2017 Travels - Tokyo via Haneda @ 8,000 Yen/Day

Tokyo Blitz: A 3-Day Adventure

I took advantage of the 3-day weekend and jetted off to Tokyo via Haneda Airport. During my short blitz, I managed to visit six locations:

1. Shinjuku / Kabukicho
2. Akihabara
3. Shinagawa/Sengaku-Ji
4. Ginza
5. Shibuya
6. Haneda

Objectives for the Trip

My goals for the trip included:

• Indulging in my hobbies (headphones, fountain pens, shoes, coffee, and reading)
• Finishing a novel
• Staying within budget
• Having fun

I’m pleased to report that I achieved all my objectives! The highlight was staying within budget while enjoying nearly everything on my list.

Budget Overview

I took 66,000 Yen with me and used cash only, which made tracking my spending easy. I ended the trip with 50,000 Yen remaining (5 x 10k Yen notes).

• Lodging: 3,600 Yen
• Transportation (Trains): 2,000 Yen
• Food, Drink, Misc: 8,900 Yen
• Iroshizuku Ink: 1,500 Yen
• Total: 16,000 Yen

That’s roughly $75 USD per day—an impressive feat in Japan! In contrast, anywhere else would likely have cost me $400 USD a day for hotels and rental cars, without the same level of fun.

Trip Highlights

1. Shinjuku

Upon arrival, I took the train to Shinjuku and checked into Capsule 510, which was a bargain at 2,600 Yen. It was a basic capsule hotel, much simpler than Nicoh Refre in Sapporo, but perfect for my needs of washing up and sleeping.

For dinner, I stumbled upon a sushi restaurant a few blocks away. Initially, it seemed sketchy, but the food was excellent and incredibly cheap. I feasted on Toro, Hamachi, and Maguro, though I lost most pictures except for a few of Kappa Maki and Tamago. I wish I could recall the restaurant's name; it was just one of many sushi spots in Kabukicho.

After dinner, I wandered around the area, visited a few bars for a drink, and turned in around midnight.

2. Akihabara

I woke up early at 6 am, slightly hungover from the previous night. Ready to go, I headed to Akihabara. I knew nothing opened until 10:30-11 am, but I enjoyed a simple breakfast at Beck's Coffee while taking in the sights.

3. Shinagawa / Sengaku-Ji

Next, I took the train to Shinagawa and walked about a mile to Sengaku-Ji Temple, famous for the 47 Ronin story. I relaxed here for an hour, enjoying the serene atmosphere that made me feel as if I had traveled back in time 200 years.

 

4. Ginza @ Ladurée

I couldn't resist stopping by Ladurée in Mitsukoshi, Ginza. I arrived just as they opened at 10:30 am and scored a window seat. It was delightful to people-watch, but I vacated after 30 minutes to give others a chance at the coveted spot.

5. Shibuya

I spent the remainder of my day (about 5 hours) in Shibuya, indulging in my hobbies:

• Headphones: Unfortunately, Bic Camera had no deals this time. Last trip, I scored some Audio Technica headphones.
• Fountain Pens: Tokyu Hands had Iroshizuku Ink (Murasaki Shikibu) for 1,500 Yen! Sadly, they were out of the Pilot Heritage 92 to try, but it was still fun to experiment with a musical nib.
• Shoes: I searched for Onitsuka Tiger Serrano's but couldn’t find any in stock, although I did see people wearing them.
• People Watching: I relaxed at Starbucks on the second floor, soaking in the atmosphere.
• Lunch: I initially wanted sushi, but the line was too long, so I opted for Bibimbap instead. It was okay, but it couldn’t hold a candle to what you find in Korea.

 

6. Haneda

Feeling tired and realizing the weather was sweltering, I debated whether to stay another night. Ultimately, I decided against it and returned to Haneda Airport four hours before my flight. I took advantage of their nice shower rooms, which cost 1,030 Yen for 30 minutes—worth it, though I wished they provided shower slippers.

After showering, I had an early dinner but was disappointed. The food at Haneda is on the pricier side, and the quality can be hit-or-miss. My tuna bowl had bits of oyster mixed in—definitely not what I expected! However, the beer was consistently excellent.

Haneda does boast the most comfortable angled chairs, so I relaxed in one while waiting for my flight. I even managed to finish Snow Country before boarding!