Tokyo

Where to Stay

The general wisdom on where to stay is to be somewhere on the Yamanote Line. The idea here being that you can easily get to most places in Tokyo because the Yamanote Line is a loop that connects most of the major city centers. While that is relatively true, also be aware that the line is pretty long, so depending where you actually are and where you want to get to, it can take a while! For that reason, I have some specific suggestions.

Shibuya

Shibuya is a good spot to stay because it is very central. It will allow you to quickly get to a lot of places without a lot of time of effort being spent. Shibuya station is one of the major hubs, so it is convenient to a lot of the train lines. That said, if you are after a more relaxed vibe, this ain't it!

Ueno

Really, a lot of the same pros as Shibuya in that the station has a lot of train lines go to it. It's about 30mins from Shibuya, for context, so I kinda treat these two as which end of the line I want to be on! Yes, it is a loop, but these two are pretty well opposite each other.

Ginza

Definitely an expensive option, but an area I really like. If I wasn't concerned about the cost, this is probably where I would choose to stay. It sits about halfway between Ueno and Shibuya, so a happy medium for heading out in either direction. The area itself is really nice and a bit more quiet, while still having plenty to do. My #1, but for cost!

What to Do

Let me preface this by saying that a lot of our focus has always been on finding things that will entertain the kids. So some of this will be more or less relevant to you!

My general approach is to work out things in one area-ish that I want to do, and make that the plan for the day. So one main thing we are doing, and then what can I do around that. Have a look at some areas in more detail here.