What Happened When I Took My Son to JAPAN: Osaka & Tokyo Top Spots & Hidden Treasures

What Happened When I Took My Son to JAPAN: Osaka & Tokyo Top Spots & Hidden Treasures

[Music] [Applause] I’m taking a break from van life for a couple of weeks and I’m traveling to one of my favorite countries, Japan. And this time I’m taking my son Jasper with me. We’ll be exploring some of the crazy fun of Japan’s mega city, Tokyo. But first, a word from our sponsor. One of the things you most need when you arrive at a new destination is connectivity. And sometimes finding that can be a hassle. You’ve just gone through immigration and baggage claim. You’re probably hot and tired. And then you have to search for a local SIM card and pay in local cash. But there’s an easier way, thanks to this week’s video sponsor, Erillo. Hello is a worldwide eim store offering connectivity in more than 200 countries and regions. Simply download the app, select the country you’re traveling to and the data package that best suits you. Install and you’re connected the moment you touch down. Instantly book a taxi, find your way around, let mom know that you’ve arrived safely without the hassle and high roaming bills. It’s all digital so there’s no messing about with fiddly SIM cards. Install Aerero free today so you can stay connected whenever you travel and use my code let’s go three to get $3 off your first e SIM. There’s a link in the description or use the QR code to download the app. I use Aerillo whenever I’m overseas here in Japan. Instant connectivity helps me easily navigate the train system and get to my hotel quickly and safely. So download Aerolo and use my code let’s go three for $3 off your first eim. Let’s get back to Japan. Good morning. First day in Japan. Didn’t get off to the best start last night. Bar J whacked his head on the bunk bed there and uh split his head open. So, at 1:00 in the morning, we were rushing down to the local convenience store, trying to find something to stem the flow of blood. Had to improvise with toilet paper and band-aids. This is the offending weapon. Those edges are uh pretty brutal. Jasper was in need of a hat, and I knew exactly where to go. Donote is a store that has pretty much everything from clothes and toys to kimonos, medicine, every conceivable flavor of KitKat. They even have a naughty section. Can’t really show you too much cuz I like to keep it G-rated, but covers all bases. I got a hat. Samurai picture. Boom. First stop, get some breakfast local style. So, we’re starting this trip in Asaka, and that’s known for two foods, economyaki and taki yam. Takiyaki. I’ll get it right one day. Takiyaki is a ball with octopus in it. Basically a bowl with a soupy kind of substance and octopus. They’re really tasty. I’ve had them before, but they can be really super hot inside. Jeff is going to try it for the first time. So bad at chopsticks. [Music] Very hot. It’s so hot. He’s tearing up. Good though. Yeah. Thumbs up. And I went for the economy. It’s great. It’s basically a pancake, but a savory pancake. And sometimes the fillings can have veggies, fish, whatever. Um, I’m not sure what this one’s got. It’s tasty. [Music] So, we’re starting our Japanese trip in Osaka. So, we we’re actually staying in Shinskai, which is a really cool retro kind of funky area part of Osaka. And it’s got the Tusen S. I can’t remember. It’s got the Big Bluy Tower. If you’re not sure what to order because the menus are in Japanese, that’s okay. They have plastic versions outside. Just point to what you want. These are so lifelike and incredible. [Music] [Applause] I heard that Japan is hot in summer. I can confirm Japan is really hot in summer. It’s 35° about 80% humidity. We’re dying. We walk down the street 5 minutes and just turn into buckets of sweat. Thankfully, there are vending machines with cool drinks absolutely everywhere. Just tastes like Japanese Mountain Dew. It’s good though. [Music] This is the Japan I really like. Over the top, crazy and colorful [Music] and Shinskai really comes alive at night time. Say a pray for me. You’re all a trolley [Music] obsessed with gacha machines. Just little figurines. It’s like Kinder Surprise without the chocolate. [Music] How do I open this? And who have we got? What have we got? Gear five. That. Check that out. I don’t know who this is. It’s pretty sweet, though. And of course, we had to stop by Saka’s Studio Gibli shop, bringing back memories of Jasper’s childhood. [Music] The liveliest part of a saka is doen buri. I love Japan. I love the chaos and the color in doten buri. It’s fun. [Music] [Music] [Music] a couple of days in Aaka, then it was on to Tokyo. Okay, we’re about to catch your first bullet train. How do you feel about that, Jess? I’m excited. Uh if you want to know about bullet trains, Brad Pit will be there or um Fad Bunny. So yeah, and the random snack thing. We don’t know what we’re grabbing. Adventures in Japan. We got on the wrong platform. We got on the right platform just as the train was leaving. Just missed our train to Tokyo. [Music] We got on another train, but non reserved and it was a dash and I’m really hot and sweating buckets, but we should get to Tokyo. [Music] Well, that was an adventure. We’ve made it to Tokyo. We’re just on our way to accommodation. It’s very hot, very humid. Lots of humidity. 100% humidity, Jess. Yeah, we’re currently underwater swimming in the sea through Japan. [Music] How can you have 100% unless you’re underwater? Wow. Thunder and lightning. It’s starting to rain. Welcome to Tokyo. Can you hear that? Oh my god. Now they only got one of us. I guess that explains the 100% humidity. So, we’re following Google Maps to try and find the apartment that we booked. And so far, we’ve done three laps of the railway station. And I’m not sure we’re getting any closer. It’s very confusing. Google Maps, for some reason, not liking the narrow streets. Maybe it’s the buildings. Maybe it’s the storm that I keeps leading us astray and I can’t tell now what’s sweat and what’s rain. Okay, we found our apartment. We got drenched so I had to get changed and everything. Um, basically we’ll rent this apartment for about 5 nights. So, this will be our base home base while we’re in Tokyo. I’ll give you a quick look. It’s messy already. We’ve messed it up. Cool. Comes with two bedrooms. Um, it’s got a washing machine, which we really need cuz we need to wash everything and dry everything. And Jasper being a water baby always, even though he’s a big guy now, loves a bath. So, the first thing he does is run a bath. So, that’s home base. That’s where we’re staying. Over the next few days, we’ll get out and explore some Tokyo. Well, that was a crazy travel day. We stupidly went to the wrong platform by the time we realized we dashed and just missed that bullet train. And um so we had to figure out what to do. And while we were figuring that out, we realized that we’d actually dropped one of our tickets. So we had to run back and scour the station and find that. And then eventually got on a different bullet train. got here to Tokyo and was greeted by a thunderstorm and we got soaked through. But now we’re in a little restaurant and we’ve got ramen for the first time in Tokyo, so life is good. I know the bar is pretty low living in Australia, but this has got to be the best ramen I’ve ever had. [Music] steaming hot ramen. Yes. [Music] Right. First stop was a very Japanese experience. A robot cafe. [Music] The robots’s taking over very slowly. [Music] I think we just have to follow the robot. At Peppa Parlor, they have robot waiters and entertainment. These little guys will dance for you, chat, and play games. Thank you very much, robot. And then we had a robot host. [Music] and the robot band. I’m not sure. [Music] So, this is our waiter. We’re going to call him Jimmy. Hi, Jimmy. Oh, English. There you go. English. I thought you going to high five me then. Chat, dance. English. Can we chat? I don’t know what’s happening. I’ll hit dance. See what happens. [Music] This is so stupid. Thank you. That was really cool. Yeah. Good high five. High five. Dancing. Oh, he’s still dancing. Wow. You’re expressive. [Music] Okay, I’ll press chat. What happens in English? Sounds like you’re able to charge your device. How do you usually capture your favorite moments? I capture my favorite moments with my GoPro and with my iPhone. Using your iPhone to capture moments was great. What’s your favorite memory you’ve recorded so far? Well, it would definitely be you. That’s so sweet of you to say. What do you like most about our conversations? That you speak very good English. Thank you for the compliment. [Music] Is there anything specific you’d like to talk about or learn? At the moment, I’d like to eat my strawberry pancake, if that’s okay. Strawberry pancakes sound delicious. Do you have a favorite place to enjoy them? Uh, do I have a favorite place to enjoy them? Um, right here at Peppa Har. It’s wonderful to have a favorite spot. Like, what do you love most about dining here? Does this ever end? Is this chat going to go forever? I need to eat. Strawberry pancakes served by robots. Well, I don’t think the robots’s going to take over in a hurry. They’re cute, though. [Music] So, we’ve come to this mega shopping center in Ikaka um because we want to fulfill 8-year-old Jasper’s dream. When Jasper was eight, he always wanted to come to Japan and see Pokémon. So, we’re coming to a Pokémon mega store. 10 years too late, but we’re doing it. The Pokémon Center is free to enter. It’s filled with Pokémon toys, snacks, even a kettle. [Music] The best way to get around is to use the Tokyo Metro system. Download a squeaker card and a T app or wallet and then tap on tap off as you move around the city. Welcome to Shinjuku station. This is the world’s busiest train station. Every day, more than 3 million people pass through here. And I think they’re all here right now at the same time. [Music] Shinjuku is the beating heart of Tokyo. This is the entertainment district. It’s lit up like Christmas. It’s filled with people. It’s crazy. It’s fun. [Music] And we’re on a mission, not just to see the pretty lights, but to see one of Japan’s most famous exports, Godzilla. And also in Shinjuku, you’ll find Japan’s other most famous export, King Kong. I love how they just totally embrace pop culture in Japan. It’s very cool and a lot of fun. It’s filled with light and color and massive buildings, but there’s also these tiny little alleyways filled with bars and restaurants. Locally, they called Isizakaya. Basically, just a really simple bar. You go in, have a a bite to eat, a small dish, a beer, and then you move on to the next bar. [Music] Heat. Heat. N. [Music] But Tokyo is not only about bright lights, big city vibes. There are some beautiful calm parts of this city. Now, a lot of tourists go to Kyoto for those famous scenario gates, the red red Tory gates, the whole tunnel of them. But you don’t have to go that far. There’s actually some here in Tokyo in Kokai Kijito. I think I said that right. That’s where we’re going now. The H shrine in Akasaka is a beautiful oasis of calm and peace. [Music] And nearby is a Toya Anali, a shrine devoted to foxes. [Music] praying at this shrine can bring you prosperity, health, and happiness in love. [Music] But one of the most important temples in Tokyo is Sensoji in Asakusa. This is a temple from the 7th century. Beautiful Buddhist temple. Very busy on a Sunday though. This is one of the oldest temples in all of Tokyo. And to get to the temple, you have to run the gauntlet of this little laneway filled with shops. and gazillions of people. The temple complex was built in the year 645. It was damaged during the Second World War, so parts of it were rebuilt after that. It’s a beautiful spot for praying. Um, I don’t know personally how spiritual it feels when there’s 10,000 people here all taking selfies. It is absolutely madness. I believe the temple’s open 24 hours. So, if you want to come away from the crowds, get here early or come in the evening. But right now, it’s the middle of the day is probably the busiest time. [Music] Okay, we made it to Shabuya and we’ve got to do that thing that everybody does if you come to Tokyo. Go across the scramble crossing. Something like 3 million people cross this road every single day. All right, here we go. region. [Music] I think nothing says Tokyo but Lake Shibui crossing. And when it’s raining or umbrellas are up, it’s a higher level of difficulty. But if you come to Tokyo, you definitely just have to This is one of the things you have to do, right? So, here we are. We made it across. We’re alive. High five, Jeff. Shibuya is another lively, fun part of Tokyo, but it really shines at night time. [Music] Heat. Heat. N. [Music] Today we’ve come to the Akahabada part of Tokyo. This area is known as Electric Town. It’s known for its manga, anime, and electronics. And there are plenty of made cafes around here, too. Personally, I don’t get the whole maid thing, but Somebody obviously does in Japan cuz there are plenty of them. And there are lots of tarts out here handing out little leaflets encouraging you to go into their made cafe, but none of them want to be filmed. So that’s fine. I’ll respect that. This is the part of town you come to for anime and manga books and figurines and even to get your old cassette recorder fixed. [Music] Oh, and apparently naughty anime. We won’t be going in there. [Music] It’s a fun part of the city to explore, and Jess even came back with some figurines, so that made him happy. Tokyo is a big mad modern city full of color and culture. It’s where you’ll find modern convenience and robots. But turn the corner and there are still traditional celebrations. I’ve really enjoyed my time in Tokyo. Thanks so much for watching. Catch you in the next video. So we’re starting this trip in Asaka. And in Asaka, it’s known for two famous foods. Economy and taky. That’s a blooper. So we come to a mega mall, Sunshine City, in Ikab Ikakura. So we’ve come to a mega mall in Iikakura. Iikakura. Thank you. Now, a lot of people go to I’m trying to remember two names at the same time, and it’s not working. [Music] [Music] Say a praying. [Music]

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I’m back in Japan for a few weeks as I take a break from van life. And this time I’ve brought along my son. Together we explore Osaka and Tokyo, hitting the best spot and its hidden treasures.