I went on a trip to Tokyo, Japan, during the Lunar New Year holidays in 2019. Just around this time last year, I also visited Tokyo. It’s quite unusual to travel to the same country and region consecutively, but this time, I went with a friend from the UK, making it a memorable experience.
“February 4 – 8, 2019: Tokyo Trip”
Since I had visited Tokyo the previous year, I made an effort to avoid overlapping places as much as possible. Fortunately, there were still many places worth visiting in Tokyo, and I managed to explore without much repetition.
I visited places like the Jinbocho district, known for its secondhand bookstores and antiquarian streets, the Nikolai Cathedral, less commonly visited spots like Yanaka Cemetery and Yanaka Ginza, and the Ghibli Museum located in Mitaka.
Here is a summary of the places I visited during this trip:
Day 1 (February 4, 2019)
- Tokyo Incheon Airport Departure Procedures: Tokyo Travel, Incheon Airport “Departure Procedures”
- Shinhan Bank Exchange for Japanese Yen: Shinhan Bank “SOL” – Exchanging Japanese Yen
- Incheon Airport – Narita Airport “Air Seoul”: Tokyo Trip, Incheon Airport – Tokyo Narita Airport “Air Seoul Boarding Experience”
- Tokyo Narita Airport Terminal 1 Arrival Process: Tokyo Trip, Narita Airport “Terminal 1 Arrival”
- Tokyo Pocket WiFi “QL Liner”: “Japan Tokyo Pocket WiFi ‘QL Liner’
- Tokyo Narita Airport Suica Transit Card Purchase: “Narita Airport, Purchase of Suica Transportation Card
- Narita Airport – Tokyo Station “Keisei 1000 Yen Bus”: Narita Airport to Tokyo City – Keisei 1000 Yen Bus
- Tokyo Capsule Hotel “Nine Hours Takebashi”: Tokyo Capsule Hotel – 9h Nine Hours Takebashi
- Tokyo Takebashi Chinese Restaurant “Kinfukugen”: Tokyo Takebashi Chinese Restaurant – Kinfukugen (金福源)
Day 2 (February 5, 2019)
- Tokyo Bookstore Street “Jinbocho”: Tokyo Used Bookstore Street – Kanda Jinbocho
- Tokyo Jinbocho “Bumpodo”: Kanda Jinbocho Bumpodo – The Antiquarian Bookstore Haven
- Tokyo Nikolai Cathedral: Tokyo’s Byzantine-style Cathedral – Nikolai Cathedral
- Tokyo Robot Hotel “Henn na Hotel Asakusabashi”: Tokyo Unmanned Robot Hotel: Henn na Hotel Asakusabashi
- Tokyo Ochanomizu Station: Tokyo’s Ochanomizu Station – Seamless Transfers
- Tokyo Ueno “Dompachi-tei”: Tokyo Ueno Tonkatsu Gem: Tompachitei
- Tokyo Yanaka Cemetery “Honkoji”: “Tokyo Yanaka Cemetery: Honkoji”
- Tokyo Cat Town “Yanaka Ginza”: Tokyo, Yanaka Ginza: The Cat Village
- Tokyo Asakusabashi “Sendagi”: Sendagi: Preserving Tokyo’s Old Charm
- Tokyo Nezu “Nezu Shrine”: Nezu Shrine in Tokyo: Revering the Virgin Deity
- Tokyo Observatory “Skytree”: Tokyo, Japan’s Tallest Building. ‘Skytree’
- Tokyo Skytree Restaurant “Honjin Yamada House”: Tokyo Skytree Udon Restaurant ‘Honjin Yamadaya House’
- Tokyo Asakusabashi “Lawson Convenience Store”: Tokyo Asakusabashi Convenience Store ‘Lawson Convenience Store’
Day 3 (February 6, 2019)
- Tokyo Mitaka “Inokashira Park”: Tokyo Mitaka Inokashira Park “Inokashira Park”
- Tokyo Ghibli Museum Reservation Guide: How to Reserve Tickets for the Ghibli Museum in Tokyo
- Tokyo Ghibli Museum: Ghibli Museum (Mitaka Forest) in Tokyo, Mitaka
- Tokyo Shinjuku McDonald’s: McDonald’s in Tokyo Shinjuku – “Makudonarudo”
- Tokyo Shinjuku Blue Bottle: Blue Bottle Café in Tokyo Shinjuku
- Tokyo Shinjuku Kinokuniya Bookstore Main Store: Kinokuniya Bookstore Main Store in Tokyo Shinjuku
- Tokyo Shinjuku ADHOC Slam Dunk Background: Adhoc in Tokyo Shinjuku: Slam Dunk Background Location
- Tokyo Shinjuku Daikoku Drugstore: Tokyo Shinjuku, Pharmacy “Daikoku Drug Store”
- Tokyo Shinjuku Godzilla Head: Tokyo Shinjuku Kabukicho “Godzilla Head”
- Tokyo Shinjuku Kabukicho Sega Arcade: Tokyo Shinjuku Kabukicho “SEGA Arcade”
- Tokyo Shinjuku Omoide Yokocho: Tokyo Shinjuku Omoide Yokocho” (2019)
- Tokyo Shinjuku Mosaic Street: Tokyo, Shinjuku, Mosaic Street (モザイク通り)
Day 4 (February 7, 2019)
- Tokyo Yurakucho “Yoshinoya”: Yoshinoya in Yurakucho, Tokyo, Japan
- Tokyo Yurakucho “Bic Camera”: Bic Camera in Yurakucho, Tokyo
- Tokyo Station: Japan Tokyo, Tokyo Station “Marunouchi Entrance”
- Tokyo Station “TWG”: “TWG Store” in Tokyo Station, Japan
- Tokyo Station Dessert Cafe “Havaro”: “Habaro” – Edible Flower Desserts at Tokyo Station
- Tokyo Shibuya “Hachiko Statue”: Shibuya, Tokyo – Hachiko Statue
- Tokyo Shibuya “Mandarake”: “Mandarake,” Subculture Product Shop in Tokyo Shibuya
- Tokyo Shibuya “Animate”: “Animate,” Subculture Store in Tokyo Shibuya
- Tokyo Shibuya “Apple Store”: “Apple Store” in Tokyo Shibuya
- Tokyo Shibuya “Disney Store”: Tokyo Shibuya “Disney Store”
- Tokyo Shibuya “Kinokuniya Bookstore”: Tokyo Shibuya Bookstore “Kinokuniya”
- Tokyo Harajuku “Kyushu Jangara Ramen”: Tokyo Harajuku Seong Si-kyung Ramen Restaurant “Kyushu Jangara Ramen”
- Tokyo Harajuku “Takeshita Street”: Tokyo’s Hongdae, Harajuku “Takeshita Street”
- Tokyo Harajuku Potato Fry “Kinnotorikara”: Tokyo Harajuku, Street Food “Kinnotorikara”
- Tokyo Harajuku “Wooden Doll”: Tokyo Harajuku, Clothing Store “Wooden Doll”
- Tokyo Harajuku “Line Friends Store”: Tokyo Harajuku, “LINE FRIENDS STORE”
- Tokyo Harajuku “Cat Street”: Tokyo Harajuku, “Cat Street”
- Tokyo Shinjuku “LOVE Sculpture”: Tokyo Shinjuku, “LOVE Sculpture & Circular Traffic Light”
- Tokyo Shinjuku Bookstore “Book 1st”: Tokyo Shinjuku Bookstore “Book 1st”
Day 5 (February 8, 2019)
- Tokyo Akihabara Oyacodon “Toritsune Shizendo”: Tokyo Akihabara Oyakodon Restaurant “Toritsune Shizendou”
- Tokyo Akihabara Figure Shop “Liberty”: Tokyo Akihabara Figure Shop “Liberty (リバティ)”
- Tokyo Akihabara “Kotobukiya”: Tokyo Akihabara Figure Shop “Kotobukiya (コトブキヤ)”
- Tokyo Akihabara “Animate”: Tokyo Akihabara, Subculture Store “Animate”
- Tokyo Akihabara “Sofmap”: Tokyo Akihabara General Store “Sofmap”
- Tokyo Akihabara “Good Smile & Animate Cafe”: Tokyo Akihabara, Anime Cafe “Good Smile & Animate Cafe”
- Tokyo Akihabara: Tokyo, Subculture Hub “Akihabara (秋葉原)”
- Tokyo Ueno “Skyliner”: “Tokyo Ueno – Narita Airport Railway ‘Skyliner’
- Tokyo Narita Airport Departure Inspection: “Tokyo Narita Airport Departure Procedures”
- Tokyo Narita Airport Terminal 1 Duty-Free Shops: “Narita Airport Terminal 1 Duty-Free Shops”
- Tokyo Travel Souvenirs
“Expenses for 4 Nights 5 Days Tokyo Trip”
The expenses for this trip are as follows. The major expenditures were for airfare and accommodation, and souvenir shopping added a significant amount.
- Airfare: KRW 348,000 (Air Seoul)
- Accommodation: KRW 176,000 (1 night at a capsule hotel, 3 nights at Henn na Hotel)
- Japanese Yen Exchange Amount: JPY 40,000 + JPY 12,000 (remaining from the previous Osaka trip)
- WiFi for 5 days: KRW 9,500 (KRW 1,900 per day)
- Travel Insurance: KRW 7,007
Adding about JPY 1,400 spent at the airport with a card, the total expenditure was around KRW 1,076,000. Approximately KRW 1,070,000 was spent on this 4 Nights 5 Days trip.
It seemed that I spent more money on food and souvenir shopping compared to the previous Osaka & Kyoto trip. For reference, the expenses for the Osaka & Kyoto trip were around KRW 740,000.