As a flight attendant, my days off look wildly different than my 9-5 peers. If I’m bored, I can just hop on a flight – usually for free – to wherever my heart desires. So, when my sister asked me to spend 24 hours in Japan with her, I didn’t even hesitate to put myself on the next flight out.
We landed in Narita at about four o’clock in the afternoon, which meant we had enough time to get to our hotel, have some dinner, and go to bed. Our plan was to full send from dusk ’till dawn the following day, so sleep was vital. Luckily, my sister booked a hotel within walking distance to the airport. You can book directly through their website: Narita Tobu Hotel Airport; rates are typically about $50 USD/night. In addition to its affordability, the hotel provides a free shuttle service to and from the airport (for those of you who don’t feel like walking). This is great if you’re solely relying on public transportation, since you’ll need to backtrack to the airport to hop on a subway line into Tokyo.
Once you’re in Tokyo, you can hit the ground running. And trust me, you’re going to walk the equivalent of a nine-mile race. Here’s everything we did in our short time abroad (in case you need some inspo):
- Sushi breakfast at Tsukiji Fish Market. You can read more about this wonderful place here.
- Window shopping in Ginza aka the Fifth Avenue of Tokyo. Let’s be real, the price tags in some of these stores are for the über wealthy, but it’s still fun to play pretend. For those of you on a budget, I highly recommend stopping in ZARA, for its well-priced, Tokyo-exclusive pieces.
- Grab a beer and a bite at Ginza Lion. I highly recommend trying the seafood macaroni gratin, as well as the beef stew. Don’t forget to wash it down with a Sapporo beer – the product is advertised everywhere in the restaurant, so you’d be remiss not to have at least one.
- Dance Dance Revolution at GiGO Akihibara. GiGO are multi-level gaming centers where you can take a break from walking to sit and race Initial D, try your hand at a claw machine, and even get really old school with Pong. Because we had a little time to kill before a later reservation, we decided to get a few games of DDR in. All the machines take yen, but don’t fret, you can exchange currencies in-house.
- Visit the Asakusa Senso-ji Denboin Garden. This 17th century, 2-acre garden is filled with history, tourists, and local vendors selling everything from mochi to art. The coolest part of our visit to the shrine was getting to purchase omikuji (fortunes) for 100 yen. The omikuji are received after shaking a numbered stick free from a metal box. The numbered stick corresponds to a numbered drawer. Once you’ve found the drawer, you’ll find your fortune! Bad fortunes (Kyo) can be drawn, and are meant to be tied to a nearby fence for you to leave the negativity behind.
- Grab a bowl of ramen for lunch at Ichiran. Known for its tonkotsu broth, Ichiran is a no-frills establishment that’ll have you in and out quickly. There is almost always a line, because reservations cannot be made, but we found it moved quickly, since seating was quite compact. While in line, make sure to fill out your order form, so when it’s your turn, your server can promptly move the process along. I highly recommend going as spicy as possible for maximum flavor. I also recommend trying the matcha draft beer. One bowl of ramen will run you about $7 USD. Unreal.
- Get lost in the exhibits of teamLab Planets. This giant playground has about six installations (as of 2025, 20 new interactive exhibits have been added) that play with all five senses. My personal favorite is Athletics Forest, where you can bounce off of the floor and into the walls, and vice versa; such a beautiful way to relieve stress. Tickets can be purchased in person, but capacity is limited, so buying in advance is recommended. Tickets are roughly $25-$30 USD, depending on the day of the week.
- Have another bowl of ramen (you can never get enough) at Mizunoboru. When you’re hungry, you’re hungry. And when every business you pass seems to be a ramen restaurant, well…
- Make your way to the top floor of PARCO, a massive skyscraper with hundreds of retailers. The outdoor patio overlooks the entirety of Shibuya, so grab a matcha, find a seat, and bask in the sun.
Tokyo is such an incredible place, and this experience will live rent free in my mind for the rest of my life. I hope all of you reading get to enjoy travel in the same ways I have. As always, thanks for checking out my blog! Feel free to drop a comment below or email any questions you have to huangbaum@gmail.com.
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