Four types of travelers, four experiences (or all for you)
You will eat fresh and preferably raw fish, soak up pop culture and (maybe) to tune in a karaoke . But if you want to see other faces of the cosmopolitan tokyo , we propose four ways to enjoy the city only suitable for travelers with somewhat obsessive tendencies.
FOR FASHION ADDICTS
Begin by strolling down the tree-lined boulevard of Omote-Sando to see more commercial window displays such as those of the Japanese sportswear line Nohara by Mizuno but soon get lost among the narrow alleys of low buildings and full of charming shops such as Plain People or the Japanese classic of asymmetrical and very modern fashion Comme des Garçons.
Prada store in Omote-Sando
Follow your shopping spree, or trend hunting, at Takeshita-dori, an alley with a high pedestrian density and famous among Japanese teenagers. It is a kind of colorful outdoor market where on weekends you can feel overwhelmed. Don't let the crowds make you give up and go to Daiso, the paradise of all Japanese people.
Takeshita-dori
If you prefer something much more independent, change the air and come to Naka-Meguro and stroll along the Meguro-gawa canal . It is a must to see the selection at **Bulle de Savon** where they are dedicated to Japanese street classics remade in French. For a definitively classic look, with military touches and a lot of wool, nothing like Nigel Cabourn .
If you've had a bit of a headache doing the price conversion from so many thousands of yen to euros, don't worry. Suitable for all budgets, and equally modern, it is Uniqlo . This is a minimalist chain specializing in chic basics that you may have already plundered in New York or San Francisco. But think that in Ginza you will find the largest Uniqlo in the world. There are several floors of cashmere sweaters and silk shirts at ridiculous prices and, above all, the perfect place to find all those pleated skirts, 80s overalls, bomber jackets and other trends that you have been able to observe with envy in the street or the subway.
Meguro-gawa Channel
FOR THOSE HOOKED ON GLUCOSE
Fortunately, the Japanese fascination with all things French does not end with fashion and there are several bakeries in the city that revert the gala patisserie with a delicacy very typical of the Japanese. Essential L'écrin bakery and **The City Bakery,** both in Ginza. In the first you can delight yourself with a croissant worthy of winning contests. In the second with a cube of brioche or an olive oil sponge cake, accompanied by a perfectly aromatic tea.
A boulangerie worthy of Paris
But do not limit yourself to the French if you are referring to Japan and sugar . And don't be embarrassed about snacking twice a day. And it is that in Tokyo it's hard to keep up . try the buns anpan , stuffed with bean paste adzuki . And think that every Japanese sweet that you think contains chocolate, will actually contain this dark, sweet and delicious paste. Dare with him melon bread and choose carefully rice cakes ( **mochi) ** filled with seasonal fruits. Queue like any other Japanese lady at one of the many shops to stock up on pastries on the ground floor of the department stores Mitsukoshi . And every time you see a bakery on the street, take a look around and see what new treat you can try.
More than for a snack, for breakfast, don't forget to ask for some toast in Center The Bakery Ginza . There are people who go there just to buy bread, although we recommend that you sit at one of the tables, take one of the many toasters that they have available and ask for a few slices of bread of different types to toast and spread with butter and jam.
A tender Japanese mochi
FOR REGULAR COOKS
You already know that you have to walk around the Tsuki-ji market And maybe you are even willing to get up early to go to the tuna auction, but the dice to good food and cooking can get even more gastronomic benefit from your Tokyo visit.
Dare with a cooking class in Tsukiji Cooking and learn to cook a simple miso soup, to roll a maki, to prepare the rice for sushi or to coat the pork with breadcrumbs panko type to prepare a good tonkatsu.
When you leave your class, not only you will know how to set the table with the delicacy and perfectionism of a Japanese , you will also want to get a lot of kitchen utensils to prepare everything you have learned. Wander through the little shops surrounding the market to pick up the paddle for stirring rice and the bamboo mats for rolling maki.
Tsukiji: the paradise of fresh tuna
Come to **Akomeya** to see their selection of rice in bulk, buy a jam or a ceramic pot to put the soy sauce. For those wooden chopsticks you've been looking for for a long time, a little tea genmaicha or hojicha and Japanese crockery utensils in the typical white and blue nothing like escaping until Yanaka and be served by the experience and kindness in Kanekichi-En.
And, if you don't mind pulling a large chain that is in fact already based in Madrid and Barcelona, there is always Muji for a minimalist teapot or some carved wooden bowls
Learn to cook like a master
FOR HEAVY READERS
During those multiple subway journeys to go from one place to another, there is nothing like having a lot of material to enjoy reading. Forget Akihabara and go browse manga comics Nakano Broadway , a covered market full of shops specialized in collecting where you can also find those figurines of Arale and Gatchan that you've wanted since you were eight years old.
If, in addition to comics, second-hand books and the intellectual environment are your thing, go to the non-touristy Jinbocho. Reading Japanese is not an obligation in bookstores like Bohemian's Guild and Yaguchi Shoten They have a very good selection, as well as cheap, in volumes in English or French. And where art books abound.
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Tokyo for all tastes