Duration of Stay: 4 Days
Adventure
Arriving in Higashi Nakano
Airbnbs are probably the way to go in Tokyo–hotel prices seem to be substantially higher. Pack light though, as residences here are quite cozy and compact.
Our Airbnb was on the Higashi Nakano Ginza Shopping Street where we could spend a day looking around. There was a 7-11 that has everything, a deceptively giant LIFE supermarket (which we were obsessed with) that also has everything you need from new summer clothes to fresh fruits, and line of restaurants. Just 2 stops away from the bustling Shinjuku station, it was the perfect place to start and end the day.
Enjoy the view at Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building
See panoramic views of Tokyo at this popular (and free!) observation deck for travelers. There is also a cute cafe which turns into a bar at night to grab some bites and drinks while being on top of the city 🙂
Before heading back to the Shinjuku station, you may also choose to go to Omoide Yokocho, or Piss Alley, for small bars and food stands with an “Old Japan” vibe.
Stroll through Shinjuku Gyo-En
Once the residence of Naito clan of samurais in feudal Japan, the park is now a tranquil escape from the city and a popular destination for cherry blossoms. It is vast, green, and has beautiful Japanese architecture sitting right next to the water.
P.S. if you come in the summer like us, BRING AN UMBRELLA FOR SHADE because it gets hot hot hot walking around.
Shopping in Akihabara
Even if you aren’t interested in buying a new phone or laptop, Akihabara is worth the visit because it doesn’t just have electronics, but has grown to be the center of otaku culture. There’ll also be unique and fun cafe experiences such as maid cafes, manga cafes, and cosplay cafes. You’ll find every product imaginable related to anime and manga: action figures, key chains, body pillows, stickers, water bottles, shall I go on? And if you are a fan, you’ll definitely be lured into spending some money like I did (go Hunter x Hunter!!!)
Experience the MORI Building Digital Art Museum
Very recently opened to the public, this museum is…I’ll just let the pictures speak for themselves. Oh just one thing, book your tickets as soon as possible if you want to go.
Take part in Shibuya Crossing (& enjoy a fun Friday night)
An iconic symbol of Tokyo and rumored to be the busiest intersection in the world–I honestly was expecting to be overwhelmed and stressed out. I was proved wrong.
People walked immediately as the walking light switched on, they knew exactly which side of the crosswalk to not run into the opposing traffic of people, they didn’t push or step on anyone, they just did their thing. It was actually incredible to watch.
Anyways, Shibuya is one of the best and busiest places in Tokyo for shopping and night life. Fashion stores, bars, and nightclubs are towered on top of each other. We decided to go to karoake since you just got to do it while in Japan, and also discovered drinks (especially beer in convenience stores) are much cheaper than the states, so go for it 😉
Visit Sensoji Temple
You’ll be able to go inside Tokyo’s oldest and very impressive Buddhist temple, draw your fortunes, and buy good luck charms. In the same square, there is the also just-as-beautiful Asakusa-jinja and an enormous torii (big gates to Japan shrines) decorated with giant lanterns. Right outside is the Nakamise Street, where you can buy traditional Japanese souvenirs while surrounded by ancient architecture as if you were transported back centuries ago.
Walk down Takeshita Street
In this narrow bustling street, you’ll find *tons* of small, independent, and trendy shops especially targeted towards Japanese teenagers. You’ll be able to experience the quirky Harajuku culture, and be amused by very interesting and cute stores. We even went inside an owl cafe, but came out with the realization that we are definitely afraid of owls still fun though 😛
Things I Wanna Do Next Time I come
Tokyo honestly has *so much* to do and experience, and since we were only here for 3 full days, I have *so much* more I want to do in Tokyo (can’t wait to come back!) and below are some of them. Please comment below on things YOU want to do in Japan! 🙂
- Watch cherry blossoms at Ueno Park
- Meiji Shrine
- Bar at Tokyo Skytree
- Ghibli Museum
- Go Mario Carting on the streets
Food
Breakfast at 7-11
Why would I include a convenience store you may ask? Well that’s only because just in 7-11 alone you can find DELICIOUS food! We came here every morning for breakfast and coffee. There were a variety of rice balls wrapped in seaweed, sushi and soba platters, and so much gooooood bread.
All-You-Can-Eat Sukiyaki at Nabezo
Our first meal in Tokyo here was glorious. In this popular chain, there are three sets of different quality meat–we went with the cheapest $25 version. Unlimited meat, unlimited veggies, unlimited dessert with your choice of simmered broth–what more can you ask for? You just got to try meat dipped in raw egg with rice…trust me.
Fresh Fish at Tsukiji Fish Market
Though the wholesaler area, where you used to get the unique experience of witnessing the tuna auction, is closed off, you can still walk around the area to taste very fresh sashimi and sushi in the many stands and restaurants. The market is moving in October 2018 though, so come see this historic location while you still have the chance!
Tonkatsu at Tonkatsu Hamakatsu
As we were walking around Yodobashi Akihabara, “the electronics store to end all electronics stores”, we went up the restaurant floor. All the restaurants looked amazing, but we really wanted to try tonkatsu so we went here. We were even able to grind our own tonkatsu sauce!
Ramen at Ichiran
In this popular ramen restaurant, experience ordering ramen and sides through a vending machine, handing the ticket to the hostess, and being seated in front of a curtain where you’ll be handed a delicious bowl of tonkatsu ramen.
All-Types-of-Food at Tokyo Station
Weird that a train station would actually be a food destination right? But in the bottom floor, there is an enormous food court where you get to taste a bunch of delicious Japanese eats, including yakitori, soba, and classic sushi.
Yakitori at Yakitori Fujimaki
If you continue reading my Japan blogs, you’ll definitely see a lot more yakitori because it has honestly become one of my favorite. food. ever. It’s a good price for delicious grilled meat on skewers. Here, a hole-in-the-wall place right at the entrance of Takeshita Street, it’s a great place to eat some yakitori, drink beer, and hang with friends. Get the pork belly it was SO good.
So. Much. More.
Obviously there’s so much more food we want to try…even if we stayed in Tokyo for the whole summer, we wouldn’t be able to try all that we want to try 😂 Noumihodai (all you can drink)…sushi restaurant where you fish your own sashimi…cute cafes…
Culture
Traditional & Modern
Tokyo was a stunning city with an impressive mix of traditional and modern. Right next to an ancient shrine could be skyscrapers as reminder of Japan’s impressive 21st century technology and businesses. There are so much to learn about Japan’s history *and* contemporary culture, so I really appreciated that Tokyo valued to have both of these aspects as prominent parts of the city.
Everyone’s So Polite
Japanese have a well-earned reputation of being very respectful and courteous. It is very incredible just people-watching and interacting with locals, but as tourists, I think it’s very important for visitors to try and be just as courteous. To do so, simply observe and follow! On just our first day, we noticed that people would always walk on the right side of the street, wait on one side of the escalators, and would keep it down on subways (we also never saw anyone eat on the subway so we decided not to either).
Japanese Language
Though most people could speak a little English, you will most likely run into situations where knowing Japanese is necessary. My friend and I learned Japanese in high school, and it was definitely helpful to know how to speak a little (with some struggling). So make sure to download Japanese on your phone’s Google Translate!
Here are the most common phrases we used:
- Hello: Konnichiwa
- Thank you: Arigatou-gozaimasu
- Excuse me: Sumimasen
- Usually how you start most conversations to be polite
- Please: Onegaishimasu
- If you want anything, you end with this phrase. For instance, if you want to have water (mizu), you say: mizu onegaishimasu
- I don’t understand: Wakarimasen
- For situations when you are spoken to in Japanese and you just can’t understand
- I want to make a reservation: Yoyaku o shitai desu
- For your phone calls to make dinner reservations (many places fill up)
- Do you speak English? Eigo ga hanashimasu ka?
- Probably the first question you should ask so you can speak in eigo
- Where is this? Kore ga doko desu ka?
- For all your navigation purposes, as you are pointing on your phone where you want to go
- Right/Left: Migi/Hidari
- How much is this? Ikura desu ka?
- For all your shopping 🙂
- Is credit card okay? Kado ii desu ka?
Transportation
For our trip to Japan, we decided to purchase the 7-day Japan Rail Pass that includes all bullet trains (shinkansen), rapid and local trails, monorails to airports, etc. Only for foreign visitors, this pass has 1-, 2-, and 3- week option. Just the shinkansen to Kyoto and back to Tokyo is already the same price as the whole JR pass, so it was a worthy investment. Going anywhere in Tokyo with the pass was very convenient for us because Google Maps was good at telling us which JR station to conveniently get on and off.
In order to get the pass, we purchased it online, got vouchers in the mail within a week, and then showed the vouchers at the JR office in the airport to pick up our passes. Then, simply flash the pass at the agent next to the turnstiles at the entrance and exit of the train stations.
Little Helpful Details
- Currency: Yen
- Tipping: No tipping, but places may have service fees added to your bill
- Electric Outlets: Same outlets for ones in USA
- Currency Exchange: Many places do not take credit card, so bring USD to exchange for some cash in Japan because it has better rates than in the US
- Don’t over-pack. Living places in Tokyo are most likely going to be small.
- Don’t plan too much. We were able to do the things above in 2.5 days, but even then we were exhausted because places are pretty spread out in Tokyo.
- And here’s a shoutout to the crew for an amazing trip in Tokyo:
FACs of Life 
Ghibli museum!!!!!
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