Harajuku Cotton Candy from Totti Candy Factory

Our family of three absolutely loves Tokyo.  When we recently returned from Tokyo, we asked each other what our favorite things were about the city.  Here are the things that were at the top of all of our lists.

There is so much to see and do in Tokyo, and this is by no means a comprehensive list, but these were some of our favorite things about Tokyo

Tsukiji Fish Market

The Tsukiji Fish Market was one of our very favorite things to see in Tokyo.  I am not real fond of seafood, but I enjoyed the fish market a lot.  I am a very curious person and I like to see how things work and this was very interesting.  The market consists of an inner and outer market.  The inner market is not open to tourists until 10:00 am, but you can still see the remnants of the busy morning:  sellers cleaning up their stalls, small vehicles moving boxes here and there, huge fish heads on tables that show the immense size of the fish meat that was sold.

Dominique Ansel Bakery

Have you heard of a cronut– the pastry that is a cross between a donut and a croissant? This is the man that created it. In Tokyo, there are two Dominique Ansel Bakeries; one in Ginza and one in Omotesando.  In New York City, people line up for hours before the bakery opens to eat one of these famous croissant/donuts, and they sell out early in the morning. But, in either of Tokyo’s Dominique Ansel Bakeries, you can walk in to barely a line and order a cronut any time of the day. AND YOU SHOULD. The other bakery items are delicious as well. Some of the items can only be found in Tokyo, like the Mr. Roboto Melon Pan; but, the must-try favorites are here as well, like the Frozen S’more and the DKA.  Try as many as you can!  {Read more in our article here…}

Hamarikyu Gardens

Located near the fish market is this beautiful park. The serene gardens are a nice contrast against the busy city-life and towering sky-scrapers.  The winding trails bring you past ancient trees (like the 300 year old pine) and a tea house on a pond. Walking through this garden is worthwhile stop as a stand alone sight, but it’s also a convenient way to reach the Sumida River boat to cruise up to Asakusa.

Conrad Hotel

It probably seems strange to list a hotel on a best of list, but we really enjoyed our stay in the Conrad and would absolutely recommend it. The people are exceptionally friendly, the views are outstanding, the rooms are comfortable and finished in the highest quality and it is in a convenient location.

Tokyo Conrad Hotel

Tour with Yukiko

On our first day in Japan, we wanted to to have the convenience of a tour guide to sort of show us the ropes in the new culture.  We found the tour company marketplace called TripleLights.com that specializes in connecting tourists visiting Japan with tour guides. Once we reviewed different guides we settled on Yukiko and she was great.  This day was one of the highlights of our trip and much of that had to do with Yukiko.  Read the review of Triplelights and Yukiko here… 

Harajuku

This is clearly a touristy (and crowded!) place, but it is so much fun to visit.  There are many fun things to eat including giant cotton candy from Totti Candy Factory to the delicious  Croquant Chou ZakuZaku. Fun and funky shops selling clothes, wigs, toys and anything else you can think of.  Even though it is touristy and crowded, I would recommend going. {Read more in our article here…}

3D Latte Art

Read more here in our article about the cozy cafe Reissue and the 3D latte art these masters create.