A Perfect Day: Tokyo in One Day
As a big fan of Tokyo, Florian Kersting knows the city inside out – and shows us what a perfect day in the western part of the city looks like
9 AM: Stroll through Inokashira Park
Around 37 million people live in the Tokyo metropolitan area. It’s not easy to find a quiet spot here. But I know a very nice one: Inokashira Park in the city of Musashino, west of Tokyo. The neighborhood around the green area is called Kichijōji, and it is one of the most desirable residential areas around Tokyo. With a coffee and a rice ball in my hand, I sit on a cozy park bench and watch the city awaken. In the middle of the park, there is a lake where oversized white swans are circling. But the swans are not real – they are pedal boats. Especially during the cherry blossom season in April or in the fall, when the leaves glow in all colors, Inokashira Park offers a great natural spectacle.

11 AM: Visit the Ghibli Museum
Anime fans also make the pilgrimage to Inokashira Park, or more precisely, to the Ghibli Museum. In the typically playful style of Studio Ghibli, an unmistakable force in animation, the museum is dedicated to the fantasy worlds of famous filmmakers such as Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata. Important: tickets for the Ghibli Museum can only be purchased in advance!

For more information about our tips, please click on the points on the map above.
Our recommendations
Inokashira Park: 1-18-31 Gotenyama, Musashino
Ghibli Museum: 1-1-83 Shimorenjaku, Mitaka
Bonus Track: 2-36-15 Daita, Setagaya City
Oscar Vegan American Chinese: 2-36-15 Daita, Setagaya City
Universal Bakes Nicome: 3-19-20 Kitazawa, Setagaya
Tokyo Photographic Art Museum: 1-13-3 Mita, Meguro
Izakaya Masaka: Shibuya Parco B1, 15-1 Udagawacho, Shibuya
Rooftop Bar Andaz Tokyo Toranomon Hills: 1-23-4 Toranomon, Minato City
1 PM: Vegan lunch in Shimo-Kitazawa
A slightly different Tokyo away from the crowds can also be found in the Bonus Track creative quarter in Shimo-Kitazawa. And that’s exactly where the Inokashira train line now takes you. The specially designed area is home to hip boutiques and modern restaurants. There is space to relax on every corner – very unusual for Tokyo. For lunch, I order vegan chicken at Oscar Vegan American Chinese, along with mapo tofu and chop suey. Everything comes on one plate because the restaurant serves buffet style.



2:30 PM: Order a donut at Universal Bakes Nicome
A quarter of an hour’s walk from the Bonus Track site, Universal Bakes Nicome produces the most delicious vegan pastries in the whole neighborhood. I order a matcha donut and a soy latte to go with it. I’m ready for the next stop on my perfect day in Tokyo.
4:30 PM: Admire photographic art at the Tokyo Photographic Art Museum
A lesser-known museum among tourists in the Ebisu district is the Tokyo Photographic Art Museum. There really is a lot to see here – over 37,000 works from the early days of photography to moving images by contemporary artists.
7 PM: Ring in the evening at Izakaya Masaka
On a perfect day in Tokyo, a visit to an izakaya is a must. An izakaya is a traditional Japanese restaurant, comparable to a pub or tapas bar. It serves small bites that go well with sake – as the name suggests: "Sakaya" means sake store. Even if most Japanese people today would rather order an ice-cold beer. My favorite place to go is Izakaya Masaka in Shibuya, where I meet up with friends or colleagues and eat gyoza, which are delicious dumplings.
9 PM: Experience Tokyo from above at the rooftop bar in the Andaz Hotel
Finally, I want to see Tokyo from above once again. The rooftop bar on the 52nd floor of the Andaz Tokyo Toranomon Hills hotel offers a fantastic view of the city. On a clear day, you can even see Mount Fuji. But I particularly love the atmosphere in the early evening, when the hundreds of thousands of LED lights in the city signal that Tokyo’s nightlife is awakening.
About:
Florian Kersting has been working as a flight attendant for Lufthansa since 2011 and lived in Tokyo for a year before that. He not only knows the culture of the country, but also speaks the language, which he learned as part of his Japanese studies.
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