Tackling Tokyo #1 - Haneda Hacks & Shibuya Sightseeing
Essential airport advice and easy first day wins
If planning our trip to Japan felt like a task of epic (if exciting) proportions, somehow writing about it seems even harder. There’s just SO MUCH TO SAY.
Armed with our list of “non negotiable” destinations and districts, the mission of our Japan Rail Pass powered loop of Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka (with a stop for Ghibli Park) was clear… to fit as much great stuff in as possible, without feeling rushed or having regrets.
I’ll be sharing a mix of tips, random discoveries and must-dos, rather an all encompassing destination guide. You’ve got more seasoned travel outlets for that.
Tokyo will be split into four parts, plus there will be individual posts about Studio Ghibli Park, Kyoto and Osaka, including Universal Studios Japan. I hope it offers insight and inspiration whether you are planning your own journey through Japan, or simply like the idea of thinking about one…
Haneda Airport
If you’re travelling directly from the UK, Tokyo’s Haneda airport is likely to be the first sight you see on arrival. After a 14 hour flight it’s quite an adjustment. But don’t worry, in Japan there is always order in the chaos. You just have to crack the code.
I arrived early in the morning having missed an entire night’s sleep and unexpectedly on my own with two children (if you have not already heard it from me directly this is a take of woe for another time, that would take up an entire post all of its own). While I figured things out eventually, I wish something had just told me to do the following and to save the airport map below to my phone (as I didn’t yet have wifi and 3G is £££).
Visit the Tourist Information. Great for if you need information, support, or just a friendly face (they gave my children little flags to welcome us), a quick stop here is a great introduction to Japan (red dot on the map).
Collect your pocket wifi. Getting your hands on pocket wifi asap is essential. If you are collecting from Ninja Wifi or Japan Wireless I have marked it here on the map with a blue dot. Your provider should send you pick up details but I found the map I was sent very confusing.
Buy a Suica and a Pasmo Card. These cards are the equivalent to an Oyster Card in London and allow you to load on money and then tap in and out of ticket gates on public transport. As the Suica is for Japan Rail lines and Pasmo for the other lines, you are very likely to need both and they are not available to buy everywhere, so getting both at the airport is worth the effort. The ticket machines are just in front of the Monorail entrance and they have instructions in English. You’ll need one card per person.
(If you have a Japan Rail pass voucher, you can exchange it at the Japan Rail office here, but unless you need it start immediately I would avoid doing this, as the queues are much larger at the Haneda office than they are elsewhere… for example the queue here when we visited was two hours, versus a 45 minute queue at the Japan Rail office at Ueno station).
Get on the Monorail. While there are other ways to get from the airport into the city I would recommend the Monorail. The station entrance is right off the arrival lounge, seen bottom right on the map, and all you need to do after buying and tapping your Suica card is board the train in the direction of Hamamatsucho. Then sit back, enjoy the city views and basically feel like you are in the future.
Think about storing your luggage. If, like us, you arrive early in the morning and aren’t staying in a hotel that will store your luggage for a day, think about where you will can leave it. Most major stations have ample, well-signposted luggage lockers, but available ones can be hard to find, so make sure you do your research (just google the station name and number of lockers). We had an app that was supposed to show where available lockers are, but to be honest it was more of a spot one and dash for it kind of affair, so aim for somewhere with as many as possible.
Ticking Off Some Shibuya Sightseeing
While I’ll be covering individual areas a little more closely in my next few posts, I feel there are some easy essential sights almost everyone wants to tick off in Tokyo.
If you arrive a little tired and jet lagged, but keen to not waste time, here’s three easy Insta and child-friendly wins in Shibuya.
Shibuya Crossing
Even at off peak times the Shibuya Crossing is a Tokyo street scene dream. The world’s busiest pedestrian crossing, estimated to have 1-3k people navigating its multidirectional channels on an average signal change, is nicknamed the Shibuya Scramble Crossing due to the dash each time the lights halt traffic. Surrounded by huge glowing billboards and packed with a mix of fascinated tourists and fast-paced locals, it’s an incredible way to immediately immerse yourself into Tokyo life.
To get straight into the action, exit Shibuya station at Hachiko Exit (Exit 8) and allow yourself to get swallowed into the crowd and spat right out onto the crossing.
Getting a bird’s-eye view of the crossing is arguably even more awe-inspiring than being in the thick of it. While there are several guides on where you can do this and the Starbucks overlooking it has long been heralded as a free favourite, we opted for a tip I’d read on a forum somewhere and headed up to Mag’s Park at the top of the brilliant Magnet mall. To gain access to this rooftop bar, with views over the crossing, you simply have to buy a drink (soft or beer) on arrival.
3D Panda Billboard
A small sight in comparison to Shibuya Crossing itself, but if you are keen to see Tokyo’s famous 3D billboards, the panda right off the crossing on Shibuya Center-Gai is a great place to start (find it here). It’s opposite a cracking line up of vending machines, so grab a green tea or a soda, stand back and watch that 3D panda do its thing.
Shibuya McDonald’s (28-15 Udagawacho)
Perhaps a strange recommendation from someone that rarely eats anything at all in a UK McDonald’s, but this Shibuya branch was so enjoyable, we went twice. Combining a legendary Japanese take on the McDonalds menu - including Teriyaki Chicken and Shrimp Filet-O options - with amazing views across Shibuya, it’s a perfect easy first day lunch option. Plus, like everywhere in Japan, there’s impeccably clean public toilets. Maybe Japanese toilets actually need their own post too…
Coming next:
Tackling Tokyo #2: Harajuku - Yoyogi Park - Shinjuku - Shimokitazawa
Tackling Tokyo #3: Tsukiji Fish Market - Ginza - TeamLabPlanet - Akihabara
Tackling Tokyo #4: Ueno - Yanaka - Senso-ji - Tokyo Skytree
While the overview of each destination will be free to all subscribers, more detailed elements will only be available to paid subscribers, so please consider upgrading if you are planning a trip to Japan soon, or would just like to read more.