Having spent four years living and working in Tokyo, few know Japan and Japanese style like M.J. Bale’s Rannulu de Zoysa. Here, the Sri Lankan-born casualwear designer and former child ping-pong prodigy (true) shares his travel secrets.

THE BEST WAY TO GET AROUND JAPAN IS THE SHINKANSEN BULLET TRAIN. It travels from the north island of Hokkaido to Kyushu in the southwest and is the fastest and easiest way to get around. Pro tip: The bullet trains are run by different companies and tickets can sometimes be a nightmare to buy at the station. Download the Shinkansen smartEx app and book everything through here. Try to avoid travelling between 7-9am — it’s a crush of polite humanity — and remember most local trains end at 1am if you want to avoid a heinous taxis fare.

AVOID WESTERN-STYLE HOTELS AND SPEND THE NIGHT IN A RYOKAN, which is a traditional Japanese-style inn with onsen. Book a tatami mat room with a futon and yukata robes for an authentic experience. The Japanese believe the ryokan helps you connect with the earth, wind and your soul, and it always leaves you feeling refreshed and calm. Pro tip: Speaking of leaving, when departing the ryokan attend to a little tea ceremony. The ceremony is not just a tradition, it’s like an artform here and rejuvenates you for the journey ahead.

IF YOU DRINK ALCOHOL, YOU SHOULD SAVOUR LOCAL SAKE AND SHOCHU. Sake is made from fermented rice, and the best brewed and most traditional sake is from Hokkaido. My personal favourite, though, is shochu, a most delicious alcoholic beverage made from either sweet potatoes, barley or rice. The best shochu is from Kyushu, a southern island in Japan. Enjoy it while eating local Kyushu cuisine, which includes satsuma (aged fish cakes), potatoes and basashi (meat sashimi). Pro tip: It is a cultural no-no to refill your own glass. You should only pour for others, letting them refill yours.

LOCAL CASUAL IZAKAYA (SITTING DOWN BARS) OR TACHINOMI (STAND UP BARS) in Fukuoka on the west coast of Japan or in Osaka are the best places to enjoy the most genuine local food and drink experiences.Style tip: Wear M.J. Bale’s Kamakiri selvedge denim shirt, jacket and jeans. They are woven and made in Okayama Prefecture, about an hour from Osaka on the bullet train. Not only do they look cool (Japanese men are some of the world’s snappiest dressers), but they’re a good conversation starter for you with any English-speaking locals.

THE TSUKIJI OUTER MARKET AREA, AKA ‘FOOD TOWN’, IN TOKYO IS A GREAT LOCAL SPOT FOR DINNER. The atmosphere here is buzzing and you have access to the best sashimi from different areas of Japan, made by trained chefs from each area. Must-try dishes include Hakata ramen, which is a Fukuoka dish with amazing rich flavour and textured layers, and lightly fried mustard green salt pickles. The mackerel Goma sabe from Hakata Bay is best in colder months and is usually served from the sea straight to plate.

FOR VINTAGE CLOTHES SHOPPING, THE BEST SHOPS ARE FOUND IN THE BACK STREETS OF NAKAMEGURO, SHIMOKITAZAWA AND DAIKANYAMA IN TOKYO. Nakameguro is a short walk from Shibuya and has young and eclectic vibes. It sells European clothes from the 1960s that you can’t find anymore, or preserved World War Two-era Japanese garments. Shimokitazawa is another good area for vintage, famous for fancy and Japanese ceremonial dress, including tuxedoes, kimonos and wide-lapel dandy blazers.

Koenji in Tokyo is a cool little neighbourhood famous for 1960s and 1970s retro, as well as hippy styles. It has the advantage of live music here, so worth settling in for an afternoon. If you want ultra-fashionable second-hand clothes from high-end brands, go to Daikanyama. Also here is Daikanyama T-Site, which is a book shop and cafe located in an iconic wooden building called Library in the Woods. They have a huge 1970s book collection and more than 30,000 vintage magazines. If you want a one-of-a-kind denim experience, go to Jeans Street in Kojima, the spiritual home of Japanese denim. There are more than 20 boutiques here, including Big John, the original local denim brand, and more chic/expensive Momotaro. Pro tip: It is expected that you haggle with the shopkeepers, so always ask for the best price. Unsurprisingly, if you have cash you will always get a better price — up to half price if buying in volume and negotiated with finesse.

FOR THE BEST CURATED BOOKS AND MAGAZINE COLLECTIONS, GO TO THE KOMIYAMA VINTAGE BOOKSTORE AND GINZA TSUTAYA IN TOKYO. In Komiyama’s four-storey building, you’ll find vintage posters and fashion magazines dating from the 1930s, as well as huge volumes of street art, Japanese literature and manga. There is a cool little piano bar upstairs, which is perfect for a rendezvous, cocktail and snack. In Ginza, there is also Ginza Tsutaya books. They have more than 60,000 art magazines and books here; it’s very common for anyone studying design or poetry to plop themselves here for the day. Style tip: Famous celebrities, designers and local singers are always at Komiyaya and Ginza Tsutaya seeking inspiration, so dress up to look the part. Wear our Made in Japan Nakamura woollen Traveller jacket with wide-legged, stone-coloured Shotaro cargo pants. Both have plenty of pockets, helping you to stock up on collectibles.