Courtyard by Marriott Tokyo Ginza Hotel. This 4
star property is perfectly located for exploring Tokyo.
10 minute walk to the Tsukiji Market and 10 minutes
to the Ginza subway station. Lots of convenience
stores in the area—and the hotel itself is both
comfortable and friendly.
Steve Gillick: Writer, Photographer and Editor
Welcome to the very first issue of
Travel2Japan
After many visits to Japan, and pretty well exploring
small towns and big cities from Okinawa to Hokkaido, I
thought I would, in the spirit of encouraging travel and
discovery, share some of my experiences.
In this first edition, I just had to talk about the amazing
food scene throughout the country, as well as some of
my accommodation success stories. I’ve also included
two of the many off-the beaten track destinations, both
of which are well worth the effort: Jigokudani and
Yamaguchi. For starters, as I always spend a few days
in Tokyo at the beginning and end of each trip…
These are a few of my favourite things…
I’ve come to look forward to spending quality time in
some of my favourite places in Tokyo before heading
out of the city to explore further. There are many
restaurants, hotels, shops and attractions that I love to
visit…so here are just a few.
Culinary Delights
Sushi Dai. I have been going to this upscale sushi
restaurant for 8 years. If you want truly melt-in-yourmouth fresh sushi this is the place to go in the
Ginza/Tsukiji area. Chefs prepare the food in front of
you, by hand, one dish at a time.
Tsuzuku. This tiny izakaya, hidden on a backstreet
near the Ushigome-Yanigicho Metro Station is
reservations only. The atmosphere is cozy, the
service is friendly and the seafood is fresh and sooo
tasty. They have a good selection of sake and other
drinks to complement the outstanding food.
Shinshu Osake Mura-(Nagano Sake Village). This
is a standing sake bar in Shinbashi where you can
sample different Nagano sakes and munch on tasty
treats. It`s a great place to `stand` and `taste`before
heading out for dinner.
Okonomiyaki Street: Get off at the Tsukishima
Metro station and head over to an entire street of
Okinomiyaki restaurants. This grilled pancake is
available with all sorts of ingredients (octopus, squid,
kimchi etc). Cook it yourself or have the server do it
for you. It’s delicious. Try it with Sochu mixed with
grapefruit juice or cream soda. Yum!
Shopping: Kinokunya (books), Disk Union (new and
used records and CDs), 100 Yen Store (everything),
Tokyu Hands (everything), Muji (clothing and
housewares), Uniqlo (clothes).
And the shrines and temples, the views of Mt.
Fuji, the museums and so much more…
Air Canada Flight 001/002.
From Toronto, Air
Canada operates a direct flight to Narita Airport. It’s so
convenient. Settle in with a good book and an ipod full
of music. Watch some movies, take a few cat naps
and you’re there!
Narita Airport Limousine Bus.
Again with
convenience as the theme, grab one of these buses at
Narita and travel directly to your hotel for about 3,000
yen. Downtown Tokyo is about a two hour ride.
My ‘Welcome Back to Tokyo’ drink at Shinshu
Osake Mura, the standing sake bar in Shinbashi