Tokyo is a fantastic city to visit. What we love about it so much is that it is clean, easy to get around and there is so much to see and do. The Japanese are a very proud people who go out of their way to assist you.

As always there is limited time to see and do all the top tourist spots. We only did one tour at the start, and after that organised our own schedule.

We chose to stay in the Shiba Park Hotel which is located quite close to the Tokyo Tower. It has a great mix of local restaurants around it and we felt very safe in the area. The hotel has two buildings, the main one is called the 151 Building, and the second building behind it is called the Annex Building. The rooms in the Annex Building are pretty basic and very small. We could barely fit our suitcases in what was a double room. We requested an upgrade, and we were moved to a Deluxe Double room in the 151 Building, which was quite lovely.

Most meals are typical Japanese food with little western food on offer. Communicating at restaurants can be difficult, and not all restaurants offer English menus. However, this can be lots of fun as you try new foods, but if you are unsure about this then best stay in the hotels to eat.

Let’s look through some of the highlights of Tokyo.

For our first day in Tokyo we decided on a Cityrama Tokyo Morning Tour with Sunrise Tours, to give us some perspective of Tokyo. It was the only tour we took during our stay as we felt more than comfortable doing our own sightseeing for the rest of the time. We visited the:

  1. Meiji Jingu Shrine – this is a Shinto shrine, with Shinto being Japan’s ancient original religion. This is a major attraction for tourists and it gave us a taste of the importance of religion in Japan. The Shrine continues to have regular ceremonies each day. Even though it sits in the middle of busy Tokyo, it is surrounded by a thick forest and is a quiet and reflective place to visit.
  2. Imperial Palace East Gardens – this is another busy tourist spot, but well worth a visit. It is the residence of the Emperor of Japan so viewing the Palace itself is not possible, but the grounds are open to the public. Tickets are limited and must be purchased prior to your entry day, although they do have walk-in tickets available. All tours are supervised so don’t expect to wander around for hours on end enjoying the gardens. The famous Seimon Ironbridge is also part of this attraction.
  3. Senso-ji Temple – one of Tokyo’s oldest temples and a beautiful piece of architecture. Again this is a very busy tourist destination so take your time to get some great photos. Surrounding the temple is a shopping district which sells a wide variety of souvenirs and other trinkets. Nearby there are also some great restaurants which generally have a queue out the door in peak times.

For the rest of our stay we managed to navigate the subway system which added to our adventures each day:

  1. Tokyo Tower – who doesn’t want to visit this iconic landmark. There are 2 levels to visit, the main deck at 150m and the top deck at 250m. You can get to the main deck at any time, but for the top deck  you have to book a time. The cost for the main deck is 900 yen and well worth the views. As always there is the tourist shop to visit on the way out, but it had some decent gifts if you are after souvenirs.
  2. Shinjuku Golden Gai – this is a small area of about 6 alleys filled with 280 bars all in a row. Some bars only take about 6 customers, and none of them are very large. They are literally street bars. A fascinating area that comes alive at night, and well worth a visit just for the bright lights and architecture of the various bars. Oh….if you have time stop for a drink….if you can get in the door!
  3. Zojoji Temple – located just near the Tokyo Tower this was a find in amongst the busy streets of Tokyo. Be sure to check out the care guardians to the side of the Temple. They are dedicated to the safe growth of children and grandchildren, as well as for remembering still-born or miscarried children. Quite a moving display.
  4. Takeshita Shopping Street – this is a pedestrian shopping street which can be easily accessed by train. However, it is really busy and crowded so it can be a challenge getting around to see some of the great shopping on offer.
  5. Pokemon Store – if you have children you will know all about Pokemon. This store is amazing and has every Pokemon character and a truck load of other merchandise for sale.
  6. Museum of Yebisu Beer – if you like to try bespoke beer then you will enjoy this brewery, giving an insight into its history and then offering a selection of beers to sample. We enjoyed a lovely relaxed few hours here.
  7. Harajuka Shopping District – this is a very popular shopping neighbourhood and it is worth noting that there are a vast array of shops. We did note, in particular, that there were heaps of toy shops, selling plenty of models and action figures.
  8. Shibuya Crossing – this is famous for the thousands of people who cross in every direction at any given time. Starbucks are even lucky enough to have a view looking over the crossing on their upper level, where you can get some great shots.  It is outside the Shibuya Station which is the third busiest in Japan.
  9. Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building – standing at 243m tall it is well attended for its free observation deck. There will be queues from quite early in the day, but they move fairly quickly. The view is spectacular and again there is a small souvenir shop with some good products. There is a grand piano sitting in the middle of the deck, and it is free for any budding pianist to play. One of the nicest things to see was the joy on the faces of pianists of all ages who played to the tourist audience. Some of the music was spectacular and well appreciated.

Travel Tips

  • A bullet train ride is a must. However, the bullet train is like a local train to the Japanese, so you need to watch the destination board closely to make sure you are hopping on the right train! Otherwise you could end up anywhere. You can check out bookings and destinations here.

Travel Alerts

  • Some restaurants do have English translations for their menus, but many do not as they seem to cater for the Japanese locals only. So if you are eating in the small restaurants in the back streets, where you will find the best food, be prepared for a bit of fun as you try to understand the menu and the language.

Travel Adventures

  • TeamLab Borderless – this is the world’s first digital art museum. Tickets are essential and are a little on the expensive side. This is worth a visit if you would like to experience something quite unique.
  • Fuji Television Building – this is definitely an artwork in itself. The orb object is actually a viewing deck, so if you have time you will get some great photography across Tokyo Bay. It is not far from TeamLab Borderless so you could combine the two in the one visit.