If you’re in Shinjuku and looking for things to do in Tokyo, Japan, stop by the Godzilla Head for a chance to encounter the head of a giant beast. Godzilla first came out in 1959 under Toho Co., Ltd. depicting a giant, destructive sea monster that was awakened by nuclear radiation from nuclear testing. It went on to make 32 more films under the same franchise and even holds the world record for the longest continuously running franchise film.

A giant 80 ton Godzilla head is placed on top of the Toho Cinemas in Shinjuku as a tribute to the movie. Get up close and personal with it by accessing it through the lobby level of Hotel Gracery.

Tokyo Guide: Witness Japans most destructive creature up close.

Hours of operation:

Open 24 hours (lobby of hotel)

Location:

An 8 minute walk from Exit b12b of the JR Shinjuku Station.

1 Chome-18-8 Kabukicho, Shinjuku City, Tokyo 160-0021

Tokyo Guide: Godzilla Head on top of the Toho CInemas in Kabukicho.

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If you are looking for things to do in Tokyo Japan, and really want to get a beautiful scenery of nature, then look no further than the Koishikawa Korakuen Gardens. Located right next to the Tokyo Dome in Korakuen, it’s a nice peaceful garden to take a break from the bustle of the city life in Tokyo.

Completed in 1629, this garden was built by Tokugawa Yorifusa, a member of the ruling Shogun Tokugawa family of the edo period (1603-1868) and a daimyo. His son, Tokugawa Mitsukuni fully completed building it. When Misukuni was constructing the garden and wondering what to put in the garden, he incorporated some concepts from the Chinese Confucian scholar Shushunsui which included the Seiko Lake from China and a full moon bridge (the bridge is supposed to look like a full moon with the reflection of the water). It was named Korakuen after a Chinese poem which entertained the idea that a ruler should enjoy his power after pleasing his people first.

Tokyo Guide: Take a stroll at the Koishikawa Korakuen Garden in Tokyo.

Depending on the time of the year, you can enjoy different color of leaves and different flowers blooming. In February, they usually have a plum blossom grove where you can see a lot of beautiful plums blossoming!

Location:

It is a 5 minute walk from the West Exit of Suidobashi Station on the JR Chuo Sobu Line.

1 Chome-6-6 Koraku, Bunkyo City, Tokyo 112-0004

Tokyo Guide: Plum blossom at the Koishikawa Korakuen Garden during February.

Tokyo Guide: The full moon bridge is said to look like a full moon with the reflection of the bridge in the water.

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On your Japan food tour, if you are in Hakone, a must do activity is to go to Owakudani. At Owakudani, you might be asked if you want to try kuro tamago or literally black egg. You would understand why the eggs are black if you visit Owakudani and see its breathtaking views of the sulfurous fumes being expelled from the side of Mt. Hakone - an active volcano.

Owakudani is the only place in the world that sells these special black eggs! But you might be wondering why they are black. No they use no artificial coloring or any kind of artificial ingredients - it’s 100 percent all natural. These eggs are slowly boiled for sixty minutes in a pond that holds water from hot springs at about 80 degrees C (176 F) which is naturally heated from the Earth. Iron is absorbed by the egg from the natural hot spring water. The color of the eggs is a result of a chemical reaction with hydrogen sulfide (hydrogen sulfide is black). The black eggs are transferred to a steam container where it's steamed for 15 minutes to complete cooking the egg.  They actually don’t taste that much different from a regular boiled egg, but it definitely is delicious!

It is said that eating this egg adds 7 years to your life. According to legend, there is a jizo (statue of a guardian deity of children) located in Owakudani who promotes longevity and child raising. It was said that it was carved by Kukai or Kobo Daishi who is the founder of Shingon Buddhism in Japan who offered a prayer for the people suffering who saw this hellish scenery of a valley. This jizo became known as a good luck symbol and extending life spans if black eggs were consumed (there used to be a hot spring to cook egg near this jizo). The number 7 is used because it is a lucky number associated with the Seven Deities of Good Fortune and over the course of time it began to be associated with these black eggs.

If you travel to Hakone, this is a must eat and see on your Japan food tour. You can only buy a bag of 5 for 500 yen

Location:

You can access the Owakudani Station via rope-way on the Hakone Rope-way. Once you arrive, you will literally see black eggs being advertised everywhere. You wont miss it!

Address of Owakudani Station:

〒250-0631 Kanagawa, Ashigarashimo District, Hakone, 仙石原

Hakone Travel: Eating black eggs at Owakudani

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On our Yokohama tour, visit the Hikawa Maru Luxury Ocean Liner. In 1930, the NYK Line welcomed the Hikawa Maru to their fleet as a state of the art liner that carried passengers and cargo from Japan to Seattle. The boats frame was modeled after naval boats at the time which meant sturdy shell plating and water tight compartments protected the ship.

The Hikawa Maru served the Pacific into the 1960s by crossing it 254 times, carried over 25,000 passengers and was even used as a floating hospital ship during World War II to carry the wounded back to Japan. Now, it serves as a floating museum where you can stroll on the decks where people once enjoyed the ocean breeze and see what kind of dining and bedrooms various classes possessed.

Yokohama Guide: Go on aboard the Hikawa Maru on your Yokohama tour

Over the 30 years it served, a couple celebrities have been on board and fell in love with this ocean liner. One man in particular loved the Hikawa Maru and also fell in love with Japan. Charlie Chaplin visited Japan after filming one of his most prominent films City Lights in 1932. The staff of Hikawa Maru found out that you really like Tempura, especially from a place called Hanacho in Tokyo; so the staff of Hikawa Maru sent one of their cooks to Hanacho to learn the secrets of frying tempura. Many shipping companies wanted Charlie Chaplin to come aboard their ship, but he ultimately chose Hikawa Maru because of having the tempura that he really liked. It is said that he are tempura everyday on his way back to the United States!

In fact, Charlie Chaplin’s story in relation to Japan doesn’t end here. Charlie Chaplin escaped assassination in Tokyo. In 1931 the UK, Japan, France, Italy and US signed The Treaty for the Limitation and Reduction of Naval Armament to reduce the naval arms race between the countries. Some ultra-nationalist naval officers disagreed with this and decided to assassinate Prime Minister Inukai Tsuyoshi in hopes to stage a coup d’etat and replace the government with a militaristic government. They planned to assassinate him in his home along with his son. The Prime Minister was also set to host Charlie Chaplin in his home for a welcome party, so the naval officers saw this as a n opportunity to assassinate Chaplin as well in hopes to start a war with the US.

However, when 11 naval officers stormed into the Prime Ministers home on May 15, 1932 they only found and shot the Prime Minister. The Prime Minsters son had taken Chaplin to a sumo match that day and the party was delayed to a different day. The officers were tried and received a light sentence and Chaplin would safely go home aboard the Hikawa Maru and continue making his mark in film history.

The Hikawa Maru, along with Charlie Chaplin have quite a history! Our Yokohama tour gives you a chance to board this ship and learn about this rich history in depth.

Location :

〒231-0023 Kanagawa, Yokohama, Naka Ward, Yamashitacho, 山下公園地先

Opened Tuesday-Sundays 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM. Closed Mondays.

Yokohama tour: Charlie Chaplin aboard Hikawa Maru.

Image credit: https://chaplinfortheages.tumblr.com/

Yokohama Tour: Inside the Hikawa Maru - a first class cabin room.

Owakudani is a large area created by a crater during an eruption on Mt. Hakone nearly 300 years ago. It's still an active volcano zone which produces many hot springs in the area. The main attraction, where hot sulfur fumes are expelled from the Earth, can be accessed by the Hakone Rope-way at the Owakudani Station. On the rope-way up to Owakudani, you can even get a nice view of Mt. Fuji on a nice clear day. Visit Owakudani on a Japan tours during your visit to Japan.

The latest eruption was in 2015, when a very small phreatic eruption occurred. A phreatic eruption is a steam driven eruption. The water beneath the surface is heated up by magma and lava below which causes the water and pressure to explode. In a phreatic explosion only water, steam, debris and ash come out, with no expulsion of lava. However, the debris is still extremely hot.

The 2015 eruption was minor one with the farthest debris flying only about 30 meters away from the vent. Before the 2015 eruption there is no historical record of an eruption, however, according to carbon dating from the rocks, the last eruption could have occurred somewhere in the 12th or 13th century. Precursors to phreatic eruptions mean almost nothing and are pretty useless and in fact, phreatic eruptions and these types of volcanoes are actually very popular tourist attractions around the world.

Because of a lot of volcanic activity in the region, there are a lot of hot springs in the area. They are created by mixing steam and pumped water from underground. They have special steam production wells to make this. Lots of hot springs are also naturally heated water from the volcano which are then regulated by the hot springs establishment. In Japan, we call this onsen.

Onsen literally means hot spring or hot fountain. Lots of onsen will contain different types of minerals and chemicals that come naturally from the Earth, which are usually displayed in front of the onsen. Depending on what mineral it is, some have very healthy qualities which are believed to aid in healing small cuts, relieving stress, expanding arteries and more.

Location:

〒250-0631 Kanagawa, Ashigarashimo District, Hakone, 仙石原

Hakone Travel: A worker hiking down into the valley for a rot

Hakone travel: The Hakone Rope-way leading up to Owakudani.

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With Tokyo holding 230 Michelin Stars and sitting at number one for the most Michelin Stars in one city, it can be quite a daunting task to make sure you are eating at the best places in Tokyo. Michelin Stars can also be quite expensive as the title comes with a price, but Nakiryu Ramen in Otsuka, Tokyo - the second ever ramen restaurant to be awarded a Michelin Star - is a very affordable option to enjoy a tasty bowl of ramen.

The menu is actually one of the cheapest Michelin Star restaurants in the world costing only 850 Yen (about 8 USD) for their cheapest option - their specialty tantanmen. Tantanmen is a Japanese take on it’s Chinese counterpart - dandanmen made from Szechuan pepper and chili for a kick. The Japanese Tantanmen has less of a kick but is packed with flavors for a more subtle, umami bursting taste. You can add different toppings to it for an extra cost - something that should not be overlooked.

Their mouth melting braised chashu pork and soy sauce dipped eggs are just few of their delicious toppings that should be included in the ramen experience. Their other dish - shoyu ramen is also another option that is regarded as one of the best shoyu ramens in Tokyo.

Tokyo Guide: Eat at One Michelin Star ramen restaurant Nakiryu

The restaurant only has 10 seats at a counter table top, and they take no reservations. So, expect to wait in line for about hour and half to two hours to get in. But, they allow one order per person so it actually goes by pretty quick. If you want to be one of the first people in, it’s best to go about 45 minutes to an hour early to ensure your spot at the front of the line.

Like any ramen joints, they are open for lunch, close for the afternoon and open for dinner again. Their operation hours are as follows:

Monday: 11:30 AM - 3:00 PM, closed for dinner

Tuesday: closed

Wednesday to Sunday: 11:30 AM - 3:00 PM and 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Access:

From the JR Otsuka Station, it’s about a 7 minute walk from the South Exit.

Location:

〒170-0005 Tokyo, Toshima City, Minamiotsuka, 2 Chome−34−4 ＳＫＹ南大塚

Tokyo Guide: Visit the second ever Michelin star ramen restaurant to your list of things to do in Tokyo.

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When Japan closed off it’s borders to the rest of the world in 1603 under Shogunate Tokuagawa’s rule, there was a domestic travel boom which soon would evolve into what we know today as tourism. Because travelling internationally became illegal in Japan from 1603-1868, people had more time to enjoy the beauty that surrounded them. To travel around Japan, five major roads were constructed in the early 17th century to facilitate travel throughout Japan. Of these five, the major one and most commonly used road was the Tokaido road which ran 514 km from Kyoto to Edo (Edo is original for Tokyo).

Japan had a small port in Nagasaki that allowed trade with the Dutch East India Company and Chinese traders which were strictly monitored. Any foreigners coming into the country had to stay on a little island called Dejima Island right off the port of Nagasaki and would have to get very special permission to be allowed to travel into the mainland. Of these foreigners who got special permission was Engelbert Kaempfer - a German physician and naturalist attached to the Dutch East India Company who got special permission to visit the Shogun at the imperial palace on their annual tribute to the shogun.

Kaempfer and his group, with the aid of the Japanese, used the Tokaido Road to travel into Edo. A long the way he wrote everything he experienced and saw on the Tokaido road. Much of his recordings on the Tokaido road became the core for his book The History of Japan - one of the only books at the time about Japan written by a westerner. He noted that the roads were lined with giant trees that provided shade for travelers and a nice natural scenery for people to enjoy on their travels. Kaempfer also noticed that the roads were clean all the time and witnessed that any trash would be picked up by neighboring villages. Horse droppings could be used as fertilizer for farms and debris could be burned.

This same road can be walked on today - just as Engelbert Kaempfer did in the 1690s. Right off the shore on Lake Ashinoko, a portion of the road can be found just 5 minutes from the Hakonemachi-ko bus/boat station. If you are coming from the Pirate boat sightseeing cruise its a quick 5 minute walk where you can also walk through the Tokaido Road Checkpoint. The checkpoint is where they checked travelers for permits and also served as a place to rest. The current checkpoint was rebuilt completely in 2007 but supposedly looks exactly like it did 400 years ago.

Location:

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/35.577353,139.7013494/old+tokaido+cedar+avenue/@35.4056684,138.8223212,9z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m9!4m8!1m1!4e1!1m5!1m1!1s0x601998658e560aef:0x4f456d8c9e9f5724!2m2!1d139.0277874!2d35.1945428

Hakone Guide: Visit the Old Tokaido Cedar Avenue

Tokyo can be a great city to explore, but taking a mini day trip from Tokyo to Kawagoe, a town in Saitama just an hour away from Tokyo can be a worthwhile experience to add to your list of things to do in Tokyo, Japan. Kawagoe is known for it’s edo period styled houses and shops, and it’s also famous for the Kita-In Buddhist Temple (喜多院）- the head temple of the Tendai Sect in the Kanto area.

Built roughly 1250 years ago, parts of the temple are parts of the former Edo Castle built in the 1600s. The halls of the edo castle were transferred into this temple in 1638 after the original structure of the temple was burned down. The third Tokugawa Shogunate ordered to move the edo castle parts in order to preserve the Kita-in temple. Today, these are one of the only remaining parts of the original Edo Castle as the the main Castle in Tokyo was destroyed in the Great Kanto Earthquake in 1923.

Kawagoe Guide: The Tahoto or Japanese Pagoda at the temple.

Another part of the temple to visit is the Gohyaku Rakan statues. There are 540 statues of Buddhas disciples lined up, each with different facial expressions. Because each facial expression is different, it is said that you can find one that resembles you, a friend or family. It is located in a small courtyard off to the side of the temple.

Location:

1 Chome-20-1 Kosenbamachi, Kawagoe, Saitama 350-0036

Kawagoe Guide: 540 Buddhist Rakan Statues. These are all disciples of Buddha.

Kawagoe Guide: Rakan Statues back to back.

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Wondering about things to do in Tokyo? There’s so much to do in this enormous city, but one thing you wouldn’t want to miss out on is going to teamLAB Borderless in Odaiba, Tokyo. Opening in the summer 2018, this digital art museum is one of a kind exhibition that features a 10,000 square meter venue with over 500 computers and 400 projectors to make an immersive art experience.

There are many different rooms and sections in this venue that seem “borderless” - as the name suggests, which features constant moving dynamic art. Due to it’s constant changing art, this museum never remains the same. Going into the museum twice or the same room twice will give you a new set of experiences.

The two most popular rooms at teamLAB is the Forest of Lamps and Crystal World, so be sure to check out these two rooms! The Forest of Lamps usually has a cue of 30 minutes to an hour, as they let in a small group of about 20 at a time to enjoy this exhibition for about 5-10 minutes, plenty of time and definitely worth it! The Crystal World usually has no wait, as it is a big open room that features thousands of dangling lights. It can be easy to get lost in this mesmerizing world!

Location:

〒135-0064 Tokyo, Koto City, Aomi, 1 Chome−3−8 お台場パレットタウン

Tokyo Guide: Forest of Lamps at teamLAB borderless

Tokyo Guide: Crystal World at teamLAB borderless

Tokyo Guide: teamLAB borderless

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If you are looking for things to do in Tokyo Japan, just take a stroll down Harajuku where you can find squishy toys. A recent boom in squishy toys which started in Japan have become popular all around the world. Thanks to social media platforms such as YouTube, these squishy toys have become insanely popular among teenage girls and recently adults. When you squeeze these toys, they condense and take a few seconds to come back to its original form. The unique feel to these toys have even become a stress reliever for some customers!

Known as “squeeze” in Japan, these toys comes in all different sizes and shapes. Some of the popular ones are in the shape of toast! Many of them are also scented as how they would smell. So, strawberry toast squishes would smell like strawberries.

Picnic in Harajuku sells all sorts of squishy toys. They have squish toys in shapes as toast, drinks, bottles, cute animal characters and more. Located right off of Takeshita Street near Harajuku Station, its a shop where you can get affordable squish toys!

Location:

1 Chome-14-2 Jingumae, Shibuya City, Tokyo 150-0001

Tokyo Guide: A rack of squishy toys in Harajuku.

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