How to spend a day in Tokyo, JAPAN? The classic / iconic tourist spots for the first timer? Where to go in Tokyo on a rainy day? Where are the trend spots? I got you covered!
How To Enjoy 1 Day in Tokyo
If you have only a day, you want to enjoy to the fullest.
Leave Your Baggage(s)
It’s better not to have many things to carry around during sightseeing. Ask your hotel or find a place to leave your baggage like a locker around the big stations.
Tokyo in a Day – What to Bring
Comfortable shoes & outfit
If you want to see as many places as you can, you should be able to walk around!
Cash
Still there are places where accept only cash. You can use coins too (it’s normal in Japan).
Battery for charging your camera/phone
If needed! It’s always nice to have something that makes you feel better.
A day in Tokyo Itinerary for The First Timer
- Tsukiji Outer Market
- Team Lab Planet in Toyosu
- Asakusa : Sensoji Temple + Street Food
- Harajuku Kawaii Street
- Meiji Jingu Shrine
- Shibuya Crossing
I also thought some alternative options in case you want to change some for your own!
Tsukiji Outer Market
If you are an early bird, i’d recommend going to Tsukiji Outer Market in the morning for seafood. The most of part of the fish market including tuna auction has moved to Toyosu Market in 2018, however, Tsukiji Outer Market is still there.
In case of below, better to go to Toyosu Market, in my opinion.
- For Tuna Auction (early morning)
- On rainy day or not good situation for being outside
Team Lab Planet Toyosu
Team Lab Planet is a digital art museum where a lot of celebrities from abroad visit. It’s beautiful and enjoyable for family, couple, alone, any occasion! It’s nice that you don’t need to worry about the weather.
Asakusa Sensoji Temple
Sensoji Temple is also one of “Must go spots” in Tokyo.
Street Food in Nakamise, Asakusa
You can either eat your lunch or have snacks in/around Nakamise, Asakusa. I cannot even choose which food is my most favorite.. There are a ton of food that has been there for long time or just started as a new spot.
You can get in Tokyo Metro Ginza line from Asakusa sta. to Omotesando sta, and walk for 10 mins to Harajuku.
Kawaii Street in Harajuku
If you like Kawaii culture, you can go walk Takeshita street which is also called Kawaii street in Harajuku.
Meiji Jingu Shrine
You can go to Meiji Jingu Shrine, which is located just in front of Harajuku Station. It’s a quite big one.
You can get a train on the JR Yamanote Line from Harajuku Station to Shibuya Station. Or Walking to Shibuya from Harajuku takes 15-20 minutes.
Shibuya Crossing : The Iconic Spot in Tokyo
Shibuya Crossing is a world famous crazy crossing! I’d say there should be more people at evening on weekend. There are tourists who take pictures on the center of crossing, but you should finish crossing before it gets “red” light.
Alternative Options: 1 Day Tokyo Itinerary
For Anime Lovers : Akihabara + Ueno
Akihabara is perfect if you want to check anime stuff and/or electric appliance. Honestly, i am not knowledgable of animes (sorry..) however I took many of my friends abroad to Animate in Akihabara due to their request.
Ueno also has a big street full of venders named Ameya Yokocho or Ameyoko. You can enjoy both food and shopping. Also, there is a famous ramen shop named Ichiran around Ueno station.
Center of Tokyo : Imperial Palace + Tokyo Station
Imperial Palace – Beautiful Nature with Historical Remains
In the center of Tokyo, there is the Imperial Palace which used to be “Edo Castle”. There is an area where people can go. There is not much of castle left unfortunately, but there are some things that you can still see. It’s very peaceful, quite,
Tokyo Station – An Underground Maze
Tokyo station is a big station, where you can get many kinds of Train and also Shinkansen (bullet train) from.
It’s like a maze around Tokyo station, a lot of buildings are connected to the station and there are many shops and restaurants there.
There is a Ramen street where some ramen shops are lined up, and of course other restaurants in the building. Tokyo Character street is consist of many character shops including Ghibli, Rirakkuma, Crayon Shin-chan, etc.
It might be a great idea to go explore, especially on a rainy / snowy day since you don’t need to go outside to enjoy Ramen street, Character street, etc.
Shibuya SKY Trendy Spot in Tokyo
If you like having a view from above, you should go to Shibuya Sky. It was opened in November of 2019, and then Covid happened.. I recommend going before the sunset so that you can have daytime, sunset, and night view.
Tokyo is too big to see everything in a day.. but still you can see a lot of things here. I hope you enjoy a day in Tokyo!
