Ippudo (1-3-13 Hiroo, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo) – this eatery, which is a viable option for budget travelers, serves ramen dishes (consisting of hot bowls of wheat noodles in rich, meaty broth, invariably topped with slices of chashu pork, half a boiled egg and chewy strips of menma bamboo). The noodles are light and the tonkotsu soup […]
Frijoles (Pyramid 1/F, Roppongi 6-6-9, Minato-ku, Tokyo) – Japanese entrepreneur Roy Miyano, who spent some years in America, decided to open a Mexican-American restaurant in Tokyo some years ago to show local and international diners that burritos and other Mexican fast food items can be made with fresh, top-of-the-line ingredients. The result is an upscale […]
Devil Craft (Ishikawa Bldg., 4-2-3 Nihonbashi-muromachi, Chuo-ku. Tokyo) – for those wanting a break from Japanese food, this is a Chicago-style pizza restaurant, which serves the famed deep-dish pizzas from that city, as well as craft beers. One pizza popular here is the “Devil Daddy” (which contains fresh, hand-ground sausage, as well as mozzarella, parmesan […]
Chateau Restaurant Joël Robuchon (Yebisu Garden Place, 1-13-1 Mita, Meguro-ku, Tokyo) — Right in the neighborhood of Yebisu (located on the second floor of the villa-like building at the Ebisu Garden Place), stands a French “Château” rebuilt stone by stone in homage to Moulinsart, which is Le Restaurant de Joël Robuchon. To its head, a […]
Azure 45 at the Ritz-Carlton (The Ritz-Carlton Tokyo, Tokyo Midtown 9-7-1, Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo) – another of Tokyo’s high-end restaurants, this one served seasonal French dishes. Under the culinary direction of Executive Sous Chef Kiyonari Araki, who brings to the table nearly a decade of hands-on experience with a number of Michelin-star restaurants throughout France, […]
Argento Aso (ZOE Ginza Bldg., 8F, (f, 3-3-1 Ginza Chuo-ku, Tokyo) – located at Tokyo’s multicultural, sophisticated Ginza district, Argento offers high-end dining on par with restaurants like the Four Seasons in New York (attracting both a business crowd – for power lunches), as well as visitors who want to splurge. The Italian-influenced dishes served […]
Car Rental Renting a car is worth considering if you plan to explore rural Japan (where public transportation can be hard to find). A rental car can also be an economical alternative when traveling in groups or can make traveling with a lot of luggage easier. However, a car is usually more trouble than […]
TAXIS There are nearly 50,000 taxis that operate in Tokyo. The maximum number of passengers per one small- or medium-size taxi is four persons. You can take one from a taxi depot at the airports and most train stations. On the street, you can catch a cruising taxi when you let the driver know […]
SKY BUS TOKYO – SKY HOP BUS For tourists, this is a service that efficiently takes you through major sightseeing spots in Tokyo on an open-top bus. Passengers can take routes filled with variety that last for about one hour including the course around the Tokyo Skytree and Asakusa, and the route runs through […]
BUSES Tokyo has two types of buses: one type that lets passengers board at the front; the other lets them board at the back. You must check in advance which route you should take to go to your destination, since such bus routes can be complicated. Most bus routes in the 23 wards of […]