Three Days to see Thirty Million
Tokyo is one of the world's largest cities, boasting over thirty million people within the greater area, and there is always something to do in this sprawling metropolis. It's a loud city in every way, and yet it is a social expectation to remain quiet in public. That was an issue for my mom and I, but luckily for Tokyo, we only had three days there. Here's how to survive and thrive in the capital of the Land of the Rising Sun.
Stay
There are so many areas in the city that make choosing a hotel a genuine challenge. Our options were narrowed because we decided it would be easier to use Marriott points. I chose the Prince Sakura Tower, an Autograph Collection Hotel, located in Shinagawa. The reason I chose it was for its proximity to Shinagawa station (5 minute walk), which had both convenient subway routes, along with bullet train. We literally walked from the bullet train into our room without any problem at all.
The rooms are all the same, the only difference being that the higher floor rooms have higher ceilings, providing a more open feel. There is a pretty garden behind the hotel, which actually shares a massive property with several other hotels. The gardens offer a nice recluse from the almost unbelievable hustle and bustle of the city during the day, plus have gorgeous cherry blossom trees.
The breakfast at the hotel was great, and it was included in our rate which made it even better. All breakfast's in Japanese hotels, at least the international brands, offer both Western and Asian breakfasts, and I had a great time combining both to come up with my own fusion.
Clearly Japanese don't also eat breakfast at ungodly hours on Saturday mornings
This is a solid option that I would definitely recommend. While the immediate vicinity lacks points of interest, we found it very easy to get basically anywhere in the city via a 15-30 minute subway ride.
Eat
There's a whole blog post on the food here, go check it out!
Do
Alright. Let's get into this. There is simply so much to do in a city of this scale, but in three days, we basically hit it all.
On our first day, we had dinner at Narisawa, hands down the best meal experience of my life. It took three hours, and we were beyond stuffed afterwards so we decided to return to the room and call it a night.
Day 2
Tsukiji Market
I go into more detail in the Eat blog post, but essentially this place is the largest fish market in the world, and really opens your eyes to the mass scale of the industry. For more details on Tsukiji, reference Eat, A Lot.
Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building
Sounds pretty boring right? Wrong! Actually partially correct. The building is massive, and definitely feels very political upon entry, decked out with the guards and everything. Once you go inside, there is a small elevator which takes you up a few floors, at which point you switch elevators and go to the top floor. That's the reason you visit this building, as it offers a free observation deck with amazing views over this sprawling city. Worth a 30 minute visit for sure, along with a nice stroll through the Shinjuku Central Park just beside the building.
Views from the top of the Metropolitan Building
Gyoen National Park
A gorgeous park, and not to mention massive. We thought we had walked the whole park but after retracing our steps we walked through maybe a quarter of it in nearly two hours. The place is beautiful though, and even though you have to pay to get in, it is worth the money. Tokyo, like I said, is so alive you almost prevented from having any time or energy to take it all in. Gyoen Park offers that to you, so it's worth it.
An early blossom provided me with some beautiful shots
Golden Gai
In Shinjuku, just a few minutes' walk from the massive buildings and high-end shops, is Golden Gai, where you can find genuine, authentic Japanese hole-in-the-walls. It's essentially a small collection of shipping container-esque buildings that house tiny restaurants and shops, such as Nagi (best ramen in the city, again, reference "Eat, A Lot").
Day 3
Ginza
Personal heaven-Comme Des Garcon (which is a Japanese brand)
The ultimate in shopping. My mother, a woman who lived in France for five years, puts Tokyo above Paris. That says a lot about the city, and Ginza is the mecca of shopping here. Go on a weekend and enjoy shopping through any type of store while the street is closed off. I did a lot of damage and bought a ton of clothes, from both well-known brands and Japanese brands. My mom, on the other hand, bought a luggage. It was a great deal apparently?
Till you drop, am I right?
Shibuya
Now this place is crazy awesome. Obviously there is the world-famous crossing, which is touted as the best in the world (also, be sure to watch the crossing from the Starbucks on the second floor at one of the buildings above the crossing). But there is so much else to see here, and just roaming around provides endless entertainment, shopping and food.
Clearly I was pretty excited to be blocking people's paths
Day 4
Meiji Shrine
This is probably the most famous of the shrines within Tokyo, as we did not end up going to the Asakusa area, which is widely regarded as the cultural center of the city. Meiji Shrine is gorgeous though, and it is located in Yoyogi Park, which on a Sunday is just as incredible, as hundreds upon thousands of locals come out and hang out. We also were lucky enough to witness a Japanese wedding ceremony, something that my mom was taken back by with its beauty, grace and class. Not a bad spot to get married!
Shenanigans in Yoyogi Park, by the Meiji Shrine
Harajuku
The epicenter of Japan's weird shit is definitely Harajuku. I had a massive, colorful cotton candy which kind of totally made my trip because I love cotton candy so much. My mom bought some weird shoes, which I would have too if I hadn't already gone past my spending limit (I guess I just have to go back?). The street gets Coachella-level (some foreshadowing there) packed, which can become a bit of a bother when you realize you've moved two feet in a minute. Regardless, Harajuku is jam packed with Tokyo's weirdest and best, so definitely give it a visit.
It's a little too crowded, but for good reason! McDonald's!