wandering tokyo aimlessly

april 2025

I don’t have the words to describe the pure joy and wonder I get from wandering the streets of Tokyo with no agenda. Tokyo is my happy place. Unfamiliar enough to spark my curiosity, to be just overwhelming enough to keep me interested. And at the same time, familiar enough for me to let my guard down, to be able to fully immerse myself in my surroundings without having to think too hard about navigating the city or overly conscious of how I conduct myself. I feel invisible in the best way. Just another dark haired person in a sea of (mostly) dark hair. It’s wonderful. To just be eyes and ears and a nose, consuming and observing all around me, fully immersed.

And this April, it was beautiful. Sunny, warm, but not too hot. Refreshing after a rather cold NYC winter this year. Some lingering cherry blossoms, but noticeably fewer cherry blossom tourists. The perfect weather for wandering.

It’s been seven years since my last (real) trip to Tokyo (not counting layovers). Though I have been to Japan a few times in between. I still remember the wonder of that first trip. Feeling so at home walking the streets for the first time. The ease of falling into rhythm, navigating the alleys, the underground malls, the department stores. Finding analogies and signs of home around the city.

That last trip was more about playing tourist. Going to all the places one is supposed to go the first time you visit Tokyo. Sensoji Temple, the Imperial Palace, Shibuya Crossing, Tsukiji Fish Market, Akihabara.

This trip felt more like cosplaying as an expat. No real itinerary except to hit a few different neighborhoods over the course of the week. A map filled with bookmarks of shops, cafes and more. And, because I have become much more of a consumerist traveler, an aspirational shopping list.

I landed at Haneda bright and early in the morning. Timed, almost perfectly, to the sunrise, glowing over the horizon with a perfectly clear sky. It was so early that the airport was barely open. We seemed to be the only flight that landed. Customs, baggage claim, a breeze. I decided to linger a bit. Grabbed a well rounded breakfast from FamilyMart (egg sando, iced coffee, orange juice), and caught up on my inbox for an hour before heading into the city.

After a second breakfast, and a second coffee, I couldn’t let a beautiful day go to waste so headed over to Hamarikyu Gardens. Which was everything I needed and more. The trees were still flowering, the landscape, pristine. The sun shining over the glistening water. And perfect views of the city. The perfect way to ease into the city, shedding the grime of NYC behind, soaking up the sun, touching all the flowers, basking in the joy of spring.

I mean, just look at these blooms.

And then walked over to grab a matcha at Atelier Matcha (regularly programmed caffeine was necessary this day), and popped into some shops around Ginza before grabbing lunch at a tiny tempura shop.

We stayed in Setagaya this time around. In a neighborhood local enough that we were the only ones speaking languages other than Japanese. But just a 15 minute train ride away from Shibuya. Which was perfect, because Shibuya truly is gravitational force for shopping.

My obsessive need to get to know various neighborhoods in the city meant this trip at time felt like location scouting. Taking mental (and sometimes digital and physical) notes about the streets with cute shops, the vibes and scenes of microneighborhoods.

Shibuya is like 20 neighborhoods rolled into one bustling district. There’s the glitzy Harajuku, the more refined Omotesando and Aoyama, the peaceful park-side Yoyogi, the high end Ebisu, the trendy Daikanyama, and of course the chaotic Shibuya near the station and the crossing.

I spent most of the second day in Shibuya. Starting with the Loewe exhibition in Harajuku, and making our way down to EDW Yellow for lunch. And then doing more shopping around Cat Street.

The nicest dinner of the trip was at Yu in Yoyogi-Uehara. It wasn’t too fancy, but still a special kaiseki meal. An intimate restaurant run by the one person owner/chef in a beautiful, quiet neighborhood. All of the dishes were presented on beautiful ceramics.

Worked in some culture, a bit more off the beaten path compared to the big museums. Stopped by the National Art Center (honestly enough to just sit and admire the architecture) and 21_21 Design Center (again, the architecture is a star).

Perhaps the most touristy thing of the trip was dining at Ukai, in a beautiful traditional building and garden under the Tokyo Tower.

Gotokuji Temple was only about a 15 minute walk from the Airbnb. And it made for the perfect way to start a day. A sunny walk and then entering the peaceful temple grounds, light dappling through the branches of tall trees, and crowded shelves lined with cats.

The nearby streets, as it so often happens to go in Asia, follows the theme of the temple. Rarasand serves cakes shaped like cats. Gave into the temptation.

Shimokitazawa has blown up in recent years. Probably fueled by this generation’s obsession with thrifting while abroad. To be fair, it is a lot more fun here than in the US. Particularly when you get to see the Japanese perspective on American vintage. Shimokitazawa is fun. It’s cluttered, cramped. The stores spill out into the narrow streets. There’s so much to look at. So many people shuffling around. And randomly, a lot of soup curry restaurants, that I’ll have to go back for when it is less hot.

Did a full 180 and went straight from grungy Shimokitazawa to fancy Ebisu. Ate obligatory Tokyo style pizza (lives up to the hype), and shopped my way over to Daikanyama (obligatory Tsutaya stop) and then Nakameguro.

Tsutaya is my happy place. I love bookstores in Asia. That become cultural and commercial complexes. Places for coworking. For shopping. For dining. Places where there may be a market popping up in a courtyard. A buzzing Starbucks (wish it weren’t a Starbucks, but alas), and plenty of spaces to sit down and read.

Nakameguro might be my new favorite neighborhood. The little tree lined canal sets the tranquil tone for the neighborhood. Cafes lining the street. And so many great shops, from well curated boutiques and specialty stores to niche brands.

Another neighborhood that has become a (more international) tourist destination recently is Yanaka Ginza. Which, as advertised, retains an old, historic vibe for the small shopping street. To be honest it was a bit underwhelming. A temple adjacent shopping street does more for me, and it seemed to be just as crowded.

Don’t go to Kappabachi Street on a Sunday. Probably upwards of 80% of the shops were closed. I also question it since it seems to almost exclusively cater to tourists these days. But it’s an easy way to shop for kitchenware, from the standard Japanese ceramics to half decent knives and other cookware. Are there better places to buy all of these things? Most definitely. But I suppose it is a means to an end.

So many cafes.

While cafe culture in Tokyo is pretty tame compared to Korea, it’s still more than enough to test my decision paralysis. From a personal research perspective, it was a great scouting trip. I noted several cafes that were good for working. Ones good for coffee beans. Ones good for breakfast. A vegan gelato place with fascinating flavors. Everything I wanted and more.

All of the food.

The hallmark of any trip to Japan is basically eating every meal and more (konbini snacks are a must, after all). After all, you can’t waste a meal when there’s so damn much to eat. I was quite proud of the spread of foods eaten. From tempura to soba to tsukemen to omurice to sushi to a cozy kaiseki restaurant to a no frills kushiage spot to an incredible curry spot stumbled upon.

In a spur of the moment decision, I rebooked my return flight the day before. So instead of flying out at 10am I would fly out at 10pm, giving me a bit of a bonus day in the city.

This bonus day was spent getting a manicure in Shibuya, walking around Meiji Shrine, and shopping in Ginza before one last ramen dinner in Tokyo Station.

A moment of appreciation for this tree. Which looks like the most tree tree I have ever seen in my life. like the source material for the tree emoji. I love this tree.

To be honest, it was impressive how much money I was able to spend in the few extra hours I had. I doubled back to a bunch of places I missed before. Went back for the things I had been contemplating the first time around. Collected several bags to stuff into my suitcase before heading back to Haneda.

It started to get grey as the day went on. Perhaps a sign it was time to say goodbye. I had perfect weather all week, and there was rain on the forecast.

So much shopping.

This trip was a poorly disguised shopping trip, tbh. And the shopping was good. Good enough that I showed up with a backpack and half full check in bag, and left with a backpack, a filled duffel, and a full check in bag.

Shout out to the tax refund system in Japan. Genuinely already mourning that they’ll inevitably roll it back.

Until next time Tokyo.

I’m thinking Tokyo needs to be a bi-annual trip moving forward.

wandering tokyo aimlessly

see also