Map 1
SHIBUYA-KU
Shibuya
Scramble
Miyashita
Shibuya Hikarie
KANDA MATSUYA
The 5 best places for TEMPURA
26 TENHIDE
7-12-21 Nishi-Shinjuku
Shinjuku-ku ➆
+81 (0)3-5386-3630
ten-hide.com
27 YAMANOUE
AT: HILLTOP HOTEL
1-1 Kanda Surugadai
Chiyoda-ku ➈
+81 (0)3-3293-2831
yamanoue-hotel.co.jp/ restaurant/tenpura/
28 TENSAKU
3-2-16 Shimo-Ochiai
Shinjuku-ku ��
+81 (0)3-3954-1036
This restaurant is located on a quiet street, and is just a seven-minute walk from busy Shinnku Station. They source the best seasonal ingredients from Tsukiji Market every day for their traditional Edo-style dishes. In the evening, they only serve set menus, so go at lunch time if you just want to sample their tempura.
A posh restaurant in the Hilltop Hotel (in Japanese, Yamanoue Hotel) where many famous literary figures, such as Yukio Mishima and Yasunari Kawabata, stayed to write their novels. Don’t miss their Maruju, a tempura of thick-cut sweet potato. We recommend sharing though because this is a big dish.
A popular tempura restaurant near Mejiro Station. They also serve unusual tempura, in addition to shrimp and vegetable. This depends on the seasons, of course, when sea urchin, crab, fig, mochi (rice cake) and baby corn are available. The friendly atmosphere makes you feel very welcome.
29 MIYAKAWA
6-1-6 MinamiAoyama
Minato-ku ➃
+81 (0)3-3400-3722
A small Kansai-style tempura restaurant on the opposite side of the Nezu Museum. In Kanto, an egg is added to the batter whereas they don’t usually do this in Kansai. The prawns, scallop, aubergine, and other seasonal ingredients in the thin batter are very crispy. Like so many other tempura restaurants, the lunch is very reasonable in price.
30 TSUNAHACHI
3-31-8 Shinjuku
Shinjuku-ku ➆
+81 (0)3-3352-1012
tunahachi.co.jp/en
Shinjuku is a hotspot for fashion lovers, and fans of tempura. This restaurant has been serving good quality tempura at reasonable prices for almost 100 years. Take a seat at the counter to see how the ingredients are delicately fried in refreshing rice oil and try the ice cream tempura while you’re at it.
27 YAMANOUE
APÉRO. WINE BAR AOYAMA
5 JAPANESE COCKTAILS
you should try
166 YUKIGUNI
Keiichi Iyama created the Yukiguni, which means ‘snow country’, in the 1950s. This cocktail is made from vodka, white curaçao, and lime cordial. Usually, the glass has a sugar rim, reminding you of a snowy winter scene. Sweet but low-proof.
170 MIXOLOGY SALON
167 CHERRY BLOSSOM
Many people visit Japan in late March to early April to see the sakura or cherry blossoms. This cocktail, which was created in the Taisho period, is made from cherry liquor, brandy, orange curaçao, lemon juice, and grenadine syrup. You can drink this cocktail outside of Japan, in which case it is usually made with gin instead of brandy.
168 SAKETINI
169 SAMURAI ROCK
The Japanese version of a martini, using sake instead of vermouth. The garnish usually is umeboshi (pickled plum) instead of an olive – striking just the right note between the dryness of gin and the sweetness of sake.
You might think this is a strong cocktail, but it isn’t. Samurai is made of sake and lime juice. On the rocks is a popular way to drink it. If you come to Japan in spring or summer, you can buy packed or bottled Samurai at a liquor shop.
170 TEA COCKTAILS AT MIXOLOGY SALON
AT: GINZA SIX, 13TH FL.
6-10-1 Ginza
Chuo-ku ➇
+81 3-6280-6622 ginza6.tokyo/ shops/1239
Not the name of a cocktail, but if you plan to go shopping or see Kabuki or Noh in the Ginza area, you should visit the Mixology Salon on the 13th floor of Ginza Six. They have a great selection of cocktails with tea and seasonal ingredients. Mocktails available too.
100 PLACES TO SHOP
The 5 best PATISSERIES
231 EN VEDETTE
2-1-3 Miyoshi
Koto-ku ��
+81 (0)3-5809-9402
envedette.jp
Pâtissier Daisuke Mori was trained in Tokyo and Paris and has won worldfamous competitions. The cakes he creates are cute, colourful, and delicious! The 'Petit Livre Kuchen,' with pâte de fruits between Baumkuchen, make a nice gift for book lovers.
234 SHIROTAE
232 AU BON VIEUX TEMPS
2-1-3 Todoroki
Setagaya-ku ��
+81 (0)3-3703-8428
aubonvieuxtemps.jp
233 GONDOLA
3-7-8 Kudan-Minami
Chiyoda-ku ➄
+81 (0)3-3265-2761
patisserie-gondola.com
234 SHIROTAE
4-1-4 Akasaka
Minato-ku ➄
+81 (0)3-3586-9039
One of the most renowned French patisseries by a Japanese patissier. Even French people who live in Tokyo recommend this shop. Their gateaux secs (biscuits) are very popular as a gift. They have an eat-in space where you can have lunch as well as cakes, of course.
Their pound cake is widely considered the best in Tokyo. The shop opened over 80 years ago and its popularity has remained unchanged. As they are located in a business district, people often buy a box of their biscuits to present to clients.
This shop opened in 1975 and its cheesecake proved a hit from the start. The ‘rare’ cheesecake, or unbaked cheesecake, is made with cream cheese, sugar, and lemon and nothing else. It is quite small but very filling because it is so rich. Their choux à la crème are also popular.
235 SEIKOTEI
2-30-3 Uehara
Shibuya-ku ��
+81 (0)3-3468-2178
seikotei.jp
Their boxes are beautifully illustrated with squirrels and are so cute that people often buy their products as a gift. The illustrations are by a Japanese female illustrator who has been drawing squirrels for them for over 15 years. The cookies in the boxes are simply delicious.
5 spots to see MOUNT FUJI
321 TAMAGAWA
SENGEN SHRINE
1-55-12 Denen Chofu Ota-ku ��
+81 (0)3-3721-4050 sengenjinja.info
Sengen Shrine was built more than 800 years ago during the Kamakura period. This ancient shrine is associated with the culture of faith relating to Mount Fuji and the mountain’s spirit in particular. It is actually situated on an ancient burial mound, and a good place to enjoy a beautiful view of the mountain on a clear day.
324 MOUNT FUJI SEEN FROM RAINBOW BRIDGE
322 FUJIMI BRIDGE
Setagaya-ku ��
323 HANEDA AIRPORT INTERNATIONAL
PASSENGER TERMINAL
2-6-5 Haneda Kuko
Ota-ku ��
+81 (0)3-5757-8111 haneda-airport.jp/inter
324 RAINBOW BRIDGE
Minato-ku ����
325 OYAMADA RYOKUCHI PARK
ShimoOyamadamachi / KamiOyamadamachi
Machida-shi
+81 (0)42-797-8968
Many people visit this bridge in Seijo Gakuen, Setagaya-ku in early February because you can see ‘diamond Fuji’. This stunning natural phenomenon occurs when the sun aligns with the summit of Mount Fuji at sunrise or sunset, causing the mountain to shine bright like a diamond.
You’ll catch plenty of plane spotters on the observation deck on the fifth floor but it is also a good place for an unobstructed view of Mount Fuji. Realistically speaking, you should be able to see it from anywhere in Tokyo but the tall buildings often tend to get in the way. The view from Terminal 1 is also quite good.
This 798-metre-long bridge was opened to connect Shibaura with Odaiba in 1993. You can cross the bridge by car or use the Yurikamome, a driverless, automated transit service. There is also a free footpath. You might run into people with a tripod who are trying to get a perfect shot of Mount Fuji.
If you are lucky, you may be in town to witness Diamond Fuji, a phenomenon whereby the rising or setting sun aligns with the peak of Mount Fuji. This happens twice a year. You can only catch Diamond Fuji in some spots from where you can see the mountain.
COLOPHON
EDITING and COMPOSING — Yukiko Tajima
GRAPHIC DESIGN — Joke Gossé, Tinne Luyten and doublebill.design
PHOTOGRAPHY — Koji Ishikawa koji-ishikawa.com
COVER IMAGE — Chidorigafuchi Park (secret 501)
The addresses in this book have been selected after thorough independent research by the author, in collaboration with Luster Publishing. The selection is solely based on personal evaluation of the business by the author. Nothing in this book was published in exchange for payment or benefits of any kind.
D/2023/12.005/23
ISBN 978 94 6058 3490
NUR 510, 517
© 2018 Luster, Antwerp
Third edition, September 2023 – Third reprint, September 2023 lusterpublishing.com – THE500HIDDENSECRETS.COM info@lusterpublishing.com
Printed in Italy by Printer Trento.
All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior written consent of the publisher. An exception is made for short excerpts, which may be cited for the sole purpose of reviews.