TRULY the only date available for us. In our social circles, we’re basically the only ones who’ve never been to Japan, and everyone was going “*nooo you’ll melt, it’s worse than it is here* \[Southeast Asia\]*!*”. Perhaps our friends are simply too rich and haven’t spent a summer not abroad in a tad too long, or perhaps we’ve maxed out our heat-resistance skill trees from how we spend every summer home, because the weather was just identical to us, if not a bit cooler at times. **Perfectly bearable heat**.
I’m from Southeast Asia, so what I find bearable may not be what you find so (idk what’s wrong with the ppl I know irl), and my norms may not be yours, so keep that in mind while reading this report. I did a lot of research online, including on this sub (this is my way of giving back lol), and here’s what I found to be true and not so true:
***True (in my brief experience in Tokyo):***
* Trashcans are EXTREMELY scarce.
* Stand on the left and walk on the right on escalators—I kinda stressed constantly about which direction was aligned with left or right, too, in various places (aware I get too easily stressed).
* Saying the English loan words in a Japanese accent *can* help.
* Preparing the Japanese names of locations/having google maps in Japanese was indeed a good (required) step to take (for taxi-drivers to read). Google Translate is helpful for plenty.
* Those money trays.
* Half true; many places do only take cash, but cards aren’t as useless as some make them sound.
***False (in*** **my** **BRIEF** ***experience in Tokyo)***:
* **Talking on trains is forbidden**; on every train, there were locals talking; wasn’t uncommon for them to be shockingly loud/laughing heartily. Nobody paid them any mind, and I hope my mask obscured my surprise. One train did say “no talking on the phone”; I saw a local talking on the phone. **I’m not saying talk on trains because of these possible rebels**, I stayed silent myself, but don’t be anxious about HAVING to stay 100% mute as I initially was. Act normal, and go for 90%. For worriers to know, y’know.
* **Most locals wear masks**; should you accidentally drop your mask / get it dirty, no one will care and you’ll blend in without it. Please stay safe and wear a mask regardless, even if no one else is doing it.
* **Serving portions are small**; I found them to be bigger than usual sometimes! Guess people are overly stingy with their resources where I’m from. *Note*: a take-home food container typically isn’t an option, so know your limits and **finish your food**.
* **Food is very salty**; it’s possible this is true and I eat too salty, take my opinions with a grain of salt.
* **The heat I already mentioned**; dunno if I was just lucky and it’s normally hotter, if people just like exaggerating, or if we all have higher heat tolerance than I knew.
My family prefers sleeping in and so my plans of getting up at the crack of dawn never come to fruition, and in general, we’re never minmaxers with vacations. My mom calls us The Addams Family not because we look gothic, but for less flattering reasons, many of which are our unorthodox ways of traveling. But! We still had fun. **I planned this trip and I’ve never planned trips.**
*I’ve also never done trip reports or made a long post on Reddit, and I typed this on mobile, so sorry for typos and formatting!*
**28 July:** *Arrival,* [*Kawaguchiko Music Forest Museum*](https://goo.gl/maps/8gioi8vSxagYnPQq6)
* Scenic area and we saw **Mt Fuji**, which was quickly obscured by clouds so we were incredibly lucky. Good museum, and unless you hate loud noise and mildly off-key sounding tunes, you should totally insert ¥100 into the doctored transparent piano music box at the restaurant. This place is Western-European and Titanic-themed, and has organs (the instrument, not what’s inside you) and antique music boxes!
* **2-3 hours** should be ideal, we unfortunately came a little too close to closing and had to rush it. Very nice environment, and a must for music box lovers. You can rent out princess-y dresses, too, but it’s likely expensive (only saw one person in one).
* **Food**: pricey, average taste, just okay presentation; when I was there they were selling CREMIA, which I 100% recommend if you love milky ice cream!
* ¥1800 (¥1600 for university students and younger), free parking.
**29 July:** *Kaneko-Hannosuke, Exploring Shibuya, Square Enix Cafe*
[Kaneko-Hannosuke](https://goo.gl/maps/M3W5hLpvRt4sUaJa9): Waited an hour, and the serving size of their only dish was *bursting* with precariously balanced food. Equal amount of tourists and locals that day. We packed the leftovers with our own tissue and plastic bags. Tasted great, or at least I assume as I don’t normally ever eat tempura but did so for the experience, as my sister is a fan.
[Hachiko](https://goo.gl/maps/hbY1gPyehnq6DDgE9): And I’m a fan of *The World Ends With You* (TWEWY: game that takes place in Shibuya). You can photograph Hachiko anytime, but there’s a lengthy line to pose *with* Hachiko, in spite of the heat. Luckily, it’s not difficult to find a window of time to photograph just Hachiko without a stranger next to him. There’s also a neat mural.
[Shibuya Scramble Crossing](https://goo.gl/maps/ijCADunv2RKDtBpx5) & [SHIBUYA109](https://goo.gl/maps/XoPt8DRrqHH1orGM8): It is just a crossing, but I’m a TWEWY fan so leave me alone. 109 is just an old and unremarkable mall, but I’m a TWEWY fan so leave me alone. Plenty of cute stuff in 109, and they’re selling not just tons of anime stuff, but really any famous merchandise from all over (*Genshin, Friends, Disney, Harry Potter,* etc.).
[Shibuya PARCO](https://goo.gl/maps/BJnFhvZ7wiNGUSfF6): Went there for the **Nintendo Store on the 6th floor**. Crowded, got shoved left and right. The line to enter the Nintendo Store was by far the longest—the others, such as the **Jump Store** or the **Pokémon Center**, you could waltz in and out of freely.
* According to online sources, you can get free Nintendo tickets by PARCO’s Spain Hill entrance on busy days like these, **but I’m not sure if this is still the case**. As we were about to leave, Nintendo staff started shouting and rearranging the line, and my mom wandered outside (still on the 6th floor), where a lone Nintendo staff member had spawned—utterly alone—and gave her a free ticket with a smile. Thus, we got in without a wait, as the ticket was for 3PM, the current time. The store didn’t have any interesting merchandise to me, so it’s a skip if you’re just a casual Nintendo fan, but I didn’t hate it.
We also ran into a [Disney Store](https://goo.gl/maps/Whz8WJNB3RAxdq8e9) while exploring Shibuya (didn’t get anything). Inconveniently designed stairwell, but an otherwise okay store. ~~I unfortunately have forgotten the names of the remaining locations we went to in Shibuya…~~
[ARTNIA Square Enix Cafe](https://goo.gl/maps/SJG1KFVaX7NUPZTc7): Eorzea is known to be cooler, but I’ve never played FFXIV nor do I want to battle with reserving seats, so Artnia was my choice. Getting to it was a calming and short walk from the [Higashi-Shinjuku Station](https://goo.gl/maps/4VZuLfA44Vknn6qj8). The café is by SE’s HQ, and the environment is tranquil, with barely any people despite google maps claiming “busier than ever”. Small spot, very expensive merchandise. If you love FF7 this is super cool, and if you like SE’s famed games in general, this is alright-cool. If you only like the less famous FF/SE games, there’s nothing there for you .
* **Food**: Rather pricey and average, but the buster sword made for a decent chocolate bar. It’s also “themed”, so even if the taste isn’t special, it’s a unique presentation, so I liked it!
**30 July:** *Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum, Ghibli Museum, exploring Kichijōji*
[Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum](https://goo.gl/maps/N88gNtyUTcmTWzTS7): **The museum is hot** during this time, being open-air, but they provide umbrellas and tickets are cheap. I expected more from people complimenting it here, but it wasn’t terrible. If you can’t handle the heat, don’t come in summer—by 10AM, the speakers started warning people to be wary of heat stroke; wasn’t that bad for me, though. 6/10 experience. 4/10 if you factor in my high expectations, but that’s not the museum’s fault (it’s mine). ***Really rushed*** **this in over 2 hours**.
[Ghibli Museum](https://goo.gl/maps/AffUNrFvvWqaF6UN8): I was shoved to death here, but maybe I have a shovable demeanor (not a scary big guy). Rule-breakers run free regardless of age, though due to the vocal register of young children, their voices cut through more than their older counterparts, whom are more prone to sneaking photos lawlessly. I witnessed three Japanese visitors (two separate incidents) employing mild violence to ensure they got seats at Straw Hat Cafe, and one would have given my mother a concussion had she not dodged a chair as the perpetrator passed by swinging one (with no apologies). Rude behavior is distributed evenly by all nationalities here. <3
* **The food is below average and pricey**. My sister wanted to eat, so we got lunch here, but you’re better off eating at your local McDonald’s. The food is not Ghibli-themed and the presentation is McDonald’s.
* **The Museum itself is beautiful**, although your viewing experience is occasionally interrupted by light savagery; if you’re a Ghibli fan, it’s worth it. It’s frequently mentioned here as being amazing, so I won’t go on regarding that, but I will warn that **if you’re prone to sensory overload** / **dislike loud noise**/**crowds**, you’re in for some concerns. The short film that was playing when I was there (*Kujiratori*) I also consider a detractor; perhaps a film with screaming children doesn’t do wonders for you while being surrounded by similar subjects.
* **Spent over 3 hours there**, I think. Isn’t huge, and we did the very opposite of rushing here. **A bit calmer by evening!**
* Located in **Inokashira Park**, which I assume looks far better in other seasons, as it was rather dry and dead-looking unfortunately.
[Kichijōji](https://goo.gl/maps/gWdsoY2kWVtPVNsT9): Lots of shopping, snacks and dinner options on the way to [Coppice](https://goo.gl/maps/o4gnL4pXmaHiqq4JA). I wanted to buy Sylvanian Families at the Morino Ouchi Store the mall has. 3x to 4x cheaper than in my own country.
* I complained a lot on this day, but it was a 10/10 and I had a great time! I just wanted to review the Ghibli Museum’s less talked about detractors, and mention the weather for those who hate heat. Kichijōji is very lively (in the best way)!
**31 July:** *Wandering Asakusa (Sensō-ji and more shopping)*
Ate brunch at [Kōshūya](https://goo.gl/maps/XfTAzcvSTyztLtik8), close to my hotel. Owners are a friendly old couple, and I thought this random local spot we went to may be the best choice we could’ve made. Nice people, cheap, tasty!
[Suzukien](https://goo.gl/maps/haDukr1zCLXLSRfr7): Omnipresent long line, but since it’s an ice cream shop, it moves relatively quickly. Expensive. Also sells dango and green tea.
[Sensō-ji](https://goo.gl/maps/yivwHFctAkSd11Hw6): Plenty of people, but not a frightening amount. It was, naturally, **hot**—may or may not mar your experience depending on how you are with the weather. I got used to it, and we spent most of the day wandering the grounds of this place, exploring every nook and cranny the general area had to offer + shopping/eating snacks. My favorite was the [YUKARI](https://goo.gl/maps/QsLMRTfLqjaUp72UA) karaage.
[DON QUIJOTE](https://goo.gl/maps/fLpBDkfp4MrMKJr48) / [DAISO](https://goo.gl/maps/e1SEVgyaCB9ESJgV7) / [TAKEYA1](https://goo.gl/maps/SwtMUUSbGBQ7XiBC7): all disappointing (only visited one of each, by Sensōji; the latter was close to my hotel). Not awful and you can find what you want…but there’s similar stuff in much of Asia, and the Don Quijote wasn’t as clean as I’d like.
~~We…got sushi somewhere I’ve now forgotten, I’ll have to ask my family. It wasn’t life-changing and it was expensive.~~
**1 August:** *Kiyosumi Gardens, Fukagawa Edo Museum, teamLab Planets, DiverCity Tokyo Plaza*
Lunch at **Chojuan Kyosho**: (can’t find maps link yet) Family-owned soba restaurant that tasted good, unfortunately do not remember the prices. The server/daughter seemed mad we couldn’t speak Japanese, which made me feel bad for inconveniencing her.
[Kiyosumi Gardens](https://goo.gl/maps/KA7dAaaVEyYsCKf39): I wanted to find a garden that was **pretty during this time of year**, and this one has a monument dedicated to Matsuo Bashō (a Haiku of his carved on a giant rock)! Very pretty, and so many turtles! Go here if you love turtles!! Only ¥**150**! It was early and the sun was shining, so don’t visit during this time if that bothers you, but because it would rain later that day the weather was decent to me! This place is an enjoyable stroll; lots of rock formations, some that form bridges.
[Fukagawa Edo Museum](https://goo.gl/maps/bY4LxVUNTNzAennp9): Only ¥400! This museum you can get through quickly if you don’t notice details, which we didn’t, but a volunteer tour-guide saw us and was extremely enthusiastic about showing us the light. This unpaid grandpa was one of the best tour guides I’ve ever listened to, but unfortunately we had to cut it short since we had a teamLab appointment at 4, and I wanted to get soufflé pancakes at a café first ([iki espresso](https://goo.gl/maps/J7ZNQ5RxUS7edzN67); fluffy pancakes were delicious and expensive, my iced chocolate was serviceable).
[teamLab Planets](https://goo.gl/maps/C5qnfewzjny8w61h6):
* All 4 of us could get through at the same time after a single QR scan; we bought tickets online, and from the sheer amount of people there, not purchasing tickets in advance isn’t a viable option. The QR code ticket only shows up on the day you booked, and you can change the date up until 9AM of the day you booked. Keep your emails (ticket) safe.
* As is often already said; don’t wear skirts, remember you’ll be going through water, and your shoes will be left in the locker room. One locker per person, and unless you are bringing something unnecessarily huge, one is more than enough.
* After watching a PSA-style instruction video, **you’ll be greeted with the strong odor of feet** as shoes go off and it’s into the locker room. **The odor is at its strongest there**. Thankfully gets bearable elsewhere, but the scent is later mingled with chlorine at a probably ignorable level. ^(Corridors in between art installations are dark and sometimes there are bumps on the floor—I didn’t see anybody trip, however. And staff wear black and emerge from the shadows, but nobody accidentally bumped into them, either, though they’d likely dodge anyway.)
* **There are very few rooms. NOT worth ¥3800 AT ALL. It takes less than an hour** to go through everything. Unless you stop for photos.
>*The Art and the signs describing the art flowed into my mind, a constant, solemn reminder of tourist traps to myself and the child swimming next to me, about how life flows on and the meaning of these is certainly not tourist trapping and is #SuperDeep. The child swimming next to me symbolizes the flow of finances, and the deflated ball is a reminder that we continue to live in a reality where this can be sold.*
* My mom and I mourned that we didn’t sit this one out. My sister thought it was great. Everyone we know in real life thought it was as well, and the people there appeared to enjoy themselves so maybe my mom and I are woefully unimaginative and out of touch. If my mom and I sound like people you relate to, stay far away. If we sound ridiculous or you love instagramming, you’ll have a blast.
* **If sensory overload is a problem for you**, you might be in either literal or figurative tears. Two rooms’ music made me lose my grip on reality, and all the crowds aren’t super fun. **If you’re a germaphobe, this place will likely be gross to you**; I’m not one and I found it a bit gross.
* **Some rooms are hard to get through if you’re not in average physical shape** as well, and while this is stated in the PSA-vid and there are staff holding signs (in near-darkness) reminding you of corridors to get around this, it somehow went over my mom’s head.
[DiverCity Tokyo Plaza](https://goo.gl/maps/WLNQBKPvsVwuwaAXA): Has a Ghibli Store, big candy stores and more Sylvanian Families for me. Also has Doraemon, Hello Kitty and Minecraft stores. And of course Gundam, among other titles I’ve missed. Cute place with a **life-sized Unicorn Gundam Statue**.
We didn’t go to Rainbow Bridge, but I saw it on the way back while riding the **Yurikamome Line**, which has a nice view, for what it’s worth (it was night).
**August 2**: *Last Day /* [*Daikata Makata Shrine*](https://goo.gl/maps/CuDPLwyipnosXwN99): while considered by many not to be profitable, my parents found it a fair trade of finances with comfort to rent a car. We stopped at this shrine on the way to Narita Airport. If, like me, this is your first experience with an authentic Shinto Shrine, then this is a good stop. Giant cedar tree, peaceful, quiet (just a few locals praying). I have nothing to compare it with, but I thought it was pleasant.
We drove past [Naritasan Omotesando](https://goo.gl/maps/WTgYDB4CcCJ1Wt527) and stared into the entrance of Naritasan Shinshoji…didn’t go in, as we would rather see a Shinto Shrine than another Buddhist Temple and were out of time.
***Closing thoughts:***
* Didn’t use pocket WiFi (SIM cards worked fine).
* Knowing Mandarin (my mom does) is more useful than English, as we ran into a sizable number of servers/cooks who immigrated from a Chinese-speaking country.
* A taxi was sometimes more profitable than public transport when traveling with 4.
* We were super lucky and it only rained once—but do bring umbrellas for rain or shine! And sunscreen.
* Ghibli and teamLab staff could speak English, since those two are hot spots for tourists, but it doesn’t get in the way that the employees elsewhere don’t, unless you want to ask for something beyond ordering/buying a ticket.
* I spent 2 hours memorizing katakana and hiragana before going, but it’s not necessary; sometimes I’d find something a bit sooner than if I didn’t have the skill, and there are places I used it, like reading what flavor a snack was, but google translate can get you by. Not a waste of time, either?
* All bathrooms were amazing, even at the shrine in the middle of nowhere. No manual bidets, sadly, but you get used to the automation and the cleanness is awe-inspiring.
Thanks for reading or skimming! Being concise has always evaded me, and I’m sorry if this is written badly/wonkily. I tried my best. This probably wasn’t helpful and you’re likely wondering why we did so little (*cough, the other three kept sleeping in until noon, cough*), but I wrote this as a way of saying thanks to this sub! (And I guess we’re vacationers/relaxers as opposed to sightseers/travelers?)
I also intend this to be encouragement to anyone planning a trip for the first time and is anxious about not maximizing their time; you can still enjoy yourself! And for people worried about the heat, as I was frequently threatened with that prospect while planning.
This is stupidly long for such a short trip, so I’ll shut up and not try to think of what I forgot to mention—we’ll just use the replies!
16 comments
Stopped reading when you say others should wear a mask
Sounds like a good time! I’m going in October for the first time and I’m a casual Ghibli fan debating if to get tickets for the museum since it’s kinda out of the way and your description of screaming children is making me reconsider. My hotel is a 10 min walk to the Studio Ghibli store in Sunshine City though.
I’m from SEA too and I’m going on 4-11 September. Real concern is the heat cuz I almost never go to another country unless it’s colder than my own but looks like it’s gonna be ok especially at night
Your TeamLabs review made me chuckle. I keep thinking I’m missing out on something since it features in so many trip reports as an absolute highlight, but I think we’re probably fairly alike. I didn’t realise it was so expensive. I can smell feet and chlorine at home by the municipal pool for less.
Not your photo I’m assuming in the post?
Unless it’s been very cold at the top of Fuji in the summer? 😄
The Japanese government has told people they don’t need to mask anymore. They are slowly going back to normal. There is currently no need to mask in Japan.
Cool great write-up! Can I ask more about the SE café? I’m a massive FFVII fan but when I look on their website the only thing I can see that’s FFVII related is some ice cream with the buster sword embedded in. Is there a lot more than that in addition to food?
I visited TeamLab twice. First was when borders just opened and there weren’t a lot of tourists and then second was just this spring. The difference was night and day. First visit was great, we spent a long time in each exhibit, took a lot of pictures, and got to sit down in each room. In my second visit, it was just so crowded and noisy and we can’t even appreciate the set-ups! And they now had a time limit for some rooms. So I definitely agree with your review.
I wanted to visit Ghibli too but after reading this I’m a bit discouraged.
> no one will care
tbh, it’s more like no one will *say anything*, they may well be silently judging and simply not expressing it due to cultural obligations. For tourists who are not too paranoid (good!) it’s practically the same 🙂
Yea summer in Japan is extremely hot. Ive seen some people fainted from the extreme heat and I heard people even died from it. And this year heatwave makes it even worse I believe.
Did you get anything from the Nintendo store? I’m not a huge nintento fan but I would love to get some merchandise as a souvenir but is the queue even worth it?
One thing I will add to teamlab is that some of the floors are hard, and people with high arches and ankle issues like me will have a hard time.
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Did you buy your Ghibli Museum tickets online in advance?
Great report. You did a lot given the short time!
Thanks for writing this I’ve saved a couple new places to check out
Hello, I’m Japanese. Standing on the left on escalators don’t apply to the Kansai area such as Osaka, Kyoto and Kobe. They stand on the right. Just letting everyone know that in order to avoid confusion.