gonna seem so simple that you'll be like...

huh?! Butbear with me for two minutes

and get ready to... well, look up!

Japan... if you're here or coming here you're probably gonna want to experience

a mix of both the main attractions, as well as the hidden side,

or off-the-beaten-path stuff that this country has to offer.

but more often than not...

a lot of this off-the-beaten-path stuff is actually hiding in plain sight

just above eye level.

While in many major cities like New York for example,

it is fairly common to have the majority of shops and generally well

cool stuff right on the ground floor.

in Japan, sticking to the ground floor means you

are missing out on quite a bit.

you've got to look up!

and I'm not talking about the obvious points

like rooftops and observatories and shopping centers.

I'm talking just a little bit lower.

Likehere in Shibuya, where you can see that

so many of the shops are nowhere near the ground floor.

even the Tsutaya Bldg here in Shibuya scramble square has a really cool

book and bar area hidden up on the top floor.

I know I said no shopping centers but..

that one's pretty cool.

Ueno's Ameyoko Market has hidden little spots

Like This

spread throughout the entire market.

an absolute plethora of

restaurants bars shops and even secret shrines, hidden just above eye-level.

Actually the area of Akihabara is a fantastic example of this

having everything from amazing

used camera shops, to airsoft shops, restaurants,

and so much more above ground level.

and while this does feel gratuitously obvious at this point,

this doesn't just apply to the second floor and above,

it does apply to things like the basements as well

so go down and check those out too!

because there's some pretty cool stuff down there!

I can honestly do this all throughout Tokyo

but I think... I think we get the point by now.

And there it is!

welcome to the first episode of Japan in a Jiff

a series of videos to hopefully

make your trip to Japan just that much better,

without turning every piece of useful information

into a full-on vlog.

Sometimes I just want to share the good stuff

if you're new to the channel I would love to have you!

so hit that subscribe button

and regular viewers know that I will see you again

real soon