Dates: May 12-22 I stayed in Tokyo exclusively and took day trips to surrounding areas. I would say that even one full month in Tokyo would be...
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The original was posted on /r/japantravel by /u/tamarindchutney on 2025-05-24 03:17:49+00:00.

Dates: May 12-22

I stayed in Tokyo exclusively and took day trips to surrounding areas. I would say that even one full month in Tokyo would be sufficient. There’s so much to see! I spent most of my trip wandering around and shopping. Didn’t visit any major attractions aside from Donki.

The Good:

  1. Suica- I successfully set up Suica on my phone using a Visa card after speaking to customer service. I’m thankful I was able to resolve the Visa issue before arriving in Japan. I could use Suica as payment at pretty much every store/restaurant I visited in Japan with the exception of cash only shops and Kura Sushi for some reason.
  2. General affordability of food - I think it’s possible to visit Japan on a budget as good food (and transit) is abundant and cheap. I got yakisoba from a grocery store for ¥329 and juice for around ¥129. It was a pleasant surprise considering even McDonald’s here in Canada is almost $15 / ¥1500 for a meal nowadays. I ate primarily at chain restaurants, konbinis, and hole-in-the-wall spots.
  3. Shopping selection - There’s something for everyone and at every budget. I was blown away by the variety of department stores and malls. My favourite chain shop was Village Vanguard by far. Definitely recommend for the weird girlies ! Their two-storey branch in Koenji had an excellent selection of manga and interesting art books.
  4. Transit & Google Maps - Need no explanation for this one.
  5. Good customer service - I loved how store employees would make their presence be known but still leave you alone for the most part. It’s a good balance between the suffocating salesperson attitude and straight up ignoring found at most stores (Aritzia) where I’m from. I also appreciated NOT being followed around or watched - a common experience for me as a mixed-race person.
  6. GU - I could’ve brought one change of clothes and then bought the rest at GU. Prices were affordable and the clothing felt decent quality-wise. Japanese Women’s L and Men’s S did me well as someone who is slightly larger than Free Size.

The Bad

  1. Other tourists - I’m sorry, but, some of you are very embarrassing to be around. I’m sure it’s no one in this subreddit though haha. I noticed Brits were common culprits of unsavoury behaviour (talking loud on the train, speaking to staff ENTIRELY in English, stopping for no reason in busy walkways) which was surprising as I thought Americans would win that title. Please remind your friends, family, coworkers, idk, to do better. Also, please shower and wear deodorant.
  2. Pet stores - I wanted to purchase some accessories for my dog so I figured the local pet shop would have something. What a mistake. I left a sobbing mess from witnessing the deplorable conditions that puppies and kittens experience.
  3. Buying tickets at Family Mart - HIIIGHLY recommend reading the English tutorial of the FamiMart multicopier machine before attempting buy tickets. It was extremely stressful but easy once I figured it out after a while. Input your hotel’s phone number at the end. Be quick as a line will build behind you. More of these machines are needed badly LOL.

General Tips/Observations:

  • Set up Suica before you leave. Makes your arrival process much quicker too.
  • Wear a good mask on transit. It’s true - people will just cough into the air… gross… Also, I found some trains to have a weird aroma (kinda rank?) that my mask was able to block out for the most part.
  • Study as much Japanese as you can before you depart. Most people don’t speak English there, and why should they? I would’ve benefited from more listening practice as I froze up the first few days when people would speak to me 😭😭 Very embarrassing but I apologized profusely and adapted.
  • Check drug stores before Donki for beauty and grocery stores before konbinis for food. The price differences weren’t outrageous but can make a difference for those on strict budgets.
  • On Donki, I visited the location in Akihabara in the late morning on a weekday and it was pretty quiet which was a relief. I didn’t buy much (I think I spent only ¥2000 LOL) but thought it was cool to walk through. One visit was enough for me. It felt like a vertical Walmart. I passed by the Mega Donki branch in Shibuya and that looked like a nightmare. Shibuya in general was nightmarish.

In summary, Tokyo can, and should, be done on its own or at least given a massive chunk of time. I can’t wait to return! Next time, I’ll spend more time in nature :) !