Hi Leon,
Spending a few months a year in Japan (Tokyo) here are a few recommendations.
Tokyo
Music shops
I also recommend Ochanomizu guitar street. Take JR Chuo line to Ochanomizu station, Ochanomizu bridge Exit and basically across the street and you arrived guitar street heaven.
One of the first guitar shops on the right hand side is Guitar planet
GUITAR PLANET / ギタープラネット中古館
東京都 千代田区 神田駿河台 2-1-11
http://www.guitarplanet.co.jp/
They have a small second hand department upstairs where “my” guy usually works, Mr Koba san, speaks good English. Ask for him
Also as earlier mentioned ikebe-gakki is good. Have several branches. Aim for Shibuya, Ikebe Gakki Kenbando
Japan, 〒150-0031 Tōkyō-to, Shibuya-ku, Sakuragaokachō, 24−2 第3富士商事ビル
Plenty of other music stores around that shop as well.
Food
根室食堂 新橋店
2 Chome-18-4 Shinbashi, Minato-ku, Tōkyō-to 105-0004, Japan
〒105-0004 東京都港区新橋2丁目18−4
Great food from Hokkaido (north Japan), local casual place, not pricey. Located in close Shimbashi station. Zero English skills among the staff.
Tokyo fish market (Tsukiji Market)
http://www.tsukiji-market.or.jp/tukiji_e.htm
Bustling must visit tourist spot. All kinds of small shops and food stalls/restaurants. My favorite is a small non-touristy place which only serves whale named 鯨の登美粋(
http://www.e-kujira.net/) Depending on how political correct you are, give it a shot. Very tasty. I recommend the whale tataki (kujira tataki), its like sashimi style whale. The female manager speaks some English. The entrance doesn’t at all look like it’s a restaurant as its just 3-4 tables inside. Only open 10am – 2pm, closed Thursdays.
Kobe beef, expensive but worth a try somewhere. The blow fish FUGU, according to me expensive and overrated, not much of a taste, just for the experience to have tried it. Don’t bother unless you are very keen.
Otherwise plenty of food everywhere. If you want to explore more “uncommon” food you can try horse meat.
Bakurou 馬喰ろう 新橋店
1 Chome-17-10 Nishishinbashi, Minato-ku, Tōkyō-to 105-0003, Japan
〒105-0003 東京都港区西新橋1丁目17−10
Music scene
If you want to meet up fellow musicians and enjoy some casual fun you could go to gigabar or bauhaus. Basically it’s “karaoke style” for all kind of musicians. These bars has a house band with long song lists. You can sign up and join them for a song or too. House bands are usually good, the people joining them of various quality, but always good fun and sure to make a few new friends.
http://gigabar.jp/english/index.html
http://rockbarbauhaus.com/
There is some cover charge if I remember correctly. They speak decent English at these bars, also some house musicians are foreigners.
Biggest challenge will be language (unless you speak Japanese per chance). Prepare cash, some smaller shops/restaurants perhaps doesn’t accept foreign cards. Typically cards with “union pay” marks would be ok. My Hong Kong debit card with union pay works fine there.
I haven’t bonded much with Osaka and just been there two times. Kyoto is a classic ancient city, plentiful of temples and shrines. Old style Japan. But past days the area have suffered massive rain and flooding.
https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20180705/p2g/00m/0dm/102000c
Keep yourself updated on this