Family Travelogue: Getting around Japan: From Shinjuku to Akihabara to Tokyo Tower/ Family Travelogue 14 March 2016

On the second day of our re visit to Japan in March 2016, we experienced the snowfall at the Fuji area. This is the conclusion of the four parts of our activities on this day, 14 March 2016. Continued from...Getting around Japan: From Asahigaoka to Shinjuku.

My daughter wanted to finish her shopping at the Animate shop. I wanted to get some souvenir shirts at HardRock and take photos of the Illuminated Tokyo Tower.

We were handful of the boxes of tidbits bought at the Fujiyama Bazaar. We went back to the hotel after our dinner at one of the Shinjuku Keio dining located on the 8th floor.

There were four Metro stations near our hotel, Hotel MyStays Ochanamizu. We had used only the three: Akihabara, Ochanamizu and Awajicho. From Shinjuku, the fastest to reach our hotel was to take the JR Chuo Line Rapid Service. Shinjuku station the busiest though, you could check the where to of the lines or we could ask the officials standby for assistance. Once seen the metro line, we scanned our Suica card and entered through the turnstiles. We then checked the platform 8 which is bound to Tokyo. The train was express, took only two stops to Ochanamizu station. Regular trains stop to several stations.

Japan Rail Pass search feature is available in "HYPERDIA by VOICE" for iOS and "HYPERDIA for Android".

Route1

Take time: 9 Minutes Transfer: 0 Times Distance: 7.7 km
Total:¥ 170(TicketFare:¥ 170 Seat Fee:¥ 0) Commuting ticket(1mon:¥ 5,170 3mon:¥ 14,730 6mon:¥ 24,810)

Time	Route		Fare	Seat Fee	UsefulLink
Time	Route		Fare	Seat Fee	UsefulLink
17:28		SHINJUKU(JR) [ Departure track No.8 ] Station timetable \| Add to favorite			Map Hotel Rent-a-car Restaurant
[9 Min]		JR Chuo Line Rapid Service for TOKYO Train timetable \| Interval timetable	¥170
17:37		OCHANOMIZU Add to favorite

JR Chuo Line Rapid Service TAKAO(TOKYO) - TOKYO

Station	Arrival time	Departure Time	Track No.	Distance
TAKAO(TOKYO)		16:28		0.0km
NISHI-HACHIOJI	16:31	16:31		3.3km
HACHIOJI	16:36	16:36		5.7km
TOYODA	16:40	16:40		10.0km
HINO(TOKYO)	16:43	16:43		12.3km
TACHIKAWA	16:46	16:46		15.6km
KUNITACHI	16:49	16:49		18.6km
NISHI-KOKUBUNJI	16:52	16:52		20.3km
KOKUBUNJI	16:55	16:58		21.7km
MUSASHI-KOGANEI	17:02	17:02		24.0km
HIGASHI-KOGANEI	17:04	17:04		25.7km
MUSASHI-SAKAI	17:06	17:06		27.4km
MITAKA	17:09	17:11		29.0km
KICHIJOJI	17:13	17:13		30.6km
NISHI-OGIKUBO	17:15	17:15		32.5km
OGIKUBO	17:18	17:18		34.4km
ASAGAYA	17:20	17:20		35.8km
KOENJI	17:22	17:22		37.0km
NAKANO(TOKYO)	17:24	17:24		38.4km
SHINJUKU(JR)	17:28	17:28	8	42.8km
YOTSUYA	17:32	17:32		46.5km
OCHANOMIZU	17:37	17:37		50.5km
KANDA(TOKYO)	17:40	17:40		51.8km
TOKYO	17:42		2	53.1km
Business day：Week day

Ten minute walk to our hotel from Ochanamizu station. We took a rest for a few minutes and we left also some of our stuff such as our extra battery chargers for phone. It was raining in Tokyo and very cold. We wanted to feel light a bit, our coat was not comfortable and with umbrella, We totally regretted though leaving the battery chargers. Why? you;ll find out later.

I believe my daughter spend almost an hour at the Animate shop. It costs her around Yen12000 for a few stuff she bought. This was actually her main purpose for this trip, to go around the Anime shops at Akihabara. Apparently, that's why we chose hotel near the Akihabara area.

Lift at the Animate shop, Akihabara

inside the lift, Animate, Akihabara

We were now off to Hard Rock Cafe which is located at Roppongi, Minato. We wanted a direct train to Roppongi station, we opted for the Hibiya line. We could have opted another route had we knew Hibiya was far from JR and it was difficult to find. We wasted so much time looking for the station.

On our way looking for the Hibiya line, we stopped for a crepe.

Crepe at Akihabara, Tokyo, Japan

oute1

Take time: 21 Minutes Transfer: 0 Times Distance: 9.3 km
Total:¥ 200(TicketFare:¥ 200 Seat Fee:¥ 0) Commuting ticket(1mon:¥ 7,660 3mon:¥ 21,840 6mon:¥ 41,370)

Commuting ticket

Time	Route		Fare	Seat Fee	UsefulLink
Time	Route		Fare	Seat Fee	UsefulLink
20:26		AKIHABARA Station timetable \| Add to favorite			Map Hotel Rent-a-car Restaurant
[21 Min]		Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line for NAKA-MEGURO Train timetable \| Interval timetable	¥200
20:47		ROPPONGI Add to favorite

Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line KITA-SENJU - NAKA-MEGURO

Station	Arrival time	Departure Time	Track No.	Distance
KITA-SENJU		20:13		0.0km
MINAMI-SENJU	20:16	20:16		2.1km
MINOWA	20:18	20:18		2.9km
IRIYA(TOKYO)	20:20	20:20		4.1km
UENO	20:22	20:22		5.3km
NAKA-OKACHIMACHI	20:23	20:24		5.8km
AKIHABARA	20:25	20:26		6.8km
KODEMMACHO	20:27	20:27		7.7km
NINGYOCHO	20:28	20:29		8.3km
KAYABACHO	20:31	20:31		9.2km
HATCHOBORI(TOKYO)	20:32	20:33		9.7km
TSUKIJI	20:35	20:35		10.7km
HIGASHI-GINZA	20:36	20:37		11.3km
GINZA	20:38	20:38		11.7km
HIBIYA	20:39	20:40		12.1km
KASUMIGASEKI(TOKYO)	20:42	20:42		13.3km
KAMIYACHO	20:44	20:45		14.6km
ROPPONGI	20:47	20:48		16.1km
HIRO-O	20:50	20:51		17.8km
EBISU(TOKYO)	20:53	20:54		19.3km
NAKA-MEGURO	20:56			20.3km
Business day：Week day

It was not easy to find Hibiya line. We took the lines for three times during our visit, I could still not remember the way to and from the Akihabara JR station.

Few minutes walk from the Roppongi station to Hard Rock Cafe and it was still raining. From Hard Rock Cafe, we could see the lighted Tokyo Tower.

Tokyo Tower, Japan

Unless you take a cab, you walk to get to the Tokyo tower from Hard Rock and even from Roppongi station. It was raining and it was so cold and a bit windy. We were there, we walked to the site.

Tokyo Tower, Japan

base of Tokyo Tower, Japan

Tokyo Tower

Tokyo Tower is one of the symbols of Tokyo. It opened in 1958 serving both as telecommunication hub and tourist attraction. Construction started during the country's postwar boom, symbolizing Japan's global economic dominance. It is 13 meters taller than the Eiffel tower in Paris, France. where the design was based on.

The Peak or the lightning rod is at 333 meters.

The main observatory at 150 meters high, boasts panoramic view of the Kanto Region in Tokyo.

The special observatory at 250 meters high, you could see Mt Fuji and Mt Tsukuba on a clear day and the City lights at night.

It was late when we got there and we actually no plan to go up. We went up to Tokyo Skytree on our last day.

building opposite the Tokyo Tower

We were using our phones for map, we noticed we were running out of battery. We left our battery charges. So..... we were totally dead!!!

Nearly midnight, we were to find the nearest station from Tokyo tower that would take us to Akihabara station. Our phone batteries drained! we left our chargers! We had asked the youth passers the way to the nearest station, Kamiyacho station...turn left, turn right, turn right again... I politely cut them, "Could you please help us to hail a cab?" They gladly assisted us and even said good night when the cab was leaving. I thought there is a designated area where we could hail a cab. Apparently, anywhere.

Kamiyacho station is served by Hibiya line. It is the station before the Roppongi station from Akihabara station.

Our misery started at Akihabara metro station. We really took time finding our way to the JR station. By the time we reached our hotel, it was past midnight. It was cold in our room and no heater. We were very very tired. The following day, we were at Tokyo Disneyland.

We slept at around 2am and when our phone alarmed at 6am, my daughter unconsciously grabbed and shook my arm. We were on separate beds fyi. I thought she was telling me "Why so soon? I have not had enough sleep yet". But when I told her about it, she actually did not remember doing it.

Next Post: Getting around Japan: From Akihabara to Tokyo Disneyland.

Related Posts: