Travel Itinerary: Tokyo Japan 2014

Hi guys! This is a rough guide of places to go, eat, and visit if you want to visit Toyko, compiled from several of my colleagues and friends who visited it recently. Hope this is helpful, enjoy!

PART ONE: BY DAYS Getting to/from Shinjuku JR "East" Exit and Haneda Airport By Keikyu Railways

1 transfer, 45 minutes, 610 yen, frequent connections Last connection of the day leaves international terminal at 0:01

Take the JR Yamanote Line from Shinjuku Station to Shinagawa Station (20 minutes, 200 yen) and transfer to the Keikyu Airport Line to Haneda Airport (20 minutes, 410 yen).

By Tokyo Monorail

1 transfer, 40-50 minutes, 690-700 yen, frequent connections Last connection of the day leaves international terminal at 0:10

Take the JR Yamanote Line from Shinjuku Station to Hamamatsucho Station (25 minutes, 200 yen) and transfer to the Tokyo Monorail to Haneda Airport (20 minutes, 490 yen). Instead of the Yamanote Line you can also take the Oedo Subway Line between Shinjuku and Daimon Station just next to Hamamatsucho Station (15 minutes, 210 yen). Day 1, Sunday - Tsujiki and Harajuku Lunch at Tsujiki Market (can skip if the good places are not open) Lotteria cheese burger for snack – Best. fast. food. burger. Tea at La Fe Delice on Cat street near Kiddy Land (kiddy land is where you buy all the cool jap toys) http://lafeedelice.com Crepes from the streets of Harajuku Dinner at Shinjuku Numazukou (hard place to find but worth it) Day 2, Monday - Hakone Buy free pass from Shinjuku Station (West Exit) 1st floor (Ground Floor), Odakyu Railway Shinjuku Station West Exit Food stuff not sure but quite fun to take the different modes of transport. Day 3, Tuesday - Tokyo For brunch, go to Midori Sushi. The Shibuya outlet is inside a shopping centre called Mark City. If you are going that outlet, must go early like 1030am sharp. They open at 11am so you get in for the first sitting, if not have to queue for a long time. http://www.sushinomidori.co.jp/shibuya.html Tokyu Hands Takashimaya (Shinjuku South Exit) – can skip if not crafty. Also shopping at Isetan, Takashimaya... Tokyo Banana can be bought at basement of malls Early dinner of tsukemen at Fu Un Ji at Shinjuku which was so good! http://www.ramenadventures.com/2010/11/fuunji-in-shinuku.html Visited Akhibahra's Yodabashi Camera for my tech needs. Audiotechica earphones are cheap and very good quality. Day 4, Wednesday - Tokyo Ichiran ramen lunch at Shibuya  3 minute walk from JR Shibuya Station (Hachiko Exit) http://www.ichiran.co.jp/english/html/kt_shibuya.html Tokyo Metropolitan Building (if you still want to see good views of Tokyo) Yasukuni Shrine is located a short walk from Kudanshita Station on the Hanzomon, Tozai and Shinjuku Subway Lines. From Tokyo Station  Take the Marunouchi Subway Line from Tokyo Station to Otemachi (1 minute) and then the Hanzomon Subway Line to Kudanshita Station (4 minutes). The one way fare is 170 yen. From Shinjuku Station  Take the Shinjuku Subway Line directly from Shinjuku to Kudanshita Station. The one way trip takes 8 minutes and costs 210 yen. Streamer Coffee at 1-20-28 Shibuya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo Yakitori dinner at Yurakucho The Yurakucho District surrounds Yurakucho Station on the JR Yamanote Line, the JR Keihin-Tohoku Line and the Yurakucho Subway Line. The area is also accessible via Ginza Station on the Marunouchi and Hibiya Subway lines, and Hibiya Station on the Hibiya Subway line. Nenohi at 2-3-3, Yurakucho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan or TonTon at 有楽町2-1-20, Yūrakuchō, Tōkyō-to Post-dinner Red-light district walk at Kabukicho http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kabukichō,_Tokyo  PART TWO: BY FOOD TYPES

For Tonkatsu

1. Maisen http://mai-sen.com/ (must reserve) at Omotesando (opposite Harajuku) is the BEST IN TOYKO

For Ramen/noodles

1. Kyuushu Jangara* - http://www.kyusyujangara.co.jp/

*I think it's not mind blowing but still pretty good; if you like thin ramen noodles which Kyuushu is known for, then you'll like it.

2. Fu Un Ji tsukemen at Shinjuku

3. Ichiran Ramen (24 hours), everywhere

4. Ippudo Ramen

For Sushi

1. Midori Sushi (mentioned above) at Mark City mall in Shibuya

2. Sushi Zanmai – http://www.kiyomura.co.jp/ at Akihabara and Tsukiji Market

http://tummyfull.blogspot.sg/2012/07/sushi-zanmai-akihabara-tokyo.html

Affordable, fresh, very delicious. It's a chain, but it's the most delicious chain you'll ever come across.

3. Sushi Bun 鮨文 – If you're going to Tsukiji; but don't go too late. They close by early afternoon. You will read about others like Sushi Daiwa and Sushi Dai, but Sushi Bun is better than both for my colleague.

4. Ganso Sushi 元祖寿司 (Shinjuku South Exit) -- many other outlets across the country across the road- it's beside yoshinoya. Many Singaporeans kept eating here because it's 2 mins away from Sunroute Shinjuku hehe.

For Shabu Shabu

1. Onyasai - http://www.onyasai.com/

The tofu and spicy soup base are the yummiest.

For Tempura

1. Daikokuya 大黒家 – Different kind of tempura because they fry it in a special sauce. Still delicious.

2. Sansada 三定 – This is the usual type of tempura we are familiar with

3. Owariya 尾張家 – If you're looking for Soba plus Tempura

All the above are in Asakusa, an area you should check out; it'll bring you back to olden Tokyo days.

For Yakiniku

1. Jojoen - They have many outlets around Japan. There are a few at Shinjuku and I have been to this one with quite a nice view: 東京都新宿区西新宿1-5-1 小田急新宿西口駅前ビル8階 http://www.jojoen.co.jp/

For Cafes

1. Chachanoma at Omotesando

2. Brooklyn Parlour at Shinjuku - It’s at the basement of marui dept store so if you are shopping in or around there can go have coffee and cakes. http://www.brooklynparlor.co.jp/shinjuku/

3. Streamer coffee at Shibuya

For Gyoza

1. Harajuku Gyozaro - This will make a nice pit stop when you're around Harajuku/Omotesando. It's not the easiest to find but they've been referred to as best gyoza in Tokyo. I like it but it won't blow your mind away. It is after all, gyoza. 

PART THREE: BY AREA

Nakameguro: Taste and sense Western food http://www.taste-and-sense.com

Omotesando

Go to Maisen (tonkatsu) or le bretagne (crepe) for lunch, then go to OK right behind maisen for a hot cup of coffee to hold in the wintry weather as you burabura around the area.

http://mai-sen.com

http://www.le-bretagne.com/e/top.html

http://ooo-koffee.com

Yoyogi

You can go to Arms Burger for lunch then Little Nap is just down the same lane. Can grab a coffee and walk through Yoyogi park to Harajuku. Go Harajuku area on Sunday, there will be more people doing cosplay. They used to gather outside Meiji-Jingu and people can take pics with them but not anymore.

http://www.littlenap.jp

http://www.arms-burger.com/english

  

PART FOUR: THINGS TO DO

1. Yasukuni Shrine (must go)
2. Asakusa for old-town Japan
3. Akihabara for electronics
4. Tokyo Tower (quite lame, but still cool)
5. Yebisu Garden Place (beer museum and lots of restaurants)
6. Tokyu Hands Takashimaya (Shinjuku South Exit)
7. Ginza Yamaha (if you are going Ginza, you can check it out-- is pretty huge!)
8. Jazz Places (walking distance from subway)
1. Sometime Jazz at Kichijoji area, cover charge depends on who is playing. Check the schedule http://www.sometime.co.jp/sometime/live.html Directions here 
2. New York Bar at Park Hyatt (Shinjuku) 2200 cover charge. Drinks are pricey, but band is good, and awesome views

Hope you found this useful! I'm coming up with a 2017 edition very soon.