Tokyo, a city with a rapid rhythm yet filled with delicate details, can easily overwhelm you with its vast and intricate information, causing you to lose your way before you even realize it.
Table of Content
1. Craft Your New Slow Travel Style in Tokyo
2. Ueno Station | A Cultural Oasis Where Time Flows Slowly
3. Shinjuku Station | Start Your Slow Journey Exploring Tokyo’s Suburbs from Shinjuku!
4. Tokyo Station | A City Hotspot More Bustling Than Bustling
Tired of rushing through Tokyo? Discover a new way to experience the city with our guide to slow travel, focusing on deeper connections and hidden gems.
For travelers who want to feel Tokyo’s aesthetics, its local atmosphere, and carefully experience daily life, choosing accommodation and planning the order of areas to visit goes far beyond just budget or transportation considerations. More importantly, it’s about how you decide to wake up each day, how you take your first steps out, and how you immerse yourself in Tokyo’s rhythm.
First time in Tokyo and want to plan a travel rhythm that’s uniquely yours? Let’s explore the different atmospheres of Ueno, Tokyo Station, and Shinjuku together.
1 Ueno Station | A Cultural Oasis Where Time Flows Slowly
Ueno is renowned for its strong local charm and abundant cultural resources. Accommodation options tend to be relatively affordable, and daily life is convenient. Home to a large park, museums, and a zoo, it’s particularly well-suited for family trips or travelers who enjoy exploring history and culture.
When strolling through Ueno, the air is always filled with the scent of food, history, and art. The pace here is more leisurely than in other commercial areas of Tokyo, making it impossible not to fall in love with wandering between the park and museums, occasionally stumbling upon small shops in the alleyways and appreciating the feeling of old Tokyo life.
Ueno Station
Opening Hours: Open 24 hours
Admission Fee: Free
Ueno’s Food: Local Everyday Eateries and Warm Little Shops
Ameya Yokocho Market (Ameyoko): A bustling street food paradise offering everything from grilled skewers (yakitori) and sushi to ramen and other local favorites. The lively atmosphere of the food stalls is particularly captivating.
Taitouryou (大統領): As the sun sets, take a seat at the old bar counter and savor a freshly grilled skewer.
Kurofune-tei (黒船亭): A Western-style restaurant with a century of history. Order a hamburger steak to experience the flavors of the Showa era.
Ameya Yokocho Market (Ameyoko)
Opening Hours: Open 24 hours (individual stall hours may vary)
Admission Fee: Free
Ueno’s Activities: Strolling, Exploring Exhibitions, Quietly Experiencing Time
Ueno Park: One of Tokyo’s few large green spaces, the park is home to Ueno Zoo, Ueno Tōshō-gū Shrine, Shinobazu Pond, and other famous attractions, making it a great place to take children.
Indoor Museums: The Tokyo National Museum, the National Museum of Western Art, and the National Museum of Nature and Science house artifacts that allow you to feel the depth of Japanese culture.
Ameya Yokocho (Ameyoko): Find an old-fashioned coffee shop, order a hand-drip coffee, and observe the daily lives of Tokyoites through the window.
Ueno Onshi Park
Opening Hours: 5:00 AM - 11:00 PM
Admission Fee: Free
Ueno Transportation
Keisei Electric Railway Skyliner: Directly connects to Narita Airport in under 40 minutes.
JR East Shinkansen: The best starting point for taking the Shinkansen to the Tohoku region, Nikko, and other destinations.
Tokyo Metro Ginza Line and Hibiya Line: Easily connects to Tokyo’s old town (Asakusa) and modern areas (Ginza).
2 Shinjuku Station | Start Your Slow Journey Exploring Tokyo's Suburbs from Shinjuku!
Shinjuku is not only Tokyo’s nightlife hub but also a concentration of large department stores and trendy shops.
During the day, it’s ideal for exploring fashion and shopping malls. Consider choosing an alleyway to wander into an independent bookstore or spending an afternoon in an old-fashioned coffee shop. As night falls, Shinjuku becomes the liveliest place for izakayas, bars, and entertainment venues. This is Shinjuku – there are always different corners waiting for you to discover.
Shinjuku Station
Opening Hours: Open 24 hours
Admission Fee: Free
Shinjuku’s Food: The Lively Atmosphere of Night and Hidden Culinary Gems
Shinjuku Golden Gai: More than just izakayas, it’s a landscape that reflects an era. Shinjuku West Exit Omoide Yokocho (Memory Lane): Nostalgic alleyways offering grilled skewers (yakitori) and Japanese-style skewers. It’s a great place to order sake and listen to the owner chat about the city’s changes. NEWoMan Food Area: Choose a Japanese dessert shop and slowly savor the delicate flavors.
Shinjuku’s Activities: A Perfect Balance Between Stillness and Motion
Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building Observation Decks (Free): Stand at a high vantage point and gaze at Mount Fuji and the Tokyo nightscape as it slowly illuminates the entire city. Kabukicho Tower: A newly opened large-scale entertainment complex featuring upscale bars and theaters. Rather than rushing through, find a spot to slowly appreciate the charm of its vibrancy. Brand Flagship Stores: Don’t miss the iconic Tokyo Disneyland Store, Don Quijote Kabukicho Store, and UNIQLO Shinjuku West Exit Store.
Tokyo Disneyland Flagship Store
Opening Hours: 10:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Admission Fee: Free
Shinjuku Transportation
- Intersection of JR Yamanote Line, Chuo Line, Odakyu Line, and Keio Line: Provides easy access to nearby Kanto suburbs such as Kamakura, Kawagoe, Lake Sagami, and Lake Okutama.
- Keio Bus and Highway Bus Terminal: Convenient for exploring tourist destinations like Lake Kawaguchiko, Karuizawa, Hakone, and Mount Fuji.
- Direct Narita Airport Limousine Bus and Haneda Airport Limousine Bus: Makes airport transfers effortless.
3 Tokyo Station | A City Hotspot More Bustling Than Bustling
On the surface, Tokyo Station is a busy transportation hub, but if you’re willing to slow down, it’s actually the perfect starting point for savoring Tokyo.
Tokyo Station itself is like a giant labyrinth. Pedestrians come and go in front of the red brick station building, surrounded by a district teeming with business offices. The rooftop gardens offer a quiet place to gaze at the city, and every floor provides a wealth of dining options and limited-edition souvenirs. Don’t think you can easily grasp Tokyo Station in one visit; it’s a massive urban station known as “Tokyo Station City.”
Tokyo Station
- Opening Hours: Open 24 hours
- Admission Fee: Free
Tokyo Station’s Food: Pick a Corner and Savor the Flavors of Tokyo
Tokyo Ramen Street (Tokyo Station Ichiban-gai): A collection of popular Japanese ramen shops, along with other delights like deep-fried beef cutlets and tempura rice bowls.
- Daimaru Tokyo Department Store Food Floor: Offers a wide variety of high-quality bentos (lunch boxes), sushi, and Wagyu beef bowls.
- Ekibenya Matsuri (各地鐵路便当 “祭”駅弁屋): Buy a railway bento box (“ekiben”) and find a quiet corner to enjoy it.
Tokyo Station’s Activities: See a Different Side of Tokyo from the City’s Heights
- KITTE GARDEN (Free Observation Deck): Find a bench and sit down to admire the red brick architecture of Tokyo Station and the distant skyline.
- Shin-Marunouchi Building / Yaesu Terrace: Explore bookstores, curated design items, and Japanese sweets – set aside some time for yourself here.
- Limited-Edition Souvenir Shops: Carefully choose a small memento that can only be bought at Tokyo Station, such as Tokyo Banana, NewYork Perfect Cheese, and Press Butter Sand.
Shin-Marunouchi Building 5th Floor Observation Deck
Opening Hours: 11:00 AM - 11:00 PM
Admission Fee: Free
Tokyo Station Transportation
- Tokaido Shinkansen: Directly connects to the Kansai and Kyushu regions, ideal for travelers planning longer journeys.
- Narita Express (N’EX): Direct access to the airport, allowing you to enjoy the scenery without a rushed departure.
- Intersection of JR Yamanote Line, Chuo Line, Keiyo Line, and Marunouchi Line: Provides access to Tokyo’s most stylish and design-forward neighborhoods.
Many first-time solo travelers to Tokyo prioritize staying around Ueno Station, Shinjuku Station, and Tokyo Station when planning their accommodation. After all, these three stations are huge, offering food, entertainment, and shopping, and their surrounding areas are prime hotspots for hotels of all levels – it’s incredibly convenient.
However, I have a small personal suggestion: when choosing accommodation, consider locations that are one or two subway or JR stations away. The prices tend to be a bit cheaper, and you can also slightly avoid the constant flow of people around the three major stations!
