Day 1 — Thu Dec 3: Arrive in Tokyo

Goal: Get in, get set up, have one great low-effort evening, sleep early. Kyoto is tomorrow.

Getting from the airport (Haneda)

| Option | Time | Notes | |—|—|—| | Airport Limousine Bus → Shinjuku | 50–80 min | Easiest with luggage; drops at major hotels | | Keikyu → Shinagawa → JR Yamanote | ~50 min | Cheapest and predictable |

If you land at Narita instead: Narita Express (N’EX) direct to Shinjuku, ~80 min.

Before leaving the airport: make sure your eSIM works and Suica is loaded in your phone wallet (#13).

Evening plan (Shinjuku, all walkable)

| Time | What | Why | |—|—|—| | ~16:30 | Land at Haneda on AC1 | Immigration + bags ~45 min | | ~18:15 | Check in, shower | You’ll feel human again | | 19:15 | Omoide Yokocho (“Memory Lane”) | Tiny smoky yakitori stalls by the station. Grab a seat, point at skewers, order a beer. Perfect first-night Tokyo | | 20:30 | Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building — South Observation Deck | Free, no booking, 45th floor night view. Open until 22:00 (last entry 21:30) | | 21:30 | Golden Gai walk-through (optional) | Just look at the neon alleys — no bar tonight | | 22:00 | Konbini run (7-Eleven / FamilyMart) and bed | Grab onigiri + coffee for an early start |

Tips

• Stay awake until ~21:00 local time to beat jet lag.
• Carry some cash (¥10,000+) — small bars and stalls often don’t take cards. 7-Eleven ATMs take foreign cards.
• Next morning: Shinkansen to Kyoto from Shinagawa or Tokyo Station. Sit in seat E for Mt. Fuji.

To do

• Hotel: #6 (book in Shinjuku, near the station’s west or south exit)