Tokyo Travel - Suggestions

[FoxtrotGolfXray 5.0]

Looks like I'll be travelling to Tokyo in early September with the daughter for four days.

We'll be flying into Narita on the Sunday night, departing Friday. Not sure where accommodation is at this stage.

Only been to Tokyo for 25 hours before, so don't really know of what's good or not good to do. Any recommendations on good things to do? Things to avoid? I know she wants to go to Disneyland.

[Polyal]

Good question we just booked a week in DEC so we need to make a to-do list too.

Id like to go to one of the major car manufacturer museums perhaps...

[FoxtrotGolfXray 5.0]

Originally Posted by Polyal

Good question we just booked a week in DEC so we need to make a to-do list too.

Id like to go to one of the major car manufacturer museums perhaps...

A bit more time to plan your trip than I have, Polyal. Typical of my daughter; no planning done for this trip other than purchase the tickets and organise her passport

[MDS69]

We went there in March this year for a week then a week in Osaka. We stayed at Keio Plaza Hotel in Tokyo. A little expensive but a great hotel and fairly central. We caught the limousine bus from the airport to our hotel. Google it to see if it goes to your hotel or evento one nearby then walk. We purchased our tickets from a kiosk at the airport when we arrived. There is a courtesy bus to Disney from the hotel we stayed at. The subway is close by to our hotel. We purchased train tickets as we went from a ticket machine. Keep plenty of coins for this. It has English translation. There are four different company train networks and a weekly pass won’t work across all of them. The trains are easy once you get the hang of it. Each of the networks are colour coded so look up at the signs and down on the ground for painted lines to go to the correct platform. Sometimes you have to walk through one platform to get to yours. Also google maps is your friend telling you what platform and train/station number to use. A lot of the main underground stations are like a mini city underneath with shopping and food options. When using escalators keep left in single file and resist the temptation to walk up them. Just go with the flow. Google the Goverment Tower for a viewing floor at 40 odd storeys high for great views both day and night. Also some nights the building is lit up in a light show that is pretty spectacular. Make sure you visit a 7/11 and similar convenience stores to sample the food. Be prepared for a lot of walking checking things out. Most people speak/understand English but speak slowly and clearly to avoid confusion. Learn a few key phrases for hello, thank you etc. Japanese people are shy but polite and proud people. Tokyo is very very clean with very few garbage bins so keep a rubbish bag in your back pack. Do not walk and eat/drink at the same time. That is considered rude. There are a few Tokyo travel Facebook groups to consider.
Osaka compared to Tokyo on the other hand……..

[jaydee]

Catch a train or taxi to what they call "electric city".
That's where all the lights are and electronics goods, very vibrant.

[MDS69]

Originally Posted by jaydee

Catch a train or taxi to what they call "electric city".
That's where all the lights are and electronics goods, very vibrant.
image

That was a block from our hotel. Great to walk around and a few food options as well.

[CFOUR]

toyota museum is cool, daiba city or something like that, big giant gundam thing is there and another technology museum. I walked as many places as possible we did 28km on foot in 4 days.

[DTFRMONT]

Originally Posted by CFOUR

toyota museum is cool, daiba city or something like that, big giant gundam thing is there and another technology museum. I walked as many places as possible we did 28km on foot in 4 days.

Did the Toyota museum in Odaiba on my first trip in 2019, was a very cool collection. However it's now sadly closed, the whole complex was demolished during COVID & is being redeveloped.

[DTFRMONT]

Going back to Japan for trip no. 3 in October....

The public transport in Tokyo is next level, Google maps will be your friend while using the subway, it will even tell you what exit you need to use - Tokyo subway stations nearly all have numbered exits, use a random exit at your peril, especially at some of the massive stations such as Shinjuku!

Your daughter might find Harajuku fun, and it's an easy walk from there down to Shibuya Crossing.

If you're interested in Anime, Akihabara is still the traditional area for that, although Ikebukero is starting to become a popular area for Anime. The Nintendo store at the Parco department store in Shibuya is a must-do if you're into that sort of thing as well, it's on a floor that is entirely devoted to Anime, a Pokemon store is also on the same floor.

Shopping in Tokyo is next-level, the department stores make David Jones seem like Target in comparison. Also, if buying clothing, be aware that Japanese sizes are usually smaller than here, you might need to go up 1-2 sizes from normal, but don't be suprised if the shop staff tell you this.

You will find that booze is extremely cheap compared to here. A bottle of Beam or Jack is around $14-$15 from a 7-11, a can of beer is around $2 or so. The food is all very good, generally no such thing as a bad meal in Japan. The 'worst' meal that I've had there was some Guzman & Gomez last trip, which was on the bland side compared to G&G here. Check out a McDonald's, some of the Japanese menu items are on the whacky & bizarre side, but their quality is much better than here. I didn't mind the Samurai Mac burger....

Enjoy!