TOP TEN THINGS to do in TOKYO in 2024 | Japan Travel Guide

Going to Tokyo? I gotchu, friend! Here are the top 10 things to do for you to dive straight into Japan’s cultural core. Ikimashou (let’s go)!

LINKS:
• JR Pass Calculator: https://www.japan-guide.com/railpass/
• Buy a JR Pass: https://jrpass.com/
• Train fare information: https://www.tokyometro.jp/en/ticket/regular/index.html
• Gold Rice Dining Ginza: https://maps.app.goo.gl/fd1XPFG4FyDgA28L6

TIMESTAMPS
00:00 – 02:23 No. 1
02:23 – 03:20 No. 2
03:20 – 05:05 No. 3
05:05 – 06:23 No. 4
06:23 – 07:51 No. 5
07:51 – 10:03 No. 6
10:03 – 11:45 No. 7
11:45 – 12:37 No. 8
12:37 – 13:32 No. 9
13:32 – 14:32 No. 10
14:32 – 18:33 A tour of Prince Park Hotel

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Tokyo can get overwhelming. It’s a city where tradition and modernity collide and it offers countless experiences that are ready and waiting for you. Join me, Kring Lacson, as I tell you the ten things that you should do in Tokyo so that you can dive straight into Japan’s cultural core. So, tara? Ikimasho?

Let’s go. There are two things I recommend you get from the airport: your transport card, and, for Wi-Fi, either a SIM card or pocket Wi-Fi. Both Narita and Haneda have kiosks for you to get your transport card from, which include the JR pass and the IC card.

The JR pass will serve you well if you’re traveling multiple regions as it covers majority of bullet trains. But is it worth getting one, especially with this recent price hike which almost doubles its price? For that I recommend using a Japan Rail Pass calculator such as this one from Japan-Guide.com,

To see if it’s worth it. Put in the train routes you’re taking and the calculator will compute the value of your route against the JR Pass. If you do need one, you need to pre-order the card at JRPass.com, and you may do so as far as three months before your trip.

You’ll also need to get an IC card, which is a prepaid travel card for you to use on any of Japan’s transportation systems. This is one that you must get and it doesn’t matter if you get the Suica or Pasmo. They both work exactly the same, just made by different companies.

I recommend putting ¥4,000 initially as train fares can cost anywhere between ¥172 to ¥324 per ride. You could also use your IC card to pay for bus trips, and even vending machines and convenience stores. And if you’re a slave to technology like me, then

You’ll also need to get either a mobile SIM card or a pocket wi-fi. I personally recommend getting a SIM card, especially if you’re traveling with others. That way you and your party don’t always have to stick close to each other to access wi-fi.

Plus, you don’t have to worry about your pocket wi-fi running out of battery. For this trip, I got the JAL ABC SIM card, which offered unlimited mobile data for 30 days, priced at ¥7,000. Lastly, Japan is the country where cash is still king, and having yen in your wallet can be incredibly convenient.

Fortunately, you’ll find ATMs readily available at the airport and at the train stations and metro convenience stores. Now that you’ve got your transport card, wi-fi and money, you’re set to hop on a train to explore Tokyo. Japan! Riding the train from the airport is the most cost-effective option to get to your hotel.

Japan! It will most likely also be the first place where you will encounter culture shock. The first thing you’ll notice in the trains is that the Japanese are very quiet because it is a shared space. The Japanese are really careful to not pass any type of disturbance. When following train etiquette,

The number one thing to do is to keep your phone on silent. Do not, and I mean do not, answer calls as this is considered extremely rude. If you do need to talk on the phone, keep your voice low and cover your mouth.

Also, wear earphones if you plan to listen to any form of media. Apart from that, other train tips are more commonsense, such as not eating, talking loudly or smoking. What makes Tokyo amazing is that it never feels like it’s just one city. Each of Tokyo’s districts have such distinctive

Characteristics that they might as well be a city of their own. For example, Asakusa While Asakusa is known for its historic temples and buildings, it also has a much calmer vibe than busy areas like Shibuya and Shinjuku. This is where you want to go if you start feeling overwhelmed by Tokyo.

If you want to sit down and grab a drink, just walk a few blocks from the famous Senso-ji Temple to Hoppy Street. Hoppy Street has a neighborhood vibe and it’s full of izakayas and yakitoris. It’s a great place for you to sit down, have a beer and a skewer and recharge.

Ginza, meanwhile, is an area of luxury. It’s a neighborhood full of luxury brands, upscale department stores, and ritzy sushi bars. It’s come a long way from being a literal swamp in the 1400s, When in Ginza, visit the Ginza Art Aquarium, located in Mitsukoshi Ginza Terrace.

It’s a highly photogenic art museum full of goldfish tanks. Tickets come at ¥2,300 per person, and I would say are very much worth it. Meanwhile, one step into Shibuya and you will know you are at the heart and soul of Tokyo. It is the go-to spot for 24/7 entertainment.

Each row that branches from the famous Shibuya Crossing has its own gems, so if you want to get lost, Shibuya is the place to go, which is what we did. And after walking from Shibuya Crossing to the Parco building, we ticked the next item off our list.

If you grew up watching anime or playing video games, then you’ll enjoy yourself at the Nintendo, Capcom, and Jump stores, all of which are located next to each other. these stores have all manner of merchandise and are fun to window shop in. My favorite was the Gem Store

Because of the Demon Slayer, Jujutsu Kaisen, and One Piece merch. Speaking of One Piece, you will also find the Mugiwara Store in Shibuya, which sells One Piece merch like figurines, stuffed toys, jigsaw puzzles, and even character-inspired perfumes. But if you want to be in Tokyo’s anime and gaming mecca, jump to Akihabara.

It’s the district that has fully embraced Otaku culture and it is also a tech mecca. In Akihabara, you’ll find buildings that sell only anime merchandise like the Akiba Culture Zone, which has five floors of anime figurines and collectibles and Animate, which is chock full of comics and DVDs.

And since you’re in Akihabara, you may as well step into the iconic Gigo building where, apart from crane games, you will also see some serious gamers. Give yourself a few minutes to watch them because their gameplay is mesmerizingly intense.

I’m not going to lie, I was slightly disturbed at how good these players were. But why just watch? If you’re here, you might as well play some games yourself. Akihabara is full of places to play claw machines where you could win anime figurines, stuffed toys, candy… you name it.

Each game costs anywhere between ¥100 to ¥500. But take note: playing to win requires a strategy, plus a few tries. Unless you’re lucky, you won’t get a toy after just one or two tries. Franck got this figurine after five tries, so don’t give up if you haven’t won just yet.

And if you’re a retro gamer, go to Super Potato, which houses second-hand games and consoles from the olden days. And by the olden days I mean the 1980s to the early 2000s. So beware if you’re a millennial or older, because this store is going to make you feel old Covering three floors,

Super Potato is a place to buy consoles and video games, but it also houses retro games that you could play for ¥100 ago. If you want more than just claw machines and arcade games, head to Red, an e-sports park in Tokyo Tower

Full of VR and hi-tech games, but surprisingly, not a lot of people. Here you will find four floors of immersive games, like Red Light, Green Light, wall climbing, breakout, and more. It’s a bit out of the way. but if Tokyo Tower is part of your itinerary, then please try Red.

By the way, if you’re liking this video so far, please consider subscribing. It really helps! Half the fun of being in Japan is being able to try all the yummy Japanese food, whether it’s a convenience store sandwich or a Michelin restaurant, Japanese food tastes like it’s made with love.

Be sure to mix up your food itinerary by trying YouTube-popular restaurants, local recommended restaurants and random restos you’ll encounter in your travels. Speaking of YouTube-popular, Kura Sushi is arguably the most recommended restaurant in YouTube and for good reason. It’s a restaurant that offers delicious sushi at affordable prices.

And because it’s a chain restaurant, it’s very easily found in Tokyo’s major areas. This was our first meal in Japan. We ate 15 plates, but our bill came to just about ¥2,815. So we spent an average of ¥190 per plate. Not bad!

If you have any restaurant recos, put it on the comments section below. Now, a local friend of mine recommended that I try Tenkaippin Ramen, which, similar to current sushi, has branches all over Tokyo. I was specifically recommended to get a Kotteri ramen with gyoza

And karaage as side dishes, and my god, it was good. The ramen was thick and creamy and packed with umami goodness. Having some crispy chicken and gyoza on the side was perfection. We ate at the Shibuya branch and later in Nara, but the quality was consistent for both branches.

You’ll also spot some hidden gems while walking around Tokyo. It’s how we found the Gold Rice Dining in Ginza, which is not easy to find in Google Maps as it’s labeled in Japanese. A favorite among locals. You will eat some of the freshest and most delicious fish here.

Ordering the assorted sashimi meal for dinner costs ¥3,520. But if you come at lunch, you will get the same meal for ¥1,750. Many restaurants in Japan offer lunch specials, where meals cost a fraction of the price they do in dinner.

So if there’s a time for you to go all out and eating, it’s lunchtime. It’s easy to skip over Tokyo’s parks because there are so many other places to see. the parks are a good place to space out when you start feeling overstimulated by the city.

We went to Minato City Shiba Park, where we had full views of Tokyo Tower while surrounded by the few families who were just chilling out. It afforded us some time to chill out ourselves and revel in the fact that we were in Japan.

Make sure to add a park to your list as a brief stop to recharge. Tokyo is also full of temples and you’ll be surprised at how uncrowded many of them are. Zojo-ji Temple, which is located beside Tokyo Tower, is a particular example.

Zojo-ji Temple is one of the best places to see a ceremony by Buddhist monks. But of course, you can’t visit Tokyo and not go to the most well-known temple of all: The Senso-ji Temple in Asakusa. Founded in the year 645, it is the oldest temple in the city

And receives 20 million visitors each year. That is 55,000 people per day! To beat the crowds, you could go early in the morning or late at night. Either way, Senso-ji will still look as majestic and commanding as it does on peak hours. while in Senso-ji, or any shrine for that matter,

Observe proper etiquette by bowing upon entering the shrine. Before offering your prayers, purify yourself by heading to the shrine’s fountain or stone basin, and using the ladle to wash your hands and rinse your mouth. When praying, throw a coin into the offering box and alert

The gods of your presence by bringing the temple bell. Bow twice, clap twice, offer your prayer, and finish off with another bow. You might be in the mood to window shop before or after your prayers in Senso-ji, in which case, you have come to the right place, as Nakamise-Dori

Is a 200 meter shopping street that leads to the temple. Here you can buy Japanese souvenirs to bring back your loved ones, like folding fans, maneki nekos, Kabuki masks and more. They’re also not short on sweets here. We ate our first day daifuku here, which is a mochi

Stuffed with a sweet filling, and obviously it was yummy. Of course you’ll never run out of places to window shop in, but I recommend places like Harajuku’s Takeshite street, which is crammed with street food and boutique stores; Nihonbashi, a historic merchant district featuring traditional goods and regional food; and of course, Akihabara,

Especially if you’re looking to get electronics at duty free prices. Why not complete your cultural experience of Japan by sleeping in a capsule hotel? Capsule hotels are Japan’s best-known type of lodging. They’re cheap and accessible because they’re catered to people looking for a one-night, low-budget stay.

And not only are they cheap, they’re also super convenient. Capsule hotels are usually found around major train stations, which was our experience in Nine Hours Hamamatsucho. For ¥6,100 per person per night, we got our own spacious sleep pod, pajamas, toiletries and locker.

The sleep pods were spacious and had enough room for us to move around in. And it had nooks for us to put our phones on. The only downside is that we heard our neighbors’ alarms ring in the morning. I would recommend bringing your own earplugs and eye cover

If you do decide to book in Nine Hours or any other capsule hotel. To experience the culture and offerings of Tokyo. The most important thing to do is to embrace the concept of slow travel. It’s very tempting to squeeze every attraction into your itinerary. But remember that the true essence of Tokyo

Is not just in its landmarks, but the moments in between. So allow yourself to slow down and be spontaneous. Wander through unfamiliar streets, discover new places, and engage with locals. Don’t be afraid to deviate from your plan and not follow your itinerary to the minute. Just savor the fact that you’re in Tokyo.

It’ll be more enjoyable than if you try to do as many things as possible in a day. Those are the ten things I recommend you do in Tokyo. If you have any suggestions, want to share your experiences or have suggestions for fellow travelers, them in the comments below.

Thanks for watching – mata ne, see you later. Byeee! Hello, come in. Welcome to Tokyo. It’s our first night in Tokyo and we wanted to start it with a bang, so we got a pretty good hotel, and I’ll show you around. So when you enter, you have your closet.

It’s nothing special, but it is pretty large. So you’ll see. You have a lot of room for your storage and also your safety box. And over here, you’ve got all your amenities, your glasses and your Nespresso. You’ve got your fridge here all filled up. But even though we booked a nice price

For this, this stuff is not free. You would think it would be free, but you still have to pay if you want to, if you want to consume any of them. Now, Tokyo is known for having pretty small toilets and rooms, but the toilet and bathroom – the bathroom is pretty impressive here.

So if you have a look, this is it. There is so much space. You’ve got your sink here and you’ve got your well, I forgot the word. It’s been a while since I slept, but have a look. It’s a large bathtub.

So while you’re having a bath, you could have a view of the Tokyo skyline, the Tokyo city. And. But if you are not in the mood for a bath, you could go for a shower. So it’s a pretty large shower as well. Not an Italian shower, but still pretty good.

Of course, it’s not complete – a vlog of Japan is not complete without showing you the toilet. So I guess it’s a fancy toilet. I do see there’s a seat warmer in here, so if I sit down, it’ll feel pretty good. And I’ll show you the bedroom. Here you go.

This is the bedroom. Pretty large. So this is a king, I guess a king bed, lots of space. So that if Franck and I fight, he could scoot away to the very edge. You’ve got a nice, curved sofa here so that you could just chillax while looking at the view.

So you’ve got – if you look at the view, you’ve got Tokyo Sky Tree over there. But the reason why you have a sofa in this position is that so that you can look directly at the main view which would be, have a look. The Tokyo Tower. yeah, pretty good.

I mean, I think you are paying the price of having this premium view of the tower. And with such large glasses, I think you’re going to see all of it and. Yeah. by the way, you’ve got your mini office here,

So if you’re a workaholic, then you could just do some of your work here. But I’m not going to touch that. I’m just going to put my stuff in. It’s like all of the stuff that I bought from 7-Eleven. Yeah, So that’s our first night. We splurged on this hotel.

It’s costed us this amount and tomorrow we are going to go on a budget and go on a, what do you call it again? Capsule. A capsule hotel. Tomorrow we’re going in the capsule hotel to make up for the price that we paid for this first night.

But yes, we are starting on a good note. And so I think we’re going to have a good trip for our Japan trip. It’s our highlight of the year. And starting it on a good note means that we are going to have a blast. Yeah, that’s it!