This was my first trip abroad with my wife, which already made the whole Tokyo journey feel special from the very beginning, especially after the COVID-19 period when traveling abroad felt out of reach for a while. I had been to Japan before I got married, through Tokyo 2018 and Osaka & Kyoto 2019, so this trip also felt like returning to a place I already loved, but in a very different chapter of life.
Tokyo Trip
Dates: 4 to 11 November 2023
Accommodation: G-Stays Shinjuku and Hotel Amanek Asakusa Ekimae
Highlights: Tokyo Disneyland, Kawaguchiko, and Coldplay at Tokyo Dome
Day 0: Departure and Transit
Saturday, 4 November 2023
- Departure from Jakarta
- Transit in Bali:
- Nasi Pedas Bu Andika
- Starbucks Reserve Dewata
- Mano Beach House
- Transit in Hanoi
Day 1: Arrival and First Tokyo Stops
Sunday, 5 November 2023
- Arrival in Tokyo
- Check in at G-Stays Shinjuku
- Ride bus to Gyukatsu Motomura Shinjuku
- Akihabara: Car Free Day
- Ameya Yokocho
- Ueno Park
- Shinjuku:
- Omoide Yokocho
- Kabukicho
Day 2: Disneyland and Odaiba
Monday, 6 November 2023
- Disneyland:
- Star Tours
- The Happy Ride with Baymax
- Pooh’s Hunny Hunt
- Restaurant: Pan Galactic Pizza Port
- Parade: Disney Harmony in Color
- Big Thunder Mountain (Standby Pass)
- Cinderella’s Fairy Tale Hall
- Enchanted Tale of Beauty and the Beast (Disney Premium Access)
- Space Mountain
- Parade: Tokyo Disneyland Electrical Parade Dreamlights
- Odaiba:
- DiverCity Tokyo Plaza
Day 3: Tokyo Station and Coldplay
Tuesday, 7 November 2023
- Tsukiji Outer Market
- Tokyo Station:
- Kinokuniya Entrée Gransta Tokyo
- Tokyo Character Street
- Imperial Palace East Garden
- Jimbocho:
- Glitch Coffee & Roasters (Full)
- Paper Back Cafe
- Tokyo Dome:
- YOASOBI (opener)
- Coldplay
Day 4: Kawaguchiko Day Trip
Wednesday, 8 November 2023
- Fuji-Q Highland:
- Shining Flower Ferris Wheel
- Higuma Doughnuts
- Ensoleille Excursion Ship Pleasure Boat
- Mt. Fuji Panoramic Ropeway
- Fujikawaguchiko Cherry Blossom Corridor
- Masala Dining Shinjuku
Day 5: Shinjuku, Ginza, and Tokyo Tower View
Thursday, 9 November 2023
- Shinjuku:
- Disney Flagship Store
- Books Kinokuniya Shinjuku
- Isetan
- Shinjuku Gyoen National Park
- Suga Shrine Steps (Kimi no Na wa)
- Move from G-Stays Shinjuku to Hotel Amanek Asakusa Ekimae
- Nihonbashi Kaisendon Tsujihan at Ark Hills
- Ginza:
- Uniqlo
- Muji
- Shiba Park (Tokyo Tower view)
Day 6: Asakusa to Shibuya
Friday, 10 November 2023
- Asakusa:
- Sensō-ji
- Melon Pan at Asakusa Kagetsudō
- Fuglen Asakusa
- Omotesando
- Harajuku:
- Soccer Shop Kamo
- Uniqlo
- Afuri Harajuku
- Tsutaya Daikanyama
- Ride taxi to Starbucks Reserve Roastery Tokyo
- Shibuya:
- Excelsior
- Shibuya Parco
- Mega Don Quijote
- Kura Sushi
- Shibuya Sky (Cancelled)
Day 7: Departure
Saturday, 11 November 2023
- Departure from Tokyo
- Transit in Singapore
- Arrival in Jakarta
Trip Highlights
Tokyo Disneyland
Even though it was my first time at Tokyo Disneyland, I think the itinerary was already close to perfect. The first ride in the morning should be the one that will likely have the longest queue later in the day. After that, my wife and I randomly decided to go to The Happy Ride with Baymax, and that turned out to be a brilliant decision.
In my experience, The Happy Ride with Baymax was the best attraction there, not because of the ride itself, but because of the songs. It is probably the only attraction with an actual album on Spotify, with six songs in it. The queue was long, but that actually made it more interesting. The staff looked like DJs, and many people in line were jumping and dancing while enjoying the music. The Happy Ride with Baymax became the mood setter for the whole day, and the songs stayed in my head even while I was in other attractions.
Another good decision was using Standby Pass for Big Thunder Mountain and buying Disney Premium Access for Enchanted Tale of Beauty and the Beast.
Coldplay at Tokyo Dome
The concert experience at Tokyo Dome was much more orderly than I expected. I had never watched a concert outside Indonesia before, so I assumed I would need to arrive several hours early, but the flow turned out to be very smooth. All tickets were seated, so there was no need to rush or fight for position.
I entered soon after the gate opened and still had enough time to go to the toilet and buy snacks without a long queue. Even though it was a seated concert, once the main performer appeared, everyone still stood up, so the atmosphere still felt fully immersive.
In front of me, there was a Japanese office worker who seemed to have come straight from work. He arrived in his work shirt just before Coldplay started, after the opener, at around 19:00, and it felt like a completely normal thing there. In Jakarta, if there is a concert at 19:00, office workers would often ask for a half day off just to make it in time. That contrast really stood out to me.