I will have a ~5h transit Sunday evening at Haneda, 6pm-1am minus the custom and transport from Haneda. I know I can only have one shot at visiting Tokyo. Which neighborhood would you suggest visiting that has the following : vibrant life such as Shibuya crossing, traditional small alleys with good street foods Street food, amazing traditional sushi (would be my only meal in Tokyo, I want to make it worthy), shrines and temples (which can be visited partly at night)

Also, any recommendation on good sushi place with reservation or without line ? I can't afford waiting during my short trip.

Center-east Tokyo does not seem so amazing Tokyo attraction. I am not interested in Tokyo tower or similar modern buildings. I heard recommendations for Shibuya.

  • ~~Interested to know as well as this seems tight.~~ Oops, didn't notice that the five hours is already net of customs and travel from and to the airport. – jcm Jan 1 '20 at 1:40
  • 3
    Keep in mind that trains do not run 24/7 in most of Japan, cutting your feasible amount of time in Tokyo even shorter. Given that you'd get to the city at 7 PM or later, I would highly recommend avoiding going too far east or north or you may end up struggling to get back to the airport in time. – Andrew Fan Jan 1 '20 at 4:03
  • 1
    Don’t have the time to write a full answer, but I would probably head to Harajuku, then walk or train the train (one stop) to Shibuya. Questions: which terminal(s) are you arriving at/departing from, and when can you be there at the latest? You’ll probably have more than 2 hours taken off your total transit time. – jcaron Jan 1 '20 at 11:29
  • 1
    For sushi one of the best places used to be the outer market at Tsukiji, but I have no idea if that is still the case now that the market itself has moved, nor if that would be very lively (or even open) on a Sunday evening. – jcaron Jan 1 '20 at 12:49
  • @jcaron what to see in Harajuku? I am arriving from Canada and leave again, so likely will be intl terminal 3. In any case, will that affect much ? I saw some sushi place at Tsukiji, but that seems out of the way and will they open Sunday night ? My plan is to limit transit, likely Monorail+JR Yamanote that pass through Shibuya and Shinjuku, about 40min travel time. Perhaps go out, walk to something nearby or even next station. Return similar way. Interesting point about train time. Is it that infrequent on Sunday night ? Also, any idea on restos and reservation ? They seem to close at 8pm. – Kenny Jan 2 '20 at 18:01

Shinjuku is probably one of the busiest areas, good for shopping and dining, and is usually where I stay since it's very central.

Here's a link to Japan Guide's page on Shinjuku. Shinjuku station is the busiest station in Tokyo, so it meets the bustling life criteria, Golden Gai and Omoide Yokocho have tons of small eateries if you want the street food experience. Sushi Miyako is in the Hyatt Regency Tokyo, or Sushi Iwase which has the highest tabelog rank in Shinjuku for sushi. I'd recommend using a concierge service, since it looks like the only way to reserve is by phone.

Unfortunately, most temples and shrines will be closed by 6pm, but you can still look from afar. Shinjuku Gyoen and Meiji Jingu are nearby, but Yoyogi park, which is close to Harajuku might be an alternative if you have enough time.

Your Answer

