Exploring Minato: Calm, chic & surprisingly walkable

Minato is one of Tokyo’s most cosmopolitan districts — clean, safe, stylish, and incredibly walkable. You can go from a serene garden to a luxury mall to a tiny ramen shop in under a few minutes.

I wandered down the main road past 7-Eleven-style convenience stores, high-end boutiques, and ramen bars. It was September and humid — the kind of heat where your clothes cling, and your hair gives up. Novice mistake that I should not be making at this point in my life- I hadn’t realised how humid it was going to be.

Step off the main road, and you’re suddenly in quiet side streets with independent shops and a calmer, almost village-like feel. After a few hours, the hotel messaged to say my room was ready.

The Room: Spacious, calm & a minibar that deserves awards 

In the lift, an American couple told me, “The minibar is free!” I assumed that meant a couple of soft drinks and a packet of mystery crisps. Also thought what an odd thing to mention.  

I’d booked a Deluxe City View Room — two nights for £645 — I justified the spend on the fact that once arriving in Osaka I was staying with a friend so no hotel cost there (I am really good at finding ways to justify travel spend!). It was worth it. The room was spacious: a separate lounge area, a gorgeous bathroom, and a warm Japanese-influenced design. Calm, cosy, and exactly what I needed. 

I popped up to the rooftop bar ‘the Top’ for a quick drink and to check out food options. The area is outdoors, decked out with plenty of greenery and has some good views; however, after about 20 mins, my bed and room was calling. That’s the joy of solo travel — you can do exactly what you want, when you want. 

I showered, slipped into the fluffy robe, explored the toiletries (fabulous amenities- face masks included), and investigated the famous Japanese toilet. Heated seat. Buttons for everything. A full control panel. Once you’ve used a heated toilet seat, there’s no going back. 

Jet lag demanded comfort food, so I ordered pasta from room service. Then I opened the minibar. 

OMG. 

A deep refrigerated drawer and a non-refrigerated drawer above it — both packed with soft drinks, gin, whisky, wine, sparkling wine, Toblerone, snacks and yes… the unidentifiable crisps. All free. I stuck to the soft drinks and devoured the Toblerone for dessert. 

I was happy that I’d made it to the evening without sleeping and was hoping to keep jet lag at bay. 

Day Two: Shibuya Crossing, Hachiko & a perfect Tokyo afternoon

Shibuya is a straight-line walk from Minato, but I decided to be brave and try the metro again — and honestly, it was easy. Once you get over the initial shock, the Tokyo metro is efficient, clean, and simple to navigate. 

Shibuya, however, is a completely different vibe. 

Chaotic, neon, loud, energetic — the Tokyo you see in films. 

I found the famous Shibuya Crossing and watched it a few times, mesmerised by the organised chaos, before doing the crossing myself. Tourist tick. 

Then I visited the Hachiko statue. If you don’t know the story, watch Hachi with Richard Gere — and have tissues ready. As an Akita owner, this is a cool moment for me. People queue for photos, and I happily joined them. 

Around the crossing are loads of tourist souvenir shops, selling everything from keyrings to T-shirts. That’s where I bought the tiny Shibuya Hachiko pin badge that my Akita now proudly wears on her harness. 

I walked back to Minato to meet friends who had travelled from Osaka. There’s something magical about meeting friends in a completely different country. We found a small side street café for lunch, then spent the afternoon exploring — boutique shops, malls, and back down into Shibuya again. 

We stumbled across a Netflix popup store full of Instagram-worthy photo ops. If you’re a fan of Squid Game or Stranger Things, it’s great fun. 

My friend wanted to visit Cat Street, between Shibuya and Harajuku — vintage shops, indie boutiques, narrow pathways, overhead wires, and that authentic Tokyo street vibe. 

We ended up in a tiny bar for drinks and ice cream. Perfect.

We’re both trainer fans, and Shibuya is heaven for sneaker shopping. I’m a Nike Air Jordan girl, so we checked out the Jordan World of Flight store. I didn’t buy anything for myself that afternoon but I picked up two pairs of Asics Kayano for the Irishman at a bargain price compared to the UK. 

We wandered back to my hotel, said our goodbyes (I’d see them again in Osaka), and I headed back to my room. 

Another night in — no shame, no regrets 

The minibar had been fully replenished — chocolate and soft drinks included. 

I poured a Japanese gin and topped up with tonic into one of the gorgeous copper glasses, showered, got back into the robe, and ordered room service again. Heaven.