Things to do in Tokyo/Kyoto?

I'll be visiting Japan in a month for the first time, going with a friend. We know about Ginza and Shibuya luxury shopping, Tsujiki fish market, tech/games in Akihabara, and night life in Shinjuku. I don't know much about Kyoto except for the hot springs. We're not into museums or shrines, and we're not huge shoppers (*caveat on this below).

I'd appreciate some cool recs for these places that aren't packed full of tourists (doesn't need to be locals only, just kind of hidden gems). Thanks in advance!

*The caveat is that if there are any crazy good deals on luxury items (like Seiko watches for 25% off retail) or Japanese-exclusive items (like jeans made in Japan), I'm definitely interested.

8 Comments
 

You can get a Grand Seiko for a steal right now due to exchange rates if you can actually find the one you want in stock. 

In general though, Japan has the most Michelin Star restaurants of any country. Pull up a list and eat your way to happiness. 

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Even affordable/cheap food in Japan is incredible. The quality of most things in the country is high, their culture is rightly big on that.

Quant (ˈkwänt) n: An expert, someone who knows more and more about less and less until they know everything about nothing.
 

I agree, I personally like that kind of stuff and Kyoto was amazing for it. The Imperial Palace, the shogun's palace, the golden temple, Fushimi Inari, etc. Great food too.

Quant (ˈkwänt) n: An expert, someone who knows more and more about less and less until they know everything about nothing.
 

Gotta try at least a couple of the host clubs. They're quite fun. 

"If you don't have any enemies in life you have never stood up for anything" - Winston Churchill | "It's a testament to the sheer belligerence of the profession that people would rather argue about the 'risk-adjusted returns' of using inferior tooth cleaning methods." - kellycriterion
 

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