batshit insane stuff to do in Tokyo

[DMC]

I've read and enjoyed I think two Murakami books. Thanks for the recommendation!

edit: Of course I mixed him up with Haruki Murakami. Shame on my house. Reading up on Ryu Murakami, his work sounds very interesting. I might pick up the book you recommended!

Yes, I think he's mostly known for the book Audition, which was made into a film by Takashi Miike, which is also great.

[rancor]

They rebuilt this (like everything) right? I recall back in the days is being a nice Showa remnant.

yeah - it was about 2010, I think. I went there for the first time in 2008, and then not again until 2019 or so.
Although theres a fresh coat of paint, it's still as seedy as it every was. Trannies will proposition you, and I guarantee someone will aggressively attempt to watch you pee if you go to the toilet.

Here are some how-to videos for first timers:

https://youtu.be/rfy8UXH9OZc?si=u1b0GA2VJsmFm88p

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTuIdV7oKls

[MintyTheCat]

Kitkat is a real shit hole and one of the very few times that I've been to a place and asked myself "...when was the last time I had a Tetanus injection?" - the place is filthy and full of drug addicts and all round selfish c**ts. Horrible place and worth avoiding.

Of all the clubs in the world to have a pool... that one.

Who knows what lurks in its depth and on its surface......

I bet you that there are cases suing for unwanted pregnancies against that club after a swim in that - just imagine what has been 'deposited' in that lagoon....

The stuff of nightmares.

Also, the bloke who set the place up is a bit of a weirdo infamous for his scat porn movie empire - you can't make this shit up

[GaijinPunch]

yeah - it was about 2010, I think. I went there for the first time in 2008, and then not again until 2019 or so.
Although theres a fresh coat of paint, it's still as seedy as it every was. Trannies will proposition you, and I guarantee someone will aggressively attempt to watch you pee if you go to the toilet.

there's a couple that hang out at the park. My photography mentor of sorts always told me about one and her infamous 800 yen blow jobs.

[ChurchOfSolipsism]

They rebuilt this (like everything) right? I recall back in the days is being a nice Showa remnant.

yeah - it was about 2010, I think. I went there for the first time in 2008, and then not again until 2019 or so.
Although theres a fresh coat of paint, it's still as seedy as it every was. Trannies will proposition you, and I guarantee someone will aggressively attempt to watch you pee if you go to the toilet.

Here are some how-to videos for first timers:

https://youtu.be/rfy8UXH9OZc?si=u1b0GA2VJsmFm88p

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTuIdV7oKls

[ChurchOfSolipsism]

yeah - it was about 2010, I think. I went there for the first time in 2008, and then not again until 2019 or so.
Although theres a fresh coat of paint, it's still as seedy as it every was. Trannies will proposition you, and I guarantee someone will aggressively attempt to watch you pee if you go to the toilet.

there's a couple that hang out at the park. My photography mentor of sorts always told me about one and her infamous 800 yen blow jobs.

Did he ever take her up on her offer?

[GaijinPunch]

Pretty sure not but I would not wager much if given the opportunity!

[cj iwakura]

Whatever you do in Tokyo just stay far the fuck away from Super Potato. Place was always a tourist trap, but now the place will litteraly kill you from the nasty stench of sweaty "influencers" attempting to justify why they just spent thousands on plane tickets to save 2 bucks off the cost of a dragon quest cart.

It's still a neat place to visit, I always find something interesting. I got a copy of Castle Shikigami 1 for Xbox there, and it's neat to see the expensive stuff, just as long as you know it's well out of reach.

Mandarake is where the real fun is at though, especially in Nakano.

[ChurchOfSolipsism]

Pretty sure not but I would not wager much if given the opportunity!

Well, there's some pretty hot trannies...

[vol.2]

Nothing insane? But I have some places I very much like to go.

-Roppongi Hills is a shopping mall that kind of feels like you're inside of a Final Fantasy game in a high tech city. It's got stunning glass platforms and just has a real otherworldly and futurist feeling, while managing to also be sophisticated. Not sure about a specific destination there, but it's cool just to take a long walk through it and maybe get lunch somewhere

-Broadway Nakano is an underground mall in Nakano (naturally) that is a relic from the Showa era. All of the stores inside sell different kinds of toys or memorabilia and stuff like that. Lots of vintage toys and comics and clothes and whatever. It's super fun and you'll probably want to buy a lot of stuff. Nakano (and much of nishi tokyo) is fun to walk around too, so you will have plenty to do and see.

-Inogashira Koen is a park in Nishi Tokyo that houses the Ghibli Museum, but the park itself is quite lovely, and there are some fantastic restaurants close by. The (very, very old) yakitori restaurant called Iseya is right by the entrance to the park; it's a great place to grab some skewers. https://maps.app.goo.gl/xDdW6dyhU8boB7mr9
There is also the insect museum on the far side of the park. https://maps.app.goo.gl/VakgQQUHwt1Xit9T9
The whole area around Kichijoji is beautiful though, and it should be especially beautiful in September when it's starting to get cooler at night again. I used to take long walks along the streets in the neighborhood around the college.

There are countless other places that I love to go in Tokyo, but they all basically fall into one of three categories

Food

Shopping

Walking (sightseeing)

Go to at least one famous ramen place. Go buy something you can't buy easily in the US, or go window shopping for stuff if you enjoy that (I do), walk around some random places and just see what it looks like, because it's probably different from what you are used to.

[ChurchOfSolipsism]

Cheers man, I'm always grateful for tips. Have done plenty of walking there since I've been to Japan three times, and this time I'm looking to do some of the more... unusual activities.

[hazys]

This isn't so batshit, but does anyone know where in Tokyo should I head to find a bar where I'll be able to hang out as a foreigner but won't be swamped with influencers/other tourists? Like, where do I go to avoid the crowds?

[rancor]

Here:

https://maps.app.goo.gl/gE22JA5XM6Pq2qrK9

The pints are generous, the pizzas are beyond awesome, and the Japanese bartender / pizza chef speaks perfect English and is happy to chat.
Around the corner is a mini-cinema / clubhouse that hosts an artsy crowd and plays weird movies into the wee hours.
Bring your Neo-Geo AES copy of Ashita no Joe / Legend of Success Joe and get it signed by a local homeless person. The series takes place in this neighborhood.
In your drunken haze, stumble into the night and head 3 blocks north, and 2 blocks east to explore the Edo-era execution grounds. Spooky!
Anyhow, don't tell anyone - all of this is a local secret.

[GaijinPunch]

This isn't so batshit, but does anyone know where in Tokyo should I head to find a bar where I'll be able to hang out as a foreigner but won't be swamped with influencers/other tourists? Like, where do I go to avoid the crowds?

If you're in Shibuya, Wokini was always one of my favorite dive bars. Unless it's changed greatly in the last several years, it's a great place to go. Bar Watershed in Akasaka was a recent random find on Google Maps. Very well thought out cocktails, if that's your thing. GF and I went on a weekday night and were the only two in there.

You may want to expand a bit on what you want though. In any city a bar can mean a shit hole, up to a very fancy place. In Tokyo there's about... 100,000 things in between.

[ChurchOfSolipsism]

This isn't so batshit, but does anyone know where in Tokyo should I head to find a bar where I'll be able to hang out as a foreigner but won't be swamped with influencers/other tourists? Like, where do I go to avoid the crowds?

Two months ago, I spent an evening at the 8bit café; I went on a Monday, when I arrived there there were a couple of Japanese twens I played SNES Mario Kart with, when they left I got drunk with the barkeeper, another dude from Yokohama who helped out at the bar, and the DJ who did video game remixes and who was also a really nice fella. It's not a super underground thing, but I really enjoyed hanging out there.
If you want underground, you could also visit TV Bar, which has four seats only and is owned and operated by Shozin Fukui, who, among else, worked on Tsukamoto's Tetsuo Iron Man. Fukui and his wife are amazingly friendly people, but they speak very little English...

[hazys]

Dang, thank you! I plan to do other things as well, but I'm gonna be with a good friend from college so we're definitely gonna get drunk in a few places lol

[GaijinPunch]

Dang, thank you! I plan to do other things as well, but I'm gonna be with a good friend from college so we're definitely gonna get drunk in a few places lol

You are 100% going to be in the right city. Alcohol is a culture-approved vice. Just don't be a dickhead and you'll do just fine.