*Aisatsu* everybody! We have been sitting on our tickets for 3 years and we are happy you will be open this year!
We are from California in the entertainment biz looking for an escape with our teenage son. Its a once in a lifetime trip for us so we are hoping to make the most memories that we can.
11.16 – DAY ONE- Arrive at Narita Airport – purchase pocket wifi and buy 72 hour subway tickets. We will have a lot of luggage, so a taxi may be the best bet for the ride to our AirBNB in Shibuya City. How much do taxis in Tokyo charge? After checking in, we will find a simple place to eat in our neighborhood and rest after all that traveling. Any cheap eat recommendations near the NISHI-SHINJUKU subway station are appreciated
11.17 – DAY TWO – Discover our neighborhood. Before stepping foot on a subway, we’d like to walk around our guests home ground. There seems to be a Toho Film School, Shinjuku Chuo Park, Government Building Observation Deck, Cat Street, and a wonderful noodle spot Menchirashi.
11.18 – DAY THREE – Were blocking this day out for DISNEY BY THE SEA – Yes!
11.19 – DAY FOUR – Looking to do a day trip and connect with Mt Fuji. This seems to be a possible challenge during November. Wed love to hit Lake Kawaguchiko and rent a boat, We are just not sure if conditions will be OK for hiking. Its known for its relatively easy hikes, so thats why we picked it. If this is a bad time to go, any recommendations for Fuji would be spectacular. Onsen time would work best here.
11.20 – DAY FIVE AND MY BIRTHDAY – Start the day with a trip to Meiji Ginyu Shrine for prayer. Wed like to deep dive into Shibuya Crossing and just act like goofy tourists. Apparently there is a great food court high up in one of the overlooking buildings that has the best view. I lost my bookmark, but if you know, please let me know.
11.21 – DAY SIX – Travel to the docks of the city and do the fish market experience. TSUKIJI FISH MARKET or TOYOSU MARKET? Besides going full foodie, we’d love the best night market scene of the two. Whats your favorite? Afterwards, I’m hoping to meet with the Hash House Harriets to go running out in the city. At night, we will probably do the Golden Gai
11.22 – DAY SEVEN – Day of rest, especially after the Gai, if needed. Perhaps if we can get great deals at the fish market, we can just entertain ourselves at home with fresh fish, Magic the Gathering and good whiskey. But in the evening, its back on in Kabukicho: Godzilla Hotel, with the Toho shop, We are bummed to hear the Robot Restaurant has closed. Any other quirky, bonkers spots to recommend?
11.23 – DAY EIGHT – Daytrip to the beach – Enoshima or Atami? We dont expect beach weather, but as Southern Californians, we’d love to see the other side of the Pacific. What would you choose between the two?
11.24 DAY NINE – Akihabara – Im looking for a bunch of electronics, so this should be fun. My son is also interested in some of these incredible towering game arcades. I hear Capcom Restauraunt closed, any gamer-themed eateries you like? At night, wed like to hit Ginza – My wife is a watch connoisseur, so going to the Seiko museum would be great. I love Frank Lloyd Wright, so the Imperial Hotel would be a dream.
11.25 DAY TEN – Odaiba – Day 2 of our gamer time. Perhaps some Sega Joypolis, perhaps a boat cruise. Hit TeamLab Planets. Night time, go yo the Rikugen Gardens to see the leaves
11.26 DAY ELEVEN – Back home. Boo!
If I am missing any MUST SEE things, please let us know. We would love to meet any Reddit locals or any ex-pats in our travels, so feel free to say hi!
4 comments
You can google to find fix cost of taxi from the airport, 7300 during the day, 8600 for late taxi, that is to reach Shinjuku. By the way you can get on limousine bus for 1300 or train for 700 yen. Just don’t bring lot of luggage. Bring less clothes and do your laundry at the hotel.
Enoshima is very rocky and I think it would look nice in November. I visited in October and it was very pretty. There is also a lot to do there, including a nice shrine with an observation tower. You can combine with a stop in Hase quite easily to see the famous open-air Buddha there. (I’ve never visited Atami though so I can’t compare).
Reading your itinerary here’s what I would add to it / rearrange :
Day 1 – Not much to eat around Nishi Shinjuku as its mostly an office district, food places mostly on the other side of the station, Kabukicho side. Would reccommend moving the visit to Kabukicho on [Day 7] forward.
Day 2 – Seems like you are doing a walk from Shibuya towards Shinjuku, I would recommend doing areas specific to Shibuya first, Meiji Jingu, Cat Street, Omotesando, Harajuku and Shibuya are all within walking distance so would be best done together in a day in my opinion. This should free up some time for exploring new areas in other days.
Day 5 – Don’t recall any food court high up but maybe you are thinking of Miyashita park? There is a food court in it plus the roof where you can get a view. If not, there is plenty of food places around Shibuya, you will be spoilt with choice so don’t worry about finding a restaurant here.
Day 6 – For trying food, definitely Tsukiji outer market, not much going on in Toyosu in terms of restaurants, it’s purely a market for selling/buying fish. Imperial palace/ Ginza/ Tokyo Station is within walking distance from Tsukiji, I would reccommend doing all of those as well on the same day, will move the Ginza part on [Day 9] to this day.
Day 7 – Since I’ve moved the Kabukicho part of this day to [Day 1], would reccommend checking out other parts of the city for this day, noticed you not having Ueno/Asakusa/Sensoji on the itinerary, it’s one of the top spots for tourists to Tokyo and would reccommend you checking it out.
Day 8 – Definitely Enoshima over Atami, Enoshima has greater cultural value over Atami, Kamakura is also right beside Enoshima, Kamakura is famous for its temples, so look some of those up to visit, on return you could stop by Yokohama in the evening as it’s on the way back to the city, plenty to see and do around Yokohama, be it walking by the docks or exploring and getting food at Yokohama Chinatown.
Day 9 – Akihabara day, instead of doing Ginza after Akihabara (I moved it up to day 6), I would reccommend visiting Nakano Broadway as well, it’s like a more local and compact Akihabara, as you’ve mentioned your wife being a watch enthusiast, it is also known for having a ton of watch stores, especially good if you are a watch enthusiast as you can find budget friendly watches all the way to the highest end watches all on display there.
Happy Planning!
One thing I forgot to mention: Im a musician, so any great small live music venues, vinyl bars, or any place I can sit in and play guitar would be super fun.