Tokyo

Day trip to Nikko

Lake, falls and the gilded shrines of the Tokugawa — an easy train north.

Golden Gai bar hop

Six-seat bars stacked in Shinjuku alleys. Cover charges; cash only; magic.

Hamarikyu tea pause

Matcha on the water as towers rise behind pines. 300 yen of calm.

Inokashira swan boats

Pedal the pond, feed nothing, walk to Kichijōji for dinner.

Kabuki single act ticket

Makumi cheap seats for one act. Headsets explain everything.

Kanda book streets

Blocks of used bookshops, some English. Sunday browsing is slowest and best.

Karaoke night in Tokyo

Private booth, tambourine, songs you only half know. Visa runs out first.

Meiji shrine forest walk

A hundred thousand trees swallowing the city noise, minutes from Harajuku.

Monjayaki in Tsukishima

Cook it yourself on the griddle, spatula technique judged silently.