After a long day of walking, relax at the Tsubakiya Foot Spa Tearoom. While relaxing in a foot bath you can order some tea and snacks that come in a beautiful wooden tray. Your legs and feet will feel refreshed instantly!

Address: 3-2 Saiwaicho, Kawagoe, Saitama 350-0063

Hours: 12-6:30pm (10am start on weekend and olidays)

Website: https://www.tsubaki-kura.jp/

How to get there: Get off on Kamachi Kawagoeshi Bus Stop on the Koedo Loop Bus

 

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.

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.

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

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

Hours: 9am - 4pm

Website: https://www.kawagoe.com/kitain/english/

How to get there: From Kawagoe Station, take the Tobu Koedo Loop Bus to Kitain Temple

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

Kawagoe Guide: Rakan Statues back to back.

 

On the side streets and alleyways of the Sun Mall Shopping Street, you can find loads of bars and izakayas lined up. During lunch time, lots of the well known ramen shops begin to open up to allow local office workers to get a hearty bowl of ramen midday. Then, at night, the izakayas and bars begin to open bringing a lively night scene to the area. You can hit up Juke 80s an 80s music request bar. Their drinks are all 500 yen as well! Or head on over to Vowz bar - a monk run bar.

Photo credit: Unsplash

Address: The side streets next to Nakano Sun Mall Shopping Street

Hours: N/A

Website: N/A

How to get there: A 5 minute walk from Nakano Station on the JR Line.

 

Every nook and cranny is filled with shops and restaurants on the Nakano Sun Mall Shopping Street. It’s the road leading up to Nakano Broadway, and is only a 1 minute walk from the North Exit of Nakano Station. Shopping streets or shotengai, are very popular in Japan. Nakano Sun Mall Shotengai is one of the more popular ones in Tokyo. While you’re here make sure to check out the legendary Bonjour Bons melon pan. Melon pan is a sweet sugary bread that’s crispy like a cookie on the outside and warm and fluffy on the inside. At the start of the shotengai, you can also find Oyaki, a stand that sells oyaki! Oyaki are small pancake like desserts filled with either sweet or salty fillings. The red bean and chocolate ones are very popular.

Photo credit: Like Fish in a Water

Address: 5 Chome-63-3 Nakano, Nakano City, Tokyo 164-0001, Japan

Hours: Varies on shop, but typically from 10am - 8pm

Website: N/A

How to get there: A 1 minute walk from Nakano Station on the JR Line.

 

Bar Zingaro opened to serve as the visitors' meeting place and an event space that connects the four existing galleries Kaikai Kiki operates in Nakano Broadway: Kaikai Zingaro; Hidari Zingaro; pixiv Zingaro; and Oz Zingaro.
Produced by Fuglen Oslo, which is currently enjoying wide recognition around the world in the café industry, Bar Zingaro offers superb specialty coffee for the gallery visitors to enjoy right in the heart of Nakano Broadway.

The 2004 World Barista Champion and 2005 World Cup Tasting Champion Tim Wendelboe’s coffee beans and book are available at Bar Zingaro.
Please ask our staff for more details.

Summary Credits: Bar Zingaro website

Photo credit: Japan Travel

Address: Japan, 〒164-0001 Tokyo, Nakano City, Nakano, 5 Chome−52−15 中野ブロードウェイ 2F

Hours: 11am- 9pm

Website: http://en.bar-zingaro.jp/

How to get there: A 5 minute walk from Nakano Station on the JR Line.

 

Towering over all other ice creams in Tokyo, Daily Chico serves an 8 layered ice cream cone! While most customers get 2 or 3 layers, why not try getting the 8 layered ice cream for an Instagram worthy experience? The store boasts 8 ice cream flavors, but change regularly depending on the day. Some of the popular flavors that were available were vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, cafe au lait, matcha, ramune (a Japanese soda), grape and banana. Unless you have a big appetite for ice cream, order the 8 layered ice cream to share with your friends and family!

Photo credit: Live Japan

Address: Japan, 〒164-0001 Tokyo, Nakano City, Nakano, 5 Chome−52−15, ブロードウェイ, B1F, Basement floor of Nakano Broadway

Hours: Varies on store, but typically around 12-7pm

Website: N/A

How to get there: A 5 minute walk from Nakano Station on the JR Line.

 

Mandarake Nakano is the main store of Mandarake. Mandarake was established in 1987 as a pre-owned comic dealer in Nakano Broadway building. Now it is one of the biggest and busiest manga and anime place in the world. We have visitors from US, EUROPE and ASIA.

Inside of Nakano Broadway, Mandarake currently has over 30 different stores separated by the kind of items they are carrying. We always have staff who can help you in English here in Nakano Store, please let our staff know that you need help to search whatever you are looking for.

Summary Credits: Mandarake Website

Photo Credit: Japan Travel

Address: 5 Chome-52-15 Nakano, Nakano City, Tokyo 164-0001, Japan

Hours: 12-8pm

Website: https://order.mandarake.co.jp/order/?lang=en

How to get there: A 5 minute walk from Nakano Station, North Exit on the JR Line.

 

Sumimasen means excuse me or sorry. If you need to ask a question, walk past people in crowded places, or about to order then sumimasen is the word to use. At restaurants, you can use the word sumimasen to summon the waiter/waitress as well. In Japan, waiters and waitresses won’t come to your table unless you call them. It is polite for the waiter/waitress to come to your table only if you are called as they don’t want to bother you during your meal.

Photo Credit: Voyapon

A simple way to say thank you. Arigato means thank you and the gozaimasu at the end is to make it the word polite. Often times, you might hear the word otsukaresamadesu almost as a replacement. Literally translated it basically means you are so tired, thank you. It’s a common greeting usually at the end of work, class, phone call or when you are eating with your colleagues at the end of a hard days work.

Photo Credit: Voyapon

 After finishing a meal in Japan, it is polite to say gochisousama (Goh-chee-sou-sama). This is an expression after the meal to express gratitude to the meal (and to someone who may be treating you). The translation can roughly be seen as “Thank you for the meal”. Now don’t get gochisousama mixed with arigatou! While both may have thank you in them, arigatou should be used when thanking someone, while gochisousama is strictly used after a meal. 

Photo Credit: Voyapon