Where Should Our Editor Go in Tokyo?

What a clever way to plan your vacation!

Umaimonya near Tsukiji. Amazing fresh seafood. Very hidden. Reservations recommended. http://tabelog.com/en/tokyo/A1313/A131301/13014852/dtlrvwlst/

shinatatsu ramen street near Shinagawa station. The black miso ramen is unusual and delicious.

My husband and I went to Tokyo two years ago and we read "Pretty Good Number One", an ebook available on Amazon, on the plane and were so glad we did! He talks about all kinds of street food that I'm sure we wouldn't have found on our own. The book gave us recommendations of specific restaurants but also discussed different types of food. We found it invaluable. Also, since we were doing mostly street food, we found it to not be very expensive. We were so glad we found that book!

Go to Yotsuya Station in Tokyo: our two favorite restaurants there were Kinoka (which we discovered only on our last day--I would love to go there again). 1-17-8 Yotsuya | 1F Ishikawa Bldg., Shinjuku 160-0004, Tokyo Prefecture, a friendly and lovely izakaya (I would kill for the grilled rice ball in broth), or Genya, 1-7 Yotsuya Shinmichi dori, Shinjuku, Tokyo Prefecture, which specializes in yummy grilled food, but you can also get good seafood there. In Kyoto, be sure to have the freshly made omelet on a stick in Nishiki Market (there are 2 different stands). For tofu, we like Kyotofu Fujino in Kyoto Station, for okonomiyaki and other grilled food, Kiraku near the Westin on Sanjo dori, and also on Sanjo Dori (get off at the Higashiyama Station, and turn towards downtown--just a few doors down) Bamboo Izakaya and right next door Kitchen Occobe.

If you are into wagyu beef, you have to try this restaurant.
http://www.matsusaka-projects.com/english/about.php
We ordered the large mix platter, every piece was heaven! A little pricey but we thought it was worth it. Just the thought is making me saliva.
For tonkatsu would be this place in Takashimaya Shibuya. Do go earlier, can be a long wait.
Tsukiji market, go early to avoid crowds.
Calbee chips made fresh would be a nice experience, choose your flavour. At Odaiba, you could see the action going.
For anime, head down to harajuku.

Where geishas eat in Kyoto.
http://blogs.wsj.com/japanrealtime/tag/gyu-ho/
Most memorable meal with a cook and his sous chef. Both do not speak a word of English but somehow the three of you (along with the other local diners) will end up drunk and laughing at the same jokes (I think). A little out of the way but way worth it.

One amazing little hidden restaurant surprised my family the most– Maguro Koya located in Nara, Kyoto. Their main focus is maguro (tuna), and their otoro (fatty tuna belly) on rice is one of the most divine things your lips will touch. This is where to go for the most buttery, fresh sashimi. It's a small, lovely place owned by an old couple for more than 38 years. Cosy, comforting, absolutely delicious!

I am an architect in Japan. for the stationary, the best professional shop is Sekaido (www.sekaido.co.jp) in Shinjuku san-chome. They have very wide variety of stationary as well as different art equipments in good price.
I personary do not like the idea of some of the animal cafe and I have never been, however there is a owl cafe (http://s.tabelog.com/tokyo/A1313/A131302/13154720/) in Tsukishima and penguin bar in Ikebukuro (www.penginbar.jp)

I was just in Japan for a few days! In Tokyo (Ginza), there is an incredible stationery store called Itoya. About 7 floors of beautiful displays, including one floor dedicated to paper, another floor dedicated to crafting materials (including more paper), a floor for cards, a floor for pens, etc. Tsukiji Fish Market was definitely fun to visit, though I'm not sure whether the tuna auction will be open to visitors in early January or not. In Kyoto, I had a wonderful - and not too expensive - kaiseki lunch at Roan Kikunoi. As for temples and gardens, Kodaiji and Ginkakuji (more subtle and with an arguably nicer garden than Kinkakuji, the gold-covered pavilion), were my two favorites.

So many great ideas for my next trip to Japan!
I second Hantei, Afuri, and walking around at Nakano. Sakuratei is a great place for okonomiyaki and monjayaki which I never would have found without a local. Luckily, though, there are walking directions on their website: http://www.sakuratei.co.jp/en/
For playing and buying vintage video games (and accessories and weird candies), check out Super Potato in Akihabara.
Also, last summer we went to the Calbee store in Harajuku for delicious fresh-fried chips with crazy toppings like soft serve ice cream and maple-cream cheese drizzle.

For someone who can’t read or speak Japanese, the world of sake can be baffling and finding sake you like can be akin to a lottery. In Asakusa, Kurand Sake Market is a no-frills, no-stools, all-you-can-drink bar that makes sake extremely accessible for foreigners. Store manager Aki (Akinori) is available as an English-speaking sake navigator. He helps you discover the types of sake you enjoy and recommends the sake accordingly. Kurand stocks around 100 bottles that have been carefully selected from small sake producers around Japan. Kurand also has an outlet in Ikebukuro. http://en.rocketnews24.com/2015/09/04/kurand-sake-market-opens-asakusa-branch-mr-sato-and-yoshio-imbibe-to-their-hearts-content/

The restaurants under the Tokyo Station subway line. There's a ramen street. Interesting way of organizing a food court...

Joumon in Roppongi is so good I can't stand it. They have skewers (yakitori) but we sat inside and ordered bits and bobs off the menu: a chicken dish served lightly seared-still raw inside (we just ate it...chased it with lots of sake...we're still alive), a melty BBQ pork belly that still shows up in my dreams, sesame tofu the consistency of frosting (true!).

In Tokyo...
Hantei - for kushiage - basically all kinds of fried skewers
On the outer edge of Tsukiji Market is a fantastic ramen stand - it's worth making room to eat ramen as well as sushi while you're at the market.
Da Isa Pizza - yes, pizza. It's one of the best Neapolitan pizzas you'll have anywhere.
If there is any Sumo wrestling on while you're there, it's definitely worth going to watch!

I have no idea if it still exists (I haven't been since 2005), but there was this amazing hidden little izakaya called Kappa (or maybe Kappa Kappa) in Kyoto. It was in Higashiyama-ku, if I remember correctly. If you can find it, it is well-worth a visit! The food and the people were delightful!

Bunny cafe
http://ms-bunny.com/en

Restaurants http://www.honmuraantokyo.com/
Karaoke
Fiesta No website in the basement at Roppongi 6−2−37
Fugu is well known but you could try live squid or shrimp, cod liver and cod sperm sacs are delicacies and both delicious.
The restaurant Ukai on Takaosan and Happoen are my 2 favorite gardens. Both are spectacular in the snow.

Hidden restaurants

Bowling alleys
Karaoke
Sake sets, with sake in them
The best potato chips
Bargain dresses
Fish only eaten in Japan
Stationary
Snowy gardens
Local favorites
Places to play video games
Animal cafes

My friend and I are still talking about this udon a year later. Go! http://en.rocketnews24.com/2012/11/27/curry-udon-topped-with-whipped-cream-its-better-than-you-think/

The best ethnic restaurant we went to in Japan was Angkor Wat in Shibuya, Tokyo. Really great Cambodian food, and much better than most of the food we then went on to eat in Cambodia.

There's a wonderful 400+ year old incense shop in Kyoto that purveys lovely woody scents: http://kungyokudo.co.jp/english/ .

Oooh I'm going to Japan in April, so will definitely keep an eye on this.

Thrift shops in Shimo-Kitazawa.

Wander around the alleys of Nakano, cannot go wrong.
Make sure to try Japanese style curry, there are quite literally hundreds of curry houses in Tokyo, it's very popular!

Thanks so much everyone! Keep 'em coming; these are great!

oops...meant Yukari Sakamoto. Here is the link her informative food blog http://foodsaketokyo.com/

Gen Yamamoto. Incredible bar.
Afuri ramen for the lighter, yuzu flavored ramen.
Saiseisakaba in Shinjuku for horumon (offal). Make sure you enjoy some of the more experimental parts!
T-site in Daikanyama. One of the world's most incredible book store.
La Kagu. A beautiful life style store.
Connect with Yukara Sakamoto. Amazing chef and sommelier that offers incredible food tours

Try "Oden" which is one of Japanese hot pot cuisines. One restaurant called"Otakou" お多幸 they serve really good Tokyo style Oden. Also when you go to Ishikawa or Osaka, they have konbu -based soup Oden.
お多幸
http://r.gnavi.co.jp/a439400/

If you don't mind travelling to Kobe, there's a rather sad and cruel looking owl Cafe there. The owls are displayed in bright fluorescent light and tethered or caged so they can't fly away, but caged so you can still touch the feathers (a very small cage).

The Momofuku Ando instant ramen museum in Osaka is worth checking out. If you can understand Japanese or going with a Japanese friend, it's also worthwhile calling ahead and booking a session to make your own Chiken Ramen upstairs.

You can design and customise the flavour of your own Cup Noodle downstairs.

Butagumi (Tokyo) - this place specialize in tonkatsu. Many cuts and breeds of pork offered. Never had tonkatsu so flavorful and juicy in my life. The coating is also perfect.

Isshin (Kyoto) - it's all about beef. You are served traditional multi-course meal centered around beef. The best beef meal I've ever had.

Sojiki Nakahigashi (Kyoto) - kaiseki cuisine. The chef goes out into the mountains and fields every morning to collect his ingredients for the day.

Definitely hit the markets - Tsukiji in Tokyo; Nishiki Market in Kyoto; Kuromon Ichiba Market in Osaka.

Animal cafes in Tokyo seem to be quite out of the way. I looked at going to a few but decided against them as the travel time needed was quite long. You will find cat cafes in both Kyoto and Osaka, closed to the main shopping/dining strips. I discovered them when walking around those areas.

Fell in love with Calbee Potato Sticks while I was there. I like all the flavors, including the scallop one.

Tokyo -
Baishinka, http://www.baishinka.jp, is my favourite place, not only the place is gorgeous (they renovate an old house to be a restaurant & tea room) it's offer a very great wagashi selections!

If you're into teas:
Teaponds, http://www.teapond.jp, this is a small shop with variety of tea selections.

Souen, http://www.sakurai-tea.jp, to be honest I haven't been here, since they haven't opened yet when i was in Japan, this one also a tea shop, but I heard a lot of good reviews about this shop.

Uguisu little shop, www.uguisustore.com - zakka store.

and also if you're into coffee, many great coffee shops in Japan, Bear pond, Paddlers coffee, Little nap coffee shop, etc.

Kyoto
Just enjoy those Temples and Kaiseki.

Osaka
Canele du Japon, http://canele.jp Their mini caneles <3

Basically everywhere you go, you might come across some amazing hidden shops.

Enjoy your trip in Japan!

Suggestions for Tokyo:
Kaykay by the Sea - Amazing seafood get one of the set menus for dinner - tuna cheek is incredible
Golden Gai - Almost 200 bars packed into 6 tiny alleys, each with it's own flare
Nagi Ramen - in Golden Gai INCREDIBLE ramen
Robot Restaurant - You're not going for the food, you're going for the show
Star Bar - One of the best cocktail bars in the world
Ebisu Yokocho - Alley filled with izakayas
There are far, far too many amazing places to list but don't be afraid to get lost and poke around dark alleys. A lot of what's worth while is hidden and it's incredibly safe! Here is a blog I read frequently while living there: http://www.tokyoeats.jp/

Enjoy!

Field of Farms restaurant in Osaka. The best vegetarian restaurant In the world.

Have breakfast at the buffet at the Hotel Okura which is right across the street from the American Embassy in Kamiyacho. Go to the Ginza as ALL the big department stores have 2-3 stories of foods in the basement levels along with restaurants. I experienced my first earthquake in a food basement in Ginza and the noodle soup was to die over. Don't miss a trip to the Tsukigi fish market (you'll never get in the auction) as they have the freshest sushi iun the world here. The Indian restaurants in the Ginza are ALL to die for but the best meal I have ever had in my LIFE was at the Sony Building at Maxim's de Paris in Tokyo for my 30th birthday. Take me with you LOL I lived there for 2 years and I know Tokyo very well. Take a LOT of money as Japan is unreal expensive.

I went to this amazing toast cafe that was recommended on iamafoodblog -- highly recommended: http://iamafoodblog.com/friday-finds-1-16-15/