Things I'd Do Again in Tokyo
As a professional hedonist
Shop at Kappabashi Street
If you spend time in the kitchen, this is a dangerous, dangerous place. Buy kitchen utensils you absolutely cannot justify transporting back home and deal with consequences later.
Go to Kewpie Museum
If you don’t want to go for the knowledge (they share the exact ingredients they use, as well as some trivia), go for the free bottle of mayo of your choice. Not a sample – a proper bottle. They just hand it to you, as if it’s normal.
Order Omakase
Sit at a sushi counter and let someone else decide everything for you for once. Not optimising your own pleasure is weirdly empowering.
Eat a truffle Shio pan (salt bread)
I detest most things truffle because they taste fake. This was phenomenal.
Spend 30 minutes at an all-you-can-drink sake bar
1500 yen gets you 2-3 thoughtfully selected pours, or you can down 8 random ones. Take your pick, you won’t be sorry either way (just make sure you get something else in your stomach).
Stock up on drugstore goodies
Tiny patches for muscle pain, yuzu bath salts, fancy-looking eye drops, lavender-scented heated eye mask, turmeric drinks for hangover mornings – you name it. These things will make life noticeably nicer when you’re back home.
Eat fried chicken from a konbini (convenience store) at night
It may not sound luxurious, but the experience of it is. Go as late as you can, get a regular one and a spicy one, devour it like an animal right in front of the store.
Get tipsy on Chuhai and dream about future
My favourite flavour is still grapefruit, but kyoho (Japanese black grape) and plum also slap. My favourite future is warless and indulgent.
Go to a Capybara café
Most animal cafés are ethically sketchy at best, and I never stop wondering what happens behind the scenes, but I don’t regret this one. Interacting with someone so majestic literally lifts all stress up and away, even if temporarily.
Try snacks just because the packaging looks good
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been genuinely surprised, in the best way possible. I may have also developed a sugar addiction, but that’s a problem for tomorrow.
Miss the last train home
Adventures are for the nocturnal animals. Let them find you.