Japan - First time in Tokyo, Critique my Itinerary

As part of our upcoming Asia trip, the wife and I will be spending 3 nights in Tokyo in August. Also spending a few days elsewhere in Japan, but thats with some old friends who moved there a few years back, and we've decided to let them be our tour guides for everything outside Tokyo.

We get in on a Friday afternoon to NRT, by the time we check into the Hyatt Regency Tokyo will probably be around 7pm, so we plan to just have dinner at or somewhere near the hotel.

Saturday, planning to head out to the Asakusa Neighborhood, spend some time on Nakamise Dori Street, see the Sensoji Temple, visit the Edo Tokyo Museum, and head back to the hotel to relax before going out and about in the Shinjuku area for dinner.

Sunday, the wife wants to spend time people watching in the Harajaku Neighborhood... then off to the Meiji Shrine, and the Gyoen National Garden. Maybe spend a bit of time seeing if we can handle the Shibuya Crossing before I freak out from people overload. Spend the night in the Roppongi Hills for dinner.

Monday want to get to the Tsujiki Fish Market... probably not at 4am. Just go to the wholesale area around 9am, have breakfast there... do some shopping perhaps before heading to the airport in the evening and off to Beijing.

I dont want to do the mega tourist traps like the Tokyo Tower or Sky Tree, but we dont mind some touristy things... also very into historical sites of importance.

Any suggestions? Any items on my list above that I might want to skip? Or things I'm missing that are "must-sees"? Thx!

I would say that Asakusa falls into the tourist trap category.

Roppongi Hills specifically for dinner is also a bit of a tourist/gaijin trap. There are good restaurants in Roppongi (not Hills specifically) but you need to have a specific target because there is a lot of not-so-exciting gaijin traps.

As part of our upcoming Asia trip, the wife and I will be spending 3 nights in Tokyo in August.

(...)

We get in on a Friday afternoon to NRT, by the time we check into the Hyatt Regency Tokyo will probably be around 7pm, so we plan to just have dinner at or somewhere near the hotel.
There are plenty of options in and around this area, so you should be fine with this.

Saturday, planning to head out to the Asakusa Neighborhood, spend some time on Nakamise Dori Street, see the Sensoji Temple, visit the Edo Tokyo Museum, and head back to the hotel to relax before going out and about in the Shinjuku area for dinner.
No issue with this, if that's the kind of thing you like to do.

Sunday, the wife wants to spend time people watching in the Harajaku Neighborhood... then off to the Meiji Shrine, and the Gyoen National Garden. Maybe spend a bit of time seeing if we can handle the Shibuya Crossing before I freak out from people overload. Spend the night in the Roppongi Hills for dinner.
Be advised that, in August, it will be very hot and humid in Tokyo, and unless you come from a place where you are used to such a climate, this may be a little bit too much outdoor stuff for one day.

Monday want to get to the Tsujiki Fish Market... probably not at 4am. Just go to the wholesale area around 9am, have breakfast there... do some shopping perhaps before heading to the airport in the evening and off to Beijing.
Not sure there's that much appeal to Tsukiji if you're not doing the early morning auction. If you like outdoors and sites of historical importance, you should probably check out the Imperial Gardens.

I would say that Asakusa falls into the tourist trap category.
True, but the amusement park has a certain unique old-fashioned charm to it.

Thanks for the input!

If we wanted to drop Asakusa and do something else? Any suggestions on what we should look into?

I think the Asakusa neighborhood is just fine, especially if you recognize that the wares sold on Nakamise-dori are mostly tourist kitsch. You can find genuine Japanese snacks in some of the stalls, though. Sensoji is a genuine working temple; real Japanese people go there, and you can find interesting things wandering around the side streets.

The area around Ueno, with the National Museum (dark and outdated, but comprehensive) and Ameyoko-cho (raucous street market selling mostly everyday stuff that the typical tourist doesn't need, like dishpans and dehumidifiers), can be fun if you're in the right mood.

I agree that the fish market is boring if you're not there early in the morning, but nearby is Hama Rikyu, an old imperial garden, where you can catch a boat ride up the Sumida River to Asakusa (or vice versa). The boat ride is far from scenic, but it's a refreshing break after you've been tramping around on a hot day. You can sip a cold drink as you float past the city, and you see a lot of everyday, non-tourist Tokyo. Those floodgates you see on the east bank of the river control the remnants of the old canal system that used to lace the entire city in the old days.

On a summer weekend, Harajuku can be so jam packed with teenagers that it's all a bit overwhelming. I've actually been stuck in human traffic jams. However, you can escape into the Meiji Shrine grounds, which are are shaded and quieter. Walk the pathway to the actual shrine, and you leave some of the craziness behind.

I would agree that I disagree with the characterization of Asakusa as a tourist trap. Yes, a lot of the booths on Nakamise are full of tourist souvenirs. But the temple and pagoda are interesting and the side streets around the temple grounds have some old-Tokyo areas that make for great photos. Try some of the street vendor food around the temple grounds.

I'd recommend not skipping Asakusa. As posted above, a nice combo day includes Asakusa for a few hours followed by the water taxi on the Sumida River and Hama Rikyu Garden.

Having visited Asakusa yesterday, I agree with the above statement. The vendors do carry a lot of tourist-oriented souvenirs but you'll also find some things of real interest. In my case, I spotted a store selling baseball caps for the Orix BlueWave and Fukuoka Daei Hawks. Be sure to spot the Golden Turd in the distance on your way back to the Metro Station. It's supposed to represent the foam atop a glass of beer, but...

Harajuku is a blast on Sundays so if you can handle the crowd, pay a visit and bring your camera. Just be sure to ask first if you can take someone's photo.

Shibuya is also fun and if you and the Mrs. are feeling adventurous, head toward the 109 building from Hachiko Square, pass it going uphill (and keep it on your right), and take your second right, also uphill. If you pass "Adult Shop Joyful," you're on the right street. From there, wander a little among the love hotels and consider dropping into one for a "rest." Tip: enter "Dogenzaka, Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan" into Google Maps and the pin will you put right in the middle of it. Scope it out on street view to get a sense of the place.

If you're interested in history and don't mind lots of walking in the heat, visit the Imperial Palace and check out the monolithic Dai-Ichi Seimei Building across the street from the southeast corner that MacArthur used as his headquarters during the Occupation. It's a bit out of the way from the rest of your itinerary, however.

Enjoy your trip!

Shibuya is also fun and if you and the Mrs. are feeling adventurous, head toward the 109 building from Hachiko Square, pass it going uphill (and keep it on your right), and take your second right, also uphill. If you pass "Adult Shop Joyful," you're on the right street. From there, wander a little among the love hotels and consider dropping into one for a "rest." Tip: enter "Dogenzaka, Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan" into Google Maps and the pin will you put right in the middle of it. Scope it out on street view to get a sense of the place.I'll just add that its worth 30 min of your time to go into the 109 women's store for some crazy fashion/people watching. Unfortunately they don't allow photos, but its worth checking out.

The "golden turd" is not supposed to resemble foam. It's the skyscraper next to it that looks like a glass of beer with white foam, which is the Asahi corporate HQ. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Skytree_%26_Asahi_Breweries_Building,_from_Az umabashi,_Asakusa_2012_%E2%85%A2.JPG

The "golden turd" is on top of the adjacent beer hall designed by Philippe Starck. He frequently uses this form in his designs.

The "golden turd" is on top of the adjacent beer hall designed by Philippe Starck. He frequently uses this form in his designs.

I heard that it was supposed to represent a flame.

Thanks so much for the additional input everyone!

The wife read up about Asakusa so she insisted on going... and in a trade-off, we're gonna wakeup early and go to Tsujiki. So I think thats a decent deal to make... what time should we plan to be AT the fish market so I can sure to get in?

Will also make a stop at the Hama Rikyu gardens, looks like a nice spot to spend some time, and the 109 store if time permits.

... The wife read up about Asakusa so she insisted on going...
I think this is a good choice. Be sure to leave some time to get away from the temple complex and just stroll through the old neighborhoods nearby.

Just wanted to say thanks to everyone for the above suggestions, we had an amazing time in Tokyo!! Actually, realized we needed more time there, but that just motivates us to go back again in the future.

In the end, followed the itinerary fairly closely, although never made it to Roppongi, instead did some great Yakitori dining near Ginza and spent an evening strolling around.

Tsukiji fish market is crazy awesome, and I had the best sushi of my life there.

My goal is going to come back to Japan within 5 years, and spend 10 days or so, including more time outside of Tokyo.

Glad you enjoyed your stay, and your suite at the Hyatt Regency!

Tsukiji will no longer be around (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsukiji_fish_market#Planned_relocation_to_Toyosu) in five years, but I'm sure there will still be plenty of other things to entertain your family for a more extended trip in the future.

Tsukiji fish market is crazy awesome, and I had the best sushi of my life there. Tsukiji is a great experience, and as mentioned above, one that won't be around for long. I'm also glad I had a chance to scratch it off my list this year.My goal is going to come back to Japan within 5 years, and spend 10 days or so, including more time outside of Tokyo.I've been to Japan 3 times since 2000, and I still feel like there is so much more to see! Glad it worked out so well for you.