Tokyo, Japan: 2 Days Itinerary

After years of planning and disruption due to the pandemic, travelling to Japan has finally became a reality! 😍 It was a dream come true for someone who loves anime and matcha, and of course, cherry blossoms! Yes, the trip was spring time - cherry blossoms (peak) season. 😇 🌸 First stop was Tokyo!

When everything seems perfect, we didn't anticipate hiccups lurking on the side. Landed at Narita Airport at around 8.50pm, but we passed immigration almost 1am. I booked a transport from the airport to the hotel, but missed it due to the long hours stuck queueing at the immigration. Hailing a cab from Narita airport is not an option, knowing how expensive it is, hence, the solution was to stay and wait for the public transport to open at 5am.

First day in Japan supposed to start with activities in the morning, but due to the unforeseen circumstance, it started with a travel by train to Shinjuku then hailed a taxi to hotel.

Day 1

Supposed to visit Meiji Jingu Shrine and Yoyogi Park in the morning, but due to the delay in hotel arrival and sleep was badly needed, skipping these 2 was the best option. 

Shibuya Station

After getting lost here and there, managed to find a place to have lunch in the Shibuya area. 😅 Some scenes from the series "Alice in Borderland" came flashing in after coming out of the Shibuya station. Found a restaurant just above the L'Occitane Cafe Shibuya with a view of the Shibuya crossing. 😃

Shibuya Scramble Crossing

Shibuya Crossing is known to be the world's busiest and iconic intersection with around 3,000 people passing through it, day and night. This sprawling scramble crossing is deemed to be an embodiment of Tokyo itself - action in all directions. 😁

Hachiko Memorial Statue

After having a good lunch, it was time to check out the Hachiko statue. It is on my bucketlist in Japan and I finally ticked it off!😃 I have watched the movie a few times, and it never failed to make me cry every time. So, imagine the happiness I felt when I get to see the Hachi's statue. Sadly, there was a long queue for taking photos with the statue, so I just stood on the side and waited for a few seconds that no one stood beside it then quickly snapped photos. 😄

Imperial Palace

Next stop was the Tokyo Imperial Palace. It is the main residence of Japan's Emperor and contains several buildings, such as the main palace, Fukiage Palace, administrative offices, museums, some residences of the Imperial family, and an archive. 

The palace closes at around 2.45pm, but the East Gardens of the Imperial Palace remains open until 6pm, hence, I still managed to go in and explore the garden. The garden is quite huge and there are some cherry blossoms in it. After taking a few photos, it was time to leave for the next destination.

Nearest Station: Otemachi Subway Station Exit D2 (+ ~10 mins walk)

Tokyo Tower

Not really a big fan of towers (including the Eiffel Tower 😄), but I decided to pay the Tokyo Tower a visit. I booked the ticket to the observation deck via Klook to avoid queue, so it was quite a breeze claiming the ticket and going up. Standing 333 metres high, the 360-view from the top was magnificent - it was relaxing witnessing the sky transforms from grey-ish/blue to a warm, tranquil canvas of colours. The streets suddenly came to life with glistening lights from vehicles and street lights. 

After an hour or so, I made an abrupt decision to go somewhere, leaving someone behind as he go to the top deck. 😅 Off to the next destination!

Nearest Station: ~5 - 10 mins walk from Onarimon Station, Akabanebashi Station, and Kamiyacho 

*I took the Daimon Station since it was accessible from where I was.

Meguro River

The itinerary was supposed to go to the Shibuya Sky, but the tickets were sold out for the day. Yup, should have booked beforehand. 😞While contemplating at the Tokyo Tower, a sudden thought came in and the next thing I know, I was on the way to Meguro River.

The place is known to be really crowded, but you can walk around to find a less crowded spot. It was a chilly night (below 10 degrees Celsius) and slightly windy, so yes, I was shivering a bit even though I had a coat on. I managed to find a less crowded spot with the sakura tress at the background, but it was dimly lighted, so the photos were not that nice. 😄

Meguro River is one of the most popular and premier cherry blossoms viewing spots in Tokyo.

Nearest Station: Meguro Station or Nakameguro Station

Day 2

Second day was packed, so need to start early.

Gundam Factory Yokohama

The first destination was the Gundam Robot in Yokohama. The Yokohama Gundam Factory had closed in March 2024 after 3 years of welcoming visitors from across the globe. Before taking it's final goodbye, I made sure to see it in person! 😁 Tickets were booked in advance via the website.

Travel time from Shinjuku was nearly an hour, and a bit of walking was required. From afar, everyone can already get a glimpse of the 60-foot-tall moving robot. Inspired by the popular Japanese anime series of the same name, it fascinates fans (and curious non-fans) with its  moving limbs, poses, and other movements (including stepping out of its dock). It was so mesmerising to watch it live with good sound effect. Kudos to the pilot operating the giant robot. 😃  

Meguro River

The place deserved a second visit. 😁 Since it was daytime, there was no escape rubbing elbows with other tourists - the street and pathways along the river on both sides were filled with people who wanted to take photos with the cherry blossoms in the background. Good thing there were tourist marshals/wardens assisting and ushering people, especially not to stand in the middle of the streets.

The cherry blossoms indeed looked incredible in this area. There were several trees which gave options to snap some photos. But then again, the crowd made it challenging to get a decent photo.

Here are other options on where to see cherry blossoms in Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto.

Afternoon....

Next stop was the, Senso-ji Temple. However, before heading inside, lunch was badly needed. There are many food shops in the area, there's quite a good options.

Nakamise-dori Street

From the Asakusa Station, the Nakamise-dori is just a five-minute walk. Although crowd was expected, without a doubt, it will still make you speechless to find massive crowds along the Nakamise Dori. This is not surprising since it is the main street leading up to the Senso-ji temple's main prayer hall. 

What makes it even more congested? There are numerous shops in almost every corner of the street offering souvenirs and traditional snacks, aside from the tourists stopping in the middle to snap photos. I bought some postcards here. 😄

Senso-ji Temple

Known as the oldest temple in Tokyo, the Senso-ji Temple receives around 30 million visitors per year, making it one of the most popular places to visit in the city. Walking around the vicinity of this Buddhist temple offers a glimpse to its history and gives you lots of picturesque opportunities. 

One thing that caught my attention while exploring the temple was the fortune telling counter. Out of curiosity, I got my omikuji paper! 😄An omikuji is a paper that contains a prediction of the fortune for the future when you make a prayer to the Gods in the temple.

It's quite simple to get one. Just place a ¥100 coin into the counter then pick up the metal box that has a tiny, rounded slot at the bottom where a bamboo stick will come out from. I followed what others were doing - shake the box a few times. Once done shaking, turn the box over to drop a stick with a number (Kanji). Since I don't understand Kanji numbers, I just looked for the drawer with similar characters with the stick - and found the match. From the drawer, I got the omikuji and use my translation app.

It is said that if the fortune is good then you can take the omikuji with you. On contrary, if the fortune is not favourable or the one you do not want, you can tie the omikuji into one of the omikuji trees nearby. Luckily my forture was good, so I brought it home with me. 😁

From the temple, you can also get a sight of the Tokyo Skytree, which I decided to skip for now.

Akihabara Anime Shops

After immersing in history and culture, it was time for fun. Being an anime lover, Akihabara was a paradise for me (and for many). 😍 Hopped from one shop to another, finding the figures of my favourite characters, converting the price, deciding what to buy (want to buy everything!), queueing at the counter then realising they don't accept credit card, staring back at the figures while promising to come back.... every minute was enjoyable. 😂

The child in me was over the moon browsing aisle to aisle. I thought I could add something new to my old collection of anime figures.... but I only managed to buy small items since the ones I want couldn't fit in the luggage. 💔😭 Ordering online should be safer! 😁

While wandering in the streets of Akihabara, I saw Don Quijote! So of course, it can't be missed! 😅

Evening

When you are enjoying, you will likely lost track of time.. and yes, it happened! Took the train back to Shinjuku Station. I wanted to see the Godzilla head. 😂

Kabukichō

While on the hunt for the Godzilla head, it'll be a shame to not pass by the Kabukichō gate. Kabukichō is considered a red-light district where you can find everything.. and I mean everything related to entertainment. You can find acclaimed bars and restaurants, love hotels, neon samurai shows, adult entertainment, and more.

Godzilla Head

Just a short distance from the main gate of Kabukicho, the Godzilla head can be found sitting atop the Toho building. I didn't know that there's a show - running for around a minute or so, the Godzilla lights and smoke show entertains people with glowing eyes and smoky breath with sound effects. 😀 It was fun to watch from the street, but you can also get up close by heading to the 8 floor of the Toho building.

Dog Cafe

Not far from the Toho building, in one of the many alleys in the area, something caught my attention.... a dog cafe. While I love cute animals, I tried to avoid going in any pet cafes as I felt that the animals are being imprisoned. 😭 However, the weak-hearted me gave in and spent time with the cute dogs. 

Extra: Shinjuku

Outside the Shinjuku station is so lively at night - vibrant lights, crowds, shops, and more. Shinjuku is a destination itself. The 3D billboard was cool to watch which promotes ad in an immersive way - I love the cat ad but forgot to take a video. 😁

Day 3

After 2 full days of walking around, day 3 morning was more of a chill time and recharging to prepare for adventure in Kyoto. Before lunch time, took the cab to Tokyo Station for the Shinkansen to Kyoto.

Overall, the experience in Tokyo was obviously not enough - skipped so many things in my bucket list and planned itinerary. But I look at the bright side, there's always a reason to come back. 😁 Something I learned from this trip is don't rush and enjoy every place you visit.

Guess I'll see you again Tokyo! Next up, explore Kyotoexplore Kyoto.😆

1-4 Apr '23