Summer Holidays - Tokyo Tips

This blog is going to be slightly different to my usual blogs. We have just been in Japan for two weeks on holiday and I’m going to give my top tips for a summer vacation in Japan.  We split our holidays between Tokyo, Kyoto (with a brief Mt Fuji stopover), Hiroshima and Osaka. We spent six days in Tokyo so I will work through that one first.

My top tips and must does are as follows:

1. The number one rule in Tokyo is to follow and respect their rules - this is a fairly standard Japanese rule but even more so in Tokyo. It’s not likely you would get in any serious trouble but it is more a case of respecting another culture and understanding that the people in Tokyo are quite conservative and expect you to be polite and considerate as well.  This was particularly important for the boys when using public transport and walking through the city.

2. Buy a Japanese SIM card before you go and your Japan Rail Pass. You can get them in Japan now but we found it better to have them before we left.  We used  an online company called Mobal.com to get the SIMS.....  this made life very easy when we arrived and it last 14 days- and we didn’t go close to using all the data provided.  With the JR Pass, if you're going to be in Tokyo for most of your trip then don't get a JR Pass to cover that, it's best to use that for the bullet trains outside (more on that in the next blog)

3.  Buy a Suica card (travel/convenience card). We used these for all our metro travelling throughout Japan (not just Tokyo) as well as convenience purchases of water, snacks on the go etc. easy to buy at the airport and simple to top up. Tokyo is a massive city and all the things you will want to do are spread out across the city - you will use the train a lot as it’s quick, clean, safe and cheap.  We are used to using an Octopus card in HK, and this is the equivalent in Japan - must buy!

Now for the fun things to see and do in Tokyo:

4.  Sumo training was an absolute must on our list. We bought tickets with a guide so that we were assured a spot on the day - there is a lot of demand for tickets during this time of year and you can only get in tp the stable if there is enough space.  The guide also provided us with a lot of information that we would not have known if we had gone alone.  Note that most of the 'sumo stables' are not central to Tokyo, so you will need to take the train to visit one and it will be early in the morning.   If you are planning on taking children, you must be aware that they have to sit crossed legged for 3+ hours and cannot talk or move.  It is serious business and they WILL throw you out if you do not follow the rules.  This fact was reiterated to us many times before purchasing the tickets.  Our boys were fine but by the end were happy to be up and about and able to chat again.  A MUST MUST DO  in Tokyo !!

5. Shibuya Crossing - yes, I know it is famous and it is just a pedestrian crossing but it is still fabulous to see in all it's glory and when you catch a glimpse of the Mario Carts going by it is even better.

Hiring Mario Carts to drive through the city is very popular

6.  Tokyo Dome - as we now have another baseball tragic in the family we were definitely up for seeing some games while in Japan.  Tokyo Dome is a great place to start !! We bought our tickets online and they will never be cheap but it was worth the cost.  The Yomiuri Giants are the home team and they did not disappoint.  We spent a few hours hanging around Tokyo Dome during the day with batting cages and lots of rides and shopping available to keep everyone entertained.  The facilities are brilliant and seeing a game in Japan was very different from games in USA but just as entertaining - if not more so.  We watched the Giants play the other Tokyo team, the Yakult Swallows, where the Giants wave orange towels when scoring and winning and the Swallows wave small umbrellas (yes umbrellas) it is quite the scene !!!

Go Giants

  

7. Tokyo Tower - if you are up for seeing the best view of Tokyo, then the Tower is for you.  On a clear day you can see Mt Fuji - sadly it was a bit cloudy the day we visited but it was still impressive.  You get uninterrupted views of Tokyo and with the city being so flat, you can really get a feel for the size of the city and the layout.  Very much worth the money.

What a View !

8.  Meinji Shrine ang Yoyogi Park - these two can be done together and are a fabulous way to introduce children to Tokyo and also a lovely Japanese Shrine.  When the weather is good you can spend all day outside in Tokyo, wandering through the Shrine and Park enjoying the fabulous culture that Japan offers.  Yoyogi Park is the equivalent of Central Park in New York and it is always nice to have a space for kids to run around and burn off some energy.

9.  Accihabara - the tech hub within Tokyo was a fun stop after the Sumo for us.  We grabbed a great Ramen locally and then toured the many stores of gadgets.  If you can't find what you need in Accihabara, then it no longer exists.  My tip would be to always go prepared with exactly what you want and what price you want to pay - I was thinking of a new camera lens but without doing the research beforehand and not speaking Japanese, it was never going to be easy.  Wandering around and seeing all the Animae characters on display is also super fun.

10.  Harajuku - oh wow or wow !!  Harajuku was just so much fun to walk through. Crazy outfits, mad shopping opportunities - it had it all.  I could have spent all day just people watching !

11.  Tsukiji Fish Market - there are many people who get up at 'crazy o'clock' to see the famous tuna market but it is very difficult to get in and we didn't want to risk missing out.  So, we decided to sleep in go in the morning around 8.30am and wander through the remaining fish market area and then the streets outside.  I do love local food markets and try and go to one in every country we visit and this one did not disappoint.  Everything was super fresh and looked amazing - but again with Japanese not being our language we stuck to safe options when eating.  Note that the fish market is moving later this year to a new location.

So Big !!!

12.  100 Yen store - there are a few different ones around and the concept is similar to the dollar stores at home.  Lots of 'stuff' that is basically sold at 100 yen or close to it.  The boys thought they were fabulous - they even picked up a plastic baseball bat and ball for a quick game at Yoyogi Park.  The ones we went to were Daiso and Seria.  Good for bribes when travelling with kids which won't break the bank. 

13.  Sjensjo Shrine - this fabulous Shrine is the oldest buddhist temple in Tokyo and is very large and very colourful.  It is very busy and is a good place to hire a Kimono for a few hours, if you are keen.  The streets around are full of options for gifts to buy and places to eat.  

14.  Food - I cannot complete a list of must do's in Tokyo without mentioning food.  From ramen to sushi to Okinomiyaki to a fabulous Udon, you cannot say no to Japanese food.  We had some fabulous meals and have even come away with a few new favourites.

What's for lunch ??

Other stops we made in our 6 days, that aren’t musts if you are pushed for time are:

• The Imperial Palace - a nice escape from the hustle and bustle but not much to see
• Rainbow Bridge in Odaiba which is currently not so rainbow but we did enjoy the Odaiba area to wander around
• Museum of Natural Science - fun for the kids but most of it is in Japanese
• Kill Bill Restaurant - fun for us, not so much the kids
• Dog/cat/owl cafes - it just didn't sit well with me, the animals just didn't seem happy :(

Kill Bill Restaurant

Odaiba - the Rainbow Bridge