I’m traveling to Tokyo for a seven day stay in late January / Early February and doing my absolute best to fill the itinerary with the things I truly love about the city. Specifically: traditional shopping streets (shotengai), Shinto shrines, drinking alleys (yokocho), quirky neighborhoods, and any remnants of pre-war and Showa era culture.
My preferred travel style is to explore neighborhoods on foot and generally squish as much as I can into the trip. I’m not big into downtime on vacation and I’ve been to Tokyo a few times now, so I’ll be skipping some of the big sights.
Many of the spots I’ve picked out are new to me so I would absolutely love any and all advice! Am I grouping the wrong things? Going in the wrong order? Heading to places that will bore a person senseless? I’d really love to know =)
I’d particularly love to hear of any cool events/festivals going on this time of year. I’d hoped to catch a local temple festival but came up blank in my search.
Thank you in advance!
**Itinerary:**
**Sun. 1/29 (Evening Only)**
* Arrive at Narita in the afternoon
* Check into hotel in Asakusa
* Asakusa Jinja
* Tokyo skytree
**Mon. 1/30**
* Sensoji
* Nakamise Dori
* Ushijima Shrine
* Hato no machi Shotengai
* Shibamata Taishakuten
* Shibamata Shotengai
**Tues. 1/31**
* Hie Jinja
* Atago Jinja
* Tsukishima Monja Street
* Tomioka Hachimangu
* Monzen Nakacho
* Tatsumi Shindo
**Wed. 2/01**
* Kamakura All Day
* Asakusa Yokocho
I’ve been to Kamakura once and absolutely loved it. If you have any specific lesser-known gems to recommend, I’d love to hear them!
**Thurs. 2/02**
* Sugamo jizo dori
* Arai Kannon Temple
* Yanaka Ginza
* Nezu jinja shrine
* Ueno Toshogu Jinja
* Ame Yokocho
* Jimbocho booktown
This is the one day I feel like I might just be packing too full. Too many subway rides and too much walking. Should I skip something here?
**Fri. 2/03**
* Meiji Jingu Shrine
* Harajuku/Takeshita
* Shinjuku Gyoen
* Golden Gai
* Omoide Yokocho
**Sat. 2/04**
* Jiyugoaka Kumano Jinja
* Jiyugoaka / Green Street
* Nihon Minka En Folk Museum
**Sun. 2/05**
* Shimokitazawa
* Sangenjaya
* Sangenjaya Sankaku Chitai
* Shibuya Nonbei Yokocho
So, I’ve seen recommendations to visit Sangenjaya as a cool, classic neighborhood but no actual to-do’s other than the Yokocho. Is it worth the trip out there?
**Mon. 2/06 (Morning Only)**
* ???
* Head to Narita
I’m fresh out of idea for the last day. Is there another cool area off the beaten path I can squeeze into a morning?
