5 days in Tokyo 1

5 days in Tokyo

by

Morgane

TOKYO

Early December in Tokyo means cold evenings and the sun going down around 4:30pm. The days may feel short, but once the city lights come on, Tokyo takes on a completely different energy.

The weather was clear most of the time, although it got quite cold after sunset, so it’s worth packing a proper coat if you’re visiting at this time of year.

One thing I quickly realised is that Tokyo is best explored on foot. Pick a neighbourhood, wander through the side streets, and see what you find.

The food was one of the highlights of the trip, Tokyo is one of the best food cities in the world, from tiny local ramen shops to high-end restaurants. As for the sushi, the reputation is absolutely deserved, I had some of the best sushi of my life here.

5 days in Tokyo 2

ITINERARY OVERVIEW

D1: Arrival
D2: Shibuya + Shinjuku
  • Takeshita Street, Meiji Jingu, Shibuya Crossing
  • Kabukicho, 3D cat, Godzilla head, Omoide Yokocho
D3: Ginza + Roppongi + Odaiba
  • Tsukiji Market, Hie Jinja Shrine 
  • Roppongi Hills, Tokyo Tower, TeamLab Planets
  • Odaiba Observation Deck

D4: Day trip to Mount Fuji

  • Arakurayama Sengen Park, Shimoyoshida Honcho Street, Lake Kawaguchiko

D5: Asakusa + Akihabara + Chiyoda

  • Senso-ji Temple, Nakamise Street, Kappabashi Dori 
  • Ueno Park 
  • Akihabara Electric Town 
  • Imperial Palace

D6: Gotokuji + Harajuku + Shinjuku by night

  • Gotokuji Temple, Setagaya streets 
  • Cafe Reissue, Kabukicho by night

D7: Flight home

 

Shibuya

Loud and busy
  • Takeshita Street: fashion, crepes, cosplay. Go early before it fills up.
  • Meiji Jingu: a Shinto shrine in the middle of a forest.
  • Shibuya Crossing: touristy, yes. But you need to see it.
Food 
  • Sushi Uobei: perfect for lunch, conveyor belt sushi and you order on a tablet.
  • Cafe Reissue: a tiny cafe in Harajuku known for its custom latte art. They draw whatever you want directly in your coffee.
5 days in Tokyo 3 5 days in Tokyo 4 5 days in Tokyo 5 5 days in Tokyo 6 5 days in Tokyo 7 5 days in Tokyo 8 5 days in Tokyo 9 5 days in Tokyo 10 5 days in Tokyo 11

Shinjuku

The best of Tokyo at night
  • Kabukicho: the entertainment district with neon everywhere.
  • The giant 3D cat
  • Godzilla head: sticking out of a building, hard to miss it.
  • Omoide Yokocho: a narrow alley of tiny yakitori stalls.
  • Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building: free observation deck, 360° city view. Go at dusk to catch both daylight and city lights.
Food
  • Cat Cafe Mocha: cats everywhere, matcha latte, a good break from the streets.
  • Ramen Hayashida: really good. Small place, might queue but worth it.
  • Himawari: They make sushi in front of you, great for dinner.
5 days in Tokyo 12 5 days in Tokyo 13 5 days in Tokyo 14 5 days in Tokyo 15 5 days in Tokyo 16 5 days in Tokyo 17 5 days in Tokyo 18 5 days in Tokyo 19 5 days in Tokyo 20 5 days in Tokyo 21 5 days in Tokyo 22 5 days in Tokyo 23

Ginza

Tokyo’s luxury neighbourhood
  • Tsukiji Market: the outer market is still very much alive. Fresh fish, so come hungry.
  • Hie Jinja Shrine: a quiet hillside shrine with a row of torii gates. Easy to miss but good to find.

Food 

  • A Happy Pancake: the soufflé pancakes everyone talks about. Book ahead or expect a wait.
5 days in Tokyo 24 5 days in Tokyo 25 5 days in Tokyo 26

Roppongi

Upscale, artsy, good city views.
  • Roppongi Hills: shops, galleries, good city views. Nice to walk through.
  • Tokyo Tower: yes it looks like the Eiffel Tower. Still beautiful, especially lit up at night.
5 days in Tokyo 27 5 days in Tokyo 28 5 days in Tokyo 29

Odaiba

An artificial island, modern and very calm.
  • TeamLab Planets: immersive art: water, mirrors, projections. I loved it.
  • Odaiba Observation Deck: free views of Rainbow Bridge, a mini Statue of Liberty, and the Unicorn Gundam below. 
5 days in Tokyo 30 5 days in Tokyo 31 5 days in Tokyo 32

Asakusa

The most traditional part of Tokyo
  • Senso-ji Temple: Tokyo’s oldest temple. The Nakamise shopping street leading up to it is full of snacks and souvenirs. It gets crowded fast, aim to arrive before 8am.
  • Kappabashi Dori: a pretty street with Tokyo in the background.
5 days in Tokyo 33 5 days in Tokyo 34 5 days in Tokyo 35 5 days in Tokyo 36 5 days in Tokyo 37 5 days in Tokyo 38

Akihabara

Manga, arcades, anime
  • Electric Town: manga, arcades, anime, electronics. Even if it’s not your thing, it is worth it.
  • Ueno Park: a large park close to Akihabara, with temples, museums and a lake.
5 days in Tokyo 39 5 days in Tokyo 40 5 days in Tokyo 41 5 days in Tokyo 42 5 days in Tokyo 43 5 days in Tokyo 44

Chiyoda

Calm, historic, central
  • Imperial Palace East Gardens: free, calm and beautiful garden.
5 days in Tokyo 45 5 days in Tokyo 46 5 days in Tokyo 47

Gotokuji

A quiet neighbourhood most tourists skip, worth the detour.
  • Gotokuji Temple: the lucky cat temple. Hundreds of ceramic maneki-neko, very fun to see.
  • Setagaya streets: quiet residential neighbourhood around the temple. Nice to wander. 
5 days in Tokyo 48 5 days in Tokyo 49 5 days in Tokyo 50

Day trip: Mount Fuji

One day out of the city, easily the highlight of the trip.

About 1h30 from Shinjuku station by train to Kawaguchiko. 

  • Arakurayama Sengen Park: the pagoda with Fuji behind it. Get off at Shimoyoshida Station, 15 min walk. 
  • Shimoyoshida Honcho Street: a long straight road with Fuji perfectly framed at the end. Also from Shimoyoshida Station.
  • Lake Kawaguchiko: Get off at Kawaguchiko Station. Getting around: walk, rent a bike, or take the local bus. The loop around the lake by bike is very doable.
Food
  • Haostay Coffee near the lake is a good stop for breakfast. 
5 days in Tokyo 51 5 days in Tokyo 52 5 days in Tokyo 53 5 days in Tokyo 54 5 days in Tokyo 55 5 days in Tokyo 56

GOOD TO KNOW

  • IC Card (Pasmo or Suica): Works on every train, metro and bus in Tokyo. Add the app directly to Apple Wallet before you even land.
  • Getting around: Tokyo’s metro is easy to navigate even without Japanese. Google Maps works perfectly for routes.
  • For the Mount Fuji day trip, book your train from Shinjuku to Kawaguchiko in advance.
  • Convenience stores (konbini): 7-Eleven, FamilyMart, Lawson. Better than you’d expect: onigiri, katsu sandwiches, hot food…
  • English: Not widely spoken, but people will genuinely try to help. 

HONEST TAKE

I loved it, and I want to go back to explore more of Japan. The food alone is worth it: best sushi of my life, and I take sushi seriously. The side streets, the temples, the fact that everything just runs smoothly,  it has something that’s hard to explain until you’re there.

Safe, clean, easy to get around. People don’t speak much English but they’ll genuinely try to help. Coming from China, the culture shock was less than expected, and if I’m being honest, I think I have a slight preference for China. Not really a fair comparison though. Tokyo is its own thing, and it won’t be my last time.

<

>

Recent Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *