Trip Report - JAPAN: Tokyo

PART 2: Dec 24-25

Dec 24 (Sun) highlights:

• Visited the Tobacco & Salt Museum for over 4 hours, much longer than expected. Exceeded expectations. The permanent exhibitions detailing the history of tobacco and salt in Japan had written explanations in both English and Japanese. The temporary exhibition of antique toys made from woodblock prints was Japanese-only, and the (unnecessary) downloadable audio guide covering all exhibitions was only available in Japanese. The tobacco exhibition had a display of Japanese cigarette packs/brands over time, including their transition from Roman-letter western names to Kanji-character Japanese names during WW2; after the war Roman-letter brand names were re-introduced.
• Visited Fukagawa Edo Museum, an excellent indoor life-size reproduction of an Edo-era Sumida River neighborhood. An explanatory brochure (available in English) was provided. Local people – apparently retiree volunteers – dressed in Edo-era clothing answered visitor (Japanese language) questions.
• After leaving the museum we had well-crafted coffee, cookies, and scones at funky and comfortable Fukadaso coffee shop.

Dec 25 (Mon) highlights:

• A self-guided Sumida River walk (part 1). We walked across the Sumida River, and then down a pedestrian/bike paved path in a long narrow park alongside a small stream. The park had formerly been a canal used to transport lumber and other goods when this was an industrial area. We stopped for lunch at a parkside café (see next bullet). Afterwards we resumed our stroll, and joined a small group of local people observing something in the reeds along the stream; a man in the group said in English “Kingfisher!” and pointed out the bird they were watching. There was also a heron-like bird.
• Excellent lunch at the pleasant parkside vegan Sasaya Café.
• After leaving the park we took a 5 minute subway ride from Kinshicho station to Kiyosumi-Shirakawa station and continued our Sumida River walk (part 2). Along the river we stumbled across the unexpected Paris Plaza in Ishikawajima Park, established in 1999.
• At the end of the walk we watched the excellent movie Perfect Days in a packed cinema. Set in Tokyo, parts of it had clearly been filmed near where we were staying.
• Enjoyed a reserved “Christmas” dinner at Bouillon de Paris à vins in Ginza. Very good, though not as good as we remembered from the previous year

PART 3: Dec 26-27

Dec 26 (Tue) My partner and I did separate activities. Highlights:

• She visited the Ghibli Museum with a friend; they enjoyed it immensely. I am not a big fan of Miyazaki movies, so skipped it.

I did a self-guided walking tour of sights close to our hotel:

• Great Kanto Earthquake Memorial Museum – which covers the Mar 1945 Great Tokyo Air Raid as well as the Sep 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake; over 35,000 people died in this small spot in the fires that followed the earthquake. For history buffs, this is an interesting museum; displays are in English and Japanese. Free admission.
• The Japanese Sword Museum. Unfortunately, most of the museum was closed for renovation of the displays, but I was allowed to visit a room near the entrance that described the sword production process. Best of all, it contained a hiltless sword (with the edged portion enclosed in a clear plastic box) that one could pick up by the hiltless handle end.
• The Sumida Hokusai Museum. The famous ukiyo-e artist Hokusai (1760-1849) was a local boy, thus the museum. I found the museum mildly interesting but would only recommend it to dedicated Hokusai fans.
• The quirky World Bags & Luggage Museum, run by ACE Luggage Company. It is better than free, as visitors were presented with an attractive collapsible reusable bag that fits in a purse or pocket; I am still using mine over a year later. I spent an hour perusing luggage of past and present from around the world.
• On Google Maps I had found the bridge, Sakurabashi Bridge, that appeared in the movie Perfect Days (that we had viewed the previous day), so I walked along the riverside park to the bridge and found the film locations on and underneath it. During the walk I spied the Asahi Beer HQ building designed to resemble a foam-topped glass of beer, and had a brief but pleasant conversation with an older homeless man who was sunning himself on a riverside bench.

Dec 27 (Wed) highlights:

• A d**n fine ramen noodle lunch at highly-rated but hole-in-the-wall humble Ramen Kai. We made our ramen selection at the vending machine outside and bought tickets, and then joined the knot of people waiting outside for a stool to open up inside. An employee came out and gathered our tickets; when a seat opened up we were motioned in. Inside was a long narrow space split by one counter; customers sat on one side, and three constantly-moving chefs were on the other side.
• Visited the Intercommunication Center (ICC). We experienced the temporary exhibition about recently-deceased composer Ryuichi Sakamoto, but found greater value in the excellent Hokusai temporary exhibition. It had vivid digital reproductions of some of his most famous ukiyo-e, as well as of some European Impressionist paintings influenced by his works.
• Outstanding dinner (for the second year in a row) at Ginza Kashiwa. Paired food/wine set menu dinner; as with the previous year we requested and received the two bar seats in a semi-private enclosure; floor-to-ceiling windows directly behind us faced out from the 11th floor over the nighttime Ginza scene.

PART 4: Dec 28-29

Dec 28 (Thu) highlight: Shopping.

• Browsing Japanese kitchenware in Iida-ya (kitchen supply store) in Kappadashi-dougu-gai (Kappadashi Kitchenware Town). We made our annual pilgrimage to this small 2-story shop crammed floor-to-ceiling with kitchen utensils. While my partner scoured the huge, diverse offerings, I relaxed in a nearby coffee shop.
• Strolling and Browsing shops in the Shinobazu Book Street area again this year, especially my partner’s favorite small shop, Le Poilu, and its unique selection of wooden spoons (and other items). The walk began at Ueno Station, passing through Ueno Park (and its free-lance street performers) before reaching the first shop; the adventure terminated at Nippori station. During the walk we had a coffee/cake pause at CIBI Tokyo Store, the Tokyo café of an Australian company.
• After a shopping and take-out food stop at a department store in Ginza, we did a night stroll across and along the Sumida River shimmering under a full moon. We came across a few neighborhood people walking and clapping small boards together while chanting in unison for people to be careful with fire.

Dec 29 (Fri): We flew out of Japan from Haneda Airport.

what a wonderful trip report. Was very helpful and informative.

I am hoping that I will be able to visit Tokyo for the first time come October so that i can take a cruise. Will only be able to stay in Tokyo a few days pre-cruise. Not even close to enough time to see all that you have highlighted and discussed.

Thank you for your excellent report. It brings me back to Japan!

I love kitchenware stores in Kappabashi. I wanted to buy almost every single item there. The quality and value of merchandise are far superior to those available here in the US.

Nice report. Thanks for sharing.

Actually... great report. I've looked at some of the links, and they are very helpful as I will be in some of the areas where you were when I visit Tokyo next month. Very helpful! Thanks.

This is fabulous. I may have promised a Tokyo trip to my son for graduation in may 2027, though maybe December 2026 might be less crowded option?

GeoffB, thanks again for sharing your experiences in Japan. I’m adding that Tobacco and Salt museum to a place we would like to visit. I love small, quirky museums.