I have now visited Japan twice and though I wax on about how it is important to see the sites outside Tokyo, I will still admit that Tokyo itself is one of the worlds great cities. there is always something to do and see. the city is filled with initiation, gorgeous architecture, lovely people and an odd sense of calmness. Yes even at its busiest there is still a sense of order to everything, it is truly remarkable. All this and more goes into making the city Iconic which is probably why it has appeared in plenty of my favorite media such as Lost in Translation and the music video for Motor Cycle Emptiness. Still it was not these that inspired my latest quest, it was Persona 5, the game that let you explore Tokyo as a high school kid/ Phantom Thief.

Persona 5 went into such detail that this was something I had to do. there was just one problem, my girlfriend is not a Persona 5 fan. So I had to try and be sneaky when getting her to go to these locations, which honestly was rather simple.  In advance I will tell you that I did not visit the neighborhood where the protagonist lives, because I just felt that would be rude and not in keeping with the spirit of the game (you know doing justice), Also I could not visit Roppongi, Jinbocho or Tokyo Disneyland all due to time constraints, which just means I will need to go back again.

(Note that I have been to Roppongi before, for the Final Fantasy Exhibit but it would be nice to explore properly)

Shibuya Station Square

This is a must visit for anyone going to Tokyo. Shibuya is the center of all things hip and cool in Tokyo, it’s fast paced and busy with some great shops and plenty to see. Every day there is something new going on, so if your in Tokyo and not checking this place out then it is a waste of a trip. Though if you hate crowds I would advise avoiding it after 8am … 

This was an easy one to drag my girlfriend too, as she wanted to visit village vanguard and check out the Birds Eye camera so I did not even need to trick her into going here.

Harajuku

Back when I played through Persona 5 I went here several times with Ann to get some delicious treats, always crepes. Me, well I went here for the giant multicolored candyfloss. My advise is going here on a week night evening after 6pm, its all lit up and very calm. At the weekends this place is absolutely mental. Also if you are in the area, Dominique Ansel is a short walk away and any one who loves sweet treats will need to go there and get the cookie shot and frozen smores. Due to the great selection of fashion, sweet treats and nerdy shops it was very easy to convince my other half to join me here.

Shinjuku

Sadly my camera was dead when we went here, NOTHING BAD HAPPENED. We where there pretty early in the morning so it was kind of dull but still plenty to see, though you can tell it really comes to life at night. (They do have an excellent Krispy Kreme.)

Tokyo Sky Tree

A really easy place to visit and well worth it for the view, sadly I could not check out the full view as I was travelling with people that had a massive fear of heights, but still its great to look around. Inside there is a tour area and a lot of shops, including a Pokemon Center and several restaurants, so come here prepared to spend your cash. When going in the evening try to get the trains before closing time as the ones just after are packed. Though an easier and cheaper option can be to leave the Sky Tree and walk to a near by station, rather that it’s own personal one.

Akihabara

Any nerd worth their salt will visit here a few sites worth seeing are Super Potato, AKB48’s HQ, The Gundam Cafe, The Square Enix cafe and all of the Animates. This is nerd heaven and really worth visiting. After finding out that one shop had  massive Fate Stay section I was able to convince the gf to come here with me. Honestly really fun to walk around, even if you are not into this particular part of nerd culture.

Bic Camera

I never took photos here, because it completely slipped my mind, but if you are in Japan you should check out ant Bic Camera. They sell everything and also along the way bring your passport too as they can give you a nice bit of tax free delightfullness after your purchase. Anyway I digress, I cant prove that this store is a Bic Camera but if you have ever seen one, it looks like this – also there is one in Ahkibara and the top floor of each of them has an excellent selection of food. You honestly could spend most of a day in these stores and not get bored so great for any first time visitors.

The 2nd Hideout

I found this location by accident, yes it is not exactly how it looks in game but I am pretty sure that this walkway in Shibuya station is the right location. This is the one that gave the game away. It is difficult to explain why you are photographing an empty walkway, so at this point I cam clean. The only positive was, apart from this location the rest where really fun to visit so I was not in any trouble.

Next Time round I will need to try and also visit Inokashira Park as well as China town. So is there else I should have visited from Persona 5