Hey.

It’s been a minute.

I’m in Tokyo, Japan. It’s fall, which means clear skies and falling leaves make walking through this city so much fun.

Quick note: if you visit Tokyo, you’ll do a ton of walking. I think I averaged around 15,000 steps a day during my first two weeks here.

I was acting as a tour guide for a friend during the first part of this trip, visiting the usual spots: Osaka, Kyoto, Nara, Kobe, and Kanazawa.

Once I became solo, I decided to make Tokyo my base until I return home.

Most of my friends live here, and a lot of the creators I’m hoping to meet do as well.

Speaking of creators, I’m always amazed at how Tokyo is a giant melting pot of talent. It feels like everywhere I go, I run into a YouTuber, designer, DJ, producer, musician, author, and so on. I mean, I run into these types in Vancouver as well, but you know what the main difference is?

Tokyo offers creators affordable living! That’s right, you can do what you love and live a comfortable life here (for the most part).

Alright, going back to my trip. Here are a few spots in Tokyo that I’ve been enjoying lately and wanted to share.

Personally, I don’t care much for coffee, but Mitsubachi is a cozy kissaten just a few steps away from my apartment.

I’ve been coming here every morning and ordering a cup of hot amazake. This stuff is fermented goodness and relatively unknown outside of Japan.

Mama-san opened the café 37 years ago. Her children (?) work most of the day until the place closes. The regulars are super friendly, by the way.

Next up is Mikado. This is my favorite arcade in Japan. It’s two floors of retro arcade goodness. Most of the customers are already in their 40s, perhaps reliving their youth from the 90s arcade boom.

Whenever I want to sit down and relax, I head to Good Rack. I discovered this gem last time I visited. What I love about the café are the rules: no talking, no laptops, no excess noise (smartphones are OK, though).

The inside is spacious, with a giant window overlooking a nice garden view. The ambient music in the background is a nice touch too.

On a related note, I read a great article from Craig Mod about shops with rules and how we could use more of them.

That’s it for now.