One-Day Itinerary: Tokyo, Japan

What to do in Tokyo: Eat, eat, and eat

If you only have one day in Tokyo, just eat everything you can. You can diet the next day.

From breakfast to dinner, and snacks and bites in between meals, every destination in Tokyo should be completely food-related as the capital of Japan has some of the best foods in the world.

8:00AM Breakfast at Tsukiji Market

Start your day with the freshest breakfast possible. Head to Tsukiji Market in the morning just after the auctions and purchases of fish and seafood have been made for the day.

The indoor market hosts the famous auctions, and the outdoor market caters to the general public featuring sushi stalls, grilled seafood, ramen for cold days, original creations to taste, as well as fresh produce and other market staples.

Note, the Tsukiji Market is tentatively scheduled to relocate (due to the 2020 Olympics) in the winter of 2017/2018.

Breakfast at the market. The optimal time to visit the Tsukiji Market is in the morning because you will have the privilege of tasting freshly purchased fish from the freshest possible source in the city

Maguro Flight. Taste tuna from each portion of the fish from the meaty maguro to the fattest otoro. The finale is aburi toro, seared tuna belly which creates a deeper taste that explodes with flavor on your palate

Tsukiji Market
5-2-1 Tsukiji
Chuo, Tokyo
Closed Sundays & national holidays
5am to 2pm

10:30AM Breakfast, Part 2 at Dominque Ansel Bakery Japan

Line up to taste the famous Cronuts, Kouign Amann, Frozen S’mores, and Cookie Shots.

Orders can be consumed on the ground floor in the café-like atmosphere. You can also dine-in on the second floor which serves amazing original creations perfect for brunch, lunch, and an afternoon snack. The menu introduces new items every 6-8 weeks with seasonal specialties encouraging patrons to come back often.

A typical scene in front of all 3 Dominique Ansel Bakeries (in Brooklyn, Tokyo, and London). The line moves fast and the wait time is usually about 30 minutes – well worth it after tasting any of the baked goods

Inside the bakery. The bakery has both New York and Tokyo in its design from street signs to subway stops. As you make your way through the line, you will be tempted by the products to take home as souvenirs and gifts

Cookie Shots. The cookie shots are available in the afternoon which makes up for the Cronuts being sold out by that time. The cookies are freshly baked, and then the shot of milk is poured to order

Frozen S’mores. A must-order when you come here to Dominique Ansel Bakery. Your order is torched in front of you. The s’more consists of ice cream covered in chocolate which is covered in a delicious layer of marshmallow

More from Dominique Ansel Bakery Japan from my Snapchat story. Subscribe to my YouTube channel here.

Dominique Ansel Bakery Japan
5-7-14 Jingumae
Shibuya, Tokyo
10am to 7pm

12:30PM Lunch at Tokyo Station

Explore the underground world of the capital’s central train station. In the basement floors of Tokyo Station are not just trains.

Shops, restaurants, and food vendors fill every area of the station. The highlight is Ramen Street which has 8 ramen shops. You can read more about Ramen Street here.

After slurping up your bowl(s) of ramen, go to the Daimaru department store within the train station. From the Ramen Street location, you are already in the basement floors of Daimaru which houses food hall heaven with both savory and sweet selections.

Tokyo Station. Located in the heart of Tokyo, the train station is the central hub of all trains in and out of the capital. With the number of commuters every day, the train station provides bento boxes to consume on the trains and restaurants to savor between commuting

Tsukemen. The famous tsukemen shop in Tokyo. Rokurinsha serves these hearty dipping noodles in Tokyo Station’s Ramen Street. Ramen Street houses 8 of the best ramen shops in the country all in one area of the train station

Tokyo Station
1 Marunouchi
Chiyoda, Tokyo
Ramen Street hours, 11am to 10pm
Daimaru hours, 10am to 8pm

3:00PM Fashion & Food Halls in Ginza

Ginza is the shopping addressing in Tokyo with flagship stores for the major international luxury brands.

On Sundays, the main street closes to traffic privileging pedestrians with a leisurely walking area. Aside from Tokyo Station’s Daimaru, Ginza’s Mitsukoshi also has one of the best department store food halls located in the basement floors.

Ginza. Beautiful and inspiring to shop both during the day and night. Ginza houses major department stores, including Mitsukoshi, as well as boutique luxury brands and the flagship store for Uniqlo which is 12-storeys high

When you enter Mitsukoshi, go directly down to the basement floors. Savory and sweet selections in the food hall as well as a gourmet supermarket in which you can buy foods to take home to enjoy in the comfort of your hotel, like this amazing premium selection of sushi and seafood

And always leave room for dessert. One of my favorite confectioner stalls is Mini One for miniature croissants, both the original and chocolate. Many vendors provide sample bites of their creations to tempt you to buy more and more

Mitsukoshi Ginza
4-6-16 Ginza
Chuo, Tokyo
10:30am to 8pm

7:00PM Dinner at The Peninsula Tokyo

End the day with a comforting plate of Japanese beef curry at The Peninsula Tokyo.

Premium beef curry, Yuzu flavor. Traditional Japanese curry with 200g of Japanese beef shank. The lobby services the most premium blend of curry with the highest quality of beef creating the best beef curry experience, and the perfect way to end a long day exploring and eating in Tokyo.

The Peninsula Tokyo Lobby. The grand entrance also serves as the lobby for all day dining for breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner, and drinks. Photo courtesy of Shunsuke Kobayashi

The Peninsula Tokyo
1-8-1 Yurakucho
Chiyoda, Tokyo
Lunch, 11:30am to 2:30pm
Afternoon Tea, 2:30pm to 5pm
Dinner, 6pm to 10pm

Looking for a place to stay in Tokyo? Here are 2 of my favorite luxury hotels:

The Peninsula Tokyo
1-8-1 Yurakucho
Chiyoda-ku
Tokyo
+81-3-6270-2888
Book your stay via Agoda
Book your stay via Booking.com
Book your stay via Hotels.com
Book your stay via TripAdvisor

Palace Hotel Tokyo
1-1-1- Marunouchi
Chiyoda-ku
Tokyo
+81-3-3211-5211
Book your stay via Agoda
Book your stay via Booking.com
Book your stay via Hotels.com
Book your stay via TripAdvisor

Buy your Official JR Pass and Regional Pass!

Stay connected in Japan with Pocket Wifi!

Arrive in style and convenience with Meet & Greet service!

Disclaimer: This article contains affiliate links to hotel booking sites. With no additional cost to you, your bookings earn me a commission if you click on the links via my website – Thank you!

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Angela

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Angela

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