Tokyo First-Timer: 5 Days, Where to Go, What to Eat

📅 March 26, 2026 | 11 min read

Getting Around: IC Card is Everything

Buy a Suica or Pasmo IC card (¥2,000, includes ¥1,500 travel credit). Tap it on trains, buses, convenience stores, restaurants. Works everywhere. Forget buying tickets. Just tap and go. Rent costs ¥150-200/ride.

Where to Stay

Shinjuku: Busy, trains, hotels ¥6,000-10,000 ($40-70/night). Good base, walkable.

Shibuya: Youth culture, nightlife, slightly pricier.

Asakusa: Traditional temples, older tourists, cheaper.

Harajuku: Fashion district, young energy.

Neighborhoods to Explore

• Tsukiji Outer Market: Fresh sushi breakfast (¥2,500 = €20). Amazing value.
• Meiji Shrine + Yoyogi Park: Free, peaceful, 30-minute walk. Best in early morning before crowds.
• Akihabara: Electronics, anime culture, arcades. Skip unless you love gaming.
• Senso-ji Temple (Asakusa): Free, iconic, crowded. Go at 7am to beat tourists.

Food: The Best Part

Convenience store meals: 7-Eleven onigiri ¥100-200, fried chicken ¥500. Seriously good.

Ramen: ¥800-1,200 ($5-8), incredible quality. You'll find a line of locals = good ramen.

Conveyor belt sushi: ¥1-5 per plate. Eat 10 plates = ¥50 ($0.35). Insane value.

5-Day Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive, Shinjuku, karaoke, ramen dinner.

Day 2: Meiji Shrine, Yoyogi Park, Harajuku, Shibuya Crossing at sunset.

Day 3: Asakusa temples, Tsukiji fish market breakfast, electronics in Akihabara.

Day 4: Day trip to Mt. Fuji (2-hour train), or stay local: teamLab Borderless digital art museum.

Day 5: Neighborhoods you missed, shopping, depart.

Etiquette Don'ts

• Don't eat while walking
• Don't talk on trains
• Don't tip (seriously, it's insulting)
• Don't touch people's things or personal space

Budget: 5 Days

• Hotel: ¥30,000 (€200)
• Food: ¥15,000 (€100)
• Transport: ¥3,000 (€20)
• Activities: ¥2,000 (€15)
• Total: ¥50,000 (€335)