Olivia Munn reveals favourite Tokyo spots shaped by childhood years in Japan
Olivia Munn says growing up in Tokyo changed the way she sees the world, and now she wants her children to experience the magic too.
The baronial manors, rolling lawns and private clubs in the fictional suburban backdrop of the Apple Plus TV series Your Friends & Neighbours bear little resemblance to the buzzing footpaths and neon lights and hidden warrens of Tokyo.
But for actress Olivia Munn, who plays an outsider-turned-socialite on the show, her childhood years in the city helped inform the role.
At age 8, Munn, now 44, moved from Oklahoma City, where she was born, to Yokota Air Base in Tokyo, along with her mum, then-stepfather (a US Air Force major) and four siblings. Suddenly, she was the odd kid out, “thrust into new worlds” where she became determined to find her place. “I really got good at observing people,” offers Munn.
Over the better part of a decade, she explored the now Instagram-famous alleys of Omoide Yokocho, where packed, tiny restaurants served “the most amazing yakisoba”; teeming Harajuku, where “everyone dressed up like anime” on Sundays; the warren of games and gadgetry in the Akihabara electronics district, where she and her brother combed through the bins for Casio watches; and Mount Fuji, about 100km away but visible from the city’s high-rises, where she and her family twice hiked to the summit and were rewarded with steaming ramen and stunning views.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.Munn moved back to the United States at 16 and attended the University of Oklahoma before going on to a career that has included the HBO series The Newsroom and the superhero blockbuster X-Men: Apocalypse.
Although she minored in Japanese, her language skills have slipped a bit, she says, but “it all comes back to me” with a little practice when she makes one of her regular trips to Tokyo.
And now that she and husband, comedian John Mulaney, have two children, three-year-old Malcolm and seven-month-old Mei, Tokyo tops the couple’s international travel list. “I would really like them to experience and absorb the structure there, the patience there and the politeness there,” says Munn.
A few of these places might well be perfect for kids. Others will require some babysitting while the grown-ups hit the town.
Hakuhinkan Toy Park
As even a casual observer of Hello Kitty or Pokemon knows, Japan takes toy culture to new heights, and Munn is a fan. Her favourite monument to the make-believe is Hakuhinkan Toy Park in the Ginza district, a four-story megastore where you’ll find worlds (and subworlds) of action figures, plush toys, race cars, games, dolls and puzzles, as well as the occasional pop-up magic show.
Despite the daunting number of items for sale — about 200,000 at last count — “it’s worth going through methodically”, she advises. “You’ll find some really cool things that you’ve never seen.”
Ginza Tsutaya Books
Not far from Hakuhinkan Toy Park, this art-heavy bookstore with a gallery, a stationery department and a cafe is another of Munn’s beloved hunting grounds. Munn recommends stopping in even if you don’t read Japanese because so many of the books are works of art. Her most prized possession from the shop is a fortune-telling book by former Japanese TV personality Kazuko Hosoki, who holds the Guinness World Record for bestselling author in the genre.
“She was so brutally honest, she got a lot of hate for it,” says Munn. “But also, people were obsessed with it because if she’s willing to tell them the bad stuff, then they assume that they can believe her when she says something good.”
Sushi Gotoku Shibuya
Growing up, Munn loved the city’s low-cost yakisoba and yakitori vendors, and still does. But she also has a taste for the high end of the culinary spectrum — citing Sushi Gotoku, in Shibuya, where she orders the Hokkaido uni, or sea urchin (“it’s going to melt in your mouth”), and the tiger prawns.
Shimokitazawa
Known for its vintage clothing stores, this bohemian district west of Shibuya draws treasure hunters such as Munn, who says she’s gotten lucky with Chanel and Hermès finds on her visits. But even if you’re not a fashion hound, you can always discover one of the area’s cute record shops and cafes.
The Peninsula Tokyo
If you haven’t already gotten the sense that food figures prominently in Munn’s favourites, consider the first reason she offers for loving this five-star hotel in the central Marunouchi district: “It’s actually right next to a Krispy Kreme.”
But even if not for the doughnut shop (about a five-minute walk away), it’s a super convenient location, says Munn of this tower opposite Hibiya Park and the Imperial Palace.
“They also have bigger rooms and a really lovely, multilingual staff,” she adds, perhaps envisioning a visit with her budding world travellers.
