Tokyo Drift: Love, Lezzies & Questionable Decisions

Days 1–2 · Shinjuku, Harajuku and Golden Gai

Japan made quite the first impression.

We landed at Narita, breezed through customs and boarded the airport limousine bus to Shinjuku.

Even the long ZIPAIR flight hadn't been too terrible, although my experiment with melatonin had mostly succeeded in making me fussier. You can read more about transportation specifics in Seven Days in Japan: What I Planned vs. What Actually Happened.

My first mistake was having the wrong hotel address saved.

Instead of arriving at Book Tea Bed Shinjuku, we found ourselves wandering toward an entirely different book-themed accommodation.

Apparently, Book and Bed and Book Tea Bed are not interchangeable.

Who knew?

But Tokyo wasn't about to let a little logistical incompetence ruin our entrance.

We walked straight into a street performance by a K-pop girl group, and I was immediately mesmerized. There I was, freshly arrived, luggage in tow, dancing to a song I didn't know in a language I didn't understand.

Girl, I like your energy.

Eventually, we found our actual hotel, showered and headed out to experience Shinjuku.

Our first mission was food.

After discovering that our original restaurant was fully booked, followed by several unsuccessful backup attempts, we landed at a yakitori spot welcoming people in from the street. Note: make reservations.

We ordered assorted chicken skewers.

Assorted, apparently, meant a medley of body parts...

Gizzards. Cartilage. Skin.

Listen. I came to Japan with an open mind, but my stomach and I needed a little more time to negotiate the terms of this relationship.

Dinner was a flop.

The Asahi Super Dry beer, however? She understood the assignment. She became our go to for a cold one.

We had an entire evening of lesbian nightlife ahead of us.

And Tokyo, girl, you did not disappoint.

We made our way to Shinjuku Ni-chōme, with a hefty hit list. Tokyo is known for having several lesbian only bars and we were lesbians...only. First stop, a little upstairs venture at Queendom. It was early (about 10 pm on Saturday) so things were just warming up. But the EDM and blue lights were a vibe, and so was the covered patio on the rooftop.

Next up, Gold Finger. I love that you walk up questionable stairs to get to these bars and was pleasantly surprised by the sweet bartenders here. Shot specials, karaoke and various themed nights made this a fun pre-gamer.

From there we stumbled upon a crowd of drag queens cat calling the patrons...an immediate yes for us. We met Dio, an Irish birthday boy sporting ginger hair, a leather bikini, a harness and an adorable little twerk. The performers worked that stage, we sang along, tipped dollars, and for a few glorious hours we existed in a state of pure love, lezzies and Tokyo.

Somewhere between the music, the dancing and the wonderfully unexpected company, I found myself completely in love with the night.

And there was my girlfriend, dancing beside me, just as delighted by our spontaneous little adventure.

This was exactly the kind of evening I'd imagined.

Except better, because none of it had been on the itinerary.

Tokyo was electric.

And so were we.

Sneakers, Shrines & Soup

The next morning began with an urgent search for coffee, a 7-Eleven egg sandwich and a rainy afternoon in Harajuku.

My girlfriend wanted to sneaker shop. I wanted to thrift. We'd planned to return to the hotel in time for a strip show and a photoshoot in Shibuya.

Harajuku was its own vibe, even in the rain. The streets were crowded with hundreds of clear umbrellas as we all navigated shops and snacks and shopping galore. We were able to hit up 4 or 5 sneaker stores and my little sneaker head was in heaven. Carryme took the win for her favorite sneaks but they didn't have her size. Someone, somewhere help me get these under the christmas tree!

Super cool futuristic shoes at GROUNDS, carrying the bubble shoe options you'd only find in Japan. The Adidas store was pretty cool too, with limited edition outfits and the neatest take on ballet shoes, dress shoes and loafers. Check out the footage on IG!

Whilst dilly-dallying that afternoon, we happened upon what appeared to be the Onden Shrine Festival. Right there in the middle of our shopping excursion, groups of people were carrying mikoshi -elaborately decorated portable Shinto shrines - through the streets.

In Shinto tradition, a sacred presence is invited into the mikoshi and carried through the neighborhood, symbolically bringing blessings to the community. The chanting, the energy, the dedication. It was beautiful to witness.

I'd come looking for cultural immersion, and here it was, making its way through Harajuku while we were shopping for sneakers.

We worked up a hunger with all that walking and ended up in a short but quick line at Kyushu Jangara Ramen. Best broth of the trip! My gf had the miso and I had the tonkotsu; both yummy. You get to pick all your toppings and ofc, an Asahi Dry to wash it all down. Food win!

After making it back to our room, we got the message that our photoshoot had been canceled because of the weather.

Well, damn. There goes the Dotonbori Gekijo show too. Time to shift.

Golden Girls?

We changed plans and decided to explore Golden Gai instead.

Armed with those famous clear Japanese umbrellas, we wandered through narrow alleys lined with tiny bars, lanterns and chalkboard signs. Some places advertised that foreigners were welcome. Others appeared to be members-only.

It felt timeless. Intimate. Unlike anywhere I'd ever been.

A friendly bartender wearing a Lilo & Stitch beanie waved us inside and convinced us that what our evening really needed was snake sake.

So we had two.

Yes, actual snakes were sitting in the jar, soaking in the cinnamon-flavored sake we were drinking. If you find yourself in front of this, go ahead and take the leap too and come tell me how your night ended.

We wandered for food and ended up at Shinjuku Kakekomi Gyoza for, of course gyozas. These were solid for our bellies ready for a turn up.

When we left, we encountered a questionable street promoter who offered to take us to a strip club. I mean, it was Tokyo. Why not?

Well, why not quickly turned into WHY?

And let's just say the questionable decision-making didn't end there.

But what happens in Tokyo stays in Tokyo, right, y'all?

We ended the night with a romantic stroll through a typhoon...boots squishy drenched and in love.

What a night to remember.

Tokyo was wild. Edgy. Quirky. Curious. A little dangerous. We loved it here.

And lucky for us, we had one last night in Tokyo on our way back from Osaka.

We checked into ILLI Sen Oshiage.

Perfection.

The luxury apartment was gorgeous, but apparently I'd forgotten just how enormous Tokyo is. We were now in Oshiage, Sumida ward, considerably farther from the Shibuya nightlife I still had every intention of experiencing.

A little geographical oversight on my part. And with trains shutting down around midnight, a late-night taxi wasn't going to be cheap.

But did that stop me from planning another big night out?

Absolutely not.

Because turning 44 does NOT mean 8 p.m. bedtimes while on vacation.

Although it definitely, probably should have.

First up was our rescheduled photoshoot with Lux Japan Studio, and y'all, we had the BEST time. Our photographer guided us through nearly every pose while his hype man kept the energy high and had us laughing the entire time. They made the whole experience feel effortless.

10/10. Would absolutely do it again.

With our photoshoot complete, we headed to Harlem, a nightclub I'd been determined to check out.

Then I saw the line.

And the crowd.

And suddenly, I had absolutely no desire to spend my final night standing outside a club surrounded by people who appeared to have considerably more energy than I did.

Listen. I may be multifaceted, but I am also grown enough to wave a white flag.

We turned around.

Went home.

And made love instead.

What better way to end a vacation?

Bloom & Board Field Notes: Tokyo

Where we stayed

Book Tea Bed Shinjuku	Very basic accommodations, but within reasonable walking distance of Shinjuku's nightlife without being right in the thick of it. Perfectly fine for our stay, though next time I'd book something a little closer to the action, especially if I'm only in town for a couple of nights.
ILLI Sen Oshiage	A taste of luxury apartment living! Beautiful, spacious accommodations with floor-to-ceiling windows, an in-unit washer and an elevator. A great option if you're planning to explore the Tokyo Skytree area. Just keep in mind that it's a bit of a trek from Shibuya's nightlife.

Where we went

Queendom	Lesbian nightlife in Ni-chōme with moody blue lighting, EDM and a covered rooftop patio. A great place to kick off the night.
Gold Finger	A lively lesbian bar with friendly bartenders, karaoke, themed nights and shot specials. Perfect for pregaming before a night out.
Kingdom	High-energy drag and go-go performances, fabulous performers and plenty of audience interaction. An unexpected highlight of our Tokyo nightlife adventure.
Carryme	A sneakerhead's playground featuring coveted releases and hard-to-find styles. My girlfriend fell in love with a pair they didn't have in her size. Tragic.
Grounds	Futuristic Japanese footwear featuring exaggerated, bubble-like soles and unconventional silhouettes. Wearable art for the adventurous sneaker lover.
Adidas Originals Flagship Store Harajuku	A sneaker lover's stop for distinctive Adidas apparel and creative takes on classic footwear, including ballet-inspired sneakers, loafers and dress shoes.
Golden Gai	A maze of narrow, lantern-lit alleys packed with tiny, character-filled bars. Check the signs before entering; some welcome visitors, while others are reserved for regulars. You never know what—or who—you'll encounter.
Lux Japan Studio	A seriously fun Shibuya photoshoot experience. Our photographer handled the posing while his hype man kept us laughing. A fabulous way to capture memories beyond the usual vacation selfies.

What we ate

Kyushu Jangara	Absolute yes! Rich, flavorful ramen with some of the best broth of our entire trip. Customizable toppings and an ice-cold Asahi made this a much-needed food win.
Shinjuku Kakekomi Gyoza	A casual, late-night spot with an extensive menu and plenty of gyoza options. Solid food for soaking up a night of questionable decisions, but nothing to write home about.

Planning your own Japan adventure?

I spent months researching this trip and managed to squeeze approximately three weeks of activities into a seven-day itinerary.

Some decisions were excellent. Others? We need to talk.

In Seven Days in Japan: What I Planned vs. What Actually Happened, I'm sharing our original itinerary, accommodations, transportation, costs and everything I'd do differently.

Consider it the guide I wish I'd written for myself before we left.