Meguro

Regularly cited as one of the best vintage shops in the world, J’Antiques is like Ralph Lauren on Adderall: a furiously focused and dazzling array of vintage clothing and accessories. Both men and women will have plenty to sort through here, from cotton dresses to varsity jackets. Old signs, buttons, safety pins, and household linens are mixed in with the apparel. As expected, prices here are not cheap, but the inventory is unlike what you’ll find anywhere else, and just walking around the store for inspirational purposes (as many designers have been known to do, in fact) is reason enough to pay a visit. Image courtesy of acontinuouslean.com.

The store’s name comes from a Japanese real estate term: 1LDK means a one-bedroom apartment with a common living/dining/kitchen area. 1LDK’s store is decidedly larger—it’s spread out over two buildings that are across the street from each other. One building houses the menswear collection, while the other contains the women’s line, housewares, and the café. Look for clothing and other items in muted hues of beige and grey, and enjoy a coffee or beer at the café for a quick break. When you’re done, stroll around the nearby canals of the always-hip Nakameguro neighborhood.

Were you hoping for a themed restaurant dedicated to Broadway star Patti LuPone? We’re sorry. But we’re not that sorry because what you’re going to get here is some of the most legit pizza anywhere (we’re looking at you, Da Michele). Il Lupone is part of the global federation of Vera Pizza Napoletana, which means it’s been blessed by OGs in southern Italy as being the real deal, down to the kind of stones used in the oven. Mozzarella is flown in twice a week from Italy and makes for the perfect margherita pie. Additional menu items include all kinds of pasta, assorted antipasti, and a top-shelf Italian wine list. Buon appetito, gaijin.

This one’s a little off the beaten path in a quiet residential neighborhood on the outskirts of Tokyo—and it’s entirely worth the trip. Yakumo Saryo is the passion project of designer and chef Shinichiro Ogata, who has designed interiors for Aesop in Japan, as well as the Andaz hotel in Tokyo. The restaurant lies at the top of a hill, surrounded by lush gardens. Plenty of windows and skylights dissolve the barriers between indoors and outdoors. The interior is a model of simplicity, finished in wood and stone. Yakumo Saryo is a modern take on the traditional multicourse kaiseki meal, using ingredients like sea bream, Wagyu beef, and the most perfectly prepared white rice you’ll ever encounter. Guests can be transported for either breakfast or lunch, but dinner is a more rarefied journey—you can get a reservation then only if you’ve dined there before or can be referred by someone else who has.