TOKYO
GUIDE
BEST OF TOKYO
AREA : HARAJYUKU, OMOTESANDO
Many people are overwhelmed by the clean air and atmosphere of Meiji Jingu Shrine. Walking in the clear air early in the morning is most recommended, but since all stores in Harajuku and other places you go after this shrine open at 11:00 a.m. , I recommended to visit the shrine around 9:00 or 10:00 a.m. .
No1 : Meiji Jingu Shrine
No1 : MEIJI JINGU SHRINE
I would recommend early in the morning but starting around 10am is the best , since all the places to go after this place opens at 11AM. There is a delicious pancake shop nearby called "BILLS", which I recommend for breakfast.
In any temples or shrines in Japan , you can collect calligraphy,called GOSHUIN.You give a donation (usually 300yen)and a priest will sign them. You can get special book called GOSHUINCHO to collect these calligraphy of each temple or shrine .
No2 : HARAJUKU
The place to shop for KAWAII fashion. Opens at 11AM. Street is packed with shops and tourists checking out for wild and whimsical clothes.
iconic store :
No3 : OMOTESANDO / AOYAMA
OMOTESANDOU is where I live in Japan. You can easily walk from HARAJUKU. Many flagship stores of major maisons and modern architecture. There is an Apple Store and you can buy iphones much cheaper in Japan.
favorite shop:
AREA : SHIBUYA
Recommended place to go from about 3 PM to night. Although shibuya is very close to Harajuku, Omotesando, and Aoyama area, it would be tiring if all you do is shopping, so I recommend that you take a separate day to explore Shibuya, or maybe you put an event with a completely different content between the two districts. Shibuya area has a variety of stores, so you can spend a whole day there. In particular, some stores are open until late at night, so it is recommended to visit them while having dinner at night.
I HOPE YOU ENJOY TOKYO
Well , I grew up in TOKYO .... so I tried to think of where you can get the BEST taste of Tokyo.Regarding HARAJUKU , OMOTESANDO , AOYAMA , SHIBUYA area , I made a schedule of a DAY to show you an example . It is easier to move around these area if you go around in this order.
No1 : SHIBUYA SCRAMBLE CROSSING
I think you should go there at night , the scenery is so beautiful. Near SHIBUYA SCRAMBLE CROSSING there is a street called SHIBUYA CENTER-GAI , the central hub for youth culture in Tokyo. You can enjoy KARAOKE, take pictures with PURIKURA etc...
And there is also a department store near by called SCRAMBLE SQUARE and this place is very convienient because they have many delicious restaurants on the 12th and 13th floors, you can find all the traditional Japanese cuisine you could ask for. In the same building there is SHIBUYA SKY, where you can catch the best view of Tokyo at 360° open air observation deck. And after dinner, you should check out a famous discount shop called MEGA DON QUIJOTE which is open 24hours and you can buy many kinds of Japanese product for a reasonable price. This shop is very interesting so you can't miss it . Even Lady GAGA loves this place and always spent couple hours every time when she comes to TOKYO. LOL Near MEGA DON QUIJOTE, there is a French bakery called VIRON , and they have the best croissant, sandwiches, and Queenie Amand.
I also recommend SHIBUYA TOKYU FOODSHOW, connected to the Shibuya Station. This place is a regular haunt for the Shibuya gourmet crowd. It is split into three different zones: a sweets zone on the first floor, a grocery area offering fresh produce, and a gourmet zone with ready meals that’s directly connected to the station. Unlike most depachika, Shibuya Tokyu Foodshow also has a designated area for you to enjoy the food you’ve purchased.
If you want to enjoy eating outside, SHIBUYA YOKOCHO is a fun place to go to. They have a food alley with 19 eateries modelled after mid-20th century Tokyo, complete with retro-style lanterns and signboards. Hop from one small eatery to the next, and sample local specialities from across Japan.
iconic store around here :
VILLAGE VANGUARD ( interesting store )
SHIBUYA SKY: best views of Tokyo
VIRON (BAKERY) Google map >
SCRAMBLE SQUARE DEPARTMENT Google map >
SHIBUYA YOKOCHO Google map >
TOKYU FOODSHOW Google map >
Entertainments in TOKYO
Tokyo offers many interesting entertainment options. Here are some recommendations.
If you are tired of sightseeing or shopping, take a look at these places .
TEAMLAB PLANETS TOKYO
This place is really interesting.Going to art galleries will never be the same after you’ve visited Planets in Tokyo, by Japanese digital-art group teamLab. Located near the futuristic neighborhood of Odaiba, TEAMLAB PLANETS houses seven multi-sensory, full-body immersive art displays that combine, touch, sight, sound and forward-thinking creativity to formulate an experience unlike any other. Planets completely turns the idea of what a museum or gallery is on its head. If you’re in Tokyo, this is a must-do. You will get wet , so I recommens you wear skirts or shortpants to go there.
TOKYO DISNEYLAND / DISNEY SEA
This is where I used to work. I love Disney land. There are so many things to do in both of the park, so you need to spend whole day for this.
SAYANOYU （ONSEN）
There used to be a nice ONSEN AMUSMENT PARK called "OOEDO ONSEN MONOGATARI" but it has closed because of the COVID19. So it is really difficult to find a nice place to experience ONSEN for tourist. This place has won the most beautiful ONSEN in TOKYO. It is in Tokyo but not in the city side.
They also have good food here. You can also enjoy body massage, oil massage, and GANBANYOKU
ASAKUSA KANNON SENSOJI （ASAKUSA）
Sensoji is the one of the oldest temple in Japan, And it is really popular all the time. very photogenic place, especially under KAMINARIMON.
In any temples or shrines in Japan , you can collect calligraphy,called GOSHUIN.You give a donation (usually 300yen)and a priest will sign them. You can get special book called GOSHUINCHO to collect these calligraphy of each temple or shrine . So every time when you go to a temple or shrine , you bring this GOSHYUINCHO, and you can collect original calligraphy of each temple or shrine. You can do the same thing in KYOTO too.
MUSEUMS IN TOKYO
I think Japan has many good museums but from my point of view National Museum of Nature and Science is the BEST. They have the old entrance building but inside is a modern buildings with many floors of exhibitions and interest. The museum is full with information and interactive learning from past to future and is very well maintained. I like the dinosaurs section and 360 theater.
I also like MORI ART MUSEUM .The museum is on the top floor of a modern design shopping centre in ROPPNGI . This museum mainly has modern art exhibiton in a variety of genres, including fasion, architecture, design, photography, and videos.
AKIHABARA : MANGA ANIMATION
DON QUIHOTE AKIHABARA has an entire floor dedicated to anime and manga costume. Another popular shop is MANDARAKE, which has 8 floors dedicated to comics and collectibles. GEE STORE AKIBA is specialized solely in cosplay outfit and related goods.
Another fun thing to do is to check out in AKIHABARA is theme cafes and bars. AKIHABARA is especially famous for maid cafe, and butler cafes. But I have never tried them yet......LOL MAIDREAMIN is the most popular maidcafe in AKIHABARA , but it's also in SHIBUYA and it is said that the one in SHIBUYA is much better than the one in AKIHABARA, so I recommend you to go the one in SHIBUYA.
AKIHABARA is famous as ANIME town, but If you want to check out anime-related products in the smartest way possible, I recommend going to "ANIMATE" in IKEBUKURO Station. ANIMATE IKEBUKURO has been a destination for anime and manga fans. If you want to experience the atmosphere of Akihabara, with its many cosplayers, I recommend going to Akihabara, but if your goal is to buy anime goods, it is wiser to go to ANIMATE IKEBUKURO instead of going to Akihabara.I will explain ANIMATE in IKEBUKURO next.
ANIMATE IKEBUKURO
ANIMATE IKEBUKURO has been a destination for anime and manga fans. It is located near IKEBUKURO station . If you want to experience the atmosphere of Akihabara, with its many cosplayers, I recommend going to Akihabara, but if your goal is to buy anime goods, it is wiser to go to ANIMATE IKEBUKURO instead of going to Akihabara. ANIMATE IKEBUKURO being the flagship location, visitors from both Japan and abroad flock every day to stock up on goods from their favorite series.
TOKYO TOWER
The symble of tokyo. The tower is surrounded by notable temples and parks, and is neighbored by Roppongi, Shiodome, Toranomon, and Shinagawa, all worthwhile destinations. You can spend a morning or afternoon venturing to the tower and exploring the surrounding attractions.
TOKYO SKYTREE
TOKYO SKYTREE is the tallest structure in Japan. You can enjoy cery beautiful scenery. The highlight of the Tokyo Skytree is its two observation decks which offer spectacular views out over Tokyo. The two enclosed decks are located at heights of 350 and 450 meters respectively, making them the highest observation decks in Japan. There is also a big shoppingmall called TOKYO SOLAMACHI at the base of TOKYO skytree.
TSUKIJI OUTER MARKET
You can find about 400 vibrant shops in the TSUKIJI OUTER MARKET. It gets quite busy especially for the new years holidays as it is the best place for preparing all the important ingredients for the New Year’s celebration. Most of the shops and restaurants at Tsukiji Fish Market will open in the early morning and will be closed in the early afternoon. To get the most out of it, the best time to visit Tsukiji is in the morning , I recommend you to visit there around 9am. If you walk around you will find lots of wholesale and retail shops, as well as restaurants crowded along narrow lanes. If you are eating SUSHI at TSUKIJI , I recommend SUSHIDAI
they have the best SUSHI in TSUKIJI,