Tokyo is a megacity that mixes the fashionable and conventional. In its neighborhoods you’ll discover centuries-old shrines and temples close to skyscrapers and the city jungle. This metropolis gives an attention-grabbing mixture of the fast-paced life-style that many affiliate town with and locations to relaxation and ponder. Guests may also discover scrumptious meals from hole-in-the-wall eating places and kiosks, in addition to from elegant eating places. Let’s not overlook the numerous outlets and districts the place you’ll discover the most recent developments in style. No matter your fancy is, Tokyo has it for you.
Getting a visa
Filipinos will need to purchase a visa first earlier than touring to Japan. These are among the fundamental necessities:
- Passport
- Crammed out utility type with a photograph hooked up
- PSA issued start certificates
- PSA issued marriage certificates (for married candidates)
- Itinerary
- Financial institution certificates
- Copy of earnings tax return
You may as well view the list of complete requirements here.
After gathering the required paperwork, submit your utility by means of an accredited travel company. Here’s a list.
You may as well get extra info by checking out the Embassy of Japan’s website.
Get into Tokyo
It’s straightforward to get to Tokyo from Manila. Air Asia, Philippine Airways, JetStar, and Cebu Pacific all have direct flights. Ebook throughout seat gross sales to get the very best offers for airplane tickets.
Get out of the airport
You’ll most probably arrive at Narita Airport from Manila. Narita is sort of removed from town heart, however you have choices when it comes to reaching Tokyo by public transportation.
Narita Specific
This can be a quick and handy possibility however can be an costly one. You will get to Tokyo Station in an hour. This prepare leaves each 30 to 60 minutes.
Price: JPY3,000 for a one-way ticket and JPY4,070 for round-trip tickets inside a two-week timeframe.
Keisei Liner
This prepare travels to Nippori Station for JPY2,570 the place you can take the JR Yamanote Line to Tokyo Station for JPY160. All the journey can take up to an hour.
JR Sobu Line
This prepare is a less expensive possibility at JPY1,340 however is slower. It takes round an hour and a half to attain Tokyo from Narita.
Bus
A limousine bus prices JPY2,800 and takes round 100 minutes earlier than it reaches Tokyo Station from Narita Airport. Alternatively, you can take the Airport Bus TYO-NRT for a lot much less at JPY1,300 for day journeys and JPY2,600 for early morning and evening journeys.
Get round Tokyo
Tokyo is a big metropolis that may overwhelm guests. The labyrinthine metro stations may be complicated. After you get the hold of issues, it’ll be comparatively simpler to discover this bustling metropolis. You’ve got a number of choices when it comes to transportation tickets in your journey.
The Suica and Pasmo IC rechargeable playing cards are common choices for guests. You should utilize both card whereas taking the metro or buses whereas exploring town. You may as well use each playing cards in some outlets, eating places, and merchandising machines. There’s a deposit charge of JPY500 and an preliminary quantity loaded into the cardboard which is often JPY1,500. You should buy both card on the airport, metro stations, or vacationer info facilities.
Another choice is to purchase 24-, 48- or 72-hour Tokyo subway ticket passes. You may take the Tokyo Metro and Toei Subway a number of instances with any of those passes. A 24-hour move prices JPY800, 48-hour JPY1,200, and 72-hour JPY1,500. Kids pay half the value for a similar passes.
Itinerary
Previously often known as Edo, Tokyo is a bustling metropolis that mixes previous and new. This sprawling metropolis gives a wide range of eating, procuring, cultural, historic, and leisure choices that may simply fill a number of days. You may spend your brief journey simply in Tokyo and nonetheless really feel like you’ve solely scratched the floor. The town also can function your base to different common locations resembling Kamakura, Disneyland, Nikko, and Mt. Fuji.
*This itinerary assumes you begin with one complete day.
Day 1
Begin your first full day immersing your self in Tokyo’s city jungle. Make your means to Shinjuku, one of many metropolis’s common business, eating, and leisure wards. Shinjuku Station is without doubt one of the busiest in the world, the place greater than 1,000,000 passengers come and go. Skyscrapers, resorts, malls, eating places, and bars are throughout this a part of Tokyo. If you return at evening, you’ll see loads of neon indicators inviting you to have a drink or seize a chew. These institutions fluctuate in dimension and ambiance. Right here you’ll discover slim alleys with hole-in-the-wall bars and eating places permitting only a few patrons. Well-known spots embody Kabukicho, Omoide Yokocho (also called Piss Alley), and Golden Gai, simply to identify a number of.
One of many issues I appreciated about Tokyo is that simply throughout the beating coronary heart of a bustling metropolis ward like Shinjuku is a park the place you can take issues sluggish and loosen up. A kind of parks is Shinjuku Gyoen. The latter is a good place to go to whatever the season. Nonetheless, spring and autumn are two of the most effective instances to go to to see the cherry blossoms and the colours of autumn.
Just a few kilometers from Shinjuku is one other noteworthy a part of town, Harajuku. The latter showcases the nation’s teenage style, model, and pursuits. The middle of this tradition is Takeshita Dori. The encompassing space is dwelling to quick meals shops, outlets, meals stands, and boutiques catering to teenagers that observe the most recent developments. Not too removed from Harajuku Station is Meiji Shrine. The latter was constructed for Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken. The large, forested space has loads of strolling trails.
Shibuya is one other vacation spot in Tokyo that focuses on youth tradition. The world is lined with department shops, malls, boutiques, eating places, bars, and cafes. It’s well-known due to the busy intersection the place dozens of individuals cross the road concurrently. You’ll additionally discover the well-known Hachiko statue simply outdoors one of many station’s exits. If you suppose this space is busy in the morning, it will get busier at evening. Very similar to Shinjuku, Shibuya lights up at evening with quite a few neon indicators.
You may both finish your day (or evening) in both Shinjuku or Shibuya. There’s loads of eating and leisure choices in both one.
Charges:
- JPY500 Shinjuku Gyoen
- JPY1,000 Meiji Shrine Museum, JPY500 Inside Backyard (Meiji Shrine grounds)
Day 2
Begin your day by exploring Asakusa. The latter gives you with a glimpse of what town was like many years in the past. It used to be town’s major leisure district. One of many must-visit sights is Sensoji Temple. This Buddhist temple dates to 645. You’ll discover the Kaminarimon (outer gate), Nakamise (procuring avenue), Hozomon Gate, a pagoda, the principle corridor, and the Asakusa Shrine throughout the temple grounds. The world can be dwelling to procuring streets and department shops. After exploring Asakusa, you can stroll to the Tokyo Skytree to get overlooking views of town.
After lunch, head on over to Ueno. The latter is one other business space full of eating places, outlets, and bars. Ueno Park is a well-liked vacation spot for each locals and vacationers due to the numerous museums and temples situated right here and can be a go-to spot for cherry blossoms viewing. The period of time you’ll spend right here is dependent upon how a lot you like museums. You may go to the Tokyo Nationwide Museum, Shitamachi Museum, Tokyo Metropolitan Artwork Museum, and others. Make your means to Yanaka from Ueno Park. This a part of town has retained its shitamachi environment (previous city vibe). It contrasts with the city sprawl and hustle and bustle of glitzier elements of Tokyo. Right here you’ll discover outlets promoting varied objects from toys to produce. You may as well expertise varied cultural actions resembling calligraphy and tea ceremony throughout your go to.
Finish your day in one among Ueno’s or Asakusa’s eating places.
Charges:
- JPY2,100 (weekdays), JPY2,300(weekends/holidays) First observatory (Tokyo Skytree)
- JPY3,100 (weekdays), JPY3,400 (weekends/holidays) Each observatories (Tokyo Skytree)
- JPY1,000 Tokyo Nationwide Museum
Day 3
After exploring a few of Tokyo’s districts, go on a day journey to Kamakura. The latter used to be the nation’s political heart throughout the latter elements of the 12th century. The rise to prominence of different cities in the nation eroded the affect of Kamakura. Nonetheless, quick ahead to in the present day, town is a well-liked vacationer vacation spot for guests. The town is dwelling to many temples, shrines, and historic sights. Its location alongside the coast additionally makes it a well-known vacation spot, particularly in the summer time.
The advantage of Kamakura is that almost all sights are inside strolling distance from the prepare stations. One of the crucial visited sights is the Nice Buddha of Kamakura situated on the grounds of Kotokuin Temple. It’s an enormous statue that measures 11.4 meters excessive. Make your means to Hasedera Temple to get overlooking views of town. You’ll additionally discover a Goddess of Mercy statue throughout the temple advanced. Head on over to Tsurugaoka Hachimangu which was based in the 11th century by Minamoto Yoriyoshi.
After visiting a few of Kamakura’s sights and consuming lunch, make your means to Enoshima. The latter is an island with loads of sights such because the Enoshima Shrine, Samuel Cocking Backyard, Southern Coast, and seashores, simply to identify a number of.
The reasonably priced means to attain Kamakura is through the use of Odakyu Railways’ Enoshima Kamakura Free Cross. The latter covers your round-trip fare from Shinjuku to Kamakura. It additionally consists of limitless rides on Enoden trains. The move prices JPY1,520. The drawback of this move is that it takes round an hour and a half to attain Kamakura a technique.
After a full day round Kamakura and Enoshima, make your means again to Tokyo.
Charges:
- JPY300 Kotokuin Temple (Nice Buddha of Kamakura)
- JPY400 Hasedera Temple, further JPY300 for the Kannon Museum
- JPY200 Tsurugaoka Hachimangu shrine museum
- JPY200 Benten statue in Enoshima Shrine
- JPY500 Samuel Cocking Backyard and remark tower (Sea Candle)
***Alternatively, you can go on a day journey to Mt. Fuji or go to Disneyland.
Day 4
Begin your day after breakfast by exploring Akihabara. The latter is the middle of otaku tradition in the nation. Right here you’ll discover quite a few outlets catering to anime followers. These outlets have toys, manga, video video games, and different objects followers would love to have. You’ll additionally discover maid and manga cafes scattered in completely different elements of Akihabara. Aside from objects associated to otaku tradition, the realm can be dwelling to many electronics outlets for guests wanting to purchase cameras, software program, video games, computer systems, and others.
After strolling round Akihabara, make your means to Ginza. Ginza is an upscale space with loads of outlets, cafes, and eating places. Whether or not you’re procuring or not, the realm is pedestrian-friendly and gives you with one other take a look at Tokyo’s city panorama and life-style. The district’s heart is without doubt one of the most costly locations to purchase property in the nation.
After window procuring (or really procuring) in Ginza, make your means to Sengakuji Temple. That is the burial floor of the 47 Ronin or masterless samurai. Their story was about revenge for the unjustly punished grasp lord Asano Takuminokami of Ako. They waited for greater than a 12 months to assault and kill lord Kira Hozukenosuke. They later dedicated seppuku (ritual suicide) after finishing their mission. Many guests make their means to the temple to pay their respects throughout the occasion’s anniversary each December 14.
After lunch and a quick go to to Sengakuji Temple, head on over to Odaiba. Right here you’ll discover an enormous gundam statue and a duplicate of the Statue of Liberty. This man-made island can be dwelling to the Fuji TV Constructing, Decks Tokyo Seashore, DiverCity Tokyo Plaza, Rainbow Bridge, and others.
Day 5
Relying on how a lot time you have left, you can do some last-minute procuring earlier than going to the airport. It might take an hour or so to attain Narita Airport from town so plan accordingly.
How a lot will you spend?
A day by day price range of JPY10,000 or roughly P4,000 is nice sufficient for the itinerary talked about above. It doesn’t embody procuring and flights. It covers a mattress in a dorm room or a shared non-public room with no less than one different particular person, meals at comfort shops (with the occasional restaurant or café), a number of paid sights, and public transportation combined with strolling whereas exploring Tokyo. You may spend kind of relying on the place you keep, the place you eat, and what you do.
Price range suggestions
Let’s face it, Tokyo is an costly metropolis (one of the vital costly in the world). Nonetheless, you don’t have to drain your financial savings when you’re visiting for just a few days.
Listed here are some cash saving suggestions in your upcoming journey:
- Take into account staying in a hostel dorm. This not solely saves you cash, but in addition permits you to meet different vacationers. You’ll most probably be outdoors the entire day, so why splurge on lodging?
- Purchase an IC card (Suica or Pasmo) or day move for public transportation. These playing cards and tickets present good worth particularly if you transfer to completely different elements of town typically.
- Purchase meals at comfort shops. The meals served there are good worth and fairly filling.
- Purchase a move when planning a day journey to locations outdoors Tokyo resembling Nikko, Kamakura, and Mt. Fuji. Passes save you cash as a result of you don’t have to purchase a number of tickets when taking public transportation for day journeys. These passes typically embody free admission or reductions to choose sights.
- If you need to buy groceries in Tokyo, carry your passport. Vacationers can store tax-free in many shops in town.
– Rappler.com
