Five days in Tokyo, Japan

 

A friend of mine is heading off to Tokyo the beginning of January and he was asking me what I would do with five days in Tokyo. Putting aside the want to show off my old neighbourhood and drinking holes, I tried to think about all of the places that I would want someone to see on their first trip to Japan with a base in Tokyo. Here is what I came up with.

Modern Culture (Shopping, temples and Harajuku youth)
Subway to Harajuku – walk to Meiji shrine follow through Omotesando and Aoyama dori to top of hill. Taxi back.
Possible Sumo Match - Y2,400 tojitsu-ken (same-day ticket).
Eat at tonkatsu restaurant (such as Tenshin in Meguro near Ebisu station)

Kamakura (Seaside town an hour from the city)
Tokyo St. -> JR Yokosuka Line -> Kamakura 54 mins.
Zeni-aria Benten shrine, Great Buddha, Beach, Hase Kannon Temple
Eat at cheap noodle shop

Hakone Visit (Hot springs, mountains and traditional Japanese hotel)
Bullet train - $7,000 for two from Tokyo station
Tokyo Station (The Shinkansen 40 min.) - Odawara (Hakone Tozan Railway 15 min.) - Hakoneyumoto
Stay: Hotel Senkei (592 Yumoto Hakone-machi Ashigara-Shimogun, Kanagawa)
Eat traditional meals offered by the hotel

Hakone Visit and Return to Tokyo
Bullet train - $7,000 for two back to Tokyo station
Hakoneyumoto – Odawara - (Hakone Tozan Railway 15 min.) - Tokyo Station (The Shinkansen 40 min.)
Night on the town. Eat at Moti's (Indian) in Roppongi


Traditional Tokyo & shopping (temples, old districts and flea markets)
Asakusa: Nakamise Street, Sensoji Temple, Kappabashi (food district)
Antique/Flea market
Eat a feast of good sushi

and if you could squeeze in one more day, I would add in either:

Brenda’s Old Haunts
Subway to Hiroo – walk through to Azabu Juban (Arisugawa, Nishimachi, Stately homes)– walk through Roppongi back to hotel
Roppongi at night

OR

Futuristic Tokyo
Rainbow Bridge – architecture buildings - Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation – Subway to Akihabara –tech gadgets

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