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Highlights of our Tokyo Shenanigans

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This is a continuation of my Japan/China trip report. See also Back from China and Japan Trip! 5 Takeaways, Worth it: JAL Premium Economy Award Seats, Better Than Expected: AA Premium Economy Shanghai PVG to DFW, Hits and Misses from our day at Tokyo DisneySea, Take this Line and Shove It (Literally): Shanghai Disneyland Hits and Misses, Dormy Inn Shibuya Jingumae Hot Spring in Tokyo, Highlights of our Tokyo Shenanigans (this post)

Not including our day at Tokyo DisneySea, my travel group had 3 days to explore Tokyo. Here are the highlights:

Asakusa: Sumo, Senso-ji, Shopping

While my daughter and I were still in transit to Tokyo on a later flight, the rest of our group spent the day in the Asakusa section of Tokyo. We had pre-booked them a lunch session at Asakusa Sumo Club through Klook.com (affiliate link). The boys loved the lunch and the sumo experience!

A group of people is posing together at the Asakusa Sumo Club. Two sumo wrestlers in traditional attire are on either side of the group. In the center, there are four people, including a person in a kimono and three casually dressed individuals. They are all standing on a sandy surface with a sign in front of them that reads "Asakusa Sumo Club" in English and Japanese. The background features wooden walls and traditional Japanese decor.

They learned a lot about the history of sumo and how the wrestlers eat and train. My son got to try a match with the sumo wrestlers:

A sumo wrestler and a person in a padded suit are squatting and facing each other in a sumo ring. The setting is indoors with a wooden interior, and there is an audience seated around the ring, watching the match.

He was unable to move the other wrestlers at all, but he still had fun.

Three sumo wrestlers are posing together in a brightly lit room. Two of them are wearing traditional sumo attire, while the person in the middle is dressed in a yellow costume with a black hat. They are smiling and appear to be in a friendly, celebratory mood. The background features wooden paneling and purple drapery.

After the sumo experience, the boys walked to the nearby Senso-ji Buddhist temple, which is the oldest temple in Tokyo. It was fairly crowded:

a group of people in front of a large building with Sensō-ji in the background

From there, they walked to the adjacent shopping district on Nakamise street for some souvenirs.

Aerial view of a cityscape featuring a mix of traditional and modern architecture. In the foreground, there are colorful low-rise buildings and a busy street lined with market stalls covered by white canopies. In the middle, a large traditional temple with a prominent pagoda is surrounded by trees. In the background, modern high-rise buildings and skyscrapers are visible under a partly cloudy sky.
Aerial view of Senso-ji and Nakamise shopping street. Photo by pen_ash on Unsplash

Shibuya Sky

When my 2-week window for Shibuya Sky tickets opened (affiliate link), I was initially bummed we couldn’t get tickets for sunset timing. However, it ended up raining that day in the afternoon and evening, so the sunset was a bust anyway. We enjoyed our morning time slot with no rain and low crowds.

A young woman and a young man are standing on an outdoor observation deck with glass railings, overlooking a vast cityscape. The city below is densely packed with buildings, and the sky is cloudy. The woman is holding a phone with a colorful case. Other people are visible on the deck in the background.
Escalator at Shibuya Sky

The views of Tokyo from Shibuya Sky are excellent!

Aerial view of a large cityscape featuring numerous high-rise buildings and dense urban development. In the center, there is a large green park area with a distinctive, curved-roof building. The skyline is filled with various skyscrapers, and the sky is overcast with clouds.

While there are photo ops from every side and corner, the most famous corner photo spot was not crowded at all:

The image shows a rooftop observation deck with a wooden floor and glass railings. Several people are standing near the edge, looking out at a cityscape in the distance. The sky is overcast with thick clouds, and a large city with numerous buildings is visible below. There is a small grassy area on the right side of the deck.

A person is standing on a rooftop observation deck overlooking a vast cityscape. The individual is wearing sunglasses, a black hoodie with "Tokyo" written on it, and shorts. The background features a sprawling urban landscape with numerous buildings and a cloudy sky.

My kids chilling in the hammocks:

The image shows three people relaxing on a large, white net hammock structure on a rooftop deck. The deck is made of light brown wood, and there are several other people walking or standing in the background. The sky is overcast with gray clouds. A sign next to the hammock reads "Cloud Hammock."

We sat and soaked in the views for a while. It was a very relaxing experience.

A group of people is sitting and lying on a rooftop observation deck with a glass barrier, overlooking a sprawling cityscape. The deck has wooden flooring, and the city below is filled with tall buildings and roads. The sky is overcast, and the people appear relaxed, enjoying the view.

We had a great view of the famous Shibuya Crossing from the top. However, on a Saturday morning, it was not busy at all:

Aerial view of a busy urban intersection, likely Shibuya Crossing in Tokyo, Japan. The image shows multiple crosswalks converging, with numerous pedestrians crossing in various directions. Surrounding the intersection are tall buildings with colorful advertisements and billboards. Several vehicles, including buses and cars, are visible on the roads. The scene is bustling with activity, typical of a vibrant city center.

Harajuku/Takeshita Street

Our hotel was within walking distance of Harajuki area with the famous Takeshita Street. So much to take in here!

The image shows the entrance to Takeshita Street in Harajuku, Tokyo. A large decorative archway features a colorful unicorn made of balloons. Below the arch, a digital screen displays a crowd of people. The street is bustling with many pedestrians, and various shop signs are visible on both sides. In the background, modern buildings rise against a cloudy sky.

This area has many animal cafes:

The image shows the exterior of a building with a sign that reads "mipig cafe micro pig house" in pixelated yellow and white letters. Through the large window, people are visible inside sitting on the floor, interacting with small pigs. The interior has a bright, playful design with green flooring and small tables.

Pigs, dogs, snakes, owls, cats…so many choices. We decided to book a time slot at Harajuku Hawaii Zoo cafe because it has ferrets. My son loves ferrets, and we won’t allow him to have one in our house, so this was a way for him to get some quality ferret time.

A person is sitting on a pink bench, smiling at the camera while holding a ferret on their lap. The person is wearing a gray t-shirt and black shorts. Another person is sitting nearby, with only their legs visible, wearing white sneakers. The background includes a netted fence and some colorful elements.

Takeshita Street is famous for its gigantic cotton candy and other treats:

A woman is standing on a busy street holding a large, colorful cotton candy. She is wearing a gray jacket and carrying a light pink handbag. The street is crowded with people walking past various shops, including one with a sign that reads "JEANS Mate" and another with "WonderREX." The atmosphere is lively, with many pedestrians and storefronts visible.

The area also has many capsule stores (like those bubble gum/small toy machines):

The image shows a row of capsule toy vending machines, also known as gashapon, in a store. Each machine has a display showing various toy options available inside the capsules. The machines are white with coin slots and turn knobs. There are colorful posters and signs above the machines, featuring illustrations and text in Japanese.

Day Trip to Mt. Fuji

When I traveled to Tokyo for work more than 20 years ago, Mt. Fuji was not visible due to fog. So this trip, I really wanted to get a glimpse of the famous landmark. I booked a van with an English-speaking driver on TripAdvisor.com to take us to areas around Mt. Fuji and then drive us to our new hotel near Tokyo DisneySea.

After driving a few hours, our first stop was the 5th Station. It was rainy, cloudy and windy, with zero visibility of Mt. Fuji. We wandered in a few gift shops. But, this stop was mostly a bust.

A wooden building with multiple balconies and a sloped roof, featuring signs in Japanese. Several people are walking in front of the building, some wearing jackets and hoodies, suggesting cool weather. There are vending machines and a statue near the entrance. The sky is overcast and foggy, creating a misty atmosphere.
5th Station

Fortunately, we experienced much better weather on the rest of our stops, and I finally got views of Mt. Fuji.

A field of vibrant blue flowers stretches across the foreground, with a majestic snow-capped mountain in the background under a partly cloudy sky.

My favorite stop was Oshino Hakkai. This tourist attraction has some great food vendors (Kobe beef on a stick and much more). The park has a gated open-air museum with a $2 admission fee, and the views from inside are worth the small cost of admission.

A scenic landscape featuring a snow-capped mountain in the background, partially covered by clouds. In the foreground, there is a lush garden with a small waterfall cascading over rocks. A traditional wooden waterwheel is on the right side, attached to a thatched-roof structure. Two people are visible: one walking on a path and another near the waterfall. The scene is serene and natural.

Our last stop was the Chureito Pagoda. Be prepared to climb a lot of stairs for this viewpoint:

A scenic view featuring a traditional Japanese pagoda in the foreground, with a cityscape and lush green trees below. In the background, Mount Fuji rises majestically under a partly cloudy sky.

While I’m so thankful we had some great views of Mt. Fuji, this was a really long day. It took us 3 hours to get from our last stop to our hotel near Tokyo DisneySea. Next time, I’d stay overnight in Hakone area.

Author: Nancy

Nancy lives near Dallas, Texas, with her husband and three kids. Her favorite vacations include the beach, cruising and everything Disney.

Comments

  1. Aleks says

    Love traveling in Japan – one of my favorite countries. But Tokyo is not my cup of (matcha) tea: too crowded in most places (I can see it in your photos too). Mt Fuju looks nice from closer distance, especially with flowers as a front view! Nice shot!
    I’ve been thinking to spend some time in Hakone area next visit and visit small villages around that region.

    Happy travels!!

    Reply

  2. Justyna says

    Oshino Hakkai looks great! I was happy to see Mt. Fuji from the train on our way to Hiroshima, but it’s definitely not the same. There’s so much to see in so little time! Nice post 🙂

    Reply

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