What to do in Tokyo, Japan

First thing's first: I’ve been to Tokyo twice now, and I’ve only barely scratched the surface of this weird and wonderful place. I can happily recommend a couple of things to do, but there’s so much, and what you choose really depends on your hobbies and interests.

There’s everything from historic temples, to Mario kart rides, to eye-opening robot restaurant performances, the Harajuku girls, and even dog, cat owl and maid cafes. You can take a stroll down Takeshita Street, before turning onto Tokyo’s version of the Champs-Élysées, then visit some Anime stores on your way to the Shibuya crossing. It’s truly one of a kind.

Mario Kart Racing
I think this is one of the top things that we did in Tokyo, because it just fits in with the wild and wacky ‘touristy things to do’. We got dressed up in character suits and rode around in amongst the traffic in go-karts, while trying to keep up with the leader at the front, without losing them (or more pressingly, going under the wheels of a bus). But hey, it was fun! We had a ball.

The main thing you need to know if you want to book Mario Kart racing, is to make sure you have an international drivers licence with you before you leave Australia. It’s very easy to get one - you just have to walk into a RACQ store with your drivers licence and a passport picture. It costs about $50 AUD and they give you one pretty much on the spot which is valid for a year.

The other thing you should do, is book in advance, just in case it’s booked up for the time you want to go. There are a couple of companies out there, we used MariCar, but they’re ultimately all pretty similar.

The Robot Restaurant
This is like nothing I’ve ever experienced before - and to this day, I still don’t know what it was. But for this reason, I really liked it. I definitely think it’s polarising though. You either walk out going, “wow, that was cool because it was weird” or “wow, that was stupid, it was too weird”.

But to explain, we booked to go to this performance and we were first ushered into a waiting room, where a robot was playing the guitar and entertaining guests before the show. Then, we all went downstairs into this basement, where we could get drinks and were served food before it started.

From there on out, I find it hard to describe what we saw. It was a hugely colourful show, completely in Japanese, with 10ft tall dragons and robots battling each other to some type of crazy soundtrack. I don’t think there was much of a storyline, but I couldn’t really tell. It was chaos. But I walked out thinking, “well, I’m never going to experience anything like that again”.. And so far, I can’t say I have.

Shibuya Crossing
Tokyo is chaos - with around 14 million people living in the city, it’s not hard to see why. But this crossing in Shibuya (right outside the train station) is something else. 2 million people use it every day and the minute the lights turn red, the queues start forming again. It’s worth going, just to say you crossed over the busiest intersection in the world.

A couple of tips for getting the best view.

Tip 1. If you go order a drink at Starbucks across the road, you can get a nice view of it from the 2nd story while enjoying a coffee.

Tip 2. Go up the Shibuya Scramble Tower, as if you’re going to the SkyDeck. Go past the check in area (where you pay $20AUD to go up all the way to the top) and just behind it there’s a bit of a shopping centre -type area, which has views down below. It's free - and you not only see the Shibuya crossing, you can also see Mt Fuji on a clear day.

Tip 3. Pay the $20 and go up to the SkyDeck. It’s a cool way to see just how large the city is. You also see the crossing, but by this height, it’s getting pretty small and the people definitely resemble ants.

Dance Battles/ Gaming Arcades
Gaming arcades are surprisingly a big thing here. There are so many of them, particularly in Shinjuku. If you walk through (and up the multiple levels), you’ll see so many Japanese people playing the different games - and most are REALLY GOOD AT IT.

Arguably the most impressive games though, are the dance battles that they have between each other, because it would take so much energy and practice to become so good. They must come every afternoon after work. It’s probably a bit of a de-stressor at the end of a hard day. But if you get the chance, go in and watch these professionals in action - it would easily eat up a couple of hours of your time - especially if you try to join in.

Maid Cafe
This was another odd one, that I thought was worthwhile doing at least once. It’s literally a cafe, but the waiters are dressed as maids and say ‘yes master’ when you ask for things. The food that was brought out was all presented in very ‘cutesy’ ways. For example, milkshakes were decorated to resemble ‘teddy bears’ and same with the food. We were also encouraged to wear ‘cute’ head bands. The whole concept was just strange, but interesting to see.

Cat/Dog/Owl Cafes
This is a similar concept, but instead of maids serving you food, you dine with cats or dogs. If you’re a big animal lover, then this might be for you, otherwise if you’re on a tight time schedule, you’re not missing out on anything groundbreaking.

Takeshita Street
This place isn’t just fun to say, it’s a fun atmosphere. It’s right as you come out of the famous Harajuku train station, you can’t miss it - the name is literally plastered high above the street’s entrance. It’s meant to be a cool hang out for trendy Japanese teens, but it’s also flooded with tourists. There’s heaps of little nick-nack shops, food stalls, and anime-type places. It’s worth at least a wonder through, if you only stop to buy a fancy-looking dessert.

Omotesando
This is Tokyo’s version of the Champs-Élysées and it’s basically just a whole lot of very fancy shops on one street, located near Harajuku train station in Shibuya. It’s right by Takeshita Street, so it could be worth a quick peak - even if you can only window shop.

Meiji-jingu Shrine
If you want to learn a little bit more about history and culture, then this temple is a great little step into that. It’s situated right in the midst of a forest and gardens in Tokyo (which is a beautiful walk in itself) and was built in honour of Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken. You can go up and pay your respects at the temple and right nearby, there’s a spot where you can write your hopes and dreams on a card, and hang it up, so it can be blessed. It’s respectful that you wash your hands before you enter the sacred space. We saw a couple of wedding processions and what looked like people coming out of ‘baby naming’ ceremonies too, The whole experience was just a nice reminder of the Japanese culture and the respect that they have for one another and their history.

Golden Gai
This place is a collection of mismatched bars lining intersecting alleyways in a dark corner of Shinjuku. It's a far cry from the neon-lit suburb that's just streets away. Each bar has a very distinct feel about it, with unique looks that set them apart. The one we chose had different types of currency plastered across every inch of the walls and ceiling. Most of the bars can fit no more than 10 people inside at a time (some as little as 4-5). It's worth a wonder and a stop in. NOTE: There are small cover charges in many of these places.

Omoide Yokocho (aka Piss Alley)
A short walk away from Golden Gai, is its foody sister, Omoide Yokocho. This place is also a mismatch of alleyways, full of restaurants serving delicious street foods. These places are just as tiny and just as busy, but let me tell you, the yakitori shacks are worth the squeeze.

For context: This place got its name from when it was an illicit drinking corner in the 1940s. It didn't have anywhere for the patrons to relieve themselves, so they did so in the corners of the streets - hence the name, Piss Alley.