How we spent one week in Tokyo
While most Japan itineraries tend to begin in Tokyo, we left the capital until almost-last on our trip. This was mostly to do with logistics, but in the end. I was glad we did as I knew it would be a highlight for me. I’d always heard that people end up extending their stay in Tokyo, so we factored in a full week (and still ended up staying one night longer so we could see Bonobo at O-East).
Unlike other cities in Japan and around the world where there are lots of things ‘to do’, we found that the majority of our Tokyo itinerary focused around exploring different neighbourhoods. After a busy holiday of long days going from one place to another, this was good for me. But if you want to do ‘things’ there are also endless temples, shrines, palaces, galleries, museums and more to explore.
These were the highlights of our week in Tokyo.
See the Sumo Wrestling at Ryogoku Kokugikan National Sumo Arena
If you’re in Tokyo in an odd-numbered month (e.g. we were there in May) then your trip might coincide with a sumo tournament. We made it to the second day of the May tournament, and it was a lot more fun than I’d expected.
We arrived at about 2:30pm, when the intermediate rounds begin, and to be honest I didn’t think we would stay the whole way through to 6pm. But it was so entertaining and you really find yourself getting stuck into the matches – despite the fact that they only last a few seconds. In the stadium you can buy snacks and drinks and souvenirs. And since almost all sumo-beyas are in the Ryogoku area, you’ll see the wrestlers coming and going from the arena in their bright yukatas too.
We got our tickets through BuySumoTickets.com who book your ticket when they go on sale and even deliver them to your hotel ahead of the event.
Shinjuku
Flashing lights, dark alleys, and a massive statue of Godzilla are only a few of the things to see in Shinjuku. We stayed here for our week in Tokyo and it worked well as a base due to its central location, good transport links, and busy atmosphere with plenty to do within a few streets of our hotel.
The highlights of Shinjuku were the smokey laneways and izakayas of Omoide Yokocho, the famous 3D cat billboard at Cross Shinjuku Vision, and the music bars where staff play songs on request.
We also spent a sunny afternoon relaxing in Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden. It costs ¥500 per person to enter, but the grounds are large and you could easily spend hours walking around each of the gardens.
Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building
On the edge of Shinjuku and Yoyogi, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building is actually two buildings that the public can enter. In Building 1, take the North Tower elevator to the top floor, and take in the amazing views across Tokyo’s cityscape. It’s free! And on a clear day you can even see Mt Fuji.
Harajuku
Harajuku is famous for its trendy shops and Japanese fashion – to be honest Gwen Stefani in the early 2000s made it famous to me. So I was excited to explore the neighbourhood. We started by wandering Takeshita Street and exploring the vintage shops on Cat Street, and before heading to the mirrored entrance and rooftop gardens at Tokyu Plaza Omotesando Omokado. From Harajuku it’s easy to walk to Shibuya to the south or Shinjuku to the north.
Shibuya
Shibuya is one of the most famous districts in Tokyo, largely due to the iconic Shibuya Crossing. Instead of paying around £15 per person to view the crossing from Shibuya Sky, we went to Mag’s Park Rooftop at the top of the Magnet shopping centre. This cost ¥1800 (less than £10) per person and included a drink on entry.
After 30 minutes or so watching people cross the hectic road – which is way more entertaining than it sounds – we headed to Miyashita Park before checking out the izakayas of Shibuya Nonbei Yokocho.
If you want to go for a night out in Tokyo, check out the line up at O-East. We went to Bonobo’s Outlier night here with Sofia Kourtesis. Tickets were super cheap but we had a great night which felt a lot like a night out in London which we were missing by this point in our travels.
Akihabara
This area is a Mecca for fans of anime, gaming, and all things Japanese culture. From huge department stores selling every electrical item you could ever think of (and those you didn’t even know existed) to vintage gaming arcades and super-specialised collectors items, you can find just about anything in Akihabara. We spent a few hours wandering the busy streets of Electric Town.
Our highlights were:
Super Potato and its floor of vintage video games
Yodabashi Akiba, an overwhelmingly huge electronics shop
Mandarake, the go-to spot for all things anime
Asakusa and Sensoji Temple
We spent the evening in Asakusa which turned out to be a great time to visit the Sensoji Temple. It’s the oldest temple in Tokyo, dating back to the year 645, and it’s free to enter the grounds. It can get busy in the day but at night it’s much quieter and it looks just as great lit up.
Kagurazaka
Kagurazaka is a French-inspired neighbourhood of Tokyo, sat beside the canal. You’ll find European-style shops and restaurants serving crepes, galettes, cider, and other traditional French fare. It doesn’t really feel like France at all, unsurprisingly. But if you have a spare morning in the city it’s a pretty place to wander.
Ginza
In the heart of Tokyo is the neighbourhood of Ginza. It's famous as a high end shopping district with plenty of good places to eat and drink. It’s not the cheapest (or coolest) spot in Tokyo but if you like the nicer things in life this is the place to go.
Meguro
If you want to explore something outside of the typical tourist areas, check out one of the more residential neighbourhoods of Tokyo. We spent an evening in Meguro to see a friend, but it’s a beautiful and relatively peaceful spot where you can walk along the river, and enjoy food and drinks at local independent restaurants like Gonzo pizza.
Where to find good veggie food in Tokyo
I was able to find some pretty good vegetarian Japanese food in Tokyo, without having to go to specifically plant-based places. Restaurants best Japanese restaurants I ate at that serve both meat and vegetarian food in Tokyo were:
Shokuno Hanamichi Edo Restaurant, Shinjuku
Uobei, Shibuya (although there are locations all over the city)
Muji Cafe
Kura sushi, which has locations all over Tokyo
Coco Ichibanya, which has locations all over Japan
Obviously this is not an extensive list. I only ate out a limited amount of times during my week in Tokyo! And if you don’t mind missing out on the local culture you could easily eat western food every day in Tokyo, where vegetarian food is easier to come by.
Find out more about our full one month in Japan itinerary here.