Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
sunset views - if you're in luck, you'll spy Mount
Fuji poking its gorgeous head up in the
distance.
See p.120
Robot Restaurant
It would spoil the surprise
to describe this wacky performance venue in
full. Pop along for an evening show and see
what all the fuss is about - don't even think
about leaving your camera at the hotel.
See
box, p.182
Karaoke
Japan blessed the world with this
wonderful concept, so it would be a pity to
leave the country without letting it hear your
own crimes against music. Many karaoke bars
do all-you-can-drink specials - the heady
cocktail of alcohol and singing makes a karaoke
session one of Tokyo's most enjoyable ways to
get a little drunk.
See box, p.174
super-fresh sushi. For a unique breakfast, start
your day the raw-fish way with a visit to
Sushi
Bun
, the pick of Tsukiji fish market's sushi stalls.
See p.146
Monjayaki
Okonomiyaki
, a heap of tasty
morsels cooked in batter, is a Japanese signature
dish. The looser consistency of Tokyo's version,
monjayaki
, means you eat it with spoons that
resemble miniature shovels - try it for lunch at
Harajuku's
Sakuratei
or head to
Monkichi
on
Tsukishima, where the dish originated.
See
p.156 & p.151
Izakaya
These drinking dens also function as
superbly atmospheric places to eat and make
new friends - perfect for a pre-dinner pit stop.
Try sticks of
yakitori
or deep-fried
kushiage
, give
some bubbling
oden
a go, and wash the lot
down with sake or a cold beer.
See p.167
Rāmen
After a hard day's sightseeing,
carbo-load with a steaming bowl of rāmen.
Served in a rich broth and topped with all sorts
of tasty stuff, these noodles are a Tokyo must-do
- just remember that if you fail to eat them
su
ciently noisily, the Japanese will think there's
something wrong with you.
See p.146
EAT YOUR WAY AROUND TOKYO
Japanese food is up there with the finest in the
world and Tokyo is, quite predictably, the best
place in which to try it.
Sushi
From conveyor-belt joints and futuristic
touch-screen canteens to top-notch restaurants,
the city has countless places to go for
