Hi All – first time in Japan for my wife and me. Lurking for a while and reading posts and first time posting something like this. Please let me know how this looks and I am open to any suggestions/opinions. On some days I have general areas planned on others I have more detailed places I want to go (would like recs of activities/places to go in the area and if the schedule/route makes sense to save time). Focused on shopping/exploring/eating. (Welcome to any suggestions for must-try places to eat in your opinion). Not so much focused on museums/temples.
Day 1 (12/31)
* Arrive HND at 11:05AM
* Get Suica passes, pick up pocket wifi, and ride the subway to the hotel (is it easier with the luggage to go subway or get a limousine service pickup, if so can I book at the airport, or do I have to book in advance?)
* Check in Hotel Prince Gallery Tokyo Kioicho
* Hie Shrine (if there’s time before closing at 5pm)
* Explore and Dinner Tokyo station? (is this a wise idea?)
* Explore surroundings (Marunouchi Illumination)
* Shibuya Crossing at midnight for new years celebration (or is there a better option)
Day 2 (1/1)
* Shibuya (Exploration/Shopping/Recovery Day)
* Meiji Shrine, Parco Department Store, Nintendo Store, Pokemon Store, Capcom Store, Tokyo Metro Govt Building, Kabukicho gate,
* Takeshita Street (shopping)
* Harajuku Street (evening/night)
Day 3 (1/2)
* Asakusa (not sure what to do here but explore, (any recs?))
* Akihabara
* Cafes, Arcades, maid cafe, Animate, Mandarake, (any recs?)
* Shinjuku in the Afternoon/Night (explore/shopping)
* Shinjuku Southern Terrace lights, Golden Gai
Day 4 (1/3)
* Shinkansen to Osaka (how often do trains run and how early? I read I can just buy tickets that morning at the station is that correct?)
* Check-in Conrad Osaka
* Osaka Castle/Nishinomaru gardens
* Zauo Fishing Restaurant (this is the one I found, are any other better ones?)
* Explore Dontonburi (shopping/snacks/strolling)
Day 5 (1/4)
* Kuromon Market
* Shinsaibashi-Suji Shopping Street
* (anything else we could do here?)
* Shinkansen back to Tokyo
* Back into Hotel Prince Gallery Tokyo Kioicho
Day 6 (01/05)
* Sushi Dai in Toyosu (planning to go at like 4-5AM, rec’d from family/friends)
* Ginza
* Imperial Palace
* Tsukiji Outer Market
* Pokemon Centre/DX, Pokemon Cafe
* Strolling/shopping in the area
Day 7 (01/06)
* Team Labs Planet Tokyo (reserved for 10am admission time)
* Toyosu Market (Lunch)
* Explore favorite areas (maybe go back to Shinjuku? or is there another area we should explore?)
Day 8 (01/07)
* Return to Fav areas (Shibuya? or is there any other place?)
* Arrive at HND around 2pm (return wifi)
* Flight at 5:35PM to U.S.
Questions
1. Is there a 7 day subway pass I can get that we can use for all the places? and I can’t use those passes in Osaka correct? (Will i need a subway pass in osaka?) Does the JR pass cover local subways?
2. I should buy tickets for the Shinkansen to osaka and not the JR rail pass? Is that correct?
3. Is this too jam-packed? Are these days doable? Are there areas that I should combine together to save time?
4. Planning to do subways the entire time, is it fairly easy to navigate? I plan on using google maps, so i hope that’s sufficient enough. Are there other travel apps that I need?
5. Planning to stop at mom/pop ramen shops/food stalls for mostly all meals. I know it’s kinda late to book reservations, but any must-to spots to try and snag?
6. I know there’s a lot of strolling/shopping, but is there any places I missed that are on most itineraries for first timers?
7. Any good massage places in these areas? Wife loves getting massages.
Thank you in advance for any recommendations/advice/opinions!
4 comments
If you want to visit a Pokémon Center, I recommend the one in the Tokyo Sky Tree.They have multiple shops plus a food market. Theirs a Kirby Cafe also!
Also another thing I had a little trouble with Google maps riding the trains I had a Jr pass.The stations are a little much for first timers a little tip every train station has a help desk I always would go there just to double check 90 percent of the time they speak enough English to help you out. There’s this guy on YouTube his channel is called Ninja Monkey, lots of great tips and tricks you should check out!
> Day 2 (1/1)
Meiji Shrine gets very busy the first couple days of new years so expect to wait in long lines. If you’re not into that you I would suggest you wait till later in your trip to go once the crowds have died down. Also Tokyo Metro Govt Building, Kabukicho gate, and are in Shinjuku so you’d probably want to group them with your day in Shinjuku.
Parco is closed this day so you’ll need to change the day to visit the Nintendo, Pokemon, and Capcom stores. Its more than likely a lot of stores on Takeshita street will also be closed this day too if there are any specific stores you want to check out here you’ll want to visit their website if they have them to check their New Years hours.
> I should buy tickets for the Shinkansen to osaka and not the JR rail pass? Is that correct?
You should probably check run your trip through a calculator to compare buying outright vs JR pass, but considering your trip is just between Osaka and Tokyo it can go either way pretty easily.
> Is this too jam-packed? Are these days doable? Are there areas that I should combine together to save time?
At least for Tokyo seems pretty doable. Days 7 & 8 could use some refinement since you’re going to Toyosu two days in a row. Can probably rearrange a bit to make it a little more efficient.
> Planning to do subways the entire time, is it fairly easy to navigate? I plan on using google maps, so i hope that’s sufficient enough. Are there other travel apps that I need?
Subways are fairly easy to use and google should be enough for the locations you’ve listed. Some stations like Shinjuku are very large and it can be easy to get lost. In those large stations you’ll need to know the exact exit you’re supposed to use to get where you want to go. If you know that you can just follow the signage to get you were you need to go.
>Explore and Dinner Tokyo station? (is this a wise idea?)
There’s heaps of restaurants in the station, and at least two different food courts. Kitchen Street Is on the ground floor at the northern end and Tokyo Ramen Street is downstairs under the main Yaesu Gate.
>Shibuya Crossing at midnight for new years celebration (or is there a better option)
You better check on this, I’ve heard it’s been cancelled.
>(is it easier with the luggage to go subway or get a limousine service pickup, if so can I book at the airport, or do I have to book in advance?)
If you’ve only got one bag each it probably wouldn’t be too hard on the subway.
>Shinkansen to Osaka (how often do trains run and how early? I read I can just buy tickets that morning at the station is that correct?)
First Shinkansen from Tokyo station is at 6am and about every 5mins. (But if you want to use the JR Pass you won’t have this many options). You can just buy tickets when you get to the station.