Join Kat Shortsleeve on an exciting journey through Tokyo, Japan. Learn about Tokyo's iconic landmarks, including Tokyo Tower and Senso-ji Temple. Explore the culinary delights of the city, from sushi to takoyaki. Dive into the culture with traditional tea ceremonies and sumo wrestling. Discover hidden gems like Yanaka Ginza, Odaiba, and Kagurazaka. Kat also shares travel tips, transportation options, and cultural etiquette to enhance your Tokyo experience.
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Join Kat Shortsleeve on an exciting journey through Tokyo, Japan. Learn about Tokyo's iconic landmarks, including Tokyo Tower and Senso-ji Temple. Explore the culinary delights of the city, from sushi to takoyaki. Dive into the culture with traditional tea ceremonies and sumo wrestling. Discover hidden gems like Yanaka Ginza, Odaiba, and Kagurazaka. Kat also shares travel tips, transportation options, and cultural etiquette to enhance your Tokyo experience.
Instagram @katshortsleeve
Tik Tok @katshortsleeve
Youtube Shortsleeve Travel with Kat Shortsleeve
Welcome back to the short sleeve travel podcast. I'm your host Kat Shortsleeve. Shortsleeve travel is your compass pointing you to experiences that are elevated and luxury all on a budget. We are here to redefine luxury travel and help you fill in your life with as much travel as you desire. Earlier this year, back in January, I visited Tokyo and Japan for the first time ever. Tokyo had been on the top of my bucket list of places I really wanted to travel to for quite some time, and I was so excited to actually be there. So before traveling to Japan, I was spending three weeks in India with a few of my classmates, and then I went over to Singapore and I spent a day where I... explore the city all on my own, which is really exciting because back in the day, actually, if you've been following along for a little while, you'll know that I was supposed to move to Singapore, and so it was very exciting to get to spend some time there and actually see the city that I was supposed to live in. And upon spending the day, I am glad that I didn't end up moving there. I'm sure I would have made the most of it, but... It's probably for the best that that did not end up happening, despite, I had a great time and loved seeing the city, but then I went on to Tokyo and I truly fell in love with Tokyo. There's so much to adore about this city, it's pretty unique and different to any other place in the world as well as it is so different from life in New York City where I live. It is a remarkable destination and after spending a few days in Tokyo, I went on to go skiing in The northern part of Japan called Niseko, which was quite the experience in and of itself because Tokyo and Japan, it's actually the snowiest country in the entire world. They get more snow than anywhere else and so the skiing was incredible. I'm a huge skier and so I absolutely loved this. Today, we're immersing ourselves in the dynamic city of Tokyo, Japan, to unearth the hidden gems, the iconic landmarks, the culinary delights, and of course, the hidden gems. The Cultural Treasures. This episode will serve as your ultimate guide to experiencing Tokyo at its finest and I will sprinkle in some stories and some of my favorite things that I got to do spending time there in Tokyo. I have a few friends that live in Tokyo but I was visiting with a few of my Columbia Business School classmates as well as some lifelong friends and we had a great group to go explore the city with. First things first, there are some iconic landmarks that you really should not miss. First of which you will notice right when you are in your cab headed downtown from the airport. And that is the Tokyo Tower. This is an iconic structure and it actually resembles the Eiffel Tower you can go up into the Tokyo Tower and experience some panoramic views around the city. Which are beautiful and I highly recommend doing. The second must see iconic landmark in Tokyo has to be the Senso ji Temple. This is the oldest temple in all of Tokyo. And it's right on the vibrant Nakamise shopping street. So you can check out the temple, see the history, see the beauty, as well as go enjoy some great shopping. There are lots of vintage shops right around there, this third landmark is the world's busiest pedestrian crossroad, it is wild to see when the lights change and everyone starts crossing the street, it is madness, and it's pretty cool and unique. I've never seen anything like this anywhere else in the world and if you're looking to grab an Instagram photo This is probably one of the spots you'll want to do so Speaking of Instagrams, I think the number one photo that I had in my camera roll after visiting Tokyo Were food photos and I'm not necessarily a big foodie or someone who likes to take a lot of photos of their food But Tokyo is a culinary foodies heaven Tokyo has the most Michelin stars out of any other place in the entire world, and the food scene is delectable, and it's also diverse. Even if you don't love sushi, I do think you need to have an authentic sushi experience when you're in Tokyo. You can get some things that are cooked fishes, and you don't have to have all the raw, intense things. There's such an art and an artistry behind sushi preparation, and you get to learn a lot about that when you actually go to different omakase tastings. And omakase, by the way, that's just the chef's selection. A lot of this fish that you're going to have in Tokyo comes from the iconic Tezukiji fish market. Now this is the... Iconic fish market and it opens at four o'clock in the morning. The fishermen come off their boats Bringing in their fresh fish and their fresh tuna, especially where it gets brought in weighed and sold It's a very neat experience if you get to go see that and if I were you, I would lean into the jet lag and make sure you're able to get there early in the morning. We had a late night one night where we were out until about 4, and so we could have swung by on our way back home to the hotel after a fun night of some karaoke, but we decided that we would just hit it another time. And so we decided to get up early one of the next days and head over to the fish market. Now, like I said, if you're not super into sushi, you should definitely dive into the world of ramen. They have regional variations and the best ramen joints. And you can customize your orders in a bunch of different ways. If you want vegetarian, tofu, if you want meat, if you want more noodles, less noodles, very customizable. And in my opinion, the best is to let the waiter take the wheel and just order for you. I've had the best experiences when I'm doing this, especially when I'm in places where I don't really know exactly what I'm going to want to have, and let the experts decide for you. Now, if you're a bit of a more adventurous eater, which I can't say I am, but I force myself to be, there's this popular street food called takoyaki. This is a unique octopus filled dough ball. Sounds kind of strange, but they are extremely tasty, and you can get it on most of the local markets. Streets, as well as the tourist streets. I experienced some of the best restaurants I've ever seen in the entire world while in Tokyo, because the Michelin star venues, they hold the rest of the restaurants to a higher standard. And even if you're at a place that's kind of on the low end, it'll still be a nice experience, and Japanese really care about their hospitality, and so you're going to be well cared for no matter where you go. Make sure you look up how to navigate the Japanese menus and dining etiquette so that you don't offend anyone, but mostly just being very respectful and very polite. Speaking of the culture in Tokyo, there are a few different ways that you can dive into Tokyo's rich culture through a few different experiences. The first of which is going to be a traditional tea ceremony. So this offers a deep dive into the art of Japanese tea ceremonies, and you'll learn about the significance of matcha, the etiquette involved in creating that, as well as how tea is even poured. It'll go into the different types of glasses, the different types of pots, and it's something unique to Tokyo, so I recommend doing this. You can find different tea ceremony offerings on Airbnb, Viator, Booking. com, TripAdvisor, and anyone that you find with good ratings is going to be worth it, especially if you can go to a tea ceremony actually in an authentic Japanese home. Secondly, my favorite cultural immersion thing to do in Tokyo is go to some sumo wrestling. I watched a lot of sumo wrestling on TV when I was in Tokyo. It just happened to be on in the airport and in our hotel quite a bit. This will provide a little window into the culture in Japan and some of their favorite pastimes. It's very fun to watch the sumo wrestling and if you can attend a match, you should definitely try to. It's very popular for people to go visit the sumo wrestling matches. In addition to these popular things, I want to tell you about some of the more hidden gems and the lesser known attractions and experiences in Tokyo, starting with the Yanaka Ginza. So Yanaka Ginza, it's a very charming district that will transport you back in time because of this nostalgic atmosphere and very traditional charm. So as you stroll down these streets, you'll feel like you've stepped into this bygone era of Tokyo. You'll see lots of quaint, well preserved buildings. Cobblestone, very romantic, adorable streets. It's famous for the artisan shops. Here you can find tons of homemade crafts like local souvenirs and traditional snacks. And it's a place where you can experience the authentic Old World Tokyo amidst the bustling, very technologically modern city. And if you're looking for things to bring home to the rest of the family or boyfriend or girlfriend This is probably where you'll find the best offerings Second hidden gem is going to be a place called Odaiba. It's kind of where the future meets the present. It's a very unique, captivating experience. And the best things are going to be going up to the top, where you can see the scenic views of Tokyo Bay. And second is this art museum called Team Lab Borderless. And this is a very immersive digital art museum. Where there's tons of mesmerizing displays and cutting edge technology that you won't find anywhere else in the world. Finally, the third hidden gem I need you to know about is called, kagurasaka. This is a neighborhood that harmoniously blends the traditional and modern influences. The streets are captivating because they have this fusion of historic architecture as well as contemporary flair and what sets it apart is its diverse culinary scene. You'll see lots of traditional Japanese restaurants as well as very international cuisines. I went to an Indian restaurant here and Had some incredible dishes and I had just been in India three weeks or sorry two weeks before Visiting Tokyo and so coming from me at that time and space is definitely a high accolade Throughout the year there are a bunch of different cultural festivals And so this area of the city comes alive and you can see traditional performances traditional art and music It's a rich tapestry of the past and the present blending it all together. What I love about Tokyo is they always try to blend in the past with the present with the future and that becomes very apparent in this one neighborhood. To round us out here, the last two topics I'll want to touch on are Tokyo's most unique neighborhoods, and then I'll finish with some Tokyo travel tips and recommendations. Tokyo has many very diverse neighborhoods, and when you move from one neighborhood to the next, you'll notice they are extremely different from one another, and I want to get into some of the differences and my favorites. So, Shibuya vs. Yanaka. There is a bustling energy in Shibuya. This is the iconic crossing that I was just telling you about. Whereas Yanaka is right next door and it's very serene. Historic has some low light and a lot of ambiance and it's very romantic. It's fun to actually go between the two and zigzag between one another and notice the differences. The next unique neighborhood is Harajuku. This is where there's a lot of young influence. A lot of Gen Z, TikTok, lots of very cool fashion. Tons of vintage stores and kind of trendy places to check out. The last two neighborhoods I definitely recommend checking out are Shinjuku and Asakusa. There are a bunch of must visit streets, parks, and local markets in both of these neighborhoods. And if you're just looking for areas to wander around during the day, these two neighborhoods are going to be the best. Finally, some quick traveler tips and recommendations for visiting Tokyo. Number one, starting with transportation. So, Tokyo has a very efficient transportation system and they have this great extensive subway network. There's the Japan Rail Pass option, which you should definitely get because you should travel by the train all the time. It's always on time, it's very clean, it is kind of an experience in and of itself, and the train system is pretty famous for the cultural norms that it imposes on the people who ride it. Check it out for yourself, though. Second, the best time to visit is going to be, in my opinion, during the cherry blossom season. This is just around April or the end of March. This is springtime, uh, you could also visit during autumn to see some beautiful foliage, which is not common in the rest of the world to see beautiful foliage like this. But at the same time, if you visit during the wintertime, which is when I visited, you can go skiing, which is incredible. If you are a confident skier, you should probably go then. Third, when it comes to accommodations, You can stay in totally different places like capsule hotels, as well as business hotels, and gorgeous luxury spots. Hotels in Tokyo are much more expensive than other cities in Asia. And so if you can split it with a friend or a couple of people, you're going to be better off. Or if you're okay with spending a little bit of extra money, then just know that Tokyo will probably be the place you'll want to do this. It's hard to find very inexpensive accommodation in Tokyo. When it comes to cultural etiquette, just be as mindful as possible. There's this very big culture around respect of elders, and it's very common to bow, as well as to remove your shoes in certain places. So maybe just make sure you're self aware, looking around you, and kind of following the guide of everyone else. I definitely highly encourage you to visit Tokyo and visit Japan if you have not yet. Put it on the top of your bucket list. And if you have any questions as to where to visit, what to do when you're in Tokyo, please reach out. I would love to help you plan your trip. As always, if you never go, you will never know. Thank you all for listening and thank you for hanging out with me. I really appreciate all of you who do come listen. And if you enjoyed this, you can subscribe to the Short Sleeve Travel Podcast. New episodes coming out each week. You can also follow me on any platform. Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, all at Kat Short Sleeve. KAT short sleeve. If you wanna see what I'm doing, you can also email me if you'd like at cat short sleeve@gmail.com. Cannot wait for next week. Thank you all and cheers.