Since I live in a tourist destination I figured I may as well put this list somewhere public so it can be easily referenced when people ask about things to do. Here's a quick guide for those planning to check out Tokyo!
Three things to do before getting to Japan:
JR pass http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2361.html (depending on how long you are here and if you are looking to leave tokyo to see kyoto, osaka, mt fuji or anywhere else on the bullet train they offer unlimited train passes for a deep discount but they have to be purchased outside japan. If you plan on staying just in tokyo this trip then disregard this note).
Tokyo free guide http://www.tokyofreeguide.com/ (Locals volunteer to give free tours of the city. You select the date and what part of the city you’d like to tour and they will coordinate by email with you for the tour.
Imperial palace tour http://sankan.kunaicho.go.jp/english/guide/koukyo.htm
Three things to do before getting to Japan:
JR pass http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2361.html (depending on how long you are here and if you are looking to leave tokyo to see kyoto, osaka, mt fuji or anywhere else on the bullet train they offer unlimited train passes for a deep discount but they have to be purchased outside japan. If you plan on staying just in tokyo this trip then disregard this note).
Tokyo free guide http://www.tokyofreeguide.com/ (Locals volunteer to give free tours of the city. You select the date and what part of the city you’d like to tour and they will coordinate by email with you for the tour.
Imperial palace tour http://sankan.kunaicho.go.jp/english/guide/koukyo.htm
Haneda VS Narita
Tokyo has 2 airports and both are equally nice. However Haneda is only about 35 minutes from central Tokyo (Shibuya) using the local train. Narita is about 1.5 hours out of the city on the dedicated Express Train. Choose your flight wisely!
Hotel
If you do not already have accommodation booked you should look to stay in either Shibuya or Shinjuku since they’re both very central to everything.
Areas to Explore
- Japan is all about 2nd hand luxury goods! So from LV and Prada to Lowe and Goyard... if you’ve been wanting something along those lines it’s here!
- Here are a few areas of town to explore. The items listed below each area is just the tip of the iceberg.
- Harajuku area
- Takeshita Street (japanese fashion area/funky outfits)
- Cat Street
- Meiji Shrine + Yoyogi Park
- If you're a sneaker head there's a NikeLAB store
- Pop-up shops happen in this area frequently
- GoodTowne Donuts
- Omotesando Shopping District
- Shinjuku area
- Robot show http://www.shinjuku-robot.com/pc/?lng=en
- Golden gai - 100 little bars all in one small section
- Tokyo Metropolitan Government Offices building 45th floor city viewing deck.
- New South Area
- Shibuya area
- Shibuya Crossing
- New Parco Building (Rooftop & Basement restaurants)
- Don Quijote
- Roppongi/Azabu area
- Roppongi Midtown & Roppongi Hills (Main expat area)
- Roppongi is a good section of town to party.
- Great NYC Pizza spot
- The Soulfood House (black owned restaurant in Tokyo)
- Tokyo Teleport Station
- Unicorn Gundam Statue
- Outlet Mall
- During the weekend there’s sure to be a random festival happening
- Akihabara - Tokyo's electronics district
- Nakano (Broadway is a mall for hobbyist, vintage goods and collectors)
- Korea Town
- Yokohama: waterfront/chinatown
Things to do:
- Got to an Onsen or Sento: Japanese spa bath (Check Tattoo Policy before booking if you have ink)
- Senso-ji temple in asakusa — best view is from the tourist info center roof
- Park Hyatt Grill from lost in translation. I’ve never been but heard great things.
- Tsukiji Fish Market - tuna action largest fish market in the world, great sushi
- Attend a Japanese Baseball game (it's an experience oh and its BYOB)
- Sumo tournament http://www.sumo.or.jp/en/
- Tokyo Tower
- Zojoji Temple & Toyokawa Inari Tokyo
- Disney Land Tokyo
- teamLab Borderless Exhibition
- Tokyo Skytree
- Wander into an "OFF" Store
A few spots to keep in mind outside of tokyo if you have time:
- See the sunrise from Mt. Fuji
- Fly up to hokkaido for skiing/snowboarding or down to okinawa for islands/diving (Winter)
- Nara: feed wild deer, largest buddah statue
Food to try:
Tokyo is the land of Michelin star restaurants from all price points! So depending on your pallet there are plenty of tasting experiences available!
- okinominyaki: traditional japanese savory pancake
- gyoza: dumplings
- Takoyaki: octopus dumplings
- Yakitori: grilled chicken on skewers
- noodles (ramen or udon)
- YakiSoba Noodles
- teppanyaki (grilled meat or seafood)
- Donburi: stewed beef on top of rice
- The Various KitKat flavors
- wasabi shake fries from McDonald’s
- Sushi (of course)
- Japanese Curry
- Japanese Spirits (Gin & Whiskey)
- Whiskey Ginger Highball
- eat at an Izakaya
- Explore the Convenient stores for interesting things to eat and drink!
- Ginza has a lot of Michelin Star restaurants
Souvenirs:
The best place that I’ve found for this is in Harajuku walking towards Omoto sando on the right hand side of the road across from the Ralph Lauren store. It has a traditional facade.
Other Things to Keep in Mind:
Bring a bag with you while you’re out and about. You’ll need:
- an Umbrella
- small wash cloth (to dry hands, most restrooms don’t have towels)
- Charging pack for devices (Plugs are scarce)
- Get a SIM card at the airport if you have a question about “if” your cellular service works in Japan
- GOOGLE TRANSLATE w/ the off line version of Japanese
- Purchase a Suica card at the airport (If you didn’t get a JR Pass)
- Google maps but don’t expect it to readily track your movement or give you timely directions. The population density doesn’t generally allow this.
- Tokyo has somewhat of a curfew if you are dependent on the JR for transportation. Most lines close around midnight and do not open again until 4:30-5:00am. Taxis and Uber is very expensive so keep this in mind when you are making late night plans.
- You need an international drivers license to drive anything with a motor in Tokyo. (Including Mario Karts)
- Garbage cans are scarce (Japan wants you to bring your trash with you but I typically throw things away at Lawsons/Family Mart/7 eleven or at the train station)
- Drinking is allowed pretty much anywhere! Including on the trains!
Since I live in a tourist destination I figured I may as well put this list somewhere public so it can be easily referenced when people ask about things to do. Here's a quick guide for those planning to check out Tokyo!
Three things to do before getting to Japan:
JR pass http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2361.html (depending on how long you are here and if you are looking to leave tokyo to see kyoto, osaka, mt fuji or anywhere else on the bullet train they offer unlimited train passes for a deep discount but they have to be purchased outside japan. If you plan on staying just in tokyo this trip then disregard this note).
Tokyo free guide http://www.tokyofreeguide.com/ (Locals volunteer to give free tours of the city. You select the date and what part of the city you’d like to tour and they will coordinate by email with you for the tour.
Imperial palace tour http://sankan.kunaicho.go.jp/english/guide/koukyo.htm
Three things to do before getting to Japan:
JR pass http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2361.html (depending on how long you are here and if you are looking to leave tokyo to see kyoto, osaka, mt fuji or anywhere else on the bullet train they offer unlimited train passes for a deep discount but they have to be purchased outside japan. If you plan on staying just in tokyo this trip then disregard this note).
Tokyo free guide http://www.tokyofreeguide.com/ (Locals volunteer to give free tours of the city. You select the date and what part of the city you’d like to tour and they will coordinate by email with you for the tour.
Imperial palace tour http://sankan.kunaicho.go.jp/english/guide/koukyo.htm
