This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.
The original was posted on /r/japantravel by /u/RedStarRedTide on 2025-07-01 00:41:12+00:00.
***Warning: this will be a long post***
This was my second visit to Tokyo, following a trip to Japan in November 2024 with some friends. After being absolutely captivated and enthralled on my previous trip, I booked another trip within a week and a half after returning. This was my first ever solo trip.
Day One (Sunday) - Landed at Haneda
I flew Japan Airlines and landed at Haneda at 5 pm. Unlike my previous trip, immigration and customs was quick (<30 minutes). I had my QR code ready but the airport set up about 20 kiosks for people to scan their passport and take a photo. The QR code wasn’t needed at all. However, baggage claim took around 25 minutes. It felt like my luggage was never going to appear. I began to get worried that the airline had lost my luggage. Most people from my flight had left the area but finally, my suitcase appeared.
I quickly completed the essentials (wifi box, currency exchange, welcome suica) and rode the trains to my hotel, Sotetsu Fresa Inn Okachimachi in Ueno. The hotel rooms were small but clean and adequate. This room had an adjustable thermostat and air conditioning unlike my previous Tokyo hotel which only had central heating. However, the laundry facilities here were dreadful as there were only two combo washer/dryers for the entire 13 floors.
Day Two (Monday) - Kichijoji, Nakano
- Inokashira Park
- Kichijoji Shopping Street
- Nakano Broadway
Been seeing a lot of reddit posts talking about Kichijoji so i decided to check it out. Before that, I had an early 7 am breakfast at Komeda’s Coffee at Ueno. I took the train to Kichijoji Station and I walked around Inokashira Park but didn't go to the Ghibli Museum (i’m not interested in Ghibli). It was raining pretty hard so I was drenched walking through the park. There were very few people walking around so it was calm and peaceful despite the downpour. After leaving the park, I went to a 7/11 to buy an umbrella. Got coffee at Light Up Coffee and walked through Kichijoji Shopping Street. It’s a great walk with a variety of stores .It began lightly snowing which was awesome as I had never seen snow falling before. Circled around a couple times, bought some pastries at Linde Kichijōji, and hopped on the train to Nakano Broadway.
Perhaps it was due to the rain but there were less tourists in Nakano Broadway than I expected. The mall has multiple levels with many Mandarake stores dedicated to collectible figures and anime merch. There is also a supermarket on the lowest level. The surrounding streets and alleyways are filled with restaurants. I grabbed some curry at Garaku Nakano - it was soupy and delicious.
I got a haircut and shave in the evening which was refreshing.
Day Three (Tues) - Yanaka, Ueno
- Shinobazu Pond
- Nippori Station
- Yanaka Ginza/Sendagi/Nezu
Began my morning walking around Shinobazu Pond and Shinobazu Pond Benten. This is my second time walking the Ueno Park area and I love it for its peacefulness and green scenery. I walked all the way to Kayaba Coffee for breakfast. I walked in and got lucky they had an open table with no wait. The egg sando and mixed coffee and chocolate “Russian” drink was delicious and lightly sweet.
It was too early for the Yanaka Ginza stores so I made a detour to Nippori. I got ushered/roped into doing a fire prevention training hosted by the Tokyo Fire Department right outside the station and participated in a number of activities like fire extinguisher usage, crawling through a smoke-filled tent, calling the emergency line, bandaging wounds, etc. It was pretty hilarious and fun and I received stickers and a bath bomb for finishing everything.
Afterwards, I went back to Yanaka Ginza. There are all lot of small restaurants, grocery stores, coffee shops, and places selling trinkets here. After an early ramen lunch, I walked from Yanaka Ginza to Sendagi, through Nezu, and back down to Ueno. It's definitely a lot quieter and removed from the bustling touristy areas. In my view, there wasn't anything notable but there were a lot of restaurants. It's a healthy walk, though. I went to Kintarō Sushi for a second lunch and filled my belly up with a sushi box and chirashi bowl.
Unfortunately I felt a bit under the weather after sushi. I thought I had caught covid or something and went back to my hotel to take a nap. I felt much better afterward, and stayed in Ueno for dinner.
Day Four (Wed) - Shibuya
- Yoyogi Park
- Shibuya (west of Crossing)
- Nintendo World/Pokemon Center
Started off my day by Yoyogi Park by grabbing some pastries for breakfast at 365 Days. It’s a small, cute store with an impressive selection of sweet and savory pastries. I circled the park and made my way down to Shibuya to the Nintendo World/Pokemon Center in the Parco. Yoyogi Park is a spacious area with a huge field for dogs but I think Meiji Jingu next door is a lot more beautiful and suited for travelers. I didn’t get a chance to explore this side of the Crossing the last time I was in Tokyo, so it was nice to see the different stores and malls. It felt like a true downtown shopping district from an American city. Unfortunately, my eye was acting up (it was for the past couple weeks). I thought I had a tear in my retina. Thankfully, the Kato Eye Clinic by Shibuya Crossing accepts walk-in appointments so I was able to get seen. It was about 9000 or 10000 yen for a full exam. The ophthalmologist was wonderful and she spoke English (there is a language barrier with the staff). I got seen and there were no issues detected which was relieving. My eye was dilated which cut my day short but I was able to take the train back to my hotel.
I had an unagi set meal for the first time at Unatoto Unagi. It was very rich and filling and I’m glad to have tried it but it is a one and done thing for me.
Day Five (Thurs) - Daikanyama, Ikebukuro
- Starbucks Roastery
- Ikebukuro Chinatown
- Sunshine City/Pokemon Center
My plan was to originally visit the Starbucks Roastery and then Shibuya the previous day but I wasn't able to given my eye situation. This became a make-up day. I went to Okayama Denim in the morning, browsed some stores in the area, and then headed to Starbucks Roastery. I picked up some gifts for my family and had a nice cup of coffee and chocolate cake. My only complaint was this area is a bit difficult to access by train so some walking is definitely necessary but the area felt hip and high end.
After going to the Roastery, I took the train to Ikebukuro and walked through the different areas including Owl Street and Chinatown. This district seems a lot bigger than how it looks on the map and I hope to explore more of it the next time I return to Japan. Next, I went through the station to the other side and made my way to Sunshine City. Sunshine City was fun but overwhelmingly huge. I think it’s connected to an aquarium and an observatory too. There is a Pokemon Center here along with a large gachapon store.
Day Six (Friday) - Saitama
- The Railway Museum at Saitama
- Hobby Center Kato
As a train fan, I had to check out The Railway Museum at Saitama. This was probably one of the greatest museums I have ever visited. It’s huge, clean, and full of interactive exhibits. There is a huge room filled with preserved locomotives and rolling stock. There is even a mini track at the end of the museum where you can drive tiny versions of famous Japanese trains like the Yamanote line. You can easily spend half a day here and even a full day if you try all the interactive demos. Depending on where your lodging is, traveling to Saitama is actually kinda far (60+ minutes for me). But if you have time in your trip, I definitely recommend this museum.
Afterwards, I went to Hobby Center Kato, a model train store. This place is packed with model trains, parts, and structures—a model train enthusiast’s paradise! For dinner, I had some crazy good Chinese food at 羊貴妃羊湯館 御徒町. The lamb soup and skewers were perfect for keeping me warm on a cold and rainy day.
Day Seven (Saturday) - Harajuku
- Harajuku/Cat Street
- Omotesando
I always enjoy Harajuku and Cat Street. It’s just a fun place to explore especially if you’re into Japanese denim - Studio d’artisan, Pure Blue Japan, Momotaro, etc. you can find the whole gamut in Harajuku. I walked around Tokyu Plaza Omotesando Omokado but I’ll need to come back in the future to explore more. It’s extremely crowded but lively. I went to Ometesando Hills next - it’s all boutique shopping which isn’t my thing but the architectural layout of the mall is spectacular. I checked out the streets behind Ometesando Hills and went to another “viral” coffee shop, Higuma Doughnuts × Coffee Wrights Omotesando. I got the limoncello donut, chocolate donut, and the coffee of the day. It was good but social media overhyped this place. Checked out more stores including the Sugi Bee, Flying Tiger, and Herz. Capped off the night with a monster steak and hamburger patty at Monster Grill and drinks at 2nd Cooper.
Day Eight (Sunday) - Akihabara
- Akihabara
- Kanda Myoujin Shrine
- Yushima Seido
- Hijiri Bridge
Started my day off at Egg Baby Cafe when it opened. The egg sandwich was good but the fries were lukewarm which was disappointing. Maybe I’m just stupid but when the store opened, everyone rushed to save a table wit...
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