Itenerary Check – 4 days in Tokyo

5 comments

1. 1. Go to Meiji Jingu early in the morning when it’s not too busy. Senso-Ji temple is also nice, with a cool and scenic outdoor market leading up to it from Kaminarimon gate.

   2. I’d recommend to wondering around and going in whatever peaks your interest. It’s much less stressful than needing to make a bunch of reservations.

   4. You’ll see souvenir shops everywhere. For anime-specific merchandise go to Akihabara. The area itself is loaded with stores dedicated to anything electronic and media related.

   6. Omoide Yokocho is worth visiting once. It’s a little expensive with cover charges and what not, but the atmosphere is real cool.

2. Tsukiji is a good option for early morning street food. You can find onigiri, toro sashimi, uni, etc. There are some souvenir shops as well. It was a good spot to spend 7-8AM getting snacks before heading to site seeing.

   At the shrines you can buy Goshuinicho (starts at 9AM usually) which is a really cool souvenir.

3. The Keisei Skyliner is the fastest way, you pay ofc some extra for it. Booking it online give you a discount. But depending on which hotel you are. There are also express busses, with stops in front of the hotel. This can be more convenient, faster, and cheaper.

   Tokyo tower would buy tickets online. There can be a long queue. You can go to the closeby Zojoji Temple. (If you like the Wolverine movie, you’ll recognize it). A bit further is the Hie Shrine, with the photogenic Torii gates.

   Would not specifically go for a McD breakfast. Unless you are a very McD fan. They are okay, but there is so much nice to eat.

   Shinjuku at nighttime is fun. Nice neons and so.

   Akihabara is the place for anime souvenirs. There are several multi floor shops with a large assortment. The Bic Camera has a quite good selection and tax free for visitors (combined purchases >5000 yen). For whole of Tokyo, prices are in general quite okay. Mega Donki/Don Quijote has some cheap stuff too.

4. For breakfast, I highly recommend checking out 7-11 or one of the other convenience stores, and their stuffed rice balls. Maybe a can of coffee to go with it. Depending on the hour, they might also have those delicious mini-sandwich asssortments.

   Once while you’re there, I recommend enjoying a bowl of gyudon at Yoshinoya or Matsuya. It’s become my favorite Japanese dish. They have locations all over Tokyo.

   DisneySea was great to just explore, but my favorite two rides are Journey To The Center of the Earth in the Jules Verne themed section of the park and the Tower of Terror over in the New York waterfront themed section. If you’re going later in the day, sticking around to see the place lit up at night, including the volcano, is worth it. Just a beautiful theme park.

   Last time I was there in mid-September, it was nice. Still warm, but not uncomfortably hot or humid like the first week of September, into which the summer spilled over. I carried an umbrella in case, but it didn’t see a lot of use, unlike in October and November.

5. MacDonalds breakfast is pretty much the same as anywhere else in the world. Get it if you crave something familiar, but I would pick convenience stores over it any day.

   As for other food, I just wander the neighbourhood until I see something interesting. Found lots of tiny restaurants with really good food; many of which I will struggle to ever find again. I don’t see the point of trying to go to any specific restaurant unless it is something truly special (in my case, that was Iron Chef Hiroyuki Sakai’s restaurant to meet the man himself).