Tokyo was the first and the last stop of our first trip to Japan. We were there from 27 October to 1 November 2025, with a night at Lake Kawaguchi on the 28th, then Kyoto and Osaka, and we came back to Tokyo from 10 to 12 November.
What surprised me most: despite the size of the city and the number of people, you never feel it.
Tokyo overview
When: 27 October to 1 November 2025, then 10 to 12 November.
Where we stayed: the first time, in a guest house in the Korean quarter, Shin-Okubo. The second time, at OTHER SPACE Asakusa, Asakusa 3-4-10, about ten minutes on foot from Asakusa station. It used to be called K3 Asakusa, and some booking sites still show that name. Private rooms, each with its own bathroom.
Check prices and availability at OTHER SPACE Asakusa
How we got around: by metro, and a lot on foot.
The big sights
On a first trip, we really did the main ones: Shibuya, Shinjuku, Nakano Broadway, the Pokémon stores, Ueno, Asakusa, Jimbocho and Tokyo Station.
Honestly? Shibuya and Shinjuku were not my thing. Harajuku, Ueno, Asakusa and Jimbocho were.
Halloween: we spent the night of 31 October at OR Tokyo, a club in Shibuya on several floors, with escalators between them.
Nakano Broadway: four floors of anime, manga and collectibles, five minutes on foot from Nakano station on the JR Chuo line. Most shops open around 10am to 8pm, but it varies from shop to shop.
Gotoku-ji, the temple of the maneki neko, the lucky cats. Gotokuji 2-24-7, Setagaya, five minutes on foot from Miyanosaka station on the Tokyu Setagaya line. The grounds are free and open from 6am to 5pm. The office that sells the cats closes at 3pm.
The Pokémon stores
- Pokémon Store Tokyo Station, First Avenue Tokyo Station, ground floor, one minute from the Nihombashi exit. Open every day, 10am to 8:30pm.
- Pokémon Center Mega Tokyo and the Pikachu Sweets café, Sunshine City Alpa, 2nd floor, Ikebukuro. Open every day, 10am to 8pm. Both reopened on 24 August 2026 after several months closed, with limits on how many people can go in at once.
The train driver Pikachu comes from the Tokyo Station store. The airline pilots can only be found at the airport, and we got them on the way home.
Shopping, and GR Space
We did a lot of shopping.
Atlantis Vintage in Koenji is my go-to in Tokyo. Koenji-Minami 4-25-3, Konan Building, ground floor, every day from 11am to 7pm.
GR Space Tokyo is Ricoh's space in Harajuku: a gallery, a book café, and the GR cameras to try. Jingumae 6-16-19, 11:30am to 7pm, closed on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and public holidays.
Where we ate
- Jyoto Curry, Shin-Okubo, Hyakunincho 1-7-13, thirty seconds from Shin-Okubo station. Every day, 11am to 10pm. A counter of fifteen seats. No credit cards: cash or a transport card like Suica.
- Di Punto, Shinjuku east exit, Shinjuku 3-28-13, 3rd floor. A wine bar, open late: until 1am in the week, 3am on Fridays and Saturdays.
- A yakiniku, a Japanese barbecue. I no longer remember where.
- An izakaya between Tokyo Station and Ginza, before the shinkansen to Kyoto. There is a little street full of izakaya, with tables made of crates.
- The konbini. We ate a lot on the go, from the convenience stores.
A tattoo on the way home
I came back to Tokyo to get tattooed at PopInk Tokyo, by Tiemi. Arakicho 6-1, Arakicho Gardens, room 303, Shinjuku. Bookings are online.
Tokyo first timer FAQ
Is Tokyo overwhelming the first time?
Not as much as you would think. Despite the size and the crowds, you never really feel it.
How do you get around Tokyo?
By metro, and on foot.
Which neighbourhoods are worth it?
For me, Harajuku, Ueno, Asakusa and Jimbocho, more than Shibuya and Shinjuku.
Read next
More from Japan:
- Arashiyama travel guide: go before sunrise
- Kawaguchiko travel guide: up at 4:30am to see Mount Fuji
- Kyoto travel guide: sunrise at Fushimi Inari, and a bathhouse for lunch
- Nara travel guide: a day trip from Osaka, with the deer
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