Hi Friends!
Okay, so I had no idea what to expect when we got to Tokyo—but wow, this city was really, really cool! It’s one of those places that just pulls you in with something new around every corner without really knowing at all what you will stumble upon. One minute you're in the middle of the wild chaos at Shibuya Crossing, and the next you're walking through a peaceful garden or stumbling into the coziest ramen shop down a quiet alley. It’s got this perfect mix of super modern and totally traditional, and somehow it all just works. Whether you're into food, fashion, culture, or just aimlessly exploring, Tokyo had it all. I wanted to share where we stayed, some of our favorite spots that we ate at, and all the fun stuff we saw while we were there!
All blog posts for this Osaka and Tokyo Japan Trip
Packing for a 14 Day Trip to Osaka and Tokyo Japan
Where to Eat, Stay and Play in Osaka, Japan
20 Tips to Know Before You Go to Japan
Spend a Day at Disney Sea in Japan
Spend a Day at Disneyland Tokyo
A Day Trip to Nara Park + Kyoto from Osaka, Japan
Where to Eat, Stay and Play at Disneyland Tokyo and Disney Sea
Spend a Day at Universal Studios Japan
Eat Ramen Around Japan with Dustin
Budget Breakdown of the entire 14 Day Japan Trip
A Few Things to Have on Hand!
Rain jacket or an umbrella
Small backpack or a crossbody for purchases, we also carried this reusable compact bag for times when we had too many things to carry!
Camera or Phone for pictures
LAYERS! I was so thankful that I had a rain jacket, a sweatshirt and a t-shirt on because I shed and added layers all day long!
Passports - we needed to have our passports anytime we left the hotel!
Where to Stay in Tokyo, Japan
Remm Plus Ginza - We feel like we couldn’t have chosen a better place to stay in Tokyo than Remm Plus Ginza! The location was perfect it was right in the center of everything we wanted to do and just a short walk from great shopping, amazing restaurants, and the Tokyo Metro, which made it super easy to get around the city! Really that was the main reason that we chose it being so close to the train. We were able to explore spots like Tsukiji Nippon Fish Port Market, Imperial Palace Tokyo, and even took the train to the Skytree Tower with no problems. The hotel itself was modern and stylish, with compact but thoughtfully designed rooms that felt cozy and comfortable. The bed was super comfy, the rainfall shower was amazing, and the city views from the upper floors were a really nice bonus. There was a massage chain in our room which we felt like royalty after walking 10+ miles a day for 10 days straight. The hotel was clean, affordable, and was a nice place to come back to after busy days exploring Tokyo. The only thing we were disappointed with from the hotel was the breakfast. The food was not good and we were really glad that we only pre-booked one morning for breakfast at the hotel! Other than that we would definitely stay here again and/or recommend others to stay here as well!
Sites to See in Tokyo, Japan
Shibuya Crossing - One of the coolest and honestly one of the most overwhelming things we saw in Tokyo was Shibuya Crossing. I believe it is also called Scramble Square, I could be wrong though. I didn’t know what to expect but it’s this crazy busy intersection where (not exaggerating) hundreds of people cross from all directions all at once, but somehow it’s not chaotic — it’s like organized chaos! We went in the Starbucks at Shibuya Crossing and sat and watched the traffic crossing below a few times and to get some pictures and honestly, just standing there watching it happen felt like being in a movie. It was very cool! There was also a ton of shopping in the area! Here are some other things to do in the area:
Mario Kart Racing - This is such a cool and unique experience where you drive through neon-lit buildings and iconic landmarks dressed as your favorite Nintendo character. We were so freakin’ excited to do the Mario Kart experience in Shibuya Crossing in Tokyo. We weren’t able to do it so I want to make sure that I share everything you need to do for this so you don’t make the same mistakes that we did! The first thing that you will need to do the Mario Kart experience is to plan ahead. Before you even leave the states you will need to get an International Driving Permit (IDP) from AAA. You will need this because it is required to legally drive in Japan. Getting the International Driving Permit (IDP) from AAA was so easy, we just printed off the required paperwork and brought $20 with us to a store by us (make sure you check because not all locations do this). Once we got to AAA they took our passport photos for us and we were in and out in like 30 minutes max. The next important thing to note is that three days before your booked time slot you will get an email from the company and they will be asking for proof that you did get an International Driving Permit (IDP) from AAA. This is where we messed up, with being on vacation we weren’t checking our emails and so we never sent them proof and our appointment was canceled and we were refunded. Just make sure you do those two things if you are wanting to enjoy this experience!
Shopping -
Imperial Palace Tokyo - This was just such a beautiful spot to spend time at. It is the most peaceful contrast to the busy hustle and bustle just across the street. The gardens are beautiful and so well-kept, and even though you can't go inside the main palace buildings, just walking around the grounds made me feel like I stepped into another era. The mix of super modern and deep history in Tokyo is unreal, we definitely recommend stopping here to take some pictures and take it all in!
Tsukiji Nippon Fish Port Market - We went here on the second to last day we were in Tokyo and we loved it so much, it was such a fun spot! Dustin and I spent like 4 hours just wandering through all the little stalls and just seeing what there was (because there were SO many different things to look at). Tsukiji had tons to see and amazing street food. We started with some melt-in-your-mouth otoro (fatty tuna) sushi that was literally the freshest I’ve ever had, we get it when we are getting sushi here in the states but it was just SO fresh at this market, hands down a must try! They also had this thing called tamagoyaki which was like a sweet rolled omelet on a stick, that was super popular too! There was also no shortage of matcha soft serve for dessert if you are into that! One of the other things we had there were these little like pancake bears with filling inside and they were so good- I loved the chocolate filled bears! This spot is just such a cool mix of food, culture, and just a ton to look at and see! We left full and happy and would stop there if we were in Tokyo again.
Pokemon Center Tokyo DX - This was another really cool Pokémon Center. The Pokemon Center Tokyo DX is located on the 5th floor of the Nihonbashi Takashimaya S.C. main building in Tokyo. If you’re not staying in walking distance you can get to it via the Nihombashi Station. We visited this location on a casual evening and it wasn’t super busy which was nice because we were able to shop at our own pace. The front of the store had an adorable giant Snorlax and I think (at least in my opinion) there were the most kind of stuffed Pokemon to choose from!
Don Quijote Ginza - I mentioned this shopping spot in my Where to Eat, Stay and Play in Osaka, Japan blog post but I will share about it again here! This is a massive, 24-hour discount store that’s an experience all on its own, seriously a shopping experience I will never forget. Anything you could ever want or need was inside this store, beauty products, fun snacks, clothing, toys, kitchen stuff, like anything and everything that you could think of. There is this quirky song playing the whole time and when we were in there, suddenly like three hours had passed. I wish I would have taken photos or a video inside the store but if you look up Don Quijote on Tiktok or Instagram you will get a good idea as to what I am talking about haha!
Skytree Tower - When we were in Tokyo, Skytree Tower wasn’t initially on our must see list but we stumbled upon it while we were walking around and it was really cool to see! It’s this super tall tower—like, the tallest tower in Japan! We didn’t go up in it but you could and from up there, you get these incredible views of the whole city. The tower is crazy modern but also kind of has a cool traditional vibe in its design. If you have some extra time in your day and you are nearby, it is a cool thing to see!
Book-Off - This is a second hand store that had discounted items from all things Pokemon, Disney, collectors cards, books, Anime collectables, records and so many things! They also were mostly brand new and/or in great condition. We bought lots from these stores and some of the things we got were brand new with tags from the Pokemon Centers and Disneyland! I linked the website so you can find the location that is closest to you here depending on the area you are in the day you are looking!
Day Trip to Mt. Fuji - I might write a whole blog post about our day trip to Mt. Fuji at some point but I’m not completely sure so I will go into detail here! Unfortunately the day that we were scheduled to go to Mt. Fuji, it was pretty much raining the entire day which was honestly so freakin sad. Even though we didn’t get to see Mt. Fuji this day, the Mt. Fuji and Hakone 1-Day Tour turned out to still be fun for us. We really just had to make do with what we were given. We started early at like 7:15 from Matsuya Ginza. The tour bus was super comfortable, with air-conditioning and charging ports, which was nice. The tour was given in english but there were headphones with many other language options that were available. Our guide pretty much made the entire day. She was so nice and funny, she shared stories, history and just fun facts that you wouldn’t have gotten otherwise.
One of the highlights was the Hakone Ropeway. Even though the views of Mt. Fuji were mostly hidden behind the clouds, going up the misty mountains still felt magical. And the Lake Ashi cruise was pretty cool as well! The calm waters, the sound of soft rain, and a peaceful vibe almost made you forget about the weather entirely. Lunch was an actually really good. It was served buffet style with tons of options for different dietary restrictions. Everything was fresh and tasty, and it was a great chance to relax before heading to Odawara Station for the bullet train ride back to Tokyo. It was also nice to skip the bus on the way back and take a bullet train! It was so fast which I liked at the end of the tour.
Cost wise, the whole tour cost us $359.28 for two adults ($179.64 each). With all that was included from transportation to food to all the entrance fees—it felt well worth it, it would have been even more exciting if the weather cooperated but it was still a fun expereience. I can’t even imagine the views we would have seen on this tour if the weather was nicer. Even with the rain, the day was packed with memorable and new experiences and a well-organized schedule that made us feel taken care of from start to finish.
Using The Train in Japan
Trains in Japan can seem indimidating but were actually pretty easy once we did it a few times. I can’t recommend enough to add a Suica card onto your iPhone’s wallet before you go and load money onto that! We did this and literally just tapped our phones to pay for tickets when we entered and exited the stations. Having the Suica card in your Apple Wallet was so helpful and to do this, you need to add your Suica card to the Wallet app and then enable Express Mode. Enabling Express Mode was what allowed us to use the Suica card without having to unlocking our phones. It was so nice to not have to try and get tickets at each station and this made things so much easier! Most of the signs are really clear and have both Japanese and English. Keep in mind when you’re on the trains to be very respectful and quiet. The trains were always clean, quiet, and in great condition, so my recommendations are to never talk loud or be talking on the phone and also if you have a backpack on, put it on the front of you or place it in the overhead storage. Lastly, the trains were literally always on time so make sure you’re early or you will probably miss your train.
Bullet Train Info
We also used bullet trains to get from Tokyo to Osaka and also to get from Osaka back to Tokyo and we bought our tickets online and it was so easy. We used Klook to get these tickets, I will link that website for you guys here! We got first class tickets to make sure we had a nice seat that we were able to stretch out and be comfortable for the whole trip and that was really nice. I would suggest getting snacks at the train station before you get on the bullet train but they also have snacks and drinks that you can order to your seats which was pretty cool!
Honestly, Tokyo was so cool to experience, there is just so much to see, do, and eat that it felt like every day was a new adventure (and yes, I’m still dreaming about some of those meals)! If you are planning your first trip to Japan, I recommend adding a couple of days in Tokyo if you haven’t already. I hope some of the spots we checked out help you plan your own Tokyo adventure—or at least give you a few ideas to get excited about. If you’ve been before and have any favorite places, definitely let me know—I already can’t wait to go back! As always, if you have any questions at all, please comment below or send me an email at tarynintotravel@gmail.com and I will get back to you asap!
Much Love,
Emma
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