Day 1
- Meiji Jingu
- Harajuku streets
- Watari Museum of Contemporary Art
- Shinjuku
- Live music venue.
Harajuku and Shibuya would probably make more sense together, but we wanted to go to some specific analog camera shops in Shinjuku on the first day so we can photograph the rest of the trip, and also go there at night to see the lights of Kabukichō.
Day 2
This one’s still a bit up in the air, since it depends on whether we manage to get Ghibli Museum tickets.
- If we get tickets, we’ll head to Kichijōji and spend the morning around the museum. If not, we’ll go to Kagurazaka instead
- Kōenji, mostly for vintage shops and checking out some architecture along the way
- Underground live show, dinner somewhere along the way.
Day 3
- Tokyo Photographic Art Museum
- Shimokitazawa
- Shibuya. Walking, lights, maybe some shopping, maybe a screening at Theatre Image Forum
We know the museum isn’t the most logical fit geographically, but it’s a priority. We also realized we’re not that drawn to the neighborhoods that would make the route more efficient, so we leaned into a more south and southwest kind of day instead of forcing it.
Day 4
We leave early for Kyoto, and only come back to Tokyo a few days later around lunchtime.
Option A
- A few hours in Kagurazaka, if we didn’t make it there earlier
- A few hours shopping in Jinbōchō
- Akihabara for a lighter wander and dinner
Option B
- Go straight to Jinbōchō for books, old film posters store and lunch nearby
- National Museum of Modern Art (MOMAT)
- Akihabara and walk to hotel
We do like anime and manga, but it’s not really our main thing when it comes to how we travel or shop, so the main time trap here might just be the arcade. Also, this day might shift depending on what’s playing at Jinbōchō Theater.
Day 5
- Tsukiji Outer Market.
- Ginza and National Film Archive of Japan, which is really the anchor for the day
- Yurakucho.
- Depending on how wiped we are and what’s on, maybe a show at Nanahari
Day 6
- Yanaka
- Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, walk through Ameyoko Market and continue to 2k540 Aki-Oka Artisan, quick stop at the hotel if needed
- Live show at Knuttel house, dinner either before or after depending on timing and how the night unfolds
Day 7
- Slow morning, pack, check out
- Lunch, then either one last museum (National Art Center or Suntory Museum), or Kagurazaka if it doesn’t fit into any other day.
- Head to the airport
Final thoughts / questions:
- I’ve gotten a bit fixated on squeezing in Kagurazaka. Is it actually as charming as people say, or am I romanticizing it?
- I also have a feeling we might be underestimating how tired we’ll be by the end of each day, but we still want to try and catch some live shows when we can.
- It might feel like a bit of a waste of time to watch films instead of exploring the city more deeply, but we genuinely love cinema and would love to catch something if there’s a film playing in a language we understand. Either way, we’d still love to visit these theaters, both for their architecture and to take in the graphic design of the posters for films currently showing.
- We both love Ghibli, but my partner has been feeling a bit unsure about the museum after reading some mixed reviews. Would you still say it’s worth it? And is Kichijōji worth visiting on its own if we skip the museum?
- We’re also very open to museum suggestions, either for the last day or even to swap into the itinerary. A lot will depend on temporary exhibitions during our dates, late August to early September. In general, we lean more toward modern and contemporary art than historical or natural history museums, though places like the Edo-Tokyo Museum and the Open Air Architectural Museum did cross our minds. We’re also skipping teamLab, partly because of the price and because we’ll already be going to Biovortex in Kyoto, so it feels a bit redundant.
Do you have any thoughts on this or experiences to share? We’d really love to hear how it felt on the ground.
by Ok-Drummer-7334