All About Japan

5 Unique Date Destinations in Tokyo & Beyond

Food & Drink Cafés Bars Art Accommodation Dating in Japan

While a good steak and wine dinner is comforting, couples have the option to enjoy unique date destinations in Tokyo and other key cities of Japan. There are always new things to discover, new places to enjoy and new foods to try—besides, dates shouldn't be boring!

5. Paint & Sip at Artbar Tokyo (Daikanyama)

If you want time well spent in a smooth and easy way, you can't go wrong with pairing painting with sipping wine for a unique date. Artbar Tokyo is friendly enough for first-timers and fun enough for lovers of good wine. It's also a good place to learn about other cultures or traditions, as Artbar features themed painting sessions. It welcomes all sorts of people from salarymen to mothers, art enthusiasts, kids and, obviously, wine lovers. Of course, this is a good place for couples. Bonus points if you can don a beret and create an impressive painting to show off to your date!

4. Cuddle at Book & Bed Hotel (Ikebukuro)

If your partner's a lover of arts and letters, this is the place to be. This Scandi-style, eccentrically designed "accommodation bookshop" is the perfect hangout place during the day, and a unique hostel at night. Book and Bed Hotel has English and Japanese titles of several literary genres, including classic literature, culture and art. It also has a speedy internet connection, so love birds can work together and bond side-by-side while lounging on the super-comfortable day beds. And we hear cuddling isn't prohibited!

3. Get Warm & Cosy at The Sunnys Cocoa (Daikanyama)

3. Get Warm & Cosy at The Sunnys Cocoa (Daikanyama)

http://tabelog.com/en/tokyo/A1303/A130303/13175352/

If your partner's a foodie, a chocolate connoisseur or just has a sweet tooth, this quaint place, tucked in the backstreets of the posh Daikanyama area, will put a smile on their face. The specialty shop has a very focused yet extensive menu featuring nothing but cocoa and chocolate! The Sunnys Cocoa has chocolate sourced from all around the world, and the little personalized touches in the café (including the adorable guest book for patrons to sign) will surely warm your heart.

- www.motor-monsters.jp (Japanese)

2. Unwind in Ladrio (Jinbocho)

2. Unwind in Ladrio (Jinbocho)

https://tabelog.com/en/tokyo/A1310/A131003/13006555/

If your date craves a little magic and fantasy, they'll love the inexplicable charm of this restaurant-cum-café. Upon entering, you might feel as if you've been transported to the secret dungeons of a Harry Potter movie, or teleported to a far-flung underground chamber from the Star Wars series.

Ladrio is a place oozing with an artistic, literary and nostalgic vibe. Renowned writers are known to frequent the place. Legend has it that writer Go Osaka was hanging out in Ladrio when he received a phone call announcing his Naoki Prize for Literature in 1986.

Ladrio has been around since 1949 and made history by being the first café in Japan to serve Viennese coffee (espresso with cream). Knowing this little piece of history will surely impress your date!

- go-jimbou.info (Japanese)

1. Be Amazed by teamLab (Various)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=36&v=XCH6RE5Q78s

If your loved one's a fan of lights, sounds and the amazing wonders of technology, an artist collective calling itself teamLab strives to create the perfect harmony of digital technology and creative art. While the collective hosts exhibits in Japan, it has amazed people all over the world, including those in Singapore, California, Istanbul, London and Paris.

From February 27 to May 8, 2016, an exhibit at Asutamuland Tokushima titled "Dance Through the Crystal Universe" will show off awe-inspiring digital art effects, creating a lasting memory for you and your loved one. Also, most of the exhibitions are interactive, so have fun as you bring out your inner child!