What to do in Tokyo

I went to Japan for a couple of weeks and spent nearly all of that time only in Tokyo. So you can be sure that there's lots to do there!

Here are my top recommendations, based on a varied taste with bits of a hardcore anime fan (my husband) and taking location into consideration, so you can maximize your experience and time.

Tip: Save the spots you'd like to visit on a Google Maps list. This way, you can easily decide what makes more sense to visit at the same time.

Sensō-ji Temple & Akasusa

I'd say this is one of the classic must-dos in Tokyo, after all, it is home to the city's oldest temple. Start off at Kaminarimon Gate, an entrance with a 3.9 meter tall lantern.

Keep walking past the gate and you'll find yourself at Nakamise-dori Street, a charming path with many souvenir and snack shops along the way.

At the end of the street, you'll reach Sensō-ji temple. It honors Kannon, the goddess of mercy. Before entering, you can stop at the incense burner and wave your hand at it. You can read more about temple etiquette here.

Once you're done, keep walking around Akasusa. It's a lovely neighbourhood with many restaurants and cute streets. We roamed around and ended up grabbing lunch at a tiny Katsu restaurant, and it was delicious!

Akihabara District

Welcome the world of anime and gaming centres! If you're an anime lover, this will be one of your favourite areas.

Some of the top anime shops are:

• Animate Akihabara
• AKIHABARA KOTOBUKIYA
• Akihabara Gamers
• Yellow Submarine

Akihabara is also home to the Final Fantasy Eorzea Cafe, which doesn't accept walk-ins. Make sure to book a reservation on the website in advance.

If you're not that into themed cafés, I'd highly recommend going to Gyukatsu Ichi Ni San to taste a delicious hot-stoned katsu.

Another great spot for shopping here is Yodobashi Akiba, which is a massive store that sells electronics, cosmetics, and more.

Harajuku & Takeshita Dori

Harajuku is a district in Shibuya. This was one of my favourite spots! So unique and lively, it feels great to walk around the streets and shop around.

I'd recommend starting off at Meiji Jingu since it's quite close to the train station. This shrine is surrounded by a florest and there is a nice walkway to get there (it's hard to believe you're in Tokyo).

Then, head over to Takeshita Dori: a narrow pedestrian-only street that offers many shops and restaurants. Try out a popular crêpe at Marion Crêpes or grab a 3D latte at Cafe Reissue.

Tip: If you're looking for unique souvenirs, such as Sukajan jackets and Kimonos, this is the BEST neighbourhood for it.

Shibuya

Start off at the world's busiest pedestrian crossing, Shibuya Scramble Crossing. There are lots of restaurants and souvenir shops around this area; you can also grab a coffee and observe the street from Starbucks.

From there, walk over to see the Hachiko dog statue and then head over to Shibuya Sky. I'd recommend buying your tickets online in advance on the official website, since they were already sold out for the day when we visited.

The best time to go to Shibuya Sky would be around sunset, since you can have a taste of both the day and nighttime views.

TeamLabs & Tsujiki market

You've probably seen lots of videos on social media about TeamLab Planets, but I promise you it's pretty cool and would definitely recommend it. Make sure to get your tickets on the official website in advance so you don't have to wait in line. I'd describe it as an immersive/interactive art museum. It's a whole experience!

Before or after heading over to TeamLabs, stop by Tsujiki Outer Market for an authentic Japanese street food experience. A heads up that it tends to get crazy busy here. I honestly didn't want to waste a significant amount of time in line-ups, so I ended up walking around and buying lots of snacks: meatballs, mochi with strawberry, hot sake, etc.

Alternatively, if you'd like to try Kobe beef for a relatively affordable pricepoint, head to Gyūan Ginza during lunchtime for their special lunch menu.

Shinjuku

Shinjuku was a perfect location for us to stay at. It was very easy to get to places since we were right beside the train station, the hotel price was very reasonable, and there was GREAT food all around.

For the best ramen, head over to Ramen Nagi. You might be surprised to find a line-up in the alley, but that's how it works! Make sure to bring cash on you and read the signs outside, so you're prepared to use the machine to order your ramen.

Other spots to check out are Cross Shinjuku Vision, for the 3D animation cat; and Omoide Yokochō aka Piss Alley to try out the restaurants.

That's a wrap! To be honest, two weeks barely felt like enough time to explore everything that Tokyo has to offer. I'd come back in a heartbeat, so I'm sure you'll have a great time.

To have an even more authentic experience, don't forget to check out all the Japanese you need to know before going on your trip!