1 Day Tokyo Travel Itinerary for the Power Traveler

Have a work trip to Tokyo and only one day to take in the beauty and culture of the city? Unfortunately this happens to a lot of us, but don't worry I have the perfect idea of a Tokyo day trip for the Power Traveler. (I don't think this itinerary is for everyone, if you like to take your time and really relax, wait for a future post that I promise will be coming soon!) This is a very ambitious schedule, and I only recommend it to those travelers with crazy stamina. (Luckily Japan has plenty of vending machines with ice and hot coffee to keep you going!) If you want to relax more maybe think about picking a few things out of this schedule that truly interest you and avoid the rush.

If you follow this itinerary you will have the chance to see: Tsukiji Fish Market, Ginza, Asakusa Sensoji Temple, Zojo-Ji, Tokyo Tower, Meiji Shrine, Takeshita-Dori, Yoyogi Park, Hachiko, Shibuya Scramble, and Shibuya's Center-Gai street! 

Note: A lot of people are going to ask what about Tokyo Sky Tree? Well, personally I'm not the biggest fan of the Sky Tree because right now it is so darn hard to get into. If you have a foreign credit card you CANNOT purchase a ticket online, you can only make a reservation at the Sky Tree if you have a group of 25 or more, or if you have a hotel that is licensed to sell tickets you can get one. I showed up extremely early one morning to try and get in and was still turned away. (I guess I'm bitter for being turned away 3 times. I did go up to one of the shopping decks but still not as cool as the top-so if you find a way around the system like knowing someone with a Japanese credit card or you stay in an awesome hotel that sells tickets then when I put Tokyo Tower in the itinerary go to Tokyo Sky Tree instead...and comment and tell me how it is.)

3:00-3:30am: Wake up at the crack of dawn (If you're resistant to this, just remember it is the land of the rising sun) and get a taxi to the Tsukiji Fish Market (make sure you communicate with your hotel staff prior to see if they can assist with accommodation and give you more information about the fish market procedures.) It is recommended to stay close to the Fish Market if possible.*

4:00am: Arrive at the Tsukiji Fish Market and make sure you get a spot to enter the Fish Auctions because it is first come first serve. You need to be one of the first 120 people that day, or unfortunately you woke up early for no reason. For more information and to check date restrictions visit: http://www.shijou.metro.tokyo.jp/english/market/tsukiji.html.

6:00am: Sushi for breakfast?! Why not? There are plenty of sushi shops around the fish market, so sit back and enjoy (but only for a moment because this is a jam-packed day). Make sure you get your fill because it is going to be a long day! 

7:00am: After eating sushi, take a little time to walk around and enjoy the fish market.

7:30am: Walk through Ginza. Unfortunately 7:30am is early, and many of the stores will be closed but take in the atmosphere of this very ritzy area. (Fun fact: the first McDonalds in Japan was actually in Ginza, but it's not there anymore. Another fun fact: I actually worked at the Abercrombie and Fitch in Ginza. An additional fun fact: Abercrombie & Fitch isn't that fun of a company to work for, but my coworkers in Japan were amazing people!) 

8:15am: Get to Ginza Station and jump on the Ginza line to head to Asakusa Station. 

8:45am-9am: Arrive at Asakusa Station and navigate your way to the Nakamise Shopping District which serves as a great entrance to the Sensoji Temple. (Many of the shops begin to open around 9am.) 

9am-11:00 am: Explore Sensoji and Asakusa. A little history about Sensoji to enhance your tour: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sens%C5%8D-ji

11:00am-11:30am: Head to the Asakusa Station and take the Asakusa line to Daimon Station. 

12:15pm: Arrive at Daimon Station and walk towards Tokyo Tower. You might be getting a little hungry now, so stop in a Convenient Store and grab a onigiri and some milk tea to enjoy in the park before entering Zojo-ji. After throwing your trash away or stuffing it in your pocket because Tokyo rarely has public trashcans, take a quick peak around Zojo-Ji a Buddhist temple at the base of Tokyo Tower. 

1:15pm: Grab tickets and head up to the top of Tokyo Tower! (I do recommend going all the way up, if it's not too crowded and the wait is not too long but the lower observation deck is quite enjoyable.) 

2:15pm: Take the elevator down to the base of Tokyo Tower, don't try and do the stairs (it was miserable) and head towards Daimon Station.

2:45pm: From Daimon Station take the Oedo Line (one of Tokyo's deepest subway lines so get prepared for a lot of stairs) to Yoyogi Station.

3:15pm: Tired yet?! I hope not, but if you are there tons of coffee vending machines at Yoyogi Station. But this is where your schedule gets to be quite tight because the Meiji Shrine closes anywhere from 4:00pm-6:30pm depending on the month. (Check the official website for more info: http://www.meijijingu.or.jp/english/map/4.html) If you are in a month where it closes early, I can only offer you two words of advice: Walk Fast! Power through the garden areas and head straight to the Shrine, you can enjoy the garden areas on your way out.

5:00pm-7:30pm: Depending on the season and your personality you have the option to check out Yoyogi Park and/or Takeshita Dori. Yoyogi Park is excellent during the Spring and Fall. You can see families, friends, lovers, and co-workers enjoying each others company in the park. Takeshita Dori is a very famous shopping street with some very interesting and intriguing Japanese fashion. Make sure you take a look at the Yoyogi Gymnasium, you can get a good view from the raised crosswalks.  

7:30pm: Once you've wrapped up your adventures in this area head back to the Yoyogi Station and jump on the Yamanote lane to Shibuya.

8:00pm: Arrive in Shibuya and head to the Hachiko Exit. Check out my previous post for more information on Shibuya, but to sum it up: Shibuya is my favorite place on the earth!
When exiting the Shibuya Station, use the Hachiko exit to see the Hachiko Statue and the Shibuya scramble. Take a walk through Center-Gai which after you cross through the Scramble is the street to the left of Starbucks. There are plenty of amazing food places and you can find anything you are looking for. Take as much time in Shibuya and make sure to get a large ice cold Sapporo or a glass of Umeshu (plum wine) on the rocks, because you deserve it!

*Note: I have not done the Tsukiji auction before so please be sure to check with your hotel and the link for more information.

Shibuya

Shibuya: The Greatest Place on Earth

I lived in Shibuya for awhile and it will always have a special place in my heart. If you are visiting Tokyo, the Shibuya crossing and a walk through Center-Gai is fantastic. You can reach Shibuya station with many major lines but the most notable is the JR Green Yamanote Line. I would recommend visiting Shibuya at night time,to take in all the lights and all of the young Tokyoites meeting up for Karaoke, Nomihodai (all you can drink), or a quick bite. It can be a little overwhelming and quite crowded but embrace that, because that's the beauty of Tokyo: 30 million people all working together in a clean and safe metropolis. 

In most crowded places around the world, I would suggest looking out for pickpocketers but I have never felt unsafe in Shibuya or had anything stolen (I saw girls save their seats with their wallets and purses!)

On a personal note, if I was ever feeling down or homesick I would always come out to the Shibuya Scramble and just stare at the lights, the people, and take in the incredible environment. 

Some things to check out in Shibuya: 

Center Gai (the street way in the second picture to the right of the girl covering her eyes) which is a mostly pedestrian area filled with stores, restaurants, and bars.

Karaoke: There are plenty of Karaoke bars in Tokyo: most notable is the one in Center Gai, which was featured in Lost In Translation

Game Center: Check out a Japanese arcade for some of the most advanced arcade equipment

Pachinko Game Center: Sometimes featured in the same buildings of a game center, Pachinko is a "legal form of gambling" in Japan. Extremely loud and I still don't understand how it works and probably never will. 

Purikura: Try out a Japanese photo booth, which features covers of popular American music while you take pictures with your friends and then edit them. A lot of the booths men are not allowed in without a woman and you have to have a Japanese phone to send some the pictures digitally. 

The Lock Up: Prison, insane asylum, bad hospital themed restaurant.

Izakaya: There are plenty of Japanese style bars that have Nomihodai (all you can drink for about 1500Yen + you have to buy 2 food items)

Donkihote: You can buy anything here, I mean anything! Groceries, sex toys, a cellphone, porn, a bicycle, linens.

Love Hotel Hill: A little past Donkihote, Love Hotel Hill is a fascinating aspect of Japanese culture. (A blog post to come soon!)

Delicious American Breakfast in Tokyo

Missing a hearty American breakfast in Tokyo?

Visit On the Corner in Shibuya! I think the breakfast is typically served at lunch time. The one thing it is missing, is American bacon. It does comes with eggs, spinach, mushrooms, canadian bacon, a tomato, and a giant piece of toast all in a hot dish! What's not to like?!