How to Japan

_tips.md

Payment

• Add their transit card to apple wallet

  • instructions: https://www.pasmo.co.jp/mp/app/en/
  • How to create a new PASMO in the Wallet app
  • You want Suica
  • You can pay for any public transport anywhere in the country and any vending machine + some stores so ok to have a bit more money on it.

• Take out cash from 7-11. Conversion rate is good. I used my N26 everywhere. 20-30k. Like Berlin some places are easier to go by using cash.

• I personally found breakfast tricky. Places open pretty late. Hotel breakfast and/or some rice snacks from the supermarket work better than hunting down a breakfast place. Especially outside Tokyo.

• Have some postcards or a notebook with you to collect all the stamps! Train stations, museums, some stores all have collectible stamps you can stamp on your stuff.

Kyoto.md

Hotel

https://maps.app.goo.gl/GVppcG7Tau1eeSTp8

Coffee

• 🔥 https://maps.app.goo.gl/CU8emMHUyD7f2XHu5
  • It's cool. You have to see it. Book in advance if possible.
  • Not exactly coffee, it's the dessert place of a Michelin restaurant or something like that
• https://maps.app.goo.gl/bU9hXRFHrNwD7YuGA
  • One man coffee place. Slow pace but very cozy and nice.
• Any of the Kurasu coffee shops.
• https://maps.app.goo.gl/eHydVuLHYNQtsiL56
  • This place is cute. It has the white toast fruit and whipped cream sandwiches that they prepare themselves.

Sushi

• https://maps.app.goo.gl/3pqNB4PttdEfCdD8A
  • Not special but very central, convenient and good.

Park

• The highlight is walking along the river. Get some snacks (but remember that eating and walking in Japan is a no-no) and walk, sit by the water. 10/10.
• https://maps.app.goo.gl/K65owifVLKoWLG4WA
  • This is way off the beaten path but it has a very impressive view from the top. Maybe go if you can take a taxi.

Bar

• https://maps.app.goo.gl/hzy1jDhVvV1DNGsPA
  • Never got here. had it saved and looks cool.

Other random mentions

• https://maps.app.goo.gl/M1ZrTHeVe6xK6mxQ8
  • A nice pastry shop

Osaka.md

Hotel

https://maps.app.goo.gl/2QeQhwQqh77UhaL77

Coffee

• 🔥 https://maps.app.goo.gl/pKx7USSYQwExmEsr8
  • It's almost not coffee but something else, they have insane flavours like watermelon but somehow it's really good. It's a must try.

Food

• 🔥 https://maps.app.goo.gl/V8Ca4yKM8bLhJTeH9
  • Fancy but in the 80s but perfectly kept
  • Impressive garden
• https://maps.app.goo.gl/JpaCQCCXnC7vLmdY7
  • Super cool traditional house, sit on the floor kind of eating

Bar

• 🔥 These two places are next to each other. We tried to go to the first (which is their restaurant) but closed so we stayed at the bar (2nd link). It was very cozy and cool.
  • https://maps.app.goo.gl/NRk64rtUgUB5YzGn9
  • https://maps.app.goo.gl/98jE9zVXJ3iap3xH9

Park

• https://maps.app.goo.gl/kjpUa3HiSto5nxNAA
  • Temple area, it's cute
• https://maps.app.goo.gl/hdAj3a6VTvYDxCPn8
  • Small hike outside of town. Close to get to. Pavement all the way. Very pretty nature.

Store

• https://maps.app.goo.gl/ezbLUx7ZBakyBwbK7
  • Bookstore, easy to waste a lot of time just looking around

Tokyo.md

Hotel

• We stayed in Ginza both times. It's a great location but it can be expensive. My wisdom is that Tokyo is so big that location is not that important, you have to travel a lot anyway.
• The other area we recommend is around this store.
• The third is this hip area.

Coffee

• 🔥 https://maps.app.goo.gl/6mkwJ4A6xSq4LPxG9?g_st=ipc
  • Glitch again (like in Osaka) if you didn't make it until now do it.
• https://maps.app.goo.gl/MALj6aX51tGyH1DM7
  • You have to see it to understand. It's like going back 50 years. It was a cool experience.
• https://maps.app.goo.gl/utFdBSzaz8vrZkLi7
  • Extremely hyped but mentioning it because the area its in is very cool to just walk and look around, direction Shibuya (so from this coffee place going south).

Food

Ramen

• Ippudo has many locations and they are all good. Has vegan/vegetarian too.

Sushi

• [Ginza] https://maps.app.goo.gl/YjxqZJBobDLBhvqR9
  • Maps is confusing here. The place is at the last floor of the mall. It's a conveyor belt style nothing fancy but crazy good sushi.

Museum

• 🔥https://maps.app.goo.gl/vMWR4wwX81WrZ9Rn7
  • Old perfectly preserved house. It was a quick visit but very interesting, photogenic. Has a great garden too.

Park / Temple

• https://maps.app.goo.gl/GkHmBKHvMjwK7coj6
  • Nice walk after visiting the super busy area around. Recommend mornings.
• Walking along the Meguro river, the area in front of this store.

Areas

• https://maps.app.goo.gl/zaJKJyWrsUYHfDYdA
  • It's small and dense with many cool coffee shops and stores
  • Where we ate
  • Where we had coffee

Stores

• https://maps.app.goo.gl/8N7a6iPf24U54kgk7
  • All things paper related but in a fascinating way.
• Tower records https://maps.app.goo.gl/6YuDGPxrrr25iv4q8
  • Crazy big record store. Any branch is ok, it's kinda wild to visit.
• https://maps.app.goo.gl/P6ywzUJkc5sgaHySA
  • Big bookstore and random other things. This whole area is interesting to visit and walk around. Connects to the museum I mentioned above.