Monthly Archives: July 2012

{  Soramachi – Tokyo Skytree  }

Soramachi - Tokyo Skytree
Soramachi - Tokyo Skytree
Soramachi - Tokyo Skytree

The hottest spot to check out in Japan right now is Tokyo Skytree & its new shopping town area called “Soramachi”. Tokyo Skytree opened on May 22nd, 2012 and its been featured all over the media here in Japan. I personally wasn’t planning to check it out for a while but now that the initial craziness has calmed down a little we decided to visit it and we were pretty impressed.

The new shopping town called “Soramachi” is beautifully done. There’s been so many new malls opening in Tokyo lately such as the Tokyu Plaza in Harajuku/Omotesando, Hikarie in Shibuya, and Diver City in Odaiba but this one is among the best. (Yes, I’ve gone to all of them!) It’s packed with everything Japanese and there’s so many places to eat, dine, snack, shop, you can spend all day here. If you want to know where we ate here, check out my other post on Rokurinsha.

Just for your information, the tickets to go up to the observatory is open to the public on July 11. It’s probably going to be insanely crowded all over again but if you are coming to visit Tokyo from out of town, this is the place to go! Even if you can’t get tickets to the observatory, you’ll enjoy the scenery and Soramachi. For online ticket information, check out: http://www.tokyo-skytree.jp/reservation/

Address // 1-1-2, Oshiage, Sumida-ku, Tokyo, Japan (map)
Phone Number // 0570-55-0102
Website // http://www.tokyo-solamachi.jp/english/




{  Tokyo Skytree from Above  }

Tokyo Skytree from Above
Tokyo Skytree from Above

I had the opportunity to fly over Tokyo on a helicopter last year and fly right next to Tokyo Skytree before it was done building! It was my first time on a helicopter and it was amazing. As you can see, Soramachi was heavily under construction and I had no idea what it was going to turn into. This is a fun way to explore Tokyo if you’re not scared of heights :)

xo,
Maki




{  Rokurinsha  }

Rokurinsha
Rokurinsha
Rokurinsha

As we were heading to Tokyo Skytree, I did a little research and decided to try this tsukemen place on the 6 floor of Soramachi. The store is originally from Osaki and it’s very highly rated so we visited their new soramachi location. As we got to the 6th floor, there was already a long line but it didn’t take very long to get seated.

Tsukemen is similar to Ramen except that the noodles come separated from the soup and you dip the noodles in as you eat them. The tsukemen at Rokurinsha is a combination pork + fish broth soup and the noodles are on the thicker side. You can choose between hot or cold noodles but they recommend going with the cold noodles since it’s firmer. We tried the Ajitama tsukemen for 950yen. Check it out if you’re into pork + fish broth soup and will be posting on Tokyo Skytree shortly! (Now posted here)

Address // 6F Soramachi, 1-1-2, Oshiage, Sumida-ku, Tokyo, Japan (map)
Phone Number // 03-5809-7368
Website // http://www.rokurinsha.com

Food:
Decor:
Service:
Cost:



{  Manneken  }

Manneken
Manneken
Manneken

Oh my! We were walking through Ginza and couldn’t help but stop to find where this sweet smell was coming from. We noticed it was coming from this small Belgian waffle store named Manneken and there was a small line out the door. Just like us, many on-goers couldn’t help but stop to check out this store as well and the line kept getting longer. We waited a few minutes and got to the counter and decided to try the plain (126yen) and the maple (147yen) waffles. Both were delicious! Soft and chewy, not too sweet but sweet enough, and the sugar coating on the sides were yummy. Can’t believe I’ve never noticed this place until now but hightly recommend it for a treat :)

Address // 5-7-19, Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Japan (map)
Phone Number // 03-3289-0141
Website // http://www.manneken.co.jp

Food:
Decor:
Service:
Cost:



{  AEN  }

AEN Jiyugaoka
AEN Jiyugaoka
AEN Jiyugaoka

Found a nice Japanese restrauant in the midst of Jiyugaoka which is typically known for having more cafes and cute shops. We went here for lunch and it was a great experience: good food + attentive service. I had the wappa, which is a traditional Japanese dish cooked in special round containers made of thin wooden sheets. It comes with a salad, main dish, drink, and dessert for 1780yen. The other lunches were either 1600yen~1800yen and we thought it was a pretty good deal for the amount and quality of the food. If you are craving Japanese food in this hip town of Jiyugaoka, check out AEN :)

Address // 2-8-20, Jiyugaoka, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, Japan (map)
Phone Number // 03-5731-8251
Website // http://www.mosdining.co.jp/aen/jiyugaoka.php

Food:
Decor:
Service:
Cost: