A 3-Day 2-Night Tokyo Concert Getaway: How to Eat and Play!

Text and photos /Annie

I've had an amazing year—it feels like my luck has finally turned around. Ever since winning free Tigerair tickets at the start of the year, I even managed to score tickets to the hard-to-get Mr.Children hall tour. Since it was the first time in my life that I won tickets with my name on them, there was no way I wasn't going to Japan to see it live. Even though it was a concert trip, looking at my itinerary, anyone who didn't know better might think I came here just to eat and gain weight. This time, I booked a flight into Kansai and out of Tokyo. On the first day, I stayed in Kyoto (I even went to Haijima), and then took the Shinkansen to Tokyo on the second day to catch the concert. In recent years, most of my trips to Japan have been pretty unplanned, which is probably why this one ended up being such a rush-around adventure.

Tokyo Part Day 1

The plan for the day: leave Kyoto in the morning, arrive in Tokyo, get a haircut in the afternoon, and then go to the concert in the evening (looks like a pretty packed schedule!)

In the morning, I took the Shinkansen from Kyoto to Tokyo. As expected, the morning Nozomi free seats were almost all taken. The weather was great that day, and as the train approached Shin-Fuji, we could see Mt. Fuji.

After arriving in Tokyo, I quickly headed to the Airbnb to drop off my luggage and then rushed to grab lunch. This time, the concert venue was at Tokyo International Forum in Yurakucho. Since it was close to my accommodation, I found a nearby café for lunch before heading to the venue. It’s very popular among local office ladies. I was lucky to get a seat before noon—otherwise, I would’ve had to wait in line. Although the food at Café 634 is a bit pricey, it’s light and refreshing, and the interior is very girly. I tried their desserts when I visited Tokyo earlier in the year, and they were delicious too. But this time, I was in a rush and didn’t get any sweets.

Cafe 634
http://www.cafe634.net/concept.html
Business hours: Mon–Fri 09:00–18:00 / Sat 11:30–17:00
Address: 3-12-7 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo

It had been almost a year since my last haircut, so this time I opted for a cut & perm package. Even though I got a perm, it was such a subtle inward curl that no one would really notice. But as long as the result was somewhat close to the photo I showed the stylist, I was happy.

drive for garden
https://beauty.hotpepper.jp/slnH000230726/
Address: 6-8-3 Ginza, Ginza Owari-cho Tower 5F, Chuo-ku, Tokyo

After lunch and the haircut, I headed to the concert venue for dinner. It was my first time trying the famous Shake Shack burger, and it really lived up to the hype of being the best burger in New York!

Tokyo International Forum | SHAKE_SHACK
http://www.shakeshack.jp/location/yurakucho
Business hours: 11:00–22:00
Address: 3-5-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo (1F Tokyo International Forum Building)

And then came the main event of my Tokyo trip (I almost forgot I was here for the concert). This tour was Mr.Children Hall Tour 2017: Hikari no Atelier. The venue was Tokyo International Forum Hall A, where I had also been five years ago for a MISIA concert. I was expecting some cool concert posters for photos, but all I got was a piece of paper that looked like a temporary station notice.

Even though my ticket had my name on it, it was an e-ticket. The QR code link was only sent on the day of the show. When entering, you scan the QR code to verify your identity, and then they print out a ticket with your seat number (it’s like a thermal receipt). I’ll save the full concert review for another post—there’s too much to say, but I’ll write about it when I have time.

For a late-night snack after the concert, I had been craving afuri for ages. I picked the Ebisu branch, the closest to Yurakucho. I’m not a big ramen fan, so I went for tsukemen (dipping ramen), and it was super refreshing—perfect for a late-night bite, and not too heavy.

AFURI
http://afuri.com/findus/
1-1-7 Ebisu, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, 117 Building 1F

Since I was already in Ebisu, I couldn’t miss out on visiting Suntory Taproom Ebisu. I usually stop by every time I’m in Tokyo. I was going to play it safe with a latte, but I got distracted by the strawberry latte on a poster—and wow, it was terrible. It was way too sweet, like syrup (or medicine?).

Suntory Taproom Ebisu Main Store
http://sarutahiko.co/
Business hours: Weekdays 08:00–24:30 / Holidays 10:00–24:30
Address: 1-6-6 Ebisu, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo

Tokyo Part Day 2

After going cherry blossom viewing in Nagoya in April, I fell in love with kuromame toast. I kept looking for it during this Tokyo trip and happened to find an article introducing several Tokyo cafés that serve it. I decided to have it for breakfast.

https://retrip.jp/articles/12096/

This Chopin café is near Awajicho Station on the subway. It’s just a three- or four-minute walk from the station. Opened in 1933, the owners (a couple?) give off a very vintage vibe, and the place has a strong Showa-era feel.

I came for the kuromame toast, but I ended up ordering something I could understand on the menu because I couldn’t read the Japanese—just a plain toasted bread. But it was delicious too!

Chopin (CHOPIN)
https://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1310/A131002/13011258/
Business hours: Weekdays 08:00–21:00 / 10:00–21:00
Address: 1-19-9 Suda-machi, Chiyoda, Tokyo

After breakfast at a café steeped in Showa-era charm, I headed to the upscale area of Nishi-Azabu for lunch. Another key goal of this Tokyo trip was to try molecular cuisine.

This time I made a reservation at L'Effervescence, which currently holds two Michelin stars and ranks 12th on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants. I’ve been following this place for years—back then, their lunch set cost just 5,000 yen, but now it’s gone up. You’ll need a full 10,000-yen note (a tearful moment). I’ll write a separate food review later, so I’ll skip over another 3,000 words here.

L'Effervescence
http://www.leffervescence.jp/
Address: 2-26-4 Nishi-Azabu, Minato, Tokyo

After lunch, my friend took a car to their next destination, leaving me to wander Tokyo alone for the rest of the afternoon. Since I had a shocking coffee experience at Sarutahiko the day before, I stopped by fuglen near Yoyogi Park to soothe my soul.

Fuglen Tokyo
http://www.fuglen.com/japanese/

Opening Google Maps, I noticed many starred locations I’d noted before around Yoyogi Park. One of them was this pastry specialty shop, Afterhours. Nearby was another famous spot, Mimet. The cakes at Afterhours looked simple—just as you see them—with flavors you could easily guess. These uncomplicated cakes are the most comforting to eat. After finishing the strawberry cake, I posted it on Instagram and gave it a review: “The best strawberry cake I’ve had this year.”

Afterhours
http://forafterhours.jp/
Address: 1-7-9 Tomigaya, Shibuya, Tokyo

After a series of meals (?), I ended the day with curry rice from OXymoron, a famous shop from Kamakura. I had enjoyed it during a previous visit to Kamakura and couldn’t stop thinking about it. But I didn’t actually go back to Kamakura—instead, I went to the Otemachi-Tamagawa branch, the closest to central Tokyo. Speaking of Otemachi-Tamagawa, the most famous spot there is Tsutaya Electronics, but with my low-heeled shoes, I couldn’t walk much further. After eating, I took the train back to central Tokyo.

I also ordered a dessert afterward, by which point I was so full I could barely eat another bite.

OXYMORON
http://www.oxymoron.jp/

Tokyo Part 3

The day before, I had failed to get the Okuma Toast because I couldn’t read the menu. On the third morning, I mustered my determination again and found another café that served it. This café also had a strong Showa vibe. The owners were two elderly gentlemen—one handled the cooking, the other managed the front of house. Right at 8 a.m., the front man quickly turned on the TV to watch a morning drama. As shown in the photo above, he was glued to the screen watching the adorable Kasumi Arimura (which instantly won me over).

Actually, this Okuma Toast wasn’t listed on the regular menu, so I once again struggled to find it. So I showed the old man a photo from a Japanese blog (http://sugoroku.tokyo/?p=2412), and thankfully, the long-awaited Okuma Toast finally arrived. This toast with coffee cost only 600 yen?? I could have eaten a second one if my stomach allowed. It’s a pity this café isn’t in my current area—I’ll definitely come back next time.

MON CHER (モン シェル)
https://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1311/A131103/13053390/
Business hours: 07:30 - 18:00 (Closed on Sundays)
Address: 1F Monshel Building, 4-11-1 Asakusabashi, Taito, Tokyo

After breakfast, I returned to the hostel to pack my bags for the airport. Before leaving, I stopped by Berth Coffee next door. Berth Coffee is a café attached to Citan Hostel, which is a new branch of Nui Hostel—an integrated accommodation spot. I’d love to stay here again next time.

BERTH COFFEE
https://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1302/A130204/13206631/
Business hours: 08:00 - 19:00
Address: 15 Otemachi, Nihonbashi, Chuo, Tokyo-2

Annie@Travel Food Fun

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