Hi everyone! My partner and I are planning to spend our 10-year anniversary in Japan as we are both big into gaming and anime culture. Japan has always been a dream destination, but it’s both our first time going and I’d like to get your insights on how to make the trip optimized and fit to our interests. Unfortunately we’ll have to put off going to Kyoto/Osaka to another trip, so it’s just going to be Tokyo for now.
**July 28: Arrival at NRT, First Hotel, Asakusa**
* **Touchdown 12PM:** claim wifi at airport, then travel to first hotel
* **2PM**: ETA at Book and Bed Shinjuku (for the capsule hotel experience)
* **4PM:** Asakusa for Nakamise-dori and Sensoji Shrine
* **8PM:** Dinner at Kura Sushi in Asakusa ROX
**July 29: Second Hotel, Shinjuku**
* **12PM:** Read a few books in the Hotel, get Brunch, and checkout
* **2PM:** Check-in at E-Hotel, Shunjuku
* **3PM:** Hie Shrine
* **4PM:** Yodobashi Camera/Labi, Shinjuku Park, Donki, and see Godzilla at Toho Cinema. We’ll grab dinner at any Ramen place we see
**July 30: Shibuya**
* **9AM**: Hachiko, Scramble, Yoyogi Park/Meiji Shrine
* **12PM** Mega Donki, Labi
* **3PM:** Takeshita St.
* **5PM:** Shibuya Sky
**July 31: Odaiba**
* **9AM:**: Gundam Unicorn viewing
* **11AM:** Joypolis
* **4PM:** TeamLabs (we want to go evening because we heard the garden lights up at night)
**August 1: Akihabara**
This is our prime destination as we mostly want to shop for collectibles and retro gaming items. We’re huge fans of hunting down thrift deals for electronics (old gameboys, tamagotchis, etc.) so we’d like to go to those kinds of places here. We don’t have a time limit or actual plan, so I’ll list down the stores we’d like to visit instead
* Radio Kaikan
* Mandarake
* Square Enix Cafe
* Book Off
* Lunch at Gyu Katsu 123
**August 2: Tokyo Disneyland**
**August 3: Mt. Fuji Day Tour**
**August 4: Ikebukuro, Nakano**
* **First Half:** Sunshine City, Pokemon Center, Gachapon mall
* **Second Half:** Nakano Broadway
**August 5: Rest Day**
We’ll go back to the places we want to go back to, in case there are shops we’d like to check out again. This is also the day we’ll buy souvenirs and snacks to take back home
**August 6: DEPARTURE**
* **8AM:** Last minute shopping and packing around Shinjuku
* **2PM:** Hotel Checkout, travel to NRT airport and just stay there until the 9PM flight
We’d like to go to Yokohama for the Gundam Factory as well as the Cup Noodle Museum as well, but we don’t want to give up the shopping day as it serves as our rest day as well. If we can move the schedule around to be able to accommodate it, that would be great! But I’d need some advice on what to move around and how much time we’re going to save, so any insight would be highly appreciated.
As for transportation, we don’t plan on getting the JR pass since we’re only staying inside Tokyo, so the plan is to either get the 3-day pass or just load a Suica card for our entire stay. Our second hotel is right next to the station for the Magenta line, is it possible to access all the trains to our destinations from that station?
3 comments
Hey there. Some comments on your proposed itinerary:
Day 2: Since you will be visiting Mega Donki the next day, I wouldn’t recommend you going to this Donkijote as well. It’s not worth the time imo. Same goes for Labi I guess. Have you considered Tokyo Metropolitan Building? It has a free observation deck. Also, if you prefer shopping, there are endless other options in Shinjuku. Visiting a Japanese Department Store is a must do at least once while your in Tokyo. Shinjuku has a Seibu and Takashimaya among others.
Day 3: You ought to look at the other of these plans a bit. Yogogi Park and Meiji Shrine are better accessed by Harajuku Station on the Yamanote Line. Takeshita street is right next to Meiji Shrine so it make sense to start the day in Harajuku and do these places first, then head on to Shibuya from noon. In Shibuya check out Miyashita Park. It’s a new place and not on every tourist blog yet, but I liked it a lot last time I visited. Also, check out the Parco department store in Shibuya, it’s probably up your alley offering a Nintendo Store, Pokemon Center, Shonen Jump store, Capcom store all in one floor.
Day 4: Teamlab Borderless in Odaiba is closed. But maybe you were referring to nearby Teamlab Planets in Toyosu? A lot of the well known attractions around Odaiba are now closed temporarily or permanently so be sure to check up on it before going.
Day 5: In Akihabara you can find most things you are looking for regarding retro gaming and collectibles, but you will usually not be able to get good deals. They tend to charge top prices because Akihabara is a big tourist destination. For bargains you may consider a more off the main route destination like Nakano, but even better is checking out branches of the second hand stores called Book-Off and Hard-Off. They tend to sell used games and collectibles for better prices. But here too the branches in more densely populated areas tend to charge you more.
Day 7: Getting to see Mount Fuji is a good idea and worth it imo. Make sure to decide where you want to go. Most people chose Hakone because it’s accessible by train, but you can also choose Kawaguchiko.
Day 8: The Gachapon mall is so much fun! My son is really into gachapon and he loved it. Ikebukuro is also a good place to do some last minute shopping because the shopping area is relatively smaller compared to Shinjuku and Shibuya and less crowded as well. Good place to visit a department store, uniqlo or whatever makes you happy. There is also Otome-road (the female friendly version of Akihabara) which recently opened the huge Animate flagship store. Definitely something for you guys to look into.
That’s all I had. Enjoy the rest of your planning.
IMO, august 2 should be disney sea? It is uniquely to japan. But it is up to you
And yeah if you want yokohama, that will be 2 hours return trip, up to you if you think it is worth it or not, just a reminder it might close at the end of this year. Imo, just use your day 5, it is for 3-4 hour but if you like gundam, it might be worth it
Last time I did akihabara and nakano together
If you like gunpla, ikebukuro labi also have good selection (and cheap) of gunpla.
Teamlabs – i think you’re thinking of the TeamLab garden they have in Osaka…TeamLab Botanical Garden (I think it’s called)