Other Notable Restaurants in Tokyo

Ginza Steak - Ginza (Tennpanyaki steak restaurant that has an all-you-can-eat A5 Waguy lunch set for 5800 yen, book ahead online!)
Coco Ichibanya (Coco Curry House, a chain restaurant that serves Japanese curry and rice dishes. You can find them all over the place and it is one of my favourite places to get dinner when I first arrive in Japan)
Tonkatsu Marugo - Akihabara (Pork cutlet restaurant, line up early so you don’t miss out!)
Ichiran Ramen (Chain ramen restaurant that originated in Hakata from Fukuoka that has expanded across the country and even to the United States. One of the only ramen shops that allows you to completely customize your ramen to your taste. But I do recommend you try their normal ramen before making any changes of your own.)
Gyoza no Fukuho - Shinjuku (Pork dumpling restaurant, a great place to share a plate of gyoza at night in Shinjuku)

List of my favourite coffee shops in Tokyo!

Onibus - Tokyo (Nakameguro/Yakumo/Okusawa)
Sniite - Tokyo (Shimouma, Setagaya)
Koffee Mameya - Tokyo (Harajuku)
Fuglen - Tokyo (Asakusa/Shibuya)
Glitch Coffee - Tokyo (Kanda)
Coffee Stand Swamp - Tokyo (Shinjuku)

Useful Knowledge and Tips!

Japan is a cash based society. You will rarely find restaurants or stores that accept credit cards. I take out 30,000 yen (roughly $300) at before I leave and any time I need to take more money out I will go to any 711 and use their ATM. The only downside to this is with my bank (RBC) is I get charged a $5 international bank fee every foreign transaction, so I try to limit the amount of times I need to take out money during my trip.
Speaking of 7/11, convenience stores for the most part are open 24/7. Family Mart and 711 are my two favourites. I was surprised with how good the quality of food was and how amazing the variety of fresh foods you can get. 711 tends to have a larger selection but Family Mart has a bit better quality of products and snacks. Onigiri (rice balls ) are a great snack with tons of different flavours and fillings. I enjoy getting an onigiri and some sort of baked good for breakfast to start the day.
It is known to be rude to eat and walk at the same time in Japan. It’s also not good to snack on public transit either. So try to either bring your snacks to a park or eat them in front of the convenience store since you will be able to dispose of your garbage there. Garbage cans are surprisingly hard to come by in most of Japan and you can usually garbage and recycling bins out front or inside a convenience store or at train stations.
When you arrive at the airport get either a Suica or Passmo card. It is similar to a Presto card that you can load money onto, but you can use it for more than just public transit. For example, you can use it to pay at convenience stores as well as use it at vending machines. I tend to load 10,000 yen ($100) when I arrive and that lasts most of the trip. There are kiosks at all train stations/subway stations where you can add money to your card if you run out.
Don’t pay for roaming or get a SIM card, rent a pocket wifi. If you don’t plan on making phone calls and just want to be connected to the internet (which I recommend because Google Maps is your best friend in Japan) rent a pocket wifi for the duration of your trip. I go with https://www.japan-wireless.com/en/rates You can pick it up at Haneda or Narita airport when you arrive and then you mail it back to them from the airport at the end of your trip. They are the only company I found that has unlimited data usage and I’ve used it twice so far.
Public transit is amazing. If you have the rail pass you are able to use any JR train line for free as it is included in your pass. But don’t be afraid to use other Tokyo train lines if it is more convenient. On all trains, they display each stop in Japanese, Korean, Chinese, and in English so it is easy to know which stop to get off at. There are also screens above each door that indicate where you are just like on the TTC. There is no need to use a taxi as they are incredibly expensive. Google Maps is your friend and will help guide you to the train stations and is incredibly accurate with train times. It’s polite to be quiet on trains so refrain from talking loudly.
If you plan on travelling outside of Tokyo to more than one other city definitely get the Japan Rail Pass. It allows you to book Shinkansen tickets as well as use it on all JR subway and local train lines. They come in 1, 2, and 3 week long passes. I find visiting Japan for three weeks is the perfect amount of time to cover many different cities as well as getting a good use out of the JR rail pass. I usually go with the 2 week green car (1st class) pass because it allows me to book my tickets in advance, so I recommend that you reserve your seats at any train station when you arrive if you know when you will be using the Shinkansen when leaving Tokyo. I purchase mine on Japan Rail Pass.
Tipping isn’t a thing in Japan. More often you will see seat/table charges or a fee to enter some restaurants and bars for around 500yen, but it can vary.

Kinkaku-Ji Temple

**Kinkaku-ji** (金閣寺, Golden Pavilion) is a Zen temple in northern Kyoto whose top two floors are completely covered in gold leaf. Formally known as Rokuonji, the temple was the retirement villa of the shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, and according to his will it became a Zen temple of the Rinzai sect after his death in 1408.

Bronica ETR - Kyoto - 11.13.2019 - 3.jpg — Fushimi Inari Taisha

**Fushimi Inari Taisha** is a mountainside Shinto shrine dating from 711 A.D. featuring a path with hundreds of traditional gates that run up to the top of Inariyama with many other shrines on the way.
The torii gates along the entire trail are donations by individuals and companies, and you will find the name and the date of the donation inscribed on the back of each gate.
I recommend getting here early in the morning just after sunrise and making the hike up the mountain before the crowds build up.

Bronica ETR - Kyoto - 11.16.2019 - 3.jpg — Kiyomizu-Dera

Historic Buddhist temple, amazing in fall with the change of maple leaves. Lovely place to visit at sunset and watch the sun fall behind the mountains on the other side of Kyoto.
I like to make my way from Yasaka shrine through the streets of Higashiyama passing by Hōkan-ji Temple to get to Kiyomizu-dera at sunset.
**Coffee Recommendation**
- **%Arabica Coffee** **(Higashiyama)** - Great coffee with the perfect view of Hōkan-ji Temple

Bronica ETR - Kyoto - 11.12.2019 - 3.jpg — Arashiyama

Known for the bamboo forest and **Tenryuji Temple**. The bamboo grove forest gets incredibly crowded around noon, so I find it is nice to visit the bamboo grove just before sunrise and then hike my way up to the **Iwatayama Monkey Park** to be there when they feed the monkeys.
**Coffee Recommendation**
- **%Arabica Coffee** **(Arashiyama)** - Another location across the city that specializes with espresso based drinks only. Their iced lattes are fantastic

Bronica ETR - Kyoto - 11.16.2019 - 4.jpg — Other Notable Places to Visit

**Yasaka Shrine** - Shinto shrine erected in 656 A.D. and is home to one of the most famous festivals in Japan.
**Hōkan-ji Temple** - Picturesque 5-story Buddhist pagoda temple
**Nishiki Market** - 400-year-old iconic market studded with stalls and shops
**Pontocho Alley** - One of Kyoto's most atmospheric dining areas. It is a narrow alley one block west of Kamogawa River. The alley is packed with restaurants on both sides offering a wide range of dining options from inexpensive yakitori to traditional and modern Kyoto cuisine

Kyoto Restaurant Recommendations

Ramen Miyako (Gion) - Amazing selection of ramen. Try to get there early as they sell out of their popular pork belly ramen!
Karaage from Umeshin - Tasty Karaage stall near Nishiki Market!
Kurasu Coffee - Kyoto (Kyoto Station) - They have a few locations in Kyoto, but the one I frequently visited was just west of the train station.
Weekenders Coffee - Kyoto (Nishiki Market) - small little coffee shop near Nishiki market. Great coffee and I recommend getting whatever Ethiopian coffee they have
Style Coffee - Kyoto (North) - A little farther north in Kyoto near the Imperial Palace.

I’ll be honest, I’m not too fond of Osaka. When I am in the Kansai region I enjoy spending most of my time in Kyoto with day trips to Nara and going to Osaka for lunch or dinner. The JR Thunderbird is a rapid train that only takes 30 minutes to travel between Osaka and Kyoto which is available to use if you have a JR pass so it is incredibly convenient to travel between those cities. I recommend checking google maps to see what times the Thunderbird leaves at and just head to the station half an hour before hand. Plus if you have a green pass you can book reserve your seats.