[JP; 2018] Explore Tokyo in 3 nights!

First time in Tokyo & you only have 3 nights? Follow my guide and I believe you will be able to make up a nice itinerary for your trip!

Quick Guide:

Night One: Ueno Station
Day One, Night Two: Sensoji Temple > Meiji Shrine > Harajuku > Akihabara
Day Two, Night Three: Fujiko F Fujio Museum > Gotokuji Temple > Shibuya > Tokyo Tower 

#Accommodation

Since the schedule is tight, selecting the right location for your accommodation is the most important thing to do. For my case, we have an early departure flight, so staying nearer to the skytrain station to Narita will be more convenient for us!

2 Bedroom near Ikebukuro & Ueno & Akihabara; https://www.airbnb.com.sg/rooms/20700582

$397.80 (for 3 nights)

I liked the location very much, manageable distance from the 2 subway stations and JR station. Keisei line 20mins walk with luggage. Many shops and restaurants around the area, convenience store just a stone away. I personally like Ueno much, so if there is another chance to travel to Tokyo... I will try my best to book near Ueno.

#Transport

If you would like to save some time topping up your cards, just grab a Tokyo Subway Ticket from the airport with discounted price. But if you would like to buy convenience, able to switch Tokyo Subway & JR Line effortlessly, just grab PASMO or SUICA.

We chose the Tokyo Subway Ticket, but it was a bad choice, it was freezing cold and we ended up going to the closest subway station which was owned by JR Line.

Tokyo Subway Tickets, https://www.tokyometro.jp/en/ticket/travel/index.html;
72-hour Pass 1,500 yen

#Itinerary - Night One

Scroll along the street near Ueno Station in the evening and we settled our dinner at some Izakaya.

Visited some other shops along the streets & my parents really loved the place as much as me!

#Itinerary - Day One, Night Two

How can you visit Tokyo without temple / shrine hopping?

1. Sensoji Temple

You will definitely enjoy shopping along the streets towards the temple! & also grabbing some traditional snacks!

You can try your luck by drawing the 100 yen fortune lots! All of us managed to get the lucky lots!

We settled our lunch in this small restaurant tucked at some small corner of the street.

If you started your day early, you can even add Sky Tree into your itinerary!

2. Meiji Shrine

If you love peacefulness, Meiji Shrine is the right place for you! (Remember to have some light food, it is a walk from the nearest station to the shrine)

3. Harajuku

After the calming walk out from Meiji Shrine, you will not miss out Harajuku! & Crepes are something you must try over there! You will be spolit over choices!

There are so many things to shop over there!


I would highly recommend Calbee+; they do sell freshly fried potatoes!

Calbee Plus, http://www.calbee.co.jp/calbeestore/calbeeplus/en/

4. Akihabara

A Tokyo trip cannot go without visiting Akihabara! & we had our dinner over there in some shops located inside an office tower!

Tenyoshi 天ぷら天芳, https://www.tempura-tenyoshi.com/;
神田練塀町3 Chiyoda, 東京都 〒101-0022 Japan

It was ran by a middle-aged couple, the food & service was amazing!

After dinner, it was time to explore the town of ANIME! (cum spending some money on capsule machines)

We also grabbed some supper from the cafe near inside the subway station; it was delicious!

はちパンカフェ Hachi Pan Cafe, http://hachi-pan-cafe.com/;
1 Chome-21 Kanda Sakumacho, Chiyoda, Tokyo 101-0025, Japan

#Itinerary - Day Two, Night Three 

1. Fujiko F Fujio Museum

If you are a Doraemon fan, Fujiko F Fujio Museum is a must go for you!

We bought the tickets from Lawson Stores, it was a super complicated process (we bought it when we were at Hokkaido), thank goodness for the nice store team leader who helped us so much! As foreign visitors do not have a Japanese mobile number, and the input only allows local numbers, he called to the helpdesk and solved the issue! He cant even speak English yet we manage to communicate using body language and me had to guess Japanese (I have zero knowledge about Japanese)

If you want a fuss-free solution, just grab it online via klook or kkday.

& you can enjoy lunch there!

It is nearly impossible to exit the museum without grabbing some Doraemon snacks & merchandises!

Here the paid shuttle bus service timing to the nearest station! (click the image to enlarge!)

2. Gotokuji Temple

Along the way back to Tokyo city, you may chose the drop by Gotokuji Temple! Off to see the fascinating sea of maneki-neko! (hidden jem; this destination is uncommon in guide books and most itineraries online!)

We bought back some maneki-neko to display at our house! Lucky lucky!

On the way back to the station, we spotted this roasted sweet potatoes store! Best potatoes I ever eaten!

焼き芋専門店ふじ, http://f-yakiimo.com/;
世田谷区豪徳寺１丁目７−１１, Tokyo, 〒154-0021

3. Shibuya

Shibuya's crossing is something must experience in Tokyo! My parents were enjoying themselves crossing the road.

Shibuya has all the big brands, shopping time! & Daiso is one of my favourite stores to shop at, lugged so much cheap living ware products back to Singapore.

We settled dinner at this rather popular omurice store - POMME NO KI!

ポムの樹渋谷スペイン坂店, http://www.pomunoki.com/shop/kanto/tokyo/shop-0424.html;
小安ビル2F, 13−7 Udagawacho, Shibuya, Tokyo 150-0042, Japan

4. Tokyo Tower

If it is your first time to Tokyo, Tokyo Tower is the must go place! (otherwise it doesn't sound like you went Tokyo??) I loved to visit Tokyo Tower in the night when everything is brightly lighted up; maybe the next time I shall try to visit in the day.

I hope my quick 3 nights itinerary will be useful to those first-timers to Tokyo! (;