Discovering Culture and Cuisine in Japan

As a longtime Anthony Bourdain fan, I knew Japan would be special
before visiting. Bourdain once said in his field notes, “I love Tokyo. If I had to eat only in one
city for the rest of my life, Tokyo would be it. Most chefs I know would agree
with me.” Knowing this, I knew that food was going
to be a big part of the itinerary when working with Marian Goldberg of Goldberg on Travel (who focuses on Japan travel
planning) to plan out the Tokyo and Nikko portions of my trip. What I didn’t
necessarily expect was to fall deeply in love with the culture, the nature, the
wildlife, the people (both locals and so many expats from all over the world
that came for a temporary visit turned into a permanent stay), the art, and the
hospitality.

While preparing for the trip, be sure to
pack layers and a raincoat. I traveled to Japan in September and experienced a
wide range of weather in my two weeks there. It was chilly (around 50°F) on
certain days and 95°F other days. It would briefly rain suddenly. It helps to
have some lightweight options to cover up on a whim. Also, have a little bit of
local money on you, especially if you want to explore the markets and street
food, and remember to download the SUICA app. You can add a little money at a
time and use this app for public transportation, vending machines, certain
stores, and more. It’s very convenient!

Table of Contents

Stopover in Honolulu, Hawaii

Flying to Okinawa is a long journey from
New York, so on the way there, consider a stopover in Honolulu at a stunning
5-star property to break up the long flight. Halekulani
Hotel
(2199 Kālia Rd, Honolulu, HI 96815) has beautiful balcony rooms overlooking the
beach in Honolulu, along with a massive pool to cool off in and private beach
access. Nothing beats jet lag, like dropping your bags in the room and running
down to float in the turquoise salt water.

Nearby, visit Mānoa
Honey & Mead to learn about beekeeping, assist with harvesting some of the
honeycombs, and try the meads and honey paired with local cheeses. Once back at
the hotel, please spend some time by the pool with a Knesko Gemstone Face Mask
and a cocktail (like their delightful smoked watermelon drink) or grab a
massage at the spa. Before dinner, have a cocktail from Tuda Sarian, Director
of Mixology, at L’Aperitif before dinner at La Mer. Tuda works with her team to incorporate local, fresh
ingredients into her savory and sweet cocktails, blending flavors like chili
garlic oil, fat-washed rum, house-made brine and pickled garlic. At La Mer,
indulge in the Kampachi tartare with sea urchin, caviar, coconut milk, and
basil oil. The juicy lobster with squid ink gnocchi and chorizo cream sauce was
another fan favorite at the table. Brunch at Orchids is a must, with the usual brunch favorites in addition to poke,
shellfish, sushi, and more.

Okinawa, Japan

Checking in: Halekulani Okinawa

1967-1 Nakama, Onna, Kunigami District,
Okinawa 904-0401, Japan

After flying from Honolulu to Okinawa,
check into the Halekulani Okinawa. The rooms are spacious, with a balcony
overlooking the infinity pools out into the ocean. After spending the day in
the water, there’s a rainfall shower and a huge soaking tub to warm up in. On
property, convenient dining options like SHIROUX are overseen by consulting two Michelin
Star Chef Hiroyasu Kawate of Florilege in Tokyo. Their tasting menu displays
delicious dishes like red grouper, mochi, steamed buns, and more. House Without A Key, their casual dining option,
has soba noodles, pork belly, and tasty dishes on their breakfast buffet, in
addition to lunch and dinner.

Activities

Enjoy the water

Through the hotel, if the weather
permits, guests can experience the “Discover the Island’s Glow”
outing, a nighttime firefly kayaking tour at the UNESCO World Natural Heritage
Site of Yanbaru National Park. Weather permitting, there are snorkeling tours
right off the shore from the property. The guides will lead a small group to a
deeper point near the coral reef, keeping an eye on the group to be sure we’re
safe and protected while pointing things out. We spotted an octopus, sea
snakes, sea cucumbers, starfish, and a lot of beautiful, colorful fish and
coral.

Yachimun
No Sato Pottery Village

In the Yachimun No Sato Pottery Village,
there are countless shops selling their art and handmade pottery. These pieces
make great conversation pieces for your home and gifts for friends and family.

Onna
no Eki Nakayukui Market

On the way back from pottery shopping,
make a quick stop at the Onna no Eki Nakayukui market for groceries, fruit, and
street food snacks. There’s a wide variety of options like shellfish, sweets,
fried fish, and fun snacks like an octopus cracker before spending time in the
pool.

Tokyo, Japan

Checking in: Park Hotel Tokyo

Shiodome Media Tower 1-7-1 Higashi
Shimbashi, Minato-ku 1057227 Tokyo

After arriving in Tokyo and braving the
subway, I got to my hotel to check into the “Beauty of Akita” by Yuka
Ohtani, one of the artists who painted rooms in the hotel. Not only is the Park
Hotel covered in contemporary art and galleries throughout the lobby and shared
spaces, but there’s a selection of rooms painted by local artists. The rooms
themselves are compact and basic (unless you opt for a modern suite or corner
room), with a nice view of the city, but the art element adds so much character
to a small space.

Checking in: Shiba
Park Hotel

1-5-10 Shibakoen, Minato-ku, Tokyo
105-0011

For a change of scenery, consider
switching hotels after a few nights to experience a different neighborhood. I
checked into the Shiba Park Hotel right near the Tokyo Tower. Similar to Park
Hotel Tokyo, the rooms are modest and simple but have everything you could need
in a great location, within walking distance of public transport.

Activities and Tours

Exploring Ginza with Arigato
Travel

If you want to take a break from endless
research on where the locals go, navigating directions, and figuring out public
transportation, book a tour with Arigato Travel. I met up with Norma, and she
showed me some of her favorite hidden gems in the Ginza neighborhood. Without
revealing too many secrets of the tour, Norma took me to see some local art by Kenji
Yonobe,
touring and sightseeing around the city before stopping to share sweet soy
sauce pickled shrimp and tempura in Hibiya Okuroji while sipping rice wine.
Afterward, we visited a bar specializing in sake cocktails. I sipped a savory
beverage made with Junmai sake, seaweed-infused vodka and port wine while we
snacked on some smoked daikon radish topped with cream cheese and truffle. The
last stop was for taiyako filled with custard before heading back to rest for
the evening.

Eat your way through the Tsukiji Market and beyond

The
next day, I met Josh from Arigato Travel for a full-day private tour at Tsukiji Turret Coffee (delicious iced spice mochas). After
doing a bit of sightseeing, stopping at Tsukiji Hongan-ji and the statue of
Shinran, we made our way to the famous Tsukiji Market. We started with
breakfast at an off-the-record spot where Josh takes his private tours,
consisting of flame-grilled mackerel, sticky rice, hot miso soup, pickled
veggies, and tea. While venturing through the market, we tried wagyu beef,
pickled mini eggplant (among other pickled veggies), blowfish (fugu), bonito
flakes, sweet shrimps, fresh tuna sashimi, uni, and more. Afterward, we made
our way to the Sunset Steps in Yanaka, stopping in some shops like Goto’s
Candy, a 100-year-old candy shop. Josh set up a traditional matcha tea
experience to learn how they prepare the matcha, pair it with sweets, and even
choose an antique tea cup to sip it out of, each with its own backstory. After
walking for a while, building our appetite back up, we tried tokoroten made
with seaweed and black sugar syrup before heading to the Buddhist Temple in
Asakusa to get a fortune, visit the temple, and explore the vendors in the
surrounding area. We stopped for skewers, a hoppy, and some flavorful beef
tendon stew.

Asakusa, Harajuku, the famous The Shibuya Crossing, and more

After meeting up with Norma from Arigato
Travel, we stopped at the Shinshōji Temple in Asakusa before heading into town
for some senbei (Japanese rice crackers dunked in salty soy sauce). After a
visit to the Togenuki Jizoson Koganji Temple, we had lunch at Ohashiya for soba
noodles. Once finished, they pour a little soba water into the sauce and wasabi
mixture left over from the noodles, creating a delicious broth to sip. Norma
showed me around Takeshita Street in Harajuku, browsing through vintage shops, street
art, and stores like B-side Label. We visited the Design Festa Gallery, which is covered in public art and has
vendors inside (free to explore and see). After shopping through Mega Don
Quijote, filled with beauty products, snacks, souvenirs, and more, we did the
scramble at The Shibuya Crossing.

According to Travel Japan, “During its busiest
times, an estimated 1,000 to 2,500 people forge their way across this
intersection every two minutes, enough to quickly fill up a football stadium.
The phenomenon gave rise to its nickname “scramble,” as pedestrians cross
from all directions.” I ended the night with a group tour through Arigato
Travel with their guide, Yappy. Our small group visited the Shibuya
Hyakkendana, where we went to Chūkamenten Kiraku, the oldest ramen shop in
Shibuya. One of the highlights for me! After a few stops, we ended at a bar to
finish the night with some nostalgic food and drinks. While waiting, customers
can take a basket over to the shelves filled with retro candies and snacks to
fill for free. You can try as many as you’d like!

Knife skills, kimonos, ramen, pop culture, and the Akihabara
neighborhood with RamKy from Japan
Unfiltered

I met up with a local guide, RamKy with
Japan Unfiltered, for a full day of discovering the city, and he had some
wonderful surprises planned. RamKy is quite knowledgeable
about everything to do and see in Tokyo. In addition to being packed full of
historical information and fun facts about the culture in Japan, his tours are
100% customizable based on your interests. We started with a visit to the Sengakuji Temple. The temple is
famous for its graveyard, where the “47 Ronin” are buried. Afterward,
we visited a kitchen for a private tutorial on Wa-Bocho (a Japanese style of
knife), focusing specifically on Kazarigiri, a technique of cutting food into
art. I had the chance to learn from the owner of Alisha Robes about approachable kimono
robes, touching on the tradition, before visiting a local fabric dyeing factory
to design my own scarf, hand mixing the color, brushing and stretching the
fabric. RamKy set up a charming experience. We had lunch at a ramen restaurant
before heading to Akihabara to dive deep into Japan’s J Pop culture.

Nikko, Japan

For just one night, I took the train to
Nikko from Tokyo. My guide, Coco, met me at the station to ride with me to
Nikko. It’s quite common for people traveling all the way to Japan to do the
famous trio of Kyoto, Osaka, and Tokyo. I’ve heard incredible things about
Osaka and Kyoto, and I already know that I would love to return to Japan, but
for this trip, I wanted to explore some different destinations starting with
Okinawa and ending with Nikko.

Checking in: Chuzenji
Kanaya Hotel

2482, Chugushi,
Nikko, Tochigi, 321-1661, Japan

After checking
into the hotel and making my way to the room, I was pleasantly surprised by the
spacious bathroom, large layout, and beautiful balcony leading out to a woodsy
area where you can look out for wildlife. The hotel has indoor and outdoor
onsen to enjoy at your leisure. The hot springs felt therapeutic after a day on
our feet, exploring all that Nikko has to offer.

Activities

Sake tasting and tour at Katayama Shuzo

We started the
day touring and tasting different sakes at a local sake brewery, Katayama
Shuzo, which has been around since 1880, keeping old-school brewing methods
alive today.

Enjoy
the outdoors

The journey up the mountain to the lake is part of the
fun, taking in the incredible view and spotting wildlife along the way, like
the adorable macaque monkeys, known for making their way to the
natural hot springs to keep warm during the cooler winter months. The Chuzenji Lake Boat Cruise is
beautiful and scenic, and in September, the weather began to cool off, and the
leaves started to change a bit. Kegon Falls is a
must-see! It took my breath away; you can view this waterfall from multiple
platforms.

Toshogu Shrine

Stopping to hear the story behind the Three Wise Monkeys of Tōshōgū Shrine in Nikko was high on my list, but I was
surprised by how much there is to see at the temple itself. We spent hours
here, taking in every detail of this remarkable place.

Visit the “Ghost” Buddha’s

A lesser-known thing to do that’s
unique to Nikko is visiting the
“ghost” jizo buddhas. “There’s a legend about the Jizo statues of Kanmangafuchi. Because of their ghostly
nature, they’re said to have the power to disappear and reappear. That’s why
they’re nicknamed “Bake” Jizo (ghost Jizo). There are about 70 of
them along the Kanmangafuchi Abyss. But if you try counting them, apparently,
you’ll never find the same number. I tried and was confused indeed. I’ll let
you make your own attempt when you get there.” I can say from experience
that you get a different number every time!

Shinkyo Bridge

Visiting the Shinkyo Bridge in Nikko is an important stop. The bridge
is a focal point in the city, with the Nikko Mountains in the background, and a
UNESCO World Heritage
Site.

Dining

There are many delightful hole-in-the-wall modest places to enjoy
coffee, desserts and meals throughout Nikko. When we arrived, we had an
incredible meal celebrating tofu skins (yuba) and the many ways to prepare
them. In addition to tofu, there was tempura, soba, and sweets to enjoy
throughout the many courses. Nikko Coffee is the ideal spot to grab your
caffeine fix, selling locally made products and Nikko Cola Syrup. Kiyotaki
Trout Farm distributes the freshest trout to restaurants nearby and is a great place
to stop for a tour and trout sashimi with wasabi and soy sauce (schedule ahead
of time). If you’d like to try their trout cooked, head to Nikko Kanaya Hotel for lunch and dessert, but save a little room for Mitsuyama-Youkan, dating back to 1895. They’re known for red
bean jelly, which uses natural water from Nikko and has an almost juicy texture
(think of the texture of cranberry sauce). They’re happy to let you taste the
available varieties so you leave with one you genuinely enjoy. Saryo Nichirin
is the spot for shaved ice with red bean, condensed milk, and flavored syrups
like Nikko Cola, yuzu, and strawberry. All quite delicious!

Japan is a special place to enjoy and not be rushed through. Take your
time and explore each destination thoroughly. Meet the locals, dive into the
culture, and be sure to go hungry because you’ll want to taste it all!

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