Trip Report: 2 weeks in Tokyo during Cherry Blossom season

Hi all,

I found people’s itineraries and trip reports really useful so I thought I’d share mine. I had a fantastic trip and wouldn’t change much about it, but I’ve collated a few of the tips I’d learned on the way.

**About me and the trip:**

This trip had been booked years ago and was postponed multiple times, so it was huge relief to finally make it. We had researched a lot before going, and had plotted lots of things on the map and made lists of places to go in each district and it does feel like we barely scratched the surface.

We (2 x 30s M) decided to only stay in Tokyo for the duration because we knew that we’d be returning later in the year and wanted to have a reasonably relaxed time. The focus was seeing the cherry blossoms, and having the chance to take nice pictures, so the trip was heavily geared towards gardens and different viewing platforms. I am into fashion and design, so we incorporated that a lot too. Neither of us are particularly into anime/manga or theme parks, so we skipped stuff related to that other than getting some gifts for people. One thing I always do whenever I go somewhere new is visit a unique museum that you wouldn’t find anywhere else in the world.

While we did a lot of research, we didn’t book anything in advance of the journey other than a day trip to Mt Fuji which we ended up cancelling and rebooking a few days before due to poor weather.

We’re not big partiers or night owls, so we spent the daytimes doing stuff and would generally relax back at the hotel after dinner with a few drinks and snacks.

**Day 0**

A very early start, flying from London Heathrow to Tokyo Haneda on British Airways. The flight was comfortable and food was tasty with plenty of booze, and we were able to see Mount Fuji beautifully from the window. We dozed on and off during the flight so weren’t massively exhausted on arrival.

**TIP**: We’d downloaded Pasmo to our phones before arriving which was a total breeze. We also had eSims from Ubigi which activated within a few minutes after landing.

**Day 1**

It took around an hour and a half to get through security. It was a mammoth walk to immigration from the flight and there were dozens and dozens of people directing people to do Visit Japan Web. Unfortunately there were few immigration officers but multiple flights arriving at the same time. We were more or less the first people off the flight, and shortly after our flight landed another one did so those people probably had to wait for hours.

Bags were already there when we got through customs, so we went straight to the train to the Mimaru Aparthotel in Asakusa. To be honest I’d probably get a taxi next time because I’d rather not deal with the luggage and it’s nice to just zone out in a car from door to door.

We’d booked an extra night in the hotel so that we could check in immediately. By the time we got to the hotel it was 1pm, so it was a little overkill in the end, but I’m glad we didn’t have to wait around.

Unfortunately the bedding with goose feather which isn’t great on top of seasonal allergies, so the very first stop was to get some new pillows!

The rest of the day was spent walking around, having conbini snacks and a quick Mos Burger before an early night. I wasn’t really a fan (so much sauce compared to burger) but it was good that they had veggie options. We had wanted to get some sushi at Kura but the one next to Skytree had a two hour wait.

**TIP**: Check with your hotel in advance if they offer hypoallergenic bedding. I don’t think this is as common in Japan, but can be purchased quite cheaply at stores like Nittori.

**Day 2**

Woke up around 5am, but just dozed a little and grabbed coffee from the conbini. We took a walk to Ueno Park which was pretty, though extremely busy. There was a one-way system which worked out well. We had lunch at Coco Ichibanya then walked down to Akihabara and took the subway to the Meiji Shrine.

The pillows we got the previous night were pretty thin so we got some others. For dinner we had some Kura Sushi (a different location with no wait). A few snacks and drinks from the conbini and we called it a night. Honestly this day felt like a bit of a blur due to the jet lag.

**TIP**: Coco Ichibanya is a really easy place to cater for all tastes and dietary requirements, with the exception of some which are branded Coco World, which do not have the wide range.

**Day 3**

We wanted to do some window shopping so we headed to Shibuya. The clouds happened to let up so we went to Shibuya Sky. It was really quiet which was great. Most shops don’t open til 11 or 12 so we did a little walking before then. We had some delicious pastries in a bakery under one of the skyscrapers for lunch.

The area surrounding Hachiko statue was so crowded I couldn’t actually see it!

We went to a bar, above the shopping centre Magnet, overlooking Shibuya Crossing. The entrance fee is a drink, which was pretty reasonably priced all things considered (around 800 yen). We visited some designer stores then headed back to Asakusa for dinner. We did Saizeriya because I was already craving cheese. It’s *ridiculously* cheap.

**TIP**: A lot of chain restaurants like Saizeriya have a list at the front where you have to sign your name and say how many people are in your party, then you sit down and wait until your name is called. I filled it out using Google Translate and there was no issue with communication.

**Day 4**

We went to Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden. There were so many great colours. We saw a huge crane and an older lady ran towards us to say to make sure to get a picture because it was very rare! It was really sweet of her. Although it was peak blossom time most of the park was gloriously quiet.

Near Yoyogi station there was a street with lots of little bars. We had lunch in a Thai-style izakaya which was really tasty. Then we headed to the Tokyo Metropolitan building, which was sadly closed that day last-minute. We headed back to Shinjuku instead to see the sights there. We walked up to the Korean district which was very vibrant. So many teenagers! We had a few Korean snacks and drinks then went back to the hotel.

Then for dinner we had sushi in a small place in Asakusa. There were lots of locals getting merry and enjoying their sushi while listening to country music! Very delicious. Afterwards we had a tayaki in the street then got fortunes from the temple. Fortunately we didn’t need to cast away any bad luck 🙂

**Day 5**

Next morning we had breakfast at a family restaurant which served with one of those cat robots. Food was fine and fairly cheap. For my unique museum pick I chose the Tobacco and Salt Museum. The salt part of the museum was actually really fun and interesting. The tobacco part was unsurprisingly pro-smoking which felt a bit weird but I don’t know why I was surprised!

We did a little bit more exploring of Asakusa then had matcha ice cream at Suzukien (cash only). The maximum level 7 was great!

For dinner we went to the oldest onigiri restaurant, Onigiri Asakusa Yadoroku. My favourite was pickled ginger.

Another early night, jet lag was still affecting us.

**TIP:** For very popular restaurants it’s best to arrive before they open. At Yadoroku we were seated immediately but with just a few tables a line formed within minutes.

**Day 6**

We took the ferry to Himarikyu Gardens. The gardens felt like an oasis of calm in the middle of the city.

From there we walked to the Miyazaki clock but sadly just missed the performance. I was in the mood for curry again but unfortunately I discovered on sitting down that the Coco Ichibanya location at the NTV Tower was a “Coco World” which didn’t have any of the normal curries. It looks fun for those who are adventurous but there were no vegetarian options and most contained nuts (which I avoid) and pork.

We had lunch at an Indian restaurant under NTV Tower that was unfortunately pretty bland and also didn’t serve alcohol at lunch, which was a little embarrassing when we asked.

We went to the Ad Museum in Tokyo which was great. I was a little disappointed however at the selection in the gift shop though given how fantastic the collection was.

We walked to Akihabara where we had a beer at the Hitachino Brewing Lab.

After a short break back at the hotel we headed out for dinner. It was a little humid that day and I was really excited to try cold soba so we found a place in Asakusa which had it on the menu. I hate to say it but I was so disappointed! I really like soba noodles but for some reason my mind just couldn’t take to it. This day was probably the only culinary lowlight of the trip but it was just bad luck that I didn’t enjoy either lunch or dinner.

**TIP**: The Himarikyu Ferry must be prebooked online. However, we did it about half an hour before the first ferry and it was fine. The snack bar onboard is still closed.

**Day 7**

We had a relaxed start to the morning with a conbini breakfast, and decided to do a bit more shopping so we headed to Ginza. One of the truly unexpected highlights of the trip were the gachopon machines. There were so many fun and interesting figures and ornaments to collect. I got lots of cool souvenirs from these.

That night we had tempura-don at a place in Asakusa. It was a little pricy but the portions were huge, and it was tasty. It was the only place we ate where we had to take our shoes off, so that was a novelty. It was a little funny to see the waiters constantly changing in and out of shoes when entering/leaving the room.

**TIP**: If you can’t find the size you’re looking for in a store, it’s possible the staff can order it for you and it will arrive in a day or two. In my case I had tried on some clothes that were too big, and I was able to order them online to be sent to my hotel directly. Payment was a little tricky to get right but eventually Amex worked well on Japanese online stores.

**TIP**: There’s a cost-benefit decision about tax free shopping. At the Muji flagship for example, the line for tax refunds was huge, maybe 40-50 people for a couple of registers. If you’re making a purchase on the lower end of the tax-free boundary, you’d be saving only a few dollars and it might not be worth waiting for it. The larger department stores were very efficient about tax-free purchases.

**Day 8**

It was a *very* rainy day, so we decided to do a museum. We picked the Tobu train museum. It was fun, but almost entirely filled with kids! It’s a little old-fashioned but they had some cool exhibits like being able to see under trains as they passed by. Still torrential rain, we went to a nearby Kura Sushi for a relaxed lunch.

That evening I was craving cheese again so we found an Italian called La Casa Asakusa. It was absolutely tiny, but the food was incredible and made right in front of us. I’d definitely recommend. The chef was so nice too.

We took a walk along the river for the evening and got some ice cream.

**TIP**: The Taito Riverside, north of Asakusa, is somewhere you will see some camps of homeless people. We didn’t feel at all unsafe there, but I can understand how a solo traveller or single woman might feel uneasy so you might want to avoid this area late at night.

**Day 9**

Headed to Ginza and had breakfast in a cafe under one of the skyscrapers.

We walked to the Imperial Palace. Interestingly, the Imperial Palace grounds itself was pretty underwhelming compared to the many beautiful gardens we’d already seen. The East Gardens were very nice though. We had some dango there.

We made attempt number 2 at the Tokyo Metropolitan viewing platform and although it was open (yay!) the line was huge (boo!) so we decided to skip it, since the weather was getting worse. Instead we headed to Roppongi to try the Mori Art Museum which I hadn’t realised doesn’t have a permanent collection, and the temporary exhibit they had didn’t appeal to me, so we went to their viewing platform instead. The building is really quite strange and hard to navigate, and we had to have a staff member take us from the ticket area to the elevators which initially seemed like overkill but by the time we arrived I understood why.

We headed back to Asakusa and ate dinner at a Gonpachi which was tasty and had a really fun and lively atmosphere.

**Day 10**

We planned on spending the day in Odaiba so took the train out there over the rainbow bridge. We saw the Gundam show, which was really impressive technically but a lot shorter than I anticipated (maybe 60 seconds?).

For lunch we had some okonomiyaki which was delicious. At the Fuji TV building there is a little stall with tayaki made in the shape of different cartoon characters. They were very tasty and cute, although I had never seen any of them before that day. We went to the viewing platform and saw a morning show being filmed. The Fuji TV tower itself is an interesting shape, but I’d recommend skipping it. It’s not interesting inside or a particularly good view so it’s not worth the money.

Overall, Odaiba was a disappointment. The malls are a bit old-fashioned and skew towards western brands or Japanese ones that can be found all over the city anyway. If you’re going to Joypolis maybe it’s worth it, but we’re not into theme parks at all. Daiba 1-Chome was interesting enough to walk through, but uncomfortably busy (one of the busiest places out of anywhere we were in Tokyo) and a little worn-down (even accounting for its retro theme!). Maybe if you get there early it’d be better but it was so crowded we just left after doing a loop. I’d have liked to go to the Emerging Technology Museum but it was closed that day. I might go back to Odaiba for that museum and give it another try.

The weather cleared up on our way back from Odaiba so we decided last-second to go to Shibuya Sky. It was really quiet, probably because of the forecast rain and wind, so we got some excellent pictures. Dinner was some conveyor belt sushi.

That evening, we went to the Asahi building for a beer. There was a bit of a wait, maybe 10 minutes or so. It’s surprisingly small. Self-service and cash-only, it’s pretty tired but the service and atmosphere were nice. It’s quite pricy for what it is though.

On the way back to the hotel we had a look around one of the department store basements.

**TIP**: the bathroom on top of the Asahi building has a great view, and doesn’t require visiting the bar or restaurant. It’s actually kind of better than the bar itself because it’s unobstructed. Not necessarily worth going out of your way for but if you’re passing it’s a good bathroom!

**Day 11**

After a lazy morning we went to Harajuku. Unfortunately since we got there later in the day it was incredibly busy, to the point of not really being able to see anything. To be honest I’m not actually sure what there is to see! I’d try again on another trip and time it better. We ate at a Korean place down one of the alleyways, but it took close to 2 hours to get the food which was unfortunate.

We took a look around some of the vintage stores, which were really cool though unsurprisingly lacked choice in western sizes. Second hand clothes in Japan aren’t considerably cheaper than brand new, so don’t expect bargains.

We headed to the Meguro Cherry Blossom walk which was an unexpected highlight. It was very busy, but a fun atmosphere with lots of little stalls selling snacks and drinks. It was the only place I saw Japanese people eating and drinking while walking!

For dinner we went to the top floor of a mall in Ebisu and ate at Mr Farmer. I’d recommend their food, it was really tasty and had lots of veg options.

**TIP**: there’s a section of the Meguro walk that’s north of the highway, and a little convoluted to walk to due to bridges being in the way, but it’s *so* much quieter than the rest of the walkway and much more suited for taking nice pictures. The Starbucks Reserve at Meguro had a five HOUR wait for entry. I knew it’d be packed so we avoided it but I have seen it on people’s itineraries so be aware of that.

**Day 12**

We had booked a driver for a trip to Mt Fuji a few days before but we were able to cancel for free because of the rain. We rebooked a few days in advance after seeing the weather was going to be better this day.

Our first stop was the 4th Station (the 5th station was closed) but there was fog, so you couldn’t see anything whatsoever. It was kind of funny to see thousands of people just standing around trying to take pictures of… nothing? One highlight was a Japanese woman who took pity on us and give us local candies, took our rubbish and guided us to a bench. The candy was delicious.

Then we headed to Oishi Park, where the weather still hadn’t quite cleared so we couldn’t see Mt Fuji yet. Then we drove to Arakura Sengen Park which was a real workout with all of its steps.

Afterwards we headed to Oshino Hakkai for some food. It felt like a tourist-trap so I’d advise skipping it personally.

Then we drove to Hakone and did the ropeway as far as the volcano. We would have stayed a little longer but already we’d been on the move for about 9 hours and we were keen to get back to the city.

As we were driving back towards Tokyo, success! The clouds shifted and we got some spectacular views of Mt Fuji. Our driver kept veering off the road and slamming on the brakes so we could see it. The danger was worth it!

The traffic getting back to Tokyo was *horrendous* so it took 3 and half hours to get to the hotel. We’d been snacking all day rather than having meals so we went to a nearby Saizeriya for some incredibly cheap and fast Italian food. People rag on it online but for what it costs you really can’t complain.

**Day 13**

We were still recovering from the very long day yesterday, so spent the morning and afternoon doing some souvenir shopping for friends and family. It was a little harder than I expected to find nice Japanese-themed stationery in the department stores. Much of it was really pretty and made in Japan, but often was covered in French or English writing or Disney characters. We did find some nice gifts across a few department stores. We also bought ourselves some clothes then got even more gachapon for ourselves and as gifts.

We also went to Kappabashi-dori and got lots of little silicone foods like sushi and tamago sandos as gifts. They are incredible craftsmanship! They are available as magnets, earrings and keychains.

Once again, the clouds lifted in the late afternoon and we decided to go to the SkyTree. We got some breathtaking views of Mount Fuji during sunset. We had a drink from the bar and admired the city as the lights of the city started to come on. It was a perfect way to end the trip. The gift shop was also surprisingly nice so we got some things there.

For dinner, we headed back to the same Gonpachi as last week because the food was really good. On the way we passed by the “Mario” karts and it did not look like fun at all. It was loud, smelly and seemed really dangerous. I feel like it’s only a matter of time before one of them ends up under a truck.

**TIP**: even if you’re going to Skytree last-minute, you can order your tickets online for the next time slot. We did it while walking to the SkyTree and didn’t have much of a line at all. The line to buy tickets was probably at least 30 minutes, and afterwards you had another line of 10-15 minutes to take the elevators, so people who arrived without tickets probably missed the sunset.

**Day 14**

Since we ended up with a lot more luggage than we started with, we decided to take a taxi to the airport that morning. It was really comfortable and had huge windows so it was a pleasant way to end things.

The Japan Airlines First Class Lounge is stunning, so if you get the chance to visit I’d definitely recommend it. We had bento boxes and assorted sushi for lunch, with some sake and champagne tasting. It was hard to leave!

We did visit the gift shop in the terminal and once again I was surprised at the excellent quality of the items there. Often airport gifts can be a bit sad but we got a bunch more great souvenirs from there. Allow plenty of time, because the checkout process takes a while for each passenger and even though there were many checkouts open, we were still queueing for about 20 minutes and boarding had already started while we were waiting.

We had a very pleasant flight home though we got home close to midnight local time, meaning that the day had lasted about 31 hours.

**General things that surprised me**

* Animal welfare is a lot less of a priority compared to other countries I’ve visited or lived in. I had read about this before coming but it was still sad to see. Quite often I saw conditions of animals that were depressing (a grade school in a residential area had a turtle in a small plastic box outside; Don Quijote had a huge eel in a tiny tank; pet stores having cats and dogs in small cages). I see a lot of people planning to visit animal cafes like micro pig (FYI there’s no such thing) or owls (they’re nocturnal and forced to stay awake). I have heard of some conservation-focused attractions and rehoming cat cafes which would be better to support.
* Japan is one giant tripping hazard! I have never seen so many people falling over, I’m not kidding. Changes in elevation almost always aren’t clearly marked out so you really need to pay attention when you’re walking, especially in places like Omotesando which are pretty hilly with lots of random little steps.
* It was a little harder than I thought to find souvenirs that were “visibly” Japanese. A lot of the fancy department stores had pretty things but they would often have English or French writing on them, or even Disney characters. I’ve also never seen so much Peanuts merchandise in my life! The items were cute and high quality, but not my kind of thing.
* Restaurants played music not at all related to the cuisine. Country music at a sushi restaurant, and SO MUCH JAZZ. I’ve never heard so much freestyle jazz music in my life.
* If you’re over 5’10 you’ll need to worry about banging your head on stuff. Similarly, although I really love Japanese fashion it was quite tricky to get things that fit. The current style has a lot of oversize stuff, but oversize on someone who is 5’5 looks very different to someone who is 6’2! We did find some good stuff in the end, and it was a lot of fun to browse.
* Japanese online reviewers tend to be very honest and only rate something as 5 stars if it’s incredible, so if you’re looking at Google reviews and a restaurant has 3.4/5 it’s still above average.
* I don’t have a sweet tooth by any means, but I was still surprised at how subtle dessert flavours were for the most part. While the savoury cuisine is extremely flavourful, the desserts are often really quite… bland? We had a matcha cookie dango which looked beautiful but didn’t taste like anything.
* As a tourist normally used to US city prices Tokyo is very reasonably priced, from museums to restaurants to grocery stores. You could easily do Tokyo on a shoestring budget and still get fantastic experiences.

**What I’d do differently**

* I’d probably bring an extra pair of shoes on top of the two pairs I brought just to give my feet a bit of respite.
* We had wanted to do some experiences/classes/tours, but because we needed to leave our plans fairly free in order to do Mt Fuji during clear weather it meant we couldn’t pull the trigger on anything. By the time we had firmed up our plans (during the trip) everything we had earmarked was sold out.
* Similarly, there were a few restaurants that I would have liked to try but they booked out a few weeks in advance so I didn’t get to try them. What I will say is that while some restaurants appeared not to have space when trying to book online, they would still take walk-ins so it’s worth a shot.
* A few hole-in-the-wall places we’d tried to go to had sold out of their food by the time we got there, so if there was anywhere I really want to try I’d try to go when it opened.
* We made it the whole trip without having any ramen! I know that sounds surprising but it’s neither of our favourite foods so we didn’t prioritise it. I’d had some of the veggie-friendly places saved, but whenever we were nearby they were packed and I was too hungry to want to wait.

I had a fantastic time on the trip, and really much of my highlights I can’t really get across via text because it was so exciting to just *be* there. Some of my favourite things were trying new snacks from the convenience stores, and walking around residential areas that looked so different to anything I’d ever seen before. I can’t wait to go back.