Tokyo’s a terrific city, well worth a few days of exploration. To sum up my trip to Japan, following is a summary of my visit to Japan’s Tokyo, suggesting a recommended itinerary for those interested.
Tip – I wrote a post for some cheap budget hotel accommodation in Toyko that might help with finding a decent stay in a very expensive city.
- Tokyo Day 0 – Arriving at the hotel. My hotel was Tokoto Inn Otsuka-eki Kita-guchi No.1 next to Otsuka JR station. Relatively cheap, very quiet and conveniently located. Spent my first evening in Tokyo strolling around and feasting on a large Tokyo style Japanese meal with lots of sushi and local beer.
- Tokyo Day 1 – Spent the morning doing a walking tour through Nishi Nippori. Proceeded to Ueno station to enjoy Ueno Park, National Tokyo Museum and ate dinner in a cool little pub under Ueno station. Later went to Asakusa to see the local market and Asakusa Shrine.
- Tokyo Day 2 – Walked around and shopped at Shinjuku, went up to the 45th floor in the Tokyo Municipal Government Building for an overlook of Tokyo. Spent the evening in Ikebukuro among hordes of Japanese youth.
- Tokyo Day 3 (a Sunday) – Spent the whole day at Harajuku. Started out at Meiji Shrine, Yoyogi Park. Caught Cosplayers and crazy Japanese street fashion and saw endless fashion shopping options from pop culture fashion to the most expensive private brands. Spent evening at Shibuya Crossing.
- Tokyo Day 4 – Woke up early, too early, to catch the Tsukiji & Shiodome Fish Market action and eat at a local sushi restaurant. Proceeded to Ginza to stroll around and catch a Kabuki show at the Kabuki Theatre.
- Tokyo Day 5 – A day around Central Tokyo. Visited Imperial Palace and the nearby Yasukuni Shrine. Headed over to the Tokyo Dome for some terrific hotsprings @ La Qua Spa.
- Tokyo Day 6 – Last day – Eastern Shinjuku for some last minute shopping, catching a few interesting side streets and temples.
It was a great trip. Hope that this short itinerary and the supporting blog posts would help those looking for some Tokyo tips. Let me know if you have any other suggestions and recommendations for Tokyo.
Good info thnx – I'm planning on visiting this year so I'll leverage your Hotel recs also
Fantastic picture, I really love Japan, its true there are a lot of affordable Tokyo hotels and you just have to hunt around. I love how even the hotels often have crazy technology like those robotic toilets. Such a fun and beautiful place.
Hi,
Very interesting article.
Question: what is the name of the temple in the above photo – the one with the cherry blossoms and the mountain the background? I cant seem to find what it is although is a very famous photo.
Thank you
Sorana
@Sorana – The temple is the Chureito Pagoda (忠霊塔, Chūreitō), see more information here : http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e6917.html