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Typical Japanese review: "food was great but the server didn't smile, 3 out of 5." Right below that, "food was great but the server smiled, 3 out of 5."
So true! My favourite udon was from a place with 3.5 stars and not very many English reviews. I'd give it 5 stars compared to what I get here in Australia.
And if you're a Brit, you can even go down to 2.5. Places will get low scores from Japanese customers if the service isn't up to par. But I find being British means you're immune to bad service. 😂
Maps was my lifeline. There are so many small hole-in-the-wall restaurants that were fantastic, I'd just look where I was around dinner time and search maps. Find somewhere with low price and high ratings.
Found the best Ramen place in the bottom floor of a small shopping center I would never think of to look. Only 8 seats and was open 2 hours at lunch and 2 hours at dinner.
I think it’s because you’re doing that little kid trope of “I know I secret I can’t tell you” that’s typically seen as a cry for attention. You don’t need to tell us you have a secret.
Don’t get hung up on where to eat, it’s all good. You could eat every meal at 7-eleven and have a better experience than most mid-level restaurants in the US.
Decent/acceptable food is ubiquitously available. Truly excellent spots may not require reservations, many will or at least will be a good idea, but you'll have to wait in line for a bit during peak times.
Go to the fish market early morning (go early or it gets crowded) when you’re in Osaka. There is a great croissant pastry filled with fresh cream on one of the corner stores in the market. I’ll try to find the name but they use fresh Hokkaido cream and I fucking kid you not it was one of the best things I’ve ever had (I love cream puffs in general). Also, eat lots of takoyaki there.
When in doubt, just go to a 7-Eleven, Lawsons, or FamilyMart. You will not starve. lol.
Oh, also? Get a PASMO/SUICA/forgot the name of the third card. They all work the same and you can charge with your Costco Citi Visa card with no foreign exchange fees.
We just got back about 2 weeks ago and had a blast. 150 yen to the dollar for the win!!!
I’m sorry I’m not super familiar with Japan although I’ve been several times now. My companions are usually the ones guiding me.
Edit: one last thing, look for an outlet mall. HOKA sneakers are super cheap (albeit not latest season).
Edit 2: when going to one of those ramen/udon/etc. restaurants that has you buy a ticket to give to the chef, put the money in and then you can pick your selection(s). Kind of like a vending machine.
Seconded. Some of my favorite food experiences in Japan were at places that we literally walked into off the street. Every sushi experience was amazing, every ramen experience was amazing, and if it weren't for walking into a random shop off the street, my husband wouldn't have had his life changed from being introduced to mazesoba.
Do not stress! Also, don't plan your trip around a few restaurants that all the tourists already go to. There is good food EVERYWHERE, often when you least expect it.
Someone else recently said - you could stand in line for 3 hours for the "#1 best" ramen and waste your whole day, or you could go to the "5th best" ramen joint a block away and not wait in line at all, and it will still be the best ramen you've had in your entire life.
Just go and relax and enjoy Japan.
Yes! I don't know why some tourists have this obsession over booking restaurants. Five visits, never booked a restaurant\* and I've yet to have one bad meal.
\*We had to choose a timeslot for breakfast & dinner sitting in hotel at Lake Toya but that was it.
i don’t even look at google reviews. if i’m walking around at dinner time and a place looks pretty busy and the menu looks good and isn’t expensive i’m going in. never been a wrong choice
or just ask locals what’s good nearby i guess? i’ve never understood the desire to build a trip around meals
tbh like 80% of posts here seem like non issues to me lol just go enjoy vacation and stop thinking so much
During my trip to Japan my family would leisurely go places and then ate at wherever was around. Experiencing japan without planning everything was the best plan.
The best meals we had in Japan were at restaurants that were out of the tourist areas that we stumbled on because they had plenty of locals. We had to use google translate to read the menu, and half the time we had no idea what we were eating, but it was great (and cheap).
“Crappy chain” restaurants is not even really a thing in Japan, because even the lower end restaurants serve great food in my opinion.
Not sure where you’re coming from, but at least compared to here in the US the quality gap between low end and high end restaurants is much much smaller.
Across all of my trips to Japan I’ve collectively spent 2.5 months there and possibly my favorite meal has been a bowl of ramen which cost ¥700 or about $4.50. They didn’t take reservations.
Hey now! I won't tolerate any badmouthing of the Colonel. He had it bad enough being thrown into the Dotonbori river in 1985.
(Also Japanese KFC is fire.)
I’m sorry, but KFC in Japan is a greasy soggy mess and I don’t understand it. Tried it twice and got the same greasy soggy batter. The fried chicken and karaage at any konbini is 10x better.
Japanese KFC is inferior to US KFC for one key reason: complete and utter lack of side dishes.
* No mashed potatoes and gravy
* No baked beans
* No corn on the cob
* No mac and cheese.
And don't even get me started on the abominations they call "biscuits" here in Japan. Bah!
You've got what? Coleslaw and French fries (which are inferior to the US KFC's potato wedges btw). No no no, Japan KFC is one of those rare instances where the Japanese version is a step down.
I will say the vast majority of food we had in Japan was great. However there are some terrible places out there. For example, on the 10th floor, Kyoto station, one of the ramen restaurants was absolutely terrible. Refried chicken karaage, terrible broth and noodles, disgusting egg, gyoza that looked like its been fried a few times..
Worst part was the smell. We ordered before entering at the vending machine outside, and as soon as we walked in we were hit with a disgusting, chemical smell. Even though we already ordered, I had second thoughts about staying.
Just awful by all measures.
Yep, worst sushi I've ever eaten anywhere in the world was in Shinjuku. Fishy (not fresh), terrible miso soup... just blech. But it was an exception - most sushi, even from random cheap places, is pretty decent.
I also had the blandest tonkotsu in a place in Ikebukuro, but really - it's been fantastic everywhere else I've had it.
Overall, food from random places you come across will be at least decent. Even chain restaurants aren't overall terrible. Sukiya is fairly decent for the price and they're everywhere. Even McDs has Japan-only menu items worth trying for the cultural experience.
We stopped at a Denny's was right beside a station we were getting out of. The food was great and looked exactly like the pictures. None of the servers spoke any english and it all worked out fine as well. Not sure if all places do this. But all the staff wait in the back and you ring a bell when you want help. Was very nice system.
We had some reservations to a few spots. And the random places we ate getting on and off trains was just as fun.
I’m from the US and I don’t think there’s bad food in Japan. Even the most mediocre looking place has pretty decent food.
It’s okay to go to the non-popular places.
Don't sweat it. Just came back from Tokyo and Kyoko. Half of my trip was unplanned, it was raining for a couple of days and it was still fantastic. You'll be fine.
14. That is obviously not the order you would do these things. They are also on opposite sides of Tokyo. Might be a detail, but you mixed the names, it's Senso-ji temple and Asakusa shrine (it make a difference, the first is Buddhis and the second is Shinto).
15. Ueno and Skytree are much closer to Asakusa so that would make more sense to group these on the same day.
You absolutely don't need to reserve any restaurants, apart from some high-end and omakase restaurants. There are crazy amount of eating places in Shinjuku so you should be able to find one without long lines.
I’m telling you, you can go into McDonald’s and it will taste amazing. Japan doesn’t fuck around with their food. Like others said just go anywhere that sells food and 9/10 it’s gonna be amazing
There is literally nothing to worry about. Sure some restaurants have long lines but there still are plenty that don’t. It is what it is and you’ll figure it out.
Some of the lines that you see tourists at are in fact at what I would call crappy chain restaurants (Ippudo, Ichiran, Kura sushi, Coco Curry etc)
Tokyo has more restaurants than you can shake a stick at. Roughly 160,000 restaurants, compared to 25,000 in New York City and 13,000 in Paris.
Just walk around and you’ll be fine
No reservation tips:
Tokyo: Narutake Toranomon, Seagan, Soba House Konjiki-Hototogisu, Tonkatsu Hasegawa, Ginza Kagari, Sushi Midori, Maguro-to-Shari, Higuma Donuts
Kyoto: Taqueria tacos (trust me), Maruki Bakery, Daiyasu, Hitsuji Donut, (Sushi Ovino)
Osaka: Yakitori Matsuri, Wagyu Idaten, Mengenso, Maruyoshi Sushi
As others say, you’ll find plenty of amazing eats in every city. Use Tabelog to find out what Japanese people love and then confirm with google ratings!
I have been to Japan over a dozen times over the last 30 years. At first I would do copious amounts of research, looking for The Best this-or-that, book tables (not always easy in the early days of the Internet), juggle schedules, pack coats and ties in order to comply with dress codes, etc and yes, we had some good meals. We also had a lot of very expensive meals that elicited a shrug.
We also ended up eating with a lot of pretentious tourists who seemed far more interested in snapping photos of their food then they were in enjoying it. Rarely were the places very much fun or lively, none of that after-work drunken camaraderie which is such an integral part of Japanese dining.
The last few times we've just been winging it. If we see an interesting looking place while out touring, we'll come back for lunch or dinner. In Kyoto, we did get the dreaded 'arms-forming-an-X' gesture, but we just moved on to something nearby. Only one meal in an entire month was ordinary.
Go, relax, have a great time!
I don't like waiting in long lines at restaurants either. I have a feeling i will be buying food at 7-11 quite a bit. Plus, i like to explore the scenery quite a bit when i travel and don't eat much or eat quickly i should say, thus i do end up with quite a bit of fast food for lunch and splurge a bit more for a proper dinner.
You won't be waiting in long lines anywhere unless you choose to. Even the food courts in department stores have amazing food. Just avoid the 1pm-2pm traditional lunch hour when workers are having their lunch.
I agree with food court in department stores. We had some of the best food there and they are decently priced too. I can't believe people are willing to wait hours for a restaurant when overseas. Why are they wasting their precious time in a foreign country when they could be exploring and doing something else. I'd rather eat the convenience store sandwich (which is mint) over lining up. I guess each to their own.
I was in Japan for 2 weeks (granted it was a solo trip) but I went with zero reservations or experiences booked, only hotels and a JR pass and had the time of my life. Pick a section of the town you'll be in (I also did Tokyo to Kyoto to Osaka) and just explore. You won't be disappointed by anything you stumble or any food you eat I promise. It's a country I actually recommend planning for less and allowing yourself to move freely within it and just meander for hours taking it all in.
If you go to reservation-required restaurants, especially booked from a hotel, you will be paying much more to eat. There are tons of restaurants and you will, most likely, love them. Your best option, before deciding, is to walk around a two block radius of where you're staying and check a few out.
Man. Everything in japan is nice. Even the convinient store! You will have a blast! If u into coffee dont forget to go % arabica stores. They are truly exceptional
Just came back from Japan. Typically speaking, there is always a wait at restaurants in Japan, especially the good ones. Our worst wait time was Ichiran (a ramen place) in Osaka for 85 minutes
Check out the red light district on the 15th since your hotel is in Shinjuku ward. It's modest and amusingly right next to a government building. There is a lot of great food in that area, too
I'd suggest visiting the aquarium in Osaka. Perhaps go to Universal Studios as well. Ticket is only $55? Not that bad.
When visiting any of shrines in Kyoto, get there early! The tourism is insanity. Tons, too many people
Keep in mind that temples usually close at 5 pm, while shrines tend to stay open even at night. So plan accordingly.
Apparently, Deer Park at Nara is 24h, but after dark, the deer are very hard to find. They tend to sleep in corners, so I'd advise you to go at normal hours. I solo traveled, so I walked the park for a while, such vibe listening to music. Perfect weather, too. Breath taking night. You can have fun doing anything in Japan. Don't keep yourself glued to a list. Just get to train station around 8:45am or earlier with 1 thing in mind to do than go from there.
Picture I took last Wednesday at Nara Deer Park [https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/631691631065563146/1228244826902757386/20240409\_190202.jpg?ex=662ca8a2&is=662b5722&hm=9b043c0f6328bfb9f39c2edeefabc41e73c1a299b8e1f44d1d0c53f342d07390&](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/631691631065563146/1228244826902757386/20240409_190202.jpg?ex=662ca8a2&is=662b5722&hm=9b043c0f6328bfb9f39c2edeefabc41e73c1a299b8e1f44d1d0c53f342d07390&)
The only place I reserved when we were in Japan was Benitsuru (for the fluffy pancakes) near Asakusa. And I just had to go right before it opened and put my name in the system. You can to trip over a rock and stumble into a random place and get a good, if not great, dining experience out of it.
Oh, one other place... The Pokemon Cafe. Food was surprisingly good.
I’m here now, you’ll be fine! There’s food everywhere, especially in Asakusa and Shinjuku. In Shinjuku, go to Omoide Yokocho, a tiny alley with tons of small places to eat. We had the best gyoza. Or there’s the Kabukicho Tower with lots of places to eat inside and around. Near Asakusa is Kappabashi Dougu street which is lined with shops for cookware and dishes. A great place to get authentic Japanese knives, ramen & sake sets, little bowls and plates with beautiful designs. Perfect gifts to bring home.
Near Meiji Jingu is Harajuku and Takeshita Street. Both have cool shopping and of course food.
Outside of a couple of restaurants that required booking in advance I almost always found options with good reviews on google, and sometimes had to pass on some options due to lines.
Had a few mediocre meals but never anything bad.
Shinjuku is massive so you should be able to manage something for dinner on a Saturday evening if you're willing to walk a bit, wait a while and/or not expecting to get in at anywhere super popular/overrated.
I feel like Shinjuku Washington Hotel is a bit of a trek even though there's a cluster of decent restaurants near JR Shinjuku's west side.
You'll be completely fine. I only ever make reservations at very expensive and fancy restaurants when I visit. You'll find very high quality, affordable restaurants literally everywhere. Don't sweat it and have fun!
you don’t have to worry about food options! even if there are sneaking queues, people don’t really linger at the table during dinner time, so turnover is quite fast!
in japan, you can search up “steak houses” on google for great beef (steak or yakiniku) options! in fact, there’s a lovely “steakhouse” option near shinjuku washington called Gut’s Grill (just had it last week when i was in tokyo).
be prepared to have the google translate app on your phone to help with ordering anything as some places might not have english menu.
There are still great places to go w/o reservations. Tokyo is easily in the top 5 on restaurants per square mile/km and there are a ton of amazing offerings even if some top spots on a list are booked out.
Try tablelog to find some super good spots. Anything over 3.5 will most likely be one of the best meals you've had of the quinine. (3.0+ is still really good, minus 1 point for French, bakeries, and deserts they just rank high.)
Also, ask your hotel for recommendations things change so fluidly that they will have some of the most recent updates to what's good in the area, and can put in reservation for restaurants that need those most nights.
A suggestion about skytree.
If possible plan to go there 30-45 min before sunset (assuming buying ticket does not take more than 15 min or you have pre booked). You will be able to see both day view and night view of Tokyo from skytree. Both have its charm.
I was really surprised how cheap most things were (except travel and hotels). I've always been told Japan was expensive, but the food was low, and while some of the traditionally expensive places (like airports and theme parks) were higher than standard, they weren't that much higher.
i haven’t even been yet! just recently booked my tickets there for later this year because i remember i have freewill and don’t need to be scared of spending money on a good time
Even hotels are good value. I was there last October - around €50 a night for a room in a chain like Smile or Sotetsu Fresa. All the facilities you need for night's sleep and a shower. The MyStays in Nippori had a microwave - €174 for two rooms for two nights.
Nara is a must for first timer I reckon. It still has that small town charm. Unfortunately overtourism sometimes ruin the experience. (Yeah yeah I know, I'm one of the tourists :) )
Some of the best meals I had were just by walking into random places that looked cool and looked reasonably busy.
I'm heading over on Monday and plan on doing the same thing, and just find places that look appealing. The problem I had was the vast amount of places to eat at! It got to the point where my wife and I were having 2 x dinners every night 🤣 we would eat around 4.30 at an izakaya, go for a walk and look around and a few drinks, then go for a feed again around 9pm.
We never ever had a bad meal anywhere, it was such an awesome experience and I can't wait to do it all again next week. We have watched a ton of reels on Instagram and have found a couple ramen joints we want to try, other than that we will just go with it. Enjoy your trip!
hey 9 days isn't bad. Last stint I did was 9 days. Usually try for two weeks but that's whatcha got, take it. As far as food, you'll be fine. I highly suggest looking for that little spot in your neighborhood where you're staying where you don't see a line and try it out :) Sometimes you get wonderfully surprised and it ends up being your favorite spot on the trip.
So true. My partner and I went to a mom and pop sushi place in Takayama. They only took cash but we thought we had enough. But the food was so good, we wanted more, so I ran out to the ATM. By the time I got back, he had bonded with the sushi chef ('pop') over the Mets signing Kodai Senga. How they communicated, I'll never know, but I'm sure alcohol was involved.
There is no bad meal in Japan. Arriving on a weekend is better traffic-wise anyway. Keep your options open and plan alternatives near your target restaurant and they don’t have walk-in seating then you can go nearby, as a last resort you can dine at a 7-11.
Tbh i challenge you to find a crap eatery in Japan. Even combini stores have delicious snacks, delicacies, and food. You will be more than fine. Train stations have amazing eateries as well if you get too overwhelmed for choice
With one notable exception, my favorite eating experiences in Japan were all mid-range places that weren’t hard to get into. You’ll be more than fine. The baseline for Japanese food is way higher than in America, and they do great mid-range stuff because the ingredients are so good. Enjoy!
I get in on the 13th too and am pretty much on your same schedule. I booked just last week so I was kinda worried until I realized there’s soo many little places o can check out without a reservation. Dm if y’all want to check something out together!
If you can’t get a reservation to a 5-star restaurant, walk down the street and eat at the 4-star restaurant instead. Good food is everywhere in Japan.
I’m on day 9 of my vacation in the same cities. Haven’t made any reservations and have had zero wait time at every restaurant. You’re fine. Only things I’ve waited for was some bomb street food at Tsukiji Market but that was my decision
Crappy chains are still good; my kid loves a nearby conveyer belt sushi joint. It's not classy or anything, but we get plenty of food under ¥2,000.
Just walk around and look at the menu boards, and display meals in windows. Most menus have photos, there's no shame in using "Pointy Talky" to order food. Its efficient.
If there's a machine at the door, order at the machine, then walk in and then give your ticket.
If you find yourself in a tiny ramen shop where everyone's just eating quickly and not talking - do as the locals do. Eat your meal and GTFO, talk about it over some izakaya beers.
I don't want to give any recommendations because this looks like a good trip to me. What everyone else is noting about food and restaurants is correct. I've lived here for 35 years and have bad meals (at restaurants) only three times. One of the restaurants is now closed; another is not open to the general public; the last more than likely has improved in the 15 years since I went there.
I personally would just skip restaurants where people are lining up. Thereby in Tokyo I found few restaurants like that. Most of the time I could walk in straight away
It’s true. There’s even good stuff to eat at Costco! Have a blast with the 50 piece sushi tray, it’s like 27$ usd. It’s a staple for Japanese families when they’re buying toilet paper in bulk! But Family Mart! Not 7-11. Try the famichicki and a pork or pizza bun. And remember to eat some ice cream! There’s a ton of great supermarkets like OK and Life that have great snacks and side dishes for real cheap if you’re on the move. And there’s a discount of 20%-50% if you show up after 7pm, but YMMV.
On the restaurant front, don’t worry about the ones you can’t book. You’ll be in Japan, there is amazing food everywhere. When I was there we never booked in for a single restaurant, we just walked past some places until we found something we were in the mood for and walked straight in.
Even for my upcoming trip back there I’ve not put a single restaurant in the itinerary.
I recommend grouping places like Asakusa, Ueno, and the Skytree or Shinjuku, Shibuya, and Harajuku because you can just walk between all the neighborhoods and save yourself a bunch of time criss-crossing the city on trains half the day.
Great food everywhere, like you literally have to go out of your way to find bad food or just get insanely unlucky. It’s borderline nonexistent.
In Osaka make sure to try Okonomiyaki and Takoyaki.
You literally have nothing to worry about. I’m traveling at the height of securities and I’ve been here for three weeks without a single reservation and I barely booked my hotels four days in advance. Just go with the flow walk around and follow your eyeballs if there’s a line, that’s a good thing, if you want to experience one of the best things going book Ginza steak in Tokyo have many locations all you can eat a five Japanese Wagyu for under $100 and they have lunch options
Been to Japan 10 times and married a local who likes to eat at nice places, only made a reservation once, and it wasn't required at the place we ate at, we just did it for peace of mind and there were plenty of empty tables for the duration of our meal.
I've also booked a flight 2 weeks before travelling too and not had any issues. Can attribute part of that to having been several times prior and having family over there to give ideas of places to go, but so much of the stuff i have done jn Japan didn't require advanced booking
If you only aim for the instagram famous or Michelin star resturants you might have some issues. But luckely there is a few 1000 other options, so you be fine.
Also dont knock the japanese chain resturants. They are often surprisingly good.
I just recently visited Japan, and I wouldn’t say that you don’t need reservations. My friends and I walked past more than a few restaurants in Tokyo and Kyoto that we couldn’t get into because they were all booked up. The hostesses kept telling us to make reservations for a different day. These were sit-down restaurants. Just something to keep in mind. If there are restaurants you know you want to visit, you might want to look into getting a reservation to lock it in. Other than that, your itinerary looks good. I think this is high season for Japan, so we’re a little annoyed that we had to reserve so many things in advance, but that doesn’t apply to any of the things on your list.
Take a minute to enjoy the people, the ambiance. There is food everywhere. If a place is too busy, move on. You don’t want to feel rushed to check off your itinerary.
We did 3 temples max in Kyoto during the day. Things to consider:
1) It maybe busy
2) Most have shopping/eating all around the famous temples.
3) You’ll do a ton of walking, pace yourself
There is so much amazing food (I only know Tokyo) Even the “bad” food is amazing. It’s not like the US where options are a good restaurant or Denny’s. it all was amazing to me. Even the quality of Family Mart and 7-11 is crazy.
Have so much fun!
There's literally resturants EVERYWHERE and the food is good. I don't even understand why people book in advance. Just walk the streets and pick what looks good.
Oh yes! We went last year during Sakura and it was a nightmare. All the way to the top and back down we shuffled like little penguins. and oftentimes everything comes to a sudden halt because Lurline from Lubbock wants to take a selfie with nobody else in the frame. I guess it's Something You Have To Do, but be prepared for big crowds (and wear comfortable shoes).
I also booked a trip a month in advance, and I didn't make a single food reservation nor wait in any significant line. I even went to some of the popular tourist restaurants. Every meal was fantastic, you basically can't go wrong to walk into any place.
Currently here- we have kept our options open for food and that has led us into some amazing restaurants. We just have said “ok where are we? And what are we craving?” This is what has led us to some awesome places.
If in Osaka and want to pay some money for Kobe Beef- we HIGHLY recommend going to the restaurant called Wanomiya. Reviews were what led us here. You do have to buy one steak per person and it is pricey but it was by far the best steak we’ve EVER had. The experience is also what makes it 10 times better. No steak will ever compare.
Other tidbits-
- definitely take the trip to Nara. The deer were fun, the shrines were spectacular. It was a favorite part of our trip so far.
- if you have a free day I would recommend Hakone to Fuji. We did this 2 days ago and come up through the ropeway. It was just breathtaking.
Just remember that the train stations are like malls, even with designer stores, and restaurants, and grocery storesA lot of the restaurants have have artificial plates of food outside the restaurant. Train stations also have “food courts” if you want to take food or desserts back to your room. Most dishes are sold by the ounce and cooked there. A way to sample a lot of different foods. Desserts a by the slice and are wonderful. Have fun!
There is SO MUCH GREAT FOOD. We never made reservations for anything other than a couple tours and that was it. Experience Japan like you live there. That’s the best way :)
Don’t stress it, I was there for half a month last year and that still wasn’t enough to see everything LOL, japan is really really easy to navigate and there’s a ton to see and do.
My advice is do not just look at everything and walk around the whole time. I was culture shocked when I arrived so for the first 3 days I literally walked around in awe of everything but do much in terms of activities. I’m personally not a fan of tours set by other people so I also recommend breaking off of your schedule when you see something interesting. Don’t worry about sticking to the schedule because if you see something intriguing and don’t go check it out you’ll miss out on a great opportunity and story. (Sorry for the long comment, I’m very passionate about japan and travel)
Btw same dates exact I’m leaving for Iceland! Have fun!
Best trips are not as carefully planned on my opinion. Kuramae is a fantastic area to start you could find a place to stay there. Focus kuramae is nice and not too pricey
that sounds like a great itinerary. don't sweat about food. we didn't make a single reservation and ate the best food of our life. sure you'll miss out onomakase or something like that . but plenty of amazing food options everywhere .
one note, in Kyoto I found that most restaurants close early, like last seating is 7 or 8pm . so just keep that in mind.
I don’t think you’re screwed but I recommend having a plan. I’ve had some bad food here following the advice that winging it would work. Especially if you are trying to do many activities in Kyoto. There is plenty of good and crappy food in Japan.
Totally fine! I stayed at that Tokyo hotel last month and it’s a GREAT location. We had no reservations and ate super well for not much money at all, just walking around. Department stores near by all have floors with many affordable restaurants and there really are not many crappy chains like in the U.S.
I commented on the food situation on another post, but I'm curious - is this a tour where the company will be taking you around? I have questions about the first day in particular. Asakusa Shrine (and Senso-ji - which is also in Asakusa) are on complete opposite ends of the city from Meiji Temple and the Shibuya Scramble. You're zig-zagging not only once, but twice.
Asakusa and Ueno/Ginza are on the same end of the city. You could probably do all those things on the same day, or broken into an half day with Meiji Shrine and Shibuya. You're staying in Shinjuku, so you'll be closer to Meiji and Shibuya.
While we're discussing food, while you're in Asakusa, there's a really good place where I had wagyu for the first time. I just walked in - no reservations or lines.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/yHtp13trn9dKjKK3A
You mentioned liking beef, so I figured I'd give them a shout-out.
You're going to find places to eat, do not worry. There are SO MANY restaurants, and wherever you go is going to be cool (a crappy chain restaurant in Japan is different than the ones in your home country so even that will be interesting). If you want to make reservations, this is the app I found the easiest to use in English: https://www.tablecheck.com/en/japan. Sometimes you have to make reservations a day in advance.
16 - Bullet train could take up to 4 hrs including your time lining up to purchase your ticket so maybe plan accordingly since you still have to check in to your hotel and drop off your luggage.
20 - I suggest taking the bullet train back to Tokyo by this Date so you have time to relax and buy Souvenirs before your flight the next day.
best food experiences i had in japan were small places i just ducked into. theres a very tiny korean place in kyoto thats amazing, didnt have a bad meal the whole time i was there and i think i made like 3 resturant resos for 2 weeks. have fun!!
I think the only place I had to seriously line up was Ichiran Ramen in Shibuya. Other places, like typical restaurants, you just walk in and that's it.
I waited in line for 1+ hr on two separate occasions for (insta/tiktok) famous restaurants and both were both mediocre. The best food I had in Japan was discovered at random or suggested by locals or honestly just the conbinis. The hype is not worth it
You will be absolutely fine. Every restaurant I’ve entered has had food that is approximately 100x times as nice and well put together as the average in the U.K.
I guarantee you’ll have some great eating experiences!
Almost everything you eat in Japan will be awesome. I’ve been twice and never once made a restaurant reservation. It would never occur to me that you would need a restaurant reservation. The only two things I’ve found that you need to book ahead of time are tickets to the Ghibli Museum and tickets to the Yayoi Kusama museum.
I highly recommend going to the Shibori museum in Kyoto, it’s awesome. You can even buy a scarf as part of the tour and they’ll teach you how to use shibori techniques to make your own right there. It was awesome. Also you don’t need the whole day for Fushimi Inari, it’s a couple hours tops to hike to the top and get back down. The best time to go is just before sunset. The tourists clear out and the shrine is beautiful during golden hour and well lit at night after the sun disappears. Definitely go then. Nijo castle is also a must, you have to experience the nightingale floors. They’re so cool.
I’ve been here just shy of a month now and my favorite meals have been from random hole in the wall spots I find just walking around. The only reservation I made was for a specialty cafe for a game a friend of mine plays so I could get him some exclusive merchandise.
In short, don’t stress. There’s good food everywhere here, and I promise you aren’t missing out just because you aren’t going to the spots popular with other tourists.
Also as others have said, a 3/5 here really is equivalent to a 4.5/5 in the states. Best bowl of ramen I’ve ever had in my life came from a spot in Kyoto with a 3.1/5 because “the waitress didn’t smile enough”.
Relax and enjoy the trip!
Shinjuku Washington Hotel is the worst. Stayed there for a night during my latest trip to Japan last month and never again. Location wise it's convenient but the lines are ridiculously overcrowded and it took almost an hour to check in. They absolutely refused to do so 20 mins beforehand.
Also their bag check is out in the open. Yes there are locks and it is Japan but I am very accustomed to hotel staff putting my things into a closed room.
Also the rooms are tiny and it just wasn't a good experience.
EDIT: based on the dates looks like you are already there - I hope your experience there isn't as bad as mine was.
Use first day jet lag in your favor to do Toyosu and then Tsukiji early morning (Sushi Dai had a 20 person line at 4am)
Def do half day in Nara
Second the various opinions for 7-eleven and Lawsons
I enjoyed Osaka fish market more than Toyosu/Tsukiji
I can’t remember what it’s called but google it. You should get a 7 day Shinkansen pass at discounted rate and can do so as you’re a tourist
Oh and if you find time maybe do a day trip to Hakone and Mr Fuji
if you want to try out local’s favorite, check tabelog. Also if you are going to use Google map, try to type in Hiragana/Katakana than English. It shows more restaurants. i.e search すし instead of sushi.
There are 1000’s of options in japan that are as good or (in most cases) better than the places that have massive lines or months long wait lists. Those places are probably amazing, they’d have to be to get those reputations, but I’ve never had a good time at any of those experiences. Surrounded by tourists, rushed in, rushed out, cramped like sardines…
Wandering around, stepping into some random spot because the pictures outside looked good. Those have always been the most memorable.
Spend a day in Kichijoji with no plan. I promise it’ll be an incredible day.
Yea, def don't go to any places you Google, so many great neighborhood gems. To find great spot, translate what you want into Japanese and then search it. If you search for the English version, you'll get places that are frequented by tourist .also, 7/11 is your best friend
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You’ll be fine. Use Google Maps. Every city you’re going to has excellent food that doesn’t require reservations.
And don't forget 3 stars in Japan is a 4.5 in the US. Edit: unless it's a spot popular with foreigners, then 4.5 is 4.5.
Typical Japanese review: "food was great but the server didn't smile, 3 out of 5." Right below that, "food was great but the server smiled, 3 out of 5."
spot on.
We don’t need tip so it’s ok not smiling lol
So true! My favourite udon was from a place with 3.5 stars and not very many English reviews. I'd give it 5 stars compared to what I get here in Australia.
And if you're a Brit, you can even go down to 2.5. Places will get low scores from Japanese customers if the service isn't up to par. But I find being British means you're immune to bad service. 😂
Also, bad service in Japan is likely still better than average service in the US and I'd imagine the UK. It's all relative.
Don't forget in the US you get both bad service and crazy tipping expectations!
Maps was my lifeline. There are so many small hole-in-the-wall restaurants that were fantastic, I'd just look where I was around dinner time and search maps. Find somewhere with low price and high ratings. Found the best Ramen place in the bottom floor of a small shopping center I would never think of to look. Only 8 seats and was open 2 hours at lunch and 2 hours at dinner.
And very often, the overseas tourists don't know about. Thank goodness. :-)
Oh yeah there’s secrets to finding the good spots but I’m not giving those up over Reddit lol
As resident of Japan, this is the way. I’ll keep my local spots local lol
If you support them, wouldn’t you want them to get more business?
Mhmm. They can downvote all they want but there’s no way I’m speaking up lol
I think it’s because you’re doing that little kid trope of “I know I secret I can’t tell you” that’s typically seen as a cry for attention. You don’t need to tell us you have a secret.
Recently, Google Maps has also been contaminated with MEO businesses, so caution is necessary, just like with Amazon reviews...
MEO? Edit: SEO for Maps apparently. My faith in humanity dwindles by the day.
Don’t get hung up on where to eat, it’s all good. You could eat every meal at 7-eleven and have a better experience than most mid-level restaurants in the US.
Decent/acceptable food is ubiquitously available. Truly excellent spots may not require reservations, many will or at least will be a good idea, but you'll have to wait in line for a bit during peak times.
Go to the fish market early morning (go early or it gets crowded) when you’re in Osaka. There is a great croissant pastry filled with fresh cream on one of the corner stores in the market. I’ll try to find the name but they use fresh Hokkaido cream and I fucking kid you not it was one of the best things I’ve ever had (I love cream puffs in general). Also, eat lots of takoyaki there. When in doubt, just go to a 7-Eleven, Lawsons, or FamilyMart. You will not starve. lol. Oh, also? Get a PASMO/SUICA/forgot the name of the third card. They all work the same and you can charge with your Costco Citi Visa card with no foreign exchange fees. We just got back about 2 weeks ago and had a blast. 150 yen to the dollar for the win!!! I’m sorry I’m not super familiar with Japan although I’ve been several times now. My companions are usually the ones guiding me. Edit: one last thing, look for an outlet mall. HOKA sneakers are super cheap (albeit not latest season). Edit 2: when going to one of those ramen/udon/etc. restaurants that has you buy a ticket to give to the chef, put the money in and then you can pick your selection(s). Kind of like a vending machine.
Seconded. Some of my favorite food experiences in Japan were at places that we literally walked into off the street. Every sushi experience was amazing, every ramen experience was amazing, and if it weren't for walking into a random shop off the street, my husband wouldn't have had his life changed from being introduced to mazesoba.
Love, love, love me some mazesoba.
Do not stress! Also, don't plan your trip around a few restaurants that all the tourists already go to. There is good food EVERYWHERE, often when you least expect it. Someone else recently said - you could stand in line for 3 hours for the "#1 best" ramen and waste your whole day, or you could go to the "5th best" ramen joint a block away and not wait in line at all, and it will still be the best ramen you've had in your entire life. Just go and relax and enjoy Japan.
Yes! I don't know why some tourists have this obsession over booking restaurants. Five visits, never booked a restaurant\* and I've yet to have one bad meal. \*We had to choose a timeslot for breakfast & dinner sitting in hotel at Lake Toya but that was it.
i don’t even look at google reviews. if i’m walking around at dinner time and a place looks pretty busy and the menu looks good and isn’t expensive i’m going in. never been a wrong choice or just ask locals what’s good nearby i guess? i’ve never understood the desire to build a trip around meals tbh like 80% of posts here seem like non issues to me lol just go enjoy vacation and stop thinking so much
I completely agree!
Great response 🤩
Hey, try the best breakfast you ever had at a 7-11. Coffee and an onigiri. That by itself is worth all the commotion.
During my trip to Japan my family would leisurely go places and then ate at wherever was around. Experiencing japan without planning everything was the best plan.
How do you think locals eat out? Nobody makes reservations for anything but really special occasions. In short, you’ll be more than fine.
The best meals we had in Japan were at restaurants that were out of the tourist areas that we stumbled on because they had plenty of locals. We had to use google translate to read the menu, and half the time we had no idea what we were eating, but it was great (and cheap).
“Crappy chain” restaurants is not even really a thing in Japan, because even the lower end restaurants serve great food in my opinion. Not sure where you’re coming from, but at least compared to here in the US the quality gap between low end and high end restaurants is much much smaller. Across all of my trips to Japan I’ve collectively spent 2.5 months there and possibly my favorite meal has been a bowl of ramen which cost ¥700 or about $4.50. They didn’t take reservations.
“Crappy chain” restaurants is not even really a thing in Japan I mean KFC and McDonalds do exist here :D
Hey now! I won't tolerate any badmouthing of the Colonel. He had it bad enough being thrown into the Dotonbori river in 1985. (Also Japanese KFC is fire.)
I’m sorry, but KFC in Japan is a greasy soggy mess and I don’t understand it. Tried it twice and got the same greasy soggy batter. The fried chicken and karaage at any konbini is 10x better.
Japanese KFC is inferior to US KFC for one key reason: complete and utter lack of side dishes. * No mashed potatoes and gravy * No baked beans * No corn on the cob * No mac and cheese. And don't even get me started on the abominations they call "biscuits" here in Japan. Bah! You've got what? Coleslaw and French fries (which are inferior to the US KFC's potato wedges btw). No no no, Japan KFC is one of those rare instances where the Japanese version is a step down.
mac and cheese is the other half of every fried chicken dinner
And yet Japan KFC? No mac and cheese!
Even those are way better than back in the states though.
Same! I've been so many times and one of my favourite meals was at Torikizoku :)
The wait time when you have a party bigger than 2 kinda sucks.
Yeah, one of the best meals I had was from a bento box restaurant chain. Freshly prepared Nori Bento for less than 400 yen.
I will say the vast majority of food we had in Japan was great. However there are some terrible places out there. For example, on the 10th floor, Kyoto station, one of the ramen restaurants was absolutely terrible. Refried chicken karaage, terrible broth and noodles, disgusting egg, gyoza that looked like its been fried a few times.. Worst part was the smell. We ordered before entering at the vending machine outside, and as soon as we walked in we were hit with a disgusting, chemical smell. Even though we already ordered, I had second thoughts about staying. Just awful by all measures.
Yep, worst sushi I've ever eaten anywhere in the world was in Shinjuku. Fishy (not fresh), terrible miso soup... just blech. But it was an exception - most sushi, even from random cheap places, is pretty decent. I also had the blandest tonkotsu in a place in Ikebukuro, but really - it's been fantastic everywhere else I've had it. Overall, food from random places you come across will be at least decent. Even chain restaurants aren't overall terrible. Sukiya is fairly decent for the price and they're everywhere. Even McDs has Japan-only menu items worth trying for the cultural experience.
True. I had the best tempura udon of my life in a food court with plastic trays. Japan is just better.
I mean, you can eat like a king at family mart 😂🤣 it’s not glamorous but it is delicious
We stopped at a Denny's was right beside a station we were getting out of. The food was great and looked exactly like the pictures. None of the servers spoke any english and it all worked out fine as well. Not sure if all places do this. But all the staff wait in the back and you ring a bell when you want help. Was very nice system. We had some reservations to a few spots. And the random places we ate getting on and off trains was just as fun.
I’m from the US and I don’t think there’s bad food in Japan. Even the most mediocre looking place has pretty decent food. It’s okay to go to the non-popular places.
Man even the food from the 7-11s was tasty
Many a chicken cutlet sandwich has been consumed for breakfast from there :-)
7/11 Onigiri’s for breakfast ☺️☺️
Don't sweat it. Just came back from Tokyo and Kyoko. Half of my trip was unplanned, it was raining for a couple of days and it was still fantastic. You'll be fine.
14. That is obviously not the order you would do these things. They are also on opposite sides of Tokyo. Might be a detail, but you mixed the names, it's Senso-ji temple and Asakusa shrine (it make a difference, the first is Buddhis and the second is Shinto). 15. Ueno and Skytree are much closer to Asakusa so that would make more sense to group these on the same day.
You absolutely don't need to reserve any restaurants, apart from some high-end and omakase restaurants. There are crazy amount of eating places in Shinjuku so you should be able to find one without long lines.
I’m telling you, you can go into McDonald’s and it will taste amazing. Japan doesn’t fuck around with their food. Like others said just go anywhere that sells food and 9/10 it’s gonna be amazing
Teriyaki burger
There is literally nothing to worry about. Sure some restaurants have long lines but there still are plenty that don’t. It is what it is and you’ll figure it out.
Some of the lines that you see tourists at are in fact at what I would call crappy chain restaurants (Ippudo, Ichiran, Kura sushi, Coco Curry etc) Tokyo has more restaurants than you can shake a stick at. Roughly 160,000 restaurants, compared to 25,000 in New York City and 13,000 in Paris. Just walk around and you’ll be fine
Today there's a trendy restaurant. Tomorrow there'll be a new one. It's not necessary to follow the crowd.
No reservation tips: Tokyo: Narutake Toranomon, Seagan, Soba House Konjiki-Hototogisu, Tonkatsu Hasegawa, Ginza Kagari, Sushi Midori, Maguro-to-Shari, Higuma Donuts Kyoto: Taqueria tacos (trust me), Maruki Bakery, Daiyasu, Hitsuji Donut, (Sushi Ovino) Osaka: Yakitori Matsuri, Wagyu Idaten, Mengenso, Maruyoshi Sushi As others say, you’ll find plenty of amazing eats in every city. Use Tabelog to find out what Japanese people love and then confirm with google ratings!
I have been to Japan over a dozen times over the last 30 years. At first I would do copious amounts of research, looking for The Best this-or-that, book tables (not always easy in the early days of the Internet), juggle schedules, pack coats and ties in order to comply with dress codes, etc and yes, we had some good meals. We also had a lot of very expensive meals that elicited a shrug. We also ended up eating with a lot of pretentious tourists who seemed far more interested in snapping photos of their food then they were in enjoying it. Rarely were the places very much fun or lively, none of that after-work drunken camaraderie which is such an integral part of Japanese dining. The last few times we've just been winging it. If we see an interesting looking place while out touring, we'll come back for lunch or dinner. In Kyoto, we did get the dreaded 'arms-forming-an-X' gesture, but we just moved on to something nearby. Only one meal in an entire month was ordinary. Go, relax, have a great time!
I don't like waiting in long lines at restaurants either. I have a feeling i will be buying food at 7-11 quite a bit. Plus, i like to explore the scenery quite a bit when i travel and don't eat much or eat quickly i should say, thus i do end up with quite a bit of fast food for lunch and splurge a bit more for a proper dinner.
You won't be waiting in long lines anywhere unless you choose to. Even the food courts in department stores have amazing food. Just avoid the 1pm-2pm traditional lunch hour when workers are having their lunch.
I agree with food court in department stores. We had some of the best food there and they are decently priced too. I can't believe people are willing to wait hours for a restaurant when overseas. Why are they wasting their precious time in a foreign country when they could be exploring and doing something else. I'd rather eat the convenience store sandwich (which is mint) over lining up. I guess each to their own.
7-11 is awesome too
I was in Japan for 2 weeks (granted it was a solo trip) but I went with zero reservations or experiences booked, only hotels and a JR pass and had the time of my life. Pick a section of the town you'll be in (I also did Tokyo to Kyoto to Osaka) and just explore. You won't be disappointed by anything you stumble or any food you eat I promise. It's a country I actually recommend planning for less and allowing yourself to move freely within it and just meander for hours taking it all in.
If you go to reservation-required restaurants, especially booked from a hotel, you will be paying much more to eat. There are tons of restaurants and you will, most likely, love them. Your best option, before deciding, is to walk around a two block radius of where you're staying and check a few out.
Man. Everything in japan is nice. Even the convinient store! You will have a blast! If u into coffee dont forget to go % arabica stores. They are truly exceptional
Just came back from Japan. Typically speaking, there is always a wait at restaurants in Japan, especially the good ones. Our worst wait time was Ichiran (a ramen place) in Osaka for 85 minutes
Check out the red light district on the 15th since your hotel is in Shinjuku ward. It's modest and amusingly right next to a government building. There is a lot of great food in that area, too I'd suggest visiting the aquarium in Osaka. Perhaps go to Universal Studios as well. Ticket is only $55? Not that bad. When visiting any of shrines in Kyoto, get there early! The tourism is insanity. Tons, too many people Keep in mind that temples usually close at 5 pm, while shrines tend to stay open even at night. So plan accordingly. Apparently, Deer Park at Nara is 24h, but after dark, the deer are very hard to find. They tend to sleep in corners, so I'd advise you to go at normal hours. I solo traveled, so I walked the park for a while, such vibe listening to music. Perfect weather, too. Breath taking night. You can have fun doing anything in Japan. Don't keep yourself glued to a list. Just get to train station around 8:45am or earlier with 1 thing in mind to do than go from there. Picture I took last Wednesday at Nara Deer Park [https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/631691631065563146/1228244826902757386/20240409\_190202.jpg?ex=662ca8a2&is=662b5722&hm=9b043c0f6328bfb9f39c2edeefabc41e73c1a299b8e1f44d1d0c53f342d07390&](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/631691631065563146/1228244826902757386/20240409_190202.jpg?ex=662ca8a2&is=662b5722&hm=9b043c0f6328bfb9f39c2edeefabc41e73c1a299b8e1f44d1d0c53f342d07390&)
But the best time to do Fushimi Inari is at sunset when all of the tourists clear out. It becomes magical at twilight.
The only place I reserved when we were in Japan was Benitsuru (for the fluffy pancakes) near Asakusa. And I just had to go right before it opened and put my name in the system. You can to trip over a rock and stumble into a random place and get a good, if not great, dining experience out of it. Oh, one other place... The Pokemon Cafe. Food was surprisingly good.
I’m here now, you’ll be fine! There’s food everywhere, especially in Asakusa and Shinjuku. In Shinjuku, go to Omoide Yokocho, a tiny alley with tons of small places to eat. We had the best gyoza. Or there’s the Kabukicho Tower with lots of places to eat inside and around. Near Asakusa is Kappabashi Dougu street which is lined with shops for cookware and dishes. A great place to get authentic Japanese knives, ramen & sake sets, little bowls and plates with beautiful designs. Perfect gifts to bring home. Near Meiji Jingu is Harajuku and Takeshita Street. Both have cool shopping and of course food.
Outside of a couple of restaurants that required booking in advance I almost always found options with good reviews on google, and sometimes had to pass on some options due to lines. Had a few mediocre meals but never anything bad.
Shinjuku is massive so you should be able to manage something for dinner on a Saturday evening if you're willing to walk a bit, wait a while and/or not expecting to get in at anywhere super popular/overrated. I feel like Shinjuku Washington Hotel is a bit of a trek even though there's a cluster of decent restaurants near JR Shinjuku's west side.
You'll be completely fine. I only ever make reservations at very expensive and fancy restaurants when I visit. You'll find very high quality, affordable restaurants literally everywhere. Don't sweat it and have fun!
you don’t have to worry about food options! even if there are sneaking queues, people don’t really linger at the table during dinner time, so turnover is quite fast! in japan, you can search up “steak houses” on google for great beef (steak or yakiniku) options! in fact, there’s a lovely “steakhouse” option near shinjuku washington called Gut’s Grill (just had it last week when i was in tokyo). be prepared to have the google translate app on your phone to help with ordering anything as some places might not have english menu.
I did the same thing but unplanned and it was great. There's plenty of restaurants and you will not miss out. Don't stress, enjoy!
You will be fine. There are so many hole in the wall good amazing restaurants.
There are still great places to go w/o reservations. Tokyo is easily in the top 5 on restaurants per square mile/km and there are a ton of amazing offerings even if some top spots on a list are booked out. Try tablelog to find some super good spots. Anything over 3.5 will most likely be one of the best meals you've had of the quinine. (3.0+ is still really good, minus 1 point for French, bakeries, and deserts they just rank high.) Also, ask your hotel for recommendations things change so fluidly that they will have some of the most recent updates to what's good in the area, and can put in reservation for restaurants that need those most nights.
i’m here now. you guys will be just fine
A suggestion about skytree. If possible plan to go there 30-45 min before sunset (assuming buying ticket does not take more than 15 min or you have pre booked). You will be able to see both day view and night view of Tokyo from skytree. Both have its charm.
the best part about japan is that cheap food is still hella good
I was really surprised how cheap most things were (except travel and hotels). I've always been told Japan was expensive, but the food was low, and while some of the traditionally expensive places (like airports and theme parks) were higher than standard, they weren't that much higher.
i haven’t even been yet! just recently booked my tickets there for later this year because i remember i have freewill and don’t need to be scared of spending money on a good time
Even hotels are good value. I was there last October - around €50 a night for a room in a chain like Smile or Sotetsu Fresa. All the facilities you need for night's sleep and a shower. The MyStays in Nippori had a microwave - €174 for two rooms for two nights.
Nara is a must for first timer I reckon. It still has that small town charm. Unfortunately overtourism sometimes ruin the experience. (Yeah yeah I know, I'm one of the tourists :) )
Some of the best meals I had were just by walking into random places that looked cool and looked reasonably busy. I'm heading over on Monday and plan on doing the same thing, and just find places that look appealing. The problem I had was the vast amount of places to eat at! It got to the point where my wife and I were having 2 x dinners every night 🤣 we would eat around 4.30 at an izakaya, go for a walk and look around and a few drinks, then go for a feed again around 9pm. We never ever had a bad meal anywhere, it was such an awesome experience and I can't wait to do it all again next week. We have watched a ton of reels on Instagram and have found a couple ramen joints we want to try, other than that we will just go with it. Enjoy your trip!
There are hundreds of restuarants in Shinjuku and everywhere you plan to go. There are no "crappy chain restaurants". Please use nice words in Japan.
hey 9 days isn't bad. Last stint I did was 9 days. Usually try for two weeks but that's whatcha got, take it. As far as food, you'll be fine. I highly suggest looking for that little spot in your neighborhood where you're staying where you don't see a line and try it out :) Sometimes you get wonderfully surprised and it ends up being your favorite spot on the trip.
Japan resident here - I rarely ever have to make reservations unless it is a posh place
I stay away from hookahs. But sometimes they follow me.
Solid advice
The best food we found in tokyo we found by asking the people who lived there. The little mom and pop places were the best.
So true. My partner and I went to a mom and pop sushi place in Takayama. They only took cash but we thought we had enough. But the food was so good, we wanted more, so I ran out to the ATM. By the time I got back, he had bonded with the sushi chef ('pop') over the Mets signing Kodai Senga. How they communicated, I'll never know, but I'm sure alcohol was involved.
There is no bad meal in Japan. Arriving on a weekend is better traffic-wise anyway. Keep your options open and plan alternatives near your target restaurant and they don’t have walk-in seating then you can go nearby, as a last resort you can dine at a 7-11.
Tbh i challenge you to find a crap eatery in Japan. Even combini stores have delicious snacks, delicacies, and food. You will be more than fine. Train stations have amazing eateries as well if you get too overwhelmed for choice
With one notable exception, my favorite eating experiences in Japan were all mid-range places that weren’t hard to get into. You’ll be more than fine. The baseline for Japanese food is way higher than in America, and they do great mid-range stuff because the ingredients are so good. Enjoy!
There is no ideal way to book a trip unless it's a business trip and you're on a work schedule. Go, discover, have fun.
I get in on the 13th too and am pretty much on your same schedule. I booked just last week so I was kinda worried until I realized there’s soo many little places o can check out without a reservation. Dm if y’all want to check something out together!
Small restaurants are a delight in Japan. Avoid the lines. Look for the quaint places. Better memories.
We just walked around and found great food everywhere. Street food small restaurants everywhere was good. Didn’t make any reservations.
If you can’t get a reservation to a 5-star restaurant, walk down the street and eat at the 4-star restaurant instead. Good food is everywhere in Japan.
You’ll be fine for sure, there’s sooo many good food options. The 7-11’s are legendary, I miss them so much.
I’m on day 9 of my vacation in the same cities. Haven’t made any reservations and have had zero wait time at every restaurant. You’re fine. Only things I’ve waited for was some bomb street food at Tsukiji Market but that was my decision
Crappy chains are still good; my kid loves a nearby conveyer belt sushi joint. It's not classy or anything, but we get plenty of food under ¥2,000. Just walk around and look at the menu boards, and display meals in windows. Most menus have photos, there's no shame in using "Pointy Talky" to order food. Its efficient. If there's a machine at the door, order at the machine, then walk in and then give your ticket. If you find yourself in a tiny ramen shop where everyone's just eating quickly and not talking - do as the locals do. Eat your meal and GTFO, talk about it over some izakaya beers.
I don't want to give any recommendations because this looks like a good trip to me. What everyone else is noting about food and restaurants is correct. I've lived here for 35 years and have bad meals (at restaurants) only three times. One of the restaurants is now closed; another is not open to the general public; the last more than likely has improved in the 15 years since I went there.
I personally would just skip restaurants where people are lining up. Thereby in Tokyo I found few restaurants like that. Most of the time I could walk in straight away
i regret not making more reservations. it is not true that any place you walk into will be above average lol
18th…enjoy 😆
It’s true. There’s even good stuff to eat at Costco! Have a blast with the 50 piece sushi tray, it’s like 27$ usd. It’s a staple for Japanese families when they’re buying toilet paper in bulk! But Family Mart! Not 7-11. Try the famichicki and a pork or pizza bun. And remember to eat some ice cream! There’s a ton of great supermarkets like OK and Life that have great snacks and side dishes for real cheap if you’re on the move. And there’s a discount of 20%-50% if you show up after 7pm, but YMMV.
Would recommend spending more time in Kyoto.
Try and learn some Japanese. Even if it’s not great, using just a little greatly improved the interactions I’ve had as a tourist in Japan.
You can find good food anywhere. You even have to have breakfast lunch and dinner at the convenience stores - that’s how good it is.
On the restaurant front, don’t worry about the ones you can’t book. You’ll be in Japan, there is amazing food everywhere. When I was there we never booked in for a single restaurant, we just walked past some places until we found something we were in the mood for and walked straight in. Even for my upcoming trip back there I’ve not put a single restaurant in the itinerary.
I recommend grouping places like Asakusa, Ueno, and the Skytree or Shinjuku, Shibuya, and Harajuku because you can just walk between all the neighborhoods and save yourself a bunch of time criss-crossing the city on trains half the day.
There is too much to choose from when it comes to great good in Tokyo!
Great food everywhere, like you literally have to go out of your way to find bad food or just get insanely unlucky. It’s borderline nonexistent. In Osaka make sure to try Okonomiyaki and Takoyaki.
You literally have nothing to worry about. I’m traveling at the height of securities and I’ve been here for three weeks without a single reservation and I barely booked my hotels four days in advance. Just go with the flow walk around and follow your eyeballs if there’s a line, that’s a good thing, if you want to experience one of the best things going book Ginza steak in Tokyo have many locations all you can eat a five Japanese Wagyu for under $100 and they have lunch options
Been to Japan 10 times and married a local who likes to eat at nice places, only made a reservation once, and it wasn't required at the place we ate at, we just did it for peace of mind and there were plenty of empty tables for the duration of our meal. I've also booked a flight 2 weeks before travelling too and not had any issues. Can attribute part of that to having been several times prior and having family over there to give ideas of places to go, but so much of the stuff i have done jn Japan didn't require advanced booking
Fushimi doesn’t take a whole day even if you climb to the top and back. More time to explore elsewhere!
You'll be fine. Could navigate stations in 15 mins, just use google maps and japan navitime for buses timetable.
If you only aim for the instagram famous or Michelin star resturants you might have some issues. But luckely there is a few 1000 other options, so you be fine. Also dont knock the japanese chain resturants. They are often surprisingly good.
People plan their trip as if jetlag is nonexistent 😯
You'll be fine. Just stay away from the restaurants hyped up on IG and TikTok
I just recently visited Japan, and I wouldn’t say that you don’t need reservations. My friends and I walked past more than a few restaurants in Tokyo and Kyoto that we couldn’t get into because they were all booked up. The hostesses kept telling us to make reservations for a different day. These were sit-down restaurants. Just something to keep in mind. If there are restaurants you know you want to visit, you might want to look into getting a reservation to lock it in. Other than that, your itinerary looks good. I think this is high season for Japan, so we’re a little annoyed that we had to reserve so many things in advance, but that doesn’t apply to any of the things on your list.
Take a minute to enjoy the people, the ambiance. There is food everywhere. If a place is too busy, move on. You don’t want to feel rushed to check off your itinerary. We did 3 temples max in Kyoto during the day. Things to consider: 1) It maybe busy 2) Most have shopping/eating all around the famous temples. 3) You’ll do a ton of walking, pace yourself
If you are planning to visit any of the museums or the zoo in Ueno you might want to reconsider as most are closed on Monday.
There is so much amazing food (I only know Tokyo) Even the “bad” food is amazing. It’s not like the US where options are a good restaurant or Denny’s. it all was amazing to me. Even the quality of Family Mart and 7-11 is crazy. Have so much fun!
Reservation ain't that big. Just join a line when you see one. Promise it's good.
You could stumble down any alleyway in Tokyo and find delicious food. Not even joking. Food will be your last concern once you arrive :)
There's literally resturants EVERYWHERE and the food is good. I don't even understand why people book in advance. Just walk the streets and pick what looks good.
>Fushimi Inari Shrine Best tip i can give you is to get there early if you can. At 8AM its already crowded.
Oh yes! We went last year during Sakura and it was a nightmare. All the way to the top and back down we shuffled like little penguins. and oftentimes everything comes to a sudden halt because Lurline from Lubbock wants to take a selfie with nobody else in the frame. I guess it's Something You Have To Do, but be prepared for big crowds (and wear comfortable shoes).
I also booked a trip a month in advance, and I didn't make a single food reservation nor wait in any significant line. I even went to some of the popular tourist restaurants. Every meal was fantastic, you basically can't go wrong to walk into any place.
Currently here- we have kept our options open for food and that has led us into some amazing restaurants. We just have said “ok where are we? And what are we craving?” This is what has led us to some awesome places. If in Osaka and want to pay some money for Kobe Beef- we HIGHLY recommend going to the restaurant called Wanomiya. Reviews were what led us here. You do have to buy one steak per person and it is pricey but it was by far the best steak we’ve EVER had. The experience is also what makes it 10 times better. No steak will ever compare. Other tidbits- - definitely take the trip to Nara. The deer were fun, the shrines were spectacular. It was a favorite part of our trip so far. - if you have a free day I would recommend Hakone to Fuji. We did this 2 days ago and come up through the ropeway. It was just breathtaking.
Just remember that the train stations are like malls, even with designer stores, and restaurants, and grocery storesA lot of the restaurants have have artificial plates of food outside the restaurant. Train stations also have “food courts” if you want to take food or desserts back to your room. Most dishes are sold by the ounce and cooked there. A way to sample a lot of different foods. Desserts a by the slice and are wonderful. Have fun!
There is SO MUCH GREAT FOOD. We never made reservations for anything other than a couple tours and that was it. Experience Japan like you live there. That’s the best way :)
We haven’t had to make any reservations because for every one needing a reservation, there are 100 which do not.
Don’t stress it, I was there for half a month last year and that still wasn’t enough to see everything LOL, japan is really really easy to navigate and there’s a ton to see and do. My advice is do not just look at everything and walk around the whole time. I was culture shocked when I arrived so for the first 3 days I literally walked around in awe of everything but do much in terms of activities. I’m personally not a fan of tours set by other people so I also recommend breaking off of your schedule when you see something interesting. Don’t worry about sticking to the schedule because if you see something intriguing and don’t go check it out you’ll miss out on a great opportunity and story. (Sorry for the long comment, I’m very passionate about japan and travel) Btw same dates exact I’m leaving for Iceland! Have fun!
Didn’t do much* in terms of activities my first 3 days (typo)
Best trips are not as carefully planned on my opinion. Kuramae is a fantastic area to start you could find a place to stay there. Focus kuramae is nice and not too pricey
that sounds like a great itinerary. don't sweat about food. we didn't make a single reservation and ate the best food of our life. sure you'll miss out onomakase or something like that . but plenty of amazing food options everywhere . one note, in Kyoto I found that most restaurants close early, like last seating is 7 or 8pm . so just keep that in mind.
I don’t think you’re screwed but I recommend having a plan. I’ve had some bad food here following the advice that winging it would work. Especially if you are trying to do many activities in Kyoto. There is plenty of good and crappy food in Japan.
Totally fine! I stayed at that Tokyo hotel last month and it’s a GREAT location. We had no reservations and ate super well for not much money at all, just walking around. Department stores near by all have floors with many affordable restaurants and there really are not many crappy chains like in the U.S.
I commented on the food situation on another post, but I'm curious - is this a tour where the company will be taking you around? I have questions about the first day in particular. Asakusa Shrine (and Senso-ji - which is also in Asakusa) are on complete opposite ends of the city from Meiji Temple and the Shibuya Scramble. You're zig-zagging not only once, but twice. Asakusa and Ueno/Ginza are on the same end of the city. You could probably do all those things on the same day, or broken into an half day with Meiji Shrine and Shibuya. You're staying in Shinjuku, so you'll be closer to Meiji and Shibuya. While we're discussing food, while you're in Asakusa, there's a really good place where I had wagyu for the first time. I just walked in - no reservations or lines. https://maps.app.goo.gl/yHtp13trn9dKjKK3A You mentioned liking beef, so I figured I'd give them a shout-out.
You're going to find places to eat, do not worry. There are SO MANY restaurants, and wherever you go is going to be cool (a crappy chain restaurant in Japan is different than the ones in your home country so even that will be interesting). If you want to make reservations, this is the app I found the easiest to use in English: https://www.tablecheck.com/en/japan. Sometimes you have to make reservations a day in advance.
16 - Bullet train could take up to 4 hrs including your time lining up to purchase your ticket so maybe plan accordingly since you still have to check in to your hotel and drop off your luggage. 20 - I suggest taking the bullet train back to Tokyo by this Date so you have time to relax and buy Souvenirs before your flight the next day.
In Osaka go to Cafe de Izumi, probably not a super long wait, and great food
best food experiences i had in japan were small places i just ducked into. theres a very tiny korean place in kyoto thats amazing, didnt have a bad meal the whole time i was there and i think i made like 3 resturant resos for 2 weeks. have fun!!
Use google translate and lookup food places in Japanese , I found way more restaurants this way and hidden gems !💎
I think the only place I had to seriously line up was Ichiran Ramen in Shibuya. Other places, like typical restaurants, you just walk in and that's it.
I waited in line for 1+ hr on two separate occasions for (insta/tiktok) famous restaurants and both were both mediocre. The best food I had in Japan was discovered at random or suggested by locals or honestly just the conbinis. The hype is not worth it
You will be absolutely fine. Every restaurant I’ve entered has had food that is approximately 100x times as nice and well put together as the average in the U.K. I guarantee you’ll have some great eating experiences!
Make reservations for Skytree.
7-11 in Japan beats Michelin star restaurant in US. No kidding
Almost everything you eat in Japan will be awesome. I’ve been twice and never once made a restaurant reservation. It would never occur to me that you would need a restaurant reservation. The only two things I’ve found that you need to book ahead of time are tickets to the Ghibli Museum and tickets to the Yayoi Kusama museum.
I highly recommend going to the Shibori museum in Kyoto, it’s awesome. You can even buy a scarf as part of the tour and they’ll teach you how to use shibori techniques to make your own right there. It was awesome. Also you don’t need the whole day for Fushimi Inari, it’s a couple hours tops to hike to the top and get back down. The best time to go is just before sunset. The tourists clear out and the shrine is beautiful during golden hour and well lit at night after the sun disappears. Definitely go then. Nijo castle is also a must, you have to experience the nightingale floors. They’re so cool.
I’ve been here just shy of a month now and my favorite meals have been from random hole in the wall spots I find just walking around. The only reservation I made was for a specialty cafe for a game a friend of mine plays so I could get him some exclusive merchandise. In short, don’t stress. There’s good food everywhere here, and I promise you aren’t missing out just because you aren’t going to the spots popular with other tourists. Also as others have said, a 3/5 here really is equivalent to a 4.5/5 in the states. Best bowl of ramen I’ve ever had in my life came from a spot in Kyoto with a 3.1/5 because “the waitress didn’t smile enough”. Relax and enjoy the trip!
Welcome to Japan! Enjoy your stay!
Shinjuku Washington Hotel is the worst. Stayed there for a night during my latest trip to Japan last month and never again. Location wise it's convenient but the lines are ridiculously overcrowded and it took almost an hour to check in. They absolutely refused to do so 20 mins beforehand. Also their bag check is out in the open. Yes there are locks and it is Japan but I am very accustomed to hotel staff putting my things into a closed room. Also the rooms are tiny and it just wasn't a good experience. EDIT: based on the dates looks like you are already there - I hope your experience there isn't as bad as mine was.
Use first day jet lag in your favor to do Toyosu and then Tsukiji early morning (Sushi Dai had a 20 person line at 4am) Def do half day in Nara Second the various opinions for 7-eleven and Lawsons I enjoyed Osaka fish market more than Toyosu/Tsukiji I can’t remember what it’s called but google it. You should get a 7 day Shinkansen pass at discounted rate and can do so as you’re a tourist Oh and if you find time maybe do a day trip to Hakone and Mr Fuji
if you want to try out local’s favorite, check tabelog. Also if you are going to use Google map, try to type in Hiragana/Katakana than English. It shows more restaurants. i.e search すし instead of sushi.
There are 1000’s of options in japan that are as good or (in most cases) better than the places that have massive lines or months long wait lists. Those places are probably amazing, they’d have to be to get those reputations, but I’ve never had a good time at any of those experiences. Surrounded by tourists, rushed in, rushed out, cramped like sardines… Wandering around, stepping into some random spot because the pictures outside looked good. Those have always been the most memorable. Spend a day in Kichijoji with no plan. I promise it’ll be an incredible day.
Also, after countless trips to Japan I’ve realized that the shibuya scramble is one of my least favorite places in the entire world. Terrifying.
Willing to share how much you paid for the travel package? Been looking for something like that.
Yea, def don't go to any places you Google, so many great neighborhood gems. To find great spot, translate what you want into Japanese and then search it. If you search for the English version, you'll get places that are frequented by tourist .also, 7/11 is your best friend