What is so special about Tokyo?. Tokyo was named the world’s most satisfying tourist city in a 2013 poll by TripAdvisor and its popularity is continuing to grow. There are so many reason why people like to visit Tokyo. As myself, I love tokyo because of Tongue-gasmic food porn, Youth fashion stores, Earth’s biggest fish market and Busiest Shibuya crossing.
Note: Trip in January 2014 | ¥1000 = RM32
We touched down Narita International Airport via Jetstar Japan from New Chitose Airport, Hokkaido at 9:45pm. Jetstar Japan offers a lowest fare during our trip in January 2014. To save cost, we took a bus ride from Narita to Tokyo. The fare only ¥900 per person one-way. The bus will stop at Tokyo Station.
We stayed at Hotel Lumiere Kasai, ¥13,800 for 2 nights. Just 300 meters walk from Kasai Station (Tokyo metro tozai line). From tokyo station walked to Nihombashi station about 10 minutes then catch the train straight to Kasai Station without interchange within 15 minute. Train fare is ¥190 one-way per person. Before we reach hotel, we had late dinner at nearby restaurant. Called off the day and rest for tomorrow marathon.
First day in Tokyo, I listed down places to go for 1 day. Our choices are Akihabara, Euno Ameyoko market, Nippori, Shinjuku and Shibuya. As usual, we didn’t buy any special train passes. We just buy normal train tickets like locals do.
These are our transport expenses for 1 day in Tokyo;
- Train from Kasai to Akihabara: ¥230 one-way per person.
- Train from Okachimachi to Nippori: ¥130 one-way per person.
- Train from Nippori to Shinjuku: ¥190 one-way per person.
- Train from Shinjuku to Shibuya: ¥150 one-way per person.
- Train from Shibuya to Kasai: ¥230 one-way per person.
Nevertheless, above places are where we could visit for a day. We returned back to the hotel at midnight.
Ameyoko is a busy market street along the Yamanote line tracks between Okachimachi and Ueno Stations. The name “Ameyoko” is a short form for “Ameya Yokocho” (candy store alley), as candies were traditionally sold there. Today, various products such as clothes, bags, cosmetics, fresh fish, dried food and spices are sold along Ameyoko. Opening hours and closing days depend on individual stores, but stores typically open around 10:00 and close around 19:00. Many stores remain closed on selected Wednesdays.
Nippori, or Nippori Sen-i gai, is known as the fabric district of Tokyo. Located in the northeast part of the city, Nippori is easily accessed by the JR Yamanote line and is a great place to go if you want to spend a day shopping for fabric.
Shinjuku Station is the world’s busiest railway station, handling more than two million passengers every day. About a dozen railway and subway lines, including the JR Yamanote Line, serve it. Shinjuku is also one of Tokyo’s major stops for long-distance highway buses and city buses. Northeast of the station lies Kabukicho, Japan’s largest and wildest red light district, while department stores, subterranean malls and electronic shops surround Shinjuku Station on all four sides, including the recently redeveloped Southern Terrace.
We plan to enjoy The Robot Restaurant but the entrance fee is too expensive, about ¥5000 per person. We decided not to go and we had dinner at Shirokiya restaurant at one of district there instead.
Last stop was Shibuya, busiest crossing intersection, a prominent landmark of Shibuya in front of the station’s Hachiko Exit. The intersection is heavily decorated by neon advertisements and giant video screens and gets flooded by pedestrians each time the crossing light turns green, making it a popular photo and movie filming spot.
Second day in Tokyo, we decided to go Tsukiji Market and Ginza Shopping Street.
We checkout from hotel and bring our luggage to Tokyo Station. We kept all luggage in coin-operated locker. Then catch train to Tsukiji station then walk about 5 mins towards to Tsukiji Market.
Transport expenses:
- Train from Kasai to Tokyo: ¥190 one-way per person (from our hotel to tokyo).
- Train from Tokyo to Tsukiji: ¥160 one-way per person.
Tsukiji Market (Tsukiji Shijō) is a large wholesale market for fish, fruits and vegetables in central Tokyo. It is the most famous of over ten wholesale markets that handle the distribution of fish, meat, produce and flowers in metropolitan Tokyo. Instead of visiting the inner market, tourists are encouraged to visit Tsukiji’s outer market, which is located just adjacent to the inner market and caters to the public. The outer market consists of a few blocks of small retail shops and restaurants crowded along narrow lanes. Here you can find all sorts of food related goods, knives and fresh seafood and produce for sale in smaller (than wholesale) portions.
We had lunch and snack at Tsukiji outer market area. Spent about few hours then we walk down to Ginza District. Not very far from Tsukiji outer market, walking distance between 10-15 mins.
The Ginza is Tokyo’s most famous upmarket shopping, dining and entertainment district, featuring numerous department stores, boutiques, art galleries, restaurants, nightclubs and cafes. Most shops in the Ginza district are open every day of the week. A visit is most pleasant on weekend afternoons when the central Chuo Dori street is closed to automobile traffic and become a large pedestrian zone. The road closure takes place from 12:00 to 17:00 (until 18:00 from April through September).
Done shopping and night photography, we returned to Tokyo Station. We had quick dinner there and catch a night bus to Five Fuji Lake (lake kawaguchiko station). Journey by bus is about 3 hours including 1 quick stop at R&R. Bus fare for return ticket per adult is ¥3000. Lets continue reading my journey in Five Fuji Lakes in the next page. Thanks!.
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