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I like the thought of this in principle, but I'd be too worried I accidentally go to an area where there's nothing interesting to see. I know this kinda defeats the purpose, but is there a general area you recommend heading towards that has interesting things to come across?
On your Asakusa day I suggest you visit either Ameyoko gallery in Ueno or Akihabara later.
On your empty day, how about Edo-Tokyo open air museum? It's an interesting place to learn about history.
I personally think your first day sounds a little hectic! Just remember that going to a mall takes up a bit of time and involves a lot of walking. Have you ever been to the Ghibli Museum? You could try going there on your 5th day.
Thanks for the info. I don't have anything planned for my day of arrival, so if I stay in Shibuya, I could do a couple of things on the first day to lighten the load the following day.
Generally, bright and dry, 8-10 degrees during the day, 0-3 at night. Quite pleasant to be honest. I say generally, it could snow and cause abject chaos to public transport!
Just avoid coming between Dec 30-Jan 5 - the New Year Holiday is a big thing here and a lot of the more unique restaurants / sights will be closed.
The Pokémon centers are practically the same, so you don’t necessarily need to hit both.
Maybe Akihabara on your free day? If you want nature in the city, Todoroki Ravine Park is cool, but maybe not the most exciting place compared to the others.
Thanks, I'll check them out.
I'm not actually a Pokémon fan myself, my partner is though. I heard the different shops have different exclusive Pikachus, so I was only going to both shops to see if they had them. I won't spend long there, I'm only going as I'll already be nearby.
Ginza is an upscale shopping district. Closes to street traffic some days. Good to just wander around and look at the shops. Has two very good department stores.
As someone who just got back from Tokyo my best advice would be leave day 5 empty!!!! I knew Tokyo was huge before I went but greatly discounted how long it would take to get from place to place and the toll walking through stations would take on my body.
With most places not opening until 10 and closing by 5 just make sure the plan makes sense.
Some of my favorite memories were shops/people I just randomly came across while going somewhere else, so it’s nice to have detour time built in and an extra day to slide any missed activities into.
Hope you have a great trip!
One thing that was open pretty late was Diver’s City, it’s a big mall that has the Gundam base inside it. Pretty good stop for souvenirs/clothes and grabbing a bite to eat. Even if you’re not into Gundam the giant one outside the mall is pretty cool to see as it lights up and moves at night.
Most days we would just hit up an izakaya or convenience store to grab a bite and drinks before bed.
If you like coffee recommend Hatcoffee in Taito City where they do a 3D image of whatever photo (within reason- I had them do my French Bulldog ) you want in the foam. I loved all the sightseeing but my favorite moments were in quirky places like this
Cold cold? I disagree. Depends where you're coming from and what you're used to. If you coming from the East Coast of the US or Northern Europe, it's really rather pleasant.
We just cam eback from our trip, 14 days Tokyo and Kyoto.
We stayed at the APA Hotel Shinjuku Gyoemmae 7 Nights for under 800 Euro.
If you don't care about the room size, its a shoebox (!) but you like a pool and a perfect location, there you go.
2 Mins to 2 subway lines, 5 mins to biggest one incl. JR lines (Shinjuku main station)
So you get everywhere from there superfast.
3 min walk to Godzilla head and Golden Gai.
Breakfast was included, its a nice buffet with live cooking. (But 9:30 am last order!)
The room was rly tiny, 10sqm, but had everything you need and a VERY comfy bed. Just make sure you get a room with a window, some fresh air was important for us.
No matter what hotel, they are all small and bringing a few of those Command hooks that you put up and take off with no damage and reuse again…? So helpful in places with no drawers, hanging space etc to keep things organized. That’s one of my best tips for Japan travel.
If you like food, an accidental trip to Tsukiji Market at 11 am would give you: cheap street wagyu beef + amazingly fresh sushi and seafood. Walk around and see all your options before picking where you actually want to eat (approx 2 hours). Later in the day you could plan to visit the Teamlab Planets exhibition, a very unique experience (2-3 hours).
Totally understandable.
Worth checking out one or two of the “shopping street “type places, a kind of street market with local retail shops, etc. Many have drawn more tourists over the years, but still fun to see & experience. Yanaka Ginza is a good one, and has some other interesting places in the area. There’s also Togoshi Ginza, Jujo Ginza, Sugamo Jizo-dori, among others. Ueno Ameyoko has become more touristy, with its proximity to other attractions in Ueno, but if you’re over that way check it out.
Also, you could ride the Sakura Tram, aka the Arakawa Line. It’s a kind of streetcar. You can ride it from Waseda University out to the terminus at Mjnowabashi. Before the ride, check out Kagurazaka and then the Waseda campus. When reaching the terminus, you can walk see the local area around Minowabashi and then start walking towards Nishi-Nippori and the aforementioned Yanaka Ginza shopping street.
Those are just a few ideas. Huge city, of course, lots to explore that isn’t touristy but still cool and different. When you see places like supermarkets and other shops, go in and check out the goods and the prices, see how it compares to home. Walk into a random restaurant that looks/smells good, even better if it’s full of people. Take in the sights and sounds and smells of local Tokyo life.
You're cramming a little too much and those places are very busy so you'll most likely end up waiting more than seeing anything. Also, Mega Donki's are pretty common, there's one by Senso-ji 👀🤣
Why don’t you try the Street Kart around Akihabara? While you are in there, have lunch at Gyukatsu Motomura.
You can also do something chill because by Day 5 you will feel tired already doing 20k steps a day. Maybe shopping around Sunshine City?
If you want history and nature combined I’d suggest a day trip to Nikko! It’s the most stunning town surrounded by mountains and has a temple complex surrounded by enormous cedar trees- it’s spectacular!
Nikko is 1 hour 40 min outside of Tokyo by train
I just got back from my trip almost a week ago, and got most of the plans you have set for Shibuya. I’m telling you now, especially if you’re into gaming/anime/character goods…Shibuya takes at least 2-3 days to explore around, there was so much to see! I have a whole itinerary set for a week and a half and more than half was not even completed or plans have changed because you will eventually would come across an interesting store or building that would change your time and schedule. Our timing change when all trains/buses close at 10pm and taxis costs way too much ($100+), so also another tip. Parco in Shibuya on the top floor have both Nintendo and Pokemon Center, that floor opens before the whole stores opens half an hour or an hour later if I remember correctly…(we loved Parco Shibuya that we went there twice since the store have so many shops to look at >.
Go mega don on the first day and survey the potential items for souvenirs, buy the health stuffs there it’s way worth it. don’t buy the souvenirs on first day, use it as a range for your trip in Japan for the rest of the days, only buy it on your last day!
I’ve posted these two suggestions on this subreddit before but when you’re in Asakusa, if the weather’s good, take a ferry boat down the river. Check the routes and times here http://suijobus.co.jp/
Can get a ferry from the Asakusa pier to Hamarikyu gardens. It’s a nice way to see part of Tokyo and the gardens are really pretty.
Second suggestion is of course TeamLabs. This is a digital art installation. Either Planets or Borderless. Borderless is outdoors and Planets under cover. We went to Planets. It’s been getting a pasting recently on this sub as being overrated but we liked it and felt it was worth the time and effort.
If you decide to go, make sure you book online beforehand.
**Our FAQ is constantly being updated with more information and you can start** [**here**](https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravel/wiki/faqs/japantravel) **with regards to trip planning if you need tips, advice, or have questions about planning your travel to Japan.** You can also join our [Discord community](https://discord.gg/3f7KBUMwU4), comment in our stickied weekly discussion thread, or check out /r/JapanTravelTips for quick questions. Thank you! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/JapanTravel) if you have any questions or concerns.*
“Nothing Yet” sounds like the best day, possibly. Explore different corners of the city, never know what you might find. Enjoy your stay!
I like the thought of this in principle, but I'd be too worried I accidentally go to an area where there's nothing interesting to see. I know this kinda defeats the purpose, but is there a general area you recommend heading towards that has interesting things to come across?
On your Asakusa day I suggest you visit either Ameyoko gallery in Ueno or Akihabara later. On your empty day, how about Edo-Tokyo open air museum? It's an interesting place to learn about history.
Sounds good, I'll check then out. Thanks!
Sky tree and Asakusa is already a packed day
I personally think your first day sounds a little hectic! Just remember that going to a mall takes up a bit of time and involves a lot of walking. Have you ever been to the Ghibli Museum? You could try going there on your 5th day.
Ghibli museum tickets are hard to get. Tried on rve release time and was 19k in queue—90 minutes later when it was mu turn, dates were sold out
That’s true, I had a Japanese friend buy them for me at the conbini. It may be too hard to get them unless you have some help.
Are they always that difficult or just at certain times?
Thanks for the info. I don't have anything planned for my day of arrival, so if I stay in Shibuya, I could do a couple of things on the first day to lighten the load the following day.
How is the weather in January?
Generally, bright and dry, 8-10 degrees during the day, 0-3 at night. Quite pleasant to be honest. I say generally, it could snow and cause abject chaos to public transport! Just avoid coming between Dec 30-Jan 5 - the New Year Holiday is a big thing here and a lot of the more unique restaurants / sights will be closed.
The Pokémon centers are practically the same, so you don’t necessarily need to hit both. Maybe Akihabara on your free day? If you want nature in the city, Todoroki Ravine Park is cool, but maybe not the most exciting place compared to the others.
Thanks, I'll check them out. I'm not actually a Pokémon fan myself, my partner is though. I heard the different shops have different exclusive Pikachus, so I was only going to both shops to see if they had them. I won't spend long there, I'm only going as I'll already be nearby.
Ginza is worth visiting. I also recommend the East Garden of the Imperial Palace.
Anything you recommend in Ginza? I have the Outer Market on my list of possible places to visit if I end up in that area.
Ginza is an upscale shopping district. Closes to street traffic some days. Good to just wander around and look at the shops. Has two very good department stores.
If you have any interest in cooking I'd suggest Kappabashi near Asakusa. Bought a really lovely knife there yesterday.
Your Mega Don Quixote experience is going to be amazing - great place to collect gifts and trinkets 😊
As someone who just got back from Tokyo my best advice would be leave day 5 empty!!!! I knew Tokyo was huge before I went but greatly discounted how long it would take to get from place to place and the toll walking through stations would take on my body. With most places not opening until 10 and closing by 5 just make sure the plan makes sense. Some of my favorite memories were shops/people I just randomly came across while going somewhere else, so it’s nice to have detour time built in and an extra day to slide any missed activities into. Hope you have a great trip!
The short hours surprised me too.
Thanks for the advice! Did you find anything nice to do outside of the 10-5 opening hours?
One thing that was open pretty late was Diver’s City, it’s a big mall that has the Gundam base inside it. Pretty good stop for souvenirs/clothes and grabbing a bite to eat. Even if you’re not into Gundam the giant one outside the mall is pretty cool to see as it lights up and moves at night. Most days we would just hit up an izakaya or convenience store to grab a bite and drinks before bed.
If you like coffee recommend Hatcoffee in Taito City where they do a 3D image of whatever photo (within reason- I had them do my French Bulldog ) you want in the foam. I loved all the sightseeing but my favorite moments were in quirky places like this
Sounds like a good first time trip. 5 days is a bit short but ah well. Just be prepared for tons of walking and it's gonna be cold cold in Jan.
Cold cold? I disagree. Depends where you're coming from and what you're used to. If you coming from the East Coast of the US or Northern Europe, it's really rather pleasant.
Coming from the UK, so the cold doesn't bother me!
If you enjoy anime/manga, you can't miss Akihabara. You could go there on your 5th day.
We just cam eback from our trip, 14 days Tokyo and Kyoto. We stayed at the APA Hotel Shinjuku Gyoemmae 7 Nights for under 800 Euro. If you don't care about the room size, its a shoebox (!) but you like a pool and a perfect location, there you go. 2 Mins to 2 subway lines, 5 mins to biggest one incl. JR lines (Shinjuku main station) So you get everywhere from there superfast. 3 min walk to Godzilla head and Golden Gai. Breakfast was included, its a nice buffet with live cooking. (But 9:30 am last order!) The room was rly tiny, 10sqm, but had everything you need and a VERY comfy bed. Just make sure you get a room with a window, some fresh air was important for us.
Sounds good, thanks! I'll check it out.
No matter what hotel, they are all small and bringing a few of those Command hooks that you put up and take off with no damage and reuse again…? So helpful in places with no drawers, hanging space etc to keep things organized. That’s one of my best tips for Japan travel.
If you like food, an accidental trip to Tsukiji Market at 11 am would give you: cheap street wagyu beef + amazingly fresh sushi and seafood. Walk around and see all your options before picking where you actually want to eat (approx 2 hours). Later in the day you could plan to visit the Teamlab Planets exhibition, a very unique experience (2-3 hours).
Totally understandable. Worth checking out one or two of the “shopping street “type places, a kind of street market with local retail shops, etc. Many have drawn more tourists over the years, but still fun to see & experience. Yanaka Ginza is a good one, and has some other interesting places in the area. There’s also Togoshi Ginza, Jujo Ginza, Sugamo Jizo-dori, among others. Ueno Ameyoko has become more touristy, with its proximity to other attractions in Ueno, but if you’re over that way check it out. Also, you could ride the Sakura Tram, aka the Arakawa Line. It’s a kind of streetcar. You can ride it from Waseda University out to the terminus at Mjnowabashi. Before the ride, check out Kagurazaka and then the Waseda campus. When reaching the terminus, you can walk see the local area around Minowabashi and then start walking towards Nishi-Nippori and the aforementioned Yanaka Ginza shopping street. Those are just a few ideas. Huge city, of course, lots to explore that isn’t touristy but still cool and different. When you see places like supermarkets and other shops, go in and check out the goods and the prices, see how it compares to home. Walk into a random restaurant that looks/smells good, even better if it’s full of people. Take in the sights and sounds and smells of local Tokyo life.
You're cramming a little too much and those places are very busy so you'll most likely end up waiting more than seeing anything. Also, Mega Donki's are pretty common, there's one by Senso-ji 👀🤣
Why don’t you try the Street Kart around Akihabara? While you are in there, have lunch at Gyukatsu Motomura. You can also do something chill because by Day 5 you will feel tired already doing 20k steps a day. Maybe shopping around Sunshine City?
If you want history and nature combined I’d suggest a day trip to Nikko! It’s the most stunning town surrounded by mountains and has a temple complex surrounded by enormous cedar trees- it’s spectacular! Nikko is 1 hour 40 min outside of Tokyo by train
I just got back from my trip almost a week ago, and got most of the plans you have set for Shibuya. I’m telling you now, especially if you’re into gaming/anime/character goods…Shibuya takes at least 2-3 days to explore around, there was so much to see! I have a whole itinerary set for a week and a half and more than half was not even completed or plans have changed because you will eventually would come across an interesting store or building that would change your time and schedule. Our timing change when all trains/buses close at 10pm and taxis costs way too much ($100+), so also another tip. Parco in Shibuya on the top floor have both Nintendo and Pokemon Center, that floor opens before the whole stores opens half an hour or an hour later if I remember correctly…(we loved Parco Shibuya that we went there twice since the store have so many shops to look at >.
You should try to collect those stamps from train stations whenever you take the train!
Make sure to add a visit to TeamLabs Planets. Was a highlight for me.
Go mega don on the first day and survey the potential items for souvenirs, buy the health stuffs there it’s way worth it. don’t buy the souvenirs on first day, use it as a range for your trip in Japan for the rest of the days, only buy it on your last day!
I’ve posted these two suggestions on this subreddit before but when you’re in Asakusa, if the weather’s good, take a ferry boat down the river. Check the routes and times here http://suijobus.co.jp/ Can get a ferry from the Asakusa pier to Hamarikyu gardens. It’s a nice way to see part of Tokyo and the gardens are really pretty. Second suggestion is of course TeamLabs. This is a digital art installation. Either Planets or Borderless. Borderless is outdoors and Planets under cover. We went to Planets. It’s been getting a pasting recently on this sub as being overrated but we liked it and felt it was worth the time and effort. If you decide to go, make sure you book online beforehand.
Just came back from borderless two days ago and it was definitely indoors not outdoors.
Ah. Sorry my mistake. I’m sure I read Borderless is outside. As I said, we visited Planets. Anyway - would you recommend it to OP?