Things to do in Tokyo.

Things to do in Tokyo.

I lived in Tokyo in 1990.  It was tough back then. Getting access around the city was quite difficult. That time was pre covid and pre Olympics. The Olympics really opened Tokyo up. Prior it was not a cosmopolitan city that welcomed their guests. Back when I lived in Tokyo, everything was difficult. My brother and I lived in a hostel for a week or so until one of my brothers friends parents put the 2 of us up in their spare room. Two large young men ate them out of house and home. So, We all jumped for joy when a tiny one bedroom unit became available at the back of their friends place.

The beauty of going to Japan is it is cheap.  Believe it or not the exchange rate is good for Australia. It is our turn to reap the rewards or the juggle of exchange rates. I could not believe it after spending years changing yen for the dollar, back when the exchange rate favoured the Japanese. Around the 80’s and early 90’s the number of Japanese tourists boomed in Australia, and it was the wedding location option. Then the bubble burst and the Aussie dollar gained strength against the yen.

So, a trip to Japan is refreshingly doable. These days I generally stay on the outskirts of the Yamanote line. The Yamanote line does a loop of the city. It is recognisable by the colour green. So, to get to this hotel, you can take the limousine bus from Haneda Airport or by train. south on the green line to Shinagawa, then change to Omori for the Ours Inn Hankyu. hotel.

It is a businessman’s hotel, but families can stay there as well. https://www.oursinn-hankyu.co.jp/?utm_source=Google&utm_medium=map&utm_campaign=gmb There is an incredible food hall with really fresh Japanese home cooking,  and a supermarket, There is a really good bath house, but I have gone off it over the years as it was getting just too crowded. You have to choose the right time. The hotel is also very close to the grave of the famous 40 ronin. The Sengakuji Shrine near Shinagawa Station.

The Yamanote line that will take you to Yoyogi, Shinjuku, Harajuku, and Shibuya. All good for shopping and eating. Harajuku is a great place to stop.

Harajuku is worth a couple of hours. Take the southern exit. Then do not cross the road yet. Follow the footpath back up for about 50m, until you find a large open and wide oath walkway. Path, follow this path for about 1 km. And you will come to the Kamikaze Museum ; https://www.yasukuni.or.jp/english/ Museum. In fact, it is more than that. If you can spend a little time, there you can get a really good idea of the entire Japanese history of war. It is really interesting; you can see why the Japanese are such a feudal race. The only time that they have stopped fighting over the last 2000 years has been the last 80 years after they got the shit bombed out of them. Going to the museum takes a fair bit of time. Back in Harajuku, take the central exit and you will find yourself at Takeshita Dori. It is a narrow side street, that is so popular for a short walk.

May be go back to Harajuku another day. If you take the same exit, you cross the main road which is Omoto Sando Dori. Cross the overhead walkway and continue up the road. Turn right at the toy shop and then take the first left. And walk about 30 meters to a dingy looking food shop. There should be a queue. It serves the best Gyoza, there and worth the wait.

Then a little north and you are at the enormous ikebukero. You can take a short cut from Shinjuku to Akihabara and the sobu Sen, the yellow train, which cuts through the guts of the Yamanote line. If you are really game, you can also jump on the Chuo line, the orange train that is the express across the centre of Tokyo. Tokyo station is a bit of a non-event. It is much busier as a Shinkansen bullet train station than a domestic station. If you continue going east a couple more stops on the Yamanote line you will arrive at Akihahbara, which has the nick name of being the best electronics shop in Japan. The Laos electronic department store has it all. You really need to know what you want and have a good idea on what you want to pay.

A couple more tops on the sobu line and you will arrive at Ryogoku, where the Tokyo Sumo stadium is situated. This is a great place to get off and have a stroll around. There is a sumo museum, that is worth a look, just check the times to see when it is open., and the temple is a really good place to buy small gifts, Japanese rice crackers and other nick backs. These places get very crowded. The sumo museum and the grave of the 47 ronin are not well known.

Senso-Ji is a great temple with a large range of souvenir shops. https://trulytokyo.com/senso-ji-temple/ you can take the same train lime from Ryogoku to Asakusabashi.

Shinjuku park is an oasis of mayhem, set a short walk from Shinjuku. Take the south exit and turn right and take the short walk To Shinjuku station. It is closed on a Monday. It is /yen to get in. The beauty of this park is the way all 4 seasons are represented. https://www.env.go.jp/garden/shinjukugyoen/index.html

If you take the east exit you can cross the main road and head down the wide narrow paths, you can get lost in kabukicho. It is kind of like our kings cross, but not quite as cosmopolitan. It is pretty seedy, so I would not be taking kids there.

Ginza and a walk near the royal palace is worth a look, I think on a Saturday arvo, they close off the main drag so you can gran a coffee and people watch. You can see some crazy sights.

Interesting points.

The toilets are narrow squat toilets.  It can take several slushes to evacuate the waste.

You can easily get lost in a station.

There is nothing to do in Tokyo except catch the bullet train.

The food snacks at 7/11 are delicious

Keep an eye out for banana pancakes in the small carts near the entrance of the station.

Everyone is in a hurry.