Tackling your Tokyo itinerary can be a daunting task. I made lists and lists and more lists. I sought out opinions from friends and perfect strangers via their blog posts. I looked for patterns and then went back and made a master list. All that list making and we still only did a cursory tour of this remarkable city. So without overwhelming you with the why’s I give you our master list. May it be a useful springboard as you plan your time in Tokyo…
- Tsukiji Fish Market – to see the auction you need to arrive at 3am and wait. They cap the attendance. The bidding begins at 5am. The fish market is being moved in the fall of 2018 so kind of a must see thing while you still can.
- The Flower Auction at Ota Market from the Observatory Area.
- Sushi breakfast by the fish market. We went to Ichibasushi. Big hit.
- Senso-ji Temple – the oldest and largest temple in Tokyo
- Hedgehog Cafe or Bunny Cafe or Owl Cafe or Cat Cafe or Dog Cafe – take your pick. We went to the Hedgehog Cafe which happened to share the space with the Bunny Cafe. Bunnies stole the show for me, but kids were enamored with hedgehogs.
- The Imperial Palace
- Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation (if you have kids in your group)
- A kobe beef Tapenaki Meal. Our guide chose Misono in Shinjuku and we loved it.
- Meiji Shrine – the shrine was impressive, but the walk through the forest to get to the shrine was my favorite part.
- Takeshita Street (pop culture teen scene street) to Ometesando Street (5th Avenue of Tokyo)
- Omikase Sushi Meal – we went to and LOVED Kizushi in Chuo-Ku
- Hachiko Statue of the faithful dog
- The Shibuya Crossing – first watch it from above in the Subway station and then cross it yourself – organized chaos at it’s finest.
- Take in the view from the top of the Government Buildings. Excellent gift shop there too.
- 100 yen stores. Kids couldn’t get enough of the 100 yen stores and we are bringing home a stuffed duffel bag to prove it. #borntoshop
As you can derive we had a busy 2.5 days in Tokyo – all while battling jet lag. Cherry blossoms were not on our list as I thought our visit would be too early in the season to be able to see them. Happily this was not the case and they have become the defining symbol of this adventure. Grab your group and make your list! And please share things I missed so others can benefit from your suggestions.
