Introduction:
Tokyo, known for its innovative technology and beloved pop culture, holds the title of world’s largest populated city with a grand total of over 37 million people as of writing. Thus, it’s no surprise that Tokyo makes a fantastic tourist destination, whether you’re an anime enthusiast or a globe-trotting traveller, Tokyo is sure to have something for you. Below I will go through my itinerary for the renowned city, adding in places that I would visit if I got the chance to travel back to Japan’s New Capital. So, without further ado, here’s my 7-day itinerary:
Day 1 – Piggy Nature Exploration
For the first day, if you love animals, I highly recommend starting out by visiting one of the unique animal cafes that Japan has to offer, like the ‘mipig cafe’. Whilst I tend to be sceptical of cafes like these due to animal concerns, I’d personally repay a visit to ‘mipig cafe’, as it’s very clear that they hold their animals’ welfare to great importance. If you have the opportunity, I’d spend a little more to have a personal space with the pigs, as you have a chance to properly connect with them 1-1, and if you’ve never hugged a piglet that actively wants to be hugged it’s the most heart-warming thing. It’ll be sure to give your travels a much-needed calming start if you’ve travelled from afar, but if not it’s just a wonderful experience that people of all ages can enjoy. Bookings may be necessary.
Next to continue our nature day, I’d recommend visiting ‘Meiji Jingu’, but most specifically the ‘Meiji Jingu Gyoen’ (the imperial garden) which comprises itself of winding paths through a peaceful forest before opening to a large lakeside garden where you can unwind to a slight breeze. This garden is where I spent most of my time during the temple visit, as you can truly lose yourself in the beauty of the nature. A payment of 500 yen is needed to enter but is truly a sight to see and well-worth the money. Please remember that the imperial garden still resides on the temple grounds and, so like many other places on this list, should be treated with care and upmost respect.
Finally, to finish the day, I highly recommend going to eat at Uobei, in fact this is how I found out about this chain, and I couldn’t be more grateful!! Although I will say that this place, whilst amazing, is very popular and so I highly suggest making sure you arrive early to beat the queue!!
Day 2 – Shi… BUYA!!
Now you’ve settled in, had a nice calming first day, hugged some piglets, visited some gardens, and ate some sushi, it’s time for your holiday to take flight with a busy second day; the caps in the title is no understatement, as the day will start calm and become very busy very quickly as you find yourselves transported from another calm collected park to the busiest crosswalk on the planet. Welcome to day 2!
The day starts with Hibiya Park, a nice little walk centred near the Imperial Palace, a well-known tourist spot for anyone interested in Japan’s Imperial Family, and a fascinating educational segway from the park once you feel ready, as the Palace is surrounded by a large mote and unlike any building in the surrounding area. Though I will preface I was unable to visit during my time in Japan, and thus I’m solely conversing what I’ve been told.
Once you’ve explored the park and/or the Imperial Palace’s gardens, it’s time to take this holiday up a level by venturing into the heart of Tokyo: Shibuya, home to the well-known Shibuya Crossing. With a population of over 200k people, it’s no surprise that this part of Tokyo has gained renown, as it’s bright streets, busy pedestrian areas and popular pop culture centres can transport you to a world unlike no other. Here you can find all forms of activity from Japan’s largest Don Quijote to Shibuya Sky, an experience that will take you high above the towering metropolis wondering why you hadn’t visited Japan sooner. I personally recommend the latter two places, as these are the ones I can confidently say left me leaving the happiest.
MEGA Don Quijote (Japan’s largest Don Quijote) is full of different gadgets and gizmos and allows for tax-free purchases, so it’s an amazing place if you’re looking for a quirky souvenir, or a gift for yourself.
Day 3 – Cats and Cake!!
Now to alternate calm and chaotic, Day 3 will take you on a bit of a tour outside of the heart of Tokyo to a quaint city called Setagaya, or most specifically the Setagaya-Daita neighbourhood, which consists of narrow village paths lined with foliage, making you feel as though you’ve been placed right into a Ghibli movie, or most specifically: My Neighbour Totoro, as the first place to visit is Shiro-Hige’s Cream Puff Factory.
Shiro Hige’s Cream Puff Factory is a compact, cosy café known for its Totoro-shaped cream puffs and is a great spot for a nice rest. What’s more is it’s only a 10mins travel away from Shibuya, thus you should be able to get there easily and for the cheap price of under £1 when using the Odakyu line. (Note: Avoid taxis!! A taxi in Tokyo costs more than 20 times the amount of a train and often won’t get you to where you want to be much sooner.)
After your cosy meal/snack, I recommend taking a nice stroll to Gotokuji temple. With there being so many temples in Japan, it can be hard to choose which ones to go to, as many offer a similar experience, however Gotokuji temple is not like the others with it being adorned in cat ornaments of all sizes. The thought is that people purchase cats from the temple and write a wish/aspiration they want to work towards on it, then when the wish/aspiration comes true you return to the temple and leave the cat as a thank you.
Day 4 – Teamlabs Techno Museum Day
As the trip draws to a close, I highly recommend visiting Teamlabs Borderless and Teamlabs Planets, but make sure to book in advance as these tickets sell quickly!! Visiting these two places in one day may seem a little tiring, but I assure that these places whilst quite similar are unique, since both focus on a different aspect of art.
I would recommend Teamlabs Borderless first as Teamlabs Planets is quite interactive and so could put a dampener on Teamlabs Borderless, but both are amazing in their own ways. Borderless has a higher focus on digital art without borders, like the name suggests. Each piece of illuminated art within Borderless is free to roam the maze of darkened walls, thus everyone’s experience is unique, you can choose to either follow a certain piece or wander aimlessly through the halls of the museum; it’s your choice and plays a big part in its popularity.
Teamlabs Planets, on the other hand, focuses on sensory experiences and you’re required to walk barefoot throughout the museum for this reason. Pre-warning for those who have mobility difficulties, whilst it may be possible to enter the museum, many of the exhibits do involve some form of mobility, and can be slippery, especially within the water section. I highly recommend talking to staff first if you have any worries. However, if you decide to continue through the museum you can expect to spend 2 hours of aweing at different spectacles, as this museum truly has some unique experiences.
Honorable Mentions – Senso-Ji + Nakamise-Dori
These two locations are relatively close together and offer the perfect opportunity to buy gifts for back home, as it’s known for being a tourist location. The streets are quite busy, but if you’re okay with a bit of hustle and bustle you should be fine.
Nakamise-Dori, a popular tourist attraction due to its proximity to Senso-Ji, is a street lined with all sorts of shops, you can find almost anything your heart desires from samurai swords to wind chimes, as well as a nice snack. I highly recommend trying some Tricolour Dango, or maybe even some Japanese-style Tanghulu.
Senso-Ji is another temple, but is often thought of when Tokyo is mentioned, as this temple alongside Meiji Jingu is one of Tokyo’s most famous. Here you can also get your Omikuji by shaking a box to retrieve a numbered stick which leads to corresponding numbered box but remember to tie any bad fortunes to the Omikuji “tree” to leave it behind you!! (Omikuji requires 100-yen donations to participate, so be sure to bring cash in hand)
And that’s your 4-day itinerary!! Be sure to let me know what I’ve missed or what you would like to know about Tokyo, and I’ll look at making more blogs on Tokyo in the future. 😊