Late October- Early Nov Tokyo Trip Itinerary Check

19 comments

1. There is some interesting things in this itinerary. Like staying in Shinjuku, a big nightlife stop when you are not especially into drinking and staying close to Akihabara that is big on anime/otaku and tech stuff.

   If you like stationery, Japan have a reputation. Check a Tokyu hands store, that should be fun for you, and there is likely a lot of other shops so keep an eye open.

   I think that you will be able to do much more than what you listed each day. I would aim to have at least 2 things planned for each day, excluding restaurant/cafe. And if you plan to go in a neighborhood that focus on shopping, keep in mind shops often only open at 10 am or 11am, so you can check to go to a museum, park, temple/shrine or something else if you plan to start your day earlier than when the stores open.

   The day you change hotel does not need a full day for that, you can plan other things there. Same fore Halloween, this is more for the party at the end of the day, so you have all day do so something else.

   At least, I would give myself some extra ideas each day, for example consider adding Koishikawa korakuen garden on the Tokyo dome city and you want to be in Tokyo Dome City at the end of the day for the winter illumination (check the dates, Nov. 4 will likely be the first day of the illumination.

   Considering the location, you can do Ghibli Museum and Suginami Animation Museum on the same day, or on these day you can go to Nakano, that is on the same train line and as this is more focus on shopping, so the stores will close after the museum anyway.

   Unless you are really into anime stuff, I do not see why you would want to go to Nakano twice. Same thing with 109, unless you are really into Japanese fashion (more specific about Shibuya fashion) and are in a size that would fit in their cloth size, going there again seems overkill. You might as well go check other shopping area with different clothing styles.

   I think it quite odd that you want to go to Hakone and Mount Takao from the Akihabara hotel when these place are much easier to access from Shinjuku.

   If you go to Hakone, might as well go on November 3 and go check Hakone Daimyo Gyoretsu, that is a parade with people dressed in samurai. It’s around Hakone Yumoto station, so after you can take the train and continue to go check owakudani. I would also consider finding a onsen in Hakone (even if you do not stop for the night). An easy one is [Yunessun](https://www.yunessun.com/global/en/spa/), that have 2 section, one that is a regular onsen (separated by gender and you go naked) and the other is a bit more a pool/onsen amusement park with water slide and fun hot bath, on that side you need a swimsuit and it is mixed gender.

   For the amount of time you plan to spend in Tokyo, I find it surprising that there is no Asakusa, Ueno, Odaiba, Harajuku and somehow surprising that there is not more day trips (you actually only have 1 day outside of Tokyo prefecture), like Kamakura, Enoshima, Kawagoe would be super easy to do. And those are only some idea, there is much more options available.

   ​

   Generally speaking, good starting point, but you can add much more to this plan, at least as options of things to do, you do not have to force yourself to do everything you put in your list.

2. A small thing… I dunno how far you are from New York but there are several Sarabeth’s here… I wouldn’t waste a meal at an American restaurant in Tokyo

3. Why change hotels?

   You can combine Ghibli Museum and Nakano Broadway – do the museum in the morning and then it’s a quick hop down the Chuo/Sobu line to Nakano, which doesn’t really get going until the late morning anyway so it gives you the whole afternoon to browse.

   Agree with you that Ghibli Theme Park, if it’s open and running by then, isn’t going to be feasible as a day trip.

4. That seems like an extremely light schedule, a full day for a hotel change for example.

   If you like forestry then a Nikko day trip should be on the list. Another one is Kamakura

5. Your plan focus a lot on things to do. I mostly focus on thinks to eat when in Japan 😅

6. There’s plenty to do in Tokyo, but 4 weeks seems a bit much especially with your current itinerary.

   I’m usually tired of Tokyo by the 1st week before I break it up with some day trips into the countryside or some different cities.

   In 4 weeks, I basically travelled all of Japan except Hokkaido and Fukuoka.

   I would do like a week in Tokyo, explore Kansai a bit, then spend the last few days in Tokyo again. 4 weeks is a pretty long time for a vacation.

7. If you’re going to shiro-hige you might as well check out Shimo-kitazawa area while you are at it since it is near the main store. It’s got a good artistic atmosphere and lots of second hand clothes stores.

   Although your goal is only day trips I would honestly suggest you try and do an overnight stay at a ryokan in Hakone or some other hot spring town. You’ll get more of that forestry vibe you are looking for. It is a shame to make the trek out there and only spend a couple hours.

   While you mention you don’t want to over plan and feel rushed it feels like you may have overcorrected. While your plan is certainly doable it is pretty sparse and limited in the areas of Tokyo you are actually visiting. Also I would suggest trying to visit some adjacent prefectures like Chiba, Ibaraki, and Saitama. All of have unique areas to visit and might fit the vibes you’re looking at more than central Tokyo.

8. My 2cent:

   1. Disneysea? always recommend this for people of any age and any preference, it doesn’t feel like they shove down disney through your throat and it is very scenic. You can draw inspiration from it. Can I repeat it looks gorgeous? With very friendly staffs?

   2. for hakone, trust me 2-3 days at least. It is very very beautiful, but the transportation sucks a lot (it is very very slow and it closed down at 6). Stays at ryokan and go to onsen. Look around the active mountain and the lake. Go to gotemba premium outlet to buy cheap branded products.

   3. Your schedule is pretty empty. You have around 12 hours a day, give generous amount of time for transport or when you feel like you wanna stay in one place for long time. But are you sure you wanna be in nakano broadway for at least 8 hours? I think I did all nakano broadway in like 3 maybe 4.

   4. For halloween, imo, don’t go alone. You might get harrassed.

   5. Honestly? Add osaka kyoto, you have more than enough time to go to more beautiful places and close to nature. Kyoto is very very beautiful along with their temples. Osaka famous for their food and wacky namba street signs and shopping, clothes, shoes etc (yes it is cheaper than tokyo). And if you go during october, you can do halloween horror night at universal studio japan. It is included in your entrance ticket, no need to pay additional fee for it

9. Since you are spending 4 weeks in Japan I would highly recommend staying 2 weeks in Tokyo (which will be more than enough time to explore) and then traveling to Osaka and explore that region including Kyoto, Kobe, Nara etc. It will be really worth it, especially in autumn since there is so much great nature in that area.

10. 4 weeks in just Tokyo? Girl you got time!
    TBH I’ve yet to travel to Japan myself, but figured I’d share some places that interest me since I may have similar interests to you. (I’m an illustrator with an interest in the nature/artsy side of Japan.)

    Oct 24th: in addition to Shiro-Hige’s Cream Puff Factory maybe check out Gotokuji Temple (temple with Maneki-Neko cats all over) and wander around Shimokitazawa area.

    Oct 26th: Kichijouji Petit Mura cafe. It’s near Kichijouji station in addition to the Ghibli Museum.

    Oct 27th: Todoroki Ravine is right near Jiyugaoka for some forestry

    Nov 3rd: Explore around Yanaka area (Yanaka Ginza, SCAI The Bathhouse, Kayaba Coffee, CAFE&MORE MIYANO-YU)

    Nov 8th: Little Prince Museum. It’s just a 10 minute walk away from the Hakone Venetian Glass Museum

    Possible day trips: hike around Kamakura, Enoshima island

    Notice you have a few cafes listed. I have a few cafes around Tokyo saved that I’d love to park my butt at for a couple of hours with a sketchbook: rébon Kaisaiyu (Asakusa), Little Darling Coffee Roasters, Tokyo Little House, Aoyama Flower Market Tea House, Connel Coffee (Aoyama and Akasaka area), Platinum Fish Cafe (Akihabara).

    Itoya Ginza (huge stationary store)

    p.s. I stalked your profile and you have some really lovely stationary pieces you’ve created!

11. Your schedule is very light – Almost like you’re underplanning to try and compensate for your Ireland trip.

    A lot of things you have listed like Nakano B’way or the Suginami Animation Museum, for example, are definitely not all-day things. Some of them you’d be really pushing it to stay more than a couple hours.

    And with four weeks you’d really be remiss to not go elsewhere in the country.

12. I’m an American who lived in Tokyo for 5 years, 20 years ago.

    Agree with the food comment. Must try as much as possible, would be my advice. You can eat safely almost anywhere. Unlike other parts of Asia, I would not hesitate to eat food from street carts, stalls, etc.

    Styles of food. Restaurants in Japan often serve, or focus on, one type of food.

    Shabu-Shabu. Very popular with Americans.
    Sushi, even inexpensive is better than most in the US.
    Yakitori.
    Kushi-agi, fried sticks, sit at the bar. Kinda like breaded (sometimes) and fried yakitori .
    Tonkatsu. Fried pork cutlet. Try Tonki , if still there, in Meguro.
    Noodle bowls. Inexpensive and usually delicious. Many styles and people have their favorites. Try a few for lunches.
    Izakaya. A bar, communal, small plates. Usually many kinds of food to choose from.

    The basement of a big department store is an amazing place for food. Generally, prepared foods. Worth checking out. This is where people buy the expensive fruits you’ve seen. You can also buy a reasonably priced meal to go, gifts to take home, etc.

    Kappabashi. The kitchen neighborhood. One of our favorite places to wander around.

    You mentioned Jazz. The Pit Inn in Shinjuku used to have some good shows. Don’t know if it’s still there?
    Blue Note Tokyo and the Cotton Club are some of the bigger name places. Expensive though.

    Have fun. We loved our time there and still have many friends there.

13. For jazz, you definitely want to check out Asagaya on a Thursday-Saturday night. It’s a warren of little jazz bars, amazing atmosphere. Hit up the vintage shops in Koenji before you head over. Windjammer in Yokohama is also great; Yokohama has a kind of industrial rep but the southern part of the city has some very lovely gardens (Yamashita Park, the English rose garden at Yamate, Sankei-en) that are good for the season you’re visiting and can make a relaxing day trip, as well as the sea breeze.

    Some other stuff in Tokyo that might interest you: [Toden Arakawa Line](https://matcha-jp.com/en/greatertokyo/5177), [Kawagoe](https://matcha-jp.com/en/greatertokyo/6681), [Kagurazaka](https://matcha-jp.com/en/204), Asakusa (I wonder if you’re avoiding it because of its touristy reputation? There’s still a lot to see away from Senso-ji), [Yanesen](https://matcha-jp.com/en/5825), [Daikanyama](https://www.gotokyo.org/en/destinations/western-tokyo/daikanyama/index.html), Takehisa Yumeji museum. If you’re into art, [Time Out Tokyo](https://www.timeout.com/tokyo/things-to-do/things-to-do-in-tokyo-this-weekend) is a good source for current exhibits.

    Nov 3rd is a public holiday (Culture Day) — check for events closer to your trip date.

    Have you thought about spending some time out of Tokyo? I see that you don’t want to overplan, but if you’re interested in nature and relaxation, I find it a lot more chill to do multi-day excursions from Tokyo rather than try to fit them into day trips. People usually do Hakone, Nikko, or Kamakura as rushed day trips from Tokyo. But any of those locations and their close surroundings could easily fill three or four low-key days.

    Or if you’re heading to the Ghibli Park in Aichi, rather than do a day trip, stay the night in Nagoya and meander through the little towns and smaller cities north like Gujo, Gifu, Narai/Magome/Tsumago, Takayama, etc, returning to Tokyo via Matsumoto, Kanazawa, or Toyama… or if that is too ambitious, just stay a few nights in Nagoya and enjoy Nagoya city and its easiest daytrips like Inuyama, Gamagori, or Nabana-no-Sato.

    IMO hotel-swapping is much less of a pain in Japan than in Europe, because luggage storage is very widespread (train station lockers, small-town tourist offices, the app ECBO cloak); if you travel in-country with a backpack or carry-on, you’ll barely need to carry it, and if you have more luggage than that, just stash the rest in Tokyo.

    Tokyo is an amazing city, but going *slightly* beyond day trip distance will yield massive returns!

14. Since you are an artist, I highly recommend the Sumida Hokusai Museum. It’s a great little museum and they have the original wood blocks used to make that classic wave that gets used everywhere.

15. There is a lot of advise from everyone so I’ll keep it simple.

    I see that you own a stationery business. u/gdore15 suggested Tokyu Hands, a good recommendation. But let me add Tokyo Kyukyodo at Ginza to the list. Kyukyodo is representative of Japanese stationery and it’s been in business since 1663. I recommend a visit for people interested in stationery.

    I also see that you have 109 at Shibuya on your planned itinerary. Shibuya is the center of Halloween street celebrations in Tokyo on the evening of the 31st. It’s something to keep in mind in case you want to see it or you want to avoid it.

    I really hope you enjoy your visit.

16. This is some helpful advice my I’m going around the same time.

17. Go have a fancy drink at the park hyat hotel.

18. Would it be better to stay in Shinjuku or Shibuya area during the Halloween event in Shibuya? We are going around the same time as the OP but we are flexing in Kyoto, So for us it’s Tokyo>> Kyoto>>Tokyo (for Halloween). We were thinking of staying on the east side of Tokyo for the first half and after coming back from Kyoto staying on the west side to enjoy the event and walk to our hotel on that side vs taking a train across the city late at night. Thoughts?

19. I like the fact that you have a lot of spare time built in. I love just walking around Tokyo and exploring. I live in Kanagawa, and highly recommend day trips to Kamakura and Yokohama. Both are less than an hour away, and offer a completely different vibe. If you like outdoor activities, Hakone is another easy day trip (or a good place to spend a night or two in a Ryokan).