Jimbochō is Tokyo’s last refuge for deep attention — a neighborhood where aging paper, century-old bookstores, kissaten, and curry houses push back against an eight-second world. Wandering its alleys becomes an act of resistance: a deliberate reclaiming of the mind from algorithms. From Saboru’s Showa charm to Bondy’s legendary curry and the quiet glow of Kanda Myōjin, Jimbochō reminds travelers how to think — and feel — again.

Discover Tokyo’s finest French restaurants with MK’s curated guide to the city’s top Michelin-starred temples of haute cuisine, contemporary brasseries, and elegant neighborhood bistros. From refined tasting menus and iconic institutions to modern French-Japanese expressions, this list captures the city’s cosmopolitan spirit and its devotion to flavor, texture, and craft.

Discover Tokyo’s best sushi with MK’s curated guide to the city’s top omakase counters, Edomae classics, premium conveyor-belt experiences, and neighborhood favorites. From Michelin-starred sanctuaries to hidden gems, these restaurants showcase the craftsmanship, seasonality, and quiet mastery that define Tokyo’s sushi culture.

Ginza Tenryu draws long lines for a reason. Hidden on the fourth floor of a plain Ginza building, this iconic restaurant serves giant, garlic-free gyoza that are so juicy and quick to serve, it feels like they’re on tap. Inside, Beijing-style favorites—from tsubuta to ebi-chili—are perfected to their ideal form. Tenryu doesn’t just serve Chinese food; it raises the bar and resets expectations.

Hidden inside Tokyo Station’s vast network of halls and underground passages are some of the city’s most memorable dining spots. From legendary tsukemen and charcoal-grilled unagi to elegant wagashi, modern Chinese cuisine, and plant-based ramen, these ten restaurants capture the flavor and spirit of Japan’s busiest transit hub. A guide to quiet luxury, everyday comfort, and destination-worthy dishes beneath the station’s red-brick facade.

Beneath the chaos of Tokyo Station lies Tokyo Ramen Street — eight legendary ramen shops packed into a single hallway. What started in 2009 has become a pilgrimage spot for office workers, ramen lovers, and Shinkansen travelers seeking one perfect bowl before their train departs. Follow the aroma through the maze, pick a shop, press a button, and let Tokyo’s underground ramen hub unveil itself.

On Fukuoka’s western coast, Itoshima’s cafés unfold like a peaceful journey — from sea to mountain, from flavor to tranquility. Sip coffee by the waves, enjoy farm-fresh sweets outdoors, and finish with matcha in a moss garden. These 11 cafés embody the spirit of Japan’s slow life, where every cup, view, and moment reflects a gentle harmony between nature and craft.

On Itoshima’s coast, seawater is turned into sacred salt through sun, wind, and prayer. At Kobo Tottan Saltworks, patience produces the famed Hana Shio Pudding — creamy custard topped with crystals from the Genkai Sea. Each spoonful is a quiet revelation: the taste of creation itself, where human craftsmanship meets divine rhythm.

Often dismissed as “boring,” Nagoya hides its brilliance in plain sight. In Naka Ward—the city’s beating heart—history, craftsmanship, and nightlife converge. From the gold-crested towers of Nagoya Castle to the neon pulse of Sakae and the timeless calm of Osu Kannon, this is Japan unfiltered: industrious, genuine, and alive. MK reveals the real Nagoya—bold, grounded, and unforgettable.

Born from Tokyo’s postwar black market, Ame-Yokocho still buzzes with grit and charm. Beneath the JR Ueno tracks, hawkers shout, lanterns flicker, and the air mixes grilled squid with nostalgia. Rough, loud, and lively—Ame-Yoko is the Tokyo that never sold out, where authenticity flourishes amid the chaos.

Sapporo’s Chūō Ward is the city’s core—Odori’s green corridor, red-brick Akarenga, observatories overlooking night lights, and markets filled with crab, uni, and steaming miso ramen. Explore shrines, ride ropeways, enjoy jingisukan fresh off the grill, and relax in an urban ryokan. MK’s guide takes you to the best spots—quietly, precisely, deliciously.

Kobe’s Chūō Ward is the city’s cosmopolitan core, where harborfront icons meet hillside shrines and world-class dining. Walk Meriken Park’s open waterfront, ride the Nunobiki Ropeway into green calm, and taste the legend of Kobe beef in steakhouses that perfected marbled flavor. From Nankinmachi’s lantern-lit lanes to intimate cocktail bars and museums designed by masters, Chūō Ward carries Kobe’s story in every view, flavor, and quiet corner.

Osaka’s Chūō Ward distills the city’s contradictions into nine square kilometers—history at Osaka Castle, neon in Dotonbori, commerce in Shinsaibashi. Here Michelin dining meets takoyaki stalls, and boutique hotels rise over smoky izakaya. MK Travel guides you through the heart of Osaka: where to eat, drink, stay, and wander in a district that is at once chaotic, charismatic, and endlessly alive.

Higashiyama Ward is Kyoto distilled—a living watercolor of stone lanes, willow-shaded riversides, and lantern-lit teahouses. Spared wartime destruction and preserved as Japan’s cultural ambassador, it anchors the nation’s past while Tokyo races toward the future. From World Heritage temples to discreet kaiseki kitchens, Higashiyama offers subtlety, depth, and immersion. Let MK guide you beyond the crowds into Kyoto’s most elegant and enduring heart.

Shinjuku is Tokyo’s beating heart—a district where neon streets, hidden bars, and tranquil gardens collide. From cherry blossoms at Shinjuku Gyoen to panoramic views at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, smoky yokochō alleys, Golden Gai nightlife, and luxury hotels, this guide covers it all. Discover where to eat, drink, shop, and stay with MK’s curated picks, offering the authentic side of Shinjuku beyond the crowds.

Koko-en Garden, beside Himeji Castle, unfolds across nine Edo-style landscapes where koi glide beneath bridges, waterfalls murmur, and seasonal flowers bloom. Built in 1992 on the site of the castle’s former samurai residence, it blends teahouses, Tsuji-bei walls, and Kassui-ken restaurant into a setting that feels timeless. Whether under spring blossoms or autumn flames, Koko-en offers a refuge where the past guides the present.

Osaka is Japan’s kitchen, and Naniwa is its beating heart. MK’s Foodie Course weaves you through Shinsaibashi’s neon arcades, Dotonbori’s carnival chaos, Nipponbashi’s pop-culture streets, and Shinsekai’s retro skewers. More than a food tour, it's a plunge into history, humor, and character—made effortless with MK.

Nipponbashi in Osaka, often mistaken for Tokyo’s Nihonbashi, has transformed from an Edo-era commerce hub to Den Den Town, one of Japan’s three electronics meccas. Today, it thrives as Osaka’s Akihabara, a neon-lit center of anime, manga, and nostalgia, balanced by nearby Kuromon Market and Doguyasuji. A bridge in every sense, Nipponbashi links past and present while carrying Japan’s pop culture to the world.

Hidden behind Jimbocho’s bookstores, Bondy Curry is the legendary birthplace of Tokyo’s European-style curry. Founded in 1973 by Koichi Murata, an artist turned chef inspired by French brown sauces, Bondy set the standard for Jimbocho’s rise as “curry town.” Expect steaming potatoes with house butter, rich beef curry with a hint of fruit, and a line of devotees winding through the Showa-era stairwell.

Just off Shinjuku Sanchome’s C5 exit, Chakura Curry Tokyo is a hidden six-seat counter operated by a solo chef with a talent for soulful, spice-rich dishes. Coconut shrimp, mango chutney, turmeric rice, and pickled beets come together in a dish that defies genres and sparks wanderlust and quiet introspection. With self-serve sparkling water and posters encouraging travel around the world, this unassuming second-floor spot attracts Tokyo’s in-the-know creatives for good reason