TOKYO TRAVEL GUIDE
Our adventure to Tokyo as a family surely was one for the books. We got to visit and see a lot of different spots that we loved. We had great food, fantastic views and met friendly people. We were in a perfect spot to walk a few blocks to restaurants, shops & where the energy was!
WHERE TO STAY:
As far as our stay, we knew we wanted to stay in the Shinjuku district area as there is so much to do there. One thing I will note is that the rooms in Tokyo tend to be on the smaller side. We stayed at the Kimpton Shinjuku during our recent visit in April. This was a full service hotel and the Kimpton staff were excellent. I highly recommend requesting a room on one of their higher floors as you will get exquisite views from up there. You won’t be disappointed. The location of the Kimpton was great as it allowed us to be able to explore the nearby Shinjuku district just blocks away. It had a great vibe with restaurants, bars and shops all within walking distance. Another hotel chain I would like to recommend is the Mimaru hotels which is a no frills, family friendly affordable option compared to others in Tokyo. Mimaru hotels also have a little more space especially for those traveling with little ones. Tokyo is expensive and the rooms are on the smaller side but Mimaru accommodates a family with kids well.
THINGS TO DO:
There are a few stand out places/things to see in Tokyo. The Senso-ji temple in the Asakusa area is great to check out earlier in the morning if you want to get some great pics. The tours and vendors don’t open up until a little later so if you want to avoid the crowds come around 9ish in the morning. It is a well known and popular temple to visit. Another can’t miss experience when visiting Japan is taking the Shinkansen better known as the bullet train from Tokyo to Kyoto or Osaka. It a great smooth ride and such an efficient way to make the trip to Kyoto. Speaking of trains, another can’t miss luxury train ride that is worth the 2 hour trip to Ito and back to Tokyo is the Saphir Odoriko. It is truly a unique experience especially if your family loves train rides. The Odaiba beach area, which is a manmade island with wide open spaces by the water, is great. It makes for a nice entertaining area for families with little kids. There is even a replica of the Statue of Liberty that you can check out there. Don’t miss the Harajuku district and the Meiji shrine. I suggest starting at the Meiji Shrine and making your way to the district. Lots of entertainment, shops and food to explore here especially onTakeshita Street. It can get crowded but worth it.
EATS
The Japanese food experience was outstanding. A can’t miss for food lovers is the Tsukiji fish market, its truly a great foodie destination in Tokyo. Try to get there closer to 9am since by 10am it starts to get crazy crowded. Just a note, if you don’t like super crowded situations then I would try to come off peak hours. We just had to try the luxury fruit, the white strawberry. It is very expensive but such a delicacy that I believe it's worth trying while in Japan. Its Japanese name is Shiroi Houseki which means white jewel in English. It is white both on the outside and inside with red seeds and is known to be sweeter than the traditional red strawberry. Some other notable food places are Ichiran for ramen, Izakaya Sanoku and More than Bakery for vegan goodies.
SHOPPING
There are lots of great Japanese and Asian brands in Tokyo but I really liked Offerings and Convenience at Lumine1 and Lumine2 shopping centers. I did have a bit of trouble finding sizes in shoes since most of their shoe sizes are on the smaller side.
If you’re looking for experiential videos of my trip, please visit my Instagram Highlights named Tokyo.