Japan 

This charming bar specializes in cocktails featuring creative uses of sake (Japanese rice wine) and shochu (a distilled beverage often made from rice, barley, sweet potatoes, buckwheat, or brown sugar). The service is friendly, the drinks are unusual and delicious, and the bar also offers tasty pub snacks.

This little hole-in-the-wall doesn’t have much ambience, but it serves up some of the best noodles in Tokyo. It’s ramen, but not typical soup; these are dry noodles served with delicious toppings and sauces.

This tiny bar is located on the second floor of an unassuming building in Tokyo’s Ginza neighborhood. You’ll be sure to find a craft Japanese beer, whisky, or whatever else tickles your fancy. The bar also offers elaborate shaved ice.

Tonkatsu is crispy fried pork, and it’s one of Japanese cuisine’s most delicious meals. Expect to wait at this small restaurant, but you’ll be rewarded with some of the best tonkatsu in town.

This cozy restaurant serves fantastic food and cocktails. You need a reservation; pick the bar area to order a la carte off the menu, or the chef’s tasting menu for a guided experience in a small private room. Reservations: Table Check

This soba noodle shop is a great option for a quick, delicious lunch if you’re in Tokyo’s Ueno/Nippori area.

teamLab Planets is a series of incredible, interactive exhibits involving lighting, sound, water, and plants. It’s a fun and mesmerizing experience.

This beautiful waterfall at the foot of Lake Chūzenji is definitely worth a stop during your visit to Nikko. Admire the falls from above, then take the elevator to their base to see them from another angle.

The jewel of the remarkable Nikko temple complex, this shrine is dedicated to Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Tokugawa shogunate and stands in a beautiful forest.

The Kanmangafuchi Abyss is a river gorge lined with stone statues of Jizo, a Buddhist Bodhisattva who cares for the deceased. The gorge itself is beautiful, and statues provide an eerie vibe that makes the walk even more interesting.

The Meiji Shrine is Tokyo’s grandest Shinto Shrine was built nearly 100 years ago to commemorate Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken whose reign occurred during Japan’s transformation from an isolationist state to a modern nation. . The shrine is surrounded by a large forest filled with over 120,000 trees all of which were donated to […]

This beautiful shrine was established in the seventeenth century and remains mostly intact. It’s considered a prime example of Shinto architecture during Japan’s Edo Period.

This famous tram takes you to viewpoint where you can see Kegon Waterfalls with an incredible view of Lake Chūzenji in the background. It’s best to go early in the morning.

This beautiful marshland along the Yu River offers some the best hiking around Nikko. You’ll stroll along trails an boardwalks, through forest and grassland, and see beautiful cataracts.

This beautiful resort is an oasis set in a forest near Nikko. The hotel includes a fantastic onsen (Japanese hot spring), and the restaurant serves delicious traditional Japanese food. It’s a good base to explore Nikko, but note that you’ll have to have a car; the hotel isn’t really accessible any other way.

Located in the top floors of the Shiodome Media Tower, the Park Hotel is a great option for a place to stay in Tokyo. While the rooms are small (common in Tokyo), they’re comfortable and the views are spectacular.