Tokyo, Japan in 12 hours - what to see on a time crunch!

I visited Tokyo in 2012 and oh how I can't wait to go back to Japan and see more. However, if you're like me and your first visit to this awesome country is just on an extended layover in Tokyo, this blog post will give you ideas on what to see in a short time. I was going to China and we specifically chose the flight option that had a little over a 12.5 hour layover in Tokyo so that we could see the city. We landed at Haneda Airport around 9:30 pm and our connecting flight to Beijing was the following morning around 10:30 am at Narita Airport. Knowing we had to switch airports made the long layover even better. If you have to travel to another airport, you might as well see as much of the city while you can! If that is an option when picking flights, here is what you can do in that amount of time!

Public Transportation

First and foremost, Tokyo's public transportation (particularly the subway) is so easy to understand and is super clean and efficient. Every line is color coded and named for the area of city the line ends in. In addition to the subway, there are a few lines that are not technically designated as "subway" lines, but get you to most of the city.

For our layover visit, the Yamanote Line was what we used. The Yamanote Line is what is known as a "loop service" that connects most of Tokyo's major stations and urban centers, including Shibuya which is where we got off. From Haneda Airport you can hop on the Tokyo Monorail to Hamamatsuchō Station. At Hamamatsuchō Station, get on the Yamanote Line and take it to Shibuya. Get off there and start your overnight journey in Tokyo!!

While in the city center, we saw a lot of different places and took advantage of the subway system to get around town. Again, with everything being color coded, it was very easy to find the line you needed, even if you don't understand Japanese. At the end of our layover, it was just as easy to get to Narita Airport by taking the Asakusa LineAccess from the Asakusa Station directly to the airport. No transfer and just about an hour ride to get there!

Taxi cabs are also very easy to find and use in Tokyo. We rode in one and the driver was super friendly and spoke English enough to understand where we wanted to go. Obviously we looked liked tourists, so there was no attitude or anything when we didn't speak Japanese. The driver was happy to help and got us exactly where we wanted to go with no issues.

Shibuya and Shinjuku

When looking at options of where to go on an overnight layover, everything I read said that Shibuya was a must see. Shibuya is what many people call the Times Square of Tokyo. This area is one of the major areas of Tokyo with two of the busiest railway stations in the world and the "Shibuya Crossing" which is filled with shops and restaurants. This crossing is also what gives the area the Times Square moniker as you can see here:

On this trip I was traveling with my dad, who is NOT a fan of sushi. So in order to find something that we could both eat, I searched for 24-hour food options that included non-sushi options and luckily found an all night "European Café" which had a menu full of items that weren't raw fish. (I know, I know, it's sacrilege to not eat sushi in Tokyo!). By this point it was probably around 1:00 am and our body clocks were on who knows what time, so it was nice to have a wide selection of food from which to choose. I mean who doesn't want a cream puff and Japanese ginger ale at 1:00 am in Tokyo?! Finding a nice café also meant we could sit and relax for a little bit as we planned our next move around the city.

After our stop at the café, we hopped on the subway and headed south to Shinjuku. Shinjuku is another major commercial area of Tokyo with lots of restaurants, bars, and of course karaoke. In addition to that, Shinjuku is home to one of the coolest places ever: Robot Restaurant! Now, unfortunately for us being there overnight, we did not get to experience the insanity that is Robot Restaurant. However, my best friend went a few years later and her pictures speak for themselves. The first show time is 4:00 PM and the last show time is 9:30 PM, so if you find yourself in Tokyo during those hours (unlike us), you must go!

Sushi

It goes without saying, but if you are in Tokyo, you must have sushi. First you must visit the fish market to see all of the fresh fish and cuts being made to what will be served at the best sushi spots in Tokyo. Tsukiji Fish Market was the most popular market up until 2018 when it was relocated to Toyosu in preparation for the 2020 Olympic Games (now the 2021 Games???). So if you find yourself in Tokyo now, make sure to head to Toyosu and not Tsukiji. At the fish market you will see amazing fish like these giants:

Once you've seen the fresh fish of the day, find yourself a seat at an awesome restaurant like Sushi Dai (or one of many more around the area of the market) and enjoy a true Japanese experience!

Asakusa Shrine

As we continued our overnight layover and the sun was getting close to rising, we hopped back on the subway and headed to Asakusa Station to see the Asakusa Shrine. This was a great place to spend the early morning hours before heading to Narita Airport. After a night of seeing the city's lights, karaoke bars, and all of the excitement that entails, it was nice to end our visit to Tokyo in a serene, historical location and experience a different part of the Japanese culture.

Asakusa Shrine is a Shinto shrine (a structure whose main purpose is to house one or more gods) and is one of the most famous Shinto shrines in Tokyo. This shrine honors the three men who founded the Sensō-ji (Tokyo's oldest and most significant temple). We arrived just as the sun was rising, so the stalls and souvenir shops were not yet open, giving the area even more of a peaceful feeling. The entire area includes several sacred buildings, statues, and gardens. We witnessed many locals paying their respects at the temple and it was a truly unique experience to witness. I love getting to learn about the history of a city/country I visit and in the metropolitan madness of a large city like Tokyo, this was a pleasant surprise to have this in the middle of the city. Just look at how beautiful these structures are:

And the best part, this is where locals take their dogs early in the morning. It's a glorified dog park before hours!

Even if you aren't on a time crunch, Asakusa Shrine is definitely a place I would recommend visiting while in Tokyo.

Vending Machines

One last fun thing about Tokyo, is the amount vending machines you will find around the city. And when I say vending machines, I don't mean your typical soda or candy. Oh no, in Tokyo there are vending machines for everything! From regular drinks and snacks, to beer, to ramen noodles, to fruit, to electronics. If you need something, there is bound to be a vending machine with it somewhere on your walk around town. Just one of many fun and unique things that make Tokyo so great.

While 12 hours in Tokyo is not nearly enough time that this city deserves, if you find a flight option to Asia that includes a long layover in Tokyo, take advantage of it! I can't wait to get back to this beautiful country and explore more.

良い旅行！