Due to the dramatic time change/jetlag, you may be waking up a bit earlier than you may anticipate. So, you will want to jump start your day… but keep in mind that many of the cafes/shops won’t open until around 8 am.
For our one day of exploration, we went to the local train station and purchased an unlimited 24-hour Tokyo Metro pass. It was around 1,800 yen. This worked perfectly in accordance with Google Maps, so we were never lost or jumping on the wrong train.
NOTE: Japans train system stops running at 1 am! Sharp. So, if you don’t want to pay the expensive taxi fare to return home, I suggest making your way back to the train station around 12:30 am.
Below are some notes I made of prospective places around the city to see:
- Bunkyo civic center – FREE 360 degree view of the entire city (9am – 5pm)
- Zozoji Temple with Tokyo Tower in the background (9am – 5 pm)
- Meji Shrine (5 am – 6pm)
- Imperial Palace and Garden (9am – 6pm)
- Senso-ji Temple
- Shibuya Crossing – there is a two level Starbucks across from the walkway that provides an awesome view of the crosswalk
- Shinjuku district
- Shinjuku Golden Gai – narrow alley full of low-key bars with around 10 seats each. BE AWARE some of these places charge cover on top of the cost of your drink
- Robot restaurant (we fell into the trap… honestly is a tourist attraction, but still look back on it and laugh)
