Hyper-stimulated and mega-dense, iconic capital city of Japan and Japanese pop culture.
Tokyo is perhaps the most known and recognized city in Asia by westerners. The other most recognized Asian countries (by westerners) are probably China and Korea. But what are their capital cities? Fewer people know the answers to that. It helps Tokyo is easy to spell and remember. Also that Japanese culture is also more familiar and previously introduced in Western media and other subcultures.
We know Tokyo is one of the biggest and most populated cities in the world. But what do you see when you actually get there?
A proper visit to Toyko should be 5-7 days. There are many areas to wander, tourist attractions, museums, parks, gardens, and activities to do.
Where to stay:
- Shibuya – if you got very few days, spend it here. More centrally located between tourist destinations and sightseeing places. And looks like the Japan that you’ve seen on TV and movies. Very grand, full of people walking in every direction, and totally over-stimulated environment.
- Shinjuku – while Shibuya is the expensive “downtown tourist area”, Shinjuku is the cool affordable “fun for everybody” local area. Tons of nightlife, bars and restaurants. And while it’s not as grand as Shibuya…it’s still more fun because everybody you see here is here to have fun, whereas Shibuya feels like lots of people there are working business people (with serious energy).
First time in Tokyo and you only have 2-3 days, Shibuya is the safe bet. Staying longer or you’re coming back? I’d recommend Shinjuku each and every time. It’s just more local and more real. It also has other ethnic places around here, like Korean and Indian. I’m sure others exist too if I looked around. Shinjuku is cheaper and so you’re likely to find a wider variety of daily life.
I’m sure there are a handful of other great places to stay in Tokyo. In my exploration and getting off at random metro stations, other areas seemed very busy and lively as well. But indeed, there are certain areas that are more consistently lively with tourists (during the week) whereas others are only busy on weekends. It’s your call to make.
Hostels:
- I forgot the ones I used. But for the most part, Japanese hostels are awesome. You shouldn’t have to worry.
Neighborhoods & Walking areas:
- Shibuya – visit here to see the big things.
- Shinjuku – visit here to see local things.
- Akihibara Electric Town – also known as Anime City and Maiden Cafe.
- Roppongi – this is the “Las Vegas” of Tokyo, but feels less classy and much more seedy. Go here for a party.
- Harajuku fashion street
Activities to do:
- Buildings & architecture –
- Imperial Palace
- Meiji Shrine
- Sensoji Temple – popular buddhist temple.
- Tsukiji Honganji – less popular buddhist temple with different architecture. Can skip if you don’t have time.
- Tokyo Tower
- Tokyo Station –
- Parks, gardens, green spaces –
- Ueno Park – known for the zoo, many museums, and cherry blossoms in the spring.
- Tokyo Disneysea – I absolutely loved it (and I’m not even a Disney type of person). I’ve been to Disneyland before in Los Angeles (so there’s no need to repeat that here, which is the exact same clone). But Disneysea is cool because of different designs, beautifully designed themed areas, new rides and different things. I think there used to be some different characters as well that I’ve never seen before but now it’s all recognizable classic Disney characters. Also, there’s only one Disneysea park in the world, so you might as well see it here.
- Beaches, bridges, water-points –
- Arts & museums –
- teamLab Planets – digital art gallery and interactive experience. Basically many rooms of cool lighting and digital artwork that looks great for Instagram photos.
- Viewpoints, landmarks, sunsets:
- Rooftop views:
- Shibuya Sky – best one and most expensive, have to reserve a month in advance for ideal times. Best views right in the middle of many buildings with neon lights. Can see the other towers lit up. Also beautiful modern viewing deck with lots of space, it’s open air and lots of glass (which can also mean it’s closed during bad weather). In case you couldn’t get an available reservation slot or don’t want to pay, you can also go to the cafe (just one floor down) for free. It’s recommended to go before sunset, and stay after sunset. You can stay as long as you want. I’d say 1 hour before (while it’s still light), then stay 1 hour after when it’s totally dark would give you the best of both.
- Tokyo Skytree – it’s the tallest one. Which may or may not be what you want, in terms of thrill factor and photography angle.
- Tokyo Tower – can be a nice option for familiy and kids since there’s more things for kids with the carnival atmosphere.
- Shibuya Scramble Crossing – the classic busy Tokyo intersection with many people crossing the street in every direction. For the best elevated view that I know…go to Mark City shopping mall (right inside Shibuya station) and go to the Starbucks upstairs. Just outside the Starbucks, you can see a long set of windows.
- Shibuya Hachi – famous dog statue
- Rooftop views:
- Tours:
- Mount Fuji –
Restaurants & Cafes:
Bars & Clubs:
Miscellaneous tips:
- Bus to other cities (e.g. Kyoto, Osaka), my friend said was terrible and uncomfortable. But she did it to save money from the flight since she had so much luggage.
Nearby towns:
Unfiltered notes:
- https://asiatravelbug.com/blog/where-to-stay-in-tokyo-first-time-best-area-family/