The National Science Museum

7-20 Ueno Park, Taito-ku, Tokyo
Telephone: +81-(0)3-3822-0111 (Monday-Friday)
Telephone: +81-(0)3-3822-0114(Saturday, Sunday and National Holidays)
Site: The National Science Museum

Opening Hours: 9:00 - 17:00 (Last admissions: 16:30)
Friday 9:00 - 20:00 (Last admissions: 19:30)
Admission:
Adult and College students: 500 Yen
Child and youth in 1-12 grades: Free

Access: 5 minutes walk from Koen Exit (Park Exit) - JR Ueno Station
10 minutes walk from Ueno Station - Ginza and Hibiya Lines
10 minutes walk from Ueno Station - Keisei Line

Here you can see exhibitions on various topics such as - evolution, survival and extinction of different animals, progress of science and technology, the mysteries of the dinosaurs and many more. There is also a space where kids can experiment with phenomena such as sound, light, force, motion, electricity, and magnetism, or explore the mysteries of nature, in a thicket of mixed trees, that are usually overlooked.

This is very interesting museum for kids and youth but note that Japanese are science and technology lovers, so the line to this museum is huge usually.

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Ueno Museums

Ueno is the place to go if you want to visit as many different museums as you can, but you don’t have time to waist on traveling from one side of Tokyo to another. In Ueno park you will find such must-to-see museum as National Science Museum, Tokyo National Museum and the National Museum of Modern Art

Tokyo National Museum
The National Museum of Western Art
The National Science Museum
Shitamachi Museum

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Oakwood Apartments Roppongi

3-8-5 Roppongi, Minato-ku , Tokyo
Telephone: 81-3-5412-6800
Site: Oakwood Apartments Roppongi

This is apartment hotel that rents apartments on daily/weekly bases.
Oakwood Apartments Roppongi Central offers 69 stylish serviced apartments in the heart of Roppongi, on a private side street just step from Roppongi Crossing. Here you will find smart modern decor including flat screen televisions (with more than 60 satellite TV channels) and a large work desk with broadband access. The property also has a well-equipped gym and business center.

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Ibis Hotel Tokyo

7-14-4, Ropppongi Minato-ku Tokyo
Telephone: 03-3403-4411
Site: Ibis Hotel Tokyo

Ibis hotel is centrally located one minute walk from Roppongi Station.
The hotel has 8 types of rooms staring from 11 meters2 single room to 32 meters2 suit. The hotel has various restaurants including the Sabatini restaurant on the 13 floor of the hotel that allows you to enjoy day or night view of the metropolis, during one of the best Italian meals in town.

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The B Roppongi Hotel

3-9-8 Roppongi,Minato-ku,Tokyo
Telephone: 03-5412-0451
Site: The B Roppongi Hotel

This hotel is located in the heart of Roppongi, just one minute walk from Roppongi Cross, which is the heart of Roppongi, and few steps from Roppongi subway station, and the "Roppongi Hills", is just 5 minutes walk from it.
A modern, contemporary style hotel, the variety of its 65 rooms and is ideal for those guests wishing to sample the nightlife, restaurants and bars that Roppongi has to offer. In the room you will find a coffee and tea kits, internet, fridge and iron that can be very useful during a family stay in the hotel.

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Roppongi Hotels

Roppongi as Tokyo’s business and nightlife center is not the cheapest place to stay in, so here I tried to tell you about some hotels in this area that will not leave a hall in your packet.

Oakwood Apartments Roppongi
Ibis Hotel Tokyo
The B Roppongi Hotel

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Roppongi Shopping

It doesn't matter if you like brands or if you are a budget shopper in Roppongi you can find a shop that will suit you.
If you are a brand lover you should do your shopping in the Roppingi Hills area, but if you like discount shops and budget shopping then you should not miss Don Quijote.

Here is a small list of shops that I liked in Roppongi, hope you will like them too:

Roppongi Hills
Don Quijote
Lush

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Roppongi Museums

Although most people see Roppongi as a popular clubbing and drinking area it has to offer a nice selection of art museums.
See bellow some of the museums I recommend you to visit in Roppongi:

Mori Art Museum
Okura Museum of Art
Sen-Oku Hakuko Kan Museum
Tokyo City View

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Roppongi Shopping - Don Quijote

3-14-10 Roppongi Minato-ku Tokyo
Telephone: 03-5786-0811?
Opening Hours: 11?00AM-7?00AM (yes it is open almost 24 hours a day), no holidays


Access: Hibiya Line 3 minutes walk from Roppongi station
or Oedo Line – 7 minutes from Roppongi station
On this site you will find a shop locator with good map to each store:Don Quijote

?If you are looking for a store less trendy but with more friendly prices you should try Don Quijote. The Roppongi branch is quite big and has 7 floors on which you can find pretty much every thing – cheap food, home appliances, cloths, furniture that has friendly price tag on, cosmetics and bags and even jewelry.

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Roppongi Shopping - Roppongi Hills

This is the ultimate place for shopping in the area, it has an enormous variety of shops and restaurants to choose from.
Here you will find Zara, Replay, Escada boutique, MaxMara, Louis Vuitton, Versace, Hugo Boss, Issey Miyake and many others.
This shop complex has not only a big selection of shops, but also a big cinema, education center, Grand Hyatt hotel, health clinics, hair and beauty salons, bank offices and also many restaurants and cafes to choose from after a long day of shopping.
It is a must see place in Roppongi!
Site: Roppongi Hills

Access: Take the Hibiya Line to Roppingi station (H04), exit C1 – 0 minute walk
or Oedo Line to Roppingi station (E23), exit 3 – 4 minutes walk
or Oedo Line to Azabu Juban station (E22), exit 7 – 5 minutes walk
or Namboku Line to Azabu Juban station (N04), exit 4 – 8 minutes walk
or Chiyoda Line to Nogizaka station (C05), exit 5 – 8 minutes walk

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Roppongi Shopping - Lush

Fresh handmade 160 types of skin care products and the hair care products – soap, bath salts, lotions, hand and body creams, etc.What stuned me in this shop in Roppongi is that it is combined with a flower shop, and the smell of their products and the huge selection of flowers make this shop’s decoration as stunning as it is.
Access: Exit the Roppongi station in exit 3a and tern right, tern right again to Gaien-Higashi-Dori.

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Roppongi Restaurants

Tsurutontan
Roppongi 3-14-12
Telephone: 03-57862626
Exit 3a on the Roppongi Station – go right and tern to Gaien-Higashi-Dori – it is on the same side as the Donkey Hotte shop.
This is mainly an udon and ramen restaurant, but in this ramen you will find pretty much everything you can think about – fried shrimps tempura, fish, egg, mushrooms, tofu and vegetables. The prices are also very good and the ramen and udon bowls are huge.

89 Eighty-nine
Roppongi Hills North Plaza B1F
Telephone: 03-3470-2789
Opening Hours: 11:00-21:00
A store that specializes on sweets, their best dish is a freshly baked Soufflé (cheese and strawberry flavors) that will cost you 399 Yen.
Note that there is not take out.

Cold Stone Creamery
Roppongi Hills North Plaza 1F
Telephone: 03-5412-1288
Opening Hours: 11:00-22:30 (Sunday till 21:00)
A store of popular US ice cream company. Here you can select from many recommended flavors or you can use your imagination and create your own ice cream by selecting the ingredients (fresh fruits, nuts, cookies… ), which will be mixed into it just in front of you.

Chinese Café Eight
Nishi Azabu 3-2-13 Court Annex 2F on TV Asahi-dori – across the Grand Hyatt Hotel (just pass the Roppongi Hills and turn left)
Telephone: 03-5414-5708.
Open 24 hours.
If you are looking for a restaurant with a stylish decoration this is not it, but if you want to taste a variety of Chinese food it is the right place. You can choose from 30 types of dumplings (each dish has 3 dumplings and it coast 105Yen!!), about same number of appetizers for 200-300 Yen per a dish and of course meat and noodles also for a very good prices.
The special dishes include Pecking Duck, that as the menu says san be enough for 3-4 people (from my experience it is enough for 2 not very hungry people) and a fried scorpions dish.
Note that although this place is big you will probably better make a reservation if you are planning to have a big party during lunch or dinner time, if you are just 2 or 3 people they will usually can sit you, even without the reservation.

Sushi Zanmai
Next to Exit 3b of the Roppongi Station
This restaurant serves reasonably priced good quality sushi, and a very tasty crab soup (you will need to get a bit dirty to get the meat out).

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Mori Art Museum

Roppongi Hills Mori Tower (53F),
6-10-1 Roppongi, Minato-ku
Telephone: +81-3-5777-8600
In this museum, located in the Roppongi Hills, there is a program of changing exhibitions, event and different lectures.
Check the exhibitions schedule on their site: Mori Art Museum



Opening Hours:Every day except Tuesdays: 10:00-22:00,Tuesdays: 10:00-17:00
Last admission is 30 minutes before closing.
Admission: Admission fees are different for each exhibition
Access: 0 minutes walk from Roppongi Station (Hibiya Line) Roppongi Hills EXIT or 4 minutes walk from Roppongi Station (Toei Oedo Line), or 5 minutes walk from Azabu Juban Station (Toei Oedo Line)

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Okura Museum of Art

2-10-4 Toranomon,
Minato-ku, Tokyo
Telephone: 03-3583-0781

In 1917, Kihachiro Okura, collector of Buddhist artwork established, on his own land, a museum in which to hold and display his treasures. Over the years, this collection was added to by his son, the founder of Hotel Okura, Baron Kishichiro Okura, whose interests included modern Japanese painting. Today, the Okura Shukokan Museum of Fine Arts houses some 2,000 items and 35,000 volumes — a collection that contains a number of officially registered National Treasures, Important Cultural Objects, and Important Art Objects.

You can’t miss museum, which is located in front of the Okura Hotel, because he is located in a very beautiful, old Japanese style building. In also has a nice garden around it, so don’t forget to visit it after you see the museum.

Opening Hours: 10:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. (Last admission is at 4:00)
Closed: Mondays (when Monday falls on a holiday, the museum will be closed on Tuesday) and New Year's holidays.
Admission:
Adults - ¥800
College students & senior citizens (65 and up) - ¥500
High school students & younger - ¥300
Note: Staying guests of Okura Hotel may receive a free admission ticket by inquiring at hotel Guest Relations desks
Access: 8 minutes walk from Kamiyacho station on the Hibiya line or 8 minutes walk from Roppingi-Iichome station on the Namboku line.

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Sen-Oku Hakuko Kan Museum

1-5-1 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan 106-0032
Telephone. +81-3-5777-8600
Site: Sen-Oku Hakuko Kan Museum

This museum was established in 2002, and it’s collection has a variety of art items, such as paintings (that I specially liked) and tea ceremony utensils, that were donated by Sumitomo family.

Admission:
Adult: 520 Yen
Student: 310 Yen
Child under age of 6: free
Opening Hours: 10:00 - 16:30 (Last admission half an hour before closing)Closed: Mondays (When Monday is a national holiday, the museum is closed on Tuesday instead.)
Access: Three minutes walk from 'Roppongi Itchome' Station (Namboku Line)

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Tokyo City View

Mori Art Center – Tokyo City View
The Tokyo City View in Roppongi Hills offers the public 360 degree view of Tokyo from 250 meter height


Roppongi Hills Mori Tower (52F),
6-10-1 Roppongi, Minato-ku
Telephone: 03-6406-6652
Site: Tokyo City View
Opening Hours: 9:00 am - 1:00 am
Admission:
Adult: 1500 Yen
Student: 1000 Yen
Child: 500 Yen
Access: 0 minutes walk from Roppongi Station (Hibiya Line) Roppongi Hills EXIT or 4 minutes walk from Roppongi Station (Toei Oedo Line), or 5 minutes walk from Azabu Juban Station (Toei Oedo Line)

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Roppongi - Where to go

The main attraction in Roppongi is of cause Roppongi Hills so don't miss the Roppongi Hills tour which will introduce you to this area of Tokyo.
Although Roppongi is cataloged as an entertainment area, don't forget that you are in Japan, so even here you can find a nice little temple.

See more on these posts:

Roppongi Hills Tour
Senshouji Temple

You can also visit few art museums that are located in this area:

Roppongi Museums

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Senshouji Temple

This temple was founded in 1630, and it is mainly known the tomb of tomb of Okita Soushi who was the first captain of the Shinsengumi, but the tomb can only be seen through a fence in the back of the temple.

3-1-37?Motoazabu, Minato-ku
Telephone?03-3408-4810
8-minute walk from Roppongi Station

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Roppongi Hills Tour

This is a tour with an English speaking gueid that takes about 45 minutes. The theme of the tour is:” What kind of town is Roppongi Hills?" "What types of shops are there? Where are they located?" The Roppongi Hills Walking Tour is recommended for visitors who want to become familiar with the vast and fascinating Roppongi Hills. The tour includes an orientation of major buildings, interpretation of artist pieces, and a visit to the roof garden on top of the Keyaki-zaka Complex, which is not open to the general public.

Tour participants may be admitted to the Tokyo City View for ?1,000(Regular admission:?1,500)


Admission:
Adult: 1500 Yen
Student: 1000 Yen
Child: 500 Yen

Note that you must make a reservation 7 days before your visit by calling this phone number: 03-6406-6677 (9:00?18:00?or you can download the tour application on this site: http://www.roppongihills.com/en/ and fax it back.

This is a good option for people how don’t have much time to spend in this area, or in Tokyo at all.

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Harajuku - Where to go

Harajuku is known as a trendy area, where you can see Japanese young people, who are trying to express themselves throw cloths and hair styles. But here is also located one of the nicest shrines of Tokyo and a beautiful park where you can enjoy a quiet moment from a hustle of the big city.

See the following post for more information:

Takeshita Dori
Meiji-Jingu Shrine
Yoyogi Park

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Shopping in Harajuku

Snoopy Town
Open daily from 11:00 to 20:00.
Just across the JR Harajuku station you will see Snoopy Town Shop


Snoopy Town Shop

Then you enter this shop you will find a lot of Snoopy paraphernalia, which includes Snoppy cups and plates, suitcases and wallets, cloths and toys, stationary items and many more.

Takeshita Dori
This street you should visit on a weekday when it maybe a bit less clouded.
It is located just opposite the JR Harajuku Station Exit. Here you will find many small shops and boutiques with cheap and trendy cloths, which are so loved by Japanese young people. And if you are tiered you can always rest at the many café’s and restaurants this street has to offer.

Daiso – 100 Yen Shop
1-19-24 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Opening Hours: 10:00 – 21:00
Site: http://www.daiso-sangyo.co.jp/english/
In reason years the trend of 100 Yen shops in Japan is growing rapidly, I personally love them as well, because you can by pretty good quality items in a very cheap price. This shop is located on the left side of Takeshita Dori (it is about 5th shop on the left, from the entrance of the street), just look for this logo

This shop has 4 floors in which you can find around 90,000 products - food and beverages, stationary products, home cleaning materials, gorgeous china, cosmetics, cloths and many more.
If you don’t care that the souvenirs you bring home will not be made in Japan, then here is a good place to buy a sake sets, tee sets and puts (100 Yen for each piece in the set), chopsticks, fans, decorative lanterns (in the parties section), calligraphy paper and brushes.
Note that some of the items may cost more than 100 Yen, but then on this item will be a sticker that indicated the price.

LaForet Harajuku (Mori Corp.)
1-11-6 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0001
Telephone: 03-3475-0411.
Opening Hours: Daily 11:00-20:00

LaForet Harajuku

LaForet is a Harajuku landmark and the launching pad for the latest Japanese fashion trends. On many floors of this shop you will find mostly Japanese designer’s cloths, shoes and hats, very unique, and very different from what might have seen in the other shops. In my opinion you must visit this place for one more reason – if you ever wondered where the Harajuku girls get their outfits you will definitely get the answer here. In lower floors of this mall you can find shops that sell gothic cloth and the next shop sells puffy, flowery dresses that you probably have seen on your doll as a child, so if you missed the Harajuku young people on the bridge near Meiji-Jingumae station you can see enough of them here.

Condomaniya
Just across the LaForet Harajuku you will see a small shop that sales – yes, you geest right, mostly condoms of all shapes and flavors. Here you can find condoms with samurai and geisha pictures on them – another nice Japanese “souvenir” to bring home.

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Harajuku Museums

Harajuku is not exactly a museum area so the museum selection here is a bit low:
Treasure Museum
It is a building that was built in 1921. Its style, however, is a copy of the Ooyukazukuri (high floor style) of Azekurazukuri Shosoin (the Japanese National Treasure House in Nara).
In the building, various articles used by the Imperial couple during their lifetimes are displayed.
Location: Near Meiji Shrine - 7 minutes on foot from Harajuku Station on JR Yamanote Line or Meiji Jingumae on subway Chiyoda Line

Memorial Picture Gallery (Meiji Kaigakan)
9 Kasumigaoka, Shinjuku-ku
Shinanomachi Station (Sobu line) or Gaienmae or Aoyama-Itchome Stationn (Ginza line).
Telephone: 03-3401-5179
Fax: 03-0401-0676
Opening Hours: Daily 09:00 – 17:00, December 30 – January 2 10:00 - 17:00
Admission: Adults ¥500
College & Senior High Students ¥300
Junior High, Elementary Students ¥200

The Meiji Memorial Picture Gallery that houses a collection of 80 large murals, that were made between 1926 and 1936, each by a different well-known artist of the day, illustrative significant moments in Emperor Meiji’s life, tracking Japan's swift evolution from pre-modern isolation to international dominance.

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Meiji Jingu Shrine

Opening Hours: From sunrise to sunset
Admission: Free
7 minutes on foot from Harajuku Station on JR Yamanote Line or Meiji Jingumae on subway Chiyoda Line

Meiji Jingu is the Shinto shrine dedicated to the divine souls of Emperor Meiji and his consort, Emperor Shoken. Around the shrine there is evergreen forest of 120,000 trees of 365 different species, which were donated by people from all parts of Japan when the shrine was established, and it became not only a spiritual home for people, but also a relaxation area in the center of Tokyo.

Also notice the huge (1.7m. diameter) gates (torii) that you go throw before entering the shrine.
Gyoen, or the Inner Garden, in the inner precinct, that is a part of Meiji Shrine area, was often visited by Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken, who appreciated its natural surroundings. Pleasantly situated at various locations in the garden are tea house, a fishing spot, a bower, and an iris garden, all of which are connected by winding paths.The Iris Garden was constructed according to the design of Emperor Meiji himself in order to give recreation to Empress Shoken.

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Yoyogi Park

During our first month in Tokyo we lived in Akasaka and I was wondering where are all the Japanese kids are, a answer I got when I visited Yoyogi Park.


This is a beautiful large park with jogging and biking paths, pond and rose garden. There many young moms with kids who come here to enjoy the green grass and the fresh air. You can also find here some business men that came to enjoy the park views during their lunch break.

If you come here on the Sunday you may see musicians performing free by the fountain.


Although you may see some homeless people here but Yoyogi park is a safe place and there homeless people are totally harmless – you can fell it by the amount of the moms with babies that coming here every day.

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Takeshita-dori

Takeshita-dori - the main street of Harajuku that is located just at the exit of JR Harajuku station. If you want fully experience Harajuku go to the Takeshita-dori on weekend – the number of young colorful people wondering the street and sitting in endless cafes and fast food restaurants will be beyond your imagination.

Harajuku on Saturday

You must not miss the bridge that leads from Harajuku station to Yoyogi Park if you want to see all the outstanding costumes that young Harajuku girls have to offer. But this you can see only on the weekend, better make it Sunday.

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Harajuku

If you thing that all Japanese are the same uptight workaholics then in Harajuku you will see a totally different Japan, it may be very colorful and very gothic at the same time. In resent years it became the young people's town, which is specially crowded on weekends.

Although you can see the change in the cloths during the weekend all over Tokyo, less suits and more jeans, still it will not prepare you for the Harajuku boys and girls. You will see what I mean the second you get to Harajuku JR station or Meiji-jingumae station of Tokyo Metro.

Harajuku Girls definitely got a wicked style, just like Gwen Stefani says in her song, here you can see all hair colors and all the weird cloth you can only imagine, and don’t you think these cloth are cheap – enter some of the shops on the Takeshita-dori and you will see that these girls spend pretty big amounts of money to look like this.


Harajuku Map
Shopping in Harajuku
Harajuku-Where to go
Harajuku-Museums

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Tokyo Metro - Ticket Types

In the vending machine you can buy few types of tickets:
1. Regular one time ticket – starting from 160 Yen. It is valid only on the day it was purchased.


160yen - 1-6km
190yen - 7-11km
230yen - 12-19km
270yen - 20-27km
300yen - 28-40km

2. Pre-paid card – a card for 1000, 3000 and 5000 Yen for adults only. This is very convenient card – you don’t have to buy a ticket every time and look for the needed fare at the fare table, which sometimes available in Japanese only , you just go with it throw the gate and the needed fare is collected automatically.

3. One day open ticket (Tokyo Metro only) – 710 Yen for adult and 300 Yen for child. For unlimited use on the day of the purchase. You can also buy these tickets in advance in Pass Offices in the stations.


4. Coupon Tickets – there are 3 types of coupon tickets:
Ordinary coupon ticket – set of 11 tickets for a price of 10 for adults and children, for use at any day or time.

Off-Peak tickets - set of 12 tickets for a price of 10 for adults only. These tickets can only be used between 10:00 and 16:00 on Monday through Saturday, Sunday, National holidays including December 30, 31 and January 1, 2, 3.

Sun/Hol Tickets - set of 14 tickets for a price of 10 for adults only. These tickets can only be used only on Saturday, Sunday and National holidays including December 30, 31 and January 1, 2, 3.

5. One Day Ticket for Tokyo Metro and Toei Subway – 1000 Yen for adults and
500 Yen for children, valid for all Tokyo Metro and Toei Subway lines only on
the day of the purchase.

6. Tokyo Combination Ticket – 1580 Yen for adults and 790 Yen for children, for use on the day of the purchase on Tokyo Metro, Toei Subway, Toei Street-Car Toei bus and JR lines inside Tokyo 23 wards

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Tokyo Metro - Fare Adjustment

If on the station you board the train the fare table is in Japanese only, you can buy the cheapest ticket to the line you want to take in the vending machine and then you arrive to desired destination do fare adjustment.

Fare Adjustment Machine

Just insert your card and press the button “English” and all the directions will be given to you. In the end of this process you will get a new ticket from the machine, just insert it into the gate and go throw.

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Tokyo Metro - How to buy a ticket

What I would recommend you then you go to Tokyo Metro is to look for this brochure in which you will find the map of Tokyo Metro and all the explanation that I will give you below.
Before buying a ticket you should check the fare table that is located above the ticket vending machine.

Fare Table

If you can’t find a fare table in English you have 2 options:
Ask the station attendant how much it is (hopefully they will speak English).
Buy the cheapest ticket to the line you want to take in the vending machine and then you arrive to desired destination do fare adjustment.
If you found the fare needed just approach the vending machine, press the button for English and you will be given instructions how to use it.



Ticket Vending Machines

After buying a ticket put it into the automatic gates and go throw

If you need to use 2 different lines of Tokyo Metro to get to your destination, there is no need to buy 2 different tickets – one that has a correct fare fee is enough. Sometimes you will need to go throw a gate in the middle of such journey (to change from line to line), so don’t forget to collect you ticket on the other side of the gate, or else you would be able to exit the station on arriving to your destination. If the gate swallowed your ticket, approach the station attendants, that are usually stand by the gate and tell them of your situation (they will understand you, even if their English is not so good), and you will be given a new ticket, so you can continue to your destination.

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