Tokyo Beyond the Usual | 3 Days of Architecture, Antique Market, Art & Local Finds | JAPAN VLOG

Tokyo Beyond the Usual | 3 Days of Architecture, Antique Market, Art & Local Finds | JAPAN VLOG

Hello everyone, this week I’m bringing you to less-travelled parts of Tokyo We start our day in Kichijoji, but we’re going to head further west This is one of my favourite coffee shops in the area On a sunny day, you can sit outside and people-watch It’s a specialty coffee shop with a team that’s passionate about coffee They also serve a small menu of snacks to accompany your drinks Their coffee is single-origin rather than blended Today we’re going to visit a rather special museum, one that you can’t visit when it’s raining It’s a 13 minute train journey from Kichijoji to Musashi-Koganei Station Then a 5 minute bus ride to Koganei Park where the museum is located As the name suggests, it’s an open-air museum Tokyo has surprisingly few historical buildings, unlike Kyoto or Kanazawa Fires, earthquakes, and World War II bombings destroyed most of them The government decided to preserve some of these buildings by relocating them here You’ll find around 30 restored buildings, ranging from the Edo period to the Showa era What amazes me is that these aren’t replicas They’re real buildings that were dismantled, moved, and reconstructed Strolling through these streets really brings the past to life This is a traditional Tokyo bathhouse from the 1920s It’s said that this was one of the inspirations for the bathhouse design in Spirited Away Although a lot of places in Japan have made the same claim The bathhouse has high ceilings that feels airy and comfortable There’s a similar bathhouse that’s still in use called Kosugi-yu in Koenji I visited it in my Tokyo west neighbourhood video if you’re interested But this one is more ornately decorated This is a bar that used to be on Kototoi Street, built in 1856 So this is what the inside of a bar looked like 170 years ago In fact, it looks a lot like some of the shops we still see in rural Japan today This is an Oil-Paper Umbrella Wholesale store from the 1930s A soy sauce shop from the 1930s Packaging used to be prettier back then You used to be able to see streetcars like this in Shibuya in the 1960s This is a household goods store from the 1920s The second floor is covered with these beautifully arranged copper plates A stationery shop from the Meiji era and a flower shop from the Showa era Besides shops, they also have reconstructed residences from different eras This was the house of Kunio Mayekawa, one of Japan’s most notable modern architects This house was built in 1942, yet it feels incredibly timeless It looks like it could still be someone’s home today & wouldn’t feel out of place This is the farmhouse of the Yoshino family in the Edo period (from the 1600s) It features a thatched roof How they used to warm up the interior of a house I really enjoyed the museum, it’s like stepping inside a time capsule You can easily spend around 2 hours here Let’s head into central Tokyo Soup Stock is always my go-to for a quick and hearty meal The whole thing was 1250 yen (around 8 USD) Let’s visit a temple that offers a view of Tokyo Tower as well You can already spot the tower behind these trees Unfortunately the gate is under maintenance, at least they put a pretty scaffolding over it It’s a spot where tradition and modernity blend I’ve been travelling on my own lately & I love the freedom to follow my own pace But sometimes when I see groups of friends together, I can’t help feeling a bit lonely Today is the 3rd Sunday of the month That means the Oedo Antique market will be on today It’s Japan’s largest outdoor antique market, and it’s free to enter The closest station to it is Tokyo Station So let’s have breakfast there before going to the market This quaint cafe is located right under Tokyo station The interior has a retro feel with all the wooden furnishings They serve siphon coffee too I got their breakfast set for 700 yen (around 4.5 USD) It comes with a drink so I got my favourite Royal Milk Tea This market sells a wide variety of antique and vintage items From traditional Japanese pieces… To international pieces Like most antique markets, it’s like a treasure hunt There are about 250 dealers so you’re spoilt for choice The prices are generally on the high side But even if you’re not buying anything, it’s quite fun and interesting to browse The items are usually arranged beautifully It’s like a flat-lay paradise Just look at all these tiny items These are traditional family crests, used to represent clans and lineages This beautiful silver bag caught my eye but I didn’t buy it Kimono sashes and belts Vintage toys A little girl bought the Betty Boop More beautiful flat lays I want one There were also many items from Europe and the UK Even badges from USSR Let’s go get lunch at a famous curry spot It’s 8 minutes to Jimbocho, Tokyo’s ‘book town’ Curry Bondy is a famous curry shop since 1973 It won the Kanda Curry Grand Prix in 2021! Long queues are to be expected 1 hour is around the average wait time The curry comes with boiled potatoes and a chunk of butter The rice is cooked in European-style bouillon stock and topped with Gouda cheese They have different meats for their curry but the flagship is beef There’s a variety of pickled side dishes to accompany your curry The curry jug is so cute There’s nothing special about the potatoes, but I love butter so I enjoyed it The curry I have to say is pretty delicious The beef was juicy and tender, and the flavour blends beautifully with the rice and cheese The pickled vegetables opens up your appetite too There’s lots and lots of bookstores in the neighbourhood of Jimbocho Bookshelves extend beyond the doorways, turning the streets into open-air libraries It’s a great area to browse for rare books and vintage maps & stop by at one of their many book cafes You know I love whimsical things like this I really enjoyed this vintage print Japanese fairytale book The drawings are so beautiful There’s actually quite a few jazz cafes in this area too The one I wanted to check out is hidden in one of these alleyways Even in this overcast day, the blue exterior stands out There’s a little window for takeaways I like it already, let’s head in Like a typical jazz cafe, the space is lined with records and CDs Even the bathroom has a speaker They use records sleeves to hold their menu, so creative My chai latte came in a beautiful floral cup I heard the cheesecake here is good too! But I’m too full from the curry If you do come here, maybe you can try it for me 🙂 It’s a cloudy and rainy day today The weather hasn’t been the best lately But that means today will be filled with cozy and warm activities 🙂 Rainy days = museum hopping The museum is set inside a historic 1930s Art Deco residence that once belonged to Prince Asaka It hosts rotating exhibitions that are usually design-focused or architectural This month, it’s a Van Cleef & Arpels exhibition I can’t film the exhibition itself, but I can show you the gardens There’s a beautiful cafe attached to it, let’s check it out after I think the garden is worth checking out even if you’re not going inside the museum Especially in autumn when the foliage shifts into a beautiful mix of colours It’s a stylish cafe With an interesting roof design that allows a lot of natural light in The outdoor terrace will be perfect during sunny days I got a sandwich bento box for 1550 yen (around 9.90 USD) It comes with a hot drink of your choice It’s a little pricey for the amount of food you get, but you come here more for the ambience Here are some of the pieces displayed at the exhibition Off to the next museum The museum is the brainchild of fashion designer Issey Miyake & the building is designed by renowned architect Tadao Ando A harmonious blend of concrete and glass The space itself is almost meditative Today’s exhibition explores natural disasters and the ways Japan prepares for them I enjoyed reading the various local old wives’ tales It’s a bit like an elegant version of doomsday preppers Should we each get ourselves a ‘Final Home’? We are going to end the day with a relaxing soak at the onsen The onsen package comes with access to their beautiful tea room A drink and a small bite is included I got a hot ginger drink to warm up & a roasted green tea pudding with soybean flour mousse (Can’t film inside the onsen) Let’s see what today’s post-bathing snack is It’s a green tea/red bean monaka which was surprisingly delicious The chef used to work at a Michelin-starred restaurant before opening this place It’s set up like a bar and primarily serves small plates Eggplant and sesame tofu Hojicha buttercream and fruit bruschetta (so good!) Wood ear mushroom with pork shumai Mapo tofu with homemade chilli oil Every single dish I ordered was delicious Each dish had a unique twist, even something as simple as fried chicken A hidden gem that I would recommend Well that’s it for today, thank you for joining me!

Join me for 3 days exploring Tokyo beyond the usual tourist spots! From historic architecture at the Edo-Tokyo Open Air Museum, art exhibitions at Teien Art Museum and 21_21 Design Sight, to local cafes, antique markets, and neighbourhood bookstores. Discover the quieter, cultural side of the city.

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Places mentioned
LIGHT UP COFFEE https://maps.app.goo.gl/7m3zJUs8KGtarP5J7
Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum https://maps.app.goo.gl/8JdhkJ2fU6gTHFu66
Oedo Antique Market https://maps.app.goo.gl/t4SkYu9GCr9TQqPRA
Soup Stock Tokyo Shinjuku https://maps.app.goo.gl/vNNrEnicZHiQ8e4QA
Aroma Coffee Yaesu https://maps.app.goo.gl/AV8yzGwrLMbtvzRw7
Curry Bondy https://maps.app.goo.gl/WRwQnENp8sorrRnk7
Jimbocho Book Center https://maps.app.goo.gl/qJQ8RD3zAFashGXTA
Kissako https://maps.app.goo.gl/s8V58wZe1R2vjeoA7
Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum
Cafe Teien https://maps.app.goo.gl/oYdDiU8Mqzi4xH37A
21_21 Design Sight https://maps.app.goo.gl/UPJfo4hekQnPpTrTA
Onsen Ryokan Yuen Bettei Tokyo Daita https://maps.app.goo.gl/PMQDsw359tBBfzx9A
Library (restaurant) https://maps.app.goo.gl/hKDB78M9qN31SUbR6

Equipment:
– Filmed with iPhone 16 Pro
– Edited with capcut
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