This small and local temple is home to thousands of Maneki Neko statues. If you're lucky, you may even spot a real life cat wandering the grounds!

On your way out, visit the temple's shop to purchase your own Maneki Cat statue to bring you good fortune.

This large and trendy cafe in Shimokitazawa has fantastic coffee and stylish interiors. We visited for lunch and they had a variety of western brunch-style meal sets to choose from.

My favourite place to go thrift shopping in Shimokitazawa! They have a great range of mid-label and designer pieces, and they offer tax-free purchases!

A must-visit for Studio Ghibli fans, this hidden away cafe serve Totoro-shaped cream puffs with seasonal fillings. I recommend the strawberry or mango cream!

If you would like to dine in, expect to line up outside, but if you are purchasing the puffs for takeaway, you can head straight into the bakery with no wait time.

We made a quick stop here for their doughy, mochi-like donuts. There are plenty of Mister Donut all around Japan, but I recommend keeping an eye out for their adorable collaboration (e.g. with Pokemon!) donuts that they do every so often.

Located in the Tsutaya Books store in Shimokitazawa, visitors can pay ¥1,100 per hour to use the lounge and access their free snacks and drink bar. A great place for a rest and recharge.

A local and lively Yakitori restaurant in Gotokuji, and you can order via a mobile QR code (which Google phones will also translate the menu on automatically!). The food and drinks are delicious and well-priced, just make sure you try both the salt and sauce marinades for the skewers!

This serene shrine is a two minute walk from Harajuku station and it’s a beautiful stroll through the surrounding forest to get to the shrine itself. Definitely get an ‘omikuji’ fortune - you give ¥100 to the shrine and you shake a wooden cylindrical box filled with numbered sticks - the number you receive dictates which fortune you receive! Good luck :)

The candy covered strawberries are a must try - so simple, yet so delicious! This shop in Harajuku’s Takeshita Street is very popular but the line moves quick.

For a casual, western brunch experience, Cafe Studio in Harajuku have an extensive coffee and tea menu, and offer burgers, pastas and other lunch staples.

My favourite place to buy stickers! While B-Side Label stickers are also stocked elsewhere, you have to head to one of their standalone stores to see their full range, which also include apparel and accessories. Perfect for decking out your suitcase or laptop cover, or for souvenirs!

This is my favourite cafe in Tokyo. Owned by the designer house, Maison Kitsuné, their coffee and sweets are delicious and the cafe itself has great ambience. Expect to line up if you’re in a group, but the wait is worthwhile. They also stock a range of high quality Café Kitsuné goods, like tote bags, coffee cups and coffee beans.

If you’re a fan of Elden Ring, Dark Souls, Demon’s Souls and Bloodborne, this store in Shibuya’s Parco Mall is a must-visit. They sell a variety of merch, from t-shirts and hoodies, to jewellery made to look like replicas of the accessories you can obtain in the games.

I visit this shabu shabu (hot pot) restaurant pretty much every time I go to Japan! First you select your meats and soup stocks, then all sides (vegies, noodles, dumplings, etc.) are all-you-can-eat buffet style. You can also book ahead online via their website.

This is the best place in Tokyo to stock up on Japanese beauty products and fun souvenirs - there are many “Donki” stores all over Japan, but this 7-Level mega store is one of, if not the biggest.