I’ll be in Japan for my honeymoon in May, starting off with five nights in Tokyo. I’m trying to figure out what neighborhood we want as our home base and getting overwhelmed by options. We have friends who have stayed in both Koenji and Shimokitazawa and recommend both to us (though they haven’t been since pre-pandemic) provided we can stay near a train station, but everywhere on the internet seems to recommend Shinjuku or maybe Shibuya for a first-time visit, which this will be for both of us. While in theory I like the idea of being in a more relaxed neighborhood, I’m concerned about spending all of our time in transit or feeling stuck, which would be an argument in favor of one of the big hubs.
My husband and I live in a big city, so we are used to crowds and know how to handle ourselves, but some of the descriptions of Shinjuku seem pretty overwhelming/unpleasant and like navigating the station is a pain. I can’t tell if Shibuya is a happy medium between the quiet neighborhood options and all that, or if it will essentially be like Shinjuku, minus Kabukicho, plus more expensive hotel rates.
About us: we are both in our early 30s and like going out/drinking/sometimes dancing but aren’t really nightclub people. We are interested in doing some of the big tourist stuff, museums, and seeing some theater (and maybe sumo) while we are there, but as travelers a lot of what we like to do is just wander around and hang out in different neighborhoods.
With all of that said, any thoughts on which of these is likely to be best for us—or thoughts on how to approach the decision—would be much appreciated!
​
Edited to add: we will be staying in northeast Tokyo for two nights at the end of our trip as we circle back to Tokyo before heading home, so I’m interested in being based in a different part of the city to start.
by hongostokki
