Each adventure starts with the first step

Tokyo first visit: Things to do

July 30, 2024

Tokyo wows with its culture and the feeling of constant busyness.

Takeaways

Accommodation out of the city centre is inexpensive and easy to get to.

I could use a drone in Tokyo city center, but I had to register it before traveling to Japan.

Renting a car in Tokyo is not very expensive, but tolls outside of the city are quite expensive.

A 13-hour flight from the US to Tokyo costs $340 – $400.

When I was planning to travel to Japan, I knew it would be a starting point for my 3- month trip to Asia. I was always impressed by Japanese culture and unique temples and right now it was my time to see it all with my own eyes. I booked a flight from Los Angeles to Tokyo with Zipair. It was my first experience with Zipair and I definitely recommend it. I had a lot of space and half of the plane was empty. My 13-hour flight was smooth with a great level of care on the flight. Simple things I noticed, like when the Japanese flight attendant brought out food I could not even hear any noise from the food cart. They were so efficient and quiet.

I arrived at the Narita International Airport in Tokyo at 5 pm and booked a room only once I got to Japan. Yes, this trip was such a quick decision that I did not even have time to book a room. I just knew I wanted to travel throughout the entire Asia. Booking.com to the rescue! I found this really nice apartment in the suburbs of Tokyo where it was easy to recover after the long flight.

Renting a car in Tokyo

I know this is not so common because of the fantastic network of transportation in Japan. Even then, I wanted to have the freedom of traveling with a car and I did not regret my decision.

Before traveling to Japan, you must arrange an international driving permit (IDP) to rent a car in Japan. This international driver’s permit is required in most Asian countries and you will not be able to use your regular driver’s license. You can get the IDP through your local automobile association usually within hours for a very small fee.

I rented a car at a bus station. There were no international car rental companies I could find. I asked for a car rental company at the train station and was pointed to the bus station in the next building, where NIPPON Rent-a-Car (rental company) had a small underground office.

While the car rental was not very expensive, there were tolls everywhere outside Tokyo and in 1 day traveling from Tokyo to Mt. Fuji and back, I paid around $60 just in tolls.

A few things to know about Tokyo

I spent my first 4 days in Tokyo and explored as much as I could. These are a few things I learned:

– People do NOT speak English. At all!

– People really do not like speaking to strangers and if you ask for help, they are unlikely to help you.

– I was able to get the information I was looking for at the information desk at the central station

– Tokyo, like most Japan, is exceptionally clean and well run.

– Contrary to this, I was unable to find garbage bins anywhere, so had to carry any food wraps in my pockets the whole day until I got back to my accommodation.

– I booked an apartment outside of the city center. It was very cozy, small as expected, and in a typical Japanese neighborhood.

– If you want to enjoy any places with smaller crowds, you really need to go very early in the morning. There are people literally everywhere, all the time, later in the day.

Can you fly a drone in Tokyo?

I had no issues flying my drone in Tokyo city. All drones over 100 grams are required to be registered. I registered my drone a few days before online here: https://www.mlit.go.jp/koku/drone/en/

After filling out the application, I received the registration via email 2-3 days later, which I printed out in case of need.

Places you need to visit in Tokyo

Tokyo is an incredible city with lots to offer. This is just a small sample of great places I visited and highly recommend if you are in Tokyo for only a few days.

Senso-ji Temple

Senso-ji is the oldest temple in Tokyo. This large Buddhist
complex is very spiritual. I recommend visiting very early in the morning (before 7 am). Japanese people exercise early in the morning and you can see them jogging around the temple or walking a dog.

The early morning definitely has a very special atmosphere. You can have the place mostly for yourself but at the same time see the flow of the traditional Japanese routine around the temple. What I really loved were the gardens where the Japanes colorful koi fish (Nishigikoi) were swimming in the pool. It looks like in the movies.

Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden

Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden is one of the largest parks in Tokyo. It is a tranquil place to visit in the hustle and bustle of the day.

What you can expect:

– Shinjuku Gyoen is located only a short walk from Shinjuku metro station. It is very easy to get to.
– entrance fee is 500 yen ($3.50).
– it is the best place in Tokyo to see the famous Japanese cherry blossoms (late March to early April).
– it has the traditional Japanese landscape garden with large ponds with bridges
– in autumn it has vibrant tree colors. Even the middle of December it is beautiful. Surprisingly to me, Japan in the middle of December looks like everywhere else in late autumn.

Shibuya Scramble Crossing

Shibuya is deemed to be the busiest intersection in the world. People around the globe come here just for the experience . The best time to go is around around sunset to catch the peak times and after dusk the ligt show of the advertising screens. The Shibuya Scramble Square tower above Shibuya Station offers views of the famous crossing from the top. The Shibuya Sky rooftop observatory is built for you just for this occasion.

Ueno Park

Ueno Park is another massive natural park in Tokyo. It features swan boats, which you can rent and go for a fun boat ride on a lake. There are many vendors selling Japanese food. It is a great place to wind down from other busy sections of the city and just sit on the bench and relax. If you are visiting with children, this is the place to be. There is even a Zoo!

Golden Gai

Golden Gai is one of the Tokyo’s traditional yokocho – very narrow alleyways packed with tiny stores to the brim. Golden Gai, specifically, is full of bars where only 2-3 people fit. It is the poet’s heaven and if you enjoy night life, then this place is iconic.

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