In Tokyo for a couple of days, inviting recommendations
My wife and I are in Tokyo for a couple of days, before moving on to Kyoto. We have a few restaurants booked already, and have a friend or two in the city who will show us around, but I wanted to solicit some recommendations from people here too. We are staying in Ginza area but happy to walk/use metro to explore other parts of the city.
Any recommendations for good shopping or good food? I’m interested in vintage/second hand clothes, kitchen equipment, etc but honestly open to any suggestions of things to check out!
EDIT:
Well, I’m back stateside now, and I want to avoid bumping this thread too much by going through and thanking people, but I found all of these comments really useful! We ended up having a great time and ate some great food, most of the time by popping in places that looked good when walking by. Did some nice shopping as well (I managed to pick up my dream watch from a small store in Omote-sando!) Thanks everyone for the great recommendations, it was useful to get my bearings, and now I just can’t wait to go back.
Tokyo is a collection of cities across a vast metropolitan area, each with its own distinct neighborhoods centered around transit hubs. Anything you are looking for will be in most places in a given area, but some places will hit the spot more than others for certain things.
I recommend whatever you do with your two days that you be mindful of transit times when putting together your itinerary. From my own experiences over the years and the reflections of friends who have visited from overseas, trying to tie a single day together that involves visits to vastly different areas almost always ends up eating up more time than expected. With that said…
For kitchen equipment, Kappabashi in the Asakusa area comes to mind:
https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3020.html
Good food is absolutely everywhere. It really depends what kind of food you are looking for. If you want to challenge yourself then here is a map with the locations of all the restaurants from the TV show Lonely Gourmet:
https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?mid=18Z5I1BvA8IxRp5s3h_rvL_TsXMC-2og8&ll=38.223828707013425%2C135.43802556530642&z=6
If you just like shopping in general then going to a branch of Loft or Tokyu Hands will definitely scratch that itch.
Enjoy your trip!
In case you're not solely looking for recommendations on shopping and food, I will recommend Teamlab. It is the single best art experience I have ever had, must-see, truly incredible.
Don't miss this. It's absolutely immersive and cool.
A single vote was not enough. Teamlab is stunning. Don't rush it. I watched the whole cycle in the mirrored spotlight room -- like an hour long loop. Beyond worth it.
I'd also just save some time to get lost in Tokyo Station. It's a small underground town, great food, lots of interesting little shops, amazing people watching and cultural inhalation.
One of my favorite places in Tokyo is the garden of the Nezu Museum (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nezu_Museum) - a serene place with lots of moss-covered stone lanterns and figures, right in the middle of a huge metropolis. Highly recommended if you get a bit overstimulated by everything else Tokyo has to offer.
With regard to food, I don't think you'll be able to get a reservation without speaking Japanese, but there's a small sushi place near Shiinamachi station (close to Ikebukuro) called Matsunozushi (松野寿し: https://guide.michelin.com/jp/ja/tokyo-region/tokyo/restaurant/matsunozushi) that's been featured in the Michelin guide for something like 8 years in a row, and is the absolutely best sushi I've ever had. I tried Michelin-starred restaurants too, and to me they still don't compare at all - Matsuno is my favorite sushi place in the world.
I have a Google map list with notes :) It's mostly food + a bit of fashion. Mostly Ginza and Shibuya.
Ragtag (I visited both Ginza and Omotesando branches) has a nice selection of used clothing from designer brands including CDG and Japanese designers like Kei Ninomiya, Yohji Yamamoto, Junya Watanabe.
For small indie Japanese artisans and designers, check out 2k540 Aki-Oka Artisan, it's along the walkway/railway between Akihabara and Ueno stations.
I can also recommend this Google maps list from fashion educator Zoe Hong.
Enjoy Tokyo!!
You mention kitchen equipment so you probably already know this - don't miss out on Kappabashi street. Lined with specialty kitchen shops, and great for souveniers even if you're not particularly culinary-minded.
I've never been, but Kichijoji is on my list for vintage denim.
https://4corners7seas.com/omoide-yokocho/
Shomben Yokocho and is some of the most atmospheric street food dining in Tokyo. Great if you are into yakitori, and I would recommend the nikomi stew but maybe give it a pass if you aren’t into beef tendon. There are also various noodle shops there.
There's a flagship Sanrio store in Ginza if you're into that
If you want some delicious, hand made Soba, go to Kanda Matsuya in Akhibara
I like the north part of the city: Asakusa, Machiya, Higashiogu, Oji... Just walk around and see interesting old buildings. Maybe watch Adrift in Tokyo (2007) before you go!
In Kyoto, Gion-Shijo is a really lovely area. Be sure to try a Kaiseki (it's like prix fixe). Tagoto honten (御旅町田ごと) is not bad if you're on a budget but there are many better restaurants too.
The life size gundam on Odaiba is really cool, and the monorail to get there goes over Rainbow Bridge! There's a mall and some miscellaneous stuff to do there too.
Tokyo Skytree is crazy tall with expansive views which I still remember. It really made me appreciate the sheer scale of Tokyo and what humans can accomplish living together. It also has a mall and a decent aquarium attached.
Animal cafes are unique experiences that don't require much walking. I liked Chiku Chiku Café where you get to handle some adorable hedgehogs!
Food really depends on where you're staying. There are tons of great places everywhere.