9 Days in Japan

Haneda is closer (30 min to central Tokyo); Narita is ~60–90 min out. Budget: from NRT take the Keisei Skyliner ¥2,570/$16 or from HND the Monorail ¥500/$3. Premium: Narita Express (N'EX) / Airport Limousine bus ¥3,200/$20. Luxury: private car ¥25,000–35,000/$158–222. Grab a Suica/PASMO IC card or Welcome Suica at the airport. 💡 Get a Suica or PASMO IC card immediately — tap on/off every train, bus and convenience store. Since 2023 you can add Suica to Apple Wallet and top up by phone. Japan is still surprisingly cash-heavy: carry some yen. 🎌 Remove your shoes where you see a raised genkan floor or slippers set out. Never eat or take phone calls while walking; both read as rude.

Budget: business hotel or hostel — APA, Toyoko Inn, UNPLAN hostel (¥8,000–15,000/$51–95). Premium: Hotel Gracery Shinjuku, Cross Hotel, Shibuya Stream Excel (¥28,000–55,000/$177–348). Luxury: Park Hyatt Tokyo, Aman Tokyo, Bvlgari (¥90,000–250,000/$570–1,580). 💡 Base near a JR Yamanote Line station (Shinjuku, Shibuya, Tokyo, Ueno) — the loop line connects almost every major sight. Shinjuku is the best all-round hub for nightlife and transport; Ginza for calm and shopping. 🎌 Hotel rooms are compact by Western standards — this is normal, not a downgrade. Tipping is not practised anywhere in Japan and can cause confusion; excellent service is simply standard.

Ease in at the world's busiest pedestrian crossing — up to 3,000 people cross at once. See the Hachikō loyal-dog statue, the Shibuya Sky tower above, and dive into the neon backstreets. FREE. Best crossing views from the Starbucks (Tsutaya) window or the Mag's Park rooftop. 💡 For the classic overhead shot of the Scramble Crossing, go up to the free Mag's Park rooftop (small fee) or the Shibuya Sky deck at dusk. The crossing is busiest and most photogenic just after dark. 🎌 Stand on the LEFT of escalators in Tokyo (right in Osaka). Keep to orderly queues at stations — Japanese public order is real and appreciated.

Budget: a ramen counter or Omoide Yokochō ('Memory Lane') yakitori alley (¥1,200–2,500/$8–16). Mid: a lively izakaya — small plates + drinks (¥3,500–6,000/$22–38). Luxury: Sushi Saito / Narisawa-level (¥40,000+/$253+, book weeks ahead via hotel concierge). 💡 Slurping ramen loudly is polite in Japan — it signals enjoyment and cools the noodles. Many small counters have a ticket-vending machine at the door: buy your meal ticket first, then sit. 🎌 Say 'itadakimasu' before eating and 'gochisōsama' after. Don't stick chopsticks upright in rice (a funeral rite) or pass food chopstick-to-chopstick. Pour drinks for others, not yourself.

Tokyo's oldest temple (645 AD), entered through the giant Kaminarimon 'Thunder Gate' lantern, along the Nakamise shopping street of traditional snacks and crafts. FREE. Go early (before 09:00) to beat crowds. Draw an 'omikuji' paper fortune (¥100). 💡 Arrive by 08:00–08:30 for near-empty photos at Kaminarimon and the five-storey pagoda. Try freshly-made ningyō-yaki cakes and melonpan from the Nakamise stalls for breakfast. 🎌 At the temple gate, bow slightly. At the purification fountain (chōzuya), rinse left hand, right hand, then mouth. Waft incense smoke over yourself for good health. Photos fine outside; be discreet inside halls.

A serene forest shrine dedicated to Emperor Meiji, reached through towering torii gates and a canopy of 100,000 donated trees. FREE. Right beside it: Harajuku's Takeshita Street, the loud heart of Tokyo youth fashion and crêpes — a total contrast. 💡 The walk from Harajuku Station through the forest to Meiji Jingū feels a world away from the city. If you're lucky you may glimpse a traditional Shinto wedding procession in the courtyard on weekends. 🎌 At a Shinto shrine, bow twice, clap twice, make a wish/prayer, bow once at the offering hall. Walk to the SIDE of the torii path — the centre is reserved for the gods.

Budget: a rainbow crêpe on Takeshita St or a gyūdon beef bowl (¥600–1,200/$4–8). Mid: Maisen tonkatsu or Afuri yuzu ramen (¥1,800–3,000/$11–19). Omotesandō is Tokyo's tree-lined 'Champs-Élysées' of design and food. 💡 Maisen's tonkatsu (breaded pork cutlet), served in a converted 1930s bathhouse, is a Tokyo classic and great value. The side streets of Omotesandō (Cat Street) are full of design boutiques and cafés. 🎌 It's fine to eat crêpes while standing near the stall, but avoid walking-and-eating on busy streets. Trash bins are rare — carry a small bag for rubbish until you find one.

The 'futuristic' half of Tokyo — an immersive digital-art museum where you wade barefoot through water rooms and infinite mirrored light installations. ¥3,800/$24. Book a timed online ticket in advance (sells out). Wear shorts or roll-up trousers (water sections). ⚠️ teamLab tickets are TIMED and sell out days ahead — book online before your trip. You'll go barefoot and walk through knee-deep water, so wear/bring rollable trousers and skip long skirts. 🎌 Photography is encouraged here (unusual for Japan), but stay quiet and mindful of others in the dark rooms. Lockers provided; store bags to keep the installations pristine.

An open-air rooftop deck 230m above the Scramble Crossing — the best sunset view in Tokyo, with Mt Fuji on clear days. ¥2,500/$16 (book a sunset slot online). Watch the city lights ignite over the endless sprawl. 💡 Book the ~30-min-before-sunset time slot online for Shibuya Sky — you'll catch golden hour, sunset, and the city lighting up all in one visit. On clear winter days Mt Fuji is silhouetted to the west. 🎌 The open rooftop bans loose items (phones must be on a strap or in pockets) for safety — follow staff instructions. Quiet, orderly viewing is the norm.

Budget: conveyor-belt sushi (kaiten-zushi) like Uobei ¥1,500–2,500/$9–16. Mid: an izakaya feast (¥4,000–6,500/$25–41). Luxury: an omakase sushi counter (¥25,000+/$158+). Tokyo has more Michelin stars than any city on earth. 💡 At conveyor sushi, plates are colour-coded by price and you can order fresh from a screen. For a splurge, an omakase counter is a once-in-a-lifetime experience — the chef serves you piece by piece. 🎌 Eat nigiri sushi in one bite; dip the FISH side (not the rice) lightly in soy. Ginger is a palate cleanser between pieces, not a topping. It's fine to eat sushi with your hands.