Japan 14 Day Itinerary

A bunch of viewers have messaged me asking about the itinerary for our 14 day trip to Japan this Spring. Planning any trip can be quite the hassle. We decided upon this trip 4 months in advance and spread the preparations for the trip over 2 months. At the end of it, I came up with our own 28 page travel guidebook. I’ve included a somewhat summarized version here. Hopefully it will come in helpful when planning your own trip.

Duration

Our decision to return to Tokyo came at an impulse one December afternoon. I was looking through old photos from Japan and was suddenly overwhelmed with nostalgia. MJ shared the same sentiments. Airfares at this time was and all time low and I was hoping for a winter vacation, so I tried convincing MJ that we should pack up and leave in the evening.

Alas, he rejected the mad idea on account that he had to stay in Singapore for the year end festivities at Indochine. Instead, we settled for dinner at Sushi-tei that evening. After discussing the issue further, we decided upon traveling during the final weeks of March, MJ wanted to attend the Morning Musume concert then. A Spring trip to view the cherry blossoms it was.

Tip: Plan your trip around specific goals.

The Flight

Delta Airlines Economy Class. SGD$601 per person after tax. Delta Airlines offers travel between Singapore and Narita for SGD$600-$700 around the year. I had a favorable experience with them in the past. Kind of cramped but all economy flights are cramped anyways. The in flight entertainment is up to date and the food is decent. Attendants are on constant patrol if you want drinks.

Leave Singapore at 5.45am on 17 March 2010.
Reach Tokyo at 1.40pm.
Depart at 6.15pm (Tokyo) on 30 March 2010.
Return to Singapore at 12.50am (31 March).

This flight timing is accurate for all Delta flights from Singapore to Narita as there is only one flight a day.

Getting To Tokyo

There are 3 possible ways to travel to the hotel and back to Narita. The most efficient way is by Limousine Bus. The package costs 6000 yen for the two way trip and comes with 2x one day unlimited travel passes (worth 600 yen each) on the Tokyo Metro line. For more information visit their website here. The ticket counter is just outside the arrival hall. There are multiple buses heading to all around Tokyo. We take the Mejiro, Kudan, Korakuen bus to Tokyo Dome Hotel.

A useful website to calculate train travel duration and fares around Tokyo can be found here. It covers all the major train companies in Tokyo.

Tip: If traveling light, you can consider taking the cheaper Skyliner train service instead. It travels between Narita and Ueno and costs 1920 yen. This is the most popular method of transport by visitors. Tickets can be reserved up to a month in advance. More information here.

Hotel

Hotel Wing International Kourakuen.
We wanted a place to stay that was affordable, without having to sacrifice on amenities. After months of research, we decided upon the Hotel Wing International. The Agoda website allows hotels to update their room availability in real time and provided the most affordable prices when compared to other services. Through Agoda, discounts of up to 60% were offered for early reservations and extended stays. We booked our rooms about 3 months in advance on Agoda. The regular rate was 9000 yen ($140) per room but we were only charged $90 a day.

The Hotel Wing International Kourakuen is located at the north section of the Bunkyo Ward, near the Imperial Palace. It’s a great location that is equal distance to all popular spots in Tokyo. All city areas can be reached in between 10-20 minutes by train. The nearest train station is Suidobashi (水道橋) on the JR Sobu line. The hotel is 200m from Tokyo Dome, 1.5km away from Akihabara and about 3km from Ueno.

I even went to this extent.

Since this document was created prior to the drip, most of the following text will be in future tense. You will notice that our actual trip differed quite a bit from this itinerary.

Day 1. Flight/Harajuku (Shopping) Wednesday 17

Total Costing: 6000 yen (2 way from airport to hotel) + 160 yen x2 train

Harajuku.

The afternoon will have us traveling from the airport to our hotel. After clearing customs, we can probably book our tickets for the Limousine bus and have lunch at the airport while waiting. If there’s one to hop on immediately we can have lunch at Suidobashi. We should reach just in time for the hotel check in at 3pm.

Tip: When given the choice between Oriental or Western food in-flight, the former is always more edible.

We will probably be in varying states of decay so the first day would probably be best spent exploring the areas surrounding our Hotel. Thankfully, the hotel is near pretty much everywhere.

Our first two days will be spent stocking up on clothing and provisions. We will have to visit Harajuku for MJ to get tickets for the Morning Musume concert on Friday. To get to Harajuku we will take the JR Sobu to Yoyogi and switch to the JR Yamanote. A one way trip costs 160 yen and takes about 15 minutes.

Photos from our first day here

Day 2. Edo Tokyo/Shibuya (Sightseeing/Shopping) Thursday 18

Total Costing: 450 +350 + 160 yen transport and 400 yen museum fees

Edo-Tokyo Open Air Museum.

Morning:
There are two available stations in Koganei but the easier one to access from our hotel is Musashi-Koganei (武蔵小金井) on the JR Chuo line. The shortest route is to take the JR Sobu to Yotsuya (四谷, 四ツ谷, 四ッ谷) and change to the JR Chuo. Total time taken is 35 min and costs 450 yen.

Home of one of the largest a greenery spots in Tokyo, Koganei is also home to the Edo-Tokyo Open Air Museum. Entry into Edo-Tokyo Open Air Museum is 400 yen. Edo-Tokyo is a building museum. Many buildings from the Edo and Meiji are preserved here and were the reference for popular animation film “Spirited Away”.

Studio Ghibli and Gainax both have their studios near the station but they are not open to public. In general, Koganei features many quaint buildings unlike the city buildings of the rest of Tokyo. They also pride themselves with being very natural. It would be a good idea to have lunch here. Some of the restaurants have been reproduced in Ghibli animations as well.

Tip: When visiting touristy spots, prepare extra batteries and storage cards.

Shibuya.

Afternoon:
Head to Shibuya for shopping. JR Chuo to Kichijoji (160 yen, 9 mins) then switch to Keio-Inokashira line for Shibuya (190 yen, 21 min). Shibuya (渋谷) is probably one of the nicest shopping city shopping districts in Japan. It is home to the famous Shibuya crossing and the most giant television screens on buildings anywhere in the world.

Shibuya is also well known for many modern fashion trend buildings. Most well known of which are perhaps Shibuya 109 and 109-2.

Tip: Plan your shopping on later days when you have a better understanding of what you wish to purchase. Alternatively, space them apart during your trip. Try to avoid shopping on weekends.

Other key destinations here would be HMV and Tower Records which is one of the largest music stores in the world. Japanese CDs aren’t any cheaper in Japan (but strangely enough English music is cheaper in Japan than elsewhere). Might as well drop by RECOfan which specializes in 2nd hand music (at Shibuya BEAM building 4F).

There are also many departmental stores here, so we will be well occupied till all the shops close at 9pm.

Walkthrough of our second day here.

Day 3. Kichijoji/Shinjuku (Sightseeing/Concerting) Friday 19

Total Costing: 1000 yen museum fees + 290 yen + 160 yen x 2 transport

Kichijoji.

Morning:
One morning can be spent at Kichijoji (吉祥寺). Inokashira Park is here, a large park surrounding a lake. Apart from being an excellent spot for Sakura viewing during spring, the park is home to the Studio Ghibli Museum.

There is a direct train to Shinjuku on the JR Sobu line. To get to Kichijoji from there we have to switch to the JR Chuo line. Takes 28 minutes and costs 290 yen.

The park is 15 minutes by foot from Shinjuku. Entrance to the park is free. Entry to the Ghibli Museum costs 1000 yen. Tickets have to be bought in advance from Lawson convenience stores using Loppi automatic ticket machines. Tickets start selling 3 months in advance. Weekday tickets are easier to get. The museum is closed on Tuesdays.

Tip: Be sure to book your tickets for the Ghibli Museum in advance. It is a popular destination for the locals as well so tickets sell out quickly.

Shinjuku.

Afternoon:
Early afternoon will still be spent at Kichijoji but at the shopping area having lunch and perhaps looking at a few shops along the street. We will have to take a train to Shinjuku where the Morning Musume concert will be in the evening.

Places of interest. Include multiple shopping complexes here. Electronic complexes and the red light district, Kabuki-cho. Note that the mega department stores here close at around 8pm.

The largest departmental store is Odakyu followed by Takeshimaya. There are a total of 7 giant shopping centers. 3 electronics buildings and many smaller buildings here (Uniqlo, Kinokuniya etc).

Shinjuku is also home to Shinjuku Park which is a prime cherry blossom viewing location. Not sure if there will be any Sakura at this time yet though.

Evening:
Morning Musume concert. Back to Suidobashi from Shinjuku is 160 yen on JR Sobu.

Review of the day here.

Day 4. Free (Free) Saturday 20

Free Day

Day 5. Yoyogi, Tokyo Tower, Ebisu (Photo-Taking/Sightseeing) Sunday 21

Total Costing: 160 + 200 + 190 yen transport

The best day to experience Harajuku (原宿) and Yoyogi (代々木) would be a Sunday since that’s the day all the strange people gather at Yoyogi Park.

Yoyogi Park.

Morning:
Yoyogi is 10 minutes from our hotel on the JR Sobu line. If we want to start at Harajuku, we will have to switch to the JR Yamanote Line for one stop. A one way trip costs 160 yen.

If we arrived early in we can probably visit the Meiji Shrine in the morning before the shops start opening. When that is done we can head over to Yoyogi Park to see the subculture performers. We would probably be finished just in time to start queuing for a place to eat earlier unless we intend to fight with insane crowd. There’s a sword Museum at Yoyogi as well, entrance fee is 525 yen.

Tokyo Tower.

Afternoon:
In the afternoon we can head to the adjacent NHK Studio Park, home of Kouhaku and Domokun. Admission is 200 yen. Here we can see live filming of TV programs.

Now would be a good time to head first to Omotesando to pick up any branded goods first. Leaving any shopping to this time comes with the benefit of not having to lug around lots of shopping bags which I made the mistake of doing in my previous trip. Going to Omotesando first would mean we will be carrying lighter and more flashy bags if we decide to go to Harajuku.

Can spend the rest of the late afternoon at Takeshita Harajuku. Further uphill there’s another shopping area featuring local indie brands.

The next train ride out in the late afternoon will be to Hamamatsucho (浜松町) Station on the JR Yamanote line for Tokyo Tower. It will cost 190 yen since it’s on the other end of the Yamanote loop. Walking around the area and scaling the tower should occupy us just in time for the sunset. Entry to top floor of Tokyo Tower is 1420 yen ($21)

Tip: There are shops on the second floor of the tower that sell the widest assortment of souvenir snacks as well as the Tokyo Banana and Tokyo Banana Pie all at discounted prices. It might be a good idea to visit the Tokyo Tower on one of the last days of your trip instead since most of the snacks have a short shelf life.

Ebisu.

Evening:
On the way back to Shinjuku, we really ought to drop off at Ebisu (恵比寿) station to see the beautiful Yebisu Garden Place at night. To get to Ebisu from our hotel or vice versa, take the JR Sobu to Yoyogi and switch to JR Yamanote line (Uchimawari) to Ebisu. 20 mins, 190 yen.

Tip: Instead of paying for sky views, there are many buildings around Tokyo that offer tours for free. The Yebisu Garden Place Tower at Ebisu is one such place.

We ended up visiting Tokyo Tower on Day 6. The day’s journey here.

Day 6. Tsukiji Market, Ginza, Shidome (Food/Exploring) Monday 22

Total Costing: Free

Tsukiji.

After a good night’s rest, we can afford waking early the next day. Thus this morning would be a good day to wake up early for Tsukiji Fish Market.

Tip: Tsukiji Fish Market is closed on Sunday and on national holidays.

Morning:
Ideally, we will reach there at about 5am to view the tuna auctions, which are held at 5 am. However, there is no conceivable way to do that while the train lines are still out (the first train leaves the terminus at 5. The auctions last till 8 am and other shops start closing at 10 am. According to recent news, the public have been barred from entering the auction area.

From Hongo Sanchome station we can take the Tokyo Metro to the Ginza station and transfer to the Hibiya line will take us to Tsukiji (築地).

We will probably have some time to kill before the restaurants open so we can take this time to look around at the shops or start queuing early. We’d probably end up with a heavy breakfast that doubles as lunch.

Ginza.

Afternoon:
Our afternoon will start earlier than normal. After a nice meal, Ginza is just a short 5 minutes walk away. If we’re lazy, we can hop back onto the Tokyo Metro Hibiya line for two stops covered by the pass. Here we can find classic departmental stores, while smelling like fish.

Key buildings here include Ginza Wako, the central clocktower in Ginza, the Kabuki Theatre and various departmental stores from other prefectures of Japan. There are more than 7 major shopping buildings here. Matsuzakaya from Nagoya. Hankyu from Osaka. Printemps from Paris. Wilson can probably meet us in the late afternoon here when he arrives.

Tip: The roads at Ginza close off their traffic on weekends and holidays so visitors can freely roam the streets.

Evening:
Probably won’t walk through all the buildings at Ginza but rather just a select few, even if do decide to we should still have enough time to walk to Shiodome. To get there we can also take the Tokyo Metro Ginza line to Shinbashi station, again covered by the pass.

Shiodome is a futuristic new area recently built by NTV. There is a replica train station here which houses a historical museum. Shiodome is home to many big companies including ANA and Softbank.

Shiodome is also home to the 51 floors Dentsu’s Caretta Shiodome, Japan’s most prestigious advertising agency. There are many shops, café’s and restaurants and an advertising museum here! Entrance is free but it closes at 6pm

The Nippon TV tower is also here. Note though that additional buildings here may still be under construction. Train ride back to Ginza then to Akihabara on the Tokyo Metro. JR Sobu back to Suidobashi at 160 yen.

The happenings of this day were covered in detail here.

Day 7. DisneySEA, Disneyland (Themeparking) Tuesday 23

Total Costing: 5800 yen + 290 yen x 2 transport

Tokyo DisneySea.

This website predicts which days will be more or less crowded at Disney Resort.

Since it’s a popular tourist season, all the days of late March will be crowded. Generally Tuesday and Wednesday are the safest days to go.

Morning:

We take the JR Sobu to Ochanomizu (御茶ノ水) and change to the JR Chuo to go to Tokyo station. From there we transfer again JR Keiyo to Maihama (舞浜駅). Because all of the lines are JR, we only need a single ticket. It takes about half hour and costs 290 yen.

Tickets can be bought ahead of time from convenience stores or from the front of Disneyland. It is good to purchase the tickets from Lawson if it’s going to be crowded.

The problem with Disney Resort in Tokyo is that Disneyland and DisneySEA are two different parks. Each park ticket costs 5800 yen and has to be bought separately. Combined tickets for both parks cost 10000 yen but have to visit the park on 2 separate days with the combined ticket.

Inside Disneyland, there is a system called FastPass. Basically, you can queue for rides without actually queuing physically using your ticket. After FastPassing a ride, you will be informed on the time to come back. We should always have one ride booked at any time. FastPass lasts till 4pm. Before returning to the ride we booked we can book the next ride and queue for another.

Tip: To maximize your time at Disney Resort, be sure to visit the parks as soon as it opens. Queues for rides get progressively longer later into the day. At opening time, you might only need to wait for half an hour or less but by 4pm queues can stretch for up to 3 hours in length.

Evening:
Each of the parks has a special evening show that shouldn’t be missed. Before leaving the park be sure to check out Ikspiari, a shopping and entertainment complex that complements Disneyland.

Full walk through of the most spectacular place on earth here.

Day 8. Yokohama (Sightseeing/Concerting) Wednesday 24

Total Costing: 1080 yen

Yokohama.

Yokohama is Japan’s 2nd largest city. It is 30 minutes from Tokyo and 45 minutes from out hotel. First take the JR Sobu to Akihabara and switch to the JR Yamanote until Tokyo station. Then take the JR Tokaido to Yokohama. Total cost, 540 yen.

Interesting Locations:

Sankeien Garden
A historical Japanese garden with tea houses and pagoda from Kyoto.

Minato Mirai 21
Yokohama’s seaside area is home to the Cosmo World amusement park (where one of the word’s largest Ferris wheels and the world’s largest clock is located), the Manyo Club spa and Japan’s tallest building, the Landmark Tower.

It is also home to multiple shopping complexes and 3 different museums. The Nippon Maru and Yokohama Port Museum, Yokohama Museum of Art and the Mitsubishi Minatomirai Industrial Museum. The current exhibits don’t seem interesting though, all modern artists who are still living.

Osanbashi Pier
The pier between Minato Mirai and Yamashita Park.

Yamashita Park
Yamashita Park is a 750m long park along the seaside. It is also the location of the world’s largest lighthouse the Yokohama Marine Tower. Though only 100m tall, Fuji can be seen from the lighthouse under clear weather.

Yamate
Next to Yamashita Park is a small shopping street, followed by a string of Western houses from the 1850s. These houses are open to the public. Locals and tourists often go there to see the flowers in the garden. Lots of greenery in Yokohama.

Chinatown
Japan’s largest Chinese settlement is located at Yokohama. Mostly Chinese shops and restaurants. Hardly any actual Chinese residences.

Ramen Museum
The Ramen Museum is at Shin Yokohama. It is open from 11am to 11pm and costs 300 yen to enter. It is a replica of the 1950s and all the shops are famous ramen stores.

Yokohama Arena
Yokohama Arena is also at Shin Yokohama. We need to be here by 5pm to enter for our AKB48 concert.

Photos from our actual trip are here.
I would revisit Yokohama again on day 12. That day is covered here.

Day 9.Hakone (Nature) Thursday 25

Total Costing: 5000 + 160 yen + 160 yen complete transport package

Hakone.

The town of Hakone is basically a giant preserved nature reserve protected by the Japanese government. Hakone has its fare share of volcanic activity.

Morning:
Wake up early and head over to the Odakyu terminal in Shinjuku to purchase the Odakyu Hakone Free Pass that coasts 5000 yen. This pass includes a 2-way trip to Hakone and free use of the city’s transportation, boats and cable cars.

Shinjuku from Suidobashi on the JR Sobu costs 160 yen and takes 13 mins.

Take the Hakone Limited Express train to Odawara station. The journey takes less than 2 hours. This usually costs 2020 yen one way but as well as all transportation will be included in the pass. Seats are not confirmed. Special express train that takes 85 minutes with booked seats cost an additional 870 yen.

At Odawa station, we have to switch to the local scenic Hakone-Tozen train to get into Hakone. The 15 minute ride will bring us to the heart of onsen town Hakone Yumoto.

After a quick stop at the craft and souvenir shops here with perhaps an early lunch, we will hop back onto the train to continue down to Gora to take the cable car tram up the mountains.

There are various drop-off points up the mountains including stops to a couple of museum gardens but these costs money to enter just to see trees and ceramics. We will take the tram to Owakudani, the great boiling valley.

Owakudani is a volcanic area with sulfurous springs from which Mt Fuji can be clearly seen. We can purchase the famous spring eggs here 5 for 500 yen. When ready we will have to take an actual cable car over the springs to reach Lake Ashi. The cable car ride takes 30 minutes.

At Lake Ashi, will board 1 of 4 crowded pirate boats for a river tour. The view of Mt Fuji from the river is perhaps one of the best views you will find anywhere.

Tip: Be sure to visit Hakone early in the morning, all the time it takes to travel between the different spots add up and before you know it the day draws to a close. Take note that the last boat ride leaves Togendai for Hakone Machi at 4pm.

Evening:
There is a bus back to the town area from Ashi. By the time we start heading back it should be late afternoon or early evening. As an onsen town, there are various hot spring baths at Hakone (if would like to try one). Prices range from 500 to 2000 yen depending on how luxurious the location, images are from cheapest to most expensive.

The baths open till about 9-11 pm at night. But note that the last train back to Shinjuku is 10pm at Odawa. We will need to take the mountain train back to Odawara station before then. Once again the train ride back is covered by the pass.

We ended up visiting Hakone on day 10 instead. Photos here.

Day 10. Gotemba / Fuji 5 Lakes (Sightseeing) Friday 26

Total Costing: 4600 yen + 160 yen x 2

We might consider staying at Hakone one night if we are able to get a room at last minute. If not we can return the next day if necessary. Fuji is actually nearer to Tokyo than from Hakone.

Benefit of staying overnight, is the usage of hot springs. If we stayed overnight, there is also a train from Gotemba to Fuji which will save transport costs. Based on research, the ideal place to stay would be the Fuji-Hakone Guest House.

Alternatively, we can head over to Fuji 5 Lakes, home of well five different lakes and FujiQ, where the Hello Morning haunted hospital is.

Hongo Sanchome to Tokyo Station on Metro (160 yen 7 minutes). From Tokyo Station we can take the JR Kawaguchiko Saiko Free Kippu., 4600 yen for return trip and all transport at Fuji covered. This is best choice if we are returning to our hotel. It is cheaper than buying the train tickets.

Things At Fuji:

Kawaguchiko
The most accessible lake is Kawaguchiko, it offers the most unobstructed view of Fuji from the mountain and certain viewing points on the northern side. From there we are also able to get to the other lakes by bus, covered by the pass.

Fujiyoshida
The town of Fujiyoshida is famous for their Udon noodles! There is a Pagoda here overlooking the town. There’s also a very interesting shrine in the forest here.

FujiQ Highland
The famous theme park. 4500 entry. If we stayed overnight, there is an option of a bus from Gotemba and entry for 5000 yen. It takes 2 and a half hours to get to Fuji from Gotemba though so that’s not a good idea. Can also pay for individual rides instead. It is also home to what were the two biggest roller coasters in the world. The Gundam Ride is here also.

Day 11. Asakusa, Akihabara, Roppongi (Sightseeing) Saturday 27

Total Costing: Free

Asakusa.

Morning:
From Hongo Sanchome, take the Marunouchi to Otemachi and switch to Hanzomon line to Mitsukoshimae, then switch again to Ginza line to Asakusa. 5mins + 1 min + 12 mins.

Ideally we should go there before 5.30-6 sunrise (according to MJ). The train service won’t be running at that time so if we want to go, it will have to be by other means. Japan’s most famous Sensoji Temple with the Kaminari Gate is here. Entrance is free.

On the way to the temple we will pass by a 250m stretch of tourist traps known as Nakamise. After temple we will pass through their entertainment district before heading to their traditional crafts museum which has live showings on weekends.

On the way back we can visit the perpendicular stretch of shops at Shin-Nakamise for lunch. Note that Nakamise opens at 9 and Shin-Nakamise opens at 10.

Akihabara.

Afternoon:
If we manage to get our tickets for the Ishimaru event, we can drop off at Akihabara on the way for the idol session. Asakusa via Metro to Ueno and switch to the Hibiya line for Akihabara (15minutes).

Evening:
To get to Roppongi (六本木) from Akihabara we will need to take the Metro. 190 yen and 20 minutes. So far it seems there won’t be any extra museum exhibits during the last two weeks of March. One of the main attractions in Roppongi is the ridiculous huge Roppongi Hills new town.

Mori Tower
Access to the skyline costs 1500 yen and includes access to the Mori Art Museum (not the adjacent Mori Arts Center, which costs extra). The Skydeck costs an addition 300 yen for the roof. 10am-8pm. Advance tickets to the skydeck can purchased from from 7-11 for 1200 yen (cheaper). At the base of the building is the Mori Garden (free).

Tokyo Midtown
Another new town adjacent to Roppongi. Built in 2007. Fujifilm Square is here and houses a photography museum (free). Lots of other shopping streets and areas.

Azabu Juban
The quiet shopping streets at Roppongi. Lots of good food here to eat as well as bars and cafes for nightlife.

TV Asahi Headquarters
There are displays and sales of related stuff here.

Night:
To get back to hotel, take the Tokyo Metro to Kasumigaseki (Tokyo)(H06) and switch to the other track at the same station Kasumigaseki (Tokyo)(M15) for the Tokyo Metro Marunouchi line back to Hongo Sanchome. 22 minutes.

We visited Akihabara and Roppongi on day 9 instead. Photos here.

Day 12. Odaiba (Photo-Taking/Exploring) Sunday 28

Total Costing: 460 yen x 2 way

Odaiba.

Getting to Odaiba (お台場) from Suidobashi is a little complicated. First we have to take the usual JR Sobu to Akihabara where we will change to the JR Keihin Tohoku (or JR Yamanote Sotomawari) line to go to Shimbashi station (150 yen, 18 min). Then we have to switch to the Yurikamome line here to go to Odaiba Kaihinkoen (310 yen, 13 min).

Odaiba is most famous for the rainbow bridge, which is popularly featured in most romance dramas. Remember to check out the sunset.

Tip: Be prepared for your day’s activities. When taking photography at night, a tripod helps.

The reason we’d be going there will be because the Tokyo Anime Fair will be held during the weekend.

Probably head there early to check out the exhibition in the day before visiting the other areas around Odaiba.

Tip: Departmental stores at Odaiba are marginally more expensive than in central Tokyo.

Evening:
Also at Odaiba is the FujiTV station which is open here till 8pm. Entry is free. Venus fort which a dinning and boutique area in 18th century Europe style, shops start closing between 9 to 11. There are also various futuristic buildings at Odaiba.

We decided to visit the first public day of the fair instead on day 11. Full photo tour here.

Day 13.Ueno (Culture/Sightseeing) Monday 29

Total Costing: 300 yen transport / walk FREE

Ueno.

Ueno is home to Ueno Park, the most popular (and crowded) Hanami location. Hopefully by going on a Monday it’ll be less crowded.

To get to Ueno, take the JR Sobu to Akihabara and switch to the JR Keihin Tohoku to Ueno. 150 yen. For 170 yen we can go by the Hongo Sanchome Station to Ueno Okachimachi though which is faster. Technically, Ueno is within walking distance…it’s about 3km away. But that way we will pass by many other smaller parks.

There are two main shrines here, Toshogu (left) dedicated to Tokugawa Ieyasu (the founder of the Edo era). Entry costs 200 yen. Benten temple (right) is in Ueno Park. Tokyo National Museum is also here, along with their park. Admission is 500 yen.

The experience at Ueno is pictured here.

Day 14. Tokyo Dome, Somewhere (Last Minute Shopping/Flight) Tuesday 30

Total Costing: 160 yen x 2 way

Tokyo Dome.

Tokyo Dome is just opposite our hotel. If we haven’t already, we can visit it otherwise we can do some last minute shopping and chilling out while we keep our luggage at reception.

While there are some shops to walk around at the LaQua building, the main goal for coming here is the Thunder Dolphin (1000yen) and hanging coaster (800 yen). The Thunder Dolphin is one of the tallest roller coasters in the world with maximum speed of 130km/h and 4.4G of acceleration (in comparison a space shuttle falls at 3G and a F1 car braking from max speed is 5G).

Afternoon:
Seems like a good idea to have lunch after the coaster and not before. We will have to return to our hotel to get our luggage before returning by Limousine Bus to the airport for our flight back to Singapore.

Photos from our final day here.