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tokyo vlog | retro town day trip, antique market and shopping on kitchen street
In Japanese Garden

tokyo vlog | retro town day trip, antique market and shopping on kitchen street



modern tokyo is fun but it’s also nice to explore the retro towns and sift through antiques at the local flea markets!

0:00 a day trip to shibamata
15:34 biggest japanese antique market
21:38 iyoshi cola, kappabashi kitchen street

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#tokyo #japan #shopping

If you like retro Japan, this itinerary is for you! Today we’re going on a half day trip to a retro town in the outskirts of Tokyo It’s about a 30-40 minute train ride If you’d like to visit a nostalgic town in Tokyo, come explore it with us for the first time! This train still has the old-fashioned fans inside We’ve arrived! This town is famous for being the backdrop
for a movie series called “Otoko wa Tsurai yo” We personally not have seen the film but I’m sure many locals will recognise the locations Right outside the station is a bronze statue of the protagonist, Tora-san Sakura-san: the statue of Tora-san’s sister Even the Family Mart has souvenirs of a panda dressed as Tora-san Shibamata is a Showa-era retro town We will walk along the main shopping street that leads to the temple A shopping street lined with snack stalls and souvenir shops It’s quiet today because it’s a Monday Oh did I mention it’s also 34°C (92°F) in September? The famous snacks to try are mugwort dango and rice crackers Here you can watch the rice crackers being grilled Since we haven’t eaten yet, we decided not to buy snacks and get lunch instead Yabuchu is a soba restaurant located right on the shopping street If you’re lucky, you can watch them make soba in the front window There are 2 main soba set meals: The Tora-san set meal also comes with duck you cook on a grill It feels very luxurious for lunch haha The set comes with tempura, side dishes and a grilled onigiri Personally I couldn’t finish the entire set so Victor has to help me out haha At the end of the shopping street is a temple from the 17th century The first thing I noticed is the stunning pine tree The trunk grows to the sky and the branches stretch east and west
to resemble a dragon flying We will revisit the temple garden later It’s so hot we need to find shade and there’s a teahouse just down the road It’s hot man! There’s a 100 yen admission fee to enter the house and garden This garden is ranked #3 most beautiful garden in Japan Remove your shoes at the entrance The man with his head next to the fan is every tourist in Japan right now 😂 It is better to visit in the autumn if you’re planning to visit Tokyo The Phoenix Hall is a western style room used for entertaining The house is a fusion of Japanese architecture and Western furnishings With a purely Japanese garden There isn’t much to see in the house so we will have some tea Order at the counter and pick up a ticket The highlight is enjoying an iced drink with a view of the garden You can get a closer look of the garden on the balcony Alright, I think we are ready to brave the heat again 🫡 We will walk back to Shibamata Taishakuten It’s 400 yen per person to see the wood carvings and inner garden at the temple I can’t believe this is carved out of wood Behind the wood carvings is Suikei-en Garden Enjoy the gardens on the circular wooden path Hungry carp will come rushing to you expecting food 😂 At the end is a large guest house with tatami rooms for viewing Nobody asked, But the best way to find hidden gems in Japan Is by picking up the local leaflets and posters at the train station or tourism office That’s how I discovered many places in the past! Many of them will offer different walking tour “courses” to take A retro candy shop with a Showa atmosphere It’s stuffed from floor-to-ceiling in candy and cute trinkets At the back is a mini arcade with pinball machines The vending machine-turned-robot is a very clever design😂 Victor bought a Coke to support the candy shop We always love exploring a city through coffee, Unfortunately I couldn’t find any coffee shops in the area 😂 Except one cafe: It’s hard to tell if this is a cafe or museum It feels partly like a 1960’s teenage girl’s bedroom I imagine this cafe gets full quickly over the weekends Even the powder room is full of retro toys and collectibles Look at that Showa diorama inside the TV! Look at Victor’s coffee! Victor’s iced coffee has a pretty rose on it Pretty like him The pudding looks exactly like the magazine cover Already sugar high on the visuals of this cafe, but the boss gave us candy too We took a lot of photos today! It’s time to return to modern Tokyo! Every 1st and 3rd Sunday of the month, there is an antique market in Ginza It’s right next to the Tokyo International Forum (We tried to come here last year but I got the dates wrong 😂) There are around 250 stalls On this day, many vendors at the entrance are selling Western vintage items I guess these are targeted more to the local market Since many of these items can be thrifted in North America We’re looking for Showa household items and Japanese vintage ceramics We’ve never been to an antique market in Japan so it’s quite exciting! But I’m a little nervous to approach a vendor if I’m not 100% sure I’m buying 😣 These pojagi fabrics caught my eye Admiring how every vendor displays their items- it’s so pretty! Some items felt more like modern souvenirs Since it’s our first time, we really didn’t know what to expect price-wise I wanted to buy a vintage print but the ones I like are around 10,000 yen 🥹 12,500 yen Seiko clock The atmosphere here is really fun despite the heat I was quite overwhelmed both by the amount of stalls and the heat So we’re taking a break at Krispy Kreme 😂 Alright, we’re caffeinated and sugar-high After some thought, I’d like to get some vintage Boro Boro fabrics But every piece I want is around 50,000 yen I don’t want to impulse purchase so I’ll come again after doing more research! If you’re only looking for cheap items, I don’t recommend this market But if you collect vintage items or just like window shopping it is worth checking out We’ll have lunch in the food court below the market A popular udon shop that has creative seasonal dishes There is always a line but it goes by quickly This bowl of udon is massive! You can customise the noodle thickness, amount of udon “balls” and add-ons A new matcha cafe opened in Ginza but I don’t want to queue Contemplated about queuing at Bongen But decided to leave Coffee is ok Ending the night at Soup Stock because the line at Sushiro is too long 😂 Bought a little treat for myself Stopped by Harbs and picked up the seasonal cake of the month I think my tiramisu is better 😂 We met a viewer who lives in Asakusa who recommended this cafe It’s a cafe located upstairs of the shopping street A kissaten with dark, moody interiors “Weak coffee” Not for me! We’re surprised the food arrived in 20 minutes! The shape of the toast reminds me of a keyhole or mushroom The cafe is in neither Ginza or Brazil “Ginza” is where they opened their first branch and “Brazil” is where they source coffee beans Every sandwich is made from scratch when you order The toast is buttery and the pork is really tender so it’s easy to eat People watching from above Stumbled on a new Iyoshi Cola while wandering Asakusa An artisanal craft cola shop It’s named after the founder’s grandfather who used to own a medicinal herbal shop You can try their cola that’s made from scratch or canned They serve 2 flavours: Dreamy and Japan Edition Adding slices of lemon and cracked pepper Pretty syrups that make cute souvenirs or gifts (I believe you can also buy them at select shops like Today’s Special) One small bottle makes 3 glasses so it’s a good size to try! We’ll spend a lazy afternoon on Kappabashi Street Famous for its kitchenware shops for both home cooks and professional chefs A cute selection of chopstick rests But I’m happy with the ones I purchased in Hokkaido this summer! We already have a Kappabashi vlog: I’ll add a card here Today I will introduce new shops we found A brush specialty shop They have cleaning brushes to cosmetic brushes to paintbrushes Haha this is what I needed when I was cleaning the rust off of my retro fan! A shop you’ve probably seen on social media because of the tower of cookie cutters But it’s also a baking supply shop with many tools 💩💩💩 A shop that doesn’t look particularly photogenic But has a wide selection of practical kitchen tools They carry many variations of one kitchen tool so you can browse a long time We’ve been looking to replace our plastic cutting board You know you’re an adult when you get excited over colourful kitchen sponges 😂 We are buying a hinoki wood cutting board and sponges! They also have tax free for tourists! A popular shop where people purchase santoku knives But I’m looking at the trays and pots Baise has a nice collection of ceramics if you’re looking for certain brands A small cafe and roastery right on Kappabashi There are only a couple of bar seats outside It is not the most comfortable especially in the heat 😅 (Coffee is ok) Cute Zodiac soy dishes I recommend coming with a shopping list or you’ll be endlessly wandering around 😂 A ceramic shop with baskets of cups and bowls spilling out on the street Matcha bowls It’s hard to walk because the aisles are narrow but it’s fun “I have willpower… I have willpower…” I have saved the best for last (We went to Kappabashi twice and I discovered this store then) A shop specialising in woven baskets Lately I’ve been looking baskets to organise my kitchen and home cafe If I had more luggage space I would buy the larger market bags The prices vary The one in my hand is 5,000 yen But I’m sure they have something for everyone’s budget! This is the restaurant call button gacha Going to add this in our home cafe 😂 The sun sets early now A yakiniku restaurant recommended by our local friend! It also has a 3.7 tabelog rating so it’s gotta be good! The restaurant has 3 floors and we got seated after 20 minutes We love charcoal grilled yakiniku- it brings out the flavour more The pork belly was my least favourite (in my opinion) But can we have a moment for the most AMAZING skirt steak I highly recommend this one which is the special skirt steak Trying the short-rib But it was a little too fatty for us This may have been my favourite meal in Tokyo so far “Hidden gem” is an overused term but this time I can honestly say it is haha An underground mall which many people know from the movie “Perfect Days” “For a hard day’s work” 💪🏼🍺 A Showa style bar and cafe that serves both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks The whole space is drenched in neon colours, blasting city pop on the speakers There’s nostalgic arcade games outside We took a lot of photos today! Hope you guys enjoyed another Tokyo vlog!

37 Comments

  2. @SimplyK888

    @31:31 Did you have to make a reservation for Hontosaya Restaurant? It says reservation is required, but I see that you got a number to wait in line??

  3. @JM-ov7je

    Love watching your vlogs and how you guys romantacise Japan, just came back from my own Japan holiday and let me tell you I cbf to film so really appreciate the effort you guys put in!

  6. @faridaseyam9817

    A great video as always. I will be visiting Kappabashi street on my upcoming trip, but I always wonder, what do they do in earthquakes!!!

  8. @charlieb.3990

    Hello from Down Under!
    Thanks heaps to you guys for this latest Japan vlog 🙏🙏! Was hankering for the next Japan vlog and was so extremely timely that you’ve partnered with JAL & made my wish come true 🥰😍! Even better you’re visiting lesser known parts of the country 🙌 . Enjoying the journey with you & hoping for a looong partnership with JAL 😉😉❤!

  12. @ali_films

    Not sure if this question was asked or answered before but how do you decide which faces to blur in your vlogs?😂 especially in crowded public places

  17. @Jose-y5n1w

    Not much of a shopper but I loved the sound of the train tracks, the music and Sam's pretty smile. You are both very brave to soldier on through the hot weather. That cold beer must have tasted great. Thank you for the video.

  18. @SarahMarkTravel

    I’m currently editing all our vlogs from living in Japan for a year, your content is a huge inspiration!!
    I hope people can love our vlogs as much as yours one day 🙂‍↕️🫶🏻

  30. @mysecretaj5052

    I'm Japanese, and I love retro towns like Shibamata. However, Tokyo is currently undergoing redevelopment and is being turned into a city of skyscrapers. This is a global trend, and it's inevitable, but the city is becoming boring, without any individuality, just like any other city.

  37. @Bri9282

    I just returned from my 11 day trip to Japan (Tokyo & Kyoto). I’ve been all over the world and this trip was my favorite, one I had dreamed of for so long and still did not disappoint. As a coffee lover I visited a few shops you had featured in past videos and really loved them! You are right, it was so so hot! I’m having major post trip blues and am already planning trip #2. Now that I have seen the standard tourist spots I am excited to get out further and explore areas like Shibamata. More spots added to my map, thank you!

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