Teddy Travels: Japan — Hotel & Café Reviews

Teddy sitting on a wall overlooking Tokyo at night

Teddy Travels

Honest reviews from a small dog with high standards.

Destination

Teddy is a small Cavapoochon currently reviewing hotels, restaurants, and experiences across Asia. He is suspicious of eye contact, noise levels, and most situations involving other people. These are his notes. He stands by all of them.

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Tokyo

Japan · January 2026

Shibuya Crossing

★★★☆☆ 6/10

Tokyo, Japan

I'd been told it was the busiest pedestrian crossing in the world. I wish someone had been more specific about what that meant.
- Teddy

Teddy's Notes

The crossing turns green in all directions simultaneously. Thousands of people move at once from every angle. I watched this happen seven times from the same spot on the pavement. A man asked if I was alright. I said yes. I wasn't alright but I didn't feel it was his concern. I went for dinner afterwards and felt considerably better. I've added Shibuya Crossing to my list of things I never want to see again.

Comfort

Pavement Safety

Treat Accessibility

Would I Return?

VisitedJanuary 2026

WeatherCold, raining

Crossings Attempted0

Crossings Observed17

Neko no Niwa (Cat Cafe)

★★★★☆ 7/10

Tokyo, Japan

No one told the cats I'd be making an appearance.
- Teddy

Teddy's Notes

There were eleven cats. I observed each one carefully and formed my opinions without difficulty. A large orange cat sat on the lap of a man who arrived after me and appeared to have no particular interest in cats. I don't know what his arrangement was. One cat made eye contact briefly, then looked away. That was the most attention I got. The hot chocolate was delicious so I returned the following day. The cats were the same.

Comfort

Staff Kindness

Would I Return?

Cat Acknowledgement

VisitedJanuary 2026

WeatherCold, dry

Cats Present11

Cats That Acknowledged Me0

The Kube

★★★★★ 9/10

Tokyo, Japan

The pod was exactly my size. I'm not saying this was designed for me specifically, nor am I ruling it out.
- Teddy

Teddy's Notes

The pod had a reading light, a television and a privacy blind that pulled down for complete privacy. The man in the pod opposite watched something on his phone without headphones for over 10 minutes. I considered saying something, but decided to stare at his eyes instead. Pearl said the capsules were just hostel beds with privacy. I didn't reply. I decided to turn my phone off.

Comfort

Staff Kindness

Would I Return?

Pod Suitability

VisitedJanuary 2026

WeatherCold.

Nights Stayed2. The second was unplanned.

Complaints Filed0

Teddy's Tokyo Verdict

I came to Tokyo with an open mind. It didn't survive the first evening. One of my wheels developed a squeak as the trip went on. I don't plan on fixing it. The cats weren't what I expected. The pod itself was without fault, though I didn't test the bathroom. The man in the adjacent pod said something through the wall. I chose not to engage. I'm leaving for Kyoto shortly.

- Teddy, January 2026

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Kyoto

Japan · February 2026

Fushimi Inari torii gates winding up the mountain

Fushimi Inari Shrine

★★★★☆ 7/10

Kyoto, Japan

I was told there are ten thousand torii gates. I don't think the person understood what they were explaining to me.
- Teddy

Teddy's Notes

It starts at the bottom of a mountain. The supposed ten thousand torii gates lead all the way to the summit - a two to three hour climb. I had understood it to be a short walk through some orange structures. The sign at the bottom did not make this clear enough.

A man behind me asked me to keep moving. I took considerable offence to this and located a pamphlet about Haneda Airport, which I read whilst walking at my own pace. I turned back at a rest stop approximately twenty percent of the way up. I sat for a while and watched others continue. They all seemed very committed, but slightly delusional.

Comfort

Staff Kindness

Would I Return?

Distance Covered

VisitedFebruary 2026

WeatherCold, clear, still

Snacks Consumed1 (purchased at gate 4)

Gates Passed ThroughApproximately 150. Out of an alleged ten thousand.

Watazen Ryokan

★★★★☆ 8/10

Kyoto, Japan

There were rules for everything. The slippers, the bath, the meal, the shoes, the corridor, the futon. I began to wonder if the establishment had previously been run by the Japanese military.
- Teddy

Teddy's Notes

The ryokan has been open since 1830. I'm aware this isn't considered old by Japanese standards. The room had flooring somehow made of rice, and a low table, with nothing above human knee height. I believe I sat correctly for the entire evening, which I consider a personal achievement.

A multi-course kaiseki meal arrived one small dish at a time. Each one arrived looking like it had been arranged with precision, so I ate everything immediately. The final dish was a single small sweet. It was the size of a thumbnail. I stared at it for a moment, then ate it. I messaged Pearl to tell her. She replied "ok". I should not have bothered.

Comfort

Staff Kindness

Would I Return?

Rules Followed

VisitedFebruary 2026

WeatherCold. Possibly snowing.

Snacks Consumed12 (several courses)

Futon SituationLaid out for me. Appreciated.

The Sanjo Arms

★★★★★ 9/10

Kyoto, Japan

I finally found a British pub. It was full of other travellers, which I would normally consider a problem. Tonight it wasn't.
- Teddy

Teddy's Notes

I ordered a cider. The bartender asked which one, pointing at a menu. I wasn't given the one I asked for. I didn't mention it. The second cider arrived without incident. By the third I had stopped noticing.

I was sitting alone when a woman at the next table asked if the seat beside me was taken. It wasn't. She was from Seoul. Her name was Jiyeon. She asked what I'd seen in Kyoto. I told her about the gates and she said she'd done the full climb. I found this slightly annoying.

At some point I asked if she had ever visited North Korea. She said no, and that it wasn't really something people did. I said I understood, though I wasn't entirely sure I did. We spoke for several hours. She is returning home to Seoul next week. I said I had been considering Korea as my next destination, which wasn't true.

Comfort

Staff Kindness

Would I Return?

Unexplained Optimism

VisitedFebruary 2026

WeatherCold, wet.

Drinks ConsumedApproximately 7 ciders

New Friends Made1. From Korea.

Teddy's Kyoto Verdict

Kyoto was quieter than I expected and more demanding than advertised. I passed through approximately a hundred and fifty of the alleged ten thousand gates, which is enough. The futon was the best sleep of the trip and possibly my life. I met a South Korean girl at a pub who is returning to Seoul next week. I may choose to follow her. Archie has had a professional photo taken and changed all his profile pictures. I've chosen not to acknowledge it.

- Teddy, February 2026

Next: Korea