Japan · city guide
Tokyo: the neon-and-buzz first stop
Shibuya at full volume, a quiet shrine ten minutes away, and the bullet train waiting when you're ready.
Tokyo is where almost every first trip to Japan lands, and it's the first city in my three-stop route before Kyoto and Osaka. It's loud and electric and a lot at first, but the magic is how fast it flips: you can stand in the chaos of Shibuya Crossing and be in the calm of a forest shrine ten minutes later. I shape the days around your dates so you're never fighting the crowds, then point you at the bullet train when it's time to slow down. Here's exactly how I'd spend your first few days.
- The buzzy first stop on the Tokyo-Kyoto-Osaka route
- Capsule hotels and conveyor sushi keep it genuinely cheap
- Shinkansen hub for the bullet train south to Kyoto
Best things to do
Cross at Shibuya, then go up Shibuya Sky
Get swept across the famous scramble crossing with everyone else, say hi to the Hachiko statue, then ride up Shibuya Sky for the open-air rooftop view back down over the whole thing. Best at dusk when the neon comes on.
Morning at Senso-ji in Asakusa
Tokyo's oldest temple, with the big red lantern gate and the old-shop street leading up to it. Go early before the crowds for the calm version, and grab a snack off the stalls on the way out.
Lantern lanes of Omoide Yokocho & Golden Gai
The tiny lantern-lit alleys behind Shinjuku, packed with smoky yakitori counters and bars that seat about six people each. The most atmospheric dinner you'll have in the city.
Calm at Meiji Shrine & Harajuku
A forest shrine in the middle of the city where it suddenly goes quiet, then a five-minute walk to Harajuku's busy fashion street for the total opposite. The whiplash is the point.
Where to stay
Getting there & around
Most first trips fly into Narita or Haneda; from Narita it's about an hour into the city on the train, from Haneda more like 30-40 minutes. Once you're here, grab an IC card (Suica or Pasmo) the moment you land, tap in and out of the subway and JR lines and never think about fares again. The subway reaches everything, so you won't need a taxi. When it's time for Kyoto, the shinkansen leaves from Tokyo Station and gets you there in about 2.5 hours, reserve your seats ahead in peak season, and the same line carries on down to Osaka.
Eat & drink
- A conveyor-belt sushi spot — My budget move: plates circle past on the belt, you grab what you want and stack the dishes to pay. Genuinely good sushi for a few hundred yen a plate.
- 7-Eleven (don't laugh) — The katsu sando and egg sandwiches from a Japanese konbini taste better than they have any right to. My go-to cheap breakfast and late-night snack.
Day trips
On the map
Book this trip
A few of these earn me a small cut at no extra cost to you — only ever things I'd actually book.
Frequently asked
How many days do I need in Tokyo?
Three is the sweet spot for a first trip. That's enough for Shibuya and Shinjuku, a morning at Senso-ji, the calm of Meiji Shrine and a teamLab or day trip, before you catch the bullet train down to Kyoto. I pace it so it's full but never frantic.
Is Tokyo expensive?
Less than people fear. The money in Japan goes on beds and on moving between cities, not on food, so I'd do a capsule hotel and eat brilliantly off conveyor belts and konbini shelves. Grab an IC card for the subway and the day-to-day costs stay low.