Tokyo, East to West

The pins

33 places on this route, grouped the way the days are.

Culture

• Sensō-ji
  Asakusa

  Tokyo's oldest temple. The grounds never close — arrive before the shops on the approach open.

• Tokyo National Museum
  Ueno

  The long view of Japanese art in one building. Check the weekly closing day.

• Nezu Shrine
  Nezu

  A tunnel of small red torii without the crowds of the famous ones. Azaleas in April.

• Imperial Palace East Gardens
  Marunouchi

  Moat, stone walls and lawn in the exact centre of the city. Free. Check the closing days first.

• Tokyo Station, Marunouchi side
  Marunouchi

  The red-brick front from 1914. Look at it from the plaza before you go underground.

• Zōjō-ji
  Shiba

  A temple gate with Tokyo Tower standing directly behind it. The photograph everyone wants is free.

• Meiji Jingū
  Harajuku

  A shrine inside a planted forest. Go early, when the gravel path is the only sound.

• Great Buddha of Kamakura
  Kamakura

  Thirteenth-century bronze, sitting in the open air. Smaller than you expect, and better.

• Hase-dera
  Kamakura

  Hillside temple with a view over the bay. Pair it with the Great Buddha — they are a short walk apart.

Food

• Omoide Yokochō
  Shinjuku

  A lane of tiny grill counters beside the station's west side. Sit where there is a seat.

• Depachika food hall
  Ginza

  The basement floor of a department store. Assemble dinner here once, in pieces.

• Standing soba at a station
  Citywide

  Ticket machine, counter, five minutes. The most reliable cheap meal in the city.

• Komachi-dōri
  Kamakura

  The snack street from the station toward the shrine. Graze, then get off it.

Views

• Tokyo Skytree
  Oshiage

  634 metres and visible from almost everywhere today. Better looked at than looked from — save the paid view for Shibuya.

• Tokyo Tower
  Shiba

  The orange-and-white one, from 1958. Still the landmark for working out where you are.

• Shibuya Sky
  Shibuya

  The one paid view on this route: an open rooftop directly above the crossing. Book the slot before sunset well ahead.

• Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building
  Shinjuku

  Free observation decks at 202 metres. On a clear evening the whole week is laid out below you.

Neighborhood

• Nihonbashi/Kanda — base neighborhood
  Central Tokyo

  Central, quiet at night, one train from almost everything. Neighborhood only — never post the address.

• Asakusa
  Asakusa

  Low buildings, old shopfronts, the river two streets away. Walk it before breakfast.

• Yanaka
  Yanaka

  Old-Tokyo streets that survived. Wooden houses, a cemetery of cherry trees, one shopping lane.

• Omotesandō
  Harajuku

  The tree-lined avenue down from the shrine. Architecture on both sides; walk it, don't shop it.

• Shibuya Crossing
  Shibuya

  Cross it once at street level outside the Hachikō exit. Then go up and watch it from above.

Nature

• Ueno Park
  Ueno

  Museums, a pond, and the city's most crowded cherry trees. Cross it; don't try to finish it.

• Shinjuku Gyoen
  Shinjuku

  A large formal garden with a small entry fee. The quiet hour before Shinjuku. Check the closing day.

• Sumida riverside
  Asakusa

  The walk from the temple to the tower. Take the bridge on foot.

Market

• Kappabashi kitchenware street
  Asakusa

  Knives, bowls, plastic food models. Many shops close on Sundays — check before you go.

• Yanaka Ginza
  Yanaka

  One short lane of shops and croquette counters. Late afternoon, when the light comes down the steps.

Transit

• IC card (Suica or PASMO)
  Citywide

  One tap card for trains, subways and most convenience stores. A phone-wallet version works too.

• JR Yamanote Line
  Citywide

  The loop that connects most of this route. Learn which direction is which on the first day.

• Tokyo Station → Kamakura
  Tokyo Station

  About an hour on the JR Yokosuka Line, no change. Leave early; come back before the evening rush.

• Airport rail
  Haneda / Narita

  Haneda is close; Narita is not. Check which airport you land at before planning the first evening.

Activity

• One small-group half-day
  Citywide

  A guided walk early in the week pays for itself in orientation. Keep the group small.

Gear

• Slip-on shoes

  They come off at temples and some restaurants. Laces get old by the third day.

The timeline

Day by day. Fork the trip and every note comes with it.

1. Day 1
   15:00 Land at Haneda or Narita · rail into the city

   Set up the IC card before you leave the airport. Save the lodging address offline, in Japanese as well as English.

   Check in · Nihonbashi/Kanda

   Walk the block in daylight

   Find the nearest station entrance, convenience store and late dinner. That is the whole job today.

   Dinner near the lodging

   Nothing ticketed on Day 1. Sleep at the local hour.

2. Day 2
   07:30 Sensō-ji before the shops open

   Start on the old east side. The approach is empty and the incense is already going.

   Asakusa back streets

   Kappabashi kitchenware street

   Skip it if today is Sunday.

   Sumida riverside → Tokyo Skytree on foot

   About twenty minutes over the bridge. Look up at the tower; don't go up it.

   Back to Asakusa for the evening
3. Day 3
   09:30 Ueno Park

   Tokyo National Museum

   Two hours, one building. Confirm the closing day before you set out.

   Nezu Shrine

   Yanaka back streets

   No list for this hour. Follow whichever lane is quietest.

   Yanaka Ginza in the late light
4. Day 4
   09:00 Imperial Palace East Gardens

   Confirm it is open today — it has regular closing days.

   Tokyo Station, Marunouchi side

   Ginza · depachika food hall

   Buy dinner in pieces.

   Zōjō-ji and Tokyo Tower at dusk

   Stay until the tower lights come on.

5. Day 5
   08:00 Tokyo Station → Kamakura

   Check the current JR timetable the night before.

   Hase-dera

   Great Buddha of Kamakura

   Komachi-dōri · late lunch

   Train back before the evening rush
6. Day 6
   08:00 Meiji Jingū, early

   The west side starts in a forest.

   Omotesandō, top to bottom

   A slow afternoon

   Nothing booked until the rooftop. Protect it.

   Shibuya Crossing at street level

   Shibuya Sky · the slot before sunset

   The one paid view of the week. Book it before you fly.

7. Day 7
   09:30 Shinjuku Gyoen

   Confirm it is open today.

   Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building · free decks

   Omoide Yokochō

   Early, before the lane fills.

   One unclaimed hour

   Collect luggage · airport with a safe margin

Make it yours.

Fork this trip and it lands in your account as an editable copy — every pin, every day, every note. Change what doesn't fit.

Fork this trip →