5-Day Japan Travel Itinerary | TOKYO (Part 1): unique things to do, places to eat, travel tips

after Japan's borders opened up to foreigners I jumped at the chance to spend five weeks traveling through the country with my dad in previous episodes we explored Nagasaki Fukuoka yufuin Kyoto Osaka Nara Kobe and kanazawa all those episodes are in a playlist on my channel which I've Linked In the description box if you're interested I came to Japan because I wanted to learn more about the country I was born in but not raised in I just want to learn as much as I can and take you along the journey with me to discover more about Japan and its Rich culture the second reason I'm here is to support my dad who is moving to Japan that's why these next two Tokyo videos are different yes they are jam-packed with things to do see and eat in Tokyo however they are also filled with a lot of low-key moments helping my dad be working on projects and seeking Solas when I felt the burnout of travel I hope these videos provide insight into what it's like to visit Tokyo an inspiration for your future trip to Japan now let's get into part one of the Tokyo videos hey everyone welcome back to my channel this is my first Tokyo Vlog I'm actually in kanazawa right now but we are going to take a shinkansen straight over to Tokyo and I'm gonna take you guys with me so I can show you what it's like uh it's about a three hour shinkansen I believe and it runs every hour from kanazawa to Tokyo so it's pretty easy uh this morning though it just started snowing in konazawa so a little sad that we're not gonna be able to see carnazal in the snow but also glad that I don't have to deal with snow so yeah mixed feelings but if you want to know more about kanazawa you can go check out my last Vlog which will show you all about what we did here in kanazawa but today we are talking all about Tokyo so let's head on out and start our journey over there [Music] I think it's an understatement to say that Tokyo Station can be overwhelming and this is coming from someone who prides herself in getting around pretty well via Japan Metro there's a huge difference in the amount of foot traffic at Tokyo Station versus other stations like Nagasaki kanazawa or even Kyoto so this is a quick reminder to give yourself Grace if you ever feel overwhelmed or anxious when you first get to Tokyo it's okay take a deep breath and find a spot to the side where you can reorient yourself after a hectic day of traveling all we wanted to do was grab a good dinner and go to sleep we took the long way to dinner to get the lay of the land around our hotel we strolled by the Kabuki theater and through the brightly lit shopping streets of Ginza [Music] [Music] for dinner we ate at one of my dad's favorite restaurants in Tokyo a small restaurant located in hibis Center known for its marinated fish [Music] everything was so flavorful I loved the food so much that I actually went back multiple times during my most recent trip to Japan which by the way make sure you're subscribed to my channel and have those notifications turned on because I have even more Japan travel Adventures to share with you for my spring 2023 trip [Music] [Music] if you're into Japanese pop culture and Anime Sunshine city is definitely a place to add to your Tokyo bucket list Sunshine city is a large complex in ikebukuro that's basically a city within a city it was opened in 1978 and has indoor shopping food theme parks an aquarium a planetarium and an observation deck it is also home to a Pokemon Mega Center and many other character shops [Music] thank you foreign [Music] walking around we head back to Ginza to grab a midday snack Quinta has been a place where people can enjoy window shopping and find the hottest Western goods and imports since 1872 when Japan's first Railway connecting Yokohama and shimbashi was completed it was during this time that a new style of shopping where people could walk around the shops freely with their shoes on no tatami floors started to pop up Quinta was a place for people to gather and stroll leisurely there's even an official term for it called Ginza Buddha Ginza became known for its department stores upscale specialty shops modern cafes bars and restaurants the Kansas storefronts are ones to check out no matter what time of the year but in the winter time the storefronts and Christmas illuminations make the area even more special for dinner we ate at an udon place in Tokyo Plaza Ginza the restaurant serves a wide variety of sanuki udon served in large pottery bowls foreign hey guys welcome to another day in Tokyo today the first thing I need to do is get my nails done because this has been about three weeks now so it's time Japanese nail art is famous but my biggest concern was communicating what I wanted when I don't speak Japanese thankfully after doing a bit of Googling I found a chain called true Nails where I could make my appointments online and then choose my design from an iPad once in store after getting my nails done we grabbed lunch at the Muji cafe nearby before heading to a coffee shop to get some work done [Music] the first half of the day was dedicated to my nails and catching up on work [Music] the second half of the day was dedicated to exploring Japan's biggest port and second largest city by population Yokohama Yokohama was one of the first Japanese ports that opened to foreign trade in 1859. it is located about 30 minutes south of Tokyo making it a perfect day trip [Music] Yokohama Chinatown alone is a must visit if you're planning to be in Tokyo the Chinatown in Yokohama developed quickly after the port opened in 1859 to foreign trade it was the residents of many Chinese traders who settled in Japan during this time the colorful streets can get packed on the weekends and weeknights but the food is absolutely worth it definitely a way bigger Chinatown than both Nagasaki and Kobe all worth checking out but this one's definitely the largest foreign is to Veer off the main street and grab food on the side streets where there's less congestion after snacking our way through Chinatown we walked over towards the Red Brick Warehouse the warehouse used to be a part of the port's shipping process and was a place for Customs to store unprocessed foreign Goods today the Red Brick Warehouse has been converted into a local community Hub where you can find lots of small shops restaurants and more it is even home to a big Christmas market during the winter time but heads up this place is super cute but it gets packed during the weekends because it's a popular place for families and date nights I suggest visiting during the weekdays if possible [Music] before leaving the area we decided to take the air cabin across to our main departure station one-way tickets are a thousand yen for adults and 500 for Kids 3 to 11 years old the air cabin is a more expensive route to take but I think it's worth splurging on if you're on vacation and want a unique experience that provides a different view of the city [Music] the next day was supposed to be a dedicated work day but honestly how could we not start off the day with some sort of food Adventure if you're a Studio Ghibli fan grabbing a Totoro cream puff in Tokyo is a must I make it a point to visit this Bakery every time I'm in Tokyo because it is just that good not only are the cream puffs so incredibly cute the pastry and filling are actually extremely tasty this place has grown in popularity over the years so I suggest arriving a little before opening to avoid a long wait although the cream puffs were amazing I was hungry for some real food so before plopping down for a long work session we decided to eat some noodles in Shibuya we waited in line to eat Opera soba a chain restaurant that serves soupless oil Ramen I tried it for the first time on this trip to Tokyo and since then I have come back multiple times and recommended it to my friends [Music] foreign the rest of the day was spent heads down editing at a cafe in Tokyo Plaza Ginza I liked this Cafe because there were lots of tables power outlets available and good coffee we were there for hours and even ordered dinner which was surprisingly really good to another morning in Tokyo today we are gonna head over to Shibuya I really want to go to the Nintendo Center in Parco in Shibuya we weren't able to go to the one that was in I believe it was Osaka it was just too crowded there like if you're planning to go to the Pokemon Center or the Nintendo there just know it's like crazy crowded it's just a smaller space in general so we're gonna go right when it opens so hopefully it'll be easier to get in but honestly everything in Tokyo is a little bit more crowded than in other prefectures so we'll see what it's like but if not we are also planning to go to Harajuku today which I am super stoked about we started the day at Parco Shibuya to check out the new Nintendo store now when we went in December 2022 the Nintendo store was so popular that you had to grab a timed entry ticket we got there right when Parco opened at 11 A.M and all tickets were sold out by 11 40 AM but I recently took a few friends there this past spring and no timed entry tickets were required [Music] parko Shibuya is also home to other popular character stores and a few still required time entry tickets so to be safe I'd still suggest stopping here earlier in the day [Music] for lunch we ate Korean food at a restaurant located in the basement of Parco Shibuya the basement floor named kitchen chaos is home to a variety of restaurants and bars so it was worth checking out if you're looking for food in Shibuya [Music] before heading to our next destination we made a quick stop at the Shibuya Disney Store to check out the special Japanese New Year merchandise [Music] thank you our next destination was Harajuku an area known to be one of the world's fashion centers with streets lined with fashion forward stores and people Harajuku culture got its start in the post-war occupation of Japan when American soldiers and civilians lived in the area Japanese youth flocked to the area to experience Western culture and stores that catered to Americans fashion designers also settled in the area along with stores that popped up to cater to the wave of tourists that the 1964 Tokyo Olympics brought all of which propelled the culture forward afterward we made our way to cat Street another hip fashion forage Street in between two major shopping districts Harajuku and Shibuya catchery designed with fashion boutiques high-end Brands second-hand shops cafes bars and food stalls the street caught its name because of the fashion it's an understated low-key place to watch people catwalk through while wearing the latest fashion trends [Music] thank you Tokyo really does have something for everyone I love the energy of the city but I'm not gonna lie it can get a bit overwhelming there is so much to see and do but my biggest tip is to stay flexible unlike smaller cities in Japan Tokyo is the most congested so just remember to breathe and be patient with yourself in my next video we'll still be in Tokyo but the vibe will be different I was definitely starting to feel the burnout of traveling and working the past month in Japan I'm not gonna lie today a little bit harder of a day so the last week of this trip I really felt the need to slow down and find Solace outside of but near Tokyo we'll still be stopping at major landmarks but also actively exploring hidden gems to escape the crowds until next time foreign [Music]

Channel: Remi Shimazu

Views: 88,253

Keywords: lifestyle by remi, remi shimazu, remi, shimazu, remi vlogs, asian american vlogger, tokyo japan vlog, tokyo japan tour, tokyo japan travel guide, tokyo japan food, tokyo japan travel, japan, japan travel, japan travel tips, japan travel guide, japan guide, japan itinerary, things to do in tokyo, what to do in japan, tokyo itinerary, japan travel vlog, travel to japan, japan travel guide tokyo, japan travel tips and tricks, what to do in japan tokyo

Id: PjImTWOdep0

Length: 16min 32sec (992 seconds)

Published: Fri May 26 2023