Everyone who visits Japan will inevitably visit some famous temple or shrine, snap a few pictures and be done with it. But your visit can be made more memorable if you collect Goshu-in, unique stamps that each shrine or temple makes for visitors. You’ll need a special book which opens accordion style, which you will…
Tag: unique
Mandarake
Any respectable otaku knows about Mandarake, the largest reseller of used manga and anime related products in the Tokyo area. Nakano Broadway, just outside of Nakano station, is home to no less than a dozen Mandarake shops, each catering to a different type of collector. From models to manga, to collectable Disney, you’d have a…
Lunco
There are new kimono shops and there are used kimono shops, and then there is Lunco, off the beaten path in Mejiro, a stop seldom used by tourists along the Tokyo JR Yamanote Line. The kimono at Lunco are most definitely used, but they have been curated by the owner like an art dealer selects…
Nakagin Capsule Tower
The Nakagin Capsule Tower is probably what many people envision when they think of modern Tokyo: a sort of space-age but utilitarian building stacked high into the sky. In truth, this building is the one and only of its kind in Tokyo or anywhere else, and unless you consider 1972 the peak of modern Japan,…
Asakusa – Bengara
You can’t walk around Japan without seeing the beautiful noren hanging in the doorways of shops and restaurants, but what if you wanted a unique one to take home as a souvenir? The ability to custom order a noren combined with a friendly owner who can communicate fairly well in English makes Bengara the place…
Yamato Antique Fair
On the third Saturday of each month, hundreds of sellers gather around the Yamato JR station in Kanagawa at a street fair focused on Japanese antiques. Sellers range from professional dealers to market hoppers with boxes of unsorted items they hope to rid themselves of quickly. For the visitor to Japan, the antique fair environment…
Kabukicho
If there is any neighborhood that has attained notoriety in Tokyo, it would be Kabukicho. This area north of Shinjuku station is infamous for its many vices: gambling, prostitution and yakuza (Japanese gangsters). There is even a permanently repeating recording by the local police played over neighborhood loudspeakers warning people of the dangers of Kabukicho. While…
Brigela
Gelato served in a warm brioche bun? Is that even a thing? Why yes it is, and you can try it for yourself at Brigela (Brioche-Gelato), a dessert chain in Tokyo. Combining the Japanese love of fresh bread and soft ice cream, Brigela seems like the perfect fit for the Japanese palette. Traditional flavors include…
Owl Cafe
The animal cafe trend started in Japan years ago with cat cafes but recently, cafes featuring other animals have grown in popularity. Owl cafes have been popping up all over Tokyo and while you may not think of owls as cute and cuddly, getting up close and personal with an owl is a unique experience…
Omotesando Dori
For a taste of unique modern architecture and luxury boutiques, stroll down stately Omotesando Dori. Start or end at Omotesando station at one end and Meiji Jingu-mae station at the other. Weekends, the sidewalks are packed with people but you can also enjoy an excellent used kimono outdoor market at the corner opposite Tokyu Plaza (with…
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