5# – Shibuya
You have to go at least once though if you find yourself studying abroad in japan you may find yourself going there to meet up with friends or for the nightlife. I’m not much for the nightlife, so it wasn’t my number one but still a good place to go once in a while. Make sure you meet shibuya’s #1 good boy, Hachiko!
4# – Shinjuku
I would rank Shinjuku closely to Shibuya just because it has a similar vibe but you’ll end up being in Shinjuku much more than Shibuya in the case of making a transfer. Shinjuku is one of the main stations so it has nearly every central Tokyo line running through it. Since you’ll end up being there more often than not, you might as well enjoy it. Check out the cat cafes or the sweets buffets there and play a few crane games. In the end, Shinjuku is a fun place to be and explore.
3# – Nakano
If you’re in the area why not check out Nakano Broadway for all of those retro nerds and 90s aesthetics you can find a lot of hidden treasures in Nakano Broadway. From T-shirts to anime figures to retro mecha robots, Nakano is sure to brang you lots of entertainment. While you’re in Nakano give Kyle’s Good Finds a try for a nice sweet taste of home.
2# – Yokohama
While not in Tokyo, Yokohama is not too far away and brings its own kind of style to the table. Visiting here will also increase the number of prefectures you’ve visited in Japan from 1 to 2. Yokohama to me feels like the cool laidback brother to Tokyo, with skate parks, American-style fashion and much much more you can have just as great a time there as in Shibuya.
1# – Ikebukuro
A city center with nearly everything you could want in a short walk’s reach, from karaoke to second-hand bookstores, to one of the biggest anime stores, to fashionable outfits, Ikebukuro has it all. It became one of my beloved places to go, it’s laid back in ways Shibuya and Akihabara are not but still fast-paced.
If I had to mark a downside it would be Ikebukuro station, with so many exits and so many people with such little space it gets very annoying to get through there but that’s the biggest issue I had. Either way once you’re in Ikebukuro you can do anything from petting otters at an otter cafe to cozing up with a cat at a cat cafe!
When in Ikebukuro you can experience so many things and never get bored of it. Just recently I found out that there’s a detective cafe and an Alice in Wonderland-themed cafe there. Which I didn’t even know of until the last few days of my trip. They both were really fun; I enjoyed the decor and effort put into both, especially the decor of the Alice in Wonderland cafe.
