Sharla's Top 5 Places to Hang Out in Tokyo!

I've gotten lots of questions about my favourite spots to hang out in Tokyo, so here you are! A countdown of the top 5 places in Tokyo that I like to spend my free time in! 

5. Shibuya

In the Maruhan purikura area 

In high school I was really into gyaru fashion, so Shibuya was always my first choice for shopping. It’s home to Shibuya 109, which is a large shopping tower filled with clothing shops catering to gyaru style. There’s also a 109 Mens located nearby for current Japanese men’s fashion. Nowadays I like to visit Shibuya for the cafes and purikura! Shibuya has some really amazing cafes, one of my favourites to date is the ‘and people’ cafe. They have some really yummy & creative drinks and cocktails! (http://andpeople.co.jp) You can’t make a trip to Shibuya without taking some (or in my case way too many) purikura pictures! Purikura stands for ‘print club’ which are Japanese photo booths that print out sticker photos. The Maruhan building located near Shibuya station has a great selection of purikura machines on the basement floor. The machines are notorious for doing crazy things to your face… widening your eyes, making your nose and mouth smaller, your skin clearer etc. But the machines nowadays allow you to choose how much you want it to mess with your face. If you have naturally large eyes I recommend choosing the ‘natural’ setting. A machine that seems to be very “big eye friendly” is the LADY BY TOKYO machine. So look for that one if you don’t want to end up with an alien face ;)

4. Harajuku

Harajuku is my current favourite place to shop for clothing and accessories in Tokyo. I think the wide selection of styles is what really makes it fun! You can find visual kei, lolita and gyaru fashion all in one spot. If you’re not into those kinds of fashion, Harajuku also sells lots of basic casual clothing and cute accessories. My two favourite shops are Spinns and WeGo! They’re super affordable and their stock is updated frequently, so there’s always something new to check out. 

If you’re looking for more expensive higher fashion brands, Laforet shopping center is a good place for that! Also, make sure to get a crepe from one of the several crepe shops that line Takeshita Street. My personal favourite is the shrimp salad crepe. Sounds gross, I know. But I promise it’s yummy! Makes a nice replacement for a sandwich. 


ALSO GO TO NOA CAFE. The best waffles I’ve ever had in my life. The apple cinnamon ones are super yummy, but basically all of the flavours are amazing, haha. It’s located just past the entrance of Takeshita Street on the right side.

3. Odaiba

Odaiba is located on a man made island in Tokyo Bay. Arguably the best part of Odaiba, is the train ride to get there. The Yurikamome line that takes you to Odaiba is my all time favourite train to ride in Tokyo. It’s an elevated train line and the view of Tokyo Bay is gorgeous! The night view from Odaiba Diver City shopping area is also amazing!! If you’re lucky, Rainbow Bridge will actually be rainbow! (The only time I’ve seen it rainbow coloured was on Christmas eve though…) Also don’t miss the 115-metre ferris wheel! When it opened in 1999 it was the tallest in the world. The ride is 16 minutes long and costs 900 yen. You can choose a coloured cabin, or one of the clear-bottom cabins if you’re up for a challenge. The ferris wheel lights up at night, displaying various patterns in over 100 colours. There are often some events happening on the racetrack located near the ferris wheel! 

2. Inokashira Park

You could easily spend a whole day in Inokashira Park and not run out of fun things to do. First of all, the park itself is gorgeous! It’s a nice break from the tall buildings and lights of the city. In the center of the park you’ll find Inokashira Pond, which is filled with gorgeous koi! Don’t forget to take a ride on the swan boats~ (Be warned: Apparently there’s an urban legend that if you ride with your significant other, you will break up! Uh oh…) There’s also a zoo inside the park! Inokashira Park Zoo has a variety things to see from elephants to fennec foxes. Red-crowned cranes and deer roam freely throughout the park. Once you’re finished exploring the park, you can take a small walk down the street to the Ghibli Museum!

1.   Nakano Broadway

It’s hard to explain the amazingness that is Nakano Broadway in one small blog post. THIS PLACE IS HEAVEN. If you are into collecting something, ANYTHING, I bet you Nakano Broadway will sell that thing. Sailormoon merchandise, Furbies, Pullip dolls, pokemon plushies, collectable Godzilla movie posters, cosplay goods, manga, gachapon toys, military gear, model cars, anime figurines, the list goes on! Basically Nakano Broadway is 3 floors of shops packed with really cool stuff. Save space in your suitcase because you’re gonna need it after shopping here!

Thanks for reading ♥︎