Oh - also be aware of Tsukiji closings on Sunday and I believe Wednesday. Some of the outer market is open, but not all. A breakfast sushi run is a great plan. I advise against standing in line for the 2-3 famous places. There’s very little difference - all the fish there is incredibly fresh. Duh.
Not even the West side of the station (away from kabukicho)? What is the aspect you don’t like?
I don’t know the area so well that I can say with authority that every part of it is this way, but to me it epitomizes the overwhelming, neon, people pouring down the streets aspect of Tokyo that is part of its essential character, but not what I want to be immersed in for long. Of course there are quieter times, and quieter streets, I’m sure, but even the station itself is almost too much - I think it’s 3-4 separate stops, actually, that are all connected like a small city underground, IIRC. I prefer staying somewhere near a good, useful subway line which is never too crowded, within walking distance of some cute, interesting streets, with plenty of character, and very little of the madding crowd. It’s easy to dip a toe into the more Bladerunner aspects without having to set up camp there.
My preference, not everyone’s I’m sure. If that’s where you want to be, go for it. I only wanted to convey that if you feel it’s necessary for convenience, it’s not.
Thanks. I think we are very similar in that way. The jarring crazy neon street scene sounds exhausting. I’d always rather find a quieter street near a subway stop. Maybe your advice makes sense.
Shinjuku is a hole. Would avoid it for staying in although you may need to traverse it to get to some of the trains/places you will visit.
For three people the Prince in front of Shinagawa has good deals and seems to handle three people better than many. And does not break the bank even a little bit. Oh and the breakfast is on them if you sign up for their frequent guest program.
I was intrigued by a few comments above and tend to nod in general agreement with most. The one that stands out is the one that expresses dislike for large concrete cities in favor of something like Kyoto.
Kyoto in its own right is extremely worth 24-48 hours of your life, but I think the important takeaway from that post and which is right on the money, is the necessity to identify what you want from the trip and places you visit. I think the train pass and all the possibilities it opens up is a massively good move. I also think that planning an itinerary around a trip from Tokyo to Kyushu and hitting Kyoto, Hiroshima etc. along the way makes for a great joint discovery of Japan trip that almost entirely takes the varying styles of life and activity preferences expressed out of the equation.
Having lived here for 27 years I can perhaps add color to some of the ideas you are batting around and would also direct you to FlyerTalk (the Japan forum specifically) as it has several uber-detailed itineraries from which you could pick and choose aspects.
If you would like to PM me or mail I am always available also.
You have quite a wonderful time ahead of you no matter what you choose this time and set aside for the next.
Mai
Our first trip to Japan was Tokyo, Kyoto and Koyasan. Although we loved all 3 places, the most memorable was actually Koyasan. If your looking for a more tranquil and rural setting, this could be an option for you.
We will be there during the busiest time for Kyoto. So…our friend, who will be visiting at the same time and has offered to shepherd us around has us skipping Kyoto in favor of Nara, and going to Hakone for our “rural japan” fix.
Here it is in detail…
Day 1 arrive in Tokyo
Day 2 tokyo area sightseeing:
Asakusa senso-ji temple?
Tsukuji fish market?
Meiji shrine/harajuku crazy shopping
Ryogoku sumo wrestler watching/ Tokyo Edo Museum?
Ueno park/national treasures museum?
Ginza shopping/food basements
Shinjuku area nightlife/restaurants/shopping
Day 3 tokyo sight seeing
Day 4 Kamakura Daibutsu (big Buddha) or Kawagoe?
Day 5 head to Hakone
Day 6 Hakone and then afternoon head to Nara
Day 7 Nara Todaiji gardens, Nara park, kasuga-taishi
Day 8 Head to Tokyo
Day 9 Leave Japan
Sounds like a great trip.
I am assuming this Tokyo list represents potential things to-do? I can tell you from personal experience, it is possible to spend 2 days clothes shopping in Harajuku/Shibuya!
btw - my personal must-see is the Hachiko statue at Shibuya station. I tear up every time.
Sounds fun!
I know you said no Michelin restaurants but in Nara you might want to check out Wa Yamamura (和やまむら). It has earned 3 stars but is quite casual, reasonably priced, and the proprietors are very friendly.
Nara is all about the temples, shrines, and park, so I would not try to visit too many of those in Tokyo. However, Yasukuni may be interesting to you for the peek it provides into a current of Japanese politics. My Chinese national wife actually refused to step foot into its grounds with me so powerful is its symbolism in East Asia!
My favorite sights in Hakone were the Open Air Museum (Hakone Open Air Museum - Hakone Travel) and Owakadani, which has great views of Fuji (Owakudani - Hakone Travel). And while in Hakone if you are staying in Yumoto you will find that there are limited dinner spots - you might look for this place (『箱根湯本での新たな目的地に』by おいしん坊！万才 : 鈴鹿 - 箱根湯本/レストラン [食べログ]). It’s an izakaya run by a relatively young guy named Tomo and his doll-like young wife Hikari. Tomo speaks pretty good english and his food is way better than it has the rights to be.
Just to be clear before I give advice - did you mean “without” or “with our”?
I had assumed the former but reading through the thread I see everyone else assumed the latter so I’m probably wrong.
In either case a visit to Akihabara - the electronics district in Tokyo - can be fun. We picked up a foot massager which is 10x better than anything I’ve ever tried in Brookstone.
Also in either case you and your son would enjoy the yakitori sold at Nara station. Who doesn’t like grilled meat on a skewer? You can go for the more interesting innards and get chicken or beef for him. It’s so good every time we talk about a return visit to Japan Nara station for yakitori is always mentioned.
It seems a shame to skip Kyoto which is one of the most beautiful and interesting cities I’ve ever visited but I understand the wish to avoid the cherry blossom crowds.
Probably my best advice though is to listen to anything Sarah says.
Very kind of you, Jay. I am glad my recommendations were helpful to you and Arnold. What a treat it was to connect with you two in Kyoto!
I second Doug’s recommendation of Wa Yamamura. It is exceptional. You can find my write-up of one of our meals there in either the Travel or the Epicurian Exploits section. If not there, do try and find something similar in Nara, as I personally think it would be a shame not to do one kaiseki (or kaiseki-ish) type meal, when you are in its homeland.
Yes, Dario is coming with. He’ll be fine food-wise. He likes meat, rice, gyoza, and I’m sure he’ll love the Tonkatsu (he loves german schnitzel). The raw fish thing and anything that is a composed dish he might balk at. He won’t even eat ramen, but we’ll see if he gets more adventurous.
It was funny to hear Kirsten tell us that her husband is scolding her for not including Kyoto on the trip. I am definitely conflicted.
I think the dining recs sound great. A big multi-course kaiseki sounds fun. We’ll call about that this week. I’m a guy who likes grazing also…so little stalls and street food are my thing.
I do have a question about akiba…do shops have cheap prices on camera stuff (lenses), or am I better off buying from amazon back home?
I was also going to recommend Koya-san, although getting there can be time-consuming. We went on a day trip from Osaka where we went persimmon picking, to a hot spring (onsen) and then to Koya-san, so that kind of made it a full day. I’d add an onsen to your trip if you are willing to do that. Not the ideal time for it, but it is still a good experience. I hope you have a fun trip.
We are also doing a trip this Summer. Will be a group of 3…Me(35), Wife 33 and daughter 5. Here is our plan:
Friday arrive at Narita. Rented an airbnb in Shinjuku-ku
Saturday-Sunday tour Tokyo(hired private tour guide)
Monday Tokyo---->Mount Fuji---->Kyoto airbnb in Kyōto-shi
Tuesday-Wednesday Kyoto(back to Tokyo thursday afternoon)
Thursday Disney Tokyo
Return home Friday.
Very excited. It is our first trip to Asia
It’s been 55 years since I left Japan and as a picky eater, I didn’t get the foodie experience and I’m sure nothing is like it was. We lived near Fukuoka. Going to the Ginza in Tokyo was like going to a mall. Going to the Ginza in smaller towns or outskirts of the larger cities was always fun and an experience of sights, smells and a myriad of items you’ve never seen nor knew existed. Playing Pachinko at a Pachinko Palace was more entertaining than playing slot machines in Reno. I clearly remember the aroma from the rice paddies. Parks and shrines that aren’t commercialized hold wondrous beauty and detail. While my dad wasn’t treated that well for some obvious reasons, I was treated wonderfully. The people were very giving and the traditions, honor and respect were inspiring to a boy of 9 to 12 years old.
While I want to return, I’m afraid I won’t find what I remember.
I doubt you will find any " bargains" on camera equipment (unless you looking at used) in Japan… Hard to beat Amazon/B&H pricing. Butj there is some stuff you can’t find here… but most prices are no better.
There are a lot of cool stores in Japan – dont miss Tokyu Hands or Village Vanguard.
Shimo-Kitazawa is a cool neighborhood to wander around in Tokyo. Food won’t be an issue, but many restaurants only serve one type of thing – like sushi, ramen, tonkatsu, tempura, etc… Kyoto is difficult to spend too much time in… there is so much to see… The trains are super cool and efficient. Japan-guide.com is a great resource.
Nara is pretty far.
Maybe have a look at Nikko? Nikko is accessible as a day trip if you want to from Tokyo. Relatively rural.
Kamakura is nice. I guess the big buddha is fun to see but some of the temples are pretty cool. There are some walking trails that connect things which is more interesting than waiting for the bus to get around.
Kyoto has far better sights, temples, parks and overall experiences than Nara; I’m biased since I used to live there for a couple of years but there’s really no metric I can think of besides personal ones to pick the latter over the former, especially as a tourist. If the cherry blossom season has you worried, I wouldn’t honestly since by comparison to the average commuting crowd passing through Shibuya, the flower groups are a literal walk in the park by numbers.
Hi Sarah
Interesting comments - I was only in Tokyo once, 19 years ago, but stayed at the Park Hyatt in Shinjuku and loved it.
What neighborhood would you recommend, and is there a hotel there that I can stay on points at?
I like relative quiet rather than bustle, so personal preference. Shinjuku is almost the textbook definition of the neon, crowded, wave of humanity at night image you have of Tokyo. That said, I don’t think where you stay is that important, since I trust you won’t be limiting yourself to your hotel’s immediate vicinity. Pick a nice hotel you like. It will almost certainly be near a metro stop.
I’m sorry but I don’t know anything about hotel loyalty programs where one can use miles except the Intercontinental, which is our program. The ANA Intercon in Akasaka is a nice hotel and convenient. The airport Limousine bus to Akasaka goes there very first stop. Beyond that, I’m not going to be much help.