[Itinerary Check] 11 Days in April 2021 – Tokyo (Budget Trip)

26 comments

1. Sorry, but what’s Universal Tokyo?

2. Random possibly worthless insider tip… If you’re into crane games, stick with Taito Station arcades, not Sega ones.

   Not only are the Sega ones nearly impossible, but Taito tends to have some exclusive and limited edition Hatsune Miku figures.

   I’m not even really into vocaloids, but I thought it was kind of cool as a souvenir/collector’s item. So every time I have went was a different special figure. I have 3. The games are truly not that difficult, plus if you get them stuck, get an employees attention, and they will move the box for you (and generally put it somewhere rather simple). Go for the games with the two bars that become more spaced out as they get farther away. I literally won a big Kirby plush in 200 yen.

   Sega’s crane games however are ones that are totally based on grip, or cutting strings, and other things that are basically impossible. Whereas with Taito you can just tip the box over or hit them at angles.

   Since you said you are into anime, there are usually lots of anime figures too.

   There’s a Taito in Shibuya and one or two in Shinjuku. Also play MaiMai for me, haha. It’s like my favorite arcade game. It’s a rhythm game that looks like a big washing machine, but I highly recommend it. (and the obvious Taiko is a must)

3. [deleted]

4. > we saw a few places like Hakone and Yokohama that aren’t too far away but we just aren’t sure if its worth packing up from the hotel traveling there for a day or two and coming back

   Yokohama can be a daytrip from Tokyo. A nice Ryokan in Hakone can be costly, but it is worth the price tag for the experience, especially if you are looking for an onsen. I’m not sure if they offer vegetarian meals instead of the kaiseki dinner though. If you’re looking for a scenic area with temples, a daytrip to Kamakura is your best bet.

   Day 7, there’s tons of streets around Sensoji Temple to go shopping or grab a snack. Don’t stick to just Nakamise which tends to be very crowded. Could move the evening at the Skytree to this day as well, since it is close to Asakusa.

   Why not dedicate a day for Akihabara for your anime and game needs? Not an expert of this area but I’m sure you’ll find tons of things that you’ll find interesting.

   How will you get to Universal Studios Japan, which is in Osaka? A night bus will be cheap and convenient with scheduling (especially ones that directly go to USJ) but it’s not the most comfortable and an often quite tiring ride. A daytrip won’t get you much since it will take at least 2.5 hrs one way on the Shinkansen.

5. In Shibuya the PARCO building has a somewhat hidden garden on the rooftop, not sure if it’s what you’re after but it makes for a great sunset spot and we used it as a meetup point for our group

6. I am sorry to say I found the Ghibli museum really disappointing. Very small, no English translations anywhere, and the gift shop, where I’d hoped to pick up some really great souvenirs for friends and family, only had a small selection of stuff from none of our favorite films. Temper your expectations.

   That said, the park it’s in is nice and the village of Kichijoji was nice–totally recommend Aoba ramen on Motomachi Street (which, I noted was across the street from a clothing shop called Astoria which made me smile because I live in Astoria, Queens, NY.)

7. Omg yess we are into crane games my friend actually was telling me about a place that teaches you how to win at crane games and you get a stamp. Thanks a ton for the advice might be something I can check out when I’m near the hotel.

8. Oh wow yea it sounds like Kamakura might be my best bet. I read a travel blog on that area and it seemed promising. Oh that’s a good idea we could easily get to the sky tree and then head back to our hotel. We also wouldn’t have to rush either.

   Honestly my first impression was to go to Akihabara but after seeing a few posts I saw that can be finished in half a day, so I wasn’t too sure how long to spend there.

   Yea sorry I made an error on my part and I thought Universal Japan was near Tokyo Disney.

9. I think this is a good plan. Your day 3 is pretty much what I did my first time in Tokyo. I enjoyed the Ghibli museum, and we stopped at Nakano. Though we were beat after that and we didn’t make it to Shibuya like we wanted to. Food is pretty cheap overall in Japan, and even then you can spend under $10 at 7-11 and get really good food.

   If you’re out near the Ghibli Museum maybe consider checking out [the Edo-Tokyo Open Air Museum](https://www.tatemonoen.jp/english/)? There’s an indoor version of it near Ryōgoku Kokugikan just called [the Edo-Tokyo Museum](https://www.edo-tokyo-museum.or.jp/en/) as well. My friend and I just walked in on a weekday and it wasn’t all that crowded. I haven’t been to the open air museum though, which I’m sad about.

   Maybe take a day to explore Ikebukuro? Truthfully I like Ikebukuro much more than Akihabara. You can find a bit more to do for fun, eating, shops with fewer people. Also… no Asakusa? That might be worth it to see the Hozomon gate and the Nakamise shopping street. I think there’s a bit of street food here for you to try.

10. >We were looking at the EBISU Circut in Nihonmatsu-shi, but not really sure how far and if its worth it.

    From my experience, renting car is the best if you want to visit ebisu, i can’t talk about public transportation. It’s worth when there’s an actual event (ex: D1) or maybe a Japanese drift-er saying that they will practice there or not, other than that there’s nothing too see other than maybe people practicing if you’re lucky.

11. Consider spending your first night in Narita. After landing you’ll be going through immigration and exchanging money and it will be refreshing to step outside and board a complimentary charter bus to your hotel. The Narita View Hotel has a nice sento. When you wake up the next morning you can check out Naritasan temple and the surrounding park before heading into Tokyo.

    Your current Day 2 is way too packed. Maybe try just Harajuku and Shibuya here. If you get going early (coming from the Americas we always find ourselves up super early the first few days) you can visit the Meiji shrine first, then catch the shops as they open. Do the monster cafe for lunch and then head to Shibuya. You can buy your Disney tickets at the Disney store in Shibuya, PARCO has a bunch of anime/gaming shops, and Marui sometimes has them as well.

    Day 3: I’ve done Ghibli Museum + Nakano Broadway on a few trips now and we never make it out of Nakano Broadway before dark. Save the sunset Skytree excursion for another day — but this would be a good night to check out that pachinko parlor in Shinjuku.

    Day 7: after Sensoji, try to catch one of the Tokyo Water Bus rides from Asakusa-Odaiba. Some of the boats were designed by Leiji Matsumoto of Galaxy Express 999 fame. Odaiba has tons to do and see, with the Unicorn Gundam (looks awesome at night), a Ferris wheel, museums, a few huge arcades, and several large malls with numerous anime stores.

    Either of your Ueno/NJPW days would also be a great day to do Skytree or Akihabara.

    As for other destinations? Ikebukuro is great, especially on a rainy day. The Sunshine City mall has several anime and game related attractions and a great aquarium. You can often catch free performances in the fountain area in the late afternoon. There are arcades just across the street and several girl oriented anime shops along the walk to Ikebukuro station.

    Other notes from my own nerdy budget travel experiences regarding where and where not to cut corners:

    Get everyone to start going for walks regularly. You’re going to be walking several miles per day on this trip and your feet and legs will be killing you by the end of your Day 4 if you go in without preparing. Pain and injury put a damper on a good trip. Bring at least two pairs of good, comfortable shoes and rotate which ones you are wearing. (Also bring good socks.)

    Try to stay somewhere where you can cook breakfast. You’ll save money and won’t be missing out. Bread for toast, eggs, and even some fruits are easy to find at the conbini and will do you fine. (Also, bring water bottles.)

    Groups are going to want to split up at times. Someone will want to stay out late. Someone will feel sick and want to head back to the hotel early. You’ll want to visit different places in the same neighborhood. You’ll get fed up with each other and need a break. This is fine. This will also be true even if some folks in your party don’t speak Japanese. Ensure that each person has the tools they need to explore on their own comfortably, even if they don’t think they will want to. (This mostly means a phone. A pocket wifi and a phone with cellular turned off will work. Most T-Mobile plans offer 3G for free and faster data at a decent price, too.) Make sure everyone knows how to use Google Maps or Hyperdia to map out a train route home. The trains play announcements in English and have English signage.

    Anime and games are everywhere. At first it can be easy to want to buy everything. Get picky fast. There are Jump Shops and Pokemon Centers in Odaiba, Skytree, Shibuya, and Ikebukuro. 99% of what they carry is the same from store to store. Don’t feel like you have to buy everything you love the moment you see it—but you might consider it if you see that something is labeled as store limited or there are purchase limits. You can find current Kamen Rider, Super Sentai, Pretty Cure, Pokemon, and Gundam in any big department store (Yodobashi Camera, Labi, Don Quixote). Check Village Vanguard or Kiddy Land for the rest. They’re everywhere, too.

    For older anime and video game stuff you will want to try Mandarake, Lashinbang, and Book Off (or Hobby Off, or Hard Off). If you see something you like, don’t count on seeing it anywhere else.

    Don’t plan to shop too much last minute. Budget for Ta-Q-Bin or Sagawa Express. Pack your checked luggage 3 days before you leave and take it for pickup 2 days before you leave. There is nothing worse than changing trains with two giant stuffed suitcases weighing upwards of 40 pounds, a carry on, and a heavy backpack in the rain when you are running late for a flight. It’s worth the ease of travel and peace of mind and it’s reasonably priced.

12. Yea I think I read somewhere you had to make reservations.

13. Pop up cafes might be cool for anime/ gaming stuff but the quality of the food isn’t my thing. You could try Monster hunter bar /Pokémon cafe /Final fantasy restaurant which in my opinion is for more the experience and less for the food quality. The link below has a calendar to refer to for pop up cafes.

    https://www.dangonews.com/caf-calendar?view=calendar&month=08-2020

    As for the Kawaii monster cafe it’s also more for the experience also, I had heard you could pick where you sit but I wasn’t given that option and was sat in the corner even though the store was next to empty.

    I enjoyed Yokohama and I think depending on what you want to do there it’s fine as a day trip I felt satisfied with returning to Tokyo that night.

    As for shrines/temples I really enjoyed Nezu shrine it hardly had anyone there and it’s like a mini fushimi Inari. I didn’t enjoy Sensoji it was very crowded and didn’t feel very special, A fake monk tried to get money off of me.

    Maybe you guys might like Tokyo Mystery Circus as a group or even not as a group.

    I also enjoyed joypolis in Odaiba and Daiba game hall which was small but unique with retro arcade games

    Have fun!!

14. You might be interested in checking out Anata No Warehouse, which is this mega-arcade with a really grungy feel just ouside of Tokyo.

    Also aside from Akihabara, Ikebukuro is a great anime hotspot. There are a lot of Anime shops and cafes there, plus it’s where Durarara!! (my favorite anime lol) is set!

    And since you have a lot of TBD days, see if you can squeeze in a day trip to Yokohama. It was easily one of the highlights of my week in Kanto — a brief respite from the chaos of the city.

15. > in addition to anything gaming or anime related

    Look into visiting Odaiba to see the Gundam statue. And since you are there, there is the Miraikan museum (not my favorite thing, but lot of people like it), the Toyota museum, small Statue of Liberty, great view of the Rainbow bridge, Tokyo Joypolis and very popular teamLab Borderless art exhibition.

    Except for the Joypolis, it’s all doable in one day easily. But I think if you skip the Miraikan and do less wandering around in parks and such, you can spend few hours in Joypolis as well.

    > Sensoji Temple in the AM

    Sensoji becomes stupidly crowded during the day. Either get there early, before the stalls open, or in the evening. Imo evening is better, because it’s all lit up and absolutely stunning, but you do miss out on the interior of the shrine (acceptable trade-off imo).

    Sensoji alone is however only fun for like an hour of walking around. However, close by is the Kitchenware shopping street where you can get some very reasonably priced and beautiful ceramics as souvenirs. Maybe check out the Donki store in Asakusa, those are always fun (well, I think it’s fun exploring huge department stores full of stupid shit). And the Tokyo Sky tree is fairly close. And lastly the Edo Tokyo museum, though with maybe a half day left, you probably wouldn’t have time to go trough it all. It’s huge, but very interesting.

16. Ebisu Circuit is a good 3h trip and will cost about 10 000yen each way.

    Hakone for sure one of the reason to go is to stop at a ryokan to have a kaiseki meal and enjoy the onsen, so I would personally do it as an overnight trip, but you have to keep in mind that ryokan are a bit pricey (like 12 000-16 000 for starting point by person, this might also be harder to find for vegan). It’s possible to do the loop in a day and return to Tokyo too. Yokohama is fairly close to Tokyo, you can do it as a day trip without spending the night there.

    Vegetarian/vegan, read the FAQ, there is an app to find restaurant.

    Ueno and Asakusa are close to each other, they can easily be done on the same day. There is also Sumida park next to Senso-ji that have sakura. Sky tree is also close to Asakusa, so it does not really make sense to plan Sky tree on the same day you plan to go to Ghibli, that are on the complete opposite side of Tokyo. Try to do things that are close to each other during a single day to avoid too much time in the train.

    You have really not checked for temple and shrines. Easy one is Meiji Shrine in Harajuku. Also Kanda Myojin next to Akihabara. It’s really easy to find nice shrine and temples, you should be able to find a couple that are interesting.

    For otaku stuff, you’ll possibly want to return to Akihabara, as your first day you migh be quite tired afte the long flight and will probably only have 3-4 hours max in Akihabara. Other popular spot include Ikebukuro and Odaiba (for the big Gundam).

17. I would add don’t expect to do a lot on the day you land unless you sleep on the plane and depending on when you land. We weren’t able to sleep when we flew to Japan. We landed in the early afternoon and got to our destination in the evening. We passed out around 8 pm without planning to sleep and slept 12 hours! That jet lag is no joke.

18. Tokyo sky tree is great. Sensô-ji is also close by skytree.

    If you like going to bars I suggest taking a pub crawl with tokyo pub crawl.

    http://www.tokyopubcrawl.com/

    Maybe checking out akihabara if you are in to anime/manga/gaming

19. Thank you guys for all the suggestions. I am going to make a ton of changes to our schedule and I will update the list shortly.

20. Does anybody have suggestions as what would be good to do after Shinjuku Gyoen. I have read mixed reviews on this area. I have read that you can knock it out in an hour but I have also read that it can take all day if you do the other stuff.

21. One thing you might consider is go-karting around the streets of Tokyo in ridiculous costumed. It used to be Super Mario themed so the idea was that you could feel like you’re doing real life Mario Kart. (Then Nintendo sued them and they had to drop a lot of Nintendo branded things but you still get a lot of Disney, Marvel etc. characters to dress up as). We did it last year and it’s a super great way to both see the city and have a fun goofy video-gamey experience. It’s a little pricey but we found it super worthwhile [https://kart.st/en/tokyobay.html](https://kart.st/en/tokyobay.html)

22. Omg. Japanese Pro Wrestling. I never considered adding this to a Japan trip – I’ve been there twice and am expecting to plan another trip once travel is allowed again – and this just might need to get added.

23. I have one more question is there any advantage or disadvantage between these two hotels as far as location goes? I noticed the APA is slightly closer to shinjuku without being in shinjuku and is cheaper but I noticed Hotel Wing is closer to Asukusa and Sky tree. I just remember someone saying if I am near the yamanote line then I am good.

    APA Hotel Yamanote Otsuka Eki Tower

    vs

    Hotel Wing International Select Asakusa Komagata

24. Day1: While one of he several Sega arcades in Harajuku is closing, there’s still a few more. In addition to hitting the Animte!s, Mandarake, and Liberty shops in the main drag there’s a few used electronic stores like Hard Off (specifically the one near Mandarake should be gone to), and component stores. Beyond that, there’s a few retro arcades and retro console shops you can hit (like Super Potato), and if you’re feeling food there’s a ton of stuff all over the place – French Toast Cafe, the restaurants at Akihabara UDX, and just about anything running up and down the quad. Spending as much time as possible on Day 1 exploring the area can lead to things you can fill in your off time if any of your friends get hurt or burned out during the trip.

    Also, be sure to get a drink before you get on the train to come into Tokyo. It’s a relaxing trip, but a long one.

    ​

    Day 2: while in Shibuya, there’s a small [Yokocho](https://www.google.com/maps/place/Shibuya+Nonbei+Yokocho/@35.6599395,139.7014901,21z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0xdfae104c597fa255!8m2!3d35.6599499!4d139.701533) (bar alley) on the other side of the tracks from the Disney Store, but if you have a time navigating it hit the underground and pop up at Exit B2. Across the alley (not street) from the Disney Store in Shibuya is a bookstore that occasionally has special offers for specific artists – I was lucky to come across a special shop for [Matsukazu Katsura](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masakazu_Katsura), for example. There’s also a new Skyview of the city in Shibuya at [Shibuya Sky](https://www.shibuya-scramble-square.com/en/#sec-sky). If there’s a good movie playing the Toho over by Shibuya 109 is pretty good.

    While in Harajuku there’s GRAM if you like Souffle Pancakes, and there’s another of the chain in Yokohama near the Cup Noodle museum. You may not find a lot you like based on your tastes, but if you don’t want to take the train, Shibuya is a relatively quick walk from Harajuku and IMO enjoyable.

    ​

    Day3: Nakano may take a lot of your time, as Mandarake seems to practically own half the mall. It might be worth it to explore further in Nakano for a good bar or two to hole up in; just remember that unless you like walking multiple kilometers late at night while drunk you want to be on the next-to-last train into the core or you’ll have to do said walk. (I like doing that, but I’m nuts)

    ​

    Day 5: You can walk to Skytree from Sensoji, and because Skytree’s so freaking huge you’ll never lose your way. That said, it might be a bit of a sedate walk — not much to look at as the crow flies. Skytree has a mall next to it with a lot of decent food, and if you find you’ve got a lot of time on your hands that day there is the Tokyo Edo museum two stops away from Skytree at Ryogoku Station.

    ​

    Day 6: The fish market has moved to Toyosu, on the east end of Odaiba. There’s an automated train line that links up most of Odaiba that normally ends at Toyosu (Yurikamome). Not from from Toyosu is a street full of shops devoted to Okonomiyaki and Monjayaki if you and your friends are into it. Venus Fort has a Toyota Showcase for their cars, prototypes, and concept cars, and there’s a 24-hour onsen in the west end of the island if you can’t get your fix in by going to Hakone.

    ​

    Day 7: This day may end up being a little light, but the area around Ueno park has a ton of museums as well as the Zoo, and the museums have a day pass offering where one ticket covers all of them. If you head a short jog West to Kourakuen Station there’s the Tokyo Dome, as well. That includes a park, restaurants, rides, and a Jump shop.

    ​

    Day 8: Ikebukuro also has a Sega Arcade, an Evangelion shop, and a Kit-Kat choclatory. Bakudanyaki may still be there’s with Takoyaki as big as your fist. Sunshine City occasionally has special events that run with your interests, also. Game Safari is near the Eva shop, and Verse Comics might be interesting.

    ​

    Day 9: Over by GRAM and the Cup Noodle Museum there’s a decent sized mall and a small amusement park. Further down the street is the Red Brick Warehouse and in the opposite direction is Minato Mirai. SSW of there is Yokohama Chinatown and the Aquarium, while each of the stations between Kannai and Yokohama have a bustling bar and restaurant scene on the side of the tracks away from the bay. Yokohama in particular has a decent RoundOne. You can also go further from Yokohama as a day trip, with Miura or Shonan beach if you want.

    ​

    Day 10: If nothing else fills out, you can poke around on YouTube video sites for ideas – Rambalac, Tokyo Walker and whatnot walk around areas of interest and can show you out-of-the way shops or just places to try out. Personally Koenji, Sangenjaya, and Shimokitazawa are interesting if you just want a place to roam and experience. Or everyone just picking a random direction and exploring might be a good idea.

    ​

    Day 11: be sure to budget at least 2 hours to get from your hotel to Haneda with your gear – more if the weather’s bad.

25. you said you’re going on a budget, yet I don’t see anything on transportation, which arguably will eat up a LOT of your budget (next to accommodations and food).

    And – while we’re at in the topic of accommodations: you don’t necessarily need a hotel. On one side, sure it’s your money and no one can tell you how much a good night’s sleep is worth, but that’s the thing – you’d just sleep in there.

    Here’s a breakdown of my usual daily Tokyo opex (operating expense):

    * JPY3000 for meals; JPY1000 per meal, 3x a day
    * JPY4000 for a dorm-style/hostel type accommodations (again, you’re just sleeping and stashing stuff in it).
    * JPY4000 for sundries and transport WITHIN the city

    A lot of hostels offer a big-ish private room for 4 or 6 people. This might be of better value for you guys.

    Re beer tasting – Shimokitazawa and Kanda in Tokyo are craft beer hotspots. You can always get the Big Four (Asahi, Kirin, Ebisu, Sapporo) staples anywhere. Craft beer? Not really. Be prepared to spend a pretty penny for craft beer though.

26. There’s a shrine right in Akihabara that was featured in love live. You can also hit up Honoka’s training steps there.

    Budget friendly – eat from some convenience stores – there’s a lot of variety and it’s so good.

    Business hotel – get one with a washer / dryer if you can. You can cut down on packing clothes if you can do some laundry while you’re there. It’s a huge help. Also more room for stuff to take home.