August 2023 Trip Report – Tokyo and a bit outside

Just got back from a 10-day vacation in Tokyo this August with a party size of 3. One of us had been to Japan before but it was basically the first time for the other two. We’re all big anime fans so that was initially the focus of the trip but we found plenty more to do in Tokyo and surroundings than just that, which filled out our itinerary nicely.

**Trip Timing:**

We had mixed feelings about going in summer but it turned out OK since we were all used to the weather in Southeast Asia. We just applied sunscreen regularly and took well-spaced breaks in the shade and it worked out. We made sure to rehydrate not just with water but with electrolytes/food too.

That being said, it also rained a couple days (contradicting the weather report sometimes) so I would recommend packing a small umbrella or a raincoat at all times just in case.

This trip came right before the nuclear wastewater release debacle too so we’re glad we didn’t have to take that into account. Also narrowly avoided the typhoon earlier this month too.

We were affected by the IC card shortage but thanks to the tips on this subreddit we were able to secure a PASMO Passport right after landing in Narita which we used for the remainder of the trip.

**Accommodation:**

We stayed in Hotel MONday Asakusabashi which is just south of Asakusa, connected to the Asakusa and the Chuo-Sobu Line (a 5-minute walk away). The hotel was on the cheaper side and were able to accommodate 3 people in one room which would be difficult to find in a central location. We had no complaints about the hotel – it was simple and suited our needs (coin-operated laundry and dryer for all the summer clothes we were sweating in).

Asakusabashi is only one station away from Akihabara and a 10-minute walk from Asakusa proper. The trade-off was that we had to get to one of the central stations (Shinjuku mainly) to make transfers to outside Tokyo.

**Language:**

The vast majority of our trip, we were able make do with simple English and key Japanese phrases. So many of the locals can understand English and can respond in kind, no matter their age. For the remaining interactions, pulling out Google Translate or a PockeTalk helped us get through. One of us had taken lessons before and it really helped on listening to replies.

**Itinerary:**

*DAY 1*

* Arrived at Narita Airport in the morning, got hold of our SIM cards (none of our phones support e-SIMs) and PASMO Passports at the subway ticket hall
* Took the Narita Skyliner (pre-booked but there were a lot of empty seats) to Asakusabashi. The subway route was Narita Terminal 1 > Nippori > Akihabara > Asakusabashi. Was a bit rough wheeling our luggage around the interchanges, so would consider luggage forwarding in the future.
* Check-in wasn’t until 3PM so we went to the nearby Dandelion Café for some chocolate treats.
* Walked north to Asakusa and Sensoji Temple. Highlights we stopped by: Japan Percussion Center and Miyamoto-Unosuke Drum Museum.
* Walked up the shaded shopping street towards Nakamise-dori, lots of souvenirs and traditional clothing on sale
* Nakamise-dori and Sensoji Temple
* Checked in to the hotel and then had lunch at Ayam-ya Ramen
* Went to a live house (courtesy of the live music in Japan post on this subreddit) called Knuttel House to see a freeform jazz gig by the Kazuo Imai Quartet

*DAY 2*

* Had Suki-ya for breakfast
* Made our way to Jimbocho to browse antique bookstores and picturebooks
* Ochanomizu for guitar and music accessories
* Akihabara! We went through the Onoden building for the COSPA store, Akihabara Gamers, animate, and Melonbooks. Paid a visit to m’s pop life store for a bit of an adventure.
* Made our way back to the hotel and saw a local shrine was having some kind of celebration with all the neighbourhood families. Stayed and watched a bit but couldn’t figure out what the occasion was.
* Had dinner at Asada, a nice soba place near the hotel.

*DAY 3*

* Target-1 Shooting Range in Shinjuku, paid for an hour and got to try airsoft pistols, rifles, and sniper rifles in their indoor range.
* Isetan Shinjuku, the food hall was amazing and must-go for desserts. The Art Gallery was free and nice to look at too.
* Tempura for lunch.
* Kinokuniya Honten building (more books) but also had an interesting gemstone/fossils shop
* Alpen Shinjuku for outdoor/camping gear
* Sekaido Shinjuku for stationery and art goods (we all got mechanical pencils here)
* Hololive pop-up store at the next-door Marui Annex mall
* Dinner at Freshness Burger

*DAY 4*

* We hiked Mt Nokogiri in Chiba! We were astounded at the amount of insects and wildlife during the hike.
* We woke early to get to the Tokyo Wan Ferry Port in Yokohama by 9AM, and took the ferry across Tokyo Bay with great views.
* Arrived at Kanaya Ferry Port on the Chiba side and went right ahead to hike up the mountain. There’s a cable car/ropeway available if hiking seems too strenuous. It will take you right up to the summit ‘park’ where you can see the largest seated Buddha statue in the world, other religious sites, and parts of the old mountain quarry.
* I’d recommend a good level of fitness to hike up instead of taking the ropeway, but if you are able to make I’d recommend going to the summit where the best views of the peninsula can be seen.
* We took the Sharikimichi walking trail up and took the wrong turn but it worked out in the end after doubling back.
* The Kanaya port town was very quaint as well and really had the ‘coastal town’ vibe that you’d imagine on a postcard or something.
* Reversed our trip and made it back to Pizza Buono Buono near the hotel for a nice pizza dinner.

*DAY 5*

* Tsukiji Market for sushi and sashimi, we had a good experience at Tekkaya for their tuna kaisendon
* Went up and down Ginza which was rather high-end. Would recommend having a look at the GU store which carries similar types of clothing to Uniqlo but at a cheaper price point.
* Delicious wagyu beef sukiyaki at Imahan Honten, Ningyocho branch – both our first-timers had a religious experience with that
* Walked along the Sumida River at night near the hotel

*DAY 6*

* Day trip to Enoshima for some fun in the sun
* Swam at the beach and went up to the Enoshima and Yasaka shrines
* Enoshima Sea Candle for awesome views, almost got our food swiped by hawks
* Tried out Shirasu-don at Enoshima Koya
* Stayed til 7PM to see the lantern festival where they light up all the streets with lanterns, very festive

*DAY 7*

* Spent this day revisiting Akihabara’s Amiami store and Yodobashi Camera
* Tower Records Shibuya – floors and floors of CDs! All genres were covered and we came out with a lot of albums you couldn’t find on Youtube, Spotify etc.
* Seafood Bar Ermitage in Yoyogi for a delicious salmon katsu set meal

*DAY 8*

* Unagi-don at Nakaya, Asakusabashi
* Went to Edogawa for the Shunkaen Bonsai Museum. They were filming for TV during our visit but we were greeted by the bonsai master’s apprentices who have come from across the world to study under him – amazing dedication.
* Revisited Shibuya for table tennis (TT Kokusai) and guitar gear (Ikebe)
* Paid a visit to MEGA Don Quijote, Shibuya, for all the souvenir snacks/gifts
* Roppongi Hills mall. They had a burger grand prix going on which was fun to participate in.

*DAY 9*

* Revisited Sensoji temple. We bought a haori at Tansu-ya.
* Had one of the best chicken karaage ever at a stall called 唐揚げ専門・東京浅草チキン run by a husband/wife team, very cute
* Tokyo Station for ekiben and soup curry
* At night, went out to the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan for a stargazing tour of the stars Albireo, Saturn, and the Summer Triangle constellation. It’s in the Mitaka suburbs which had much less light pollution than anywhere in the main city. While it was all in Japanese it was still enjoyable. We had to pre-book these a week ahead and win the ticket raffle to get spots.

*DAY 10*

* Went to Shinjuku’s Kabukicho Tower which, compared to the days prior, we weren’t a big fan of. It felt expensive and more ‘commercial’ with all the bright lights and signs going on.
* Checked out the Yosakoi Festival 2023 in Harajuku which was an exciting series of dance performances by both amateur and professional troupes in full costume. We particularly liked the university student teams and another team that seemed to comprise of izakaya staff!
* Down the street there was also a dance parade going on as part of the same event which was fun to watch as well.
* Attempted an escape room at Tokyo Mystery Circus (admittedly quite difficult and we couldn’t complete the room within the time limit given)
* Ended the day with a visit to a public bathhouse near the hotel.

*DAY 11*

* Flew home but not before picking up some more snack souvenirs at the airport.

**Random Tips from Our Trip:**

* Google Maps is accurate probably around 80% of the time. We found it useful to verify the routes by asking station staff or on the Hyperdia website to be extra sure, especially when there are a number of interchanges on the route. Sometimes Google will say your train route will ‘change’ to another line which you can’t trust right away. Make sure to check the station the train is bound for and whether they skip stations on the way (Limited, or Express trains) or stop at each one (Local).
* Bring a plastic bag with you wherever you go as you never know where the next trash can will be. We stuffed all our trash in the plastic bag until we came across one.
* Learning basic Japanese phrases and counting numbers (e.g. when placing orders or listening to someone tell you directions) was really helpful. There are a lot of resources out there on Youtube or otherwise these days. Same with Japanese etiquette like queuing and following the flow of foot traffic.
* Google Translate’s camera function worked wonders for translating signs.
* Whatever dates for your trip are, do the research and keep an eye out for temporary events that may be happening during that time as we found those to be some of the most memorable experiences. For this we had the hotel TV turned on at all times, checked online, and looked out for posters in the subways/trains.
* Most stores do accept credit card but it’s still very useful to have cash on you for things like vending machines or street vendors. You can even use your IC card for many purchases if you have enough credit loaded onto them.
* Get a good pair of walking shoes and break them in before the trip! Most folks’ itineraries will include a good amount of walking so it’s also a good idea to raise your fitness level before flying if you’re not used to it. We averaged 20-25k steps a day.
* If you bought a Skyliner ticket online you will need to go to the Keisei Info Center to get an actual ticket issued. Also, if you are transferring to a JR station you need to pass through the ticket gates with BOTH your IC Card and Skyliner ticket! The signs showing this were not well-displayed.
* If you can pre-book something, do it! Queues for anything can get very long indeed and you will find wait times can reach into the hours. If you need help booking, we found it helpful to ask our hotel reception to do the booking for us in Japanese.
* Don’t feel shy to ask for help, but don’t be overly demanding either. We found Japanese hospitality to be one of the best experiences as they will go out of their way to help you. We found ourselves saying arigatou a lot!
* If you have not yet tried any wagyu beef yet, we highly recommend it!
* There will likely be something that catches your eye that isn’t part of your itinerary so make sure you leave plenty of time between each item on your schedule to go take a look.
* Try to group your activities by location so you don’t spend time on traveling between locations too much in one day.
* Don’t feel pressured to address everything on your itinerary – we missed out on quite a few and it’s only given us more reason to come back in the future!