I will be traveling to Tokyo soon. I am fortunate to belong to a global community of friends who have traveled to and enjoy Tokyo and Japan, so I am asking everyone to send me their recommendations and tips for traveling there.
I am sharing each resource in this topic as I receive them. 
Going to Japan was the best trip of my life. We spent 2.5 weeks there in 2024 and I can’t wait to go back. Some of my favorite experiences were:
“Okubo” neighborhood
We stayed at an Airbnb here in Tokyo. We discovered it was a “korea town” while there and enjoyed it. Lots of local restaurants, grocery stores, and konbinis for your enjoyment. It was right near the “Shin Okubo” station, which is one stop from Shinjuku.
Hakone
A super nature oriented getaway spot about 1-2 hours from tokyo by train. There are multiple routes to get there. I suggest getting the Hakone Pass and using it to ride the scenic train there, along with the access it gives you to the sky tram, the pirate boats, and busses in the location.
Fuji-q Highlands
You can get here from Hakone by bus. It was awesome. It’s a super cool theme park set near Mt Fuji. Amazing roller coasters, some of them were world record breakers when released.
Tokyo Disney
I like Disney a lot, but this park is the best disney park I’ve been to. It is surprisingly not owned by the Walt Disney megacorp. It consists of two parks, Tokyo Disney Sea, and Tokyo Disneyland. They are both amazing, but if you want a truly unique experience, spend more time at Tokyo Disney Sea as it is the only theme park of it’s existence in the world.
One fun element aside from being there was trying the unique flavors of popcorn they had at different stalls. Butter & Soy sauce was my favorite.
Thanks for the recs!
Did you stay overnight, or was this a day trip? We are considering possibly staying a single night, but are not sure if that makes sense. 
We stayed 3 nights actually, but one night is probably ok! Arriving in the morning-mid day, then leaving the next afternoon is long enough to get down to the lake & walk around a bit.
I was looking at places in Tokyo Solamachi, the arc-mall at the base of Tokyo Skytree. I came upon a scone place that has the best translated description of their apparently very dry scones:
This popular scone specialty shop has the concept of “the violence of flour that robs your mouth of all moisture.” Using generous amounts of Hokkaido wheat and domestic butter, the dough, which has been kept to a minimum with moisture content, is characterized by a crunchy texture and the flavor of the ingredients that spreads the more you chew. There are always more than 10 unique products in stock, including the most popular “Salted Butter Wolf” and “Tokyo Desert.” Stylish individual packaging makes it the perfect gift. Enjoy the rich flavor that is a must-have with a drink.
That is amazing… I’ve never heard baker’s refer to the “violence of flour”!
I went to their website to see if that was a translation error; their site is in Japanese, and I used Firefox to translate…
All the water in your mouth.
The violence of the flour to take away
Tokyo has many green spaces dotting the metropolis, and all of them are worth visiting.
A friend shares:
My biggest recommendation is don’t get covid
Great advice! Before this trip we made sure everyone was up to date on all vaccinations. We also acknowledged that illness is going to happen, and to be prepared for drastic changes to our plans.
A new lesson just learned: check if the place you are eating accepts cards or is cash only.
We had delicious soba and udon, with crisp cold beer. And then I had only a single 1,000 yen note. I left to the local konbini to use an ATM, only to find my card was not working with an obscure error message. I returned to find my family outside the restaurant (because it has six tables and others needed to be seated) to obtain another card… same error message.
It is 2AM on a Sunday for our bank, which means we won’t be able to resolve the issue until Tuesday, local spacetime. 
As I am preparing a very polite message explaining the situation in a translator app, I turn the corner and notice others have joined my family outside; from afar I thought a queue to enter had formed.
In fact, a couple of folks sitting next to us had joined my family outside to ensure they were okay. And when I explained our situation, they offered to pay our bill. 
It was a whirlwind of emotion, and I want to share that I am very grateful for the kindness of new friends.
Gonna be in Japan for more than a few days? Buy shoyu (soy sauce) and wasabi (horseradish [this name has always fascinated me! A radish… for horses?!]) from a grocery.
Earlier today I was at the Fukugawa Edo Museum (also recommended, like, very recommended), and I did not take a photo of this exhibit that explained the history of sushi rice. It’s amazing!
Anyhow, soy sauce and wasabi are great to have on hand when you see they’ve discounted those rolls and inari-zushi. (You are hitting up local grocery stores for supplies each evening, ne?)
Ginza is the notable shopping district. It has a lot going on, and some of the highest end luxury brands have stores there. But who cares about those?! Here are the places you should check out for some fun and affordable stuff.
Ito-ya is a stationery store with a history and has multiple store locations around Tokyo. You’ll want to visit the flagship store, which is 8 floors of delight.
It is surprisingly comprehensive in its selection of goods, and there is probably something for anyone there.
Notably, this is one of the best places to purchase postcards, and it even has a mailbox on the same floor (make sure to have postage before going)!
Tip: the escalators only go up; there is a main elevator that is often used, next to the staircase going down. There is also a secondary elevator near the back of the store that goes to select floors (1st, 5th, and 8th).
https://shop.muji.com/jp/ginza/en/
MUJI is a lifestyle brand focusing on well-designed and sustainable goods.
MUJI closed their SF Bay Area stores, so visiting the flagship store is a treat; despite having just been to Ito-ya, I ended up getting most of my stationery from here instead! 
This store has a cafe, grocery, diner, bar/lounge, and is even topped with a MUJI hotel (you know those rooms must be cozy and beautiful!). And then just about anything you can think of for your home or person, in a succinct and well-designed form.
https://www.moomin.co.jp/shops/moominshop/ginza
For fans of Moominvalley, there is a lot to do in Tokyo and the surrounding areas: shops, cafes, coffee stands, and even a whole amusement park a couple hours by train.
The Moominshop in Ginza is a nice mix of fancy and practical goods. And of course, many beautiful prints in various forms, all from different iterations of Moominvalley and featuring the distinct style and colors of Tove Jansson.
https://www.seiryu-syuzou.co.jp/sakagura/brand/hanaichi.html
There are many food options in the Ginza area, yet as a vegetarian, most menus are limited. I was wandering around near the station when I found this soba place, complete with a ticket vending machine outside.
The kakiage soba is ÂĄ480, and the machine had an IC reader, so I paid quickly with my Welcome Suica card. 
The place seats maybe eight folks, in front of the kitchen, and the bowls are served very quickly. It was cold and blustery outside, so the entire experience of slurping down delicious hot noodles was amazing.
I’m incredibly fond of soba stands near train stations and plan to visit this one any time I’m near Ginza. 
