(TRAVEL) First Timers? Here are 10 Things to Do in Tokyo, Japan This Year

Finally our much awaited Tokyo trip happened! It took me sometime to finish this summary but I do hope you guys get a glimpse of all of our Instagram posts and stories during our trip. Okay well initially we were planning to do a Tokyo and Osaka itinerary but then later on realized that 6 days are not enough as there are so many things to do in Tokyo. The three of us, me Rodel Flordeliz and Ruth Dela Cruz planned (or did we really haha) for this 6-day trip months before.

Before anything else, here’s a very generous promo from KLOOK PH about the cherry blossoms! OMG!

Not knowing what to expect in Tokyo as we are all first timers, we somehow brought our “semi-ready” and “come what may kid at heart” attitude to this enjoyable trip.

Oh by the way, applying for Japan VISA is not as hard as one expected. All you need to do is go to a travel agency and complete the requirements which they scrutinize during the screening process to make sure you succeed in this life LOL. We filed ours weeks before our trip and glad our VISAS made it days before our scheduled flight.

Fast forward to the trip, we fly via Narita Airport and I’d like to share you our adventures through a list of things to do in Tokyo, Japan. I know there are couple of places and activities we missed but this one truly is a memorable trips. So If you are (as first timers) planning to go to Japan this 2019, you may follow some of these.

Basic Nihonggo
Of course, you don’t wanna plan a Tokyo vacation without prepping for at least learning few Japanese courtesy. I actually love learning few basic languages. Right now I am enrolled (and struggling LOL) at Arabic class for an online certification. So I thought learning basic Japanese is hard but apparently not. There are many online sites that will give you access to learn basic greetings, pleasantries and short conversation. I found a basic site to learn basics here and it you’re very dedicated, you can finish all the lessons here https://www.freejapaneselessons.com/ But to be honest, we didn’t get to use these because everything, (instructions, road signs etc. in Japan being modern are straight forward.

Book an affordable yet amazing Airport transfer
Sometimes we have someone arrange airport pickups for us but of course it will not always be the case so it is better to plan this as well. This should always be one of your priorities during your hotel bookings. To know how far your place from the airport. While Tokyo offers a lot of alternatives, I found a fast and smooth ride that is convenient to book from where you are. I am talking about the Tokyo Skyliner Ride. It caters all tourists coming and departing from Narita Airport to downtown Tokyo (Ueno Station) via Keisei Skyliner.

You don’t have to worry about space and availability because it is on a reserve seating priority that guarantee you to a number of seats you like. [SALE] Tokyo Skyliner Ticket. We book a back and forth and we made it to our flights earlier than expected. I highly recommend this one.

Immerse with Kimono outfit in Asakusa

A Tokyo trip will be more fun of course If you include Kimono rentals in your itinerary. We found ourselves wearing a Kimono and we really insisted this activity as part of our advantures. Good thing, everything is online as we also book this via Klook!

You can click HERE: Kimono Rental Experience in Asakusa. The staff in the rental place are very accommodating. For me and Rodel, we were able to choose our Kimono based on our height and preferred colors while Ruth is having her hair styled by stylists. They are very helpful and meticulous in terms of how we wear it. Upon strolling the historical streets of Asakusa, we found other tourists also wearing Kimono. We went to the shrine and observe the rich Japanese culture there. It was a very interesting afternoon for us wearing Kimono just like what I did in Korea.

Experience authentic Katsudon and Curry, (and Ramen of course)
Japan has a very wide array of popular food choices. One of these are of course ramen and Katsudon and Tonkatsu Rice Bowl. These are your must-try when in Tokyo. Well actually I am sure during your travel, you will find yourself dining to any of the restaurants and rest assured you will end up ordering at least an authentic Ramen and Katsudon. During our trip, we manage to roam around the Narita airport and found a Japanese restaurant that offers Katsudon with curry.

Shinjuku walk and Shibuya Crossing
At anytime of the day, you will find Tokyo streets are very busy. Though at night, it is a scenery to watch people come and go along the busy streets of Shinjuku and of course the famous Shibuya crossing. In fact it is rumored to be the busiest intersection in the world. It would be a major regret if you plan a Tokyo trip without losing yourself across this intersection. Ofcourse we managed to hit few more shots there while the signs are on a red signal.

In Shinjuku, interesting malls and giant billboards will make your walk an enjoyable one. We spend most of our night time walking along these streets to shop and eat. You will not get lost don’t you worry as there are so many train lines to ride.

PURIKURA!
This one I didn’t know is famous in Tokyo. Remember that one stop shop sticker and photo booth we have for you to get your passport size photo? Purikura is exactly like that except that it adds more design and stickers, effects and graffiti on the spot. Along the streets of Harajuku, we found ourselves getting inside the Purikura with Tracy. So Rodel, Ruth and Me pose before the flashy pink booth cameras and later on made our eyes big, cheeks blushed and put effects on the side haha! It was like a highschool excursion with your girls that just wanna have fun.

We saw couple of millennials printing so much from their almost similar posts. It is indeed fun because you get a souvenir from it right away.

Here I am with Rodel, Tracy Ayson and Ruth!

Disney Sea!
Ok guys listen to me when I say YOU MUST BOOK THIS! Whether you are a theme park lovers or not, you have to include DisneySea because there is only one DisneySea in the world and that is in Tokyo. Well it is not entirely water-themed because it has a lot of beautifully put attractions to see. Of course there will be crowd to expect but the long lines are actually worth it. It truly portrays the real meaning of childhood and child at heart happiness. We even found a real life prince and we were like, “Is he real?”

Anyway, with intricate decors and nautical-themed attractions, we found ourselves walking along the 7 themed lands. These are Mediterranean Harbor, Mysterious Island, Mermaid Lagoon, Arabian Coast, Lost River Delta, Port Discovery and American Waterfront. We tried the Journey To The Center of Earth. We wanted to enter the Tower of terror but there are too many to prioritize haha. Here is a direct link where you can book a Disneyland or Disneysea Ticket Tokyo Disneyland or DisneySea Ticket 1 Day Pass (Tokyo/TW Pick Up)

Tokyo Tower
If you want to capture beautiful photos of the colorful city of Tokyo, then I suggest you include booking for the Tokyo Tower main observatory. The Tokyo Tower Main Observatory is 150 meter higher, enough for anyone to enjoy the Tokyo skyline. We went there during night time because we wanted to see the city at night. It didn’t disappoint! We conveniently booked this via klook. Click here: ONE PIECE Tower Park Pass + Tokyo Tower Main Observatory Combo Ticket Tokyo.

Meiji Shrine
Part of our Shibuya area itinerary is to visit the Meiji Shrine. This one according to ancient history is dedicated to the defied sporits of Emperor Meiji. Surrounded by a cedar forests, It is just located beside the JR Yamanote Line’s Harajuko Station. You will be welcomed by a tall Torii gate. There are two entrance, the south and the northern entrance near Yoyogi Station. While it is quite a walk from the gate, Meiji Shrine offers peace where you will learn to pay respect to the Shinto religion. One of the activities is the Temizuya where you can rinse your hands and mouth and offer coins at the Shrine. There is also what they call “ema”, a wooden tables where one can write their wishes for the future. These ema can be hanged from one of the wooden hooks around the camphor tree, or you can take it home.

I found myself spending a lot of time reading wishes from the eastern side of the main shrine.

Yoyogi Park
One of the largest city parks in Tokyo is Yoyogi Park. For some reason, I am obsessed with serene parks where you can just stroll and taking photos. Yoyogi park has around half a thousand Somei-Yoshino cherry trees. Though these trees don’t blossom, It is equally lovely with a wonderful surroundings. We sat along the park and watch people enjoying the scenery as well.

These above are actually subject for revision based on your preference but If I may add, we usually do our grocery shopping almost every night. Don Quixote shops are the one stop shop within Tokyo. Food are also accessible since convenience stores offer variety of ready to eat meals, which we enjoyed. Exchanging Japanese Yen are also available almost everywhere and what I admired most about Tokyo are the people. They are very respectful, they will not mind you as a tourist and always give way. I think Tokyo is now my favorite city in the world. (Amman, don’t worry you’re still unique).

Ofcourse, with Rodel and Ruth (and Tracy) joining this trip, it was a memorable one. You can visit their blogs here: www.nognoginthecity.com and www.ruthdelacruz.com to check good tips and wonderful videos and photos!

Special thanks to KLOOK for making our lives easier in booking some of the activities above. KLOOK is indeed your best companion to find discounted attraction tickets, tours and unique experience! Download their app at www.KLOOK.com