Come with me to Japan!

Japan Highlights: Tokyo, Kyoto & Niseko

Tokyo TeamLab Borderless
Travel

Back in April 2024, we spent some time in Japan visiting Tokyo, Kyoto, and Niseko. It was the trip of a lifetime, so I wanted to share a list of the places, meals, and experiences we genuinely loved and would recommend to friends.

Tokyo

Where We Stayed
Hoshinoya Tokyo

We were big fans of this, which was a ryokan (traditional Japanese inn) in central Tokyo. The entrance to the hotel is lined with what are essentially very chic cubbies, and you take your shoes off when you walk in. The hotel staff then stores them until you leave again, as there are no shoes allowed anywhere in the hotel. Breakfast was included and served in our very minimalist but comfy room. They have you sign up for the delivery time slot you’d like, and they come and set up a beautiful breakfast spread. (The slots book fast, so if you’re staying multiple days, I’d pick your breakfast times for each day upon check in.)

Hoshino Resort Tokyo Entrance
Hoshino Resort Tokyo Entrance (image from their site)
Hoshino Resort Tokyo Onsen
Hoshino Resort Tokyo Onsen (image from their site)

Where We Ate & Drank
Ningyocho Imahan
Sushi Take
Mon Cher Ton Ton
Seirinkan
Ebisu Yokocho
Turret Coffee
The Bulgari Bar
Bar Martha
Grandfather's

Activities & Sights We Loved
Sensō-ji & Nakamise Shopping Street
Walking around Akihabara, Shinjuku, and Harajuku
Toyosu Market fish market tour
Tsukiji Outer Market
Sushi cooking class & sake tasting
teamLab Borderless
Ebisu izakaya tour
Shibuya Crossing
Shopping in Harajuku and Omotesando
Shinjuku Gyoen
Tokyo Imperial Palace East Gardens

Guide Recommendations
Noriko Ninomiya (city guide)
Kyoko Nagano (fish market & sake tasting, booked through @pattyintheknow)
Momo (Ebisu food tour)

@serenagwolf
Went to check out Teamlab Borderless. It's a digital artwork experience that's essentially a series of interconnected rooms with digital art projected everywhere. The art changes often and moves between rooms creating the "borderless" effect. Touristy? Yes. Fun and unique? Also yes!!! Be sure to get tickets well in advance.
@serenagwolf
We got up and out early for a tour of Toyosu Fish market which was SO COOL. We didn't see the 4am tuna auction, but we did get to walk through the market and meet some of the vendors. Our guide, Kyoko Nagano, was a wealth of knowledge about the market. as well as food and sake in general, and it was such a treat to learn from her.

Kyoto

Where We Stayed
The Hotel Seiryu Kyoto Kiyomizu

This hotel was built in the 1930s and used to be an elementary school. They preserved a lot of the school’s original features, and it was really fun and unique in terms of architecture and interiors. The breakfast room was in the school’s old library, and it’s still filled with books! I love a hotel with character.

Seiryu Kiyomizu Private Bath
I mean, look at this amazing Seiryu Kiyomizu private bath you can reserve?!
@serenagwolf
@serenagwolf

Where We Ate & Drank
Itoh Dining (Do not skip!)
Tempura Endo Yasaka
Nishiki Market
K36 The Bar & Rooftop
Park Hyatt Kyoto Bar
Rocking Bar ING

Activities & Sights We Loved
Sanjūsangen-dō
Arashiyama Bamboo Grove
Kinkaku-ji
Pontocho
Fushimi Inari Taisha
Philosopher's Path
Higashiyama District
Yasaka Pagoda

Guide Recommendation
Eri Nakamura via Wondertrunk & Co.

Niseko

Where We Stayed
The Ritz-Carlton, Higashiyama Niseko Village

The hotel was lovely and had beautiful views of Mount Yotei, good food, and a truly incredible concierge team. It was also ski in/ski out! With that said, the hotel felt somewhat sleepy and corporate, and we did need to take taxis to all outside meals. It’s a great hotel if you love a quiet environment, but if you’re looking for more of a “vibe” or to stay somewhere with a ton of character, I don’t think this would be the right spot. We did have some friends visit Niseko who really enjoyed the Park Hyatt and others who recommend Skye Niseko.

@serenagwolf
We were there very late in the season (peak is late Jan/early Feb), but the skiing was still very good! Logan used to be a ski instructor, so he's an expert skier, but I'm middling at best, and the mountain served us both well. There are plenty of solid groomers as well as incredible off-piste/tree skiing for the Logans of the world.
@serenagwolf
The vibe was excellent, the drink menu was glorious (so much cocktail recipe inspiration!), and the staff was wonderful. We went on my birthday, and they brought me the cutest note with chocolate.

Where We Ate & Drank
Yukibana
Boyoso
Sushi Hanayoshi
Bang Bang
China Kitchen
Rakuichi Soba
Loft Club
Kobito
Bar Gyu+

Ski Guiding Recommendations
Hanazono Powder Guides for backcountry guiding (Uchi)
Niseko Village Ski School for inbounds guiding (Luke)

This was truly one of my favorite trips of all time, and I hope to be able to return to each of these wildly different but equally awe-inspiring destinations and explore much more of Japan in the years to come! Japanese history is deeply fascinating (history buffs, this is a great trip for you!), and the culture is such a stark departure from Western culture on the whole. Whether we were hitting the ski slopes, witnessing a tea ceremony in Kiyoto, or wandering the many districts of Tokyo, every day on this trip was an unforgettable adventure. Tokyo was particularly mind-blowing in that it felt like so many different cities in one. One minute you can be strolling in a quiet garden, and 20 minutes later you might be engulfed in a sea of color, and noise, and people Harajuku. We were only there for four days, and I feel like we could have easily spent 2 weeks exploring the city and still have so much more to do and see. If you’re lucky enough to be visiting any of these destinations in Japan soon, I hope you love them as much as I did!

See more at @serenagwolf
in the Tokyo, Kyoto, or Niseko highlights.

More Life with Serena