Thank you for your message. :) Good list so far for sure. A couple of notes, make sure you get your tickets for Ghibli and Disney in advance. We learned this the hard way... I would add the following:
Shinjuku - Memory Lane and Kabukicho. Even if you are not interested in adult entertainment, the red district in Shinjuku (Kabukicho) is super vibrant and amazing for photos. The only rule is to go around, observe, enjoy the crazy but avoid the restaurants, pubs etc there. They are not authentic and too expensive. But def something you shouldn't miss in my opinion. Memory Lane is full of small eateries with epic yakitori. A great place for street food.
For interesting shopping items, I would add Loft to the list. There are lots of Loft shops all around. Honestly, you will end up spending half a day there, so many cute things.
For Harajuku, I would add omotesando hills. It's a really nice street which I absolutely love. Especially in the evening. Don't forget omotesando plaza, go to top floor at the Starbucks there for some epic views of the city.
To see Tokyo from above, again, Shinjuku is the place for it. I'd go to the Metropolitan Government as the entry is free and you can get to their top observatory. It's pretty nice. Besides, it's located in the skyscraper district in Shinjuku which is just epic by default.
Harajuku: don't forget to eat crazy crepes. They will literally change your life. You can find plenty of stores located on the main Takeshita street. It's also where you can try the epic mega colourful candy floss.
As for activities, I would actually try something traditional. I know you said kimono rental, but I would probably book a tea ceremony as well. Maybe this is just me, but I found it incredibly interesting.
I know you said nothing spiritual :) but since you are going to Asakusa, I feel it would such shame to not see the great Senso-ji. It just looks so epic, with its gardens and the interesting Pagoda next to it. It's also entirely free. I would also go there for an omikuji which is so fun to play with. I'm not religious, but I really enjoyed seeing a more traditional Japan. Also in Asakusa, don't forget Nakamise Dori for street food and the nearby streets filled with all sort of cool items. Think cheap chopsticks and norens. I loved it.
Not sure if parks are on the list, but I would add Ueno Park and Yoyogi Park. I especially enjoyed Ueno, because right next to the park there are loooots of streets filled with epic food. After the Asakusa kimono rental, walk to Ueno. It will take an hour on foot, but you will get to see a more relaxed and interesting Tokyo, beyond the crazy streets. Every time I go back to Tokyo, I make sure to do this walk. In Ueno, go to okachimachi market. Lots of street food!
If you love animals, perhaps consider adding an owl café and maybe even a cat café. I heard great things about them, especially in the Harajuku area. I didn't experience them though, it's just purely based on what others recommended me.
For an old-school Japan (where you won't find tourists) you can do a half a day in Shibamata. There are nice streets with wooden houses. Mainly residential, but you can find some street food, a retro toy museum and various places for lunch. We had lunch there and I swear, it was amazing.
If you want a crazy cool underground experience, spend some time in the main Tokyo Station. It's not just a station, but a maze and a multi-level mall...underground. You will find the ramen street there as well. And if you guys are brave, you can also add a Japanese bath experience to the itinerary.
Those are my recommendations. If you have any questions, please let me know, happy to answer and help. P.S. since you guys are going to Japan, I would like to kindly invite you to familiarise with Japanese customs and manners.18luck官方网站
You are not expected to be Japanese in all circumstances, of course, but it is incredibly appreciated when you try ;)
Hi Anthony,
Thank you for your message. :)
Good list so far for sure. A couple of notes, make sure you get your tickets for Ghibli and Disney in advance. We learned this the hard way...
I would add the following:
Shinjuku - Memory Lane and Kabukicho. Even if you are not interested in adult entertainment, the red district in Shinjuku (Kabukicho) is super vibrant and amazing for photos. The only rule is to go around, observe, enjoy the crazy but avoid the restaurants, pubs etc there. They are not authentic and too expensive. But def something you shouldn't miss in my opinion. Memory Lane is full of small eateries with epic yakitori. A great place for street food.
For interesting shopping items, I would add Loft to the list. There are lots of Loft shops all around. Honestly, you will end up spending half a day there, so many cute things.
For Harajuku, I would add omotesando hills. It's a really nice street which I absolutely love. Especially in the evening. Don't forget omotesando plaza, go to top floor at the Starbucks there for some epic views of the city.
To see Tokyo from above, again, Shinjuku is the place for it. I'd go to the Metropolitan Government as the entry is free and you can get to their top observatory. It's pretty nice. Besides, it's located in the skyscraper district in Shinjuku which is just epic by default.
Harajuku: don't forget to eat crazy crepes. They will literally change your life. You can find plenty of stores located on the main Takeshita street. It's also where you can try the epic mega colourful candy floss.
As for activities, I would actually try something traditional. I know you said kimono rental, but I would probably book a tea ceremony as well. Maybe this is just me, but I found it incredibly interesting.
I know you said nothing spiritual :) but since you are going to Asakusa, I feel it would such shame to not see the great Senso-ji. It just looks so epic, with its gardens and the interesting Pagoda next to it. It's also entirely free. I would also go there for an omikuji which is so fun to play with. I'm not religious, but I really enjoyed seeing a more traditional Japan.
Also in Asakusa, don't forget Nakamise Dori for street food and the nearby streets filled with all sort of cool items. Think cheap chopsticks and norens. I loved it.
Not sure if parks are on the list, but I would add Ueno Park and Yoyogi Park. I especially enjoyed Ueno, because right next to the park there are loooots of streets filled with epic food. After the Asakusa kimono rental, walk to Ueno. It will take an hour on foot, but you will get to see a more relaxed and interesting Tokyo, beyond the crazy streets. Every time I go back to Tokyo, I make sure to do this walk. In Ueno, go to okachimachi market. Lots of street food!
If you love animals, perhaps consider adding an owl café and maybe even a cat café. I heard great things about them, especially in the Harajuku area. I didn't experience them though, it's just purely based on what others recommended me.
For an old-school Japan (where you won't find tourists) you can do a half a day in Shibamata. There are nice streets with wooden houses. Mainly residential, but you can find some street food, a retro toy museum and various places for lunch. We had lunch there and I swear, it was amazing.
If you want a crazy cool underground experience, spend some time in the main Tokyo Station. It's not just a station, but a maze and a multi-level mall...underground. You will find the ramen street there as well.
And if you guys are brave, you can also add a Japanese bath experience to the itinerary.
Those are my recommendations. If you have any questions, please let me know, happy to answer and help.
P.S. since you guys are going to Japan, I would like to kindly invite you to familiarise with Japanese customs and manners.18luck官方网站
You are not expected to be Japanese in all circumstances, of course, but it is incredibly appreciated when you try ;)
Have lots of fun!