Some of my friends have been asking me where to go if they travel to Tokyo. I've been living here in the capital for almost 3 years already but to be honest, I haven't completed the "Tokyo tour". This has always been my mindset, I'm just living here, I can go there anytime. And when I leave, I will regret not going there when I have the time. This is what happened to me when I was living in Osaka. LOL
So while I made this for my friends, helping them with their Tokyo itinerary, this also serves as a reminder that I need to go to these places when I have the yen time.
Feel free to tweak it according to your preferences. This list isn't so strict, so if you're like me who wants a leisure trip, you can relax and not follow all the places listed here.
Sorry I got lazy formatting this.
This list is probably the tourist-y must visit places for first timers in Japan. If it's hard to complete them all (which I think yes), don't worry, I'm sure there's going to be another opportunity to come back.
| Area | What To Do |
|---|---|
| Tokyo Station | Tokyo station, Imperial Palace |
| Shibuya | Shibuya crossing, Hachiko statue, Shibuya Sky (paid access) |
| Akihabara | otaku stuff, maid/character cafe |
| Ikebukuro | Sunshine City (Pokemon Center, Namja Town, aquarium) |
| Shinjuku | Tocho observation tower (free access), Kabukicho, Golden Gai |
| Tokyo Tower | tower, nearby shrine |
| Tsukiji Market | food |
| Odaiba | gundam, rainbow bridge, teamLab |
| Yoyogi | Yoyogi park, Meiji Jingu |
| Harajuku | food, culture, cafes |
| Asakusa | temple, nakamise-dori, Tokyo Sky Tree |
| Ueno | park, museum, food, Okachimachi shopping |
| Nakameguro | Starbucks Reserve Roastery |
I didn't list the time for each area because sometimes it takes less than a day or a full day depending on your pace.
If you want to escape the crowded and busy streets of Tokyo, you can head to nearby towns and relax there. Though some have the same thinking so sometimes it gets crowded in these places even when it's already outside Tokyo.
| Days | Where | Prefecture | Pass |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.5-1 | Yokohama, Minato Mirai | Kanagawa | JR pass, Tokyo wide pass |
| 2 | Mt. Fuji and Fuji Five Lakes | Yamanashi | JR pass, Tokyo wide pass or bus to get there, Fujisan Fujigoko passport to go around or Fuji Hakone Pass in combination with Hakone |
| 2 | Hakone | Kanagawa | Hakone Pass or bus from Shinjuku, or Fuji Hakone Pass in combination with Fuji Five Lakes area |
| 0.5-1 | Nikko and Edo Wonderland | Saitama | JR pass, Tokyo wide pass to get there, Nikko All Area Pass to go around |
| 1 | Karuizawa | Nagano | JR pass, Tokyo wide pass |
| 1 | Kamakura and Enoshima | Kanagawa | JR pass, Tokyo wide pass |
| 1 | Mt. Takao | Tokyo | JR pass, Tokyo wide pass |
| 0.5-1 | Odawara Castle | Kanagawa | JR pass, Tokyo wide pass |
| 1-2 | Atami and Izu | Shizuoka | JR pass, Tokyo wide pass |
| 1 | Hitachi Seaside Park | Ibaraki | JR pass, Tokyo wide pass or bus |
You can get the JR pass for visiting tourists. But for foreigners living in Japan, the JR pass is not available to us.
The Tokyo Wide Pass and JR East Pass are available for all foreigners, regardless if you're living in Japan or not.
Sometimes in my travels, I've been using passes or discounted tickets (e.g. Seishun 18 Kippu).
Besides this sample itinerary, there are so many places that you can go to. I haven't listed them all - but you can follow me and my travel and food escapades in here on Hive. (Wow promote LOL) π
If there's anything you want to know, you can ask me in the comments section.
On another note, I haven't participated in HPUD for a while because of some personal stuff irl. So consider this as my comeback. Happy Hive Power Up Day!
Thanks for reading!
See you around! γγγγγΎγγοΌ
With love,
All photos are taken using my phone and camera unless stated otherwise.