3 PERFECT DAYS IN TOKYO

#GOTOKYO #GUIDE

Three perfect days in Tokyo

You could spend weeks – years even – exploring the Japanese capital and barely scratch the surface. If you have just three days, here’s how to get a taste for the city.

DAY 1:

A modern moment

MORNING Your first day in Tokyo reveals just how forward-thinking the western neighbourhoods of the city are, with a little history revealed for good measure.

Leave your hotel after breakfast and head for Harajuku Station in Shibuya. From here, it’s just a 10-minute walk to the Meiji Shrine – this site, along with neighbouring Yoyogi Park – are the largest patch of forest in the city. With more than 100,000 trees on the grounds, this is a serene spot to forest bathe (that Japanese concept of feeling calm amid nature), as well as explore temples and admire soaring torii gates.

It’s in striking contrast to your next destination: Takeshita-dori street. This is kawaii (cute) central, with pop culture on show from the shops selling Hello Kitty t-shirts to stalls dishing up rainbow fairy floss. Also in Shibuya is Omotesando, a leafy boulevard lined with big-name boutiques and all manner of cafes. It’s tempting to refuel... but hold out until you’ve seen the Shibuya Scramble Crossing – a staggering number of people cross here every time the lights change, with the vibrant atmosphere enhanced by enormous overhead TV screens and neon advertising. AFTERNOON Time for lunch. The Shibuya Scramble Square is home to a plethora of restaurants and shops. Eat your way around the world, sampling everything from Japanese delicacies to French desserts.

Next stop is the Nezu Museum, a shrine to Japanese and East Asian art. This private collection now houses almost 7,500 pieces, surrounded by Japanese gardens almost as glorious as the gallery itself.

Indulge in a retail therapy at the Roppongi Hills shopping complex, home to yet another astounding gallery (the Mori Art Museum) as well as stores from the likes of Onitsuka

HOT TIP

Lunch can be amazing value in Tokyo. Many restaurants (even fine dining) offer a ‘lunch set’ at a very reasonable price. Make sure you avoid trying to eat lunch between 12 and 1pm on weekdays, as this is when office workers will be out dining, leading to queues at many popular places.

Tiger and Uchino Touch. There are restaurants galore, plus an observation level offering views over the city. It’s particularly pretty as night falls.

EVENING If you haven’t overindulged, now is the time to explore the bars and restaurants around Roppongi. Try Ippudo for some of the best ramen you’ll ever slurp, Gyopao Gyoza for more-ish dumplings and Gonpachi, serving modern izakaya snacks and famous for its starring role in Quentin Tarantino’s 2003 film Kill Bill.

OPENING SPREAD, FROM LEFT: Quiet contemplation in a temple; versus the bustle of Shinjuku © Renn/Unsplash. OPPOSITE PAGE: Meiji Shrine © Wrapong Noituptim/Shutterstock THIS PAGE, FROM TOP: Leafy Omotesando © Tokyo Convention and Visitors Board; nigiri sushi © TCVB; Shibuya Scramble Crossing © TCVB ICON: Fire by Beepymallow from the Noun Project

DAY 2:

A taste for tradition

MORNING Today you’re exploring the east of the city, beginning at Asakusa. After leaving the metro station, make a beeline for the Senso-ji temple, guarded by the colours of the enormous Kaminarimon gate. It’s a popular stop to grab a snap with one of the four embedded god statues.

Stroll along Nakamisedori, a street harking back to shopping in Tokyo of yesteryear – many stalls have been run by the same family for generations. Pick up souvenirs and some of the best street food you’ll ever savour.

Walk off your treats around Ueno Park, originally part of one of the city’s wealthiest temples. Today it’s known for two things: its glorious cherry blossoms in spring (bring your picnic mat) and its many galleries. Pop in on the Tokyo National Museum to ogle the largest collection of national treasures in the country.

On your way to Ueno station you’ll pass Tōshō-gū Shrine, with its gloriously gilded shrine and gardens housing yet more cherry blossoms and peonies. Jump on a train bound for Tokyo Station and the Marunouchi area.

BELOW: Senso-ji temple © Shutterstock OPPOSITE: Dining out in Shinjuku’s atmospheric alleys © Redd/Unsplash ICON: Sushi by Roman J. Sokolov/Noun Project

NAKAMISE-DORI SNACKS TO TRY

Ningyoyaki Little sponge cakes filled with red bean paste and shaped like famous Asakusa landmarks.

Sembei crackers Which come freshly toasted and are a local favourite.

Pan bread Try it in sweet melon flavour.

Ice-cream Seasonal flavours include matcha and cherry blossom.

AFTERNOON There are a dizzying number of lunchtime restaurants around Tokyo Station, not in the least Kitchen Street – dedicated entirely to eating. Sit down to a cheap-and-cheerful meal of deep-fried meat skewers, tempura or specialty Okinawan cuisine. Among so many other offerings. Nearby and gleaming, the Marunouchi Building, Kitte Marunouchi Building and Shin Marunouchi Building also come loaded with dining offerings.

Wander through the Imperial Palace’s East Gardens, the former site of the Edo Castle’s innermost circles of defence. While the main buildings no longer exist, the moats, entrance gates and several guardhouses can still be seen.

If you still have energy, the shopping malls of Ginza await. This is Tokyo’s most popular district for retail therapy, with many mega-malls lining the main Chuo-dori street. Stop past G.Itoya to find stationery heaven, Ginza Mitsukoshi for countrywide and international fashions, and Ginza Six for world-leading brands – head to the rooftop garden for yet more city views. EVENING Tonight’s evening meal? Take your pick between the neighbourhoods of Shinjuku or Shibuya. In the former, the buzzing, neon-lit alleys of the Golden Gai house dozens of hole-in-the-wall bars to choose from. While in Shibuya, a melting pot of cuisines await, from soba and ramen to French crepes and Chinese. There are also plenty of karaoke joints to end your evening at, including the one that starred in Lost in Translation.

DID YOU KNOW

Sofia Coppola’s popular 2003 film Lost in Translation was largely filmed at the Park Hyatt in Shinjuku. The hotel’s infamous 52nd-floor New York Bar and Grill is where Bill Murray sat at the piano and drank whisky.