This was my fifth time in Tokyo, and I’ve had the chance to see and do a bunch of really cool things in all my visits. I’ve found that when I’ve revisited other cities, I can get a little bored with the same activities and sites, but this is never the case in Tokyo. Tokyo is endless, really. We’ve even considered living there simply for the amount of things there are to do! And we’re not even close to being done. Each neighbourhood is filled with lots of activities, food, and events, and every time we visit, we find ourselves experiencing things that we might not get to experience elsewhere. During our latest visit to Tokyo we had the pleasure of doing some activities I’ve never experienced before. I’ll be sharing some things we did by day in this blog!
Just a heads up that this list is not a list of my favourite things to do in Tokyo, just what we did during our latest trip due to seasonal activities and events by day that you might like to see or do as well! See a few posts back for things to do by night in Tokyo!
Tokyo Dance Week Festival
We spent one Sunday in Shibuya, at the Tokyo Dance Week Festival which celebrates Japan’s contemporary dance subculture. Hundreds of people came together to compete in different dance categories of pop, RnB, hip hop and more. While this is a competitive event, everyone is still chilled out and the vibe is really great. Everyone cheers each other on and is very supportive of one another. Even though the announcements are in Japanese, because dance is a universal language it was an event we could still enjoy without translations. I particularly loved that everyone at the event were locals, so as a tourist, it was interesting to see how some Tokyo locals enjoy dance either competitively or as a hobby.
Yoyogi Park
Ok I lied, I’ve done this one before. I actually celebrated my 22nd birthday with a picnic at this beautiful park. However, it’s soo different during Autumn. The last time I visited here was in August 2016, so the park was bright green and perfectly manicured. As we caught the last of Autumn in Japan in December, it was completely orange! So. Beautiful. I’d recommend a visit to this park no matter what time of year you’re visiting!
Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall
We made a visit to the Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall & were lucky enough to view the organ up close. To be alone in a concert hall like this one was truly amazing. The organ truly is a work of art, and it’s hard to believe it is made and maintained by man. Can’t wait to be back here for a live performance, as the acoustics in here are incredible.
Shibuya 109
Even though I’ve been to Shibuya countless times, I’ve never actually shopped in Shibuya 109. When I go shopping in Japan, I usually stick to the big retailers, because I find what they stock in Japan is quite different or unique to other cities. Or I’ll be in Harajuku checking out all the vintage goodies!
Shibuya 109 is filled with a range of independent and large retailers, in boutique sized stalls. The shops are all quite open, and you can view the products without really having to go inside each store. Also, this shopping centre is women’s only, and there’s a lot of levels. I find that most of the clothing here isn’t really to my style, but I enjoyed checking it out nonetheless.
Eat some Ramen
Ok I lied again, I’ve also had many bowls of ramen in Japan and around the world, but this time it was one which I haven’t tried before. I’m not sure that I can call myself an expert on the ‘perfect’ ramen, but what I will tell you is that ramen is my favourite food. I like my broth to be rich, full of flavour, and a teeny bit spicy. Also, I prefer my noodles on the softer side. Everyone’s different and I love that in a lot of the ramen stores in Japan you can pick and choose the bits you’d like in your ramen!
Rickshaw in Asakusa
We made a visit to Asakusa, which I have visited before, but I’ve never seen it like this. If there’s something I learned this day, it’s that you NEED to take a rickshaw ride through Asakusa during cherry blossom season. We did this in December so obviously it wasn’t the best time. However, our guide was the cutest guide ever and showed us this region in such a unique way. It’s like riding a bike, but obviously not because a cool Japanese man is pulling you around while you just get to look at everything and take photos. Sounded like a good idea to me, and it was. You can go for as little as 30 minutes or up to an hour.
Ferry from Asakusa
This day was all about cool modes of transport, as we went straight from our rickshaw to a ferry ride. A ferry is another great way to see Tokyo. Why? Just because it’s different, and incredibly relaxing. The weather wasn’t the greatest on the day we did it, but if you’re expecting a killer sunset in Tokyo I would suggest you take a ferry ride to really enjoy it!
Hi Tara! Would you like to tell me exactly what date did you go there? I’m going to Japan on last week of November and first week of December, so I want to know what kind of situation I’ll be in, orange-ish autumn or snowy. Thanks!
Author
This was the first week of December!
How beautiful! Your trip seems really fun. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Author
Thank you! 🙂
Why every photo looks unreal? I’m dying 😭😭😭
Author
Because it’s unreal in real life – hehe! Hope you get to see it someday!
What kind of camera do you use with what lens mostly!
Love your pictures! I’ve been to Tokyo but only in the summer, this makes me want to plan a fall trip asap 🙂
Tara you always have great nails when in Tokyo- esp love hello kitty ones! Can you tell me where to get fun nail art? Going to Japan in January! Thanks!!