The goal: see as much as possible, spend as little as necessary. This is the polite way of saying that we planned every detail of this trip from scratch in order to thriftily make the most of our time and it worked. Going into this, we knew absolutely nothing about Japan or Tokyo. Well, we knew that no one spoke English and that food would be expensive. For the record, the first of these is completely true, no one speaks English. It was a little of a shock, but an expected one. Thank goodness for Google. However, the price of food isn’t that bad. On average, we paid about $10 USD per person for a meal and cooked our own breakfasts. Also, we weren’t starving off of scraps. Living off of ramen, katsu and dumplings, we ate very well. Expect to pay more for specialty dishes, such as sushi and tempura, though.
Okay, to save my sanity and yours, I’m just going to provide the basic outline and some places of note. I’ll do my best not to rant, promise. If you’re planning a trip to Tokyo by yourself without help from a travel agency or locals, this guide will be extremely useful to you. Pro tip, before you go, favorite all of the destinations in Google Maps. This way you can see where everything is located and get a basic idea of how to get around. It’ll also save you some time while you’re on the ground in Japan.
Day One: Arrival
Day Two: Meiji Shrine, Omotesando, Harajuku, Shibuya & Shinjuku
Aside from the beautiful Meiji Shrine, this is a shopping and eating day. Omotesando and Harajuku are located beside each other and across from Meiji Shrine. Walk around the shrine first, and then move on to Omotesando before ending up in Harajuku. There are hundreds of stores in Harajuku and Shibuya. Do some Google searches before you go to see what stands out as it’s absolutely impossible to see them all in one day. Harajuku is pretty amazing. Keep your eyes open for cute souvenirs and cheap clothes. You’ll have to catch the train again at Harajuku Station to get to Shibuya. If you’re interested, you can also try to fit in Shinjuku on this day. We skipped it as many of the stores are repeats of the ones located in Shibuya and I was too sick to hit up any clubs.
SHELTER – This is a great clothing store that sports Japanese brands, such as MOUSSY. Think H&M, but better.
Oriental Bazaar – A place selling any overpriced souvenir you may want. They’ve got everything from tea sets to ninja stars.
Ichiran Harajuku – This kiosk ramen restaurant has the best noodles I’ve ever tasted and the kiosk lets you design your own bowl of ramen specifically to your tastes: less oil, with extra pork and spice, done. Packets of instant ramen from this place make great souvenirs.
Harajuku Gyoza-ro – This is a delicious, inexpensive little dumpling shop located in the back streets of Harajuku. Expect a wait around dinner time.
Tokyu Hands & Don Quijote – These are two of Japan’s most famous everything stores. At least walk in and have a look around. It really is amazing how much stuff they can fit in there. Think Walmart, but on a bigger scale and with the Japanese flair for eccentric and cute.
Bic Camera – As the name suggests, this is a mega cheap electronics store. I bought a lens filter for a fraction of its cost in the states and stocked up on some hard to find film.
Day Three: Studio Ghibli, Akihabara & Odaiba
Start your day at Studio Ghibli, and then make your way to Akihabara before ending your day in Odaiba. If you don’t know what Studio Ghibli is, I don’t understand why you’re going to Japan. However, I can offer another pro tip: Get your Ghibli tickets in advance, like two months in advance. Foreigners are completely unable to purchase tickets when in Japan. Before landing, you can order your tickets online or from a Japanese travel agency.
After hanging out with Totoro, catch the train to Akihabara. This is where most of Japan’s crazy is: maid cafes, sex stores, cosplay departments and owl cafes. It’s a fun little neighborhood. Hang out with owls, try on some furry ears and then, make your way to Odaiba. This unique little man-made island is made up of three different areas/towns. We didn’t have time for all of them, so we explored Palette Town, mostly because that’s where the famous Ferris wheel is. Some things close early on the island, so do research ahead of time on what places you want to see.
Akiba Fukurou – Do it! This is one of Japan’s best owl cafes. Only a select number of people are allowed in at one time and it’s a very calm environment so the owls are not stressed. Make your reservations in advance online.
Maidreamin – Having spent our themed restaurant budget on owls, we skipped this, but maybe it’s your kind of thing. I’ve heard from several friends that the food is terrible. So, you’re mostly just going for the experience of being bossed around by cute girls in aprons.
M’s Pop Life – This is Japan’s mega sex store. It’s not creepy and definitely an experience.
Gee! Store – Gee! Store is the place to buy the clothes of anything you’ve ever wanted to be. Furry suits and Sailor Moon uniforms seem to be particularly popular.
Venus Fort – Don’t buy anything, but the architecture is really cool. It’s like stepping into a completely different time and place. The ceiling actually changes its appearance according to real life, so the best time to go is around sunset.
Toyota Mega Web – Unfortunately, this was randomly closed on the day we went, but it looks like a lot of fun.
Oedo Onsen – This very popular, Edo-styled hot spring resort on Odaiba was very tempting. Unfortunately, like many other public resorts in Japan, it has a no tattoo policy. Moral of the story, do research and read reviews before planning to frequent any of Japan’s public hot springs.
Day Four: Imperial Palace, East Gardens, Ginza & Ueno
This day is brutal. In fact, I recommend skipping the palace and just checking out the East Gardens. That’s where the original castle remains are anyway. Then catch a train to Ginza to do some souvenir shopping before ending your day at Ueno. If you ignore my advice and plan to do the palace tour anyway, make sure to call ahead of time to see when you should arrive for tickets. Annoyingly, tickets cannot be reserved and you have to show up one to two hours in advance to pick them up.
Ginza Natsuno – This is the same shop that makes chopsticks for the imperial palace. The prices are reasonable and they make great keepsakes.
Itoya – Itoya is Tokyo’s largest stationary store. It’s basically a dream come true. Check it out, buy things. This is definitely the place to buy origami paper and stickers as well as other souvenirs.
Tokyo National Museum – Ueno is home to a handful of museums. We picked this one and were happy with our choice. After all, it’s where they keep the samurai swords.
Day Five: Lake Kawaguchiko Day Trip
Day Six: Asakusa, Tokyo Tower, Edo Museum & Golden Gai
Along with being home to Tokyo’s oldest temple, Asakusa is also a great place to buy cheap kitschy souvenirs that are perfect for your friends back home. If you want magnets, dolls, etc., get them here. Also, Sensoji temple gets crowded fast. So, definitely go earlier rather than later. After the temple, hop the train to Tokyo Tower. (Honestly, it’s better to visit this at night, but that didn’t work for us.) From Tokyo Tower, take a bus to the Edo Museum. That’s it! This is a fairly simple day, but the transport is tricky. We were supposed to check out Golden Gai as well, but I was sick for the first half of our trip so bars and clubs weren’t really an option. Our wallets probably appreciated that.
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