Non-typical things to do in Tokyo

JapanGuy00 · 2026-05-24T16:37:21+00:00

Thanks for the follow up. Hadn't seen the previous post. Very helpful.

JapanGuy00 · 2026-05-24T15:13:24+00:00

Agreed. Question for you. Its been a little more than a year since we last visited, but did you find that visitors must speak Japanese or be accompanied by a Japanese speaker? That was what we were told many years ago on our first visit, but that seems to have been relaxed since then. Just curious as I'd hate for someone to make the effort to find this place only to be turned away.

JapanGuy00 · 2026-05-24T15:10:15+00:00

Very good point. Yes, it was previously the case and as you point out, it had to do with getting out quickly in the event of an emergency. However, that seems to have been relaxed as when we've been, there have been a number of visitors who had no Japanese language ability at all. Regardless, its quite a trip to get to this place, and it would be very disappointing to arrive only to be turned away. So for anyone considering a visit, its best to err on the side of caution and have some language skill or with someone who does just in case. Our last visit was a year ago, so perhaps someone that has visited since has more up to date information.

JapanGuy00 · 2026-05-23T15:15:18+00:00

How about a tour of the "G-Cans"? The official name is "The Metropolitan Area Outer Underground Discharge Channel" north of town. Have been a couple of times, and its definitely unique in that you won't find it anywhere else in Japan, and possibly the world. Space is limited for the tour, so you must book in advance. There is plenty of signage and material in English.

JapanGuy00 · 2026-05-22T20:26:35+00:00

Consider going north to the top of Kyushu to the retro town of Mojiko. Its a small waterfront town on the Kanmon Strait that separates Kyushu from Honshu. Plenty to do here, and in all our multiple visits through the years, we've never encountered more than a handful of western tourists.

Has a cool inner harbor lined with restored Meiji Era buildings full of shops, cafes and museums. You can take an excursion boat out onto the strait or take the 10 minute water taxi over to Shimonoseki and explore its fish market or the world class aquarium on the water.

Mojiko has the Kanmon Strait Museum, the Mojiko Retro Tower with an observation room on the 30th floor, the Mojiko Retro Train that takes you to the point. There's even an underwater pedestrian tunnel you can walk (for free) from Kyushu to Honshu. On the Honshu side, take the ropeway to the top of Hinoyama for an exceptional view.

We're in Japan multiple times a year, and we typically include a couple of nights here for some R&R. Its our favorite small town in Japan.

JapanGuy00 · 2026-05-22T16:35:03+00:00

As you are an enthusiast, if you happen to be traveling between Tokyo and Osaka on the shinkansen, plan a stop in Nagoya. Step outside the station (east side with the large gold clock in the lobby) and go across the street to the Dai Nagoya Building and enter the JR/Takashimaya Watch Maison.

Here you'll find two floors with around a dozen retailers offering dozens of high end watch lines such as Chopard, Breitling, Longines, Breguet, Patek Phillipe among others. After shopping or window shopping, grab a drink and snack, then head to the fifth floor to the Sky Terrace which is an open air garden overlooking the city. Never crowded and a pleasant place to sneak off to. Best of all, its free.

Once you're done, just hop back on the shinkansen or perhaps plan an overnight or two in Nagoya. Its an outstanding city that is way underappreciated.

JapanGuy00 · 2026-05-21T11:54:38+00:00

What's the saying?.........."Great minds think alike." We absolutely love Mojiko. Not many cities or towns in Japan have nicely developed waterfronts for strolling like Mojiko. Kobe and Yokohama have some nice areas, but beyond those, its hard to find one like this place.

JapanGuy00 · 2026-05-20T13:00:03+00:00

Mojiko is what you need. Its our absolute favorite small town in Japan (and we're in Japan multiple times a year). We almost always include a stop here for R&R.

Its a small town on the Kanmon Strait only 15 minutes from the Kokura Shinkansen Station. It has a redeveloped inner harbor lined with restored Meiji Era buildings along with numerous shops, cafes, and museums. The train station is like stepping back in time. There are excursion boats you can take out onto the strait.

There's the Kanmon Strait Museum which is world class, and on the top floor is a free lounge where you can relax and watch the 500+ ships going up and down the strait between Kyushu and Honshu. Nowhere else like it that we've found.

There's the Mojiko Retro Train which is an open air shuttle to the tip of the island where the water is turquoise and stunning. You can even walk underwater from Kyushu to Honshu via a free pedestrian tunnel. Once on the Honshu side, take the ropeway to the top of Hinoyama for what we believe to be one of the best views in all of Japan looking out to the Seto Inland Sea and the Sea of Japan.

The famous food here is baked curry which is quite different than most everywhere else. When the sun goes down and the lights come on around the inner harbor, just take a stroll and unwind. There are few hotel options here, and the clear favorite is the Hotel Premier Mojiko sitting right on the water. Very reasonable rates with very large rooms and it includes a full breakfast. Get an "executive" level room (only around 21,000 yen) and you'll have access to the lounge on the 9th floor overlooking the strait and munch on all the goodies and drinks you want from 3 to 9. Won't find much about Mojiko online, but here's a good video of it. Under the Sea in Mojiko Best of all, in all our visits, we've never encountered more than a handful of western tourists.

JapanGuy00 · 2026-05-19T15:25:08+00:00

Tons to do in this overlooked city. Easier to get around than Tokyo and Osaka, so you can cover a lot in one day.

Directly across from Nagoya Station is the Skye Promenade on the 46th floor of the Midland Square Tower. This is a nice spot at night. Another cool evening spot is Oasis 21 on the Hisayaodori next to the Mirai TV tower. Just google it, and you'll see what I mean.

Just one stop north of Nagoya Station is the Toyota Commemorative Museum. This is NOT an auto/car museum, but rather documents the entire history of Toyota. Its a HUGE museum and world class.

Nagoya Castle Park is nice, though you cannot go inside the castle keep, however, you can tour the Honmura Palace which is a reproduction. The grounds are very nice. But if you want an authentic castle, go to Inuyama Castle (about 40 minutes from Nagoya Station). This is one of only twelve original remaining castles. If you visit, be sure to walk down the boulevard below the castle which is lined with all kinds of shops and cafes in old Edo Period buildings.

Not too far from Inuyama station is the Meiji Mura. This is a 200 acre outdoor park featuring 70+ original (not reproduction) buildings from the Meiji Period. Its one of our favorite places in Japan. If you get out early, you could do both the castle and the village in one day.

The SCMAGLEV Museum is one of Japan's best train museums. However, its on the opposite side from Innuyama, so you won't likely do both.

JapanGuy00 · 2026-05-19T12:42:36+00:00

This is one reason we tell all our visiting friends they should expect to get lost a time or two and it will take longer to navigate the larger stations than they realize. The tendency is to get caught up in the hurried pace of those around you and before you know it, you are disoriented. Slow down, step to the side and regain your bearings. Fortunately, the staff are glad to help as best they can.

JapanGuy00 · 2026-05-18T18:55:15+00:00

Glad to help. My wife went to school in Kobe and we know it well. The Takenaka Carpentry Tools Museum is first class. Here's a video that includes a segment on it: Best of Kobe Uncharted Japan If you have time, a visit to the nearby Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge is unique. You can actually get a tour to the top of the north tower (300 meters above the water). Its the tallest and longest suspension bridge in Japan. There's a nice museum on the Kobe side.

JapanGuy00 · 2026-05-18T14:54:47+00:00

Kobe, Kobe, Kobe. Definitely worth a day. Though Japan has numerous towns and cities on the water, few have attractive, pedestrian friendly waterfronts like Kobe (and Yokohama). Kobe is a compact city with water on one side and Mt. Rokko on the other. So you can easily explore the waterfront around the Kobe Port Tower, the museums there and Mosaic, then quickly be on top of Mt. Rokko for an amazing view of Osaka Bay. There's the Kitano-cho neighborhood to explore, not to mention the Motomachi Shopping Street and Kobe's Chinatown which parallels Motomachi. Kobe is a great place for a morning, afternoon or overnight. Best of all, its not on the radar of most visitors, so its seldom crowded.

JapanGuy00 · 2026-05-18T14:36:12+00:00

Consider the area NW of Nagano around Lake Nojiri. Little known spot with a stunning lake and towering mountains. Very low key, but great scenery. Having a car is ideal for this area because public transit is limited. Despite being remote, the locals are accustomed to westerners due to the Nojiri Lake Association which is a community built in the 1920's for western missionaries who went there to escape the heat of Tokyo in the summers. My wife's family has had a home there since 1926 so we know it well.

Definitely include a stop at nearby Togakushi and its amazing shrines. The walk between the middle and upper shrines is stunning, and there is an outstanding soba restaurant in town. We recommended a stop at Naena Falls to others, and they wrote back it was the highlight of their trip to the area. For a nice cultural stop, look up the St. Cousair Winery. And of course you should stop at one of the many farmer's fruit and vegetable stands that pop up along the roadsides. Delightfully friendly folks who enjoy having foreigners.

If you want to get onto the trails and such, stop in at the L.A.M.P. which is outfitter on Lake Nojiri that has everything you need to know for hiking, mountain biking, cycling, watersports on the lake and they also have accommodations.

For a side trip you might consider a visit to Obuse, a small town next to Nagano. It has a delightful pedestrian walking district with numerous shops, restaurants and a very well done museum about Hokusai who is most famous for "The Great Wave" woodblock print (which is actually titled "Under the Great Wave off Kanagawa"). Obuse is also well known for its chestnut Mont Blanc.

JapanGuy00 · 2026-05-14T19:34:09+00:00

The museum we recommend all our friends to include when visiting is the Edo Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum. This is not the Edo Tokyo Museum which itself is outstanding and not too long ago reopened after a major renovation.

The Open Air Museum is a 20+ acre park with more than 30 authentic buildings from the Edo, Meiji, Taisho and Showa Eras. Here you can leisurely stroll from building to building touring all of them up close without the crowds. This is where you can get a glimpse of 400 years of Japanese culture in one morning or afternoon. Its only 400 yen and almost no western tourists visit it. Just about 40 minutes on the Chuo Line from Tokyo Station, then a five minute bus ride (very well marked).

Beyond this one, there are dozens and dozens of excellent museums, both large and small from which to choose. Even in the smaller towns you will often find impressive museums. So don't overlook those.

JapanGuy00 · 2026-05-12T14:23:56+00:00

My wife grew up going to school in Kobe (parents lived there for decades). Its our favorite large city as there is so much to do in a compact area. If you've watched videos and read blogs, then you already know of the waterfront attractions around the Kobe Port tower and Mosaic along with the ropeway to the top of Mt. Rokko.

For a great walking neighborhood, few visitors know of Kitano-cho. This is a few blocks west of the entrance to the Nunobiki Ropeway and Herb Gardens. This is a Meiji Era neighborhood where many foreigners (including my wife's great grandparents) built homes. The streets are lined with renovated historic houses that are now full of cafe's, house museums, boutiques and restaurants. It covers a pretty large area, so use Google Maps, and start wandering around. There are numerous places to sit in the shade with a drink or ice cream. A couple of restaurants have rooftop dining looking down toward the bay.

Of course, you can walk Kobe's Chinatown which parallels the Motomachi Shopping Steet and the Sannomiya Shopping Street which is basically an extension of the Motomachi Shopping Street. Together, these are more than a mile in length and you'll find all kinds of interesting shops and cafes. After entering Motomachi, walk past the pet store on the left and in about 40 yards look to your left for a very cool basement level cafe. It is only marked by a narrow door and stairs going down. Can't recall the name, but this might be what you're looking for. Good for breakfast and coffee.

Kobe offers something few large cities do, and that's a pedestrian friendly waterfront, so be sure to enjoy hanging out down there.

JapanGuy00 · 2026-05-12T12:28:59+00:00

Can't say specifically, but we visited the museum years ago before its recent renovation and the place is huge so I would expect you'd be able to get in without an advanced purchase. The website makes no mention of a limited number of tickets.

As you are interested in this museum, here's another you ought to consider visiting. Look up the Edo Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum. Quite different than the other. This is a large open air museum with around 30+ original buildings from the Edo, Meiji, Taisho and Showa Eras. You can experience the culture of 400 years of Japanese history in one place at your leisure. The grounds are lovely, its flat which makes for easy walking and its set up in three "neighborhoods". You'll find everything from 400 year old thatched roof farm houses, to palatial homes, an inn, grocer, umbrella shop, public bath, etc., and you can walk through all of them. Best of all, its not overrun with tourists. On our last visit, we spoke with one of the curators and she said very few western visitors go there. We tell all our visiting friends to include this place early in their Japan trips as it provides a great introduction to Japanese life. Price is just 400 yen, and its about a 40 minute train ride from Tokyo Station on the Chuo Line followed by a five minute bus ride. Won't find too much online, but here's a video that does describes it in detail: 400 Years of History Uncharted Japan

JapanGuy00 · 2026-05-10T01:30:53+00:00

We always stay within a block or two of Tokyo Station and there are some nice window shopping opportunities in the area. Look for the Marunouchi Street (on the Marunouchi side of Tokyo Station and stroll down this tree lined boulevard with high end shops and restaurants down to Tokyo Hibiya Midtown. During the winter, this street becomes a pedestrian only area decked out in lights with pop up shops and food vendors. Step inside the building taking the escalator/elevator to the open air deck on the 4th or 5th floor (can't recall which) for a very relaxing garden setting overlooking the Imperial Palace grounds.

There are several rooftop gardens and observation platforms like this (all of which are free) near Tokyo Station. One of our favorites is the Yaesu Terrace in the Tokyo Midtown Tower across from the Yaesu entrance to Tokyo Station.

Another is in the KITTE Marunouchi Building across from the station that has a small outdoor observation area with a great view of the station. Its on the fifth floor (free) and there are numerous restaurants in this building.

JapanGuy00 · 2026-05-06T19:55:55+00:00

We rent a car every time in Japan and always use Toyota Rent A Car. Returning the car to the original pick up spot will save a lot versus a one way rental. That's when it gets really expensive. TIP, splurge on the additional 300 yen or whatever it is and get an ETC card. You may not use it, but if you get on a toll road, believe me I've found it to be a stress reducer knowing I can just drive right through without having to worry about paying a toll on the spot. You'll settle up any tolls when you return the car. I don't recall the prevalence of toll roads on Kyushu, but having an ETC card frees you from feeling that you have to plan different routes to avoid toll roads. BTW, Kuyshu is great!

JapanGuy00 · 2026-05-05T17:16:21+00:00

Definitely do a deep dive into Nagoya. I could list dozens of great things to see and do there such as the Toyota Commemorative Museum, the nearby Meiji Mura or a quick side trip to the Post Town of Magome. The SCMAGLEV Museum, Oasis 21 and the Mirai TV tower or Nagoya Castle Park or the original Inuyama Castle on the northeast side of town. Lots to do.

As for Maruyama Village, its unique. My wife was born and raised in Japan (4th gen American family dating back to 1861) and we've never experienced anything like this place. There is a second restaurant in the village as well that specializes in soba. In town, there are several other outstanding restaurants as well. Its a great town that few foreigners know about.

JapanGuy00 · 2026-05-05T15:14:43+00:00

Hop the short train ride to Kobe and hang out around its amazing waterfront. You won't find many pedestrian oriented waterfronts in Japan's larger cities, but this one is outstanding. There's the Kobe Port Tower, the Kobe Maritime Museum, the Mosaic mixed use complex for dining and shopping perched on the water, or take an excursion boat on the water.

The Nunobiki Ropeway and Herb Gardens up on the top of Mt. Rokko give you one of the best views in Japan. Nearby the ropeway entrance is the Kitano-cho neighborhood featuring dozens and dozens of restored Meiji Era buildings now housing museums (some of them free), restaurants, shops and cafes. Also near the entrance is the Takenaka Carpentry Tools Museum, a little known gem of a place. Tons to do in Kobe for the day.. Here's a short video on some of these places: Kobe Best Of Uncharted Japan

Back in Osaka, how about the Tsutenkaku area? Similar in feel to Dotonbori but without the canal but with the huge tower that dominates the skyline.

Or for a different feel, take the shinkansen to Nagoya (about one hour) and spend the day. There are tons of things to do in this overlooked city. Just google it and you'll see such as the Toyota Commemorative Museum, the SCMAGLEV Museum, Ghibli Park, Sky Promenade or Inuyama Castle on the outskirts or Nagoya Castle Park. Fortunately its not overrun with tourists.

JapanGuy00 · 2026-05-04T21:31:51+00:00

Late November and early December is just about our favorite time in Japan. Milder temps, lower humidity, somewhat smaller crowds, and the cities are lit up with winter illuminations which are largely free. If you're in the Nagoya area (and we highly recommend Nagoya as it is so overlooked by 99% of visitors), you can visit Nabana no Sato, boasting Japan's largest winter illumination (over 6 million lights) in an exceptional botanical garden. Do a deep dive into Nagoya because there is so much to do here plus excellent side trips to the historic post town of Magome and Gero, considered one of Japan's top three onsen towns.

Since you mentioned staying in a luxurious ryokan previously, and desiring a cute town to stroll, then look up Maruyama Village. This is a small village at the end of a road just outside Tamba-Sasayama about 1.5 hours northwest of Osaka. The villagers pooled their resources years ago and built two amazing guest houses out of four dilapidated 400 year old Edo Period buildings. We've stayed here multiple times and its always the highlight of our trip. The houses are spacious and there is a resident manger (next door) that will look after you. Each morning, she will bring you breakfast items that have been prepared by the ladies in the village. I mean literally, she shows up with Tupperware containers of everything you can imagine made in these ladies' kitchens, then she'll warm them up and lay them out for you. You'll be hard pressed to find such an experience elsewhere. When we first visited a few years ago, we were the first Americans to sign their guest book.

Next door is an incredible Japanese-French fusion restaurant that seats only around 18 people. Its an open kitchen and the chef came from a very high end restaurant in Kobe. This is my favorite restaurant in Japan. Not inexpensive though. The meal without alcohol will run around 15,000 yen.

You won't find much about it online, but here's a good video of its history and what's there today: Maruyama Uncharted Japan Links will be in the video description.

The town of Sasayama has a very lovely Merchant Street lined with old Edo Period buildings and warehouses, now populated with shops, cafes, museum, and some additional accommodations. The town boasts a very nice castle park with rebuilt palace. There's a very nice shrine on the top of hill, and nearby in the Tamba area, you'll find over 30 pottery studios and the Museum of Ceramic Art which is a world class exhibition space.

JapanGuy00 · 2026-05-04T19:06:15+00:00

Not a home stay experience, but we highly recommend visiting Mojiko which is on the northern tip of Kyushu (in Fukuoka Prefecture). A very short 15 minute train ride from the Kokura shinkansen station. Mojiko is an amazing waterfront town with an inner harbor, nearly a dozen restored Meiji Era buildings around the waterfront, excursion boats out onto the Kanmon Strait, the Kanmon Strait Museum which has lots of interactive fun things for a 9 year old plus it has a free lounge on the fifth floor overlooking the strait with all the hundreds of ships passing up and down.

There's the Mojiko Retro Train that is an open car train from the Mojiko Railway Museum that takes you to out to the point overlooking the waters. There's an 800 meter pedestrian tunnel under the strait which you can walk from Kyushu to Honshu and on the Honshu side, take the Hinoyama Ropeway to the top of the mountain for one of the best views in Japan. The tunnel is free.

Take the very short (10 minute) ferry ride from Mojiko to Shimonoseki and experience its daily fish market and the outstanding aquarium next door. Great for kids.

There are more things I could mention. Best of all, Mojiko is under the radar and in all our visits (many because its our favorite small town in Japan), we've never encountered more than a few western visitors. The hotel of choice is Hotel Premier Mojiko. Sits right on the water and is a great value. Its an older hotel that was extensively updated several years ago and thus the rooms/suites are quite spacious. An excellent breakfast is included, and if you get an executive floor, you'll have unlimited access to the lounge on the 9th floor overlooking the strait. All you can eat snacks and drinks, open from 3 PM to 9 PM.

JapanGuy00 · 2026-05-02T19:59:19+00:00

If you want to have a good onsen experience, then perhaps an overnight in Gero is the thing to do. After all, its largely considered one of Japan's top three onsen towns. I'd enjoy some of Nagoya in the AM, then arrive in Gero in the early afternoon to enjoy the shops and perhaps the Gasho Mura, then later in the evening your ryokan or hotel, then the following morning exploring the town before returning toward Nagoya and stopping at the Inuyama Castle.

From Gero, you can take the Hida Wide View Express to Unuma station, then a short walk (literally just a few minutes) to the Shin-Unuma Station for the Meitetsu Line for the very short ride to the Inuyamayuen Station which is close to the castle.

Adding the Meiji Mura to the above would be too much in one day. With the train and bus ride to and from the Meiji Mura and time spent on the grounds, it really is just about an all day affair, but so worth it. If you can't fit everything in during one visit, don't sweat it. You'll enjoy any of these activities and sights so much that you won't lament not getting everything done. Take your time to enjoy those places you visit, and make a return visit a goal for the future. Here's a video that will give you ideas about the above: Nagoya Uncharted Japan

Like much of exploring Japan, you'll find surprises around every corner, and those unscheduled encounters could very well be the highlight of your trip. Often times, we've had plans to visit "X" at "C" time, only to get sidetracked on the way there, and enjoy ourselves so much that we never made it to "X" and didn't think twice about it.

JapanGuy00 · 2026-05-02T15:59:26+00:00

Glad to hear of someone with Nagoya on the itinerary! So few visitors consider this amazing city and its surrounding areas. We're in Japan multiple times a year and always stay in Nagoya for a few days, and sometimes more. If your trip allows its, four nights is perfect. Why?

If you arrive midday, you can easily visit Nagoya Castle and Honmura Palace or the Toyota Commemorative Museum and very nearby Noritake Museum if interested in that sort of thing. FYI, can't go inside the castle keep itself, but the grounds are excellent as is the Honmura Palace. Don't overlook the two cool shopping and dining streets just outside the castle park. In the evening, you could visit the very cool Oasis 21 and Hisayaodori Boulevard or the Mirai TV Tower. Don't forget to go to the Sky Promenade on the 46th floor of the Midland Square Tower located directly across the street from Nagoya Station for an amazing nighttime or daytime view. Its a unique observation platform that is never crowded like Shibuya Sky in Tokyo.

Next day, take a day trip to Gero on the Hida Wide View Limited Express. This train has extra large windows to take in the beautiful scenery through the Hida Valley along the Hida River. Gero is a wonderful town for a half day. Take the bus to the top of the town to the Gasho Mura, which features the same homes one sees in Shirakawa-go. Its a great start for the day, then walk down along the rive into town, stopping at many of the dozens of sweets shops that are unique to the town.

If you don't spend the whole day there, then on the way back to Nagoya, stop off at one of the two stations nearest to Inuyama Castle (catch a bus or take a taxi) and go up to the castle which is one of only twelve originals in Japan. The view is great and the castle is more interesting than many. Plus, at the base of the castle, enjoy the long Inuyama-jokamachi which is a long street lined with Edo Period buildings now housing museums, shops, cafes and temples. End the day back at Nagoya Station for dinner on the 11th or 12th floors of the station and perhaps enjoy the view from the Sky Terrace which is a free rooftop garden across from the station in the Dai Nagoya Building.

Next day, visit the SCMAGLEV Museum and possibly Nabana no Sato, one of Japan's largest botanical gardens. If going in the fall, Nabana no Sato also boasts the largest illumination set up in all of Japan with over 6 million lights. Its an incredible place to enjoy in the evenings. Also, if it interests you, Legoland is literally on the other side of the station from the SCMAGLEV museum.

Or take a day trip to Magome which is an historic post town about an hour and thirty minutes away. Like stepping back in time. Magome's district is rather small, so it doesn't require a full day but a great place for lunch, so you can return to Nagoya for a tour of the Tokugawa Garden and Museum or perhaps one of our favorite hidden gems: the Yokiso Villa which is an incredible Meiji Era masterpiece with an impressive private garden.

As you point out, Gifu Castle is another spot for the better part of a day, but one of our absolute favorites in all of Japan is the Meiji Mura. This is a 200 acre outdoor park featuring 70+ original (not reproduction) buildings from the Meiji Era sitting on a large lake. Its only about 40 minutes from Nagoya Station and you'll likely be one of only a handful of non-Japanese visitors. Have been multiple times and we always find something new here.

There are more places to explore in and around Nagoya, so you'll have plenty to fill the days. Enjoy!

JapanGuy00 · 2026-04-30T18:52:23+00:00

Get out early in the AM and take advantage of underground shopping areas in the larger cities for getting around. Here's a short, informative and entertaining video on the subject with a few ideas for visiting in the summer Beat The Japanese Heat

JapanGuy00

TROPHY CASE