy!