A few weeks ago, I told someone that I wasn’t getting sucked into pre-booking a bunch of experiences/meals/tours in Japan. If you stumble onto Reddit or TikTok, there are a million people telling you how you need to book this amazing meal at least 28 days in advance at midnight Tokyo time or else your trip will be an entire waste. Overbooking my time isn’t really my style, and I do like to wander around neighborhoods aimlessly when I travel, so I thought I was taking a laidback approach to Japan.
I am a liar.
It turns out, I did end up pre-booking a lot of shit before leaving the US; seven things to be exact. Are some of these tourist traps? I don’t doubt it. But sometimes the touristy thing can be fun. And besides, some of these things I’ve wanted to do for years and I didn’t want to end up like Justin, my brother-in-law who still to this day is salty about missing out on the Mario-themed street karting experience in Tokyo because he didn’t pre-book it back in 2019.
TeamLab Borderless Tokyo
Super-famous permanent visual arts exhibition in Tokyo. There is also an exhibition called Planets, but I opted for Borderless.
When to Book: At least 2 months in advance. The calendar opens for the current month and the next two months.
How to Book: Online via the official TeamLab website.
Price: $35 USD per person.
Street Kart Tokyo
Who wouldn’t want to dress in costume and zip around the neon streets of Tokyo in a street-legal go kart?
When to Book: Up to 4 months in advance, though there seems to be decent availability a week out as well.
How to Book: Online via Viator.
Price: $100 USD per person.
Shinjuku Bar Hopping Tour Tokyo
Golden Gai is a tiny street in Shinjuku that’s packed with tiny bars and izakaya, some that only sit a few people or are standing room only. We booked this tour for our first night to really set the scene for our time in Tokyo.
When to Book: 2 months in advance.
How to Book: Online via Rakuten Travel, but similar tours are available on Klook, Viator and Airbnb Experiences.
Price: $100 USD per person includes food & drink at four bars.
Suntory Yamazaki Distiller Tour & Tasting
I didn’t really know what I was getting myself into with this one, but I stumbled into the pre-booking process here and lucked out. Tours and tastings at the Suntory distillery outside Kyoto are done by a lottery system, so imagine my surprise when not only did I start researching this within the correct timeframe, but when I was actually selected a few weeks after entering the lottery.
When to Book: About 2 months in advance. There is a very detailed PDF on their site that outlines the lottery details and dates.
How to Book: Online via the official Suntory website.
Price: $20 USD per person.
Shibuya Sky Tokyo
An observation deck overlooking the world’s busiest pedestrian intersection, Shibuya Scramble. There is also a glass escalator with views of the intersection. The internet seems to think sunset is the best time to book, but those time slots are usually instantly taken by 3rd party resellers.
When to Book: 4 weeks in advance at 12AM Tokyo time, which is 14 hours ahead of EST.
How to Book: Online via a reseller like Klook or Trip.com.
Price: $15 USD per person.
Hikinuku to Come Kyoto
I made a note to book this in advance but I have no memory of why. It’s a restaurant that serves high-end hamburger steaks on rice with raw eggs. I’ll report back.
When to Book: Up to 6 months in advance, but I see a lot of last-minute availability, so probably there is no need to pre-book.
How to Book: Online on their website.
Price: $18 USD per person for dinner.
Kozai Steakhouse Osaka
A steakhouse in Osaka serving Wagyu and Kobe prix fixe meals.
When to Book: About 5 weeks in advance, though you can book a week out too.
How to Book: Online via Tabelog; Google also shows tables a month out.
Price: $85 USD per person for the dinner set menu.
