Basic Tokyo Tourist itinerary
Tsukiji Fish Market - Yoyogi Park - Harajuku - Tokyo Station - Imperial Palace - Yokohama/Sunshine City
0230 - (1 hour) On my Day One guide, I advised the Basic Tourist to get an early night's rest. The reason is because they will have to wake up early the next day at around 2.30am. Wash up, and pack your stuff for the day. I would have left the comforts of National Olympics Memorial Youth Centrewhen the sky is still dark and hailed a cab/ Uber to Tsukiji Fish market.
0330 - (3 hours) The reason one has to arrive at the Tsukiji Fish Market early is because only 120 people are allowed to attend the famous Tuna Auction at 5.30am and 5.50am on every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Thus, people start to queue as early as 1am! Honestly, it is best to get help from a Japanese local here, for they will know ways and the time to procure a spot for the auction. You can also get some fresh seafood breakfast here.
There are plans to move the Tsukiji Market to a different location but words have it that there are underground politics which prevents the move from taking place. If the market were to move, it is wise to visit it first!
0630 - (1 hour) Exit Tsukiji Market and head back towards National Olympics Memorial Youth Centre to get some sleep, you will need energy for the whole day today.
0730 - (2 hours) Rest. (Optional)
0930 - (15 mins) Get up and head towards Yoyogi Park just to the left of the Centre.
0945 - (45 mins) Yoyogi Park is a beautifully manicured park at the heart of Tokyo consisting of bridges, fountains, viewing platforms and Sakura (cherry blossom) trees. I came during the Autumn cherry blossom period and the park was beautiful. Take an early morning stroll and enjoy the aesthetic scenery of the park. Online guides mention that sometimes, people come here in cosplay costumes although I did not see any during my visit. It is still a beautiful and relaxing park to start off the day.
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| Entrance to Yoyogi Park |
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| A bench |
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| Too early for cherry blossoms perhaps |
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| Aesthetic Japan |
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| Fountains |
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| Beautiful artificial rivers |
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| It's a really huge park! |
1030 - (15 mins) Exit the park and make your way to Harajuku in Shibuya. Harajuku is only about a 15 mins walk from Yoyogi Park and you can enjoy the morning environment of a laidback Tokyo.
10.45 - (2 hours) A live DJ from a radio station greets you at the entrance of the famous Harajuku Street. Harajuku is a must-go for cosplay enthusiasts and those who wishes to experience this quirky (in the eyes of the uninitiated) hobby. Along the streets, you will find people dressed fully or partially in various costumes derived from Japanese animes. The shopping street sells all kinds of merchandise for cosplay but it also sells gifts and souvenirs and fashionable clothes which are catered for a younger audience. Harajuku is also famous for their delicious crepes which costs around Y400-Y800 (SGD 4 - 8~). Do try them as you explore the street. near the entrance, there is also a large Daiso store, a store which specialises in selling goods at a standard low price. If you are on a tight budget to buy gifts for friends, you may want to buy them here because there are really no other cheaper places to buy souvenirs than here.
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| The street of Harajuku! (At night) |
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| It was close to closing time, thus there are a lot less people then. |
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| An absolute must try, Harajuku crepes |
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| An owl and cat café... not something I'd find any other day. |
12.45 - (30 mins) Head towards Tokyo Station located in the official business and government district of Tokyo. You can take the Chiyoda Line from the Meijijingu-mae Station and drop off at Nijubashi-mae Station. Head towards JP Tower.
13.15 - (45 mins) JP Tower, located next to the impressive Tokyo Station, is both an office building and mall. There are a wide selection of restaurants and eateries at the basement and floors above although they may be slightly pricier than elsewhere. You can, of course, dine at Harajuku too where a Yoshinoya outlet there cost half the price here, around Y600 (SGD 7~) a meal compared to >Y900 (SGD 9~) here.
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| A cheap Oishi Yoshinoya meal |
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| In a restaurant in JP Tower |
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| An expensively good meal! |
14.00 - (30 mins) Cross the street towards the direction of Tokyo Station and then turn to your right. Look for the HATO Bus Tour sign. It is hard not to miss because they occupy a long stretch of the street and their characteristic yellow bus can be seen from afar. Book a tour ride for 2.30pm. Now, you can choose to look around the impressive Tokyo Station. The Station is majestic from the inside with a domed ceiling stretching high above. People walk across the expansive marble floor in all directions.
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| The domed ceiling of Tokyo Station |
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| Right outside Tokyo Station |
Head back towards JP Tower. There is a very impressive museum called the Museum Intermediatheque on the 2nd floor. The museum consists of two levels with permanent as well as temporary galleries. Among the displays are a very wide collection of taxidermy animal collection, including rare species of mammals and sea creatures, portraits of famous college professors and a contemporary Japanese art collection. The museum is free to enter and visit.
Museum Intermediatheque: Opening hours: 11am-6pm I Tel: +81 (0)3-5777-8600
Website: http://www.intermediatheque.jp/en
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| Entrance to Museum Intermediatheque. |
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| No pictures allowed, so here is a poster from outside |
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| From outside the impressive museum |
14.30 - (1 hour) Don't miss the HATO Bus Tour or you will have to wait another 30 minutes. The bus tour enables you to see the sights and sounds and the layout of Tokyo city in the space of an hour. it costs Y1800 (SGD 22~) for an adult. You get to sit on an open bus top with a tour guide who will be explaining about the famous landmark as you pass them by. You will also be provided with an electronic gadget earpiece which provides an English translation of the tour. The bus is a good experience because you get to see the famous sights which you otherwise may not have time to visit such as the Rainbow Bridge, the (overrated) Tokyo Tower, the Tokyo Ginza district (an upper class district similar to Singapore's Orchard Road) and the Kabuki-za Theatre. It may get very cold in the winter-autumn period but the Bus Tour provides heat packs and a raincoat for rainy weather.
HATO Bus Tour: Departure times: 9:30 10:00 10:30 11:00 11:30 12:00 13:00 13:30 14:00 14:30 15:00 15:30 16:30 17:00 17:30 19:00 I Tel: +81 03-3435-6081
Website: https://www.hatobus.co.jp/dom/feature/tomodachi/english/
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| Ms Pasita aboard the HATO Bus |
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| The writer beneath the Tokyo Tower |
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| Kabu-zi Theatre |
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| Beneath the Rainbow Bridge arches |
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| Thank God for the English translation |
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| Aesthetic Japanese streets |
15.30 - (1 hour) Take a short walk towards the Japanese Imperial Palace. You should be able to know the direction of the palace after the tour! ;) Personally, I have not entered the Palace because I came after the closing time (last entrance visit was at 4.30pm) but there are still many beautiful places to take pictures even from the outside. Take your time taking pictures and strolling the beautiful gardens and lakes. Do note that some days are closed so do find out when they are closed too! If they close early, as in Winter and Autumn period, it is wise to take an earlier HATO bus tour.
Imperial Palace: Opening hours: 9am - 5pm (Last entry 4pm-4.30pm) I Tel: +81 3-3213-1111
Website: http://www.kunaicho.go.jp/e-event/higashigyoen02.html
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| Outside the Imperial Palace |
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| Near the East Entrance to the Imperial Palace |
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| Instagram worthy |
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| Instagram worthy bridge |
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| A bird on the moat. |
Plan A - Yokohama (For the romantic thrill seeker)
16.30 - (1 hour) Take the Tozai Line from Takebashi Station about a 10 mins walk from the Palace and transfer at Nihombashi Station to the Asakusa Line. 10 stops later, you will reach Yokohama Station.
17.30 - (2-3 hours) There are many places to visit and things to do in Yokohama City because this is the so-called entertainment city of Tokyo, something like the Sentosa of Singapore. if you come earlier, you may try the Japanese Overseas Migration Museum located just across a bridge from the train station. Admission is free and there is a Japanese guided tour around the impressive little museum which seeks to explain a different aspect of Japanese history, the history of migrations. The museum closes at 6pm.
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| A Japanese Farmer's parade |
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| At the restaurant at the Museum |
There is a free petting zoo with a large collection of animals about a 30 minutes walk from the station called the Nogeyama Zoo. There you can go up close to many cute animals to take pictures or to pet them. However, it closes early at 4.30pm.
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| The entrance to Nogeyama Zoo |
An alternative place to visit is the famous Yokohama Cosmo World, an amusement park which is often associated with the Yokohama skyline. Even from far, just looking at the roller coaster rides provides a thrill as to what it could offer. There is no entrance fee to the amusement park but the rides are on a per ride basis from Y100 (SGD 1~) for small games in the arcade to Y700 (SGD 8~) for a ride on the 112m landmark Ferris Wheel or the massive and fast roller coaster.
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| Yokohama Cosmo World at a distance |
Japanese Overseas Migration Museum: Opening Hours: 9am - 6pm I Tel: +81 45-663-3257
Yokohama Cosmo World: Operating Hours: 11am-10pm I Tel: +81 45-641-6591
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| The view along the river |
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| Walking around Hazawa Seibu Community in Yokohama |
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| A casual stroll through scenic villages |
19.30/ 20.30 - (45 mins) After a full day of visiting these must-go places in Tokyo, you can head back to Shinjuku for dinner or to continue shopping. Of course, you may also have your dinner in Yokohama, especially so if you come here with your Special One because the atmosphere in Yokohama is very idyllic and romantic. Shinjuku, on the other hand, is for those who prefer a wider variety of food options and late night shopping convenience. As mentioned before, almost all train lines lead to Shinjuku Station.
20.15 / 21.15 - (45 mins) Late dinner. If you are a Muslim traveller, there are few Halal eateries you may find in the area around Shinjuku. One is called Bosphorus Hasan Shinjuku. You can ask for specific directions from the Tourist Information Centre and you will have to walk for about 15 mins to get to the restaurant from Shinjuku Station. The Turkish cuisine served is exquisite and delicious but also very pricey. It costs around SGD 20~ for a decent meal.
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| Menu at Bosphorus Hasan Shinjuku |
Another much cheaper place which I frequented was the Nasco Food Court but you will need to take the Yamanato Line and ride one station away to the Shin-Okubo Station. The food here is good and fulfilling and they serve Indian cuisines such as Briyani Rice which costs about Y800 (SGD 10~) for a full meal. The street where the restaurant lie in is actually a halal food street owned by Muslim migrants, thus you can stock up on food snacks and ingredients from the shops and kosher supermarket to last your stay here.
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| Nasco Food Court |
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| Really affordable oishi meal! |
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| A signboard outside the restaurant |
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| A simply designed interior |
Nasco Food Court: Tel: +81 80-4086-8631
Bosphorus Hasan Shinjuku: Opening hours: 11:30-14:30 , 17:00-23:30 I Tel: +81 03-3354-7947
21.00/ 22.00 - (15 mins) Head back to National Olympics Memorial Youth Centre to rest.
Plan B - Sunshine City (For the nostalgic Pokémon trainers who gotta catch 'em all and the indoor thrill seekers)
16.30 - (45 mins) Exit the gardens of the Imperial Palace and head towards Takebashi Stationalong the Tozai Line. Take two stops to Lidabashi Station and transfer to Yarukucho Line. Three stops later and you will reach Higashi-Ikebukuro Station. Here is the tricky part. Sunshine City is actually a development project by one of Japan's large corporations. It encompass several buildings and a large underground network. I got lost trying to locate the Pokémon Center, only to found out the GPS intended for me to go underground. The Center is located on the top most floor of the shopping centre, Sunshine City Alpa.
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| Welcome to Sunshine City! |
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| It feels almost like Akihabara |
17.15 - (1 hour) After all the trouble of finding the Pokémon Center Mega Tokyo, go nuts exploring the entire outlet filled with Pokémon merchandise! All kinds of merchandise on the nostalgic icon are sold here from soft toys to trading cards to stationery sets and bags. Pikachu features the most here and there are several collector's editions a collector might want to purchase and collect. However, do note that the prices of the items here are not cheap (as is most of Tokyo) hence many visitors actually saved their pennies to have a spending spree here. The queue at the counter is long but it is really worth the wait. I bought a Bulbasaur soft toy the size of two palms for the cost of Y2000 (SGD 24~), a gachapon capsule rubber toy for Y300 (SGD 3.5~) and bath bomb with a keychain inside for Y200 (SGD 2.5~) amongst many other things. The bath bomb was the most worth it item, in my opinion. The price of soft toys also appears to follow how popular the Pokémon character are. For example, first generation Pokémon such as Charmander, Bulbasaur, Cubone and Machop were clearly priced higher than the more newer Pokémon despite how complicated the new Pokémon may look like. The soft toys are sold anywhere from Y1500-Y2500 for a palm sized version. There are several large statues of the Pokémon around the store and you can take pictures with them.
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| The anticipation! |
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| Can you name them all? |
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| I don't even know its name! |
Pokémon Center Mega Tokyo: Opening Hours: 10am - 8pm I Tel: +81 3-5927-9290
18.15 - (1 hour) Head to J World Tokyo an indoor theme park in Sunshine City Alpa. Prices to try all the attraction is at Y1800 (SGD 22~) after 5pm. personally I have not been here due to my limited time in Japan (I visited Sunshine City Alpa on my way back to Narita Airport ^^) but I do hear rave reviews on this place. The theme park includes rides and attractions from famous animes and manga such as One Piece, Naruto and Dragon Ball Z. They also have a themed restaurant inside with reasonably priced themed food galore from cakes to pasta. A gist of what to expect can be found in their website or in vlogs found on YouTube.
J World Tokyo:Operating Hours: 10am - 10pm I Website: http://www.namco.co.jp/tp/j-world/en/about/
19.15 - (45 mins) You must be hungry after a long day. There are numerous restaurants and eateries located in Sunshine City Alpa, you will be spoilt for choice. Otherwise, you may also choose to dine at J World Tokyo or at the next attraction, Sky Circus.
20.00 - (1 hour 15mins) This is a place which you simply HAVE to try, Sky Circus. The admission is Y1200 (SGD 15~). However, there are attractions inside which are on an additional per ride basis. For example there is the Tokyo Bullet Flight (Y600, SGD 7~), Swing Coaster (Y400, SGD 5~) and Sky Escape (Y500, SGD 6~). The place is a sort of theme park with the theme being a fantasy world located in the clouds or the sky with dazzling usage of optical illusions, elaborate setting and intriguing attractions. Incidentally, Sky Circus is located at the 60th floor of Sunshine 60.
Sky Circus: Operating Hour: 10am - 10pm (Last ticket: 8.50pm) I Tel: +81 03-3989-3457
Website: http://www.skycircus.jp/english/about/
21.15 - (30 mins) Exit Sunshine City and head back towards National Olympics Memorial Youth Centre to rest.
Thus is a two day rough guide of all the must go places if one is to visit Tokyo. There are many other places you can visit in Tokyo such as UENO Park, NHK Broadcasting Centre or the Japanese Diet(Parliament Building), but essentially, the places mentioned is a Basic Tourist guide to massive Tokyo. I hope this guide have been and may be useful and easy to follow for the traveller who simply wishes to experience Tokyo. You may wish to experience more Japanese experiences while you are in Tokyo and I really do encourage you to try them all!
Some of my to-do list in Tokyo, which I have not yet done, is to stay in a Capsule Hotel. However, for those of you who intends to experience what a Japanese onsen (public bath) feels like, you may be surprised that most public establishments such as the Youth Centre I recommended to stay in and hotels have them.
If you are planning to head to Tokyo, I wish you all the fun and adventure you can have and thank you for reading! :)
If you are planning to head to Tokyo, I wish you all the fun and adventure you can have and thank you for reading! :)
