TOKYO, JAPAN

OVERVIEW

• When: Total trip August 1-18, 2024. Tokyo: 2-6 and 17 -18 Aug, 2024.
• Where (accommodations): The Prince Park Tower Tokyo and The Tokyo Station hotel
• Transportation: Air Canada from Boston (BOS) to Montreal (YUL) to Tokyo Narita (NRT). Romance train to Hakone (with Hakone Freepass (2 day))
• Sights/attractions: Tokyo: teamLab Planets, Tokyo Tower, Yoyogi Park, Meiji Jingu Shrine, Takeshita Street, Pipig Cafe, Cat Street, Shibuya Sky, Hachiko Statue, Shibuya Scramble Crossing, Mega Don Quijote, Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, Omoide Yokocho, Cat Board, Shinjuku, Godzilla Head, Golden Gai, Sky Tree Tower, Nakamise Dori Market, Senso-Ji Temple, Cutlery Tsubaya, Tokyo Skytree, Kappabashi Kitchen Tools Street, Maidreamin, Akihabara Electric Town, Daikanyama, Tsutaya Book store, Kyu Asakura House, Imperial Palace East Gardens, Chuo Dori Street in Ginza
• Food/drinks: Tokyo: Satsuma Ushinokura, Cafe Reissue, Harajuku Gyozaro, Okonomiyaki Yai Yai, The SG Club, Chacha Futatsume, Milk no Ki Bakery, Karashibi Miso Ramen Kikanbo, Cafe Facon Roaster Atelier, Spring Valley Brewery, Bar Trench, Sushi Katsurada Ebisu, Hokkai Shabu Shabu

This trip will go down in my trip planning history as one of the most prepared for. I read numerous blog posts, watched insane amount of IG videos and did a lot of research. I had a 14 page Google Doc in anticipation to making the best out of the (too short) time we have in Japan. There is so much to see and do and we have less than two weeks to take it all in.

My sister and brother-in-law came along on this adventure and we all returned still friends, so I think this preparation paid off 🙂 . Jokes aside- Japan is basically around the world for us, which means long and tiring flights. We also went during the summer season- a VERY hot summer to be exact. So, having a good idea of what we can accomplish without being completely exhausted was an important part of my reasoning behind a very detailed plan. The plan was executed well. We swapped some of the activities, but for the most part there were no surprises. So here is my best advice on how to prepare for Japan and what you can see and do in 3 days in Tokyo. Each other location will have its own post to make it easier to digest.

READY, SET, GO!

Japan is very technology savvy, so you should be too! Before arriving make sure you have at least these apps: Suica, smartEX, Google Translate, Google Maps, Go/ Taxi app for Japan and Holafly for eSIM.

Suica is your gateway to traveling within Japan on public transportation. There are many posts about where to buy a physical card, but if you have an iPhone (I think Android works as well)- the best thing to do is to simply add Suica to your Wallet. To do so, go to your Wallet, click the + sign and add Transit card. Pre-load Suica with your Apple Pay (I loaded with 10 000 Yen and was only a few hundred yen short on the last day of the trip). You can always add more money, so don’t over load it. There is no way to take the money out if you don’t use it up. Having this on your phone enables you to tap the phone and enter all local trains/busses without the need to stand in line to buy a ticket – who has time for that?!

If you are not planning on taking long distance/Shinkansen trains, then you don’t need a Suica app. It’s enough to add it to the Wallet as mentioned above, load up with funds and you are good to go for local transportation. However, if you ARE planning on taking Shinkansen, then download the app as well. To buy tickets on Shinkansen you will need a smartEX app. Again, this allows you to avoid the lines, you can reserve your seat in advance, and to make sure you are getting the tickets for a specific time/date. My sister was not able to get this app in Germany, so I bought all long distance train tickets. I distributed the tickets and assigned everyone’s seats using their Suica card number. To find Suica card number you need the App (and yes, it’s all in Japanese, but the little ‘i’ Info symbol reveals the card number). You then add each person’s Suica number to the Shinkansen tickets bought on smartEX.

I know, it sounds tricky, but it’s not that hard. I will not go into a great detail on how to do all the technical stuff, there is Google for that. But I very much recommend smartEX for purchasing Shinkansen tickets and reserving your seats. We wanted to make sure we are sitting near the window. We planned activities based on the train schedule, so buying tickets in advance was a peace of mind. We reserved seats on the Green car for all Shinkansen trains. That is essentially a Business class seat with a lot of space, recliner, extremely comfortable and pleasant. It did not cost that much more (around $30 USDpp) and we all loved it. We did not buy a JR Pass, which is another way of traveling long distance, because the fastest Shinkansen trains are not part of it and we wanted to experience the fastest bullet trains that Japan has. I also read that the pass went up in price, so it’s only worth it if you do A LOT of long distance travel. We only went from Tokyo to Kyoto, Kyoto to Hiroshima and Hiroshima to Osaka. We kind of wished we had more train rides on these luxury Green cars 🙂 .

Google Translate app goes without saying- we used it every day. I was a bit surprised on how many Japanese did not know English, even in the hotel industry, but this app worked very well and we never had any issues communicating.

Before getting on the plane, fill out the Customs Form. You can also fill out the paper form on the plane, but having the QR code saves the time and headache, so I would very much recommend it. There is a lot of information that needs to be provided, so in my opinion, it’s much easier to do that at the comfort of your home as oppose to being on a plane. Or worse- at the airport after a 20 hour travel. The website for the registration is here. Make sure you receive the QR code. If you don’t have it, you will need to fill out the info upon arrival again.

We marked all of the sights and restaurants that we planned to visit on Google Maps and grouped these activities based on the area. We do this for all of our trips, especially going to the widespread cities. Tokyo is huge, so to avoid running around from one end of the city to another, make sure you have at least a rough plan on where your sights are (and places to eat around them). Some people recommended different apps for getting around, we had no issues with Google Maps whatsoever.

Go/Taxi app for Japan was also used pretty much daily. Uber is more expensive than taxis at least in Tokyo, so this app was amazing for the times when we did not want to ride the train. Even if you get a taxi from the street or the taxi stand, they have a QR code you can scan and pay via Go app! No need to deal with cash, very easy and convenient!

Talking about cash- cash is still king in Japan. Take out money from the ATM and always have some cash. Trust me, it will come in handy!

Holafly was a perfect eSIM app. You need to have an unlocked phone though for it to work. But since my phone was paid off and unlocked, I was able to install this app and use unlimited data all over Japan and Taiwan for 18 days for just $62 USD.

One more tip (one of the best ones I received!)- pack an empty suitcase inside your checked luggage. You WILL need it. We never did that for any other trip and I still regret not buying one more luggage. There are SO many things to buy in Japan- not only for yourself, but great for gifts (cute things, candy etc., more about shopping later). Do not bring a giant suitcase though, because you want to be able to utilize an incredible luggage shipping service that is provided by all hotels in Japan. They do not weigh the bags, but it has to be not bigger than a certain size, they measure it with measuring tape.

We packed 3-5 days worth of clothes into a carry-on roller bags and kept the other clothes in the checked medium size suitcase. When the time came to travel from Tokyo to Kyoto (followed by the train to Hiroshima, and then another train to Osaka), we left the checked bag at the first hotel and arranged it to ship to Osaka. That way we did not have to drag this bag on multiple trains and sharing a cab with my family was also much easier.

Upon arrival to Osaka, we re-packed and shipped this luggage , plus the filled up empty bag (after all the shopping along the way) to our last hotel in Tokyo (including all the souvenirs, knives etc). We then proceeded to fly to Taiwan and enjoyed the light travel with our carry-on bags only. When we returned to Tokyo before flying back home (we spent one night before the flight back), our shipped luggages were already waiting for us at the hotel. It made moving around easier, would be a shame to not take advantage of this incredible service!

And that is all for my abbreviated version of the general preparation before coming to Japan. Now lets explore Tokyo, shall we?

ACCOMODATION

We stayed in two different hotels in Tokyo. First four nights was at The Prince Park Tower and the last night of the trip was at The Tokyo Station hotel.

THE PRINCE PARK TOWER HOTEL

I chose this hotel purely for the view. I wanted the view of Tokyo Tower and it was as beautiful as expected! Every morning that we woke up here we loved looking out the window.

We never actually went up to the top of the Tokyo Tower, which was made to look like an Eiffel Tower, just a couple of meters taller, but we loved seeing it out of our balcony!

We landed in Narita airport, which is pretty far away from the city. If you have a way of arriving to Haneda, definitely do that- it’s much more convenient. We could not find international flights that aligned with our schedule, so had to make it work. Hotel concierge was super helpful in answering all pre-trip questions and she also advised us on several ways of getting to the hotel. The most expensive would be a private car that would cost over 40 000 JPY or around $280 USD. Another option is taxi- during rush hour it could take up to 2 hours and cost 30 000 JPY or $210 USD. There is also an Airport Limousine Bus, which can be set up in advance and was a very tempting option, costing only 3000 JPY or $20 USD. However, because we arrived during rush hour and did not want to risk being stuck in traffic, we chose the most economical and the fastest way – Keisei Narita Airport express train. It took 1.5 hours and got us to Daimon station- 5 min taxi ride to the hotel. If we did not have suitcases we would’ve walked 15 min, but either way- train from Narita airport is the way to go! We tapped the phone with preloaded Suica and it was only 1400 JPY each ( less than $10 USD pp).

Overall The Prince Park Tower hotel was great- delicious breakfast, comfortable rooms, very helpful staff. Especially Yumika- she went out of her way making sure we are happy customers. One thing to note- there is a pool, but it’s a long walk underground, it felt like in another area of town by the time we reached it. And if you have tattoos, even if you promise to cover them, they still will not let you in this pool.

Japan has a history of tattooed gangs and there is still a stigma about it. Many onsens (traditional bath houses) and some pools at the hotels have an issue with tattoos, despite us clearly being foreigners. Luckily we did not have much time in Tokyo, and the pool was more like a gym/basic olympic pool, so we did not feel like we missed out on anything. This rule would not stop me from staying at this hotel, we had a very pleasant four nights here.

THE TOKYO STATION HOTEL

Fast forward to the very last night of this wonderful trip. We came back from Taiwan on Saturday evening and our flights home were not until Sunday late afternoon. The main reason for choosing this hotel was the unbeatable location. The fact that it’s in an elegant historic building added to the charm. Only one hour direct train ride from Narita airport was perfect, especially when we had to take the same train back to the airport in less than 24 hours. Typhoon went though Tokyo just one day before our flight, which caused long lines at Narita’s customs. We got very lucky that it did not affect our travel plans, but after waiting in line for over 2 hours, we were at least relieved that the train to the hotel was relatively short.

The rooms were quite a bit smaller than at The Prince Park Tower and the view was of the plaza, so nothing spectacular from that perspective. The architecture of the building is gorgeous though.

Literally at Tokyo Station (you can actually see the station through some of the inner windows) this hotel allows you to connect seamlessly and effortlessly to any place in Tokyo and overall Japan.

Their toiletries are top notch (in general, all hotels in Japan provide everything you might need, so don’t overpack). Also, the breakfast spread was incredible. We heard that people stay at this hotel just so they could have breakfast here!

It was an expensive stay, so that could be a deal breaker, but if you are short on time and need a great location, this place is perfect. With only one hour direct train to the airport it gave us more time to sightsee and shop on our last morning in Japan- you can’t put a price on that, amirite 🙂 ?

FIRST NIGHT IN TOKYO

My sister and her husband arrived a couple of hours earlier and when Sean and I got to the hotel they were already there and settled. It would not be in ‘true Kristina fashion’ if we all just relaxed for the evening after the long flights. No, my friends, we had dinner AND an activity booked. It was a great idea and I stand by it!

Satsuma Ushinokura restaurant was a short taxi ride away and it was an excellent start to our culinary Japanese experience!

The meat was melting in our mouths and we forgot how tired we all actually were. Energy restored, we are ready for the activity- teamLab Planets. I was debating if this interactive experience is worth it, but so many people said they loved it, that I gave in and bought the tickets. It WAS indeed worth it!

From the restaurant it was about 18 min drive and we booked the last entry for the evening- at 8.30pm. Partially it was because we wanted to make sure we can still make it if the flights were delayed. Another reason was that it being the last entry for the evening, means less crowds, and less people walking on your heels when you are trying to enjoy the experience. I think it was a smart move (I did not come up with that, but read in one of the blogs). There still were people, but we did not have to stand in any lines and had plenty of space to take photos.

It started with walking through water- make sure to wear shorts or pants you can roll up. I think it was so that everyone would wash their feet (but that is just my guess :)) . Then we went into a dark padded room where you can literally bounce off the walls (we did that). One of our favorites was the sparkly mirrors room- it was kind of magical. I did not expect to like it as much as I did for sure!

We did not love the room with spinning flower images on the globe shaped ceiling- even laying on the ground eventually we all started feeling dizzy and exited that part. It was another water room with ‘fish’ floating around- of course those where projections, but the fish looked super real. And we all loved the real hanging orchids room, but that one was a bit more crowded and harder to take pictures without getting other people in them.

All in all- we enjoyed teamLab Planets a lot. They are located in kind of random neighborhood with nothing else to sightsee around. So it was a perfect activity to get done on the first night and no need to return to this area of Tokyo in the following days.

There is also teamLab Borderless – another interactive experience that is more centrally located and some people prefer that one. But from what I saw online, teamLab Planets was more of our type. It had water, foam, flowers etc. Vs the other one is more digital from what I gathered.

Important tip- buy tickets in advance- I got them as soon as they were on sale- a few months before the trip. They do sell out, especially for certain times of the day.

SHINJUKU/HARAJUKU/SHIBUYA

Meiji Jingu Shrine

Our first full day in Tokyo and we are wasting no time. As I mentioned earlier, best is to select the area of the city and explore there. Then move to the next district and so on. We started with Meiji Jingu shrine located between Shinjuku and Shibuya. We arrived around 9am and it was still pretty quiet, not as busy or hot as later in the day.

Before going to the shrine we crossed Yoyogi park, which had some renovations being done and therefore had nothing spectacular to see. I can see this park being beautiful during foliage or blooming flowers season though.

The most impressive part of the Meiji Jingu shrine is the giant entrance gate leading up to it. It is the largest in Japan and made out of cypress tree that is about 1600 yrs old. Right near the shrine there is a “Wish Tree”- we saw those near a lot of shrines and temples. People write their wishes and dreams and hang it up. Another thing that was often near the shrines- sort of like an oracle box. You shake a box, pull the number and then read the corresponding “answer” or “poem”.

As we were leaving we saw a lot more people coming in, so arriving earlier in the morning was a very good idea.

Takeshita Street

Right across the street from the Harajuku station this 350 meter street is fun and colorful, full of shops and cafes.

It was not planned, but we had a very cute experience at the Mipig cafe located in the same area. There are many animal cafes in Japan- cat, hedgehogs, owls and even capybaras! I did not want to go into any that are housing wild animals- it feels wrong to know that they are not in the wild and it’s basically a cafe-zoo. We did not have any moral issues visiting a mini pig cafe though 🙂 .

My sister and I had a great time petting the miniature piglets for about 45 min (in the cool air conditioned room), while Sean and Cosimo patiently waited outside (in the heat!). There are a few locations of this cafe- we tried going into one earlier and it was fully booked for the day, so check before going just in case.

Continuing on the cuteness trend- we just had to try the 3D lattes at Cafe Reissue. It’s not on Takeshita street, just about 5 min walk away.

You can either select one of their suggested characters OR even show a picture from online. We were very impressed how they turned out, and were delicious too! Plus, it’s always nice to have a break from the heat. We did a lot of that on this trip- go in and out of stores and cafes with hopes to cool down.

Cat street

No, there were no cats (at least we did not see any), but there were many shops along the way.

Some very interesting and cool merchandise!

At this point lunch time was approaching and we decided to eat not in one, but in two places! Harayuku Gyozaro for some amazing gyozas and Okonomiyaki Yai Yai for another traditional Japanese meal- okonomiyaki.

We had no reservations in either place and waited a few minutes to be seated for gyozas, but overall it was not long.

Agne and Cosimo did not love the savory ‘pancakes’ okonomiyaki, but Sean and I liked them. There are many different flavors, but the main ingredient is typically shredded cabbage and flour batter. And then whatever else is on top- beef, pork, seafood etc.

Shibuya Sky and Shibuya Scramble

Energy restored we are ready for more Tokyo sights. Shibuya Sky is a fairly new observation deck and therefore very popular. I booked tickets a couple of months in advance and rightly so- when we arrived at 2pm, all available slots for the day were sold out. There is an open platform which we were excited to go on, but because it was a hot summer day it was closed due to ‘extreme heat’. That definitely put a bit of a damper on the experience- we did not have another day to reschedule and, the views from the windows were nice, but not the same as being in open air.

I am not sure why they closed it- there was no rain or thunder/lightening and those that are afraid of warm temperatures simply could make a choice to not step outside. Some rules in Japan did not make sense, but we were in no position to argue. We made the best out of it and still were able to see Shibuya Scramble– pedestrian crossing that is considered the busiest in the world. It did not look overly busy at that time, but the heat may have something to do with it as well.

Since we’ve seen it from above- might as well go and cross the actual street! But before that, a mandatory stop by the Hachiko Statue, located a few steps away from Shibuya Station. Hachiko, considered the most loyal dog in the world was waiting for his owner at the same spot every day when he returned from work by train.

One day the owner unexpectedly passed away while giving lecture at work. Hachiko continued to come back daily and sit by the station. This went on for over nine years! He was not treated kindly initially by the commuters, but eventually the story spread and the loyal pup started getting treats and became a national legend.

Mega Don Quijote

You cannot go to Japan and not shop at Don Quijote. It would simply be criminal 🙂 . There are over a hundred locations across Japan and we went to a few of them during the trip, but the bulk of the shopping was done on this day at Mega Don Quijote in Shibuya. This store is truly massive and has it all!

Before the shopping spree we of course needed one more snack- 10 Yen Cheese Coin. For sure touristy and cheesy (literally!)- they are essentially giant waffles filled with cheese.

One per person is really enough. Sean got two and later on complained of stomach pain. Please eat the cheese coins responsibly 🙂 !

Side note- in Japan you cannot walk and eat. It’s considered rude and in most places is forbidden. No eating or drinking on public transport (exception is long distance trains). Also, there are no trash cans in any public areas. Carry a little bag if you plan on having any waste. Streets are very clean, but it takes time to get used to not seeing a single trash bin anywhere!

We ate our cheese coins before going into the store and once we went in, it was full shopping mode ON!

My best recommendation is to do your research in advance of what you would like to buy and make a list. I had an album on my phone with screenshots of things to buy in Japan. In Don Quijote we mostly purchased cosmetics and on the last day- various flavors KitKat candies. There are hundreds of flavors, so we tried to get as many as possible and within the means of the luggage space.

Luckily the staff is super helpful, because it can be overwhelming to try to find all the face masks, lotions and potions which are written in Japanese. I happened to get a super efficient sales associate, who knew exactly where each item from my list was. We managed to load up the basket of $700 USD worth of items in less than 30 min. Another important tip- carry your passport in Japan, especially if you plan on buying anything. With the passport foreigners do not need to pay taxes and it ends up being a substantial saving of 10% !

All tax free items get sealed up and the bags are not supposed to be opened until you leave the country. We loaded our purchases to the empty suitcase back in the hotel, and opened them only when we returned home. It was nice to not have to squish the sealed cosmetics and candy with the clothes, hence the empty luggage trick!

SG Club

We made it back to the hotel to shower and relax for a bit, but not for too long. I had reservations at SG Club for 7.30pm and we did not want to miss that. When I booked the time it said ‘dinner’. Listed as one of the best bars in Tokyo (and 23rd in the Top 50 Asia’s Bars 2024), SG Club serves amazing drinks and some snacks, but there was no dinner. Either way, we really enjoyed their delicious creations- both alcoholic and mocktails.

It is a very popular bar, so reservation in advance is highly recommended.

Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building Observatory

We were not sure if we’ll be able to make it to this free observatory, but when we finished at the SG Club, we realized it still might be open, so we went to check it out. There are two towers, both have observation decks, but the South Tower is open until 10pm, while the North one closes right around 5pm. We walked around the buildings looking for the entrance and almost gave up. Finally we asked the lady that was taking out the trash, who pointed us to the right direction. She motioned to her watch- indicating that it’s about to close. We sprinted (in heels and all) and made it right before the last entry!

Beautiful view of Tokyo, no reservations needed, no crowds and it’s free! Take advantage of this if you are in Shinjuku area- day or evening. They also do light shows on the side of the building a few times a night, check the schedule online if interested.

Omoide Yokocho

We have not yet had dinner and we had no reservations, so we went to this bar district with hopes to also get some food. Located by the West Exit of Shinjuku Station, Omoide Yokocho has a vibe of old Tokyo and it really felt like Japan. Narrow alley, small places with smoke coming out from the little grills covered with chicken skewers- I really liked this part of Tokyo.

A table of four just got up and we jumped to the opportunity. All bars and restaurants seemed tiny, so to get four seats was a lucky chance. The food was not Michelin * , but the beers were cold and we did not wander around Tokyo hungry.

We were approaching the state of delirium at this point but exploring is not over.

Cat Billboard

Cat lovers that we are, we would not miss the opportunity to see this 3D Cat video that is much cooler in person than any photo would convey. The billboard is very close to Shinjuku station and Omoide Yokocho, so it made sense to see it while we were there.

This area was very busy, seems like a place to hangout in the evening (unless you don’t like crowds).

Godzilla Head

Another short walk away there is a Shinjuku Toho Building with Godzilla head peaking above. Another famous landmark of Tokyo, so we checked that off the list as well.

It’s easy to miss with all the shiny and distracting billboards, so remember to look up above!

Shinjuku Golden Gai

Last district of the night- winding alleys of more small bars in Golden Gai. There are over 200 tiny bars and eateries, but we did not go into any, just walked by. Personally we liked Omoide Yokocho more. It looked classier and cozier.

And that, my friends, is one full day in Tokyo! Hot, busy day, but we feel like we have been in Japan for a while (mind you it’s been one night so far 🙂 ) .

ASAKUSA/AKIHABARA/DAIKANYAMA

Second full day in Tokyo and we have several new areas to explore! A little bit less packed itinerary today, but still quite busy.

Senso-ji temple

This Buddhist temple is the oldest temple in Tokyo and upon arrival at 10am it was already extremely busy. I planned going earlier, but after an exhausting previous day, and going to bed late we made a group decision to ‘sleep in’. Even with the crowds, it’s a beautiful temple and should not be missed while in Tokyo.

We took a taxi from the hotel and walked around from then on. This temple is in Asakusa – a very different district of Tokyo than Shinjuku or Shibuya. Besides the temple, it was not as crowded or busy at all.

Don’t have a large breakfast, because there is a market full of snacks to enjoy! Eating through Japan continues…

Nakamise-dori Shopping Street

We actually crossed this busy market on the way to the temple and then returned back to it, so that we could shop and try the snacks without having to rush. The best snack from here was mochi strawberries (ichigo daifuku). There are several flavors, but we all loved the vanilla custard one the most.

There are many places that sells them and we tried two. We loved the ones at Asakusa Nakamise stand, while the other place was not bad, but not as tasty.

Sweets sampling did not end here. We also went to the TikTok famous Chacha Futatsume for the spaghetti looking matcha ice cream- it was outside of the Nakamise- Dori market, but a short walk away.

Mixed reviews on this one. We liked the layers inside the cone- vanilla ice cream, bean paste, some other sweet stuff. The green matcha ‘spaghetti’ on the other hand- it was simply too much of it. We took some off and then it was manageable, but not life changing. I’d take Daifuku strawberries over this dessert any day.

Since Sean did not really have any of the matcha ice cream, he still wanted something sweet. He looked up ‘best bakery’ around and we came to a small hole- in- the- wall place that made pretty good ice cream sandwiches in between the puff pastries.

It’s called Milk no Ki Bakery and Sean finally had his sweet tooth satisfied!

Kappabashi Kitchen Tools Street

I would not have known about this street if not for my former Japanese colleague Mayumi. I am so glad she recommended this area, because now we have amazing knifes that are so sharp Sean is afraid to use them : ) . We walked over to this street and it was a good way to see more of Asakusa- streets were fairly empty, we met a group of geisha dressed women who were happy to take a selfie with us- it was a nice Sunday stroll.

Some of the stores were closed on Sunday, but we were lucky that Cutlery Tsubaya was open, and thats where we got our knives. They were also tax free, so we saved a good amount. Prices vary, we got mid range- around $160 USD per knife.

We never went up to Tokyo Skytree, but there is a great unobstructed view of it from this area.

You could spend half a day exploring kitchen and household shops in Asakusa, but we got what we came here for (knives) and some small things like chopsticks. Now it’s time to move on to a different part of town- Akihabara. To get there we took one of the local trains to Akihabara Station– quick and easy.

Akihabara Electric Town

This area is for electronics, manga and anime lovers! Shops upon shops with every kind of gadget (even a vest with built in fans to cool you off!), video games and so on.

You could spend hours here if you are into it. We only wanted to walk through and also to check out one of the maid cafes, which are very popular in Akihabara.

We walked into one of the Maidreamin locations, but there was a cover charge (they perform a show), you cannot take photos or videos and the food looked like it’s an American diner. We also felt kind of awkward there- the girls dressed in maid outfits looked super young and it just did not feel like a place we want to eat.

We left and went to a much better lunch place Karashibi Miso Ramen Kikanbō Kanda Honten– Michelin * ramen restaurant that I am still dreaming about.

It is just about 10 min walk, but in a much different, quiet neighborhood. They don’t take reservations and upon arrival you have to order food via the digital menu outside. Then you get a ticket and stand in line (one line was right near the restaurant, then continued across the street).

Don’t make a mistake and just stand at the back of the line. If you have not ordered and don’t have your order receipt, you won’t be seated and will be sent to the back of the line. Clearly speaking from experience here 🙂 .

It was a hot day, so sweating on the sidewalk was not the most exciting part, but TRUST ME – it was worth it. This was hands down one of the best ramen we have had in our lives. And we’ve had a lot of good food!

Daikanyama

We have seen everything that we had on the itinerary for the day. We were hoping to see Kabuki-za theater performance, but the tickets were sold out. What to do with all this extra time? Let’s check out Daikanyamacho or Daikanyama– stylish Tokyo district that is somewhat similar to Brooklyn.

It was not on my ‘must see’ for Tokyo, but ended up being one of our favorite neighborhoods in this huge city!

Sunday afternoon/evening it was not crowded and not riddled with tourists (says the tourist 🙂 ) . We took a taxi to get there and our first stop was Cafe Facon Roaster Atelier– I needed some matcha to pick me up after all the ramen we’ve just consumed. After that, we walked over to Spring Valley Brewery– a chill spot with a great beer and relaxed atmosphere.

Cute little shops, and a MUST visit- Tsutaya Books Daikan-yama. I love a good library or a bookstore and this one is a dream. Huge, with a nice cafe and even piano inside. We were saying how we could spend hours here if we lived in Japan.

Everyone agreed that if we lived in Tokyo, Daikanyama would be our preferred neighborhood.

While we were in this district, we also visited Kyu Asakura House – traditional Japanese house built in early 1900s with a peaceful garden.

In my honest opinion- the house and the garden looks nice from the outside. But inside the building is completely empty, so not much to see. It can be done as a quick visit.

It was coming close to dinner time, so before we looked for a restaurant to eat, we stopped by Bar Trench. It was not busy, so we got a table right away and enjoyed nice pre-dinner cocktails.

Since we had no reservations and were just going with the flow, we looked up some well rated places nearby. One of them was fully booked, but then Sean found Sushi Katsurada Ebisu.

We were in luck- small restaurant had just enough open seats available and we enjoyed our first omakase in Japan- another one of those meals that still lives rent free in my head.

There was a guest that spoke good English, so he translated and explained the dishes. We also found out that sake is over-poured in Japan- basically showing their generosity. It flows over into a small box underneath and then you drink that as well.

It was an incredibly delicious meal, each fresh nigiri made right in front of us. We left so happy and full. What a wonderful restaurant found basically by accident!

The following day (Monday) we did a day trip to Hakone- I will have a separate post about that. To end Tokyo adventures- I’ll jump two weeks ahead- to the very last night/morning of our trip.

CHIYODA AND GINZA

We flew back from Taiwan to Narita airport the evening before our flights home (us to Boston, my sister and Cosimo to Germany). Just the day before our flight from Taipei to Tokyo a massive typhoon went through Japan, wrecking havoc in Tokyo and surrounding areas. All flights and even certain bullet trains were cancelled, causing a lot of travel disruptions during the busy Japanese holiday season. We watched all this on the news while laying on the beach in Taiwan and could not believe our luck. Had our flight been one day earlier, we would’ve had to deal with a lot of headaches in trying to reschedule.

We kind of paid the price upon landing in Narita- there were massive lines, very few people working and we spent 2+ hrs before we made it through customs. By the time we arrived to the Tokyo Station Hotel and checked in it was nearly midnight. We aimlessly walked around looking for an open restaurant and ended up having out last dinner in Tokyo (gasp!) at McDonalds!

For someone who has not been in McDonalds over a decade, at least we broke the streak in Japan!

However, I DID get to see Mt. Fuji on this trip! About 10 min before landing in Tokyo, less than 24 hours before leaving Japan- the famous mountain was unmistakable from the plane window. I noticed it even sitting in the middle seat of the middle row!

And once I did, half of the plane did too, because I was shouting- “Mount Fuji! Mount Fuji!” Definitely feels like a miracle.

Imperial Palace East Gardens

When we sightseed Tokyo in the first few days of arrival, we purposely explored the parts that were further away. Imperial Palace East Gardens was 12 min walk from The Tokyo Station Hotel and that was the only touristy thing that we had left to visit before getting ready to fly back home.

Imperial Palace is not typically open to visitors unless there is a guided tour, but the Gardens are easy to access and enjoy.

It was another hot and sweaty walk, but luckily a bit overcast. The gardens are huge, we did not have enough time to see it all, but we liked what we saw. I would say it’s worth visiting if you are in Chiyoda area of Tokyo.

With koi fish and the little waterfall it felt like a picture perfect Japan.

Chuo-Dori Avenue

Of course, it would not be us if we did not do a little last minute shopping. And Chuo-Dori Avenue in a stylish Ginza district is perfect place for that. On Sunday afternoons this street is closed for traffic, making it even more attractive for the shopaholics. Too bad we had a flight to catch and could not take a full advantage of that!

There are some super high end stores/malls on this street. We walked into one, checked out the artsy decorations and that was enough for us.

But we are not leaving empty handed- there is a Don Quijote around the corner! One more haul of miscellaneous cute items, a bunch of KitKats and we are done! Agne and Cosimo went back to the hotel to get ready for the flight, Sean and I managed to squeeze in one more lunch in Tokyo – Hokkai Shabu Shabu. It was quick and delicious!

Oh how I miss all this food!

CONCLUSION

Five nights and less than three full days in Tokyo is not nearly enough to see it all. We chose to do a day trip to Hakone, because we wanted to experience the mountainous countryside (and I was hoping to see Mt. Fuji on the train ride). Tokyo with 37 million population, wide spread, very different neighborhoods – you could live here a year and still barely scratch the surface. But even with a limited amount of time, I think we’ve seen and done a lot. We touched on most touristy attractions and strolled through some local neighborhoods. Reflecting back, Tokyo was not our favorite city that we visited in Japan (spoiler alert- that was Kyoto). However, we all liked it enough, that, given an opportunity, we’d all go back in a heartbeat!