Is anyone here in or familiar with Tokyo? Going on a trip and have zero idea what to do as a non-tourist...
A new entry to go with my previous two posts in the same vein NYC and Denver, but this time in...
TOKYO!
The "Going on a trip and have zero idea what to do as a non-tourist..." isn't entirely true like it was in my post about NYC as anyone that has seen me talk about sumo can imagine, but everyone was extremely helpful and threw out suggestions I wouldn't have even thought about looking for in previous posts. So here I am again to bug you wonderful people for Tildes Travel Guide III: Tokyo Trilogy Part Minus One
The overarching details:
- 7 days in Tokyo from Friday, January 9th to Friday, January 16th.
- Except for Jan 9, I am completely solo for the entire trip.
- There are two specific events I will be attending, one is Friday the 9th, the other is TBD but can be nearly any day during the trip.
- I don't know where I'm staying yet. Where is kinda dependent on what I decide to do/be regularly near, am open for accommodation recommendations. I would prefer to stay in one place the entire trip, not real interested in packing up all of my things to move to another part of Tokyo (or another city) unless I can be convinced to do so.
- I'm not the sightseeing tourist-y type so there's little interest in the things that are on every "Tokyo Top 10" list.
And so I beseech you fellow Tilderinos, as someone that doesn't care about being a tourist and doesn't have a social media presence to feed I'm-here-and-you're-not selfies to, what should someone with nearly a week entirely alone with nothing but free time in Tokyo actually do?
If you're reading this and thinking there's not much to go on interest-wise...
...that's the point.
I know what I like.
I know what I don't like.
I don't know what I don't know about and experimenting and trying new things is paramount to life.
Okay, a little about me, and why you should take my advice seriously: I was wrapping up my PhD and was looking at jobs worldwide in early 2019. There were two jobs I was applying to in Japan, including one just outside of Tokyo. In preparation (and out of anxiety), I started studying Japanese on Duolingo and consuming vast amounts of Japan-based youtube content. I ended up not working there, but I've kept up my JP skills for ~5 of the 6.5 years since. I finally managed to go to Japan last year, spending 11 days in March traveling across southern/western Japan (Fukuoka and Saga Prefecture, Miyazaki, Hiroshima, Wakayama, Nagoya), 19 days across the rest of Honshu (Tokyo, Otsu/Lake Biwa, Aomori because of a typhoon, Kanazawa, Fukui, Sendai, and Tokyo), and I will be returning in January for a week due to finding a crazy good flight deal, visiting Osaka and Kyoto.
You and I have a similar style. I do occasionally go to landmarks and tourist attractions, but they are not the main feature - the place is the thing. I don't usually make plans when I travel to Japan, I just wander around and book hotels a day in advance and then find a train to get there. That said, a week isn't long enough to scratch the surface of Tokyo. Don't try to. Find places that sound like they feel interesting and visit there. You'll find plenty of good things to do if you just go to a place and look around. It's the world's biggest metropolis (41 million metro), and it has many sub-regions that are themselves on the population scale of the cities of Chicago (2.7 million city) or Rome (2.7 million city). I did manage to successfully shepherd three 70-something friends-of-a-friend around Kanazawa and Tokyo this fall at their request despite having never been there before, and they expressed joy at the experience.
My favorite youtuber, bar none at this point, is Abroad in Japan. (Actually, his content was posted to ~tech last week criticizing the "Japan is a disaster" sub-specialty of youtube content.) He's a sarcastic Brit who's lived in Japan since 2012, but who truly loves and appreciates Japan, enough to criticize it. He has a humorously-frosty exterior but it's clear that it's in a British "taking the piss" sort of way, very tsundere. He's also almost an auteur filmmaker in his style - very polished, very smart, and he really enjoys the filmmaking process. He has lived in rural northeast Japan, Tohoku region, as well as Sendai (biggest city in Tohoku), and now in Tokyo. He's also a very different kind of travel youtuber, almost more like Rick Steves, whose page begins, "His travel philosophy encourages people to explore less-frequented areas of destinations and to become immersed in the local people's way of life." All that to say, I'm going to recommend a video, but you shouldn't miss it just because it's a "how to tourist Tokyo video" - it'll fit what you're looking for.
Ignore the clickbait title, 101 Things to Do in Japan is THE perfect video for you. Chris really emphasizes the importance of visiting out of the way places, including those that are just nearby to Tokyo, and doesn't just focus on tourist attractions. Perhaps a quarter of the video is about touristy things, the rest is just places that are interesting to go to. As the video says 30 seconds in, "It seems most people coming here seem to be doing the same six things, going home, having missed all the good stuff." I specifically identify Kawagoe and Enoshima (start watching here to begin with these regions) as places that match your goal. Other places include Shimokitazawa and Kamakura. Hell, he even recommends the Shinbashi business district, not quite a normal video. I'd strongly recommend the whole video, because there's a lot of asides and references to other places in the region that you'll hear him mention that may catch your eye. I'll also recommend searching "Abroad in Japan <region/city/ward/interest>" on youtube, and you'll probably find another video by him (or competitors who tag their videos with his name for SEO purposes) about it.
Other advice from Tilderinos is good too, but some may not be the best for a single-week tour or in Tokyo specifically. Your trip can be VERY cheap or VERY expensive, but some advice, like staying in a true traditional full-service ryokan the entire time, will guarantee the latter in Tokyo. I have stayed at 3 ryokans, including a premium one and had a great experience, but I don't recommend for more than a couple days if you're interested in seeing the city itself...too much to do at the ryokan itself! That said, if you want the experience, spending a couple days at a ryokan at the start of your trip is a fantastic way to get over jet-lag, since the accommodations are a destination in and of itself...I'd just recommend a different city and future trip for that particular cultural touchstone.
I would echo the /u/chocobean comments about wandering around. There's a ridiculous abundance of things to see and people to meet, so wandering is a genuinely great idea for finding unexpected things. Different wards (kind of like buroughs in NYC) have really specialized in areas to differentiate from each other...and they kind of go all in with it. Each ward can be extremely different from immediate neighbors. Walk between them and see how different they can be!
Practically, you want to stay as close to a train station as possible. It is very easy to get across the city, but you want to be near the train to get around. The train network is very dense, so it won't be hard, but it should be a priority, even at a small premium. I would strongly recommend avoiding the "APA Hotel" brand, not for quality or price (both of which are excellent), but for reasons of politics - the country's xenophobic political wing owns the brand, and they even have English pamphlets in their rooms about how there were no Japanese war crimes in WWII and all allegations were a Chinese-American conspiracy. Fortunately, there are many affordable, clean, and convenient brands. Toyoko Inn, Tobu, Dormy Inn, Daiwa Roynet, and Route Inn are all large chains that have great consistency and modest prices. Weirdly, ultra-budget American brands such as Comfort Inn have a decent reputation - the floor for hotels is very very high, so even very budget accommodations are acceptable. Check reviews, but don't look at averages like an American, because they will have a ton of Japanese reviews (which are very very low by our standards) and a ton of upset foreign reviews complaining about the lack of English (which they speak very well in the hospitality industry). I'd suggest for a week you want a room with a built in shower, rather than a shared bath, and to spend $80-150/night for a single bed room (edit: in Tokyo about 50-70% of that in other cities). The rooms are not large, but they will do well and have clean and comfortable beds. Ultra-budget accommodations are available, but I wouldn't recommend them for more than a night unless you're in your 20s and don't care about quality of sleep.
I strongly encourage getting a wide variety of food, and you can find it all over the city. If you can't read Japanese on the menu, just remember the phrase "oh-sue-sue-may-wa?", lit. "your recommendation is?" The waiter will very gladly recommend you something you will find delicious.
Lunch/Dinner:
Yakiniku (lit. "grilled meats") restaurants are an interactive dining experience where you are provided raw meats (they also have veggies if vegetarian) and you grill them at the table. Sukiyaki ("what you like - grilled," though it's not really grilled) is a related meal, where you prepare your meat in a broth in front of your plate, a hot pot variation. Another version is “shabu-shabu,” which is an onomatopoeia for the sound meat makes cooking in liquid. Yakitori ("grilled bird/chicken" on a stick) is a street food that is so elegant and simple and ridiculously delicious for a dollar. Teppanyaki ("iron plate grill") is a broad description for what Americans tend to call "hibachi" preparation - less of a show, more of an artistic meal in Japan, but worth it, especially with proper A5 wagyu, which is worth it, once. Okonomiyaki ("as you like it - grilled") is a sit-down experience at a teppan (the aforementioned "iron plate") where the chef makes it in front of you, and it is fully customizable; most food in Japan is done "correctly," so you don't get to modify it. Udon, soba, and ramen soups are a way of life in Japan, and there are more versions than I can describe, so try them all, especially in winter. Takoyaki ("octopus grilled" but really doughy balls that have octopus in them) are a street food specialty that will burn your mouth but are a favorite. Tonkatsu (“pork fried”) will make you understand why pork is the favorite meat in Japan, and I particularly enjoyed the donburi style from Miyazaki. Karaage fried chicken will give any fried chicken you’ve ever had a run for its money. Lots of meals will have pickled vegetables or cabbage with them on the side – even if you don’t like them at home, eat them, they will surprise and delight you.
There is a large emphasis on family-style restaurants, and even brands like Denny’s will be abundantly available – expect the most premium Denny’s experience of your life. Complementary to these experiences are places that serve gyudon (“beef bowl”) with rice – AiJ has a great video on that too, since they can be VERY cheap and filling and frankly delicious. He recommends (and so do I) Yoshinoya. It’s very fast, you can typically order with a tablet in English, and the price is ~$7 for a full meal with sides and toppings and tea. Ippudo and Ichiran are two budget ramen joints that are worth a visit as well.
Kaiseki is more an experience or level of service than a cuisine, but it is roughly traditional Japanese haute-cuisine; expect a 7-12 course meal with a curated menu that changes daily, and perfect dining experience.
Breakfast, convenience stores/konbini, and vending machines/jihanki:
Breakfasts can and should be cheap - go to any convenience store, get a tuna mayo onigiri (rice ball) and some canned coffee or tea and be done with it. They are low cost, tasty, and fast (and I don't even like mayo). Try different onigiri, including the tamago (egg omlette), but I'd recommend avoiding the trout for breakfast (salmon, great, trout...afternoon only), and only trying the umeboshi "plum" very very cautiously. That said, there are also a ton of cute cafes around...just try to avoid one that has smoking.
Convenience stores are also a great option on the go to grab hot or cold tea and snacks like ice creams in summer - they also often have very very clean microwaves to heat your food. It's crazy, but the FamilyMart (my favorite), 7/11, and Lawsons (my least favorite) brands are everywhere and they have consistently high quality fresh food, because it gets bought so often they can keep it fresh on the shelf. The fried chicken wars of a few years ago were won...by Japan. Honestly, all three main brands have good offerings, but the FamilyMart "famichiki" is the consensus best, and I agree. Get a lusciously-breaded chicken tender for a buck and walk out, fastest hot snack you can get in winter.
Vending machines are everywhere. They have hot and cold offerings, and the coffee is sneaky caffeinated. Enjoy them, they are a resource. While drinking beverages (including alcohol) as you walk and on the street is just fine, there is a large cultural taboo about eating while walking, so please find a place to park while you scarf down your onigiri and famichicki.
Other food experiences:
Kakigori ("shaved ice") has an international version but also a local variant that is far superior - get it with condensed milk on the top, and it's sublime. Tea ceremonies are worth doing, very much an experience that is worth the effort.
To avoid:
Natto. Don’t.
Anyways, lots of advice. Feel free to message me if you want to chat more off-line, I’ve got a lot of experience and am happy to help however.
Just got back from Japan. Spent 5 days in Tokyo.
First of all, don't sweat what people do and don't put on lists. Many awesome experiences are on peoples list and they're filled with tourists. Some of them are still worth doing though, like Team Labs.
We stayed in Asakusabashi at a hotel called ICI Hotel. We liked it. Near the Asakusa line. Close to Akihabara and Sensoji. You can even visit Sensoji in the morning/evening to dodge some of the crowds.
In terms of specific things to do, japan guide has some good itineraries. Here is one for Asakusa if you decide to stay in Asakusabashi. You're going to be there during sumo time which I am very envious of. Maybe see some sumo. There are many nice museums including the Tokyo museum. There are also some interesting day trips you can do if you're willing to leave Tokyo.
Not an expert, but I promised myself the next time I visit Japan I would not stay at a hotel, only traditional ryokan's. And that I would try to do less of the usual list of tourists things and spend time eating seasonal food, attending special events, and visiting crafts people/workshops
Following this thread with great interest and gonna live vicariously through you -..-
Per my comment, ryokan was the name of the lodging/accomodations I meant to suggest, whereas the onsen was the traditional bath. My mistake.
The ryokan was fascinating, staying on the simple mats on the floor without padding. I have a great memory of staying with two friends in a shared space... Sharing a bottle of wine and then just chuckling at how we all needed to fall asleep on the floor with only a mat. Honestly, we didn't get the padding - only the mat. I think that was a short change, upon reflection!
I don't know the proper way to stay at one.... Were the futon bedding perhaps in a cupboard waiting to be laid out? Was the staff waiting politely for a signal to come in and lay them for your party, and didn't want to intrude upon an enjoyable evening, forcing the transition between social drinking and bed time?
Oh, I mean, 100%. I never even once looked up what happened. We all slept on the pads and just were flummoxed. We had our morning baths and went on with our lovely trip.
We had one friend there who had moved to Japan with her then husband on a whim after a shotgun wedding. She brought us to a ryokan knowing it was important. None of us knew the real plan.
I cherish these memories. Man, heading to the bath as the one man in the group of three (big brave face to go be naked in the communal shower!) was an experience.
Then it wasn't all that different than showering in the gym after a workout, except the showers were at seat height, there was a bucket, and a little seat.
Bah. It was so fun. I would totally tell a wider story if I wasn't on my phone. The stay was perfectly fine. But those mats really do need the little blanket setup lol. We just each had the equivalent of a little airplane pillow! 🤣
Lots more little and unique experiences.
I've got lots of other good memories, but this was a quick mental checklist from my one and only trip to Japan. Enjoy!
Good news, not all tuna species are endangered. Eg, Atlantic Bluefin are IUCN least concern
I don't know when I would ever get the chance to solo walk wander Tokyo, but that would be so lovely.... No goals, no appointments, just immerse, watch, listen.
Dude/dudette/whatever, listen to chocobean. Just walking the city quietly was the vast majority of what we did and is completely worth it.
We did go out one night time intentionally trying to find the Japanese business people trapped at work late, going out to drink, and then going home way too late. We were successful, and we ended up at a sake vending machine (wtaf!).
Mid 20s were a different vibe than mid to late thirties, upon reflection.
But walking through the city at all different spots and hours of the day, simply seeing the unique culture and city was soooooo worth it. Chocobean has it right with this suggestion.
You are thinking of the imperial palace gardens.
Yes! Thank you so much for highlighting the correct name. And again, apologies if my description wasn't ... Yeah.
Lovely spot. Got about 25,000 steps that day.
For ease of getting around, I'd probably pick places along the Yamanote Line subway train. It's a big loop that connects all of Tokyo's hubs and a bunch of trains connect to this service, making it easy to get around the city. The further you get from this service, the less likely it is you'd find something from a "Top 10 things to do in Tokyo" list. However, it then becomes a bit harder to get around as the subway lines converge back to the center of the city.
For parks/nature, you could go to Yoyogi Park or the Meguro Sky Garden. I went to the former and it was really peaceful. The park is dead silent despite a bustling city being around it, which is still wild to me.
I also enjoyed visiting the Ochanomizu neighborhood, the Daikanyama Log Road area (near Shibuya), Azabudai Hills (not too far from the Tokyo Tower), and Roppongi Hills (though this is decently touristy).
If you're into trains and have some time, you might enjoy the Train Museum in the neighboring city of Saitama. It's about a ~45 minute train ride from Tokyo Station in a cute suburban area. They have all sorts of stuff from historical steam trains to older subway cars to the bullet trains. They have a nice little souvenir shop and cafe too. I went on a whim and really enjoyed myself.
+1 for Yoyogi Park. I saw that and it was really lovely.
Also want to endorse Yoyogi Park. I stayed in Shinjuku and was able to run down to Yoyogi Park, run some laps, and take the train back.
Maybe it was just the Yoyogi Park crowd, but everyone there were very fast runners. I was doing 8 min miles and everyone else was running sub 6 min miles without breaking a sweat.
I can recommend searching for some tags on tildes. There's been several similar posts about Tokyo specifically and there's always been a lot of replies.
I have heard good things about the Bank of Japan's tour/museum. They cover the history of Japan's currency and economy. Apparently it's interesting, and I assume it shouldn't be very crowded with western tourists.
Of course you should check out one of the days of sumo during the January Basho, it's the first time in a little while where there are two active Yokozuna and I will be steaming jealous of you getting to see them compete in person.
I would recommend somewhere near Shimbashi or Kanda station because both are well-connected but not too crazy busy--or if you plan on going to Shinjuku or Shibuya a lot just stay near there.
Go spend an hour watching live Rakugo at one of the many theatres--even if you don't understand Japanese it's fun to watch--Asakusa is as fine a place as any to do this.
night-cruising
I spent a semester in Tokyo at Musashi University when I was in undergrad, here's a quick list of some things I enjoyed doing:
Take a day and ride the train far out into the countryside to a random small town. The Tobu Tojo line goes to a cool small town called Yorii in Saitama. Nothing notable there, but a great experience of just walking around the town and country (actually I think there was ruins of a fort or something there)
Go into restaurants that you don't know a thing about, point to something random on the menu that seems the right price for lunch/dinner and eat that. Menu behind the counter and you can't point to something? Take a picture and point to the item on your phone.
Head over to Ikubukuro at night and get smashed at a nomihodai. Just don't miss last train (been there, it sucks).
The best pizza place in the world is DevilCraft in Kanda. Seriously, it's amazing. Get a reservation asap. Spend my birthday there at the bar downstairs.
Likewise, the best Indian restaurant I've ever been to is this place near Ekoda Station. I still have a coupon for lunch in my wallet after 13 years.
Go sing some karaoke if you are with anyone. Getting smashed and attempting to sing 99 luftballons in German with friends is a memory that stays with you (assuming you don't get TOO smashed).
Hit up a Mister Donut
I'll add to this comment if I think of anything else! But in general, just explore! You can get off at any station and find cool stuff.
I was always interested in visiting one of the disaster preparation centers or maybe the firefighter's one.
I would also check out the flood discharge tunnel.
Wife would definitely want to check out waterworks museum and try to look up a tour of one of contemporary plants.
Yeah, we are weird. :-)
I was lucky enough to spend 3 months in Tokyo about 15 years ago.
Between the metro, rail lines and being a pleasant city to walk in, it's easy and straightforward to get around. Public transport has everything in both Japanese and English.
Winter weather can be really nice in Tokyo, cold but sunny.
You mentioned sumo so I'm guessing you're already planning on visiting Ryogoku.
Some low key things I enjoyed doing:
And some other things:
I'm heading myself on business again next week so will hopefully have more to report in a few weeks, but one big thing to note is that you need to book the popular stuff well in advance, e.g., teamLab exhibitions, prime hours for Shibuya Sky, etc.
I'll throw in another vote for just strolling through different neighbourhoods. Last time I was staying in Shibuya and walked up through Yoyogi Park, exploring the gardens and Meiji temple along the way, then out through Takeshita St. into Harajuku. Did that on my first full day there and it was a wonderful introduction to the city. There's some decent views of the Shibuya Scramble from upstairs in the nearby Starbucks too, handy if you want to caffeinate while checking out the madness.
Also, if you happen to be a musician, I highly recommend making a pilgrimage to 'guitar street' in Ochanomizu.
Good point. Some of the concerts and events are Japanese language only and need to apply for tickets / pick up in person. The Ghibli museum (circa 2017) was available to overseas but booked well in advance.
I think a distinct thing about Japanese cities are the gachapon machines. It's those things you insert a coin into which dispenses a plastic ball that has a toy/figure inside. They are everywhere, and I think they are worth looking at because of the absurd variety of things in them. Tons of them are gonna have garbage you don't want, but if you look at enough of them, you will find something that's cool, or funny, or related to your interests in some way. I found a machine that had miniature versions of the brand of American work boots I wear. They get ultra niche and specific, and make a good souvenir. You may ask yourself why you would ever want a shitty 50 yen key chain, and the answer is because there is actually one tailor made just for you. If you do decide to get one, look around because there is probably a place to return the plastic balls to, as they reuse them.
I found one that had a whole dentist tool set and dentist chair. It was a great gift for my dad.
DM me if you would like my seven day Tokyo itinerary. I deleted my post about it, but I often go for the time you've indicated, and I love doing stuff solo in the city.
OP I don’t have a ton of advice on where to go, but as far as how to navigate the city, I can’t recommend Apple Maps enough.
When I was there with my FIL, he was using Google Maps, and I was using Apple Maps. Apple Maps has way better transit directions and detailed maps of the various station entrances. He got confused fairly often using Google Maps, but I never got lost when I had Apple Maps running.
I lived in Japan for a few years and visited Tokyo a few times but this was like 15 years ago.
What really worked for me was to get an app like trip advisor. I just went down the list of everything in the city and bookmarked anything I thought I might want to do or see. I had a few things that were definitely on my list, but whenever I didn't have a specific destination I just opened the app and could say "well there's x a 10 minute walk this way, and y a 20 minute walk that way." And just pick a nearby thing that I had previously checked out.
Never been to Japan, but I watched a travel video where someone took a sleeper train to (I think) Kyoto, and it looked pretty neat. Unfortunately, I cannot find the specific video and there seem to be 10 billion on YT, but it seemed like a neat experience, especially if you are traveling solo.