{"id":16841,"date":"2016-07-11T08:53:11","date_gmt":"2016-07-10T22:53:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures?p=16841&preview_id=16841"},"modified":"2025-03-18T22:06:40","modified_gmt":"2025-03-18T11:06:40","slug":"our-guide-to-the-perfect-day-in-tokyo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/our-guide-to-the-perfect-day-in-tokyo\/","title":{"rendered":"Our guide to the perfect day in Tokyo"},"content":{"rendered":"

Whether you’ve got\u00a0a limited amount of time in Tokyo<\/a>, or want to kick off a longer stay with a taste of everything this sprawling city has to offer, this\u00a0action-packed day makes the perfect intro. Follow our handy guide and you’ll get a mix\u00a0of the \u2018old\u2019 and the \u2018new\u2019 in one of the most multi-faceted cities in the world \u2013 plus a very important introduction to nomihodai <\/em>(just Google it).<\/p>\n

Morning<\/h3>\n

Start the day with a taste of \u2018old Tokyo\u2019 and head out to Asakusa to see the Senso-ji temple. An ancient Buddhist temple, brightly coloured and surrounded by bustling market stalls, Senso-ji is the oldest temple in Tokyo and one of the most popular (the crowds get a little crazy by midday). Pro tip: the temple grounds are always open, and the main hall is only open from 6:00am to 5:00pm.<\/p>\n

\"tokyo

Image c\/o Taichiro Ueki, Flickr<\/p><\/div>\n

Enter the temple complex through the\u00a0Thunder Gate (Kaminarimon) and start waking towards the main hall through Nakamise Dori, a busy\u00a0market street that dates back several centuries. Some stalls are more traditional than others, and you’ll\u00a0find everything from fans and woodblock prints to ridiculously oversized plush phone accessories and sparkly cases. Soon you\u2019ll come to the second gate \u2013 the Hozomon \u2013 and beyond this is\u00a0the temple\u2019s main hall and the impressive five-storied pagoda. Wash your hands and mouth at the water station, called a \u2018temizuya\u2019, to purify yourself before approaching.<\/p>\n

RELATED: CHECK OUT OUR SMALL GROUP TRIPS IN JAPAN<\/a><\/h5>\n

Take your time at Senso-ji and let yourself relax as you breathe in the smell\u00a0of votive incense that\u00a0hangs in the air. Wander around the temple gardens and soak up some\u00a0serenity. As you leave, walk back through Nakamise Dori and try\u00a0some of the traditional sweets in the markets, then grab\u00a0breakfast at one of the small eateries selling customary dishes. You\u2019ll be able to find hand-made noodles, sushi, even wasabi icecream. It\u2019s a lot\u00a0more interesting than a bowl of cereal, or plain ol\u2019 continental breakfast back at the\u00a0hotel.<\/p>\n

\"tokyo

Image c\/o Carlos Donderis, Flickr<\/p><\/div>\n

From Asakusa, you can start walking towards the next stop on the itinerary: the labyrinthine streets between Ueno and Okachimachi, which make up the open-aired Ameyoko markets. This is where the locals come to buy their fresh produce \u2013 especially fish. While wandering\u00a0through, take a look at the crazy variety\u00a0seafood and make a mental checklist of what you\u2019d like to sample during your time in Tokyo.<\/p>\n

Afternoon<\/h3>\n
\"tokyo

Image c\/o Azlan DuPree, Flickr<\/p><\/div>\n

Next up, jump on a train and head to Harajuku. If you\u2019ve already indulged in the traditional food options at Asakusa and the Ameyoko markets, now it\u2019s time for something\u2026 a little less traditional. Kawaii Monster Caf\u00e9 injects\u00a0the flavour of Harajuku\u2019s subcultures into food. A technicolour fairyland of oversized flower sculptures, psychedelic swirls and booths shaped like Alice in Wonderland teacups, Kawaii Monster Caf\u00e9 looks as if a unicorn vomited on the walls to create the d\u00e9cor. Which is to say, it looks amazing. The restaurant serves a variety of Instagram-worthy, multi-coloured food, including rainbow pasta and towering, gaudy ice-cream sundaes. Traditional Japanese food this is not, but Kawaii Monster Caf\u00e9 is worth visiting for the interior alone.<\/p>\n

\"tokyo

Image c\/o Alessandro Baffa, Flickr<\/p><\/div>\n

Once you\u2019ve refuelled, spend the early afternoon wandering around the criss-crossing shopping streets of Harajuku: the birthplace of kawaii and Lolita fashion. The street to start at is Takeshita Dori, but try to get\u00a0as lost as possible. Walk down every winding passageway where it looks like there might be something interesting to discover. Your reward: a plethora of vintage clothing stores and multi-level shops selling rainbow socks. Make a point of visiting 6% Dokidoki for the truly outrageous fashion, and Kiddyland for anime and cartoon paraphernalia.<\/p>\n

Once you\u2019ve blown your budget shopping in Harajuku, you\u2019re within walking distance of Shibuya station. Here, you will find the famous Shibuya Crossing \u2013 also known as \u2018The Scramble\u2019 \u2013 and a wall of flashing neon advertisements on all sides, with pop music blaring over the suited locals\u00a0that swarm across the road. Spend some time watching the hustle and bustle; you’ll appreciate how the crossing gets progressively more intense as the evening wears on. After crossing the road a few times \u2013 or as many times as it takes before you get bored \u2013 pop into the Starbucks across the road from the station to get an elevated view. Guaranteed:\u00a0everyone in this caf\u00e9 has only bought a coffee to be allowed in the upstairs seating area for the photo op.<\/p>\n

Evening<\/h3>\n
\"tokyo

Image c\/o Takashi Hososhima, Flickr<\/p><\/div>\n

Okay, enough dawdling! (Just kidding, you\u2019re doing great. Just look at all the things you\u2019ve ticked off the \u2018to do\u2019 list already.) By this time the nightlife of the city should be winding up,\u00a0with glowing lights beaming from every shop window and animated billboards keeping the darkness at bay. For dinner, find an okonomiyaki place \u2013 trust me \u2013 and you\u2019ll be delivered a variety of ingredients to make your own delicious savoury pancakes, grilled on a hot plate in the middle of your table. It\u2019s even better if your okonomiyaki establishment of choice has nomihodai<\/em> (all you can drink), as the two often go hand in hand. Remember not to get too silly \u2013 loud, public drunkenness in Japan is frowned upon \u2013 but there\u2019s no way you want to pass up on the opportunity to have as much umeshu<\/em> (plum wine) as your stomach desires.<\/p>\n

\"tokyo

Image c\/o Hajime Nagahata, Flickr<\/p><\/div>\n

Before you start thinking about how to get back to your hotel, you might as well work in one more stop on the itinerary. Roppongi is where the expats go to party, but if you\u2019re after something a little more low key catch the train out to Shimokitazawa. Shimo is where the hip, indie Tokyo kids like to hang out \u2013 as evidenced by the high-density of second-hand clothing stores in the area. You\u2019ll be able to find a number of hole-in-the-wall bars, but perhaps none quite so literally hole-in-the-wall as Mother. Stepping inside this bar, with its roughly hewn mosaic walls, feels like stepping into a Hobbit hole. Kampai!<\/p>\n

Ready for a proper Tokyo adventure? Check out our Japan small group\u00a0adventures<\/a>.\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\"blog-800x150-EUROPE\"<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Got 24 hours to explore the world’s biggest city? Challenge accepted. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15842,"featured_media":16845,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1313],"tags":[180,21,605],"class_list":["post-16841","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-guides","tag-asia","tag-japan","tag-tokyo","ipf_region-japan"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nOur guide to the perfect day in Tokyo | The Good Times by Intrepid<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Got 24 hours to explore the world's biggest city? 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