I recently got back from a two week trip to Japan and Korea and I'm already counting down the days until I can go back again. It's been over five years since my last trip to East Asia, and I think I forgot (or maybe I just didn't appreciate before) how much more comfortable my day to day experience is in these cities, despite not knowing Japanese or Korean. I love the ease of public transportation and how everyone queues up for the next train. I love that the replacement-level food—from the convenience store onigiris and kimbaps to the train station bentos and hot milk tea in the vending machines to the grab-and-go food stalls—is inexpensive but delicious. I love that the clothes fit me off the rack at stores that only sell items in one size.
George and I started in Tokyo, spent a few days in Hakone, Nagoya, Nara, and Osaka, and then headed back to Tokyo to meet up with the group of friends we were traveling with. From there, we spent 3 full days in Tokyo and almost 4 full days in Seoul. I didn't include the spots we went to in the other Japanese cities in my map below since I only visited a handful of places in each respective city, but feel free to reach out if you'd like those recommendations too.
To see / do:
Meguro River: For a nice morning stroll along a tree-lined river, head to Meguro. This spot is most famous for its cherry blossoms in the spring; while we were too late for peak bloom (and also peak crowds), we caught some of the final few lingering cherry blossoms when we got there in mid-April.
Tsutaya Daikanyama: One of the most beautiful bookstores I've ever visited. While there are Tsutayas all over Tokyo and the rest of the country, the one at Daikanyama T-Site has especially gorgeous modern interiors and sun-dappled paths between buildings.
Shibuya Crossing: The Shibuya Scramble Crossing outside of Shibuya Station is famous for being the most famous pedestrian crossings in the world; an estimated 2.4 million people walk across it daily. We were in the area on a rainy day, so watching the mass of umbrellas move across the street was a sight to behold.
Shop in Harajuku and Omotesando: Harajuku and Omotesando are two famous shopping neighborhoods located next to each other. Harajuku's most popular street, Takeshita Dori, caters more towards a younger crowd, but the shops nearby cover everything from thrift store and consignment deals (I picked up a vintage Hermès scarf here) to main street brands. Omotesando is more upscale but has its share of independent boutiques, cafes, and dessert shops.
Yoyogi Park and Meiji-jingu Shrine: For a break from the city in the city, head to Yoyogi Park and Meiji Shrine, just outside of Harajuku station. This park is filled with a lush green forest of 100,000 trees, open lawn spaces, Meiji Shrine, and its gardens.
Tsukiji Market: For fresh seafood, Tsukiji Market is the place to go first thing in the morning. While the wholesale fish selling relocated to Toyosu, many of the restaurants and shops in the original location remain open. Get to the market early, like before 8am early, to beat the crowds.
teamLab Planets: This was one of the only activities our group of eight booked tickets for a few weeks in advance, given the limited capacity per hour. I went to the teamLab popup in Taipei years ago and remembered it as one of the most interesting art experiences I've ever had; teamLab Planets did not disappoint. The experience was much more immersive than the temporary exhibit I visited in 2017. Here, you wander barefoot through the museum, wading through water and strolling through gardens—some real, some projected onto surfaces with light—and mirrored rooms to connect with the spaces that reimagine reality to blur the boundaries between yourself and the artwork.
Senso-ji: Asakusa is home to one of the largest and most popular Buddhist temples, Senso-ji. There is a shopping street filled with various snacks and souvenirs along the pathway between the gate and shrine.
Ueno Park: A large park near Ueno Station that has a zoo, an assortment of temples, and a collection of museums nearby. I've only been to this park in the early morning or later in the evening when most of the attractions are closed, but it's worth visiting for a stroll around the park itself.
Tokyo Metropolitan: For city views, head to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building's observation deck. Entrance is free, and it's not too far from Shinjuku station.
Golden Gai: A popular bar neighborhood with narrow alleyways and buildings from the pre-war era. It's a pretty stark contrast from the neon lights and tall buildings in the surrounding parts of Shinjuku. I didn't go into any of the bars myself, but the small joints seem cozy and perfect for if you're looking for a casual but unique experience.
To eat:
Before I get into my recommendations, I want to caveat that Tokyo is one of those cities where it's very hard to go wrong with food. Some of the best meals I had were places we wandered into serendipitously or picked primarily for the location, like the bento box I picked up at a train station convenience store or the izakaya in a residential neighborhood a block from our Taito Airbnb. I love to eat, but I'm generally not one to wait in a line for more than half an hour or make reservations for exclusive restaurants months in advance. That said, the list below includes many of the restaurants we intentionally sought out, either based on recommendations from friends (or friends of friends) or from research before the trip.
Ichiran: Ramen with tonkotsu (pork) broth, and my personal favorite ramen of this trip. As with many ramen stall restaurants in Japan, these have ticket machines at the door where you to pre-order and pay for your meal. Ichiran has a bit more customization compared to other ramen shops, and I appreciated being able to choose everything from the doneness of my noodles to the spice level. Multiple locations; I went to the one in Harajuku.
Hayashi: Another ramen spot, this time with a double soup broth, which is a combination of fish broth and pork bone broth. This place only has ten seats, so line up early if you're interested. We got there about ten minutes before opening on a rainy day and got seated fairly quickly, but the line tripled during the time we were eating. Shibuya.
Tsujita: If you like ramen but want to try something a little different, try tsukemen, a dry(ish) noodle dish where you dip cold noodles into a thick, hot broth. Multiple locations; I went to the one in Ginza. I also love the tsukumen at Taishoken; the restaurant where the dipping noodle was first invented. I've only had Taishoken in SF, but it's a Japanese chain so there are multiple locations around Tokyo as well.
Tsurutontan: My first meal of the trip! The udon here comes in massive bowls and tons of customizations. This was probably the most spacious restaurant we went to on this trip. Multiple locations; I went to the one in Shinjuku.
Manten Sushi: Affordable omakase spot in Ginza that we booked a few weeks in advance. This was my first time having omakase, and Manten was a steal (approx. $50 USD), considering we had something like 17 courses for the experience. Marunouchi.
Yamawarau Shabu-Shabu: Great shabu-shabu (Japanese style hot pot) spot in Ginza that was able to accommodate our large group with a day's notice. I think I prefer shabu-shabu over Chinese hot pot because the broth isn't as oily as Chinese hot pots tend to be. Ginza.
Ginza Akebono: This shop in Ginza sells all different kinds of Japanese desserts, perfect for if you want to try a quick bite to take with you. I always gravitate towards daifuku, the mochi filled with red bean paste and fresh strawberries. Ginza.
For next time: I'll blame the rainy weather and finite number of meals I can eat in a day, but there's still so much Japanese food I want to try in this city that will have to wait until my next visit! At the top of that list is Kagari, a chicken ramen shop that some of our friends said was the best ramen they've ever had (my group went to have tonkatsu that day, and while the katsu was really good I don't know if I could say it was life changing the way I heard this chicken ramen with truffle was). I'd also like to visit Gonpachi Nishi-Azabu, the izakaya featured in Kill Bill, as well as some spots to try gyu-katsu (beef katsu), omurice and other yoshoku (Japanese takes on Western cuisine). I also wish I had more time to seek out desserts like qu'il fait bon, a cake chain with long queues, or Asakusa Silk Pudding, which didn't open until midday after we left the area.
Four days in Seoul didn't feel like enough time to do and see everything I wanted to either, but this is a city I plan on visiting again so maybe it's good to save some things to do and eat for a future trip. We stayed in an Airbnb in Itaewon, which seemed like a central location for getting to the different neighborhoods we wanted to go to. The hills in this area were no joke, and while there were a fair number of transit options, they were a bit on the far side from our location so we usually ended up taking taxis on the way back home most evenings.
To see / do:
N Seoul Tower: After checking into our Airbnb in Itaewon, we headed out and up towards the direction of Seoul Tower, the closest landmark in our sightline. We ended up hiking around Namsan Park getting lost and finding trails that eventually got us to the N Seoul Tower observatory area just in time for golden hour and the sunset. On our way down, we caught the Namsan cable car for some final panoramic views from the hills before returning to the bustling city below.
Gyeongbokgung Palace: The largest of the five palaces in Seoul. We got here in the late afternoon a couple hours before they closed, so we spent most of our time taking photos in our rented hanboks, which got us free admission into Gyeongbokgung (or any of the palaces). It was a fun experience to see everyone dressed up and made for some great group photos.
Seoul Forest: Seoul Forest feels more like a city park than a forest per se despite the name. My favorite part was the bridge to the riverside section by the Han River, which had views of the city from the water. The surrounding neighborhood between Seoul Forest and the metro stop also had a lot of cute coffee shops and boutiques.
Ikseon-dong Hanok Village: Ikseon-dong Hanok Village is a pedestrian-only area with narrow alleys lined with small boutiques, cafes, and restaurants housed in more traditional architecture. I wish we had more time exploring the hanoks but unfortunately we only had a couple hours to kill here before we had to head to the airport. The cafes here were all so pretty and the drinks and desserts looked amazing, but the lines at some of the more ~aesthetic ones were too long for us to check out this time.
Leeum Museum: The museum is free but requires booking tickets online for individual exhibits in advance. The contemporary art exhibit was sold out for the day that we wanted to go to, but the traditional Korean art section was beautifully curated.
Namdaemun Market: During the day, Namdaemun is a popular market for all kinds of goods and worth visiting if you're in the mood to shop. We came here at night for some street food before dinner when most of the non-food stalls were closed.
Gwangjang Market: Gwangjang Market is a more traditional food market and is one of the oldest and largest markets in the city. There are dozens of stalls and booths for all kinds of Korean food. We came here after a big dinner one night so I only got to try a couple of snacks, so this is on my list for revisiting someday on an empty stomach.
Hongdae: We spent the better part of one day in Hongdae, a trendy neighborhood near a few of the city's universities. During the day, the boys went to play games at a PC bang out here while us girls went shopping instead. I hear this is a fun area for nightlife too; most of the group went to karaoke and clubs one night and had a great time. I gave George one of my cameras so once I get my film back I'll see what I missed out on.
Myeongdong: Myeongdong is a popular shopping district and very central. We kept stopping here for a few hours at a time because of how convenient it was on the way to or from other parts of the city.
To eat:
I have a similar note to my Tokyo to eat section for Seoul—it seems very difficult to have a bad meal here. The convenience store offerings here are a bit different but also excellent, with next-level options for instant ramen, from tteokbokki-like instant udon or individual soft-boiled eggs to make the meal more complete in the refrigerated section, while the random restaurants we walked into that had unassuming decor and lots of locals were both delicious and inexpensive. A lot of the restaurants below were recommendations from friends, and I still have a bunch of bookmarks to places I didn't have time to check out before I left.
Woo Lae Oak: Have you noticed how I've been leading with various types of noodles in these "to eat" lists? Noodles are my favorite category of food and the naengmyeon, a buckwheat noodle in a cold beef soup, here is amazing. The thin slivers of Asian pear on top complemented the savory soup perfectly. Jung.
Myeongdong Kyoja Main Store: The kalguksu (knife-cut noodle soup) was amazing. They only have four menu options and rotate them out seasonally, and while the line out the door on a regular weekday was intimidating, this restaurant was so efficient. Myeongdong.
Jungsik: My first two Michelin star restaurant! The cuisine is described as "New Korean fine dining" and it did not disappoint. The flavors were delicate but flavorful and recognizably Korean, and everything was beautifully plated. We booked a private dining room for lunch a few weeks in advance for a weekday since we had a fairly large group. Gangnam.
Itaewon Uyukmien: One of our serendipitous finds near the Leeum Museum. Even though I try to eat the local cuisine of places that I travel to, it's fun trying Chinese food abroad to see how different countries adapt dishes slightly to suit local tastes. This place serves a combination of Taiwanese-style beef noodle soup and Sichuan mala dishes. Itaewon.
Hong Kong Banjeom: This resataurant specializes in Korean takes on some Chinese food-inspired dishes, jjajangmyeon (a black bean sauce noodle) and jjamppong (a spicy seafood noodle soup). Multiple locations; we went to the one in Myeongdong.
One Hundred Years Native Samgyetang: The samgyetang (ginseng chicken soup) here is amazing, as perhaps expected from a restaurant advertising the dish in its name. I was recommended a couple of samgyetang places (the other was Tosokchon) and came here since we were already in the neighborhood. Hongdae.
For next time: In Ikseon-dong, a friend told me to go to Nakwon, which has a mini railway surrounded by greenery and stones by its entrance, and Cheongsudang Cafe, which has a zen water feature and souffle cakes. I also wish I had time to try tteokkochi, fried rice cakes on a skewer, at Ppoung-nyon Ssal Nong-san, Japanese-Korean fusion at Jinjak Kakii Anguk, or bingsu and tea at Cha-teul, which all came highly recommended by another friend from Seoul.
Trip photo diary coming soon! I still haven't gotten my film developed from this trip yet (and the one before that...pretty sure one of my Japan rolls also has the dozen or so Mexico City photos I shot when I visited last fall. oops). I've been shooting less these days because of how expensive 35mm film has gotten...gone are the days when I could get Fujifilm Superia for $4 a roll. Hoping to finally finish up my last roll in the next few weeks. Until then—
xoxo, vivian
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