In our Perfect Days column, we ask notable Tokyoites to share how they’d spend an ideal day in their home city.
Originally from Canada, Kristine Fel — or k.fel — moved to Japan in 2024, where she has since made a career out of documenting her travels, her endless side quests and her love of anime and pop culture. She is currently on a mission to visit all 47 prefectures; in the meantime, here’s how she’d spend a perfect day in Tokyo.
My perfect day in Tokyo is …
As a sweet-treat-motivated gal in Tokyo, my ideal morning would begin at Swallow in Sangenjaya, where I’d get the special cinnamon latte (with oat milk for all my lactose-intolerant baddies) and a tuna salad bagel.
I’d spend the rest of the daytime perusing shops around town for anime goods — Suruga-ya in Shinjuku for the most elite selection of secondhand merch, Animate Ikebukuro for any new item releases or manga and, if there’s time, The Jump Shop in Jimbocho for limited-edition goods.
For lunch, I’d make my way to the original otaku holy land of Akihabara to eat a hamburger steak omurice at Kanda Tamagoken. One of my VTuber friends took me here last year because the entire location is decked out in oshikatsu goods for various indie VTubers and anime characters, which I love. Since it also serves some of the best omurice I’ve ever had, it’s just a perfect meal all around.
I would end my day off dancing with friends at an Amakuchi party, which happens once a month at various venues. Amakuchi is a Japan-based artist collective that hosts events bridging the worlds of art, music and anime. Each event typically involves some kind of artist alley for local artists to sell their original goods and/or a DJ playing some banger anisong remixes. I highly recommend Amakuchi events if you’re interested in the local art or anime scenes, or if you want to meet other creatives!
Tokyo’s best-kept secret is …
Todoroki Ravine! This quaint, nature-filled valley is tucked away in a more residential area of Tokyo, toward the Tama River. It has lots of lush greenery, as well as a beautiful Japanese tea garden equipped with its own bamboo forest and yuzu orchard. It’s hard to believe such a sizable oasis exists in the middle of Tokyo, so I often come here when I need to log off and touch some grass (literally).
There’s also Todoroki Fudoson Temple, located at the end of the ravine trail. It is home to a wide array of flowers that vary in bloom depending on the season. I especially recommend hydrangea season in June and kawazu cherry blossom season in late January and early February!
A place I’ve always wanted to try is …
Apparently, there’s a bar near Nakano Broadway called JoJo-Style Bar Dio that’s a JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure fan’s dream. Think floor-to-ceiling decor, themed food and drinks (served with matching figures) and ultra-rare Shonen Jump volumes displayed all around. I’m waiting until I finally get around to finishing the series so that I can truly appreciate and relish the experience.
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Follow Kristine on Instagram at @k.fel.
