First, as is tradition, a konbini breakfast.

Today we'll be exploring Tokyo, a couple different places over a couple different days, namely the neighborhoods of Ikebukuro and Shibuya.

Some exploring, some eating, some shopping.

So come along with me and enjoy the ride.

As always, train stations are chock full of interesting distractions. 28 minutes.

Oh my gosh, that's long.

Ah, super soothing.

We've arrived at our first destination, Ikebukuro.

Found this cute little store selling all kinds of kawaii merch.

Also snagged our very first gachapon.

Cute.

Heading up out of the station to explore a bit, and we stumbled upon our first Don Quixote, a massive brand with many branches all over Tokyo.

Don Quixote, as locals call it, sells virtually anything and everything you could need or want.

Serious sensory overload stepping into one of these.

Also a great place for affordable souvenirs.

After traversing the Don Quixote labyrinth, we headed over to our lunch destination.

Ikebukuro has this really lively, fun atmosphere, especially on the weekends.

And here it is, Haneda Ichiba.

This shop specializes in seafood and tempura.

They have super fresh sashimi and incredible tendon.

Great mixture of classic Japanese style with some modern touches.

A beautiful local spot.

My wife ordered this special sashimi rice bowl, one of their specialties.

And I got tendon with shrimp, chicken, pork belly, soft-boiled egg, and some other goodies, all fried to perfection.

To finish, I had some of their house-made dashi to make ochazuke.

This place was simply incredible.

Heading out, I wanted to check out this Sega arcade right across the street.

Three bursting floors of gachapon and crane games.

And now, it's time for UFO KACHA CHALLENGE!

I can't look.

And just down the street, we came upon this official Capcom store.

Literally so many gachapon, and even more arcade and crane games.

This atmosphere is super nostalgic, yet with all the modern upgrades.

Super fun place to scope out for sure.

I could easily spend all day here.

You know, the hard thing about gachapon is it's impossible to decide what to actually buy without spending all your cash.

We didn't get a chance to go, but I did notice they had this neat Capcom cafe there too.

And just outside were some very interesting vending machines.

Aside from the discount drinks, there was this one that sells dashi with an actual fish inside, as well as a machine that only sells sriracha.

Now onto dessert.

Ringo, which means apple.

Or these special mini apple pies.

Super flaky pie crust stuffed with deliciously fresh caramelized apples and a rich custard cream filling.

We got a seasonal blueberry as well as the classic apple.

Absolutely delicious.

Then onto a little window shopping in the station.

Very busy Saturday in Ikebukuro.

Last, we visited the department store in the station, grabbing some food for dinner later.

Department stores always have a specific floor dedicated to selling vast quantities of these tantalizing treats.

This train is bound for Nishizuna.

After hitting up the local supermarket for some water and snacks, we headed to McDonald's to try it out for the first time.

Okay, so check this out.

We just got McDonald's to go for the first time.

And they pack your soda in its own bag.

And then they use the handle for that bag as the second handle for your entire bag.

So that your soda stays in there nicely.

And then you can just take everything out one by one.

The burgers were honestly pretty disappointing.

Even though they had these Japanese flavors, they weren't that great.

Fries were pretty standard.

But this was the star.

Seasonal ichigo daifuku pie.

Sweet strawberry jam with a chewy mochi filling inside of a crunchy crust.

And trying out the department store food, I gotta say it was a bit disappointing.

While it looked amazing, it mostly tasted pretty average.

Strawberry shortcake to round things off.

Pretty good, but also pretty standard for Japan.

And the day's gacha haul.

Some quick leftovers for breakfast.

And we nabbed this gacha that my sister requested the day prior.

It's the blue one!

Must have done something to please the gacha gods.

And we are back in Shibuya.

This is what crowds are like on a weekend afternoon.

Very busy and lively.

A real buzzing energy about the place.

Here's a profile view of the famous Shibuya crossing.

Tokyo really is a beautiful city.

So modern and clean.

And once again, we return to Onitsuka Tiger.

Told you we'd be back.

This time, let's get a better view of what's inside the shop.

Lots of interesting, eclectic designs here.

But of course, we came back for the Nippon made shoes.

As I explained before, each of these are handmade by Japanese craftsmen.

So that means when they sell out, they don't know when they'll get more in.

So if you see something you like, just get them.

And here are some shots of the pair I picked up.

Embroidered with Onitsuka Tiger on the side.

They are awesome.

And expensive.

But I do like how they tie the bag handle for you.

Now it's time for a coffee break.

We walked back down the street to this Muji to try out their in-house cafe.

Something we missed the first time around.

In addition to plenty of different foods and salads, they also offer some desserts and coffee.

We picked up a slice of cheesecake and an iced latte.

Enjoy the coffee break.

So, how are you guys doing?

How is life these days?

Are you enjoying the Japan vlogs so far?

It's good to take a rest once in a while.

I wanted to mention that these videos take a ton of work.

So if you're enjoying them, please consider leaving a like.

I do really appreciate your support.

Got lots of really cool adventures coming up soon, so stay tuned.

After coffee, we browsed around Muji a bit more.

Snagged some silky b-roll.

Like I mentioned before, Muji is an excellent one-stop shop for all sorts of quality goods.

Just out front was this cute little garden.

Seems like a community effort where people nearby pitch in to keep it clean and healthy.

Pretty cool.

Heading on down the street, we arrive at our next destination, Loft.

This is an incredible, amazing behemoth of a store.

While probably best known for their stationery supplies, they also sell a variety of household goods, hobby supplies, gifts, and crafts.

The store is littered with these gorgeous displays, including these fantastic Ghibli paper scene crafts.

Lots of familiar favorites here.

I also enjoyed this retro camera display section with actual vintage pins for sale.

And they have this gigantic sticker wall.

Tons of B-side label stickers.

Unique designs with excellent quality.

This place just has an unlimited supply of different stamps, stickers, and more.

And upstairs was this cool art display area.

Also a pop-up mirror automata shop.

It is silly just how easy it is to get lost in exploring everything here.

When you're done checking out, go up to the top floor in order to get a tax-free refund.

Amounts to about 10% back.

Not bad.

Afterward, we headed to Shibuya Station to drop off our stuff in a locker.

Before meeting up with some friends for dinner.

And this is Shibuya on a weekend evening.

We made our way over to the crossing and onto the famous second floor Starbucks with a view.

Yo!

Unfortunately, it was so busy we couldn't find a spot for that perfect angle.

But we did manage to get some snacks in.

Next up, dinner in Roppongi.

Just a short train ride away.

And here we are, Savoy.

Now I am not exaggerating when I say that this is the best pizza I have eaten in my life.

It was an amazing experience in itself, prepared and cooked by an artisan master chef.

Oh wow, I didn't know that.

Don't call yourself a pro if you're not doing it.

The chef actually trained in Italy and came back to Japan to spread the pizza gospel.

First up, the classic margarita with mozzarella and basil.

Next, Ozaki pizza.

That's right, Wagyu pizza.

Then, an interesting Japanese fusion topped with seared tuna.

The house special with hand shaved garlic.

Just look at that crust.

And finally, a sweet caramelized onion pizza.

Incredibly delicious food, 10 out of 10 recommended every single time.

The crust was spectacular and the quality was unmatched.

You gotta check this place out.

It's time to head back to Shibuya.

Capping things off with a casual dessert from the nearby 7-Eleven.

Then we doubled back to Shibuya to get our stuff from the locker in the station.

Perfect time to grab some night shots.

Also, right next to Shibuya Scramble is where we finally found a machine that sold Suica cards.

So if you're specifically looking for a Suica card, you can get them here.

This is our locker.

This is our thingy.

Press the button for the desired function.

Select the type of key you used.

Input the key number.

The door has been unlocked.

Thank you for using our service.

Last stop, Lush, to bolster the Japanese bath experience even further.

Perfect.

And that will wrap things up for this one.

Tying things off with a nightcap and checking out my cool vintage pin.

If you made it this far, let me know in the comments what's been your favorite part of the Tokyo vlogs?

Be sure to check out my Instagram and stop by the Discord for more Tim in Japan.

And as always, thank you so much for watching.

I will end things here with a preview of next week's episode.

Got a real fun one coming up.

Tokyo DisneySea, so stay tuned.

Catch you in the next one.

You