The Shokunin
職人 (shokunin), a skilled craftsperson devoted to their craft.
KODAWARI familyこだわりWould rather visit one incredible soba shop than five average restaurants.
Values quality over quantity and will make an effort for something exceptional. You like Tokyo at its best, not its most: one exceptional thing a day, however far away it is.
Your four letters
PlannedPlanning
Likes structure, research, reservations and knowing what comes next.
The other side is S, Spontaneous.
RoamRange
Happy travelling across the city or beyond for something worthwhile.
The other side is N, Near.
Tokyo, for a CPZR
Where to stay
Asakusa or Kuramae. Old craft neighbourhoods, workshops, and a quiet river at night.
Kappabashi kitchen street
Knives, ceramics and tools from people who make one thing very well.
One booked counter meal
Sushi, tempura or soba. Make it the centre of the day, not a stop on it.
Mashiko
A pottery town a couple of hours north. Go for the kilns, stay for the quiet.
What to skip
"Ten things to do in Shibuya". You'd rather do one.
Your people, and your problem
KODAWARIこだわり
“If you're going to do it, do it properly.”
Kodawari is the Japanese word for caring about the details more than anyone asked you to. Kodawari travelers want the real version of the famous thing, and they've done the reading to make sure they get it. They're the reason the group had a table.
How to travel: Build the trip around a few things done right: the booked counter seat, the timed entry, the first train out. You don't need more stops. You need better ones.
Not sure this is you?
Two minutes, no wrong answers. Koko works out your four letters and picks places in Tokyo to match.
Take the quiz
koko