Awesome, more of this content please. Refreshing to see content more suitable for the repeat Japanese visitor. Once you've seen the main attractions, it's time to dive deeper into the more hidden Japan. Not enough channels go beyond the main attractions.
Thanks.. I've been trying to highlight some of these hidden gems and lesser visited places.. Check out my less crowded Japan playlist for more! th-cam.com/play/PLbd9mBH8nn5FauNZdGuXX2LvHzIQqROfS.html
I just found your channel and we are happy you like Sunamachi Ginza which is our local Ginza where we live nearby. Thank you so much. It’s our favourite too since the 70’s.
Another informative video. Thanks for the suggestions. I would recommend walking from Ueno Station to Yanaka Ginza. That in itself is an exploration of Tokyo as tourists would not normally see it. Then walk from Yanaka up to Nippori.
Thank you for this great videos. I really enjoy "off the beaten path" destinations. One of my favorite places in Tokyo is Yanakasen. I usually get to Ueno station and walk thrue Uneo park, via the National Museum. Very close by, there is a lovely tiny sake museum. Narrow lanes with beautiful houses, small temples and shrines, cemetaries, and tiny tea shops. And then you come to Yanaka Ginza, which is a bit busier, and we finish at Nippori station. This is a totally different world from Shinjuku, Shibuya, Ginza or Akihabara, and I love it. Two other not so much visited places in Tokyo, that I really like: Gokokuji temple (the winking cat temple). Its in a suburb which feels almost like a village, and its so relaxed and non busy. Shin-Okubo (korean town). This is hardly a hidden jem, but still rather unvisited by westerners. Its great for korean food, K-pop (not my thing), korean beauty products, and it feels like you are in Seoul and not in Tokyo. Also, its just next door to Kabukicho, so in walking distance to Shinjuku, and still, like in a different part of eastern asia.
Thanks for the recommendations, will try to fit some of these into my already full itinerary lol Yanaka GInza was one of the places that instantly made my itinerary...
I really like these off the beaten track kind of things, Nathan. Well done. Even when it is Tokyo. I like the fact that you also show some places that are worth visiting "east" of the Sumida river, as mainly all content about Tokyo is situated west of it (apart from Skytree and Disney). 👍
Since you mentioned Disney(land/sea), which is technically in Chiba Prefecture, there are incredible places which you can never find in Tokyo. In Funabashi are places associated with Dazai Osamu, Nokogiriyama, the longest monorail in world in Chiba City, Chiba Park Oga Lotus, and Sawara Town.
@@NinjaMonkeyguy hmmm,... my girlfriend is extremely traditional and doesn't want to be around foreign tourists in her favorite neighborhoods so I think I'll stop any further recommendations ! (^_^) ... (then again, she thinks one of the great charms of Tokyo is its decadence !)
We are considering our 2nd trip to Japan. Part of that process is looking at what we would do if we went back. What would we do different? What would make the trip as good or better than our first trip? Videos like this are a big help!
I stayed a month in Itabashi-ku. Very local neighborhood. It's only 7 min from Ikebukuro via the Tobu-Tojo line. I loved the atmosphere. After a few days, I realized I didn't have to go to Tokyo's main areas to have good food or fun. I love Japan. Thanks for sharing these off-the-beaten path 🎉 areas!
@@NinjaMonkeyguy hmmm,... the movie 「ALWAYS 三丁目の夕日」used Yanaka Ginza for a movie set,... I think maybe you might like it. The movie shows what Tokyo looked like in early 1960's ... many people today say Tokyo is so clean but this wasn't always true ...
Thank you for discovering these tiny cute places! It is exactly what I was looking for!!! I go to Japan in autumn in order to pratice my japanese and I think these places will give the opportunity to speak to japanese people in their local environment. As I speak some japanese, it will be very useful for me! Thank you so much!!! greetings from Canada
Great video with a lot of great suggestions. Monzen Nakacho and Togoshi Ginza are my long list of possible places to visit on my upcoming trip. Tomioka Hachiman shrine looks neat but I'm especially interested in checking out the nearby Naritasan Fukugawa Fudodo Buddhist Temple. From the photos it looks like a very interesting mix of ancient and modern architecture. Yakana Ginza is on my "Always Visit" list and will definitely visit it while I'm there. I'm planning a "Day of Three Ginzas" where I start out visting places along the Tonden Arakawa steet car line and visit various shopping districts along it (Joyful Minowa, Ogu Ginza, Kajiwara Ginza, Jizo Dori) and then head to Yanaka Ginza. Shibamata is on my short list this upcoming trip, as I keep meaning to check out that neighborhood when I'm in Tokyo.
Yes I feature the Naritasan Fukugawa Fudodo Buddhist Temple in the the video but didnt mention it, its quite interesting! So many neighbourhoods, if this video is popular I will certainly visit more!
@@NinjaMonkeyguy I would definitely recommend Sugamo Jizo Dori, the "Harajuku for Grandmas", although I think tourists are starting to discover that now. They have some of the best street food I've had in Tokyo.
Do you mean Fukagawa Fudo-do ? ... This place is kind of homely,... not very pretty at all but some of the wood carvings are nice. This is Shingon Buddhist but sometimes my family comes here to worship, especially for the fire ceremony. Anyway, I think it is a very strange place.
I found Sunamachi randomly on Google Maps a few months back, but before I could write it down I had somehow managed to lose it and I couldn't find it again. I knew which general area it was in, and after seeing your video I recognized the picture on Google Maps. Thank you so much for recommending it. :')
These look perfect for families too, since sometimes it's hard to find spots to sit (or stand all together) as you mentioned for the touristy street food areas! Thank you for the suggestions :)
Hey! I recognised your friend there 😂 She's that famous polyglot youtuber who speaks Japanese and Chinese fluently, and who's always hanging around chinatown in her videos. 😇
I went to Yanaka Ginza on a weekend and there was some crowding, but it was almost entirely locals. There was one vendor near the beginning of the street that was very friendly and very good at upselling LOL. I hope to see him again next time I go since the snacks I bought from him were very tasty!
Tokyo is a massive city that I honestly don't know much about. I went to see specific sites only, then got out of town. i honestly couldn't tell you what areas I was in. Some of the sites were things I wanted to see and some were sites my travel companions wanted to go to. As I live in a rural area anything in Japan seems crowded to me. The major tourist attractions were next level overwhelming. Your videos have shown me that Tokyo has many places that I wasn't aware of. So do I want to visit these less touristy parts of Tokyo that you've highlighted in this video. Yes, I do. The more relaxed pace and less people just suits my sensibilities. So added to the list, for next trip, or trips.
I'm so glad my videos could show you a different side of Tokyo! It's always exciting to discover hidden gems in a city as massive as Tokyo. I hope you have an amazing time exploring the less touristy parts on your next trip!
I really like these recommendations! I truly want to explore Japan like a local and experience its peaceful and laidback side. But I want to know if the vendors/restaurants in those places are welcoming to foreigners. Since they're not that popular among tourists, I'm afraid it might be harder to communicate compared to the famous spots where they're used to having foreigners. In those places, they often hire staff who can speak English as a requirement for their job. I'm just asking because I've heard stories about some stores refusing service to foreigners due to a lack of communication skills. I only know a little Japanese, enough to get by, but sometimes it's still scary if they respond in fast Japanese. Hahaha.
Its very very rare to be refused service and although it might be more challenging I also believe that if you want to explore Japan like a local then it's also part of the adventure! some google translate and pointing goes a long way!
@@NinjaMonkeyguy You're right. It's going to be more challenging, but I think it will turn out to be the best experience as well. Thank you so much for the tips! We're planning to go in the second week of February. Your videos are easy to follow and very educational about Japanese culture. Keep up the good work!
I was at Shibamata a couple of weeks ago. I was sick that day, but I wanted to see the wood carvings at Taishakuten temple. I forced myself to go out there. My body just wanted to shut down from being sick, so I asked a lady at a shop where the nearest drug store was. She was able to direct me to one. I bought some medicine then I walked to the temple. After the temple, I then walked to a traditional tea house. We got to sit down and drink matcha tea with a sweet snack and had a beautiful view of the Japanese garden they had there. Walking back to the station we got pulled into buying a snack from a food vendor. He was out promoting the shop trying to sell some headphones. He even had a crazy hat on and something covering his face. He recommended the deep fried sesame seed matcha balls which were very good btw. We were sitting down eating them when a older Japanese man started talking to the crazy hat guy. They did something that made my girlfriend and I chuckle a bit which caught the older man's attention. He asked if I was from India (because I look Indian), I told him "no" then he guessed Germany. I told him "no" again then I told him "United States." The second they heard United States, they started singing a bunch of American songs like they were having karaoke in the middle of the street. They were cool and entertaining guys, good times. You can see both shops at 5:10. the food vendor was across from the waving statue and the shop where the lady helped me find medicine is in the middle of the screen. Here is a link to the food vendor's website. katsushika.mypl.net/shop/00000362461/ A couple of days later, I ran into you at the rabbit shrine that has the view of Mt. Fuji, lol.
Wow, you really pushed through being sick to explore Shibamata! I hope the wood carvings at Taishakuten temple were worth it. And those deep fried sesame seed matcha balls sound intriguing. Who knew a crazy hat guy and an older Japanese man could turn the street into a karaoke bar? That's definitely a memorable experience!
I’ve been veering away from places that have a lot of tourists. I just love the feeling of walking around Japan’s small neighbourhoods and getting the feel of how the locals live. I stayed in Higashi-jujo last July and I was the only foreigner there. I had a blast! Thanks so much for your video. I have a few more places I can go to when I go back there in February. 😊
Who needs crowds and tourist traps when you can have the whole neighborhood to yourself, right? You're like a secret agent, blending in with the locals and having a blast while everyone else is stuck in the busy tourist spots. Keep exploring those hidden gems!
@@NinjaMonkeyguy hmmm,... actually,... foreigners in the suburbs will utterly stick out ! (^_^) ... but most people here are too busy with their own lives to care about you (also, there isn't very much interesting to see or do ... )
There r many good food shops at Togoshi Ginza. Opposite Watts 100yen shop, There's a chargrilled pork shop. U ll see a bench outside. It serves very fragrant and delicious tender pieces of charcoal grilled pork with rice n cabbage. There's also a shop selling dumpling, panned or steamed. U can eat there, standing. Just watch for the soup as it oozes from the dumplings. I also love the Indian restaurant n and another selling katsudon. Its good value for the price. The supermarts are also fairly priced. There is one very interesting shop that sells international goods very cheaply. Do be aware of the expiration dates or near to.... of some goods. We have bought from there often. Occasionally, there's Costco chocolate muffins which are super delicious.
Tokio es demasiado grande e interesante, tantas cosas que ver, se necesita mínimo un mes para conocerla. La amé el año pasado que fui a Japón y dediqué unos 10 días a Tokio, gracias por estas recomendaciones, espero regresar el próximo año y conocerlas. Saludos desde México... PD Haz videos en español, estaría increíble.
Great stuff. Planning a Nov 2025 trip (first time) and I'd rather avoid the worst of the overtourist spots when there are so many other options. Yes, I'll be the tourist, but at least there won't be thousands of us there - and I'm polite.
hmmm,.... please excuse me for these recommendations ... I think these places are safe from my relatives' criticism about too many foreigners in Japan ... Tokyo National Noh Theatre (I love Noh and this place is pretty good) ... also, in Kobe, Takarazuka ... the women actors are so beautiful and talented !! ... in Kyoto, Minamiza is extremely old and elegant for watching kabuki ... for Tokyo however, if you want a " hidden side " maybe ... the manga museum in Toshima Ward ... I don't like manga very much but Tezuka Osamu is my most cherished author ...
@@NinjaMonkeyguy I think though ... Hangzhou and Suzhou in China are to me so much more beautiful,... Japan is kind of a copy of all the culture, food and architecture here ... even Hangzhou West Lake is the most popular China place for Japan tourists ...
Well…unless you live there and have all the time in the world, you usually don’t even have time to cover the popular tourist destination with your limited time there…good video thought…
I think you are right. The really interesting places like Ichigaya-Dai in Tokyo and Minami-za in Kyoto are definitely without any English language. To be fair, in the countryside, if natives speak the local dialect, not even normal Japanese can understand them. (>_
What do you think will happen with the tourist crowds after December? I have a feeling that it will go down by a lot after the December because of the JR pass price increase and that the ones that took advantage of the old price can only use it until the last day of December. But that's just my opinion .
I think the JR pass is irrelevant, people usually plan their trip to Japan and then AFTER figure out logistics like JR pass, the main golden route will be more populated which is a problem
hmmm,... it's true Shibamata is known for the series 「男はつらいよ」, but because the main character is a traveling salesman, each movie takes place in a different part of Japan. And, um, technically, tempura is not a " traditional " Japanese food,... it came from Portugal. I think you may like Kamata, Tokyo. It's very multi-cultural but without many foreign tourists I think. It's known for its Black Water Sento, but my relatives refuse to go because they think the sento places are scummy and run-down. Mitaka is extremely beautiful but kind of far away.
Thank you for sharing your insights about Shibamata and the movie series. It's always interesting to learn more about the cultural background and history of different places in Japan!
@@NinjaMonkeyguy errr,... If you really like these sorts of things ... on the way to Yanaka Ginza is Daikokuten-Kyoo-Ji. During the Boshin War, Bakufu soldiers took refuge here but the Imperial Army fired on the temple. You can still see the bullet holes in the main gate doors ... there is also Tsukishima in Chuo Ward but,... it used to be an industrial area so I don't know how much pollution is still in the ground and this part of the Sumida River ... (-_-) ...
hmmm,... this isn't quite true though. For example, in Monzen-Nakacho is Tomioka Hachiman Shrine. It's extremely historical and important to sumo wrestlers. And, along with Kameido's Tenjin is one of the 10 important shrines of Tokyo. It's not covered in this video but in Koto Ward is also Fukagawa. Matsuo Basho moved here and wrote perhaps his most famous poem (considered the most famous haiku) 「古池や」...
Well.. not all Suburbs are worth visiting! A lot of people don’t leave Tokyo and basically don’t leave shibuya, Shinjuku and akihabara during a 2 week trip! .. hopefully this will be the small steps needed to get out of the city properly
@@NinjaMonkeyguy hahaha! .... though it doesn't appear on any modern Tokyo map, I would avoid the old Sanya neighborhood. Then too, some of the neighborhoods around Odaiba are literally built on garbage and mostly used for high-rise apartments.
I would enjoy all those places. I would love to spend lots of time traveling through Hokkaido for the same reason. I bet the experience would be amazing.
Awesome, more of this content please. Refreshing to see content more suitable for the repeat Japanese visitor. Once you've seen the main attractions, it's time to dive deeper into the more hidden Japan. Not enough channels go beyond the main attractions.
Thanks.. I've been trying to highlight some of these hidden gems and lesser visited places.. Check out my less crowded Japan playlist for more! th-cam.com/play/PLbd9mBH8nn5FauNZdGuXX2LvHzIQqROfS.html
I just found your channel and we are happy you like Sunamachi Ginza which is our local Ginza where we live nearby. Thank you so much. It’s our favourite too since the 70’s.
Welcome to the channel! You live nearby?! lucky! I loved that area :). Any other recommendations for a potential pt 2 of the video?
Another informative video. Thanks for the suggestions. I would recommend walking from Ueno Station to Yanaka Ginza. That in itself is an exploration of Tokyo as tourists would not normally see it. Then walk from Yanaka up to Nippori.
Yes this is why i love staying in ueno, it feels quite walkable, walk to Yanaka Ginza, walk to aki, walk to Asakusa etc
Thank you for this great videos. I really enjoy "off the beaten path" destinations.
One of my favorite places in Tokyo is Yanakasen. I usually get to Ueno station and walk thrue Uneo park, via the National Museum. Very close by, there is a lovely tiny sake museum. Narrow lanes with beautiful houses, small temples and shrines, cemetaries, and tiny tea shops. And then you come to Yanaka Ginza, which is a bit busier, and we finish at Nippori station. This is a totally different world from Shinjuku, Shibuya, Ginza or Akihabara, and I love it.
Two other not so much visited places in Tokyo, that I really like:
Gokokuji temple (the winking cat temple). Its in a suburb which feels almost like a village, and its so relaxed and non busy.
Shin-Okubo (korean town). This is hardly a hidden jem, but still rather unvisited by westerners. Its great for korean food, K-pop (not my thing), korean beauty products, and it feels like you are in Seoul and not in Tokyo. Also, its just next door to Kabukicho, so in walking distance to Shinjuku, and still, like in a different part of eastern asia.
great path :)
Excellent suggestions, Nathan! Glad you made it to Shibamata!
Yes, Im glad I made it there too.. All of the places in the list are great locations and amazing return locations too!
Thanks, I was looking for new places to visit in my 6th trip to Japan.
I'm glad you found the video helpful! Japan has so many amazing places to explore, even on your 6th trip. Enjoy your travels!
Thanks for the recommendations, will try to fit some of these into my already full itinerary lol
Yanaka GInza was one of the places that instantly made my itinerary...
Yanaka GInza is also quite easy to get to! .. I highly recommend the bakery there its so yum! the custard tarts are amazing
@NinjaMonkeyguy I always get "cheese mochi" from a snack shop when I'm there. They're like Cheetos, but way better
Awesome video. I am going to Tokyo in march and will have to visit these places. I am staying in sumida
Glad it’s gonna be useful
thank you for the video. i will be going next March so i can take a day to visit these places rather than just cherry blossoms.
Im sure you will also see some Cherry blossoms around these areas too!
wow. I'll be trying some of these places! thanks! Would love to meet you when I'm there.
alyways happy when i bump into viewers :)
Great suggestions! can't wait to check these out!
You should! Maybe we can explore some of these together?! hehe
Interesting! Will be visiting over Christmas for the second time, will have to check these places out!
Hope you have a great time, Christmas is a great time to visit!
Fantastic video! I can’t wait to visit again and maybe checkout those wonderful hidden gems ♥️
Especially for us returning visitors its good to check out new areas!
Thanks Ninja 🐒 I'm going to go to the shrines and temples in your video 🎉
Yes! and let me know what you think!
Great video 👍
Thanks, dude! I appreciate the support. Stay tuned for more awesome videos!
I really like these off the beaten track kind of things, Nathan. Well done. Even when it is Tokyo. I like the fact that you also show some places that are worth visiting "east" of the Sumida river, as mainly all content about Tokyo is situated west of it (apart from Skytree and Disney). 👍
Since you mentioned Disney(land/sea), which is technically in Chiba Prefecture, there are incredible places which you can never find in Tokyo. In Funabashi are places associated with Dazai Osamu, Nokogiriyama, the longest monorail in world in Chiba City, Chiba Park Oga Lotus, and Sawara Town.
Yes .. there is so much content about all the popular Tokyo areas but these streets and areas are not usually covered in the mainstream so..
@@NinjaMonkeyguy hmmm,... my girlfriend is extremely traditional and doesn't want to be around foreign tourists in her favorite neighborhoods so I think I'll stop any further recommendations ! (^_^) ... (then again, she thinks one of the great charms of Tokyo is its decadence !)
I'm heading to Tokyo for the first time later this year, and I will definitely be checking out some of these places. Thank you for making this video!
Im glad you will explore some of the 'lesser' visited areas in Tokyo! it's good to see other parts too!
We are considering our 2nd trip to Japan. Part of that process is looking at what we would do if we went back. What would we do different? What would make the trip as good or better than our first trip? Videos like this are a big help!
yes.. thats a good consideration check out my less visited japan or less crowded japan playlists!
I stayed a month in Itabashi-ku. Very local neighborhood. It's only 7 min from Ikebukuro via the Tobu-Tojo line. I loved the atmosphere. After a few days, I realized I didn't have to go to Tokyo's main areas to have good food or fun. I love Japan. Thanks for sharing these off-the-beaten path 🎉 areas!
There are so many of these gems .. I’m thinking a part two might be needed! Itabashi was a potential visit
Yanaka ginza has been on my radar for decades, so famous from Japanese dramas, Togashi Gunza is now on my radar! Sun machi maybe! Great video!
Haha, it's funny how Japanese dramas can make a place so famous! But I'm glad Yanaka ginza caught your attention. It's definitely worth a visit!
Yanaka has recently been flooded with Western tourists.
its up can coming but still far from the very popular locations like harajuku etc. @@Mwoods2272
@@NinjaMonkeyguy hmmm,... the movie 「ALWAYS 三丁目の夕日」used Yanaka Ginza for a movie set,... I think maybe you might like it. The movie shows what Tokyo looked like in early 1960's ... many people today say Tokyo is so clean but this wasn't always true ...
thanks! I wish i had time for movies these days :) or i wouldnt be able to make videos!! @@towada1066
Thanks for the videos, Ninja Monkey. Going to Tokyo and Kyoto next month and will definitely check out these Hidden Gems! Keep the info flowing :)
Have fun! Let me know how it goes!
Shibamata is lovely. There is an old school candy shop. And the wood carvings at the temple are absolutely stunning.
the old school candy store sounds like a good reason for me to return!
@NinjaMonkeyguy You should. It has also some very strange sweets xD
It's Shibamata Haikara Yokocho
@@cidiracing7481 for sure!!!
Heading to Japan late december - first timer - we'll make sure to visit this last area. Many thanks from downunder.
Have fun and enjoy the trip!
Thank you for discovering these tiny cute places! It is exactly what I was looking for!!! I go to Japan in autumn in order to pratice my japanese and I think these places will give the opportunity to speak to japanese people in their local environment. As I speak some japanese, it will be very useful for me! Thank you so much!!! greetings from Canada
I look forward to finding some more little places like this!
Great video with a lot of great suggestions.
Monzen Nakacho and Togoshi Ginza are my long list of possible places to visit on my upcoming trip. Tomioka Hachiman shrine looks neat but I'm especially interested in checking out the nearby Naritasan Fukugawa Fudodo Buddhist Temple. From the photos it looks like a very interesting mix of ancient and modern architecture.
Yakana Ginza is on my "Always Visit" list and will definitely visit it while I'm there. I'm planning a "Day of Three Ginzas" where I start out visting places along the Tonden Arakawa steet car line and visit various shopping districts along it (Joyful Minowa, Ogu Ginza, Kajiwara Ginza, Jizo Dori) and then head to Yanaka Ginza.
Shibamata is on my short list this upcoming trip, as I keep meaning to check out that neighborhood when I'm in Tokyo.
Yes I feature the Naritasan Fukugawa Fudodo Buddhist Temple in the the video but didnt mention it, its quite interesting! So many neighbourhoods, if this video is popular I will certainly visit more!
@@NinjaMonkeyguy I would definitely recommend Sugamo Jizo Dori, the "Harajuku for Grandmas", although I think tourists are starting to discover that now. They have some of the best street food I've had in Tokyo.
Do you mean Fukagawa Fudo-do ? ... This place is kind of homely,... not very pretty at all but some of the wood carvings are nice. This is Shingon Buddhist but sometimes my family comes here to worship, especially for the fire ceremony. Anyway, I think it is a very strange place.
@towada1066 In that case, I'll be sure to check it out for myself and report back
@@BojoPigeon If you are Buddhist it may be interesting to worship here,... otherwise I would just go shopping at Mitsukoshi in Ginza (^_^)
Went to Sunamachi on my last day and really enjoyed it, thank you . The tempura made by the two very old women are amazing.
Tempura is the best!!!
I found Sunamachi randomly on Google Maps a few months back, but before I could write it down I had somehow managed to lose it and I couldn't find it again. I knew which general area it was in, and after seeing your video I recognized the picture on Google Maps. Thank you so much for recommending it. :')
I love all those areas I mention! I hope you do too!
Great video!
Thanks! Im glad it was useful!
Cool stuff, I’ve only been to one of these.
I swear I really enjoyed filming this video! It was so good to find and visit these places!
These look perfect for families too, since sometimes it's hard to find spots to sit (or stand all together) as you mentioned for the touristy street food areas! Thank you for the suggestions :)
Yea true!
We will be there 3/30 for 4 days. I love exploring and this tube really got my interest. Hope to navigate. The transportation system
Its going to be amazing, hope I can help further
Hey! I recognised your friend there 😂 She's that famous polyglot youtuber who speaks Japanese and Chinese fluently, and who's always hanging around chinatown in her videos. 😇
Yes my good friend is amazing at speaking languages! .. Japanese, Chinese and Korean! She's pretty awesome huh!
Great content
Thanks so much :)
I went to Yanaka Ginza on a weekend and there was some crowding, but it was almost entirely locals. There was one vendor near the beginning of the street that was very friendly and very good at upselling LOL. I hope to see him again next time I go since the snacks I bought from him were very tasty!
Oohhh let me know what you end up buying haha
Tokyo is a massive city that I honestly don't know much about. I went to see specific sites only, then got out of town. i honestly couldn't tell you what areas I was in. Some of the sites were things I wanted to see and some were sites my travel companions wanted to go to. As I live in a rural area anything in Japan seems crowded to me. The major tourist attractions were next level overwhelming. Your videos have shown me that Tokyo has many places that I wasn't aware of. So do I want to visit these less touristy parts of Tokyo that you've highlighted in this video. Yes, I do. The more relaxed pace and less people just suits my sensibilities. So added to the list, for next trip, or trips.
I'm so glad my videos could show you a different side of Tokyo! It's always exciting to discover hidden gems in a city as massive as Tokyo. I hope you have an amazing time exploring the less touristy parts on your next trip!
Fantastic video! Well done! ❤
Thank you very much!
just bookmarked it for my trip Feb 8-23. My last 2 hotels are in Ginza and on the east side of Tokyo one hour from Narita
ooh! nice .. just be aware that there are many places named 'Ginza' in Tokyo!
Hello again, are these markets open on Saturday and Sunday business as usual, or is it better during the weekdays? Thank you
Generally yes, best visited in the morning
I really like these recommendations! I truly want to explore Japan like a local and experience its peaceful and laidback side. But I want to know if the vendors/restaurants in those places are welcoming to foreigners. Since they're not that popular among tourists, I'm afraid it might be harder to communicate compared to the famous spots where they're used to having foreigners. In those places, they often hire staff who can speak English as a requirement for their job. I'm just asking because I've heard stories about some stores refusing service to foreigners due to a lack of communication skills. I only know a little Japanese, enough to get by, but sometimes it's still scary if they respond in fast Japanese. Hahaha.
Its very very rare to be refused service and although it might be more challenging I also believe that if you want to explore Japan like a local then it's also part of the adventure! some google translate and pointing goes a long way!
@@NinjaMonkeyguy You're right. It's going to be more challenging, but I think it will turn out to be the best experience as well. Thank you so much for the tips! We're planning to go in the second week of February. Your videos are easy to follow and very educational about Japanese culture. Keep up the good work!
This would have been nice before the price increase on the JR pass...but this is what I was looking for ...the chill life in Japan
Yea that price increase sucks!
hop this will help your future trip!
I would add Jujo to the list.
Thanks maybe a version 2 some time in the next few months!
You can take a bus along Shibamata Dori to get to Shibamata from Koiwa or Keisei Koiwa too. Maybe good if you are coming from Sobu JR line.
Thanks for the info!
Just used QR for Sakura Mobile. Thank you for your help. Aloha
Thanks for supporting the channel! :)
I was at Shibamata a couple of weeks ago. I was sick that day, but I wanted to see the wood carvings at Taishakuten temple. I forced myself to go out there. My body just wanted to shut down from being sick, so I asked a lady at a shop where the nearest drug store was. She was able to direct me to one. I bought some medicine then I walked to the temple. After the temple, I then walked to a traditional tea house. We got to sit down and drink matcha tea with a sweet snack and had a beautiful view of the Japanese garden they had there. Walking back to the station we got pulled into buying a snack from a food vendor. He was out promoting the shop trying to sell some headphones. He even had a crazy hat on and something covering his face. He recommended the deep fried sesame seed matcha balls which were very good btw. We were sitting down eating them when a older Japanese man started talking to the crazy hat guy. They did something that made my girlfriend and I chuckle a bit which caught the older man's attention. He asked if I was from India (because I look Indian), I told him "no" then he guessed Germany. I told him "no" again then I told him "United States." The second they heard United States, they started singing a bunch of American songs like they were having karaoke in the middle of the street. They were cool and entertaining guys, good times.
You can see both shops at 5:10. the food vendor was across from the waving statue and the shop where the lady helped me find medicine is in the middle of the screen. Here is a link to the food vendor's website.
katsushika.mypl.net/shop/00000362461/
A couple of days later, I ran into you at the rabbit shrine that has the view of Mt. Fuji, lol.
Wow, you really pushed through being sick to explore Shibamata! I hope the wood carvings at Taishakuten temple were worth it. And those deep fried sesame seed matcha balls sound intriguing. Who knew a crazy hat guy and an older Japanese man could turn the street into a karaoke bar? That's definitely a memorable experience!
Which videos with everything I need to get around Tokyo via metro or train ?
.. watch this space
I’ve been veering away from places that have a lot of tourists. I just love the feeling of walking around Japan’s small neighbourhoods and getting the feel of how the locals live. I stayed in Higashi-jujo last July and I was the only foreigner there. I had a blast! Thanks so much for your video. I have a few more places I can go to when I go back there in February. 😊
Who needs crowds and tourist traps when you can have the whole neighborhood to yourself, right? You're like a secret agent, blending in with the locals and having a blast while everyone else is stuck in the busy tourist spots. Keep exploring those hidden gems!
@@NinjaMonkeyguy hmmm,... actually,... foreigners in the suburbs will utterly stick out ! (^_^) ... but most people here are too busy with their own lives to care about you (also, there isn't very much interesting to see or do ... )
There r many good food shops at Togoshi Ginza.
Opposite Watts 100yen shop, There's a chargrilled pork shop. U ll see a bench outside. It serves very fragrant and delicious tender pieces of charcoal grilled pork with rice n cabbage.
There's also a shop selling dumpling, panned or steamed. U can eat there, standing. Just watch for the soup as it oozes from the dumplings.
I also love the Indian restaurant n and another selling katsudon. Its good value for the price.
The supermarts are also fairly priced. There is one very interesting shop that sells international goods very cheaply.
Do be aware of the expiration dates or near to.... of some goods.
We have bought from there often. Occasionally, there's Costco chocolate muffins which are super delicious.
Thank you so much for the detailed information about the food shops in Togoshi Ginza! I really appreciate it. Can't wait to explore further!
Tokio es demasiado grande e interesante, tantas cosas que ver, se necesita mínimo un mes para conocerla. La amé el año pasado que fui a Japón y dediqué unos 10 días a Tokio, gracias por estas recomendaciones, espero regresar el próximo año y conocerlas. Saludos desde México... PD Haz videos en español, estaría increíble.
he empezado con shorts en espanol, pero no tengo tiempo para hacer video guias en espanol.. quisas algun dia lo intento
Great stuff. Planning a Nov 2025 trip (first time) and I'd rather avoid the worst of the overtourist spots when there are so many other options. Yes, I'll be the tourist, but at least there won't be thousands of us there - and I'm polite.
Good choices they are quite different locations
Also hatagaya station !
Lovely! Thank you.
Glad you enjoyed it!
hmmm,.... please excuse me for these recommendations ... I think these places are safe from my relatives' criticism about too many foreigners in Japan ... Tokyo National Noh Theatre (I love Noh and this place is pretty good) ... also, in Kobe, Takarazuka ... the women actors are so beautiful and talented !! ... in Kyoto, Minamiza is extremely old and elegant for watching kabuki ... for Tokyo however, if you want a " hidden side " maybe ... the manga museum in Toshima Ward ... I don't like manga very much but Tezuka Osamu is my most cherished author ...
@towada1066 so much to check out! thanks!
@@NinjaMonkeyguy I think though ... Hangzhou and Suzhou in China are to me so much more beautiful,... Japan is kind of a copy of all the culture, food and architecture here ... even Hangzhou West Lake is the most popular China place for Japan tourists ...
Well…unless you live there and have all the time in the world, you usually don’t even have time to cover the popular tourist destination with your limited time there…good video thought…
SO TRUE!!
Good vibre
thanks :)
I love these types of areas, but I find it very intimidating to visit them due to my lack of Japanese language skills.
Don;t worry! pointing and google translate goes a long way! (plus a lot of people understand more than what they say they do! )
I think you are right. The really interesting places like Ichigaya-Dai in Tokyo and Minami-za in Kyoto are definitely without any English language. To be fair, in the countryside, if natives speak the local dialect, not even normal Japanese can understand them. (>_
What do you think will happen with the tourist crowds after December? I have a feeling that it will go down by a lot after the December because of the JR pass price increase and that the ones that took advantage of the old price can only use it until the last day of December.
But that's just my opinion .
I think the JR pass is irrelevant, people usually plan their trip to Japan and then AFTER figure out logistics like JR pass, the main golden route will be more populated which is a problem
People have been waiting 3 years if not longer to enter Japan, it will be crowded for a while.
We visited Yanaka today and this place is not really worth the trip to visit unless you’re in the area…..
Yanaka Ginza? Really.. I think the place is pretty special (once you’ve done the rest)
first!!
wow great job!
@@NinjaMonkeyguyahahaa thanks for replying
hmmm,... it's true Shibamata is known for the series 「男はつらいよ」, but because the main character is a traveling salesman, each movie takes place in a different part of Japan. And, um, technically, tempura is not a " traditional " Japanese food,... it came from Portugal. I think you may like Kamata, Tokyo. It's very multi-cultural but without many foreign tourists I think. It's known for its Black Water Sento, but my relatives refuse to go because they think the sento places are scummy and run-down. Mitaka is extremely beautiful but kind of far away.
Thank you for sharing your insights about Shibamata and the movie series. It's always interesting to learn more about the cultural background and history of different places in Japan!
@@NinjaMonkeyguy errr,... If you really like these sorts of things ... on the way to Yanaka Ginza is Daikokuten-Kyoo-Ji. During the Boshin War, Bakufu soldiers took refuge here but the Imperial Army fired on the temple. You can still see the bullet holes in the main gate doors ... there is also Tsukishima in Chuo Ward but,... it used to be an industrial area so I don't know how much pollution is still in the ground and this part of the Sumida River ... (-_-) ...
So basically you’re telling us to visit the suburbs. It’s kinda like New Yorkers telling you to get out of Manhattan and hang out in Brooklyn.
hmmm,... this isn't quite true though. For example, in Monzen-Nakacho is Tomioka Hachiman Shrine. It's extremely historical and important to sumo wrestlers. And, along with Kameido's Tenjin is one of the 10 important shrines of Tokyo. It's not covered in this video but in Koto Ward is also Fukagawa. Matsuo Basho moved here and wrote perhaps his most famous poem (considered the most famous haiku) 「古池や」...
Well.. not all
Suburbs are worth visiting! A lot of people don’t leave Tokyo and basically don’t leave shibuya, Shinjuku and akihabara during a 2 week trip! .. hopefully this will be the small steps needed to get out of the city properly
@@NinjaMonkeyguy hahaha! .... though it doesn't appear on any modern Tokyo map, I would avoid the old Sanya neighborhood. Then too, some of the neighborhoods around Odaiba are literally built on garbage and mostly used for high-rise apartments.
@@NinjaMonkeyguy yeah. I get it
Brooklyn is not the suburbs lol and it has A LOT to offer
🥢
I would enjoy all those places. I would love to spend lots of time traveling through Hokkaido for the same reason. I bet the experience would be amazing.
You should! Hokkaido is amazing .. I went in summer and loved it
So this is the title that won the poll?
Yep! Does it work with the thumbnail?
Do I spy @orientalpearl at 2:41?
Great spot!