If you had your finger on the pulse of Canada’s fashion scene in the mid-2000s, one name should immediately come to mind: Anita Clarke. The self-proclaimed “computer nerd with a fashionable twist” and founder of the influential fashion blog I want – I got, Anita was one of Canada’s earliest and most prominent fashion bloggers. A bona fide It Girl (though I am sure she’d refute that title), she was a fixture on the scene and seen on all the best-dressed lists, so much so, that Holt Renfrew dedicated an entire window display to her alongside international renowned bloggers like Tommy Ton, Bryanboy, and The Sartorialist. And let’s not forget celebrity-favourite fashion label Greta Constantine naming, not one, but two dresses in her honour.
When it comes to impeccable taste and an authentic, non-nonsense approach to life, Anita is one of our ultimate go-to’s and a must-follow online. We’d been tracking her recent travels to Japan, and we knew she’d have stellar recommendations for Persuade readers for our new “Weekend With…” series. Spoiler alert: She absolutely delivered. Consider this your must-save guide for your next trip to Japan.
A Life-Long Love of Japan:
My obsession with Japan started when I first laid my eyes on Battle of the Planets in ’78. I was transfixed by anime before I even knew what it was. And let’s not talk about the effect Ninja Scroll had on my teenage mind. Anime totally informed my idea of Tokyo as a kid. A futuristic city that was always on the brink of destruction with the coolest heroes and antiheroes making their way through life.
Japan is more than anime and manga to me. I studied Japanese in university, and I care about the culture. Visiting Japan was the top of my bucket list, and I finally crossed it off in 2023. Japan lives up to all the hype, and I returned the next year for a month-long trip.
What to expect:
You can find anything you like in Tokyo. It’s every shopaholic’s paradise and a place you can nerd out about your niche. It doesn’t matter what you are looking for, you can find it in Tokyo in the highest quality. The shopping experience and selections of goods in Tokyo will spoil you. It’s an enchanting experience.
They say Tokyo is equally past, present, and future. Cities like Tokyo are a revelation to me from Toronto. It’s trying to serve the people living there instead of hating them. And this is just the easy things like public toilets and great transit. I was astonished. There are public washrooms everywhere! There are so many small businesses doing their thing. It’s vibrant and remarkable. The streets are pretty damn clean considering there are no garbage cans around.
How to get around:
You must ride the trains in Tokyo, but it can be hairy with all the different operators. You’ll want to get yourself a day pass for the subway lines and put money on a Suica or Pasmo card to cover the rest. The transit planning app I use, NAVITIME, will plan the most efficient route and sometimes it won’t be on the subway. That’s where the transit card comes in. And it’s a great souvenir.
A jam-packed itinerary:
7:00 AM – Get up early and enjoy the Japanese breakfast at Hotel Niwa. Japanese breakfast is limited, so get up early to get it. The American-style breakfast buffet is great too but it doesn’t compare.
7:45 AM – Hop on the subway and ride 30 mins to Asakusa station and check out Kaminarimon and Senso-ji temple. Big shrines and temples are best visited early in the day to avoid the large crowds. Don’t feel bad if you miss the big tourist shrines, as you’ll come across all kinds of shrines in Tokyo.
9:00 AM – You’ll want to climb to the top of the Asakusa Culture Tourist Information Center for a free view of the surrounding area. You get a great view of the Nakamise shopping street stretching behind Kaminarimon. Quickly walk over to the Asahi Beer Tower. It’s known as “the Golden Turd” by locals. It reminds me of the cheeky names Londoners give their buildings.
10:00 AM – Get a look at regular Tokyo neighbourhoods by walking 30 minutes to Ueno Park. Walk through Kiyomizu Kannon-dō temple and Gojoten shrine to Shinobazu pond. A large part of the pond is completely covered by lotus plants—it’s very impressive. I missed the lotus blooms on my last trip, and it would have been incredible to see. The other side of the pond is where you find the swan boats. They’re such a tourist trap. You must ride them.
11:30 PM – Wander more Tokyo neighbourhoods to Akihabara. It’s only a 20 min. walk from Ueno Park. The owners of Owl Cafe Akiba Fukurou Tokyo create powerful and safe experiences with owls. I sat in this place with a massive, gaping smile on my face as Omega, the spotted eagle owl, and Charlie Brown, the Indian scop owl, took their turns biting me and chilling out. It’s pretty special, and I want to go again. Owl Cafe Akiba Fukurou Tokyo is popular and booked out months ahead. You need to plan ahead and get a reservation.
12:30 PM – Take the subway to Ginza and wander Tokyo’s upscale shopping area. It’s worth a visit to check out the mind-blowing luxury store architecture and all the shopping. Start at GINZA SIX and walk along the main strip, Chuo-dori, to reach the flagship shops for Muji, Uniqlo and a ton of different brands. Luxury shops are on another level here so get to gawking. Itoya, the multi-level stationery store that dreams are made of, is so, so good. I always stop at Yoshida Porter to get a bag, and the Tokyo Midtown Yaesu mall has a lot of selections.
2:00 PM – It’s a 30-minute walk or 20-minute subway ride to my absolute favourite temple in Tokyo, Zojoji. It’s an emotionally charged place because of the heartbreakingly beautiful Unborn Children Garden. On the grounds, you’ll find rows and rows of jizo statues decorated with red knitted caps, pinwheels, and toys that represent children lost to miscarriage, abortions, or stillbirth. Grieving parents place the items on the statues to help with their grieving. I personally was crying my eyes out.
3:00 PM – You’ll now be about five minutes away from Tokyo Tower. Get your best photos in, and if you’re smart, you pre-booked a ticket to go up the tower. I’m dying to visit the Tokyo Tower, but I wasn’t smart with my planning and the line was too long.
3:30 PM – I love, love, love teamLab, the international art collective. teamLab Borderless is a 15-minute walk from the Tokyo Tower. teamLab incorporates nature and technology in their beautiful art works. There are two teamLab museums in Tokyo and several public art installations. The museums are so much fun. Plan to spend several hours wandering Borderless and book tea at the Tea House for an interactive drink! This is an attraction that you should book ahead of time.
4:30 PM – Next is the Mori Art Museum in Roppongi. If you have some walking left in you, it’s 30 minutes, otherwise grab the subway. Maman by Louise Bourgeois is one of my favourite artworks and the Mori is one of the few places in the world displaying this large spider. Luck was following me on my last trip because I got to see the Louise Bourgeois exhibit held at the Mori too. It’s a good spot to get a photo of the Tokyo Tower from the Tokyo Center View rooftop observatory.
5:30 PM – Walk to the Roppongi station and take the subway 30 minutes to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building. There are lots of paid places to view the vastness of Tokyo like the Mori Art Center, Shibuya Sky, Tokyo Tower, and TOKYO SKYTREE. The best free view of Tokyo is at the observation decks in the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building. They also do a light show on the building at night.
7:00 PM – A short 20-minute walk and you are in Shinjuku! Shinjuku station is one of Japan’s largest and a sight to behold—it’s massive. It’s actually five different stations, a maze, so make sure you don’t get lost. Shopping around Shinjuku is great. The multi-level mall is plentiful here, like LUMINE. Don’t forget to find Godzilla’s head on top of the Shinjuku Toho Building.
8:00 PM – Grab some dinner at Sushimaru or choose from the many ramen shops in the area. End your night drinking in a cute, small bar in Golden-Gai. If you happen to speak really great Japanese or have a local friend, go to one of the Japanese-owned Golden-Gai bars. This is mostly so you don’t get dinged with the gajin-tax.
10:00 PM – After drinking, get a cab to the 24-hour Don Quijote Korakuen and take in the craziness that’s Donki. If you’re leaving Japan, load up on snacks and second-hand luxury goods now. Don Quijote Korakuen is only a 10 min walk from Hotel Niwa.
12:00 AM – Walk your tired butt back to Hotel Niwa and have a great sleep.
Anita’s Pro Travel Tips:
- Getting Around: Get the NAVITIME Transit app. It’s my Japanese transit go to and worth buying the premium subscription for the duration of your trip. If you need to use a taxi in Japan, use the GO Taxi app. It works like Uber and saves you from awkward miscommunication.
- Hidden photo ops: Walk down the random alleys! They usually provide fun photo ops
- When you gotta go: The best public toilets are in the malls. But honestly, most toilets are fine and you shouldn’t run into any squat ones.
- Watch out for scammers: Don’t follow anyone into a bar that’s soliciting you on the street. There are a lot of scams involving bars and clubs.
- Mindful disposal: Tokyo doesn’t have a lot of garbage bins around, so you have to take your trash with you. Carry a plastic bag with you.
- Lost in translation: Learn a few basic Japanese phrases. It will help. Google Lens is a godsend for translating Japanese signs. Download the Payke app to scan and translate product information.
- Storage: There are a lot of coin-operated lockers in train stations, malls, and at some attractions. You can take advantage of these if you get bogged down with shopping bags.
- Cash on hand: Japan is still a cash society. Bring cash with you and have a good change pouch.
- Stamp collecting: Keep a small notebook in your bag for stamps. There are souvenir stamps everywhere, like subway stations, shrines, temples, and other attractions. They are a nice memento and tracking down the stamp station in the massive subway stations is its own game.
Culinary Delights:
I didn’t hunt down famous or Instagram infamous food places in Tokyo. You don’t have to, because there’s so much variety. I just went to places that were in front of me during my trip. Of course, I love Japanese food so I had an open mind about options.
If you’re vegan or vegetarian, you will have to do more research, as fish is in a lot of foods you wouldn’t expect. I’m a fish and seafood lover, so I think you should eat it as often as you can. It will never be as varied, cheap, and delicious than during your trip. Every mall has a “crazy” food hall in the lower level.
If you do have special restaurants on your list, hit them up at lunch to save money. Also get your hotel to make reservations for you if it’s impossible due to language or website difficulties.
I love Japanese grocery stores. During my second trip to Japan, I discovered that Japanese grocery stores were the key to getting great food and not breaking the bank on a long trip. They all sell a ton of delicious ready-made food, and it’s discounted a few hours before closing time. Eight pieces of hamachi sashimi for five bucks, you fucking bet!
Everyone needs to eat an eki bento! Eki means train station, and in the bigger ones you can find all kinds of train-friendly food to eat and gifts to bring. Always bake some time to wander the station before your train trips, as they are major shopping hubs.
Eat the soft serve ice cream. It’s everywhere in delicious flavours.
Japanese fruit is cultivated in such a caring way, hence the cost. Eat the expensive strawberries. I spent 10 bucks for eight strawberries and it was worth every penny. My last trip was during grape season, so yes, eat those muscats and kyohos. This is why you hit up the grocery stores.
Chawanmushi is a savoury egg custard and wow, I had no idea how damn delicious it could be.
You’re gonna eat konbini food. You have to do this in Japan. It’s great. Visit them all: 7-Eleven, Family Mart and Lawsons. I love konbini spicy cucumbers. Beer from the konbini is cheaper than in the vending machines, but beer from the grocery store is even cheaper.
Shopping Secrets:
I spent a lot of time browsing the multi-level malls in Shinjuku, Harajuku, Ginza, Roppongi, and Shibuya on my first trip. The Japanese really care about the shopping experience, and it shows through their architecture, merchandizing and service. Shopping is an absolute delight (and incredibly dangerous to the wallet). There are a lot of western brands in Japan, avoid them unless it’s a made in Japan exclusive.
A brief list of the shops I visit in Tokyo:
- BOOKOFF is Japan’s largest second-hand chain store. Second-hand and vintage shopping is huge in Japan. BOOKOFF carries just about everything from books to furniture and a hell of a lot of luxury goods. There are several in Tokyo to check out.
- Isetan is a fabulous luxury department store.
- Kapital is one of my favourite Japanese brands (it just got bought by LVMH boo). They have some stunning retail stores in Ebisu. All three Kapital shops are all within walking distance of each other in the beautiful neighbourhood.
- Drop everything and walk into every COMME des GARÇONS, Yohji Yamamoto, Beams, Porter Yoshida, Medicom Toy, and White Mountaineering shop. There are so many great Japanese brands around that you should frown upon anything not Japanese during your time there.
- We have Uniqlo and Muji in Canada but they are awful compared to what is going on in Japan. There are several flagship Uniqlo locations in Tokyo. The Ginza one is a delight with its cafe and flower shop. Muji in Japan has a massive food section and a larger selection of merchandise.
- GU is Uniqlo’s lower cost and younger fashion brand. I’ve only purchased a couple things from them and only because it was a collaboration with UNDERCOVER. I love wandering their stores, though.
- Don Quijote is a bonkers discount store in Japan. I don’t know how I missed this chain on my first trip. These behemoth shops are several floors packed to the gills with product. You usually find tourists buying copious amounts of snacks. Of course, Donki also sells previously owned luxury goods, including booze!
Pampering Retreats:
I’ve done a lot of my self-care in small-town Japan and not in Tokyo which is weird. However, if you are flying out of Haneda Airport, you must go to the Izumi Tenku no Yu onsen. It’s more expensive than your typical onsen, but has top-notch amenities: water from a hot spring source, several types of baths, a steam and dry sauna, and the pièce de résistance, hot stone saunas. I learned about hot stone saunas on my last trip. You’re wearing spa clothing in a dimly lit dry sauna, lying on a bed of black germanium, lava stone, or rock salt. Absolutely divine.
Art and Culture:
I love, love, love teamLab, the international art collective. They incorporate nature and technology in their beautiful works. There are two teamLab museums in Tokyo, Borderless and Planets and several public art installations.
I’d want to see all the major museums in Tokyo, but I like the Mori Art Museum, The National Art Center, and the 21_21 Design Sight museum.
Local Experiences:
Tokyo has beautiful parks. I wanted to visit all nine Tokyo Metropolitan Gardens but only managed Kyu-Shiba-rikyū, Koishikawa Korakuen, and Hamarikyu. Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden and the Greenhouse should be on your list too.
Temples and shrines everywhere. You can search out some of the big ones like in but I love it when they’re small and tucked away in unusual places.
If you see street performers, stop and watch. It’s like right out of a movie.
Atlas Obscura has a Tokyo guide that highlights unusual and interesting landmarks. A good way to switch up your travel itinerary is by looking for things like Hayao Miyazaki’s NI-TELE Really BIG Clock. It’s how I found out about the Unborn Children Garden.
Toyosu New Fish Market is the place to eat fresh fish and check out an auction if you get up early enough. It’s pretty touristy now but there are so many food stalls to choose from. It’s also close to teamLabs and Tokyo Bay.
Stay Recommendations:
I like the quiet, so I tend to stay in places that aren’t right in the thick of it.
If you have some cash, Hotel Niwa Tokyo is absolutely incredible. It’s in a quiet area of the city close to the Tokyo Dome. Their Japanese breakfast is mouthwatering, and the coffee/tea happy hour in the Lounge is the perfect late afternoon treat.
On my last trip, I stayed at the Kanzashi Tokyo Asakusa. The room was super tiny, but it was very convenient. It had a rooftop patio with the best view of the TOKYO SKYTREE and the Senso-ji temple. I’m still thinking of the hotel’s onigiri and pork miso soup breakfast.
Another absolutely bonkers stay is the Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo. This 5-star hotel also had an incredible Japanese breakfast. I booked a smoking room by accident and the amazing staff upgraded me to a room that had a bathroom about as big as my old apartment. This majestic hotel has an incredible Japanese garden that’s transformed by an enveloping mist simulating the low-hanging clouds in the mountains. It’s no wonder their wedding business is pretty brisk.
For more budget options, I love, love the Dormy Inn Group hotels—they usually have an onsen as part of their amenities! Perfect after a long day of wandering Tokyo’s beautiful streets. If you don’t care about onsen, stay at the Toyoko Inn hotel chain. It’s a very standard business hotel, but affordable, clean and well located.
I suggest booking your stays directly with the hotel and avoiding third-party booking sites. You get better deals with the hotel with cheaper prices with breakfast included. I used Chrome’s translation feature for websites that had no English translation.
Follow Anita Clarke at @geekigirl on Bluesky and Instagram or visit her at iwantigot.com.
