Mt. Fuji

Popular route for the 1st time climber

1. Leave Shinjuku late afternoon and arrive Fuji 5th station early evening
Purchase the bus tickets from "Shinjuku" to "Mt Fuji. 5th station".
http://highway-buses.jp/fuji/
* Buy the ticket from Mt.Fuji back to Shinjuku too.

2. Start climbing and stay at the lodge on the way to the top.
http://www.fair-fujinomiya.com/mt.fuji/huts-en.htm
* All the lodges are like packed concentration camp...expect a very bad sleeping condition.(In fact, you cannot really sleep).
* No advanced reservation is necessary, but Friday and Saturday night will be packed and difficult to get walk-in booking.

3. Wake up midnight and start climbing again.

4. Reach the peak and watch the sunrise.
* The peak is super cold.
* 100yen drink and 200yen cup noodle will be like 700yen drink and 800yen cup noodle. Expect everything will be so much more expensive as you climb up.

5. Climb down and take a bus back to Shinjuku


Tips from my past experiences.

- Please read the general info if this is the 1st time to climb mt.Fuji.
http://www.fair-fujinomiya.com/mt.fuji/fujitop.htm
- The open season is different depends on the course and the season.
Usually from July-1 to mid September is open.
- The peak and the night time is quite cold so prepare some warm clothes.
(Uniqlo is located a few min walk from the apt. Their "heat-tech" is cheap and warm).
- Don't fuck with an altitude disease. Rest well and climb up with your own pace.
- Internet will not work good there. Facebook & Instagram will wait for you until you have stable Internet connection, so no need to hurry.
- Bring the cheap head-lights & cheap rain coats (both are sold in 100yen shops)

Shimokitazawa Recommendations!!

Shimokita (=Shimokitazawa) is quite spread out.
So many used clothes shops, tiny art gallerias, record shops, live houses, izakayas, bars, tattoo shops, indie theaters, cafes...
Here are some of my recommendations (1. Shopping & Activities / 2. Music / 3. Food&Drinks )

1. Shopping & Activities in Shimokita

Used clothes shop map. (Only a partial map)
http://www.nuchun.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/00.jpg

Tokyo’s top 20 vintage stores (Checkout Shimokitazawa section)
http://www.timeout.jp/en/tokyo/feature/7392/Tokyos-top-20-vintage-stores

Village Vanguard
It's the best gift shop and also the place that local JP teenagers get the latest Indies music information. Definitely the must place to checkout if you stay in Shimokita.
Sometimes they have in-store live too.
Address: Setagayaku Kitazawa 2-10-15
http://www.village-v.co.jp/shop/list/detail/?code=13

DISK UNION SHIMOKITAZAWA STORE
Kashiwa 3rd Bldg., 1-40-7 Kitazawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 155-0031

The biggest record shops in Tokyo that all vinyl geeks go.
Each shop has its genre so make sure you go to the right one.
http://diskunion.net/st/shop/e_index.html

Public Bath
Ishikawa Yu is the closest public bath in Shimokita.
http://www.enjoytokyo.jp/life/spot/l_00023534/
Address：　 Setagaya ku Kitazawa 3-12-8
Opens : 15:30〜23:45
Price : 460円
Junior Hige & Elementary : 180円
Kindagarden : 80円

2. Live Music & Theaters
There are soooo many of them that I cannot list all...
Shimokitazawa Loft
Shelter
Yaneura
CAVE BE
Club Que
MOSAIC
GARAGE
Honda-geijou
↓
Shimokitazawa Live House List

Also RPM Shimokitazawa is quite a good live music bar which is the next building of the apt.
http://www.rpmshimokita.com/

3. Food/Coffee/Drinks
There are many many great foods. The following are some of my favorite foods in Shimokita.

anthrop.Espresso&Comfort
http://tabelog.com/en/tokyo/A1318/A131802/13159512/

Frankie Melbourne Coffee
https://www.facebook.com/frankieshimokita/
New coffee shop with a couple from Melbourne run.

Craft Beer Ushitora
http://tabelog.com/en/tokyo/A1318/A131802/13037769/
One of the most old & popular JP Craft beer bar in Tokyo...One of my favorite Japanese Craft Beer Bar in Tokyo!!
東京都世田谷区代田6-3-27 

5min walk from the apt.

https://www.facebook.com/beerbarUSHITORA/

Kazenori Merry
https://www.facebook.com/kazenorimerry/
Original food and craft bar in Shimokita just opened Jan-1 2017.
It is super good!!

Yakitori Nishidaya
https://tabelog.com/en/tokyo/A1318/A131802/13107794/
The best yakitori in Shimokita.
They have quite huge variety of food and alcohol so you will enjoy even if you don't like chicken so much.

Sushiya Uoshin
http://tabelog.com/en/tokyo/A1318/A131802/13055268/
Best sushi in Shimokitazawa if you are interested in good sushi in reasonable price. (like 3000yen-5000yen)
If you want to try less expensive belt-convery sushi, there are 2-3 of them located near the Shimokita South exit.

Shimokita shaved ice
Super popular one that you need to wait for a few hours just for the shaved ice, but it's definitely worth it. Never go there on weekends...too crowded.

Tolo Coffee and Bakery
2F is nice open cafe & 1F is official Totolo bakery.
The following totolo cream puff is very popular.
http://tabelog.com/en/tokyo/A1318/A131812/13118819/

Okonomiyaki Gottsui
http://tabelog.com/en/tokyo/A1318/A131802/13042727/
My favorite Osaka style Okonomiyaki izakaya.

Okonomiyaki Hiroki
http://tabelog.com/en/tokyo/A1318/A131802/13001391/
Great Hiroshima style Okonomiyaki. There is a huge difference between Hiroshima style Okonimiyaki and Osaka Style Okonimiyaki (Just like a think pizza and a thick pizza are completely different), so if you have chance try them both.

Gyoza Oshou
Very close to above Okonomiyaki izakaya. Oshou is the biggest reasonable JR style-Chinese restaurant chain in Japan.

Andrea
Very famous huge Japanese crepe shop.
They opens until mid-night, so can be a nice desert.

VIZZ

A stylish cafe where my good friend works.

Torisoba Soruto

(Chikin broth ramen Salt)

Good ramen place to try in Shimokita if you are ramen lover. It used to be No.1 popular ramen in Shimokita.

https://plus.google.com/107898879495364207092/about?gl=jp&hl=en

Ramen Bokusei

Seems now this shoyu ramen place has become #1 ramen in Shimokita.

I have never been but can be a good ramen bench mark place to try.

http://www.timeout.com/tokyo/restaurants/ramen-bokusei#tab_panel_2

http://tabelog.com/en/tokyo/A1318/A131802/13044507/

Tabi Cafe GIFT

They have imported beer all over the world

http://tabicafe-gift.com/shimokitazawa.html

Wolfsschutz
https://www.facebook.com/Wolfsschutz
A quite funky beer bar located a few min walk from the Green apt.
The name reminds me of the house Adolf Hitler lived, but this bar has nothing to do with any Nazism or discrimination.

Neighborhood and Coffee
http://www.starbucks.co.jp/neighborhood/
Super stylish & better version of Starbucks.
Bakery and coffee are way better than regular Starbucks.
Opens from 8am.
Address & shopinfo : 5-8-13 Daizawa Setagaya Tokyo

Mixture cafe
Coffee is OK but they open from 7:30am.
Recommended for those who wake up early and cannot find a place for breakfast.
http://tabelog.com/en/tokyo/A1318/A131802/13024853/

Mr.donuts
Coffee is so-so but they open from 7am.
Recommended for those who wake up early and cannot find a place for breakfast.

http://tabelog.com/en/tokyo/A1318/A131802/13060686/

Dan da dan Sakaba
Specialized in Gyoza!
http://tabelog.com/en/tokyo/A1318/A131802/13168610/

Poor Cow - Stay Free
Speed Crazy,Ultra Fast,Rock'N'Roll Bar in Shimokitazawa,Tokyo.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/%E3%81%B7%E3%81%82%E3%81%8B%E3%81%86STAY-FREE/107260316075943
4F of the Chinese restaurant in front of the apt.

Hi Monsieur
If you do not mind walking more than 10min, from Shimokita, then this is the best coffee shop ever! Everything is amazingly good!!
https://www.himonsieur.com/

Other Information

Rental Bike
http://www.city.setagaya.lg.jp/kurashi/102/123/371/d00126669.html

Rental Bike Cogicogi
http://cogicogi.jp/index-lang=en.html

I LOVE SHIMOKITA
http://love-shimokitazawa.jp/