After three months it is time for the Tokyo top 3…
Top 3 to do:
- Visit an Oktoberfest, there are many and usually not in October. Nothing is weirder than Westerners prancing around in in a Japanese kimono, but Japanese people wearing traditional Bavarian outfits come pretty close. You’ll realise the Japanese are pretty good at having fun.
- Go to an onsen (Japanese hot spring), you get to sit in a hot spring bath with a small towel on your head whilst wearing nothing else. It’s more calming than it sounds :-).
- The Tokyo Metropolitan Area has 30 million people and the most crowded subway system in the world. Take a commuter metro for a few stops during rush hour to experience the Tokyo squeeze, Tokyo transport is amazingly efficient and knowing that you don’t have to do it every day will make you feel pretty awesome.
Top 3 to avoid:
- Some Japanese like wearing surgical facemasks, supposedly to avoid catching or distributing germs. It is really an excuse to hide and not talk to anyone, like teenagers in hoodies. If you feel the urge to wear a facemask take it as your sign that it is time to leave Tokyo.
- Don’t go out in Roppongi. Drunk foreigners, cash poor hookers and lonely Japanese are not an attractive mix. Go to Ebisu or Shibuya instead.
- Japanese people love to queue endlessly for the latest fad. Don’t feel the need to queue for hours to get a bag of Truffle Fromage Porcini popcorn. A steaming bowl of ramen is quicker and nicer.
Expat in Tokyo 