11 New Things To Try in Tokyo, Japan
A mere four hours away, Tokyo is a vacation hotspot for Filipino tourists. After a few visits, you might fall into the habit of visiting the same haunts. Refresh your Tokyo stay with these new options for your itinerary below:
Watch This Space
Recently opened establishments worth your attention
Torioka
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When you feel like you’ve had your fill of sushi, it could be time to move over to the yakitori restaurants that Tokyo has to offer. This means you'll come across Yoshiteru Ikegawa’s establishments. Following his success with the now impossible to book Torishiki, Ikegawa now offers his premium yakitori at Torioka, at the trendy Roppongi Hills. Before visiting, note that there are only two seatings each night and the joint offers a fixed menu of 11 skewers. Soon, Torishiki will head west and open its first overseas branch in New York.
5/F Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Kogentey Nihonbashi
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If it’s dinner and a show you’re after, then you can get front row seats to watch famed chef Kazuki Saka work his magic at the counter of his teppanyaki restaurant,
6/F Nihonbashi Takashiyama, Nihonbashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
Toyosu Tuna Auction
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Since the famed Tsukiji Fish Market relocated to a new location last quarter, its new venue in Toyosu is set to open its famed tuna auctions to the public this month. You can either watch the auctions take place from a gallery one floor above the auction area or be right in the middle of the action. If you wish to view the auctions, remember that you have to submit an application form a month before your visit. If you plan to go in 2020, however, a different fish market will take the place of what was once Tsukiji’s inner market after the Olympics is held.
What’s Trending
Establishments receiving newsworthy buzz
Natsume Nihonbashi
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A favorite among the crowd in Sapporo, sushi bar Natsume is now located at the high-foot traffic scene of Nihonbashi. This intimate 38-seater restaurant offers a fixed lunch and dinner set that showcases the best of its perfectly prepared sushi topped with premium cuts of fish.
6/F Nihonbashi Takashiyama, Nihonbashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
Bar High Five
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Once again, Bar High Five is one of Tokyo nightlife’s pride and joy and had once again joined the coveted list of the World’s Best Bar, taking the 12th spot. Because of the demand, it’s doubled the size of its basement, making more room for a wider collection of scotch and
B/F Efflore Ginza 5 Building, Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
Best Kept Secrets
Under-the-radar
Espace Louis Vuitton
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At the top floor of Louis Vuitton’s shiny flagship store in Omotesando Hills sits a glass box called Espace Louis Vuitton. It was designed by Japanese architect Jun Aoki and discretely serves as an exhibition space for contemporary art. In the past, it’s hosted both local and foreign artists, including some works from the
7/F Louis Vuitton Omotesando Building, 5-7-5 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Shimokita Chaen Oyama
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The two brothers who run this two-story tea place in
2/F Maruwa Center, 30-2 Kitazawa, Setagaya-
Archive Store
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There are loads of luxury shops in Shibuya, so it’s easy to miss the Archive Store, an emporium of designer brands, which, of all places, is located at the basement level of a building. Its garments, which come from designers like Comme des Garçons, Yohji Yamamoto, Martin Margiela, and Raf Simons, are carefully hung on each rack like an artwork in its frame. The designers and collections rotate every season so if you’re having second thoughts about a couture piece, it might not be there on your second visit.
Wako Building, 1-12-16 Jinnan, Shibuya, Tokyo
Now Showing
Upcoming events, concerts, exhibits, and exclusive screenings
Munch: A Retrospective
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Expressionist Edvard Munch has done more than just produced the iconic painting “The Scream,” and this retrospective on the Norwegian artist helps art enthusiasts become aware of that. It features over 100 of Munch’s works straight from his hometown of Oslo. It will also showcase the tempera and oil version of “The Scream” for the first time in Japan.
Runs until January 20, 2019, Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, Ueno Park, Taito-Ku
The Phillips Collection: A Modern Vision
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The Phillips Collection is based in Washington, D.C. and is the first museum of modern art in America. It began as the private collection of steel scion Duncan Phillips, an avid art collector, and was first located in his own home. His impressive collection spans the works of Manet, Gauguin, Picasso, and Delacroix.
Runs until February 11, 2019, at the Mitsubishi Ichigokan Museum, Tokyo
TeamLab Borderless
One of the most-visited museums in Tokyo, TeamLab Borderless, represented by the Pace Gallery at the Mori Building Digital Art Museum, is a hotspot for tourists with families. It provides an interactive take on art and doesn’t confine it to a frame, with digital installations that span from walls to floors.
Mori Building, Koto, Aomi, Tokyo
