10 Days In Japan

Before I begin, let me inform you that this is going to be a long post with many details and a lot of pictures, but Japan is a big country and traveling there can be overwhelming so the more the merrier.

After quite a few trips to Europe, it was time to explore a different part of the world. I just returned from a 12 day solo-trip to Japan, a country with a lot of history, unique culture and finger licking delicious food, make sure to check out my blog post on the ‘Must Try Food in Japan’. Excluding the 2 days of travel, I had 10 full days in hand to explore this wonderful country, and since it’s the beginning of April (2018), I might just catch the end of the Cherry Blossom Season.

Booking.com

Where to stay in Japan?

• Tokyo – Wise Owls Hostel Shibuya – a clean and cozy hostel 15 mins walk from the shibuya crossing and the shibuya station. 
• Kyoto – The Millenials Hotel – a “smart” capsule hotel right in the center. I’m serious when I say “smart”, you’re handed an ipod at checkin which is your key and it controls your capsule which even has a projector for your personal devices so you can catch up on your netflix on your 80″ screen. I can’t recommend this capsule hotel enough.
• Osaka – The Dorm Hostel –  a library inspired hostel, a bookworm’s dream house, with an epic coffee machine right next to the main tourist attraction of this city, Dotonbori.
• Hiroshima – Santiago Guesthouse –  a hostel in the center close to the attractions, but other than the location there was nothing great about this hostel, infact it was my least favorite so I wouldn’t really recommend it. 

What to do in Japan?

DAY 1

Arrived at Haneda International Airport, collected my JR Pass (will be explained later), got a sim card and took the Monorail to my hostel in Shibuya.

It was about 11am and my first bucket list destination was SHIBUYA CROSSING, the busiest pedestrian crossing in the entire world, one does not come to Tokyo and not experience this organized madness. For the best view, head to the starbucks at the intersection, order a Matcha Latte and enjoy the location where the world comes to cross.

I spent about 2 hours exploring this town and it was time for my first meal in Japan at GENKI SUSHI. An interesting concept of Sushi restaurant where you sit infront of a touchscreen, select your sushi and receive your order on the conveyor platform (different from the conveyor belt). They offer a huge variety of items so try not to get carried away like me, but again, YOLO. I ordered about 21 pieces of sushi for approximately 1,600 YEN (about 16 USD), loving the prices already.

Next stop was about 20 minutes walk from Shibuya, TAKESHITA STREET, this street is famous among teenagers and cosplayers. Take a stroll, grab a huge cotton candy or a crepe from one of the many stands and enjoy the bright colors everywhere.

The sun was down, I was well rested in my new capsule bed, it was time to experience the district of SHINJUKU. An area known for its nightlife, bars, restaurants and something different in every corner, including the Godzilla statue on top of Hotel Gracery and the world famous ROBOT RESTAURANT. This restaurant hosts a unique Japanese level weird live show of dances, robots and lights. Almost every to-do list of Tokyo you find online will include this restaurant, which is why it is insanely famous among tourists. The show comes at a very hefty price tag of 8,000 YEN (about 80 USD) and needs to be booked in advance, I decided to skip it.

Other places to visit here are the Golden Gai, a neighborhood of lively pubs and Shinjuku Omoide Yokochō (a.k.a. Piss Alley) a narrow street near shinjuku metro station full of really small restaurants serving grilled meat and drinks.

The day ended after a quick bite on the way back at MOS Burger, a fast food chain across Japan, known for a unique signature burger.

Summary:

• Visit Shibuya Crossing
• Walk around Shibuya
• Lunch at Genki Sushi
• Visit Takeshita Street
• Walk around Shinjuku
• Dinner at MOS Burger.

DAY 2

I was extremely excited to start my first japanese street food experience at TSUKIJI MARKET, an open air fish market which is divided into 2 sections, one for the fish auction held at early hours of the morning (5am I think) and the other part for street food. If you do decide to attend the auction, please note they only let a fixed amount of people in on first come first serve basis. If you like seafood, the street food section is heaven, king crab on a stick, scallops and oysters from the shell, freshly cut sashimi and many more. A must visit for every foodie, expect to spend 2-3 hours here. The market closes around 3pm, so make sure to be there as early as possible and carry enough cash. Make sure to check out my post ‘Must Try Food In Japan’ for more details on what i loved in this market.

Next stop, AKIHABARA (a.k.a. the electric town). A must visit for the geek in you, whether its video games, manga, anime or tech, Akihabara has something for you. My first stop, YODABASHI store, a multi storey electronic store which has the widest range of electronics I’ve ever seen in my entire life, some of which I didn’t even know existed, must visit for a tech geek. Do carry your passport for tax returns if you are planning to shop here, if not, head to the SEGA ARCADE, a gamer’s playground. This building offers a different genre of gaming on each floor (prize based games, LAN based games, Music related, Simulator and VR games), the geek in me really wished to spend an entire day playing games here, if only i had more time.

A visit to Akihabara is not complete without visiting a maid café, another only-in-japan experience where you are served ‘cute’ themed food and drinks by Japanese girls in maid costumes. Unfortunately they were too crowded and the que was too long, so I skipped it.

Akihabara also houses a Gundam café and a Capcom Café among many others.

I head back just after sunset to attend an international meetup at the hostel.

Summary:

• Brunch at Tsukiji Market
• Visit Yodabashi store at Akihabara
• Walk around the Akihabara district
• Visit the Sega Arcade

DAY 3

The teenager in me couldn’t resist a visit to the POKEMON CENTER MEGA TOKYO located in the Sunshine City, a store dedicated only to pokemon. Although I must say, I expected much more from this place, but i would still recommend It to any pokemon fan, atleast for the massive Charizard statue.

It was Day 3 and I couldn’t believe that I haven’t had the most famous dish of this country, Ramen. A quick search on google revealed a highly rated ramen restaurant near sunshine city called KIKANBO RAMEN. Turns out this place is famous for its spicy ramen, hence a massive que with a waiting time of about 70 mins but it was totally worth it. They have 5 spice levels to choose from, I chose the regular level and loved it in and out. I strongly recommend this hidden gem to all ramen enthusiasts. Ramen in Japan is normally priced between 800 to 1500 YEN (8 to 15 USD) and most places are cash only.

I was curious to know how different is the other pokemon center in Tokyo, so I decided to head to POKEMON CENTER SKYTREE. The TOKYO SKYTREE is a huge tower used for communication purposes, it houses a 360 degree observation deck at the top and a shopping complex at the base. The pokemon center located in the skytree was more or less the same as the mega Tokyo one, but I got an excuse to visit the skytree tower. It costs about 2000-3000 YEN (20-30$) to go up the tower and since it was Sunday, there were already hundreds of people waiting in que, so I passed on it. However, I did spent time at the shopping complex for some upscale Japanese souvenirs. I wouldn’t call Skytree a must do in Tokyo, so unless you really want to visit a viewpoint, you could save the long trip from the center and spend your time elsewhere.

Summary:

• Visit Pokemon Center Mega Tokyo
• Lunch at Kikanbo Ramen Restaurant in the Ikebukuro district
• Visit Tokyo Skytree

DAY 4

Checked out the hostel and off to the next city, far away from the neon lights and the high tech, KYOTO. The bullet trains are definitely something in this country, 3 hours later I was in Kyoto Station. Since it was noon I couldn’t check in yet so I just dumped my bags at The Millenials Hotel and head off. 

Time to eat at NISHIKI MARKET, my second street food market in Japan. This market has some really interesting foods to try and a lot of options to take Japanese goodies home, including a massive chopsticks shop. One can easily spend about an hour or two in this place. Some must try foods here takoyaki (octopus dumplings), squid with quail egg on a stick, soy-milk donuts and stuffed steamed bun, more details about this market and it’s epic food on my post ‘Must Try Food In Japan’.

It was about 3pm, too early to retire so I headed to YASAKA SHRINE about 25 minutes walk away from the market. It was at this moment I realized how different this city is from Tokyo. The city is much more traditional and peaceful, the shrine was beautiful and crawling with tourists in kimonos (including Japanese tourists), a lot of opportunities for pictures. There are alot of places in this city which give out kimonos for rent, for men and women, with options to have a full hair and makeup experience. I would say this is a must do in Kyoto.

I spent about half an hour exploring the shrine and walked to the GION district next door, this place is very famous among tourists, Japanese style buildings all around, houses, ryokan hotels and restaurants, all welcoming you for a traditional experience. I think they do have some geisha performances here somewhere since I did come across a geisha twice in this area before I walked back to my hotel.

After sunset, it was time to checkout the famous PONTOCHO ALLEY, a beautiful lantern-lit narrow alley filed with traditional bars and restaurants. This alley is very touristy which makes it a bit expensive, but the experience is worth every Yen you pay. I walked into MIMASUYA RESTAURANT for dinner and spoilt myself with a nice Japanese steak, oh and yes I sat on the floor on a futon mat old-school Japanese style.

Summary

• Transfer to Kyoto (The Millenials Hotel)
• Visit Nishiki Market
• Visit Yasaka Shrine
• Visit Gion District
• Dinner at Pontocho Alley

DAY 5

I had to wake up really early this day to beat the crowd and not miss photo opportunities at the famous FUSHIMI INARI shrine, this place has more than a 1000 orange tori gates, a hard must do in Kyoto. You could just visit the main shrine and the places around it at the base of the mountain or warm up your legs by climbing the steps to the highest shrine, don’t worry its not very high, about half an hour up, but definitely worth it. Once you are done, reward yourself with some munchies at the street food stalls at the base. So fushimi inari, a definite must do.

Next stop, KIYOMIZO-DERA, another shrine located in the city, but more than the shrine I was more interested in the area it is located. A walk in the past is what I would call it. They even have a Japanese style STARBUCKS which is definitely worth checking out for a break. It is also a great place to buy souvenirs and local sweets. Expect to spend about 2-3 hours here.

Summary

• Visit Fushimi Inari and hike to the top
• Lunch at the market on Fushimi Inari base
• Visit Kiyomizo-Dera shrine
• Sip a coffee at the Japanese-style Starbucks near Kiyomizo-Dera

DAY 6

Things we do for perfect pictures, another early day begins and this time at AARASHIYAMA BAMBOO GROVE. Away from the city this picturesque bamboo forest is definitely worth visiting for an instagram post. From here, about 15 mins walk across the famous Togetsukyo bridge is the Aarashiyama Monkey Park, where you pay a small fee of 500 YEN (I think) and go up the mountain to get your cardio running, but once you’ve reached the top you will be welcomed by hundreds of free monkeys walking around you and a lovely view of the city.

All the walking got me starving and it was time for another round of ramen. This time I went to MEMBAKAICHIDAI FIRE RAMEN, a place located in the center, this is no ordinary ramen place. This father and son run restaurant is famous for preparing your ramen with fire, literally. They’ve paid attention to very minute details to make your ramen experience the best one ever, I can’t recommend this place enough, you just cannot leave Kyoto without trying this special ramen. Keep some spare time for this because you will have to wait. I waited about 70 mins till my turn and there were atleast 15 people behind me in the que.

Last thing to do in Kyoto, KINKAKUJI TEMPLE. There isn’t much to do or see here apart from this one Golden Temple in the middle of the water which is definitely one for the memories and a great picture souvenir. Half an hour to one hour is more than enough for this place.

Summary:

• Visit Aarashiyama Bamboo Grove
• Visit Aarashiyama Monkey Park
• Lunch at Menbakaichidai Fire Ramen.
• Visit Kinkakuji Temple

DAY 7

Goodbye Kyoto and hello to the next city, but first a quick stop at NARA PARK in the city of Nara, about an hour away from Kyoto. Nara Park is home to hundreds of deers, you can play with them, feed them and walk among them. The most interesting thing about these deers is that they bow to you for food, they are Japanese after all.  If I’m not wrong, they respond to your bow with the same 3 times before you feed them.

Hello OSAKA, an hour train ride from Nara, this modern city of Japan with great nightlife is going to be my home for 2 nights. I spent my evening with my new friends, Evana and Ellen, at Dotonbori. I met these two lovely ladies at the Kyoto hotel and they have been my company ever since. Dotonbori is the most famous street in Osaka, filled with mechanically decorated restaurants, street food joints and shops, a must visit in this city. There is also a massive shopping district connected to this street.

Summary

• Visit Nara Park
• Transfer to Osaka (The Dorms Hostel)
• Walk around Dotonbori.

DAY 8

The second most famous thing to do in Osaka is to visit the OSAKA CASTLE. However, it was too crowded and we didn’t feel like spending 600 YEN to join the flock of people trying to enter this historic building, so we skipped It and headed to another interesting attraction the UMEDA SKY BUILDING. This 300 meter (approx.) tower has opened its rooftop to public for some epic views of the city, it even houses 2 escalators between the 2 sides of the building open to the 300 meter drop underneath. This place is worth checking out for the views and a love lock booth at the rooftop, however you do have to pay a whooping 1000 YEN to access the roof. Expect to spend about an hour here, and some extra time to figuring out the way to this building from the station because we found this area quite confusing.

My new friend, Evana wanted to try a weird café in Japan, so off to a maid café next to dotonbori. Although maid cafes are much more popular in Tokyo (and a must to do there), they do have one in Osaka and it was definitely the weird experience she wanted.

We wanted to experience atleast some nightlife in Japan, so after a relaxing afternoon we headed to the MOONSHINE BAR, near dotonbori. A very small and cosy bar which can probably accommodate a maximum of 10 people at a time with all English speaking customers and a free karaoke, our night was sorted.

Summary:

• Visit Osaka Castle
• Visit Umeda Sky Building
• Visit Maid Café on Dotonbori
• Evening drinks and karaoke at Moonshine Bar

DAY 9

On to my final destination after a pit stop at KOBE, home of the world famous kobe beef. Being a person who loves food, how could I have skipped this. Kobe is about half an hour away from Osaka, I took a local JR train to kobe just for a meaty lunch. Once you leave the station you will see hundreds of posters and advertisements of different restaurants inviting you to try the epic beef, infact I came across 2 information counters on the street just to help you choose a good place for a meal on your budget. But I wasn’t going to settle for just any restaurant, I picked ROYAL MOURIYA RESTAURANT, a highly recommended fine dining teppanyaki style restaurants for the best kobe beef, coincidentally I met a guy in my hostel in Tokyo who happened to try this exact same place few days ago, so I knew what I was getting into, shoutout to Casey for making me do this.

The best beef I’ve ever had in my life, it’s certified pieces of ribeye steak just melted in my mouth. The menu options are pretty straight forward and they all come with a bunch of sides, just remember this place ain’t cheap. Average spend in this place would be from 15,000 YEN to 30,000 YEN but every single yen is so worth it, bucket list checked.

After a one hour train ride from Kobe I was at my final city of this trip, HIROSHIMA. 

It was about 4pm when I checked in so I ran to the PEACE MEMORIAL MUSEUM, to spend as much time as I can before it closes at 6pm. The walk was just 10 mins and the time in the museum went by really quick. From the moment you pay the entry fee of 200 YEN till the time you exit the exhibition, you will travel back in time to the horrific atomic bombing on this city. The exhibition is very intense and gives you a lot to think about so I would suggest you keep an hour to let it settle in, a must do in this city.

It was raining and I was desperately looking forward to my temporary bed, but before that I had to fill my belly with some Hiroshima special okonomiyaki, a savoury pancaked, stuffed with egg, vegetables, meat, noodles and some toppings of your choice. The most famous place to try this heavenly dish is OKONOMIMURA, a building in the center of the city with 4 floors of okonomiyaki restaurants. Almost all the restaurants looked same and delicious but my hostel staff recommended kyu-chan on the 4^th floor. Expect to spend about 1000-1500 YEN per person here.

Summary

• Visit Royal Mouriya in Kobe for Lunch
• Transfer to Hiroshima (Santuago Guesthouse)
• Visit Hiroshima Peace Museum
• Okonomiyaki Dinner at Okonomimura

DAY 10

An early start to my final day exploring Japan and the destination for today was MIYAJIMA ISLAND, home to the famous great tori. It takes about half an hour by train from the Hiroshima Train Station (for JR pass holders) followed by a 10 min ferry ride (included in the JR Pass) to the island. This place is absolutely gorgeous, you will spend a good amount of time clicking pictures of the floating tori, and if it is low tide, you might actually get to walk to the tori itself and get muddy feet though (the tide changed within few hours while I was here). Right next to the tori is a shrine, which has an entry fee of 200 (or 300 Yen), honestly speaking the shrine isn’t worth it but the only reason I would recommend to go in is because the best spot for a picture of the floating tori is inside this shrine and if you are lucky, you might even get to see a Japanese wedding ceremony .

Another thing to do on this island is to hike up to MOUNT MISEN, which is a 2-3 hour hike up the mountain, alternatively you could take the ropeway car up which I would highly recommend. The ropeway isn’t cheap, you have to shell out 1000 YEN for a one way ride (1800 for return) but totally worth it. I wanted to go up the ropeway and come down on foot but due to lack of time I chose to get a return ticket with the ropeway itself. The views up this 500 meter mountain are stunning so take your time to take a perfect panoramic photo.

On the way back to the ferry pass by the market for some street foods and souvenirs. Must try specialities in this market are the Momoji manju (maple leaf shaped cakes) and the steamed bun.

Expect to spend about 4 hours on this island.

It was my last day in Japan and I couldn’t have spent the day without one more round of Ramen, so I headed to a place called HAKATA IPPUDO RAMEN, a highly rated ramen restaurant located close to my hostel and the shopping district HONDORI, which is also worth checking out.

My last thing to do in this city was to visit the PEACE MEMORIAL PARK, and explore the different sites here, in memory of the atomic bomb victims, one of which is the ATOMIC BOMB DOME, a preserved building of the only structure that survived the bombing, a living memory of the dark past.

I ended my day stocking up on Japanese tea and other eateries from Don Quijote store and retired for my final night in Japan, for now atleast.

There is alot of things to do in Japan and no matter how long you stay here, there will always be something left. However, if you are planning a trip to Japan, I would recommend adding a few more days to stay in Hakone, a city in the Five lake region of Japan, famous for its views of Mt. Fuji, so go to Hakone, stay in a Ryokan and enjoy a Onsen (natural hot water bath).

Summary:

• Day trip to Miyajima Island
  • Visit the Great Tori
  • Ropeway to Mt. Misen
  • Walk around the market
• Lunch at Hakata Ippudo Ramen
• Walk around Hondori (shopping street)
• Visit the Peace Memorial Park
• Shop at Don Quijote

Getting Around Japan

Japan is a big country and getting from point A to point B with the extensive public transport system is not a problem at all. It is so extensive that it is very overwhelming at first, but after a few days around you will get the hang of it. Getting around japan is easy and very efficient, however there are some things you need to know to make the best out of it. The train system in Japan is so elaborate that there are many private companies who own railway lines along with the government ones.

• The Local trains, subways and monorails – These follow a pretty standard train system, within the cities and some even operate across neighboring cities, the charges depend on the destination.
• The bullet train (Shinkansen) – These are the famous super fast bullet trains which are perfect from covering large distances in short amount of time, usually running at approximately 270 km/hr, ideal for going from one city to another, example: Tokyo to Kyoto. Depending on the region of japan you have several lines of the shinkansen like Nozomi, Hikari, Kodama, Sakura etc. However, these trains are expensive, a one way ticket from Tokyo to Kyoto costs you about 5000 YEN (50 USD), you could save a lot of money with the JR Pass which I will explain shortly. You can have multiple lines for the same route but the difference comes in the number of stops it makes, for example Hikari line from Tokyo to Kyoto takes 2 and half hours roughly with few stops but the Kodama line on the same route takes more than 4 hours because it has way more stops, however both travel at roughly the same speed. Each train has reserved cars and non reserved cards, prices for both differ, however if you are a JR pass holder you can reserve before hand free of cost or just walk in flashing your pass and find a seat in a non-reserved car which is usually not a problem at all.

• Local buses – pretty straight forward, like any other country. I didn’t have to use any buses in Tokyo but in Kyoto I did since the bus connects most of the main attractions unlike the subway line.
• The Japan Railway Pass (aka JR Pass) – This is a one time payment pass available to foreign tourists coming to japan. You can buy a JR pass for 7, 14 or 21 day period and travel within japan as much as you want without any additional cost. The JR Pass covers all JR owned local trains (clearly named with a prefix JR) and all shinkansen trains (except Nozomi and Mizuho line). If you are going to Japan and you are planning to visiting atleast 2 cities, getting a JR pass is the best way to travel. It isn’t cheap I’ll tell you that, my 14 day pass costed me 440 USD, but I made the best use out of it and saved a lot of money. Since this is only available to tourists, it can only be bought outside Japan. For more information on the JR Pass do checkout this youtube video which helped me a lot (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHRNRivOVa0) and also visit the JR Pass website which also includes a fare calculator to compare (https://www.jrpass.com ). I highly recommend this.

• The Suica Card – This card can be bought (with a 500 YEN deposit) at the airport or any JR station, it is a pretty standard tag-in tag-out prepaid wallet which you can use to pay for local trains, subways and buses. You could alternatively buy a ticket for each trip you make, but using the suica card saves a lot of time and hastle of standing ques to buy tickets everytime, honestly it will also save you from collecting a bunch load of coins. You could also use this card to pay at local convenient stores like 7 Eleven, Family Mart or Lawson. However, you cannot pay for the shinkansen with this card.
• Google Maps is a life-saver in this country, it is highly efficient in giving you the best routes from one location to the other across the entire country. However, one big disadvantage of Google Maps is that it does not prioritize the JR pass routes, meaning there might be alternative longer routes (even by minutes) that are covered by the JR pass but not shown in google maps. To solve this you have Japanese services like the Hyperdia App (also website hyperdia.com) and Japan Official Travel App which also give you all the possible ways but here you can prioritize for JR Pass covered options. I used a combination of all.
• In all the cities I went to, the sign boards were all in English as well so I had no problem navigating, the station staff speak some English and are more than welcome to help you out as well.

General Tips for Japan

• Japan is super safe, it is considered as one of the safest cities in the world, you could literally leave your baggage in a spot and come back hours later to find it right where you left it.
• Japan is still a cash based society so don’t rely on swiping your card everywhere, convenience stores and many restaurants do accept it but many don’t. Either bring in cash or use local atms to make withdrawals. During my research, some people mentioned that their cards weren’t being accepted in some atms, however, the atm at convenient stores especially 7-eleven worked for them. I used 7-eleven atm and had no issues.
• Getting wifi in Japan is not easy, and the places that do have it have an annoying registration process, so if you want to be connected which I really suggest you do atleast for google maps, you have 2 options:
  • Get a Data Sim Card – These are very easily available everywhere and come in a variety of options, however, they are only for data and don’t come with a phone number so you cannot make or receive calls. Best place to buy these are from BIC CAMERA, an electronic store which has hundreds of locations, including Tokyo airports. I even saw a vending machine at the airport selling these. There are other shops at the airport selling data sim cards with different packages and different rates but BIC Camera sim card was the most value for money. Pros, these are cheap, to give you an idea a 3GB data sim was available at BIC camera for 3000 YEN. Cons, data is limited and you can’t make any calls.
  • Rent a Pocket Wifi – These are huge in Japan and pretty awesome, so basically this is a small portable device connected to local cell towers which give you a private wifi network everywhere you go. These are available for rent by many companies, a little googling will help you locate them. If you buy the JR Pass, they also give you an option to rent a pocket wifi. Many AirBnbs also offer pocket wifi with the accommodation. Pros, perfect for groups since multiple people can use it and it usually comes with unlimited data. Cons, this is an expensive option if you are solo and you have one more device to charge.
• Convenient stores in Japan are pretty awesome. Family Mart, 7-Eleven and Lawson are 3 main chains which you will definitely find anywhere and everywhere in Japan. These stores have a very elaborate selection of decent ready to go meals which are perfect if you are on a budget or just want a bite to-go, they do sell pretty decent coffee as well. Oh and they are open 24/7.
• Vending Machines are everywhere and they are pretty awesome. From drinks to hot meals, souvenirs to sim cards, there is a vending machine for everything.

• Japanese are very polite, patient and extremely well organized, whether you are queing up to enter the train or waiting for a spot at the restaurant, everything will be as per high ethical standards and although it might be inconvenient for some people, it is better you follow the rules.
• Language is a problem in this country, although getting around is easy with sign boards and public transportation staff do speak some English, in all other places, this might be a problem. However, due to the amount of the tourists and the humble nature of locals they will do whatever it takes to help you out.
• Do stay in a Capsule Hotel, it’s a wonderful experience and it’s definitely more than you would expect, my favorite one was in Kyoto, THE MILLENIALS.
• For couples and groups, I would highly suggest a night at a ryokan, this is a japanese style home added with local hospitality, many hotels and airbnbs offer ryokan accomodation.
• Do not leave Japan without having a bowl of good Ramen and expect to wait about an hour for it. I’ve waited upto 80 mins in the que on the street for a popular ramen restaurant which is quite common in Japan, no matter the time of the day.
• Try some of the flavored sodas (alcoholic and non alcoholic) available at all convenient stores and vending machines, the selection is massive and they are delicious.

• Go crazy on kitkats, they have hundreds of flavors to choose from and they make the best gift to bring back with you.
• ‘Don Quijote’ is a popular chain of deparmental stores in Japan, I saw atleast one in every city I went to. These multi storey stores are massive and sell everything from groceries, cosmetics and medicines to electronics and furniture. So if you want to bring back some flavoured kitkats, matcha green tea or other Japanese snacks, this place is where you need to go, they have the most affordable prices and have the facility to return you the tax money if you shop for above 5000 YEN, just show them your passport.

• Japanese Bakeries are gorgeously delicious, have something new everytime you pass by one. I won’t need to tell you twice because the smell will attract you anyway.
• On your way back home, grab some Nama Chocolates by Royce from the Airport. They are the best chocolates i’ve ever had in my life and I am not a chocolate person. They are perfect to bring back home as gifts for your close friends and family. (Green, Blue and Black boxes are the best ones)