24 hours in Tokyo?

[AntonyJ]

Originally Posted by Princess Alison

I'd love to visit, its top of my list. I'm trying to persuade the others to feel the same way xx

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Do they have some concerns about Japan, apart from cost and travel time?

[tonymc]

Originally Posted by kk20

With only 24 hours I would avoid anything that needs queueing for. There is ample to fo. Akihabara has a nearby temple and is a good sight in the evening. Good for the first night.

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Originally Posted by AntonyJ

Tokyo Station is massive and has levels underneath with food and shopping places (including a Character Street with anime type merch shops) and one exit opens onto a massive wide “street” that leads directly to the Imperial Palace.

japan-guide/e/e3037.html

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Thanks again both of you - really do appreciate you posting. Good advice about avoiding the queues, and will definitely have a look around the station... I'm sure DW will appreciate that!

[Princess Alison]

Originally Posted by AntonyJ

Do they have some concerns about Japan, apart from cost and travel time?

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My kids are keen.

Dh I think is worried about the language and the food and the kauai if that is the word? The sweet stuff - don't ask me why 🙄

For myself I suppose I am slightly nervous about the threat of earthquakes too.

It would also take some researching as i would want to take in various sights and I'm not sure if we'd stay in a hotel or something more traditional?!

Perhaps I'm overthinking it!

[Pumpkin Pie]

Originally Posted by Princess Alison

My kids are keen.

Dh I think is worried about the language and the food and the kauai if that is the word? The sweet stuff - don't ask me why 🙄

For myself I suppose I am slightly nervous about the threat of earthquakes too.

It would also take some researching as i would want to take in various sights and I'm not sure if we'd stay in a hotel or something more traditional?!

Perhaps I'm overthinking it!

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There is no need to be worried about the language. We were there in 2019 and travelled to quite a few different places. We were based in Tokyo and Kyoto and did several day trips including Hiroshima. We never once had problems - all transport, stations etc. have English signage. Shopping was no problem either. You will certainly have no trouble getting around in Tokyo.

As for hotels as long as you pick one near a train station you will be fine. The JR Yamanote line goes in a loop around Tokyo (both ways) and the trains come every 3 or 4 minutes.

As for food there are McDonalds, TG Fridays etc. just like any major city in the world. There are lots of bakeries with lots of European style buns, cakes etc, as well as Japanese.

[Princess Alison]

Id love to go- I think it's just a case of weighing up where we go next (when we can!) as we have a number of destinations on our list and can't do them all!

[AntonyJ]

Originally Posted by Princess Alison

My kids are keen.

Dh I think is worried about the language and the food and the kauai if that is the word? The sweet stuff - don't ask me why 🙄

For myself I suppose I am slightly nervous about the threat of earthquakes too.

It would also take some researching as i would want to take in various sights and I'm not sure if we'd stay in a hotel or something more traditional?!

Perhaps I'm overthinking it!

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Aha <links fingers from both hands together, pushes them outwards in overly dramatic fashion>

Food and language were my biggest fears before I went, let me tackle them both in order.

FOOD
I am the poster boy for boring, does not try anything new easily, food eater. I like what I like.
I have put this in other posts but I have a morbid fear of throwing up and avoid things that I think increase the chances, like fish in general (am from near Blackpool originally, fish has to be served in batter! ) and a HUGE no no to raw fish. Raw fish, could be off, full of toxins = possible death - not to be dramatic at all.

Will let you read some of my other posts on the matter but I had sushi on this trip after an hugely positive experience with it on the plane, and loved it and is something I would eat again but only in Japan.

Ignoring that outcome, I had a huge fear that I would be eating all my meals in McDonalds, KFC etc. on this trip and in the end we only went to McDonalds (our only non-Japanese type meal on the entire holiday) only once - after we got back late at night from day trip to Kyoto. Well not quite true, we had pastries for breakfast - that type of thing, but no main meals of day in KFC either.

We went to places that let you fry you own food in a fryer in the table you ate at, so I could do chick, prawn etc to my own taste. We went to tempura places but Western type food is available in many places in Tokyo, amazing quality burgers, pasta etc.

The one unexpected find for me food wise, were the convenience stores like 7-11, Lawsons, Family Mart etc - they had amazing food at great prices, the quality was a huge shock!

Now apologies to anyone who works in a Spar in the UK - but I would NEVER buy an egg sandwich from one, but in Japan they are done as a near art form, all the sandwiches are!

Great quality, flavour, great bread etc. and such good prices.
I had an amazing chicken salad in a bowel from the store inside the Hilton Tokyo Bay - that had plastic layers in it you pulled out before you ate - that kept the wet and more dry parts of it separate until you added the dressing. No soggy lettuce at all, sweet and crunchy.

On this next trip, if it goes ahead in May, I have picked out further places to try and eat at that do Korean BBQ for example.

Anyone who has known me before Japan, cannot believe the things I tried when I got there, and no love to eat.

LANGUAGE
As others have said, nearly every sign is in Japanese and English. Places to eat tend to have both Japanese and English menus - especially in Tokyo with all its visitors.

Google Maps was a god send it getting us from A to B, via the trains or walking, we never got lost and I have a TERRIBLE sense of direction.

Hardly anyone in stores or places to eat, we interacted with spoke much English at all as I remember, but pointing and smiling and holding up 2 fingers to say "Two of them" got us pretty much through everything.

I equally ashamed and proud to say that in 10 days I NEVER spoke a word of Japanese - apart from trying to say place names! I am a) rubbish with foreign languages and b) too old / lazy to try and learn.

I also have a fear of sounding like the "policeman" from 'Allo 'Allo.

Google Translate on our phones helped a few times - it was never perfect but you generally got the idea.



Finally, the Japanese would always try and help us if we looked lost, even if they spoke no English, and were simply the nicest people I have ever met.

[Princess Alison]

Wow I can see you love japan! I think I would love it too and it's is i our top five. My sister a long time ago went interailing in japan and loved it. She also commented on how friendly the Japanese are and what a beautiful country it is.

It's more I suppose trying To work out - with limited years left with the kids coming with us - where to prioritise, plus bearing in mind costs and so forth.

How long would you suggest going for and would you recommend any particular places to include in an itinerary?

[AntonyJ]

Kids - what age / interests?

[Princess Alison]

Well I say kids they are 12 (boy) and 13 (girl)

Boy loves Mario kart and and gaming.

Girl wants to see blossom - unlikely given when we would go!

I love Pokemon so I'd be happy in japan.

[AntonyJ]

Originally Posted by Princess Alison

Well I say kids they are 12 (boy) and 13 (girl)

Boy loves Mario kart and and gaming.

Girl wants to see blossom - unlikely given when we would go!

I love Pokemon so I'd be happy in japan.

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Oh now you see why I picked Shibuya to stay in

GAMING
The Parco "mall" in Shibuya has a Nintendo merch store.
On the same floor are Pokemon and Capcom merch stores

google/maps/place/Ni...!4d139.6986385

Few YT links to reviews there.





As a start

Fans of Studio Ghibli animation?

Also in Shibuya at the new Miya≈≈≈≈a Park is the new GBL Ghibli store, it is more an American / grown up theme to the merch it sells and loads of food choices there too.

google/maps/place/GB...!4d139.7016623



Also there is a Disney store at Shibuya:

google/maps/place/Di...!4d139.7001958

About 30 mins walk north is the start of Cat Street - a narrow street full on trendy places to shop, eat etc. but at the top is Kiddy Land - a toy shop that does it is unique merch for Disney, gaming etc.

google/maps/place/Ki...!4d139.7065473

And about 15 mins walk from there is Harajuku and another 20 to the Meiji Temple

google/maps/place/Me...!4d139.6993261