Welcome to EnAble Japan!
Let’s face it – whether you’re new to Japan or here to stay, Tokyo can be overwhelming. Even without the language barrier!
That’s why EnAble Japan has been working since 2001 to create our comprehensive English-language listings that will help you find the best place to suit your mood, be it traditional or trendy, refined or downright geeky. And if you’re looking for more in-depth guidance, our sample excursions and city guides take the guesswork out of exploring Tokyo.
So go out and see what Japan’s greatest playground has to offer!
Quirky Tokyo
Top 10 Theme Restaurants in Tokyo
The Lock-up experience starts as soon as you enter, when one of the waitresses handcuffs a volunteer from our group in order to lead you to your table. Once seated, you can choose from their menu of unusual food and drink, for example a cocktail served in smoking science beaker. Read more….
Owl Cafe Fukuro No Mise
Fukuro no Mise is one of the best-known animal cafés in Tokyo. It is also difficult to get into. You cannot call ahead or make an appointment online. You can only show up early and hope that you can get in one of the waiting list slots. Only ten people are admitted into the café each hour. Read more…
Cafe JaLaLa Cat Cafe
Cafe JaLaLa, located in Tokyo’s electric town, Akihabara, is a small and cozy cat cafe. It may take a little time to find, but is still a good experience for those who want to experience Japan’s cat cafe culture. Read more…
Cure Maid Cafe
Although Cure Maid Cafe is hidden away on the 6th floor of a building otherwise filled with character goods, it is only a short walk off of the main Chuo-dori close to Suehirocho Station. Upon entering the cafe, there is a noticeable difference from the maids in other establishments. Read more…
Tokyo Guides
36 Hours in Tokyo: Kids in Tow
Maybe the Big Meeting is over early; maybe you’re on vacation or an extended layover. Whatever the reason, you are in one of the most exciting cities in the world with your spouse and your 2.3 children. You’re in Tokyo, darn it, and you’re going to do something fun. Together, as a family! And you are going to do something that you cannot readily do back home. Put on your walking shoes, we’re gonna do Tokyo! Read more…
Top 5 Things to Do in Shibuya on a Saturday
Shibuya, Tokyo’s lively youth fashion and culture hub, is the perfect place to spend a Saturday afternoon. With so much to see, eat and buy in Shibuya, there is no shortage of excitement. Here are EnAble Japan’s top suggestions to get your fill of the Shibuya Saturday life! Read More…
Harajuku and Omotesando Walking Tour: Video
Pop icons like Gwen Stefani and movies like Lost in Translation have elevated Harajuku and Omotesando to superstar status. Media portrayal of the area may lead you to expect nothing more than hoards or lolita girls with frilled parasols and layers of petticoats with carousel and cakes themes, or maybe even the darker side of “goth lolita.” But the culture and atmosphere of Harajuku and the often-overlooked Omotesando, is so varied and deep that a whole day really should be dedicated to it lest you miss something that you will never forget. Read more…
A Guide Through Tokyo’s Luxurious Ginza District
Sunday is the perfect day to visit Ginza, not only for the weather, but because Ginza closes its main thoroughfare, Chuo Dori, to vehicles. Pedestrians can leisurely walk along the clean, wide street while gazing up at the towering skyline. Ginza can get very crowded, especially on weekends. With the main road closed to vehicles, the district no longer feels congested, but comfortable and relaxing. Read more…
Like a Local
Onsen: A How-To Guide for Foreigners Featuring the Ooedo Monogatari in Tokyo
Onsens in Japan date back thousands of years. Thousands of these hot springs can be found throughout the country, but the cultural barriers to entry can seem high to outsiders. Where do you go? What do you do? Do you really have to get naked around a bunch of strangers? Read More…
How to Matsuri Like a Local: Featuring the Mikoshi Matsuri
Period costumes. Beautiful ladies in equally-beautiful kimonos. Perhaps someone dressed as an oni, scaring children into behaving. Packs of drunk Japanese people in festival clothes yelling, bouncing, and carrying some huge object down the street. And streets lined with food booths. You’ve wandered into the middle of the big street fair/party known as a matsuri! Everyone seems to be having a good time. But what about you? Read More…
5 Tokyo Food Delivery Services
Living in Tokyo and feel like a lazy night in with some good food delivered straight to your door? Even if you don’t speak Japanese there are still several options available to you, covering everything from sushi to pizza to curry. Read more…
Foodies & Sweet Tooths
Top 6 Truly Japanese Sweet Shops
Japan’s subtly sweet desserts are a delight to explore. Whichever suburb of Tokyo you’re in, you’re sure to find a great selection of beautiful snacks to indulge in. No matter what your sweet tooth is craving, here are six prime locations to get your sugar rush! Read more…
Futuristic Sushi at Uobei Sushi, Dogenzaka, Shibuya
Uobei Sushi has done the seemingly impossible and made conveyor belt sushi seem boring. Instead of the “classic” conveyor belt method, Uobei Sushi mixes things up in the most futuristic of ways. There are touch screens in front of each seat where you place your place your sushi order. And once it’s ready, your sushi is delivered to you via a clear plastic shoot.Read more…
Pablo – Shibuya’s Rare Cheesecake Masters
A recent trend in Japan, cheesecake has developed beyond the “New York” style cheesecake that many Americans have come to know and love. Japanese cheesecake, known as “rare cheesecake,” is a much loved item at Pablo. Read more…
Touristy Spots
Top 5 Karaoke Spots in Tokyo
It’s Friday night, you’re out with friends, and one of them brings up a crazy idea: “Hey! Let’s go to KARAOKE!!” We all love Karaoke, but can we tell the difference between the different types of karaoke shops? Which one offers more English songs? Which one gives a student discount? Which one doesn’t smell of “teen spirit”? Read more…
Golden Gai: A Taste of ’60s Era Shinjuku
Golden Gai isn’t for those wanting a night of cheap drinks, rustle & bustle, and mingling with large numbers of the opposite sex; it’s quite the opposite. A shanty place it may be, Golden Gai isn’t cheap, nor can it be compared to the liveliness of the streets of Roppongi or Shibuya. Read more…
Top 5 Things to Do in Shibuya
Shibuya, Tokyo’s lively youth fashion and culture hub, is the perfect place to spend an afternoon. With so much to see, eat and buy in Shibuya, there is no shortage of excitement. Here are EnAble Japan’s top suggestions to get your fill of the Shibuya life! Read more…
Harajuku Street Fashion: Takeshita Street’s Top 5 Clothing Stores
If you came to Tokyo to experience Harajuku’s cutting edge street fashion, then there is no better place to start than Takeshita Street. Not only is this pedestrian street in Harajuku a hub for the ever-developing culture of youth street fashion, it is also home to a variety of shops that cater to not only fashion, but fun as well! Read more…
Tokyo Style
Omotesando on a Budget: 5 Must-Visit Shops and Cafes
Refined and elegant Omotesando stands in direct contrast to Harajuku, the gathering place for bubble gum princesses and young fashionistas. With the abundance of upscale boutiques and luxury shopping centers like Omotesando Hills, you could be forgiven for thinking that shopping here is out of reach unless you have a very fat wallet. Read more…
Shopping Tour of Shinjuku’s East End Department Stores
Shinjuku is a maze of stations, shopping, and businesses. For the uninformed traveler it is easy to mix the main hub Shinjuku station with Higashi Shinjuku and Shinjuku Sanchome or even the West end from the East end. Fortunately, much of the main shopping of Shinjuku is accessible from Shinjuku station. Read more….
Shopping Slightly Off Harajuku’s Beaten Path: Cat Street
Cat Street, while it is certainly less congested than other much-frequented Harajuku shopping areas, is by no means quiet. In fact, the area is vibrant, lively, and teeming with trendsetters and fashion statements. Cat Street is also a great place for not only shopping, but for fashion inspiration as well. Read more…
Top 5 Men’s Clothing Brands in Omotesando and Harajuku
Omotesando and Harajuku aren’t just for the ladies! If you’re looking for some men’s clothing stores in Tokyo, here are our top 5 recommendations! Read more…
Sweet & Frilly Lolita Fashion at Milk
For almost 45 years, the lolita mainstay boutique Milk has kept lolita fashion modern and up to date without letting it fall to the wayside. Well known and respected by global designers and fans alike, Milk offers you a true piece of the Harajuku lolita lifestyle. Read more…
Beams: Internationally Famous Fashion for All
Beams is a name that stands out for men’s, women’s, and children’s fashion both in Japan and in the fashion blog universe. They have locations all over Japan, but have absolutely dominated one area of Harajuku with several stores for different demographics spanning the entirety of one street block. Read more…
Luxury Handbags at Samantha Thavasa
Samantha Thavasa is heaven on earth for anyone who loves to collect luxury handbags. As you pass under the chandeliers at the entrance of the store, you enter into a silken pink dreamland filled with off of the purses, totes, clutches, and handbags that you could ever want. Read more…
Kawaii Lovers
Line Friend’s Store Harajuku
The Harajuku LINE Friends store was the first LINE store in Japan, and it’s easy to get to. Once you leave Harajuku station’s Takeshita-Guchi exit, cross the street and wade through the super-kawaii!!! crowds on Takeshita Street. Read more…
Sweet & Girly Lingerie and Legwear at tutuanna
Finding lingerie and hosiery in Tokyo that fits foreigners can be disheartening. But tutuanna carries a surprisingly large variety of sizes that anyone can fit into. Tutuanna’s goods are adorably girly and cute and often come in matching sets. So whether you’re into lace or ruffles, you’ll find whatever makes you feel feminine and beautiful. Read more…
Mimi! Rabbit Cafe
Some of the rabbits are just babies, so they are smaller and more energetic. Nonetheless, all of the rabbits love spending time with customers. If you bring a camera, they love giving the lens little sniffs and kisses, but be a little cautious – they like to nibble on the camera strap! Read more…
Otaku Havens
TACO ché – Manga, Music and Art
The first thing I saw was a pygmy about to cut the nipple off of a captured Japanese girl’s left tit. And that’s just the door sign. If this doesn’t clue you in as to what you are about to get yourself into, nothing will. Read more…
Mandarake Complex
With eight stories filled with primarily used anime, manga, action figures, games, mascots, and other collectibles, Mandarake is sure to cater to the Otaku in all of us. Each floor offers something different in this shopping complex located in the heart of Tokyo’s electronics district. Read more…
Akihabara 101: Sorting Through the Madness
Akihabara, or Akiba for short, is arguably one of the hottest places to visit during your stay in Tokyo. Known for its appeal to the otaku of Japan, Akiba is lined with shops filled to the brim with electronics, PC parts, video games, manga, and lets not forget, anime, and the sound of good old-fashioned fun floods the entrances of the many arcades scattered throughout the district. Read more…
Gift & Souvenir Shopping
Unique Toys for Kids and Adults Alike at Kiddy Land
Standing five stories tall, Omotesando’s Kiddy Land is a unique toy store that offers a wide range of goodies for all ages. The store’s first floor hosts a variety of miscellaneous goods including samurai sword umbrellas, electric shock toys, and miniature soda can taps to name a few. Read more…
Beautifully Crafted Traditional Gifts at Wa Space
Wa Space’s staff has traveled all over Japan, searching for traditional craftsmen in order to feature their unique creations at their gallery. “It’s all about developing relationships,” says Matthew Ketchum, the Wa Space’s PR representative. “Most of these craftsmen don’t want to work with you if they don’t know you. So we go out into the rest of the country and meet people, make friends, and hopefully they’ll introduce us to other artists.” Read more…
The Last-Minute Japanese Gift Giving Guide
You’ve done it again, haven’t you? Here you are, living the high life in Tokyo, and a sudden realization stops you dead in your tracks. Christmas is coming, and you haven’t even started shopping for your friends and family back home. Read more…
MoMA Design Store Omotesando
No matter what you’re looking for in a gift, the MoMA Design Store in Omotesando is sure not to disappoint. The Museum of Modern Art prides itself in the variety and quality of the art that it delivers to the world and expresses that passion through the offerings at the MoMA Design Store Omotesando. Read more…
Take a Break
Modern Tokyo No More: Experience the Edo Period in Tokyo
About 30 minutes from Ikebukuro Station on the Tobu Tojo Line or about an hour on the Seibu Shinjuku Line from Shinjuku Station, Kawagoe has retained the old Edo Period character and aesthetic, as many of the old style merchant storehouses line the street and sell a variety of goods and snacks. Read more…
Hiking in Tokyo: Mt. Takao
Trail #1 is for your casual hiker and amateurs, and it’s also great for tourists. This trail is bound to be the most crowded no matter when you go. Trail #1 has much more to offer than just a great outdoors experience. Read more…
Top 5 J. League Football Stadiums to Visit in Japan
With 40 teams in the J. League’s top two divisions, there are dozens of fantastic venues across the country, many of which can be enjoyed as part of a tour of the local area. Here’s a great list of five stadiums to start with – and don’t forget to enjoy the local delicacies in and around the stadiums! Read more…
A Taste of Home
Chicago-style Pizza at DevilCraft Hamamatsucho
Like all forms of damnation, DevilCraft Hamamatsucho is easy to find. Just use the Yamanote line to get to Hamamatsucho station and go out of the South Exit, and then the Kanasugibashi Exit. Directly after exiting, turn left and follow the train tracks all the way to the end of the street. When you run into the My Basket grocery store, turn right. It’s only a few meters away. Read more…
Tokyo Travel Tips
Cheap Flights To And From Japan
Are you living in Japan and looking to go on vacation without spending too much? There are many low-cost carriers that fly to and from Japan so you can go abroad without breaking the bank. Read more…
How to Get from Narita Airport to Tokyo
If you’re visiting Japan you might be wondering how you’re going to get from Narita airport, which is located 57.5 km away from Tokyo Station, to central Tokyo. There are several options to choose from, each costing different amounts and taking different amounts of time. Read more…
8 Free Tokyo Tour Guide Groups
Japan can be a difficult country to explore if you’re a budget traveler, but one great choice to make your trip cheaper and more enjoyable is to use a free tour guide. These are people who volunteer to show foreign tourists around the city. They do this for a variety of reasons, such as practicing their language skills, or just having fun meeting new people and showing you their hometown. Read more…