Over at r/JapanTravelTips, I asked for advice for how to deal jet-lag for an upcoming trip to Tokyo, from May 12 to the 19th. Now that this trip has ended, I will give my thoughts on how it all went down, to reflect on both the good times and the mistakes. Yet I wouldn’t have traded these experiences for anything.
My hotel was the Anshin Oyado Ekimae, in Shinjuku. This is my first experience with a capsule hotel so I can’t say how it compares with others. But I found my bed comfortable enough, and had no issues sleeping. Another draw of this particular hotel is the amenities: had free breakfast curry every morning, which I didn’t get tired of eating for the week I was there. The evenings also had free alcoholic drinks, although I didn’t particularly partake in those. The bath facilities were well-stocked, and included a spa bath and a sauna. So while I spent most of my day exploring, I did enjoy going back to the hotel during the nights to unwind. Another plus of the hotel is the proximity to Shinjuku Station, making it a good hub for going around Tokyo.
My budget for this trip was 70,000 yen, effectively 10k yen per day. I managed to do everything I wanted and still ate good meals and bought souvenirs for everyone back home. I will say upfront that I reserved events ahead of time when I could, to ease the budget for the week itself.
I flew out on Sunday the 12th, to arrive on Monday the 13th in the evening. For that evening, I checked into my hotel and settled other affairs that would make the trip easier. Those included getting a Suica card, which I snagged when I arrived at Shinjuku Station, and getting the Tokyo Starter Kit. The Starter Kit was immensely useful, as with a three day train pass and a single day bus pass, I could take transportation costs out of the budget for most of the week for an upfront cost of 3,000 yen. This first evening had my first error- getting lost in Shinjuku Station. Although it seems that this is normal, and I got the hang of it eventually.
May 14th was purely dedicated to Shibuya. I hit all the expected tourist spots, and while that is predictable, I loved to experience it for myself. Perhaps the most impactful moment is seeing the mural dedicated to the atomic bomb in Shibuya Mark City, something I hadn’t even known about until I had done research for this trip. When I got tired from walking, I visited the rooftop of Miyashita Park, to sit down and enjoy the fresh air. The end of the evening was dedicated to Shibuya Sky. Being able to see the vast expanse of Tokyo was breathtaking, for sure.
May 15th began with me branching out to explore more of Shinjuku, with a general focus on Kabuchiko. Kabuchiko is known as a more adult-oriented area, so I can say you can go there if that is what you want from your trip. One little personal anecdote: one thing I wanted to try was Melon Pan, because I had heard so much about it. I then find out that Melon Pan is basically identical to a Mexican sweetbread known as a “Concha”. The second half of the day was dedicated to TeamLab Borderless. Words really fail to describe the kind of experience it was, it’s really the kind of thing you need to see for your self.
May 16 was focused on Akihabara, which will be light on details because I mainly poked my head into various anime shops. The most noteworthy visit is to Kanda Shrine, and enjoying the ambience there. May 17th was a day with the most ambitions- but also the most errors. I tried to see if I could squeeze Yokohama and Odaiba in the same day, and as a result didn’t get to enjoy either as much. Although the Cup Noodles Museum was definitely a highlight. My biggest error, however, was going to Tokyo Joyopolis in Odabia. A lack of Japanese knowledge meant that I couldn’t participate in a lot of events there. That is definitely on me.
May 18 was my last full day in Tokyo, so I decided to hit a lot of places I liked a second time, focusing on Shibuya and Kabukicho. But I also hit Takeshita Street in Harajuku, to see it with my own eyes and go souvenir shopping there. The crepes there are definitely tasty, although the area is definitely crowded. May 19th was the day I returned home, so not much to say there.
For a first trip, I would say it went fairly well. If there are two big lessons I took away from this, it is to first make sure to explore an area to the fullest instead of trying to cram it all in one day, and also to either learn Japanese or avoid events that require the language. But like I said, I wouldn’t trade the mistakes for anything either- just the experience felt like it was worth it. Can’t wait to get another chance to return to Tokyo to hit areas I missed!
by Snowthefirst