#15

Ever dream of going to Japan, not just once, but every year. Me too. I'm John. And that dream became my mission, which is why I started rewarding routes. A podcast about making Japan travel possible. Year after year, I learned how to leverage credit cards to earn points and miles turning everyday spending into flights and hotel stays across Japan.

Each episode I'll share what I've learned from booking award travel to building meaningful itineraries and deep diving into regions, traditions, and experiences that make this country so special. Let's build your rewarding route one trip at a time. In this episode, we go over where to stay in Tokyo, different neighborhoods and what to do in some of these neighborhoods.

Tokyo is the largest city in the world. It's hard to go wrong with so many different neighborhoods and so many different vibes that Tokyo offers. So in this [00:01:00] episode, we're going to break down a lot of those. And of course, if there's once not mentioned in this episode, it doesn't mean that it's not a good place to say.

Everyone has their preferences and everyone has their different vibes, so go with what fits you best. I do wanna make you aware that in Tokyo a lot of hotel rooms are a lot smaller than what you might experience here in the US and in Europe. So if you're traveling with a family or kids or maybe just a bigger group, just make sure you double check room sizes and.

Maybe some areas are suited better for you if you're looking for more space, but we'll dive deeper into that in this episode and talk about a few locations and how hotel space can change depending on where you stay throughout Tokyo. Also my number one tip when traveling and looking for a hotel in Tokyo is to stay as close to a major train [00:02:00] line as possible.

My favorite line in Tokyo is the Yama line. It's the green line, and it makes a massive loop around Tokyo hitting some of the biggest stations that Tokyo and Japan has to offer. Definitely when you're looking at hotels, look at stations nearby and what stations do those train lines connect to, because this might save you a lot of time if you're next to , a major train station like the Yama line.

But if you're further out, it might be more time consuming and maybe it's worth paying up a little bit more to stay near these major lines to just make your overall experience better. But it really depends on you and what you're looking for. So how would you choose where to stay in Tokyo? Well, I'm gonna be talking about vibes that different places have the convenience of trains nearby and things to do [00:03:00] in those areas.

Um, there's food culture, nightlife, shopping, that you know you should take into consideration based on whatever your needs are and room size. Depending on the type of group that you're with. So there's a lot of things to highlight and to go over, and this is a really exciting episode, so I'm really pumped to get into this.

And remember in the next episode we'll be talking about Hyatts, that you can book with points that are near some of these neighborhoods. That you can really benefit from. And if you missed my previous episode where we talk about Chase and Chase ultimate rewards that transfer over to Hyatt hotels, definitely go back and give that a listen so you understand how to accumulate these points, which then you can research these neighborhoods by listening to this episode.

And then we could talk about booking those Hyatts into the next episode. It's kind of like a little trifecta here. I figured it was gonna be too long of an episode to make, so I thought I'd break it up into different portions and I think each episode [00:04:00] has its own value of understanding, um, places to stay points and how to book.

So hopefully this all really helps you and maybe makes things a little bit more clear. Helps you book for future trips. Either you're going to Japan or if you're going anywhere else in the world because Hyatts are all throughout the world, so you don't have to just apply this to Japan.

If you want to take a trip to Europe, you can also use high points and you can enjoy your free stays and enjoy the value of what points and miles give you of more consistent travel and more affordable travel. So let's get right into it. We'll be talking about our first neighborhood, which is a major one, and that's Shinjuku.

So Shinjuku has a really good all around feel to it. Uh, the vibe is very high. Um, high energy, lots of people. Also the world's busiest train station moving over 3.5 [00:05:00] million people daily. So. Feel free to get lost in Cju KU station as I have both times that I traveled through there. But it's a really cool and unique area.

A lot of classic, um, Tokyo Fields where you get a lot of neon lights and there's great food options, there's great nightlife, there's great shopping. Um, it can be very high energy. It could be a lot. But I think this is great for first timers coming because it's also very well connected because of Shinjuku Station and Shinjuku Station takes you all over.

Uh, Shinjuku Station is also on the YA line, so that it's very convenient to get to other places like Shibuya or Bukuto or Tokyo Station. There are just so many train lines. There's 30 stations on the Yamanote line that make a big loop, and the loop takes about 56 minutes or so to an hour to go all the way [00:06:00] around.

So, . I think overall Shinjuku is a really good place to start, especially for first timers and somebody who wants to be near a lot of things to do. Also, if you're flying in or out of NIDA airport, there's the NIDA Express that connects straight to Shinjuku, so you can take that line all the way to Narita and that's no problem.

But there are also ways to get to Haida. You'll want to take the Yamanote line from Shinjuku all the way down to ham. And also, please excuse my pronunciation of Japanese words. Uh, I'm not Japanese, so I'm trying to learn Japanese, and I could speak a little bit of Japanese, but yeah, some of these words are gonna trip me up.

Um, some of these names are a little long and, uh, harder to pronounce, but ham macho. Ham, macho. I think that's right. Hamma. Macho. There you go. On the fly. Practicing right there. , I [00:07:00] gotta practice. So I gotta pronounce these words as much as I can. But you would connect from Ham Macho down to the Tokyo monorail, which will then take you over to Haida Airport.

So some things to do in Shinjuku, you can go to Omo de Yokocho. This is a tiny alleyway where you'll find a lot of yori, um, restaurants or like Yori stands inside. They're very small. They might feel a little bit cramped, but the energy and the smell is fantastic. And what Yori is, is just. Um, grilled, skewed chicken is very good and you can have Koori in a lot of izakaya, which are Japanese pubs.

When we first went to Japan, we went through and walked through Oid de Yokocho, and it was really popping. I mean, all the stands were full and. It was just nice to walk around. We didn't actually get to sit and enjoy, uh, Koori, but it was really cool to experience. And during our second stay, we actually [00:08:00] took photos with a photographer in AM Yokocho, and that's on my Instagram.

So if you wanted to see some of those photos, some of those in a little alleyway, you'll see that we were in Yokocho. So, uh, and Shinjuku, you also have, um, Kabuki Cho, which you'll see the big. I'm sure you've seen maybe some videos or pictures of the big Godzilla head over the building. That's, uh, Kabuki cho.

You'll also have a donkey holte right there in the corner. Donkey Holte is a great place to do shopping. Uh, you might get lost in there, but just enjoy it. Buy things that, uh, really catch your eye and enjoy it. I, I love Donte. You can find anything there. You also have the KU National Garden. You have the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building.

I hear that there's a free. Viewing point from there. We haven't been personally, but I, it's something I'd love to do. So there is a view, uh, like a free observation deck, I, I [00:09:00] assume in the Tokyo Metropolitan Government building. Um, if you've experienced this, definitely let me know or, uh, I gotta find a, a way to have people.

Talk about these, uh, topics. So, uh, I'll have to figure that out and maybe create a Facebook group or something so that we can post, um, different tips and different, um, itineraries or things we've did or things we've experienced. So that's something I'll have to note down and, and create in the future. But in Shinjuku you also have, , great bar area called Golden Guy.

I've been here during the night and during the day, and both were very fun, . It has such a cool look to it, and definitely, um, if you don't know what it looks like, Google it, but it's all these tiny little bars that maybe fit six people each. Um, sometimes there's a cover charge for these bars, so don't be, Surprise when you get a bill and you'll see a little 500 yen cover charge. Sometimes they [00:10:00] have signs out saying, saying, Hey, there is no cover charge, or, or, Hey, there is a cover charge. So it's a fun place. If you're into nightlife and bars, definitely check it out. Chin Juku has a lot to offer. Especially for nightlife and food and shopping.

So it's really good for first timers. There's a lot to do. You're, you're connected to so many different places nearby, and this was an area we stayed in during our first time in Japan. And I'll talk more about it in the next episode because we did stay at a Hyatt inch in Juku, but I don't wanna talk about it 'cause I wanna save it for the next episode and talk about our experience staying there.

So I would say this is great for first timers, great for couples going to Japan and wanting to stay in the action, um, for groups. These hotel rooms in Shinjuku are probably gonna be a little bit tighter because it's more central with Tokyo. Also, hotels closer to Shinjuku station or any major train lines are gonna be a little bit prier.

So just keep that in [00:11:00] mind if you travel a little bit further from these areas. You'll probably get a better deal, but you're also going away from where there's a lot to do and a lot of, uh, convenience of getting around from place to place. So, uh, it's a trade off there. It's whatever works for you and whatever you determine, uh, is best.

So the next neighborhood we'll be talking about is Shibuya. The very energetic Shibuya. This is a very iconic spot, very high in energy. It could be very crowded and chaotic. A little bit too much for my vibe. Personally, I like it a little bit quieter, and I'll be talking about my preferences later in the list, but.

You're also in an area that's very well connected, that has great food options, that has great shopping areas. Uh, you're close to Harajuku, you're close to a Monte Sando. You're also, Shibuya is on the Yamanote line, the Tokyo, um, Metro Ginza line. Hanon line. Fuku line. So you're [00:12:00] very well connected.

In Shibuya. You also have a lot of things to do. You have. The very famous Shibuya scramble Crossing. You have , Shibuya sky, which we did during our first trip. It's really nice up there, and that's something you have to book if you want a sunset time that we were able to get, which I highly recommend because you can see Tokyo during the day and as the sunset goes down, you can see Tokyo at night.

From, uh, Shibuya Sky, but you have to book it, I'd say about 30 days in advance online. You can also , book it on Kluk, which Klu is a great place to book a lot of these activities such as Shibuya Sky or if you wanted to book, um, team Labs or. Disney Universal Tickets. Klu is a great spot to go to. You also have the Hot Chico statue, the loyal dog You have Mita Park, which I've been wanting to experience and we still [00:13:00] haven't made our way over just because of how massive Tokyo is.

But the next time we do spend time in Tokyo, I'll definitely would like to stroll around Mia Sheta Park. You have the Shibuya Parco Mall. So this is like a multi-layer mall and on a top floor, I say the sixth floor, you have the Nintendo store, the Sega store, the Pokemon, uh center. So you have some really iconic shops there.

That I love. I love visiting all the Pokemon centers and Nintendo stores specifically. That's something I'm very interested in. I loved going to the Shibuya Park for that. You also have Yo Yogi Park nearby. Uh, one station across 

Tower records, .

 Is in Shibuya. Something I also wanted to visit and I didn't visit either of my times in Tokyo, but it is on my list and I'll make sure to hit it up next time.

I would love to get some Japanese records back with me next time. I was planning on doing that this past trip, but I just, [00:14:00] there's just so much to do and see and it's something I had to cut out. But definitely the next time we visit, I'm gonna bring back some Japanese records to listen to. Uh, I'm really into city pop and um, Japanese jazz, so.

And funk. So if you, if you recommend any, just send it my way and, uh, I'll, I'll give it a listen. I love that stuff. So, just like sinju bu is nearby so many things. It's very well connected. So it's a place to consider if you're, if it's your first time visiting, if you're down for nightlife, or if you want to be near so many different things to do.

Um, for me personally, Shibuya is a little bit too chaotic at night, especially, and it's a little bit loud. It could be a bit dirty in certain parts. Uh, I know Tokyo gets a, uh, a rep for being very clean, which it, it very well is, but there are parts of Shibuya that can get a bit, uh, messy because of just how many people are going through Shibuya and spending time there.

And it's definitely a place to check out. [00:15:00] There is a Hyatt Hotel here in Shibuya , but we'll talk more about it in the next episode. The next neighborhood I'll mention is near Tokyo Station in Ginza. I think this is a great place to stay when you're in Japan. And the other places are great too.

It really depends on what you're looking for. But with Tokyo Station, it's also a very busy station, but it's very well connected through Japan because it's a major hub for the sheen, so it can get you to places like Osaka, Kyoto, Zao. It is very walkable. It's very clean in that area. There's great food and there's really great shopping even within Tokyo Station.

Um, but you'll find even better shopping over in Ginza. And if you like those more higher brands and luxurious brands, then Ginza is definitely for you. During the weekends, at a certain time, Ginza closes one of its major streets and allows pedestrians to walk freely [00:16:00] along those streets, and it's a really cool vibe, especially during the weekends.

Yeah, it's, we were able to do this during our first trip and. I found it to be very fun , looking at so many different places. Tokyo Station is on the Yamanote line. It also connects with the Chio line. You have the SH bullet trains there. The NA Express also runs to Tokyo Station.

You have the Mar Chi line in Tokyo Station. Ginza line. Hi, line in, uh, Ginza. So the Tokyo station area is very well connected to Tokyo and Japan, so that's why it's very high on my list of places to stay. And there are also all hints, some Hyatts nearby and some other hotels that you can book. You don't always have to use points for accommodation, but if you decide to.

There are options, but things to do near Tokyo Station. Well, Tokyo Station has one side to it that looks very [00:17:00] iconic, and that is the Marci side with the brick building. Very European looking because it's actually inspired from the train station over in Amsterdam. But it's a beautiful area to just walk around and look at the, uh, train station.

It's so iconic. You also have museums nearby. You have the, uh, kites shopping mall and rooftop garden. You have the Yasu Underground Mall. Which is the ISU side is also the other side of Tokyo Station. It's the more modern side to Tokyo Station. But there's a great underground mall within Tokyo Station that's very well worth checking out because they have a whole area called Ramen Street.

They also have Character Street where you'll find Pokemon and Ghibli Legos, um, shown in Jump shop there. There's just so much down there. So. Tokyo Station. It's just worth exploring in in general. [00:18:00] Then you can hop over to Ginza, do some shopping over there. They have great restaurants . Other neighborhoods nearby are NI Home Bai.

There's the Pokemon Cafe and Center over in Ni Home. Bai also has some historical, um, parts to it that are very old. But very worth visiting. You also have Shi Bahi where there's a lot of great places to eat in Shichi, and we were able to walk around Shiba during our last day 'cause we stayed in Ginza.

But I'll save that once again for the next episode. So overall, Tokyo Station, Ginza area. It's a good place to be very central to Tokyo, to also hop on the chin, send the bullet train if you're planning to go on the Tokio line, which takes you down to Kyoto Osaka. It's also on the Yamanote line, which can take you up to Eno, which is near Akira and Osaka asa, which leads us to our next neighborhood, which is Asa.

I might be [00:19:00] pronouncing this wrong. It might be Asa or Asa. But this place I can highly recommend, it might be one of my favorite places that we've stayed when we were in Tokyo, and actually didn't use points for the hotel that I stayed in Osaka sa, but it was very affordable. And it's a lot more calm in Assa.

You also have a lot of street food temples, and you can really feel more of a traditional vibe out there, especially with San Soji Temple, which is Tokyo's biggest temple. It can get very crowded during the day, but when you stay in this area and you walk around in the early mornings or late nights. It's really calming and it's really cool to experience this, uh, since Soji is a beautiful place.

And eating around the side streets is a real treat. So I can highly recommend Asaka SA for anyone wanting to stay with more [00:20:00] of a laid back feel, but also more of a, uh, of a traditional, maybe cultural feel to Tokyo and not as, uh, high energy as a place like Shinjuku or Shibuya. Now Ossa isn't on the main Yamanote line, which is probably a reason why it's a little bit more affordable than places that are on the Yamanote line, but it's not far from it.

You have lines like the Ginza line, the Toy Osaka SA line, the UBA Line Express line, so you have ways to. Get around, definitely. It's not like a major hassle, it's not super out of the way and it's very walkable to certain areas that you might be interested in going to. So some things to do, like I already mentioned since Soji Temple, something to do, especially experience it in the early mornings or late nights where the crowds are a lot less and it's a lot more calming.

Uh, enjoy the food, [00:21:00] enjoy the street food. From the side markets you'll see side alleys and. So many stands near Sin Soji. Uh, we had Melon Pond. We had, um, Hanami. Dongo. Mihi, Dongo. We had Rag, we just stuffed our face, matcha ice cream. Just enjoy, enjoy all the food, whatever piques your interest. It's a great place to walk around and enjoy yourself.

You also have Kabai Street, which is Kitchen Street nearby. It's not too far of a walk from Osaka. Saw. This is a great place if you want to buy maybe kitchen items, uh, to take back with you back home. Ka Kaci Street is so cool to walk around. You'll find so many. Cool things that can be additions to your kitchen.

Like we bought some saki glasses, some um, chopsticks out there, bowls. It's a great place to walk around and treat yourself to a [00:22:00] souvenir to take back home for your kitchen. It's really nice. You also have the Sumita River. Along, uh, aka sa you have Tokyo Sky Tree, not too far away from you. You can walk there like we did.

It's about 30 minutes or, or so, or you could take the Tobo Railroad Express. That's an option too. It takes about like 16 minutes or so. Overall, it's a great place to walk around. It's a great place to experience things. On our last trip, we took a matcha making class in Osaka sa. So overall, this is a place that I would highly recommend for anyone.

I know it's a little bit further out and not as convenient as some of the locations that are on the Yamanote line, but I think it's a beautiful place to explore and yeah, highly recommend to anyone. This is probably my number one choice if I had to pick. And for the last neighborhood that I'll mention, it's Tokyo Bay.

Odaiba. So this is a really good option for families and for bigger rooms. You're [00:23:00] going to experience bigger rooms because a lot of families stay near Tokyo, Disney, which is in Tokyo Bay. We were able to stay in this area during our last trip and it was a really good time. The biggest con for Tokyo Bay and Odaiba is it is outside of that central Tokyo.

You're, you're kind of far out and even though you could take a train that takes you to Central Tokyo. It can be time consuming. So this is something that will really depend on you and what you prioritize if you're coming with a family and you guys wanna experience theme parks and some other things that are nearby.

Yeah, it's definitely somewhere that I would stay again, for sure. I mean, bigger room, it's still easy to navigate the train system over to Central Tokyo and you have the theme parks, which you know, we're fans of, and I know it's not for everyone, but. There are other things to do and we'll go over that. So trains that connect in this area are the beauty ka line.

This is great for getting around [00:24:00] Tokyo Bay and Odaiba Re Kai, which connects you to Shinjuku. Shibuya. You also have buses that can take you from the Tokyo, Disney area over to Tokyo Station, which could be an option. Uh, things to do in these areas. You have team lab planets that's pretty nearby. You have Diversity City Mall.

This is actually where that giant , unicorn Gundam is. The Gundams White. It's not the very big one that was in Yokohama. That one got relocated to another part of Japan. I believe you also have the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation in Japan. Yeah, of course Tokyo, Disneyland, and in Disney Sea you have great views of Rainbow Bridge.

So there are things to do in these areas. Yes, it's further out, but I think this is a great option for families looking for more space in hotel rooms and things to do like museums and the theme parks and malls and team planets, which team planets is awesome. [00:25:00] So. Highly recommend these things. We are able to do most of 'em except the National Museum of Emerging Science.

That sounds awesome and I will definitely try to hit that up and, and you know, this is something we would definitely do with our child when we go to Tokyo. I would stay in Tokyo Bay and do all of these things. There's also a Pokemon Center in Tokyo. And the mascot is Afros. So if you wanted to visit that Tokyo Bay Center, uh, it's not that crowded and it's really nice.

So highly recommend there. I believe there's a book in Hardoff, um, super bizarre in that mall as well. So really good op opportunities to get some like really good secondhand things. So this was a brief overview of. Where to stay in Japan. Hopefully you got an idea of some neighborhoods that we talked about.

Of course, I didn't talk about all of them because there are so many. I just thought I'd highlight some of the big ones for different, um, types of travelers with families, or you're traveling solo or a couple, uh, [00:26:00] if you're looking for nightlife and high energy compared to maybe a more quiet and, uh, convenient location that's, uh, close to the Hans.

So if this was your first trip. I could recommend Shinjuku, Shibuya, even Assa if you wanted easy day trips out of Tokyo. Tokyo Station is a great area to be nearby for easy access to the Sheen or all the other train lines it has for the traditional culture vibes. Definitely ASSA for families. They can stay at any of these locations really, but if you prioritize space and staying near theme parks, definitely considered Tokyo Bay and Odaiba.

But really any of these places work. If you're looking for more high end shopping and food, Ginza is your place to go and hopefully you got some value from this.

And I know we talked about a few places and a few, uh, neighborhoods, but. There are just so many, and definitely [00:27:00] watch YouTube videos and walkthrough videos of each place, or if there's a place that you have in mind, just so you can grab a feel for what's around this area. And remember in the next episode we'll be going over some of these neighborhoods again, but how you can book Hyatts with points in these neighborhoods, plus more throughout Japan that I plan on booking in the future.

So I hope you're excited because I am and I'll catch you in the next one. See ya.