Resident Blog Author - share house in Japan, Tokyo. [interwhao]

1. Dominique Ansel Bakery, Omotesando

Great place to try lots of unique cakes and pastries by famous chef Dominique Ansel who also has locations in London and NYC. His famous cronuts change flavor every month! In stylish and modern Omote Sando, but fairly quiet on weekdays.

2. Brown Sugar, Harajuku

Specislising in Vegan cupcakes and delicious coffee and hot chocolate, this is a cute place to visit just past the Harajuku crowds.

3. Franze and Evans, Omotesando

British atmosphere with lots of classic cakes those from the U.K. will recognize, as well as, delicious coffee, salads and sandwiches.

One food that is widely available for me at home and a big favorite of many of my friends , that is a little difficult to find in Tokyo is : hummus and falafel.

But this weekend, a short walk from Shibuya Station, I discovered a great new cafe: Kuumba du falafel.

The full falafel sandwich is enough to keep you full all day but also tastes very healthy and fresh.

After eating here it’s a quick walk to Daikanyama, where you can visit lots of pretty cafes and cool shops. Especially recommend is the huge TSUTAYA bookstore with lots of variety and plenty places to sit and relax. 

In the autumn season, there are lots of Halloween themed cakes, sweets and drinks. As well as pumpkin flavored food and drinks.

Pumpkin is also delicious as a side dish or just by itself for a savory meal, and really easy to make: it can even be cooked in a microwave bag. The pumpkin can be filled with meat, tomato and cheese and roasted as a warning meal, for the cold autumn.

All the leaves are changing to orange and gold colors in the city, making for a beautiful walk when there is a dry and sunny day.

Halloween in Shibuya is a massive event with loads of costumes of every type: some typical and some you’ve never seen before. There are lots of cameras around to film Halloween. Most importantly, it’s a time people have the chance to express themselves.

Mount Takao is around 1 hour from Ichigao Station and about the same time from Shinjuku. It costs about ¥800 each way. Being so close to Tokyo, it seems to be usually pretty busy but a great place to visit and hike, the shortest trail to the top takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes, but the hardest part is the final steep steps before you get to the very top.

You can look over Tokyo and if it’s clear see to mountains in the distance. Even with lots of people it’s a tranquil and beautiful place to rest and think. Now the leaves are turning red and orange for autumn the forest is becoming colorful !

On the way down you can pass many ornate shrines and statues and if you feel like a break you can take the lift down. At the bottom there are museums and markets to buy souvenirs and ice cream and it doesn’t even take the whole day!

Yokohama is a great place to visit and not too far from Ichigao Sharehouse (40 minutes by train). It has a different atmosphere from Tokyo, so if you want a relaxed weekend it’s a good place to hang out. I enjoy visiting the red brick warehouse on a sunny day, finding something delicious to eat and watching the sea from the park.

After you can take a walk along the water front and to the Yokohama International Port Terminal which is a beautiful piece of architecture with a interesting view.

China town is also worth a visit to find some snacks and go shopping. It is only a short walk from the port.

In the evening you can return to Yokohama station area where there are loads of restaurants.

There are a lot of day trips around Kanagawa if you want to get out of the city. From Ichigao Station it takes around an hour to get to Enoshima island and Chigasaki beach. A few weeks ago I visited Chigasaki South Beach. After arriving at Chigasaki Station it’s around a 20 minute walk to the beach. The area is known for surfing so waves can be very rough. You can dip your toes in the ocean even if the waves are too wild to swim.

The beach is long and you can walk along and admire the coast scenery and see Enoshima island in the distance.

Along the beach there are lots of restaurants serving delicious food, drinks and icecreams and places to sit in the shade and take a break from the sun. I recommend trying some Hawaiian food from the friendly vendors. As it got darker, we saw people using sparklers and it was a great place to watch the sunset. It has a very relaxing feel and is a perfect break from the city.