Top 10 Things to do in TOKYO, Japan | Go Local

Hey, I'm Shogo from Kyoto. How's it going over there? Hey, cheers bro. Thanks man. Alright man, thank you. Thank you. Tokyo is a city that fascinates a lot of people. You can call this city many things, but the best way I've heard it described is in three words. Futuristic, chaotic, and a lot of fun. Well, I guess five words. From some of the best food in the world to a neighborhood that has over 200 bars each the size of your kitchen, I'm going to be taking you through a list of my all-time favorite things to do in the city of Tokyo. Number one is Takashita Street between Shibuya and Shinjuku. It's most famous because many Japanese dress up in cosplay before coming here. Don't worry though, even if you have no idea what cosplay is, it's a great place to spend the afternoon shopping or maybe buying a delicious crepe at one of the many crepe stands. If you are interested in cosplay, which is when you dress up as your favorite cartoon character, it's best to visit on a Sunday, which is when you're most likely to catch someone in costume. Number two, Yanaka Ginza. It seems like this street is just as much a tourist destination for foreigners as it is for the Japanese. There's nothing really special about it, just an open market on a small street in a quiet neighborhood. The street itself is pretty interesting, but I don't come here to shop. I come here for what I believe is the best mochi in the city. The way I found it was completely on accident too. At the end of the street, if you take a left and walk about two minutes, you'll find this tiny store run by an old Japanese lady that makes fresh mochi every day. They sell out quick though, so if you want to get a good selection, make sure you go early. Oh man, look at this. The texture is just incredible. And this is about as far into the video as I can get without talking about food. Japanese food is good, sure. But Japanese food in Japan is insane. But you might be surprised number three on my list is a place called Piss Alley. Headed out to dinner, and my first stop is actually a place called Piss Alley, which doesn't seem like it makes a lot of sense, but it actually has some of the best food spots in Tokyo. The only reason it's called Piss Alley is because they didn't have any restrooms up until recently, and... Well, you get the idea. But now they do have bathrooms, and it has some of the best food in all of Tokyo. Specifically the best yakitori in all of Tokyo, which are grilled meat skewers. Number four, the Amiya Yokocho Market. The Amiya Yokocho Market is one of those markets that just doesn't seem to end. It's packed full of clothes, food, and if you wander around long enough you can even find some hidden temples. The best part is it's far enough from the center of the city that there's almost no tourists. It's still packed, though. It's a great place to buy a leather jacket, or maybe try a sake-flavored Kit Kat. Probably the best official market in Tokyo. So I'm currently in Yoyogi Park, and it's actually raining a little bit, which is why I think not that many people are here. Normally this place is packed with people who are trying to see the Meiji Shrine. The shrine was dedicated to Emperor Meiji and his wife, who died in 1912. It's probably one of the more popular shrines in Tokyo. Now I was actually lucky enough to see a wedding, a traditional Japanese wedding, at the temple when I was here. And chances are you may be able to see that as well, because I think it happens fairly frequently. What struck me most is that it's so peaceful. You can't really hear the sounds of the city at all. So it's a good place to kind of get away from the normal hustle and bustle of Tokyo. This is the place you go to keep up with the latest in Japanese fashion. And during the day it might be a shopping area, but at night it turns into a party, as university students pour in to catch their favorite band playing at a local bar. I recommend dinner at Izakaya Izum, which happens to be my favorite restaurant in Tokyo. Now the question is, do we put the shrimp in the egg? We're not. And then hit either Little Soul Cafe or Music Bar RPM. Okay, so it is now 3.26am. I'm waking up because this is the time that you have to be up in order to see the tuna auction at the Tokichi Fish Market. It starts at 5am. People start lining up even earlier than that. So I'm headed out now. Hopefully I make in time. The Tokichi Fish Market is the largest wholesale fish market in the world. It handles over 700,000 metric tons of seafood every year, worth around $6 billion. I mean, this is the place where the entire world gets its fish. How cool is that? If you do decide to go to the early morning tuna auction, you get a more intimate look at how the market operates. You can watch potential buyers walk around with ice picks and flashlights testing the quality of the fish. They cut a piece off and rub it between their fingers to decide how much they're willing to pay for it. They just go by gut feeling and years of practice. It's pretty badass. This is by far one of the coolest neighborhoods in Tokyo. It's close to Shinjuku and it's home to over 200 different bars all within a two block radius. It looks like its own little town except every door you see leads to a small bar that can fit no more than 8 people at a time. Even though it sounds like it would be off the hook, the place feels more reserved for old Japanese whiskey drinkers than crazy partiers. Some of the bars even require membership to get in. However, as long as you're a little adventurous and not afraid of old Japanese bartenders, it's an awesome place to spend the night out. As each bar has its own flavor and theme. But why are you listening to me? Let the Japanese tell you. Wait, why is that guy taking a picture of me? Shibuya, dubbed the Time Square of Tokyo, is where most of the action is. And where I'd recommend staying. You can check out my website for a full list of recommendations because there's so much here. But three places you have to go are Ichiran, which is ramen for dinner. The Room for live music. And for lunch, Tsukumen Noodles. At a place that I don't even know what the actual name is. Last but not least, sushi. Unfortunately, these are actually all the clips that I have of it. But I can explain. So you may know that Japanese take sushi seriously. But what you don't know is that they take sushi very seriously. Each chef spends five years training as an apprentice before they're even given their first important task. Making sushi rice. The Japanese culture is based so much on respect, it didn't feel right filming every moment of my sushi experience. I guess you'll just have to go there to see it for yourself. No!