The Otaku guide to Tokyo

Traveling to Tokyo? Big fan of Anime, Manga, and video games? Then this guide is for you. Tokyo is an Otaku’s (fan of Japanese pop culture, anime, manga and video games) dream world where popular anime is streamlined into everyday life. You’ll find people dressed up like they belong in an anime, themed cafes can be found everywhere, massive gaming arcades all over, and they always have some sort of event going on related to anime or games. Pick a few places from my list or see them all.

1. Studio Ghibli Museum

This place holds a dear spot in my heart so I am going to start with it. Studio Ghibli is loved by the Japanese people and its a huge part of their pop culture so having a museum makes complete sense. In Mitaka, a city a bit outside the main center of Tokyo, you will find this magical museum. Its an extremely popular place so buying tickets early is a must. For foreign visitors you will need to purchase your tickets online two months in advance. You can’t buy them earlier than two months and if you wait at all the date you are looking for will sell out. I highly recommend booking yourself a tour through Viator. Here is a link to the Ghibli tours they currently offer: https://www.viator.com/Tokyo-attractions/Studio-Ghibli-Museum/d334-a224

2. The life size Gundam Statue / Gundam Base Tokyo

Life size giant mechanical robot. Yes you read that correctly. The Gundam series has been around since 1979 and is ingrained into Japanese culture. The Gunpla Gundam plastic models also make up 90 percent of the entire plastic model industry. Go snap a picture with the statue, and watch it transform into the Unicorn Gundam battle mode. After finishing with the statue head up to the top floor of the Diver City mall and check out the Gundam Base Tokyo store. They have every model you can imagine!

 

3. Pokémon Center Mega Tokyo

Who doesn’t love these little pocket monsters? Tokyo has a few Pokémon stores, but only ONE mega store. You can find all your favorite Pokémon stuffed toys. The store is also full of other goodies like games, cards, pens, notebooks, hats, slippers, towels, tote bags, the list goes on. The whole store experience is a blast as well. You don’t even need to buy anything and it will still be a fun time. The store is located in the Sunshine City mall in the Ikebukuro district of Tokyo. Near by you can also find one of the ramen shops featured in my Top 3 Ramen shops of Tokyo guide.

 

4. ARTNIA Square Enix café

Go treat yourself to a delicious High Potion soft drink or a Shiva summon cocktail. The cafe has a nice selection of Square Enix game themed goodies to choose from. Inside you will also find a beautiful showcase room (pictured above) which you may find familiar from FFVII. There is also a neat gift shop with a decent variety of goods from different games. Make sure to go after 4pm if you would like to enjoy an alcoholic beverage.

 

5. Electric Town Akihabara

Take a stroll through Akihabara also know as Electric Town. You can find pretty much any electronic item or accessory here. The district is also full of shops that have collectable figures of all your favorite anime/manga characters. It is actually almost overwhelming how many figures there are. These stores have floors and floors just full of them. Take a brake from browsing the stores and go hit one of the many mega arcades. Each one is slightly different with different varieties of games. If you are interested you can even go experience one of the maid cafes. They are definitely an interesting experience.

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Have you been to Japan? Let me know if you have any other recommendations you might add to this list in the comments. Make sure to follow on Social Media to see more tips for traveling around the world.

Ten Things to know when visiting Japan

Heading to Japan? First off, get ready for an amazing time! Second, here are ten things you should know for your trip. These are in no order of importance, just a list.

1. It’s rude to point your finger, especially at people. Instead use your entire hand if you really need to point something out.

2. When eating ramen it’s ok to slurp your noodles. The louder the better!

3. When people sneeze don’t say anything. You may want to say “Bless you” or whatever saying your country may be accustomed to. Japanese people will actually think they offended you if you acknowledge it in any way.

4. There is no tipping for any services. If you tip it can also be considered rude and they will feel like they owe you more.

5. It’s very rude to talk on your cellphone when riding on the train or in restaurants. You want to experience Japan to the fullest anyway so put the phone away!

6. Do not stick your chopsticks into a bowl of rice to hold their place. Instead set them on the side of the bowl or on your napkin.

7. Make sure it is ok to take photos/videos when visiting some of the temples prior to taking them. Same goes for people and restaurants.

8. In many hotels/hostels/capsule hotels it is common for you to take your shoes off and wear the provided slippers in the room or even entire building.

9. Having large visible tattoos, like myself, may prevent you from using Japanese Onsens (hot springs). They do have more touristy ones but it is hard to find a true traditional one that will allow them. Tattoos are still associated with the Yakuza (Japanese Gang) in Japan.

10. Before waiting in line for a restaurant make sure your entire party is with you. It is considered cutting if your party joins you while you are already in line waiting.

I hope you have an amazing experience in Japan. It is my favorite country in the world! Make sure to check out my other guides to Japan.

Guide to Mount Fuji

Mount Fuji is the tallest mountain in Japan standing 3,776 meters tall. It is also an active volcano that had its last eruption on December 16th, 1707. Many people make the pilgrimage to the top each year, and it is a hot spot for all travelers visiting Japan year round even when you are not able to hike to the top. In my opinion you cant visit Japan without seeing Mount Fuji! It is also very easy to get to from Tokyo as long as you know what trains or buses to take. To help with that, I created this short guide to help you get there. The guide also includes directions to the best locations for viewing  and photographing the mountain.

Getting to Kawaguchico from Tokyo by Train

• Take the Chou line from Shinjuku to Otsuki (a JR rail pass will work for this train) I recommend getting a reserved ticket. You can do this by visiting any ticketing office at any of the stations. The office will be labeled with a sign that says “Tickets”. You can show them your JR Rail pass and they will issue you a reserved seat.

• From Otsuki you will take the Fujikawaguchiko line from Otsuki to Kawaguchico station. There are two trains. An express and regular. The express will cost an additional 400 yen on top of the 1140 yen for the regular line. The express only has two stops where the regular line stops at 10 stations along the way and is a much slower train. 

Finding the two best locations for photos of Mt Fuji

There are many locations to get great photos of Mt Fuji, but two in particular that I find to be the most beautiful and iconic.

The first is from Lake Kawaguchi. On a clear day, you can get a full view of the mountain as well as the beautiful lake. And in the spring you can also get some of the cherry blossoms in your shot as well. Take a look at the map below to see a great spot for a photo.

 

The second, is from the Shimoyoshida Shrine. I think this is one of the most popular locations. When I was there it was packed with other travelers all trying to get their iconic shot of the Mountain. But if you have a keen eye you can still get your own unique capture. There are a few ways to get to this location. From Kawaguchico you can rent a bike and make your way to the shrine entrance. I find this to be the most enjoyable method because you can get a nice look at the town while you make your way there. You can also take the local train and stop at Shimoyoshida station. You will see a torii (gate in Japanese) for the entrance. You will need to climb roughly 300 stairs to get to the observation deck that is right in front of the shrine with the Mountain standing tall in the background. The shrine is located right by the Shimoyoshida station, you can’t miss it.

For a bonus you can also take a cable car up to another view point. The cable car is located on the east side of lake Kawaguchi (map). I believe it was 800 yen for a round trip up and back down from the cable car view point. They offer single rides because you can also hike from the top to another peak and make your way down by Shimoyoshida Shrine. I did find the view from the cable car to be a bit distant and not quite as amazing as the other two, but if you have time I recommend making the trip.

 

Let me know if you found this guide helpful or if you have any questions. And if you know of any other great view points for the mountain, let me know in the comments. Happy Travels!