The Ultimate Guide To Tokyo
The Centurion Hotel Grand is a centrally located city hotel in the lively backstreets of Akasaka. Good if passing through, but not necessarily the place to spend more than a couple of nights. What’s the hotel like? With a small tropical garden …
This weekend, the Shibuya Music Festival will be adding to the general din at various spots spread throughout Shibuya. Venues include Shibuya Hikarie, Marui City Shibuya, Shibuya 109, Dogenzaka-dori, and Miyamasu Mitake Shrine and Shibuya …
With those pesky typhoons out of the way, at last we have a weekend we can enjoy in full. With two major events taking place within a few hundred meters of each other, Odaiba looks like the place to be. The bi-annual (as in twice a year) Design …
If you're a cheapo, there's nothing better than getting things for cheap or for free just because it's your birthday. There used to be a few better deals but you can still get a little something for nothing on the day you turn a year older. 1. …
Store permanently closed. Sometimes eating needs to be about more than just sustaining yourself. At its best, it can be a complete sensory experience - leaving lasting memories and an urge to return as soon as possible. With this in mind, lunch …
OK, let's start with the obvious - none of these are technically 'beer'. Under Japan's anachronistic liquor taxing laws, drinks with a high malt content (ie. beer) are taxed at a higher rate. The consequence is what you see above - new classes …
Anyone who says Halloween isn't a Japanese tradition has probably failed to notice the black cats, bats and pumpkins adorning shops since the end of August. Aside from the madness that is Roppongi at this time of year, there are a couple of big …
Yudetaro is yet another one of the soba noodle chains that proliferate through Tokyo. I'm not saying that like it's a bad thing either - soba noodles are the ultimate cheapo fallback when you're in a hurry, you want something cheap and you don't …
This weekend sees a spectacular range of autumn festivals in and around Tokyo starting with the Koto Ward Citizen's Festival which takes place at Kiba Park. As shown in the image above, the festival features a form of entertainment …
One of the most visually spectacular festivals in Tokyo happens this week at the Ikegami Honmonji temple near Ikegami Station in the southeast art of Tokyo. The Oeshiki Festival runs over all three days of the long weekend. The highlight is a …
Harajuku is ground zero for Japan's kawaii fashion trends and so a natural venue to host "Harajuku Kawaii Fes" - a celebration of all things cute. Entry to this two day festival is free - but you have to pre-register (in Japanese) on their …
Onigiri (rice balls) are to Japanese as sandwiches are to westerners - a quick, cheap, healthy and portable source of nourishment. Also like the humble sandwich, in recent times they have had a "premium" makeover. Unlike the premium sandwiches, …
Namaste India - one of the biggest Indian festivals in Japan - comes to the Yoyogi Park event square this weekend. The festival will feature 32 stalls serving a range of delicious Indian food and drinks. More details here. Just down the road in …
Tsurumaru Udon is a chain of udon noodle shops located throughout Tokyo. Despite having udon in the name, they are surprisingly soba friendly, with a soba variant of all dishes available. The menu (with tiny English text!) offers up 12 …
Before you get your pervy hopes up, the Ohara Naked Festival (Ohara hadaka matsuri) would be more aptly named the Ohara “semi naked” Festival. The dancers costumes are actually quite modest with only (male) chests, shoulders and buttocks bared. …
On a public holiday with a typhoon crawling it's way towards Tokyo, and my regular freelancer's 'hot desk' closed for the day, I decided to try out Takarajima 24 - an internet cafe that advertises completely private rooms and that it "competes …
Store closed: Sadly, Happy Salada closed its doors at the end of November, 2014. When I visit Happy Salada in Akasaka, owner Raphael and his multinational staff are flat out preparing salads for the lunch rush. The store itself is very squeezy, …
Thanks to "Respect for the aged" day, we have a long weekend - that's three for the price of two! In terms of free events, there is something for everyone. For matsuri lovers, there is the Akasaka Hikawa Festival and its closely connected Ark …
Grab your flashest rags and head to Omotesando on Saturday Night for Vogue Magazine's annual Fashion's Night Out. Although the whole concept is about encouraging people to max out their credit cards buying stuff they can't afford, no one says …
To the best of our knowledge, there aren't many major free events on this weekend. The 33rd Asakusa Samba Carnival however is always one of the biggest events of the summer. If you want a good view of the dancers, you should turn up really …
The Seto Udon shop next to Akasaka Mitsuke station is surprisingly spacious. Near major stations, standing noodle bars are what you'd expect but this one is all seated. With subtle indoor lighting, the interior avoids my pet peeve of gaudy …
Two of Tokyo's biggest outdoor dance festivals go head to head this weekend. While the Koenji Awadori festival has a bit more tradition than Super Yosakoi in Harajuku, there is hardly anything to separate the two festivals in terms of scale. …
The dates of most fireworks festivals vary from year to year so that they fall on a convenient Saturday. The Jingugaien Fireworks is an exception - it takes place in a three week window on seemingly random days of the week. This year it happens …
Tonight (Friday the the 9th) and Saturday the 10th sees an evening Bon Dance festival in the very central Hibiya Park. A stone's throw from the Marunouchi financial district and a short walk from Ginza, this festival will see a diverse range of …
