ACTIVITIES in TOKYO, JAPAN

• Stranger than fiction; Tokyo’s weirdest places

Want to get a local perspective on life in Tokyo? From bizarre foods to Indie anime, Tokyo’s underground entertainment scene will blow your mind!

Discover the quirky underbelly of Tokyo, following your host to bizarre places that only a local insider could reveal to you. You’ll sample strange foods in Omoide Yokocho and explore one of the city’s quirky cafes.

You could be treated like royalty at a maid (or even a butler) cafe, or buy quirky gifts in the Alice in Wonderland shop or a 100 yen store. And for the weirdest places of all?

You’ll explore one or two of west Tokyo’s eclectic neighborhoods, where the weird and wonderful is never far away! If unusual stores selling wacky items you never knew you needed, and themed cafes are what fascinate you, you could explore Shibuya, the enormous entertainment district, and Harajuku, the epicenter of Tokyo’s youth culture.

Or perhaps streets dedicated to Japanese sub-cultures like otaku and kawaii are what fascinate you? In that case, your host could lead you through Shibuya, where owl cafes are an everyday occurrence, or Ikebukuro, a neighborhood in north-western Tokyo that’s known for its indie anime and manga stores and quirkily themed bars – like the Detective Cafe, where real private detectives mix the cocktails.

The choice is yours and the perfect introduction to life in Tokyo!

• Culture shock: Exploring Koenji

With your guide explore the streets of this creative neighborhood where Tokyo’s punk past and trendy present meet.

Koenji is an area deeply linked to its colorful past. Off the beaten path, your host could lead you to Mabashi Shrine, near the station, where a tiny forest shrouds some truly magnificent history, or you could head straight for the retro shopping streets that define Koenji’s culture, where crafty vendors like Yakusoku and Malto re-purpose vintage treasures.

Relax with a cup of craft coffee and the soothing sounds of classical music down at Renaissance or find the perfect place for a craft beer that will go down so well after all the exploring. If you’re lucky, you could even catch Koenji during the Awa Odori festival, where more than 10 000 dancers celebrate the arrival of summer.

Rock out in Tokyo’s punk heartland, where alternative youth cultures have thrived and blossomed for decades, you’ll find an endless selection of eccentric stores sling all kinds of vintage gear, from retro electronics to previously-loved clothing that oozes counterculture.

Your host will introduce you to Koenji’s famous, laid-back ‘live houses’, where great food and craft beer go hand in hand with live entertainment, or you can wander among its hidden Shinto shrines, while your host narrates eras gone by. Take in the area’s artistic vibes from one of Tokyo’s best coffee shops – it’s a Koenji thing – and if you need to unwind, a sento-public bathhouse is never far away…