Thank you for the new post in the new series. Streets along Toden are fascinating and probably too laid-back for many to spend much time along, but away from all other well-known attractions and skyscrapers, their everyday life looks attractive to look on. I think it will be a pleasant pick to relax and stroll in Tokyo.
It's interesting to see another side to Tokyo, that many tourists wouldn't usually see if you only visit the popular city centre areas. A glimpse of what everyday life might be like in Tokyo.
WOW! Great to see you in Japan. You really sound exhausted, but I know your energy will spike as the fun adventurous side wakes up!! Enjoy, have fun and stay safe.
Long time viewer, first comment but I really love what you do. Sugamo looks awesome, part of exploring Japan, at least for me, is to delve into these local streets, thanks for sharing! We are flying to Japan in a couple of weeks and arriving at 7am with kids 😅 Our plan for a 'chilled out' first day is to take the shinkansen to Osaka, will have to test it out to see if it works!
Glad you're enjoying my videos, thank you! :-) I arrived and immediately took the bullet train once! It wasn't too bad, but 7am is a tricky arrival time - you might need a short nap when you can check in to your hotel to make it through to the evening. Try and stay up till the evening if you can, to adjust to the time zone. Osaka's a really fun place - I'm sure the bright lights of Dotonbori will keep you awake!!
Thank you for sharing this experience. We will be staying in Sugamo on our future trip to Japan. We felt it may be a nice change of pace from the rest of the city. Good to know that it is close to Ikebukero, may need to try out that tram.
Ooh unusual choice of place to stay - I think you'll enjoy it! Having found Shibuya a bit too hectic as a place to stay, I can definitely appreciate the benefits of staying somewhere more chilled. You'll be in Ikebukuro in no time, and I'd love to have an afternoon hopping on and off the rest of the tram line sometime.
Amy, I think the strategy that you and Phil discussed about first day activities was really good. It is hard to anticipate how tired and jet lagged one can feel when landing a bunch of time zones away--plus you have the added benefit of experience. Nice to see Phil again, too!
We arrived too early to check in to the hotel, so we left the suitcases there and went out into Shibuya for lunch, and oh man, it was busy and hectic! It was a lot to deal with when we were feeling fuzzy and tired - somewhere relaxed like Sugamo was much more the right sort of pace for that day!
I think visiting Sugamo is very worth it! My dad and I enjoyed visiting the many shops, trying some snacks, and buying a few souvenirs (no red panties, though). We did go from Sugamo directly to Ikebukuro, it is a quick trip from one place to the other. I love and miss the train noises!
Nice video. I was in Sugamo about a week and a half ago with a Japanese friend. We took the Sakura tram from Waseda and got off at Sugamoshinden. Walked down the main shopping street past Maruji, the red underwear shop but went off a side street to go to Sekka, a popular kakigori cafe (opposite Koganji Temple) where they give you a huge bowl of shaved ice to eat. We couldn't find anywhere decent to have a meal in Sugamo so we took a Saikyo line train to Akabane instead for okonomiyaki and monjyayaki.
You don't hear much about it! But it can be nice to take a break from the main busy areas and go somewhere more relaxed, with more of an everyday feel.
This is really nice. Going to a chilled over a fast-paced place is a good idea. I am still planning my trip so getting more ideas as to what we'll like to do on day 1.
Yes it's definitely my preference for the first day! Here's Yanesen, which was a good arrival day place too: ua-cam.com/video/D0H_FuiASYs/v-deo.html Gotokuji would also be good (with the lucky cat temple!), or Odaiba as it's more open and less crowded.
Collecting stamps was really fun, and a lovely souvenir! I got my stamp book from Neko Neko Post (run by Sharla in Japan & her friend Ushka). Their shop re-opens at the start of June: www.nekonekopost.com/shop/all/
@@cakeswithfaces In general terms, we *loved* the cuteness of everything - the mascots, the logos, the eki stamps... the complete absence of rowdiness even in busy places...people doing things carefully, slowly and properly... the sheer scale of the shopping experience (for an electronics fan...akihabahra??? mind blowing). The cleanliness in hotels, shops, streets and of course the toilets!! We started in Osaka (including team labs botanical which was ace) and ended up in Tokyo Shibuya - both amazing places, but in the middle we had 3 nights in Matsumoto and this is where I would return if I could. What an incredible (small) city, in view of the alps and with a gorgeous mascot of course. The vibe there was incredible - clean, fresh, modern with plenty of traditional twists. Frog Street for shopping and snacking... wonderful and RECOMMENDED x keep up the great work Amy x
@@sickly_b That sounds amazing! I absolutely know what you mean about it being just pleasant to be there, even in crowded places, where things are clean, people are polite and things just work. Great to know you enjoyed Matsumoto. For me that's the one that got away - it was on my plans for my cancelled 2020 trip but changed my plans when I rescheduled. Now I definitely want to make it there! Wasabi ice cream sounds great - I tried wasabi vodka this week (from the UK) - there'll be a short video coming up!
The first time I went to Japan I stayed near Ikebukero, I loved walking around that whole area. I'm still super excited each time you upload that you finally made it back to Japan! In the grand scheme I guess it wasn't that long, but for awhile it seemed like travel would never return to normal.
Yes it seemed like forever, and we didn't know when it would end! It was so good to finally be back after 3 years. Ikebukuro must have been a great place to stay!
It's nice to see the more laid back areas, especially if it's your second or third visit to Tokyo. I actually tend to spend more time in places like that, just soaking up the atmosphere.
Ooh exciting, I love planning trips! So glad you're enjoying my videos. It was actually really fun hunting for stamps around Japan, they have them at tourist attractions too. And it makes a nice souvenir.
Sugamo looks like one of those neighborhoods you can go for lunch and have a nice time. I just got back from Japan a couple weeks ago and tried my luck with the stamp book I got. Though it was only near the end of my trip that I started stamping it. I'm definitely saving it for next time!
I really enjoyed collecting stamps! I think there are more of them outside Tokyo, especially at tourist attractions. Still space in my book for next time too!
They haven't released many details about it yet, but if you're going in October there's a good chance you'll be able to buy the pass early and get it at the current price. They haven't confirmed that you can do that, but on many websites you can buy the pass 3 months before you want it to start. If it was me, I'd buy it as early as possible to get it at the current price.
@@cakeswithfaces Good idea, I normally wait until a few weeks before, but I'll get asap. If it comes down to it I'll just get single tickets, but I like being able to just jump on any train.
Your japan videos are getting me exciting for my pending trip back there in 2.5 weeks! Going to keep an eye out for any new places that i havent heard of before…and definitely going to check out the huge new Animate and the giant Kura Sushi 😊
Ooh exciting! Kura Sushi is everywhere now - the one in Harajuku looks good as well. Another new place I really enjoyed was Small Worlds Tokyo, very cute and fascinating with all the miniature details in the scenes.
Hearing you laugh while saying "pantsu" is just too perfect 😂 I can't imagine how tired you must have been after flying, (presumably checking into your hotel,) walking, and filming. My family calls that being "slap happy" when you're tired and everything cracks you up lol. And thank you for suggesting the Sakura Tram- I already had Ikebukuro and Sugamo planned for the same day and had no idea there was a swanky way to get between them!
Glad you'll be taking the Sakura Tram! It's always good to do something chilled on arrival day. This time we arrived before check-in time; the hotel let us drop our bags but the rooms weren't ready (Japan's never flexible about check-in time) so it was straight out and about!
Sugamo seems like MUCH more my speed than the hyper-busy areas, I will put it on my list of areas to check out. But I had such a big laugh, UA-cam's captions kept "autocorrecting" Sugamon's name to Superman! "We've found what we're looking for, it's Superman's fluffy butt" 😂
Ah that's hilarious!! 😂😂😂 Yanesen (Yanaka) has a similar laid-back vibe too (especially if you wander away from Yanaka Ginza), and there's a shrine there called Nexu Shrine with a short trail of red gates. 😍
With the return of foreign tourists, major tourist spots are very crowded. It's great that you pay attention to grandmother's Harajuku in such a situation.
Do you know of any other specialty sesame shops in Japan? I went to one in nishiki in Kyoto which was amazing, 5 years go. Would love to know some others .
Sadly no (and believe me I have looked!). There was a sesame cafe in Omotesando but it closed down. So you have to keep a look-out for sesame treats at regular places. They have black sesame milkshake at shake shack in Japan!
I was in Japan around the same time (late feb/early march), but by the time I reached my hotel I’d been awake for almost 50 hours since I was too excited to sleep the night before and I couldn’t sleep on the flight, so I couldn’t manage much more than getting food from a combini and then passing out at 6pm. I’m glad you had a better first day
Oh wow, you must have been exhausted! Those arrival days always feel so strange, when you're not sure if "this morning" was when you arrived, or when you left home, and it's all one big long day!
I got it from Sharla in Japan's shop Neko Neko Post: www.nekonekopost.com/shop/product/4724788271 So glad I got it, it was really fun spotting stamps around in Japan!
I've only just got back! 😅😝 I doubt I'll be able to go back until next year because of the cost, but I filmed LOADS so there are plenty of videos coming up from this trip!
@@cakeswithfaces Lol yeah, I figured, but I thought there might be a chance that you go again this year. That's good that you want to go back next year though.
I found a great stay very close to the Sugamo Station, it is my first time coming to japan, I will be staying close to 8 days.do you recommend taking it? I will be going mainly to Shinjuku/Shibuya/Disneyland and a day trip to Nikko or mt fuji.
That sounds good! Sugamo is a more chilled area to stay, less hectic and crowded than some other areas of Tokyo - so if a more relaxed place sounds good to you, go for it. As you can see in the video, there are still lots of shops, cafes, etc around, and there are always convenience stores and vending machines so you won't be stuck for somewhere to get a drink or snacks, even though it's not a main city centre area. And it's on the Yamanote Line so you can get around easily.
Thank you for the new post in the new series. Streets along Toden are fascinating and probably too laid-back for many to spend much time along, but away from all other well-known attractions and skyscrapers, their everyday life looks attractive to look on. I think it will be a pleasant pick to relax and stroll in Tokyo.
It's interesting to see another side to Tokyo, that many tourists wouldn't usually see if you only visit the popular city centre areas. A glimpse of what everyday life might be like in Tokyo.
Lovely well thought out video as always. Greatly appreciate all that you do. ❤
Thanks so much, that means a lot! 🥰
WOW! Great to see you in Japan. You really sound exhausted, but I know your energy will spike as the fun adventurous side wakes up!! Enjoy, have fun and stay safe.
It was a very long day!! It's so hard to sleep properly on the plane, so we'd been up for over 24 hours. 😅
I'm so happy for you guys that you get to visit again at long last! You're remarkably articulate after that long flight!
Haha, I tried my best! We were dropping at the end there!! 😅
Long time viewer, first comment but I really love what you do.
Sugamo looks awesome, part of exploring Japan, at least for me, is to delve into these local streets, thanks for sharing!
We are flying to Japan in a couple of weeks and arriving at 7am with kids 😅 Our plan for a 'chilled out' first day is to take the shinkansen to Osaka, will have to test it out to see if it works!
Glad you're enjoying my videos, thank you! :-)
I arrived and immediately took the bullet train once! It wasn't too bad, but 7am is a tricky arrival time - you might need a short nap when you can check in to your hotel to make it through to the evening. Try and stay up till the evening if you can, to adjust to the time zone. Osaka's a really fun place - I'm sure the bright lights of Dotonbori will keep you awake!!
Nice to see you guys back in Tokyo! Will look forward for the videos!
Thanks, there's loads coming up! Can't wait to edit them all!!
Thank you for sharing this experience. We will be staying in Sugamo on our future trip to Japan. We felt it may be a nice change of pace from the rest of the city. Good to know that it is close to Ikebukero, may need to try out that tram.
Ooh unusual choice of place to stay - I think you'll enjoy it! Having found Shibuya a bit too hectic as a place to stay, I can definitely appreciate the benefits of staying somewhere more chilled. You'll be in Ikebukuro in no time, and I'd love to have an afternoon hopping on and off the rest of the tram line sometime.
@@cakeswithfaces Thank you for highlighting the tram and Sugamo. Looking forward to more of your uploads.
Amy, I think the strategy that you and Phil discussed about first day activities was really good. It is hard to anticipate how tired and jet lagged one can feel when landing a bunch of time zones away--plus you have the added benefit of experience. Nice to see Phil again, too!
We arrived too early to check in to the hotel, so we left the suitcases there and went out into Shibuya for lunch, and oh man, it was busy and hectic! It was a lot to deal with when we were feeling fuzzy and tired - somewhere relaxed like Sugamo was much more the right sort of pace for that day!
Omg the mascot is sooo cute! Also I just love how wholesome and informative this video was ♥ Might stay in Sugamo for our stay in Tokio ^^
You'll have to say hi to Sugamon for me! (Well Sugamon's butt at least...!)
I think visiting Sugamo is very worth it! My dad and I enjoyed visiting the many shops, trying some snacks, and buying a few souvenirs (no red panties, though). We did go from Sugamo directly to Ikebukuro, it is a quick trip from one place to the other. I love and miss the train noises!
Glad you enjoyed it too! I wish I'd tried more snacks now - why didn't I get one of those dorayaki?! (Must be because I was tired!!).
Nice video. I was in Sugamo about a week and a half ago with a Japanese friend. We took the Sakura tram from Waseda and got off at Sugamoshinden. Walked down the main shopping street past Maruji, the red underwear shop but went off a side street to go to Sekka, a popular kakigori cafe (opposite Koganji Temple) where they give you a huge bowl of shaved ice to eat. We couldn't find anywhere decent to have a meal in Sugamo so we took a Saikyo line train to Akabane instead for okonomiyaki and monjyayaki.
That sounds like a lovely day out. How did I miss the kakigori shop, that sounds great! Wish I'd got one of those dorayaki now too...! :-)
A bit of light tram-hopping would ease me in gently and if worst came to worst, I could buy one of those Granny Shopping Carts for support.
Haha, sounds like a good idea! Get someone to push you around in the cart. :-)
Your hair color is the same as the plum blossom which is so cool!!
Haha, I didn't realise how seasonal it was!! 😝
Nice video…An area of Tokyo that’s new to me.
You don't hear much about it! But it can be nice to take a break from the main busy areas and go somewhere more relaxed, with more of an everyday feel.
This is really nice. Going to a chilled over a fast-paced place is a good idea. I am still planning my trip so getting more ideas as to what we'll like to do on day 1.
Yes it's definitely my preference for the first day! Here's Yanesen, which was a good arrival day place too: ua-cam.com/video/D0H_FuiASYs/v-deo.html Gotokuji would also be good (with the lucky cat temple!), or Odaiba as it's more open and less crowded.
I'm really enjoying your UA-cam Channel. Thank you so much for all of your posts. Where do you buy a stamp book? That looks like so much fun to have.
Collecting stamps was really fun, and a lovely souvenir! I got my stamp book from Neko Neko Post (run by Sharla in Japan & her friend Ushka). Their shop re-opens at the start of June: www.nekonekopost.com/shop/all/
@@cakeswithfaces Thank you so much!
Brilliant content as usual. We got back last Saturday, 1st visit, and my head is still spinning! This video was perfect to treat withdrawal symptoms x
Hope you had an amazing time! Hopefully my videos will bring back lots of happy memories. What were the highlights of your trip?
@@cakeswithfaces In general terms, we *loved* the cuteness of everything - the mascots, the logos, the eki stamps... the complete absence of rowdiness even in busy places...people doing things carefully, slowly and properly... the sheer scale of the shopping experience (for an electronics fan...akihabahra??? mind blowing). The cleanliness in hotels, shops, streets and of course the toilets!! We started in Osaka (including team labs botanical which was ace) and ended up in Tokyo Shibuya - both amazing places, but in the middle we had 3 nights in Matsumoto and this is where I would return if I could. What an incredible (small) city, in view of the alps and with a gorgeous mascot of course. The vibe there was incredible - clean, fresh, modern with plenty of traditional twists. Frog Street for shopping and snacking... wonderful and RECOMMENDED x keep up the great work Amy x
ps - i had wasabi ice cream in Matsumoto 😊
@@sickly_b That sounds amazing! I absolutely know what you mean about it being just pleasant to be there, even in crowded places, where things are clean, people are polite and things just work. Great to know you enjoyed Matsumoto. For me that's the one that got away - it was on my plans for my cancelled 2020 trip but changed my plans when I rescheduled. Now I definitely want to make it there! Wasabi ice cream sounds great - I tried wasabi vodka this week (from the UK) - there'll be a short video coming up!
The first time I went to Japan I stayed near Ikebukero, I loved walking around that whole area. I'm still super excited each time you upload that you finally made it back to Japan! In the grand scheme I guess it wasn't that long, but for awhile it seemed like travel would never return to normal.
Yes it seemed like forever, and we didn't know when it would end! It was so good to finally be back after 3 years. Ikebukuro must have been a great place to stay!
It's nice to see the more laid back areas, especially if it's your second or third visit to Tokyo. I actually tend to spend more time in places like that, just soaking up the atmosphere.
It's something I've come to appreciate more and more, the more I visit Japan - the beauty of these quieter areas and everyday life in Japan.
@@cakeswithfaces Totally agree. I love Akiba, Shinjuku, Shibuya etc, but experiencing the calmer places is just as good.
Just starting to plan for my first trip to Japan and love your videos. The train station stamps are brill.
Ooh exciting, I love planning trips! So glad you're enjoying my videos. It was actually really fun hunting for stamps around Japan, they have them at tourist attractions too. And it makes a nice souvenir.
Sugamo looks like one of those neighborhoods you can go for lunch and have a nice time. I just got back from Japan a couple weeks ago and tried my luck with the stamp book I got. Though it was only near the end of my trip that I started stamping it. I'm definitely saving it for next time!
I really enjoyed collecting stamps! I think there are more of them outside Tokyo, especially at tourist attractions. Still space in my book for next time too!
Hey Amy, did you hear about the huge increase in price of the JR pass? Starts in October I think, just in time for my trip....great :(
They haven't released many details about it yet, but if you're going in October there's a good chance you'll be able to buy the pass early and get it at the current price. They haven't confirmed that you can do that, but on many websites you can buy the pass 3 months before you want it to start. If it was me, I'd buy it as early as possible to get it at the current price.
@@cakeswithfaces Good idea, I normally wait until a few weeks before, but I'll get asap. If it comes down to it I'll just get single tickets, but I like being able to just jump on any train.
@@Gazereths1234 Single tickets might be a better option once the price goes up, if you're not travelling around that extensively.
@@cakeswithfaces Definitely. Or get one of the regional passes. Hokuriku Arch pass is great for a Tokyo/Kanazawa/Osaka/Kyoto trip.
Your japan videos are getting me exciting for my pending trip back there in 2.5 weeks! Going to keep an eye out for any new places that i havent heard of before…and definitely going to check out the huge new Animate and the giant Kura Sushi 😊
Ooh exciting! Kura Sushi is everywhere now - the one in Harajuku looks good as well. Another new place I really enjoyed was Small Worlds Tokyo, very cute and fascinating with all the miniature details in the scenes.
Hearing you laugh while saying "pantsu" is just too perfect 😂 I can't imagine how tired you must have been after flying, (presumably checking into your hotel,) walking, and filming. My family calls that being "slap happy" when you're tired and everything cracks you up lol. And thank you for suggesting the Sakura Tram- I already had Ikebukuro and Sugamo planned for the same day and had no idea there was a swanky way to get between them!
Glad you'll be taking the Sakura Tram!
It's always good to do something chilled on arrival day. This time we arrived before check-in time; the hotel let us drop our bags but the rooms weren't ready (Japan's never flexible about check-in time) so it was straight out and about!
Sugamo seems like MUCH more my speed than the hyper-busy areas, I will put it on my list of areas to check out. But I had such a big laugh, UA-cam's captions kept "autocorrecting" Sugamon's name to Superman! "We've found what we're looking for, it's Superman's fluffy butt" 😂
Ah that's hilarious!! 😂😂😂
Yanesen (Yanaka) has a similar laid-back vibe too (especially if you wander away from Yanaka Ginza), and there's a shrine there called Nexu Shrine with a short trail of red gates. 😍
@@cakeswithfaces That sounds lovely! I'll check it out, thanks very much!
I clearly need to go to Koganji lol, heal me please!
Full body healing - total rejuvenation!
With the return of foreign tourists, major tourist spots are very crowded.
It's great that you pay attention to grandmother's Harajuku in such a situation.
I noticed there were queues at lots of restaurants this time. But Sugamo wasn't crowded! :-)
@@cakeswithfaces
Thank you for reply.
There are many places that don't have to be famous.👍
Do you know of any other specialty sesame shops in Japan? I went to one in nishiki in Kyoto which was amazing, 5 years go. Would love to know some others
.
Sadly no (and believe me I have looked!). There was a sesame cafe in Omotesando but it closed down. So you have to keep a look-out for sesame treats at regular places. They have black sesame milkshake at shake shack in Japan!
I haven’t been but Goma Fukudo looks promising (ごま福堂).
In Japanese you can try searching for ごま or 胡麻 専門店 (goma senmonten).
I was in Japan around the same time (late feb/early march), but by the time I reached my hotel I’d been awake for almost 50 hours since I was too excited to sleep the night before and I couldn’t sleep on the flight, so I couldn’t manage much more than getting food from a combini and then passing out at 6pm. I’m glad you had a better first day
Oh wow, you must have been exhausted! Those arrival days always feel so strange, when you're not sure if "this morning" was when you arrived, or when you left home, and it's all one big long day!
Looks good ❤
Glad I went! A different side of Tokyo.
@@cakeswithfaces OOH, good!🥰🥰
Just wondering where you got your stamp book! Is it your design or did you get it when you arrived in Japan?
I got it from Sharla in Japan's shop Neko Neko Post: www.nekonekopost.com/shop/product/4724788271
So glad I got it, it was really fun spotting stamps around in Japan!
Cute! You should make one just saying 🤩🤩
@@aprildoucet139 Haha, I'd love to but it feels like it'd be copying the one I bought! 🙂
@cakeswithfaces your SO creative, you could come up with something amazing and uniqueto you! 😊
@@aprildoucet139 Aww that's very kind of you! 🥰
When are you going back to Japan?
I've only just got back! 😅😝 I doubt I'll be able to go back until next year because of the cost, but I filmed LOADS so there are plenty of videos coming up from this trip!
@@cakeswithfaces Lol yeah, I figured, but I thought there might be a chance that you go again this year. That's good that you want to go back next year though.
@@L-Man-Gaming I'll always want to go back when I can! 🙂 Too many places on the Japan to-visit list.
Amy......where the food?. Is there gonna be a compilation just for food?
Gotta respect the stretching your legs after a long flight
There will be food! We ate a LOT, so there is certainly food coming up!
This actually IS in my top 10 things to do 🤭
Hehe, glad to hear it!
I found a great stay very close to the Sugamo Station, it is my first time coming to japan, I will be staying close to 8 days.do you recommend taking it? I will be going mainly to Shinjuku/Shibuya/Disneyland and a day trip to Nikko or mt fuji.
That sounds good! Sugamo is a more chilled area to stay, less hectic and crowded than some other areas of Tokyo - so if a more relaxed place sounds good to you, go for it. As you can see in the video, there are still lots of shops, cafes, etc around, and there are always convenience stores and vending machines so you won't be stuck for somewhere to get a drink or snacks, even though it's not a main city centre area. And it's on the Yamanote Line so you can get around easily.
i prefer it when you tubers go around the old parts of japan not the concrete jungleof tokyo.
Less-visited areas can be really interesting (although I do love central Tokyo too!).
@@cakeswithfaces Sadly the americans send insenjary bombs raining down on tokyo angel other wise many of the old buildings would still there.
@@cakeswithfaces Sadly our once country england as lots its way and its identity hopefully japan does not
i dont need anymore underwear my underpants from the late 1980s are still like new,and i dont wear shoes i wear boots.
Your videos always make me nostalgic for my Japan holidays.
Hope they bring back lots of happy memories! (Especially those train station sounds!).
The train sounds are great, I could ride the Yamamoto line all day.
@@pervykiwi Listening to all those departure melodies 🎶