Tokyo: Harajuku + Shibuya

This is the second recap for LOHOjapan, my 3 week trip to Japan with my boyfriend. After having a jam-packed Saturday in Ikebukuro and Roppongi, we start Sunday with plans to head to Harajuku and Shibuya.

Breakfast: 711… again

So I am pretty hungover after clubbing in Roppongi. I blame the lack of actual partying (we basically just drank a lot).

Not a lot of restaurants are open for breakfast in the mornings, so we opt for a 711 breakfast again as it is right next to our Airbnb. To soothe my stomach, I try the famous 1 Michelin star cup noodle for just under $3 USD. It’s under the brand, Nakiryu.

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It is a dandan noodle, which is actually a noodle based from China. It features a peanut sauce. The instructions on how to cook it are specific, and you can find simple translated instructions here.

My verdict? The noodles are certainly tasty and helps with my hangover. The soup is actually quite good for a dandan noodle soup – the peanut filling packet thickens the soup up to a nicer texture. The noodles are thin noodles, which are what I prefer.

Does it taste better than an actual bowl of ramen? No. Does it taste better than other cup noodles? Yes. Does it taste better than actual dandan noodles from a Vancouver restaurant? Um, yes.

I was hoping to buy some of these cup noodles home as souvenirs but my suitcase doesn’t have room because of Ebi-san…

Also I want to give a shout-out to this milk pudding. It is so amazing. It is so soft and jiggles in the most adorable way. Very milky flavour. I normally never eat pudding, but we ate this pudding multiple times during our trip.

Lunch: Tokyo Mentsu-dan

We also eat lunch in Shinjuku after sleeping off our hangovers. We choose a cold udon place as it is already around 28 degrees by the time noon rolls around. Udon is a thick noodle that can be prepared hot or cold.

Tokyo Mentsu-dan has a simple and efficient ordering process. You line up and see a giant menu on the wall with pictures of udons and prices. Then, you go up to the person at the counter who is cooking the udon noodles and place your order. You say or point at what udon you want, and then proceed down the cafeteria line.

You will see a section of tempura items before you reach the cash register. Then, you pick up what you want and then pay.

We choose to order a cold soy sauce udon ($7) and a cold dipping sauce udon ($7). For tempura add-ons, we add a potato croquette ($1.50), beef croquette ($1.50), tempura egg ($1) and a tempura shrimp ($2.75).

The udon and texture of the noodles are really chewy and refreshing. Unfortunately, our tempura items are cold as they have probably been sitting on the counter for too long.

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Harajuku

Harajuku is an area in Shibuya and is known to be where the teenagers hang out. This is where you will find crazy clothing and costumes and lots of desserts and cafes.

Things to do: Shopping in Takeshita Street

Right when we get out of Harajuku station, we see the entrance to Takeshita Street and it is a sea of people. If you want less crowds, you can try going on a weekday but we want the full experience.

There are many interesting shops down the street with very young and hip fashion (i.e. too cool for me to wear). I also try going into a lingerie store because I know I will eventually run out of clean underwear during my trip, but I come to the realization that Japanese people are tiny and I am too big for their sizing. I am literally a men’s medium in Japan (lol how) and in Canada, I am a women’s small. Also, their cup sizes for bras are wack. Hope this doesn’t make this post weird or anything, but I’m just an average C-cup and even their double Ds are too small. They are also so push-up that the cups are basically already filled. Tip: don’t shop for a bra if you’re not an A cup in America.

In the middle of the street, there is suddenly some sort of a festival parade where people are wearing little robes and headbands on their heads. They are carrying a paladin sort of thing and chanting. Very interesting and festive to watch, but it makes the streets even more crowded.

Things to do: Trendy cafes

We meet up with our friend, Miyu, who is a Japanese local. Miyu was studying in Vancouver last year. We follow her to a cafe she recommends called Reissue.

Reissue is a small cafe located in the back streets of Harajuku. Immediately, the streets are not as crowded and the ambience is nicer to walk through. Hipster and very trendy street wear brands have shops in this area.

Reissue is known for 2 kinds of latte art: 3D latte foam art and 2D latte art. We both order a 3D latte foam art – one in hello kitty and one as a shiba inu. They are quite expensive – $11 USD for a cup.

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To explain the 2D latte art, basically you can give them a picture of anything (can be a picture of your mom, a meme, etc.) and they will draw that onto your latte. Unfortunately, we decide not to order one because we are hot and don’t want to drink anymore hot drinks.

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Shibuya

Shibuya is an area of Tokyo that technically includes Shinjuku (where we are staying) and Harajuku. It is a very busy and urban spot and is considered a vital commercial and business center.

Things to do: Walk across Shibuya Crossing

Okay so this is very touristy but I did it anyways because it’s my first time in Japan.

Shibuya Crossing is a giant blob of pedestrian cross-walks. I’m talking left, right, straight and diagonal. Approximately 2,500 people are thought to cross it at a time.

You just cross it lol idk what else to tell you.

We also stop to take a photo with the Hachiko statue. It is a statue of a dog named Hachiko who waited for his owner every day at the train station. One day his owner did not get off the train (the owner passed away), and Hachiko waited there until he died and they built the statue in memory of him. I will now give you time to cry.

Things to do: Shopping in Shibuya 109

Miyu tells us about Shibuya 109, a tall tower filled with women retail fashion and goods. Apparently, it is a famous building.

One thing about clothing shopping in Japan is that there are not a lot of big stores with e-commerce. There are no American Eagles or GAP or Aritzia. Aside from Uniqlo (which also does not have online shopping), all the shops I see are very boutique. The shops are small and they only showcase 1 item of each style and colour. If you actually purchase something, they will bring a packaged new one from the back room.

Shibuya 109 is an Instagram dream. There are so many wonderful backdrops and props to take photos with to show your #ootd.

We take sticky photos in the basement – something I haven’t done since I was in high school. In Japan, they call sticky photos purikura. Japan’s purikura machines are horrifying because they enlarge your eyes so much.

Prepare yourself, friends, for some sweet nightmares:

Dinner: Totoshigure Shibuyaten

Miyu recommends an izakaya called Totoshigure Shibuyaten. An izakaya is a Japanese pub.

When we get there, it doesn’t look like a restaurant or a pub. It looks like someone’s home door. THIS is how you know you’re about to go to a good place. Also, they have no English menu so I suggest you bring a Japanese friend if you are not able to read kanji. The pub is located down the stairs in a basement and you will have to take off your shoes before entering.

We let Miyu order everything lol. First, we try a tamagoyaki dish. Tamago means “egg” and this is essentially a rolled egg dish. It is sweet and fluffy.

Next, we order a giant salad. This is because we tell Miyu that we have not eaten any vegetables the day before and our poop is probably going to have problems. I hope she only understood the former part.

Next, we try an octopus karaage, which means it has been lightly fried. This is my first time trying octopus that has been cooked this way. Usually, I eat completely deep-fried squid or octopus. The octopus meat inside is very chewy and the batter on the outside does not taste greasy.

We also try an assorted sashimi platter – horse mackeral, maguro tuna and white flounder. All of them are thick slices and sweet.

Lastly, we try the ikura don (fish roe rice bowl), which this izakaya is known for. The bring a very large bowl of rice and dump a shit ton of fish eggs on it.

Now I’m usually not the biggest fan of fish eggs, but these do not taste like the ocean’s bottom floor. They are actually just the right amount of saltiness and is a great partner for a bowl of rice. It doesn’t require any other sauces.

In total our bill came to around $90 for 3 people, not including any drinks.

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Final thoughts on day two

We are very thankful to Miyu for showing us around Shibuya all day. Again, there is a lot of walking involved but Miyu was just awesome the whole time.

We didn’t spend too much time shopping in Harajuku. I really think you can spend a whole day in there. One thing I didn’t get to do that I kind of wanted to try was eating a crepe in Takeshita street. I was just too full.

Compared to Ikebukuro, I found things were more expensive in Shibuya – clothes, accessories, etc. But also the items are more trendy and unique.

In regards to fashion in Japan, I think Japanese people are very stylish. There are so many different kinds of styles and they are all accepted in society. Some of the outfits I saw would definitely draw looks in Vancouver (I’m not talking about super crazy outfits, just edgy ones). Japanese girls are conservative about their upper body so I felt like a whore in a tank top or a low-rising shirt.

Stay tuned for my next post and follow along with the other recaps!
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Sincerely, Loewe