I’m sharing my 4 days in Tokyo itinerary, perfect for the first time visitor to Japan! We were able to spend 3 weeks in Japan in November 2018 and it’s one of our favorite trips. This post is part 2 of my multi-part series sharing How to Plan a 3 Week Trip to Japan.
Tokyo is a famous city known for its rich culture, iconic Tokyo Tower landmark, and busy city life. With 4 days in Tokyo, it’s a great amount of time to fit in plenty to see and do. This lengthy post includes what we did in Tokyo for our first time visit, including where we ate in Tokyo and what cultural sites we saw.
Planning your visit to Tokyo
We planned to spend 4 days in Tokyo before continuing to visit other cities in Japan. Check out my post on How to Plan a 3 Week Trip to Japan for tips on portable wi-fi options, how to find accommodations, how to get around Japan, and more.
What area to stay in Tokyo
Tokyo is a huge city with nearly 14 million people living in the city proper. This means there are so many options for where to stay! Some areas we considered staying in include Shibuya, Shinjuku, Ginza, and Roppongi. We stayed in the Shinjuku area because it was close to plenty of subway options and is recommended often for tourists to stay at.
I searched for hotels using Trip.com to find an option in our lower budget. I considered using AirBNB but wanted to have the safety net of a hotel front desk incase we had questions or needed help with something.
We stayed at Hotel Rose Garden Shinjuku and enjoyed our stay. The front desk was helpful and it was located in a quieter area than the main nightlife area of Shinjuku, helping us get a better night sleep. I was surprised how small the hotel room was and an even smaller bathroom!
How to get around in Tokyo
The public transportation in Tokyo makes it easy to get around without needing to rent a car. The subway system is straightforward enough and I used Google Maps to get walking directions and subway stop information. It might take some practice learning how to read the subway directions, but you’ll figure it out with time! Signage is in Japanese and English, making it tourist friendly to figure out where to go.
Read these tips from the Tokyo Metro on how to use their vast subway system. For info on ticket prices and types of tickets, read about Tokyo Subway Tickets from the Tokyo Metro.
We purchased a Suica card at the airport to get to our Tokyo hotel, and also had our JR pass on hand. We used these throughout our 4 days in Tokyo. You can also purchase a PASMO card, with the main difference between the cards being what company sells them. Suica and PASMA cards both work on the subway.
Purchase tickets and pocket wi-fi in advance
Studio Ghibli Museum tickets
For Tokyo, the only tickets I purchased in advance were for the Ghibli Museum. Tickets cannot be purchased onsite. The issue timed entry tickets and their website has information on how to buy Ghibli Museum tickets. The website we used to buy tickets is no longer available, but that option delivered the physical tickets to our hotel.
Buy a Japan Rail Pass (JR Pass)
If you want to buy a Japan Rail Pass (JR Pass), order this on their website to get a voucher delivered to your home in time for your trip. The JR Pass is a benefit for tourists visiting Japan for nationwide travel. If you forget to buy this pass ahead of time, you could try buying a pass at the Haneda and Narita airports for an increase in cost. This pass is offered for 7 days, 14 days, and 21 day lengths.
For us, this pass was super helpful getting from city to city and worked on certain subway lines in Kyoto, Osaka, and Tokyo. For more information on where in Japan this pass works, check out the information on this website. This pass gives you unlimited rides on the JR system, including the shinkansen high speed bullet trains, JR buses, and JR subway lines. You can also reserve your seat on some trains. Check out this website to learn more about how it works and see if this pass is worth buying for your itinerary.
Rent a pocket wi-fi
A travel wi-fi device is a small portable device that you carry with to have access to the internet. This was essential to our trip! It put me at ease to always have travel directions on my apps, look up things to do when out in the city, or use an app to translate if needed. You can buy different data packages and connect multiple devices to this pocket wi-fi, saving you money from buying international phone plans or SIM cards for multiple phones.
Here are options to start with for renting a pocket wi-fi:
- Global Advance Communication
I used this company to place my order, pick it up at the airport, and drop it back off at the airport when I was done. - JR Pass Pocket Wi-Fi
This was advertised to add on to your JR Pass order and features unlimited data.
Tokyo Arrival
To start off our trip to Japan, we began in Tokyo! We spent 4 full days in Tokyo, not including the arrival day. After a long flight from Texas, we arrived in the evening. We wanted to spend a couple days in Tokyo to get adjusted to the time zone before moving on to another city.
Arrival to Haneda Airport
We landed in Haneda Airport (HND) in Terminal 3, where all international flights arrive. Before leaving the airport, we needed to do these things:
- Pickup our pocket wi-fi from Global Advanced Communications from the 2nd floor arrival area, which we reserved in advance. You might be able to buy it there if you didn’t ahead of time.
- Exchange our JR Pass voucher for the activated JR Pass at the JR East Japan Travel Center at the 2nd floor arrival area. You can buy a pass at this office for a little more money if you didn’t buy in advance.
- Pull out Japanese Yen from an ATM. I prefer to have cash on hand before leaving the airport, even if the ATM fees are a little higher. Most places in Japan take cash instead of credit cards so keep room in your wallet for extra bills and coins.
Travel from Haneda Airport to Tokyo Hotel
We purchased a Suica card at the airport for the subway. The Tokyo Monorail is an accessible line that goes from Haneda Airport to the Yamanote Line, making it easy to transfer to where you’re going in Tokyo. We transferred at Hamamatsuchō Station and continued on the subway until the Shinjuku stop.
Shinjuku hotel and area
We stayed at Hotel Rose Garden Shinjuku and booked it via Trip.com. This hotel is located in a quieter Shinjuku area, with close access to the subway station and busy nightlife of Shinjuku.
After checking in, it was dinner time. Our first meal had to be ramen! We ate at Tatsunoya Ramen near the hotel and had such a good meal. After standing in line, we ordered at a machine until seats inside were available.
We walked off dinner by walking around Shinjuku nightlife area. We found Godzilla peeking over the Hotel Gracery Shinjuku hotel and walked into Don Quijote, a packed multi-level store. Jetlagged, we went back to the hotel to rest.
Day 1 in Tokyo – Lucky Cat Temple, Ghibli Museum, and Harajuku area
For our first full day in Tokyo, we woke up super early thanks to jetlag. We had our pre-booked tickets to the Ghibli Museum, located further outside the city. The late afternoon had us walk around the Harajuku area.
First full day in Tokyo highlights:
- Gōtoku-ji Temple
We took the subway to visit this Buddhist temple full of maneki-neko cats, or lucky cats! It’s a site to see hundreds of cat statues fill this temple. - Ghibli Museum
We entered with our pre-booked, timed entry tickets. Studio Ghibli makes films like My Neighbor Totoro, Spirited Away, and my favorite, Ponyo. This is a really cool place to geek out over details from all the films. - Inokashira Park
Located near the museum, this large park has swan boats for rental and a zoo. We walked through to enjoy the area. - Harajuku area
We walked down Omotesando Street and took photos at the mirror mall entrance of Tokyu Plaza Omotesando Harajuku. I was super excited to shop at the Sailor Moon Store! - Dinner at Gyozaro
This small restaurant in Harajuku has a limited menu and specializes in serving dumplings.
Day 2 in Tokyo – Shrines, Shibuya, and Shinjuku
Jetlag wakes us up early again and we get a head start. Shinjuku metro station is one of the busiest stations in the world and I was intimidated by the morning rush of workers. Have you seen the videos of people being pushed into an already full car? Terrifying.
We walked most of the day to sightsee and hit some popular spots. At night, we met up with my husband’s college friend who showed us around Tokyo for a bit.
Second day in Tokyo highlights:
- Meiji Jingu
This shinto shrine is located in a beautiful forest in the city. I highly recommend visiting! Read how to visit a shinto sanctuary with this visual guide. We purchased charms and saw a large wall of sake barrels. - Takeshita Street in Harajuku
Hungry, we walked back to Harajuku because it’s very close to the forest. We walk down Takeshita Street to see the colorful fashion stores and food stalls. You’ll find animal cafes and large colorful cotton candy stores here! - Shibuya area
When you exit the Shibuya Station, find the famous Hachiko Memorial Statue, dedicated to a local loyal dog. Shibuya is also famous for its crosswalk and it’s fascinating to see so many people crossing at once! I recommend going to the Starbucks to get a great view of the crosswalk. - Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building
Visit the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building to get beautiful, free views of Tokyo! Available during the daytime and nighttime, you can sometimes even see Mt. Fuji on a clear day. - Robot Restaurant
Kitschy, disco galore, and neon everywhere, the famous Robot Restaurant has since closed since our visit. Keep an eye out if they ever decide to reopen! - Golden Gai
This area in Shinjuku offers a unique nighttime bar hopping area experience. Tiny bars and restaurants line the old narrow streets of Golden Gai. Check the signs at the entrance to see if they speak English or allow tourists to enter.
Day 3 in Tokyo – Asakusa and Akihabara area
We took the subway to spend time in Asakusa to see temples and shop. After grabbing a bite to eat, we went to Akhibara to experience Japanese arcades we often see in anime shows. We’re a fan of trying local beers wherever we go, and our friend arranged a visit to Suntory Brewery late in the afternoon.
Third day in Tokyo highlights:
- Senso-ji Temple
Located in the Asakusa area, we went to visit the oldest temple in Tokyo early in the morning before the crowds filled. The grounds also feature a five-story pagoda that’s beautiful to see in person. The street leading up to Sensoji Temple are lined with vendors selling crafts, food, and souvenirs. After an hour or two here, the area became alive with people and vendors. - Akhibara area
We came to this area to experience Japanese arcades. The famous Sega Arcade has since closed since our visit, but you can find other shops with arcade games and gachapon machines for small toys and random prizes. - Suzuya Akhibara
After playing video games, we were craving to try tonkatsu, or a fried pork cutlet. We found this place and tried their tonkatsu lunch special. It came with the pork cutlet, cabbage, rice, and miso soup and was super filling. - Suntory Brewery
Our Japanese friend arranged for us to take a tour of the Suntory Brewery! We took a taxi to visit the brewery and had beer samples at the end. - Medaka
Back in the Shinjuku area, we had dinner at Medaka, an izakaya restaurant bar. This place had cheap beer, drinks, and food, which let us try a lot of different things on the menu like sushi, takoyaki, and soba noodles.
Day 4 in Tokyo – Tokyo Tower, Imperial Palace, and Ramen
For our last full day in Tokyo, we wanted to get a better view of the famous Tokyo Tower without going up the tower. Nearby is the Tokyo Station where we found plenty of options for lunch. Outside of Tokyo Station is the site of the Imperial Palace, home to the Emperor.
Fourth day in Tokyo highlights:
- Zojoji Temple
To get a great view of the Tokyo Tower, visit the Zojoji Temple. This Buddhist temple has the tombs of several Tokugawa Shoguns and offers a great view of the temple and tower together. We decided to pass on going to the top of Tokyo Tower since we saw city views at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building - Rokurinsha Ramen
We were in Tokyo Station looking for a bite to eat for lunch. There are plenty of food options here, but we picked Rokurinsha for ramen because it had a line. We later found out it’s been featured in David Cheng’s tv show. We waited and got a seat at the bar to eat their delicious dipping noodles. The restaurant was full of business people slurping loudly on their noodles! - Imperial Palace
Located outside of Tokyo Station is the Imperial Palace, the main residence of the Japanese Emperor. Tours are offered to walk outside the grounds, the inner grounds can’t be accessed by the public. We walked around the Imperial Palace East Gardens that are open to the public to view. - Hitachino Owl Brewery
The Hitachino Owl Brewery has several tasting rooms and we decided to visit their brewpub located by Akihabara. - 7-Eleven
I had heard that 7-Eleven in Japan was different and they were right. You can find a 7-Eleven everywhere in Japan and they’re usually open 24 hours. Don’t sleep on the food here! They have food throughout the day and it saved us from late night hunger with wrapped onigiri rice balls and ice cream.
What I’ll do next time I visit Tokyo
We did so much in our 4 days in Tokyo! There are also plenty of things we didn’t get to do because the city is so big or we ran out of time. I also try to leave time in our schedule to just walk around and see what we stumble upon. If I get to visit Tokyo again, here are some things I want to do.
Food
- Tsukiji Fish Market: This famous fish market is where professional chefs source their fresh fish and ingredients. You can eat here or buy ingredients for yourself to cook.
Shopping
- Sekaido: An art supply and stationary store in Shinjuku with rows of supplies, pens, notebooks, and more
- Gashapon Ikebukuro: The world’s largest gashapon (capsule toys) store. You’ll see gashapon machines throughout Japan but this place has rows of machines with various toys to pick from.
- Jimbocho: A district of over 100 used bookstores to peruse
- Nippori Fabric Town: This area has shops with a wide selection of fabrics, buttons, and other sewing accessories
Things to do
- Tokyo Skytree: An icon in the Tokyo skyline, an observation deck is available to see panoramic views of Tokyo
- View a sumo match: Purchase tickets to see a sumo match!
- Ueno Park: A large, spacious park in the Ueno area that’s also near museums and galleries
Must Visit Spots in Tokyo
My itinerary has my list of how to spend 4 days in Tokyo. I know not everyone can spend 4 days in Tokyo, so if you have less time, here are the must-visit spots I recommend including in your trip if you can fit them in.
- Meiji Jingu
- Senso-ji Temple
- Shibuya area and Shinjuku area
- Golden Gai
- Senso-ji Temple
- Gōtoku-ji Temple
Visiting Japan with 4 days in Tokyo
I loved my 4 days in Tokyo! It was a culture shock when we first landed, but just walking around and seeing the different stores, things to do, and even vending machines was my favorite part. Visiting the temples and shrines was a great cultural experience and I’m glad we were able to see several. I hope to visit again some day!
What places in Tokyo did I miss? Let me know in the comments!
