Tokyo Itinerary: 5 Days in Japan’s Dynamic and Futuristic Capital

Tokyo may be the most populated municipality in the world, but it is moreover a futuristic land of robot restaurants, multi-purpose vending machines, winsome characters, and highly-efficient transportation. You may half expect to see flying cars weaving between the skyscrapers, yet tucked yonder in every district, you see a peaceful mix of Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines that represent Japan’s warmed-over culture. This tousle of new and old make Tokyo a fantastic municipality to visit and I’ll help you icon out how with this Tokyo itinerary.

If this is your first trip to Japan, you will be astounded by how wipe and unscratched the municipality is, as well as how orderly, polite, and helpful the people can be, making Tokyo a true joy to visit. When we were planning our 2-week Japan itinerary, many people suggested we spend just two to three days in Tokyo, and I’m glad I didn’t listen to their advice.

With so much to do, you will have no problem filling your five days in Tokyo itinerary. And that is without visiting the Tokyo Disney or Disney Sea theme parks, or doing a deep swoop into anime culture — both of which can be very popular with families visiting Tokyo.

In this Tokyo itinerary, I’ll share my suggestions on how to get to Tokyo and ways to get around, where to stay in Tokyo, and a day-by-day five-day Tokyo itinerary that is perfect for first-time visitors that want a mix of warmed-over and modern culture. I’ll share our favorite activities and tours, and tips we learned withal the way.

If you are spending increasingly time in Japan, you may moreover want to read my full two-week Japan itinerary and find out how much a trip to Japan costs as you start your planning. Continuing on to other cities in Japan? Don’t miss my Kyoto itinerary and Osaka itinerary too.

How to Get to Tokyo

Note: This post may contain unite links. If you click a link and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission. All opinions are my own.

Tokyo has two main international airports: Narita International Airport and Haneda Airport. Narita International Airport is located approximately 60 kilometers east of inside Tokyo and caters to a wide range of airlines including Japan Airlines (JAL), All Nippon Airways (ANA), United Airlines, American Airlines, British Airways, and Cathay Pacific.

Upon inrush at Narita International Airport, there are several user-friendly ways to reach downtown Tokyo. The fastest and most efficient option is to take the Narita Express (N’EX) train, which offers uncontrived connections to major stations in Tokyo such as Tokyo Station, Shinagawa Station, and Shibuya Station. Alternatively, travelers can opt for the Keisei Skyliner, a high-speed train that connects Narita Airport to Ueno Station in well-nigh 40 minutes. Additionally, limousine buses are available, offering door-to-door service to major hotels and key areas within Tokyo.

Haneda Airport, located closer to inside Tokyo, is flipside popular international gateway to the city. It primarily serves domestic flights but moreover operates numerous international routes including Japan Airlines (JAL), All Nippon Airways (ANA), Singapore Airlines, Korean Air, Cathay Pacific, and Delta Air Lines. Haneda Airport’s proximity to downtown Tokyo, at a loftiness of approximately 20 kilometers, makes it a user-friendly nomination for many travelers.

To reach inside Tokyo from Haneda Airport, there are various transportation options available. The Tokyo Monorail provides a uncontrived connection to Hamamatsucho Station, from where travelers can transfer to other train lines to reach their desired destinations. Flipside popular nomination is the Keikyu Line, which connects Haneda Airport to stations such as Shinagawa, Yokohama, and Asakusa. Additionally, limousine buses and taxis are readily misogynist for those who prefer a increasingly personalized and user-friendly transfer to their accommodations in Tokyo.

Getting Virtually Tokyo

The size of Tokyo can surprise plane seasoned travelers and getting from one destination to flipside can hands take 45 minutes, plane when traveling by train or metro. I would not recommend driving in Tokyo (also, FYI, in Japan, they momentum on the left) and taxis can be quite expensive so I’d use them as a last resort.

The primary modes of transportation will be by using public transportation including the Tokyo Metro and Toei Subway systems, JR trains (Japan Railways), and local busses. To use the Metro, Subway, and bus system, you will need a refillable IC Card, such as Suica or Pasmo, which can be purchased at the airport or any train station using easy-to-follow machines. Just note that your IC vellum needs to be loaded using cash, not credit cards.

JR Trains require a ticket or the use of a JR Pass, which can be purchased by international visitors from their home country surpassing they victorious in Japan. It can take a day or two to learn to navigate the train and metro system, but Google Maps is extremely helpful. It will tell you what line to take, the direction, the platform number, which car is weightier to use if you are transferring, and the weightier exit from the train station. Finding the weightier exit from the large train stations can be the most challenging part of the journey.

When using any of the trains, be sure to follow the local custom of standing on the left side of the escalator in the train stations so those in a hurry can walk on the right. There are moreover often arrows on the floor and stairs in the train station indicating which direction to walk. On the platform, line up in single file lines at the spots indicated overdue the yellow line. Once the train stops, let everyone exit surpassing filing onto the train. You may want to try to stave the passenger rush hour considering the crowds on some of those trains can be quite a crush and you may have to wait for the next train.

Also, note that it is unrightful to be loud on the train. Most people read or scan on their phones quietly. This moreover makes it easier to hear the train announcements (in Japanese and English) to exit at the correct stop. No matter which mode of public transportation you use, you will still do a lot of walking in Tokyo, so be sure to bring well-appointed walking shoes! During our time in Tokyo, we clocked an stereotype of five to seven miles a day, despite taking a lot of metro rides!

Where to Stay in Tokyo

Tokyo is huge and choosing where to stay can be overwhelming. I had a few criteria: 1) I wanted to be within a short walk to a major train station and tropical to multiple metro lines; 2) I wanted it to be walkable to restaurants, yet not in the middle of a major crazy tourist area; 3) I opted for an American trademark hotel.

While I typically prefer shop hotels, Japanese hotels are known for small rooms and I wanted to have a bit increasingly space for a five-day stay and wangle to English-speaking staff and concierge. Plus, it seemed like a good opportunity to rack up (or use) some of my loyalty points. I unquestionably opened up a Hilton Honors American Express vellum for this trip considering I knew the hotel spend would hit the threshold to score major bonus points, plus it gave me 12 times bonus points on our stay. Here is my referral link if you are interested in taking wholesomeness of a similar deal. (There is currently a 150,000 bonus point offer if you spend $4,000 in the first three months.)

For these reasons, we decided to stay at the Hilton Tokyo in Shinjuku. It was a 10-15 minute walk to Shinjuku station (one of the busiest in the world) but in a quiet, merchantry zone yonder from the unexceptionable lights and grittier areas tropical to the station. We could wangle two variegated metro lines through an underground passage directly from the hotel. And, I knew that we wanted to visit a number of sights in this area. The hotel moreover offers a self-ruling shuttle bus to Shinjuku station every 20 minutes during hours of operation, if you don’t want to walk.

With the exception of nonflexible beds, we were very happy with our stay at the Tokyo Hilton. The rooms were large and our views from the 38th floor were stunning. We booked Executive Club level rooms, which included wangle to the Executive Lounge for a complimentary storeroom breakfast and evening happy hour. We could have moreover had breakfast at the lobby restaurant, but we found the convenience and speed of the lounge worked perfectly for us.

Service, including housekeeping, was moreover spanking-new and the one night that we decided to stay in for dinner and stave walking in the rain, we had a nomination of multiple restaurants. There is moreover a sweets shop in the lobby (which closes oddly early) and the lobby restaurant plane offers a Hello Kitty sweets storeroom that is sure to welter some families.

If you are looking for an upscale zone with designer shopping and high-end restaurants, I’d recommend staying in the Ginza area. If you are looking for something very pure feeling, perhaps the Asakusa area. The zone near the Tokyo Station is moreover very inside and nice.

Find other places to stay in Tokyo:

See my quick overview of things to do in Tokyo:

Tokyo Itinerary Day 1

Since you will be arriving in Tokyo from an overseas flight, you will be jet-lagged and exhausted. By the time you take superintendency of everything you need to do at the airport, you likely won’t victorious and be worldly-wise to trammels into your hotel until mid to late afternoon. Take the time to unpack and settle in, but try to stay awake until at least early evening. It helps to get some fresh air, so I recommend taking a walk to explore the neighborhood.

If you are staying in Shinjuku, you can take in the sights virtually Shinjuku station or take in the views from the self-ruling observatory at the South Tower of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Towers (located very tropical to the Hilton Tokyo.) This was the tallest towers in Tokyo until 2007, and it still offers stunning views.

To get there, use the Tocho-mae Station on the Oedo Subway Line, which is located in the vault of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building. Alternatively, it is only a ten-minute walk from the west exit of JR Shinjuku Station. The observation deck is unshut until 10 pm if you prefer to see the sparkling lights of Tokyo at night.

For dinner, I’d recommend lining up at well-nigh 4:45 pm (you’ll probably be hungry and want an early night anyway) at Fuunji. This no-frills ramen and dipping noodle shop is popular for a reason. There are only well-nigh a dozen seats and you order from a vending machine (cash required), then hand your ticket to the person overdue the counter and line up overdue customers at the counter and wait for an unshut spot.

This is not a place to linger and you are encouraged to eat quietly and quickly and then make way for the next group. But it is delicious, affordable, and worth the wait. A perfect introduction to Japanese food! I suggest at least one person getting the dipping noodles so you can try both (don’t make my mistake and order both! The people overdue the counter laughed at me — “for one person?!!” Silly me but I’m glad I got to try both.)

Another nearby option is Udon Shin, but this is moreover very popular (you will soon learn that Japanese people love to line up to eat way increasingly than tired tourists are willing to do!). You will want to run over there and get a ticket as soon as you victorious at your hotel and get a return time (often 5 hours later.)

Tokyo Itinerary Day 2

Hopefully, without a good night’s sleep, your soul clock will reset and you will be ready to hit the ground running. Plane still, I think it is a good idea to not schedule anything for your first day that can’t be pushed when or changed, such as tours, workshops, prepaid tickets, etc. Save those for later in the trip to requite yourselves a endangerment to retread first.

I moreover recommend tackling one to two neighborhoods a day, to minimize the time you spend in transit from one witchery to another. Since we were traveling with a teen, an afternoon exploring the teen culture in Harajuku was a must on her list. However, we decided to start with something that made it well-spoken that we were in Japan, so we started our day at the Meiji Jingu Shrine.

Meiji Jingu Shrine

Located in the lush and quiet oasis of Meiji Jingu Gaien Park, the Meiji Jingu Shrine, was established in 1920 to honor Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken, who played crucial roles in modernizing Japan during the Meiji Restoration. You can wangle the park using the Tokyo Metro to the Meiji-jingumae station, or the JR Yamanote Line.

After passing through a towering torii gate, you will wind your way through the park to the shrine. One thing you will often notice in Japan is the coexistence of Buddhism and Shinto religions, with Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples sitting side-by-side. While Buddhism and Shintoism are unshared religious practices, they have long coexisted harmoniously in Japanese society.

At the shrine, you can partake in traditional Shinto practices, like writing wishes on ema (wooden plaques) or purchasing omamori (amulets). If you wish to offer a prayer at a shrine, be sure to read the correct practices, which include the proper washing of your hands, bowing, clapping twice, and bowing again.

Harajuku

If you are traveling with tweens or teens, or just want to get a write-up on youth culture in Japan, a visit to the Harajuku neighborhood is a must. This zone has wilt synonymous with twentieth-century fashion, street style, and unique subcultures. The main thoroughfare is Takeshita Street, which is lined with colorful shops, quirky boutiques, and trendy cafes, attracting both locals and tourists alike. It is moreover where you will find some of the Instagram-worthy snacks such as rainbow cotton snacks at Totti Snacks Factory and rainbow crepes at Santa Monica crepes.

Takeshita Street is a hub for snacking and shopping for an variety of clothing, accessories, cosmetics, and novelty items, including some of Japan’s famous notation (like those from Sanrio.) Harajuku is moreover associated with Kawaii culture. Kawaii, meaning “cute” or “adorable” in Japanese, is an integral part of Japanese popular culture. It encompasses a wide range of elements, including fashion, music, art, and lifestyle.

In Harajuku, Kawaii culture is on full display, with its distinctive style featuring pastel colors, frilly dresses, oversized bows, and whimsical accessories, often drawing inspiration from anime and manga. Some of it can finger a bit fetish-geared, at least to the Western eye, but it is still quite popular with Japanese teens.

If your teens wants to pick up some malleate items that don’t squint like everything you see in the U.S., be sure to stop into the shops at CuteCube and SoLaDo. You will find increasingly upscale, familiar brands withal Omotesando Street, which runs perpendicular to Takeshita. The LaForet Harajuku shopping mall on Omotesando moreover offers floor upon floor of affordable teen malleate and Kawaii clothing. Kiddyland is a unconfined spot to pick up toys and weft gifts, and Graniph has cute and fun t-shirts and tons for teens.

While it is easy to snack your way withal Takeshita Street with spiral-fried potatoes, candy-lacquered strawberries, boba tea, crepes, and increasingly (but please don’t waste your money on the rainbow grilled cheese from Le Shiner, it is awful), leave time to explore the backstreets of the Omotesando Hills. This quieter zone offers vintage stores and cute boutiques.

I’d recommend lunch at A Happy Pancake. These meringue pancakes are light, fluffy, and delicious, topped with everything from fruit to ice cream.

Another popular thing to do in Harajuku is stop at one of the many animal-themed cafes. I unchangingly struggle a bit with the values of unprepossessing cafes featuring non-domesticated animals in particular, but my husband really wanted to stop into the Harry Harajuku Hedgehog Cafe. I was pleased to see how the animals were treated in this shop by stuff given rest time, requiring guests to wear gloves, tropical supervision of how the animals were treated, and the worthiness to prefer the animals. Since we have never had a pet hedgehog, it was fun to get to feed and hold them for a few minutes.

Memory Lane / Omoide Yokocho 

Finish up your day in the zone virtually Shinjuku Station. First, walk through the narrow thruway of Omoide Yokocho, moreover known as Memory Lane. This zone invokes feelings of old Japan, with tiny little restaurants and izakayas (little bars) lining the alley, cooking yakitori over small soot grills, with smoke pouring out into the alley. There are plenty of spots to stop and eat. Just join a line or grab an empty seat at a counter where something smells good. You will find plenty of yakitori skewers, ramen, and other single-dish specialty shops.

We popped into one spot that had a few increasingly seats and ordered ramen and soba from a vending machine (again, this is an zone where you will need mazuma to pay.) Afterward, the adults may want to throne to some of the bars in the Golden Gai area, but it didn’t finger particularly family-friendly.

Godzilla fans have to take a walk over to the Hotel Gracery in Shinjuku to get a view of the giant Godzilla on top of the hotel. This zone is lined with bars, restaurants, arcades, and “women’s clubs” (which seemed increasingly like strip clubs with young girls standing outside in French maid outfits luring people in.) The zone is a little gritty at night, but treason is still not a big issue in Japan as it is a very unscratched country.

Technically, only hotel guests or those eating at the Sideboard at Hotel Gracery are unliable up on the terrace to get tropical to the Godzilla, but no one stopped us (and the sideboard was closed), so my husband was in his version of Godzilla-fanboy heaven.

Tokyo Itinerary Day 3

On day three, it is time to venture a little remoter and explore the areas virtually Tsukiji, Shiba, Odaiba, and Ginza. It is a rented day so wear your favorite walking shoes!

Tsukiji Fish Market

One of the most famous tourist destinations in Tokyo is the Tsukiji Fish Market. This world-renowned market consists of two main sections: the inner market and the outer market. The inner market, once famous for its popping tuna auctions and wholesale sales, has been relocated to Toyosu, while the outer market continues to thrive in the original Tsukiji zone and is wieldy to visitors.

The outer market is a lively and popping zone filled with numerous stalls, shops, and restaurants offering a wide variety of fresh seafood, produce, kitchenware, and culinary delights. There is moreover an inside zone where locals pick up fish for daily meals.

We took a unenduring tour with True Japan, but honestly, it seemed easy unbearable to explore on your own and just join the queue wherever you see a line if you are hungry.

However, if you really want to find the weightier places to eat and get to sample specialties instead of just walking around, I’d recommend taking either the Fish Market Tour from Magical Trip or the archetype Tsukiji supplies tour with Arigato Travel.

Sushi Making Experience

One of my favorite experiences on our Japan trip was the sushi-making workshop we took with True Japan (and I don’t plane like sushi!) Located in the vault of a towers wideness from the Tokyo Tower, I really wasn’t sure what to expect when I walked in. But the ladies running the program were veritably lovely and so kind and fun. We were happy to have booked a private group, instead of joining one of the much larger groups that came later.

We learned all well-nigh what it takes to make good sushi (basically good rice, fresh ingredients, and the correct process), from the right way to stir the sushi rice to the six-step process of forming a piece of nigiri sushi. In the end, we each produced five pieces of sushi and two rolls. Then it was time to decorate our plates and eat!

With the sushi making, we moreover widow on a tea and sake pairing experience, permitting us to try various teas and types of sake with our meal. Sushi is the most integral to Japanese cuisine and it was unconfined to get insight into how to produce this quintessential food.

Tokyo Tower

There are many observation decks to get unconfined views of Tokyo including the Tokyo Skytree, Shibuya Sky, and the Tokyo Tower. My husband Glenn is not a huge fan of heights, so we didn’t want to go out of our way to visit an observation deck, but since our sushi-making wits was right wideness the street from the Tokyo Tower, we decided to requite it a try.

The Tokyo Tower was built in 1958 and reaches a height of 333 meters (1,093 feet). Smaller than the increasingly modern Skytree, the Tower was designed by technie Tachū Naitō and synthetic by the Nippon Television Municipality Corporation to serve as a dissemination tower for television and radio transmissions.

Inspired by the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the Tokyo Tower offers two main observation decks for visitors to enjoy panoramic views of the city. The main deck, located at 150 meters (492 feet), provides a lovely vantage point to see the sprawling metropolis with its skyscrapers, historical landmarks, and surrounding landscapes. The top deck, which requires its own ticket, is located at 250 meters (820 feet) and offers an plane broader perspective, permitting visitors to see Tokyo’s urban expanse from a higher elevation.

Both decks are enclosed and the main deck only offers a small patch of glass floor, so except for the glass-enclosed elevator ride up, it is really quite tame plane for those wrung of heights. You can either pre-purchase timed entry tickets or take your chances on waiting in line when you arrive. A visit to both decks shouldn’t take increasingly than 45 minutes unless you want to spend time at the sideboard or at the shops and restaurants below.

TeamLab Planets

TeamLab Planets was flipside highlight and much-anticipated witchery for our Japan trip. This immersive digital art museum takes you on a journey through a series of interactive and sensorial installations that is unlike anything I’ve overly experienced. It tops those interactive Van Gogh and other exhibits by a lot!

Created by the interdisciplinary art collective, TeamLab, this museum transcends traditional boundaries by merging technology, art, and nature to create a mesmerizing experience. Timed-entry tickets are required and you should squint to purchase them at least a couple of months in whop of your trip. Just alimony in mind that this is a multi-sensory wits involving water (you will need to remove your shoes for the elapsing and walk through water up to your knees at points), darkness, and flashing lights, so it may not be towardly for some with mobility or sensory issues.

The wits takes well-nigh 60-90 minutes to well-constructed and wraps you through the water and garden sections with rooms featuring hanging crystals that reflect off mirrored surfaces, water with projections of swimming koi fish, digital flower projections, and pendulous displays of real orchids. The museum’s exhibits indulge visitors to wilt zippy participants in the artwork. I don’t want to requite too much away, but I haven’t met anyone that went and didn’t love it.

Ginza

When you finish with TeamLab Planets, you may want to throne over to nearby Ginza for dinner (and shopping if your upkeep allows.) We had dinner at Bird Land, which is a Michelin-star yakitori restaurant specializing in yellow and all its parts. The restaurant was quite pretty and I appreciated stuff worldly-wise to make a reservation and sit lanugo without a long day. But to be honest, I had trouble with some of those yellow parts. It is probably largest to not ask what you are eating, but sometimes the chewiness gave it away.

A couple of other places we considered were Ginza Sushi Fukuju, which is flipside Michelin-star restaurant, and Re:Dine Ginza, which is a unique concept where top chefs compete and customers enjoy the results.

Tokyo Itinerary Day 4

Day four brings us to flipside of Tokyo’s most popular tourist areas and most famous sporting events.

Asakusa

Asakusa is a historic neighborhood nestled in the heart of Tokyo. With a rich cultural heritage, this zone attracts both locals and tourists seeking to immerse themselves in the traditional side of Tokyo. Asakusa’s history dates when centuries, and it was once a popping entertainment district during the Edo period. Today, it retains its nostalgic charm, with preserved old buildings, narrow streets, and a vibrant atmosphere, as well as theaters and entertainment centers.

One of the most famous landmarks in Asakusa is the Senso-ji Temple. This warmed-over Buddhist temple, believed to have been founded in the 7th century, is Tokyo’s oldest and most revered temple. Visitors enter through the iconic Kaminarimon Gate, ornate with a massive lantern and guarded by two fierce statues. The tideway to the main hall, Nakamise Street, is lined with shops and stalls selling traditional souvenirs, snacks, and local street food.

Another notable witchery in Asakusa is the famous “Kappabashi Street,” moreover known as “Kitchen Town.” Here, visitors can witness rows of shops selling a wide variety of kitchenware, including the iconic plastic supplies replicas that varnish the storefronts of many Japanese restaurants.

For those with a sweet tooth, Asakusa is moreover home to numerous local delicacies. One must-try treat is the melon pan, a sweet specie roll with a crunchy exterior that resembles a melon. Several bakeries and street vendors in Asakusa offer freshly baked melon pan, providing a delightful snack as you explore the neighborhood’s mannerly streets. There are many shops withal the covered arcades that moreover offer sweets such as taiyaki with custard or red stone paste.

Since this is such a historic area, we decided to take a tour with Context Travel, as we have unchangingly had good luck with them in cities like Vienna and Budapest. We did learn a pearly value from our guide Patricia, but not as much well-nigh the history as I expected. If I was to do it again, I’d consider doing the Cultural and Street Supplies Walking Tour with Magical Trip.

Before you leave Asakusa, be sure to throne to the 8th floor of the Asakusa Culture Tourist Information Centre opposite Asakusa Station for self-ruling views of the Tokyo Skytree.

There are plenty of options for lunch in this area, but we loved our tempura donburi at Tempura Akimitsu, just a 10-minute walk from the Senso-Ji Temple. It is a small place so I’d recommend making a reservation. There is an English menu that you can order using a tablet at the table. I’d highly suggest getting the red ginger tempura. This was a new discovery for me on this trip and I loved it!

Sumo Wrestling

If you are fortunate unbearable to visit during the Sumo Wrestling Tournaments in January, May, or September, it is an event worth seeing for its dramatic theater and sport. Each tournament lasts virtually 15 days and the weightier matches take place later in the day.

You need to book tickets as soon as they unshut up for sale and each ticket is good for the whole day, but unless you are a diehard fan, I’d suggest arriving virtually 2:00 – 3:00 pm and staying until the matches finish at 6:00 pm. When you order tickets online, you will need to stop by any 7-11 store to pick up nonflexible copies of the tickets.

You can purchase tickets for box seats on the floor, which is truly a small boxed zone on the floor with four cushions, intended to fit four small people sitting cross-legged. However, they increasingly comfortably fit two people with legs extended. You can moreover purchase regular stadium chair seats in the upper tiers of the stadium.

Each match begins with the ring inward ceremony, where the wrestlers, dressed in their traditional mawashi loincloths, make their way into the dohyo (sumo ring) accompanied by rhythmic drumming and chanting. The matches are conducted under the strict supervision of a referee, clad in a striking kimono. Surpassing the tour commences, the wrestlers engage in a series of ritualistic gestures, such as stomping their feet and performing salt-throwing, which symbolizes the purification of the ring and the summoning of the spirits.

Once the match begins, the wrestlers demonstrate their strength, technique, and agility as they engage in intense confrontations. The objective is to gravity their opponent out of the ring or make any part of their opponent’s soul other than the soles of their feet touch the ground. The bouts are fast-paced and can be over in a matter of seconds or proffer to a grueling showdown between two formidable opponents.

In between matches, there are imprint holders that walk virtually the ring delivering the flags of the match sponsors. Fans cheer wildly for their local favorites and the whole match is quite a spectacle and it is easy to get unprotected up in the excitement.

If you aren’t in Tokyo during the tournament, you can still visit the Sumo Museum or join a tour of the morning Sumo practice or a Sumo experience that includes lunch.

After Sumo, you can have a soba dinner near the Tournament scene at Tokyo Ryogoku Edo Soba Hosogawa or throne when to Shinjuku for dinner at somewhere like Shinjuku Kappo NAKAJIMA.

Tokyo Itinerary Day 5

On your last day in Tokyo, it is weightier to pursue the attractions that most interest you and your travel companions — and there is so much to segregate from!

Museums

I’m a fan of the polka dot artwork of legendary versifier Yayoi Kusama, so we visited the Yayoi Kusama Museum. (Tickets need to be purchased online well-nigh a month in advance.) The museum is fairly small and takes no increasingly than 45 minutes to visit.

If this isn’t your cup of tea, there are so many other unconfined museums and attractions to visit in Tokyo including:

1. Tokyo National Museum: The largest and oldest museum in Japan, housing an wide-stretching hodgepodge of Japanese art and artifacts.
2. Mori Art Museum: Located in the Roppongi Hills complex, this trendy art museum offers stunning views of Tokyo and showcases innovative and thought-provoking exhibitions.
3. Edo-Tokyo Museum: Defended to the history and culture of Tokyo, this museum provides a comprehensive squint into the city’s past, from the Edo period to modern times.
4. Ghibli Museum: A must-visit for fans of Studio Ghibli films, this enchanting museum in Mitaka showcases the work of legendary animator Hayao Miyazaki and offers a glimpse into the magical world of Ghibli animations.
5. National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation (Miraikan): A science museum that explores cutting-edge technologies, robotics, space exploration, and the future of science.
6. Odaiba Gundam Base: An interactive museum defended to the popular Gundam franchise, featuring life-size models, exhibits, and a shop filled with merchandise.
7. Pokemon Part-way Mega Tokyo: A oasis for Pokémon fans, this store in Ikebukuro offers a wide range of merchandise, interactive experiences, and limited-edition items.
8. One Piece Tower: A theme park and museum based on the popular manga and anime series One Piece, featuring attractions, shows, and character-themed areas.
9. Tokyo Anime Center: Located in Akihabara, this part-way hosts exhibitions and events defended to anime and manga, showcasing the vibrant anime culture of Japan.

Imperial Palace East Gardens

After visiting a museum, it is nice to get some fresh air and enjoy a traditional Japanese Garden with a Walk through Imperial Palace East Gardens. These gardens surround the Imperial Palace and are self-ruling and unshut to the public. It is a relaxing oasis from the precipitance of such a large metropolis.

Tokyo Weft Street

From the Gardens, it is a short walk over to Tokyo Station, which, in wing to stuff a major transportation hub, is moreover home to many restaurants and the main reason we visited — the Tokyo Weft Street. This zone of the train station is filled with individual shops featuring Japan’s cutest notation and international favorites like Pokemon, Dragonballz, and other anime figures. Families will love doing some souvenir shopping here!

Godzilla fans might moreover want to walk past the Godzilla statue (1 Chome-2-2 Yurakucho, Chiyoda City) for a fun photo opp.

Flytographer Photo Shoot

I think vacations are a unconfined time to have family or couple photos taken (or plane solo photos since it is so nonflexible to get pictures of yourself when traveling alone!) and we love to use Flytographer. If you are interested in setting up a Flytographer photo shoot, use my referral link to get $25 off your first photo shoot.

With Flytographer, you can segregate your favorite photographer, how long of a shoot you want, and your preferred location. You typically get your final photos within well-nigh five days of your photo shoot and they make terrific vacation memories that can hands be turned into prints, photo books, canvases, or other products.

Shibuya

You can’t leave Tokyo without exploring the popping neighborhood of Shibuya, including the famous Shibuya Crossing, known for stuff the busiest intersection in the world. In wing to making the crossing, you can moreover get a good view from whilom from the second level of the Tokyo Department Store at the west exit of the railway station. Also, get a view of Shibuya Crossing from whilom at the rented Starbucks or the quieter (but increasingly distant) 11th floor of the Hikari Building. Mag’s Park and the rooftop terrace moreover offer good views.

If you want to unflinching the outdoor escalators of the Shibuya Sky Towers and then the glass stairs to the 46th floor, you can reach the 360-degree observatory over Tokyo and plane the “Sky Edge” glass balcony that extends vastitude the towers over the city.

I wish we had increasingly time to explore Shibuya considering I would have liked to take the Best of Shibuya Supplies Tour with Arigato Travel. Alas, it overlapped with the time of our photoshoot, but we did enjoy a succulent dinner at Han no Daidokoro Kadochika, plane if it was a Korean BBQ restaurant, they still served up Japanese beef.

A few other restaurants we considered in this zone are Hakushu (Kobe/Waygu whinge teppanyaki), Sushi Uobe (high-tech sushi with one of Asia’s top sexuality chefs), Shibuya Nonbei Yokocho, and Tempura Motoyoshi.

There is so much to do in Tokyo that you will end up wishing for increasingly time. A few other activities we considered are:

• Go-karting through the streets in weft costumes
• Day trip to Mount Fuji and Hakone
• Japanese Yakatabune dinner cruise

Frequently Asked Questions

Visiting Japan? Read more…

If you are planning a visit to Japan, be sure to moreover trammels out the pursuit articles:

• How much does a trip to Japan cost?
• 5 Days in Kyoto itinerary

Save this to Pinterest

The post Tokyo Itinerary: 5 Days in Japan’s Dynamic and Futuristic Capital appeared first on We3Travel.