Tokyo in One Day
A single-day sprint through Tokyo: the pass, the lockers, the timing, and the last train home.
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1Set up the day
One ticket decision and one timing decision shape everything.
- Suica & Pasmo for Tourists: How to Get and Use IC Cards How tourists get a Suica or Pasmo in Japan, how to charge it, and how to use it on trains, buses, and at shops.
- Avoiding Rush Hour on Japanese Trains When rush hour happens in Japan, which trains and lines to avoid, and how to handle large luggage during peak commuting times.
- Google Maps in Japan: Transit Quirks to Know Why Google Maps confuses tourists in Japan: reading transit routes, station exit numbers, transfer walks, and the gate traps that cost you time.
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2Drop the bags
Nobody enjoys Senso-ji with a suitcase.
- Coin Lockers at Japanese Train Stations: Sizes and Finding One How big Japanese station coin lockers are, what they cost, how to pay with coins or a Suica, how to find an empty one, and what to do when they are full.
- Coin Lockers and Luggage Storage in Japan: Sizes and Costs Where to store your luggage in Japan: coin locker sizes and prices, how to pay, and what to do when lockers are full.
- Luggage Forwarding (Takkyubin): Send Bags Ahead in Japan How to send your suitcase ahead to your next hotel or airport in Japan, with costs, timing, and instructions.
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3Through the day
Sights, shopping, and the small rules between them.
- Shrine and Temple Manners (Without Overthinking It) Simple manners for Japanese shrines and temples: how to bow, purify your hands, pray, and tell when photos are not allowed.
- Where You Can't Take Photos in Japan Where photography is restricted in Japan: private streets in Gion, temple inner halls, shops, people, and stations, plus how to check before you shoot.
- Queueing in Japan: Escalators, Trains, and Taxi Stands How lining up works in Japan: train platform queues, which side to stand on an escalator, taxi stands, and cashier lines. Simple do and don't rules.
- How to Find a Toilet in Japan Fast: Stations, Stores, and Konbini Need a toilet in Japan right now? Where to look in priority order, how reliable each spot is, phone tricks to find one, and what to expect inside.
- Japanese Convenience Stores: A Tourist Power Guide What you can actually do at a Japanese konbini: withdraw cash, buy tickets, print, drop off luggage, find a toilet, and pay for almost anything.
- Tax-Free Shopping in Japan: 2026 Rules and the November Refund Change Japan tax-free shopping rules through October 2026, plus the confirmed November 1 refund system, 90-day export deadline and airport process.
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4Evening and escape
Dinner without a booking, then beat the last train.
- Restaurant Reservations in Japan: Booking, Lateness, and Cancellation Fees Which Japan restaurants need bookings, how to reserve in English, what to check before paying, and what to do if you are late or must cancel.
- Eating Out in Japan: Izakaya and Sushi Basics How to order and behave at a Japanese izakaya or sushi counter, from the otoshi seating charge to chopstick rules and how to pay at the end.
- Missed the Last Train in Japan: Your Real Options What to do when you miss the last train in Japan: compare taxi, late-night bus, net cafe, capsule hotel, karaoke, and waiting for the first train.
- Taxis in Japan: Apps, Costs, and How to Pay How to get a taxi in Japan using ride-hailing apps, what late-night fares cost, and whether you can pay with a foreign card or need cash.
Different kind of trip? See the other scenarios or browse all guides.