A local’s guide to Tokyo: 7 top tips
Writer and singer Chiara Park Terzulo reveals what backstreets to explore, walking trails, the best Japanese snacks and more.
Describing herself as a mix of “half-Italian, half-American”, singer and writer Chiara Park Terzuolo has lived in myriad countries, due to her parents’ jobs.
She arrived in Japan in 2007 on a short university exchange program, followed by a stint from 2009-2010 as a Fulbright Fellow at Kobe University. But she was quickly drawn back to Japan and has lived in Tokyo since 2011, visiting 43 of Japan’s 47 prefectures.
She admits to constantly searching for parts of the country that still embody a timeless magic with fewer crowds.
Terzuolo describes her life in the capital as “a bit unconventional” as she has anything from four to eight different gigs “going at any given time”. But this constantly changing schedule allows her to see different parts of the city and, in particular, find new coffee shops to fuel her “caffeine habit”.
A classically trained mezzo soprano, she can be regularly found singing jazz at luxury hotels, events and clubs around the capital, along with more operatic performances, plus providing vocals for movies, games and commercials.
Narration and voice acting work are further skills and she is the co-anchor on national broadcaster NHK’s program Learn Japanese from the News, plus “pops up from time to time” on TV programs or in movies. Aside from two books (Hidden Japan and The Vegan Guide to Tokyo), Terzuolo writes feature articles and acts as a consultant for businesses and regions around Japan that need help reaching out to English-speaking audiences.
She describes her adopted home as a place of myriad contrasts, pointing out that most first-time tourists to Tokyo expect to see the temples of Asakusa or the skyscrapers of Shinjuku and are very surprised to hear that she lives surrounded by “admittedly tiny” farms.
With a job that involves visiting many diverse parts of the city, Terzuolo has been able to explore much of Tokyo by foot and take in quirky spots and hidden gems that most visitors, or even residents, never hear about.
This inveterate traveller delights in sharing such knowledge with readers and visitors to help them find the side of Tokyo “that most fits their passions and interests”.
Jazz it up
Although many visitors might not be aware, Tokyo has a huge number of jazz bars, offering great performances for usually quite reasonable prices. A few favourites are Body and Soul or Kohaku in Shibuya; Sometime, a basement jazz bar in Kichijoji; and the opulent Cotton Club on the second floor of the TOKIA Tokyo Building in Marunouchi near Tokyo Station.
Try these walking trails
Like a lot of expats, I’ve only really discovered the joy of hiking since living in Japan. With so many mountains and trails, including some just an hour or so by train from major stations, it is surprisingly easy to get a nature fix if you are feeling a bit overwhelmed by the big city concrete and skyscrapers.
Walking sections of long trails around the country such as the Nakasendo Way, Yamanobe no Michi, Michinoku Trail or Shikoku Island’s Temple Pilgrimage (pictured) provide a wonderful and exhilarating way to see a more bucolic side of Japan.
The best backstreets to explore
There is nothing I enjoy more than a meander around the backstreets of the Asakusa area. I start at Infinity Books (the last English-language second-hand bookstore in Japan), followed by a wander through the Kuramae area, with its many coffee shops, and then head through the side streets to the kitchenware district of Kappabashi (pictured) to ogle all the ceramics and odd cooking utensils.
Always carry an extra pair of socks
I always travel light, but while wandering around Japan I make sure to carry an extra pair of socks as walking on tatami mat flooring in either shoes or bare feet is a big no-no.
And a hand towel
I take along a small hand towel or handkerchief as not all public bathrooms provide paper towels and, in summer, a reusable water bottle, as the weather can get very hot and steamy.
Where to stay
I love staying at hotels that give back to the community. BnA is a small collective of properties at which each guestroom is designed by a local artist, with themes ranging from pop art explosions to ultra-Zen retreats, and collaborating artists receive a percentage from each guest’s stay.
The 26-room BnA_WALL (pictured) in Tokyo is the fourth in the group, located at Nihonbashi, and featuring a statement two-storey “work in progress” mural wall designed to be painted and repainted by emerging artists.
The best street food
Tokyo has tons of street food options but one of my favourites is taiyaki, a fish-shaped pastry waffle. I always go for the traditional variety, filled with sweet red bean paste, but there are loads of flavours to discover and they usually only cost a couple of hundred yen ($2) apiece.
Chiara Park Terzuolo is the author of the newly released Hidden Japan: A Guide to Tokyo and Beyond, and The Vegan Guide to Tokyo.
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