Sublime

Kyoto is the quintessential traditional Japanese city, where many festivals and customs survive after having disappeared from the rest of Japan with the passage of time. In the Gion district, there are still nine working okiya, where maiko and geisha live. In the afternoon, they leave the okiya to work in a ryotei— luxury restaurant—or an ochaya, s

Meguro and Ebisu (目黒と恵比寿) Well known to expats and fashionable Japanese, Meguro and Ebisu are not tourist hotspots, but places that everyday people love to hang out at.

Another historic, but less well-known area is the Yanaka district just north of Ueno Park. The old shitamachi atmosphere from Tokyo of yesteryear still survives here; the streets are full of rustic charm, busy locals and a whole variety of shops and trades. There are now very few places in Tokyo quite like it, and its well off the usual tourist tra

5. Shibuya Featuring Tokyo’s most photographed area, the Shibuya Pedestrian Scramble, this hyperactive area has lots of people watching and window shopping opportunities for budget travelers.

Visitors who are looking for gluten-free or oriental vegetarian (no pungent vegetables) options will also be satisfied. For a less expensive option, look up their Hibiya branch, which you can read about in the Ginza