Wednesday, April 15 Day Plan

Gyoen + Kappabashi + Ginza

🌥️ 20°C · Gardens, kitchen gear, Ginza shopping, specialty coffee, yakiniku dinner
KEY TIMES Today’s Flow
TimeWhat
6:30–8:00☕ Breakfast at Southern Tower
8:00–10:30🛌 Relax at hotel
10:30🚶 Walk to Shinjuku Gyoen (~15 min)
10:45🌸 Shinjuku Gyoen (~45 min)
11:45🚃 Metro → Kappabashi
12:15🍳 Kappabashi Kitchen Town
13:30🍱 Light lunch
14:15🚃 Ginza Line → Ginza
14:30🛍️ Ginza browse
15:30☕ Glitch Coffee @ Ginza Six B2F
16:30🚃 Marunouchi Line → Shinjuku
17:00🏨 Freshen up at hotel
18:15🚶 Walk to Futago (~10 min)
18:30🥩 Yakiniku Futago Yoyogi Annex ✅
20:30🏨 Back at hotel
CHECK Before Leaving Hotel
  • Shinjuku Gyoen entry cash/card (¥500 adult, kids free)
  • Cash for Kappabashi small shops
  • Credit card for Ginza shopping + Glitch beans
  • Larger backpack for Kappabashi + Ginza purchases
  • Padded bag space for coffee beans (Natalia will buy!)
  • Comfortable walking shoes
  • Light jacket / umbrella — cloudy day, 20°C
  • Futago reservation confirmation ready on phone
6:30 Breakfast — Southern Tower Dining
☕ Southern Tower Dining (20F)
6:30–10:30 AM · Relaxed morning — no rush, 10:30 AM departure.
10:45 Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden
🌸 Shinjuku Gyoen (新宿御苑)
11 Naitomachi, Shinjuku · 9 AM–6 PM (last entry 5:30) · ~15 min walk east from hotel
¥500/adult · FREE for kids under 15

Why it’s special:

  • One of Tokyo’s largest and most beautiful gardens (58 hectares)
  • Three gardens in one: Japanese traditional, French formal, English landscape
  • Over 65 varieties of cherry trees — late bloomers still active in mid-April 🌸
  • Quiet oasis in the middle of Tokyo

Suggested walk (~45 min):

  • Enter from the Shinjuku Gate (closest to hotel)
  • Cross the English Landscape lawn
  • Pass through the Japanese traditional garden with pond and tea house
  • Exit at Shinjuku Gyoenmae Gate (east side) for onward travel
📍 Shinjuku Gyoen Late-blooming cherry blossoms at Shinjuku Gyoen Seraphima, Natalia and Luca under the cherry blossoms at Shinjuku Gyoen Luca and Natalia overlooking the Japanese traditional garden pond
11:45 Metro to Kappabashi
🚃 Shinjuku Gyoenmae → Tawaramachi (2 lines)
~25 min total · ~¥210/person · Tap Suica/Pasmo

Directions:

  1. Exit Gyoen from the Gyoenmae Gate (east side)
  2. Walk ~3 min to Shinjuku Gyoenmae Station (新宿御苑前駅)
  3. Take Marunouchi Line (🅌 red) direction Ikebukuro/Ogikubo → Akasaka-mitsuke (~8 min)
  4. Transfer to Ginza Line (🅐 orange) direction Asakusa
  5. Ride to Tawaramachi Station (田原町駅) (~15 min)
  6. Take Exit 3 → 5 min walk north to Kappabashi
📍 Shinjuku Gyoenmae Station 📍 Tawaramachi Station
12:15 Kappabashi Kitchen Town
🍳 Kappabashi-dōgugai (合羽橋道具街)
Matsugaya, Taito City · Most shops 10 AM–5 PM · ~800m street with 170+ shops

What to look for:

  • 🔪 Japanese knives — Kama-Asa Shoten, Union Commerce, Tsubaya
  • 🥣 Ceramics + tableware — handmade Japanese dishware, tea cups, chopsticks
  • 🍣 Plastic food samples (sampuru) — iconic fake food displays, fridge magnets
  • ☕ Coffee gear — pour-over drippers, kettles, Hario/Kalita
  • 🍰 Bakeware + molds — unique Japanese baking tools

Must-stop shops:

  • Kama-Asa Shoten (釜浅商店) — legendary knife shop, English-speaking staff
  • Dengama — ceramics, great for gifts
  • Maizuru — plastic food sample specialists
  • Nishimatsuya — compact kitchen gadgets
⚠️ Many shops close at 5 PM — don’t linger past 4 PM
💴 Larger shops take cards, smaller ones may be cash-only
📍 Kappabashi Kitchen Town 📍 Kama-Asa Shoten (knives) Chef uniform shop with mannequins in Kappabashi Kitchen Town Gas grill price tag at Kappabashi — ¥8,635
13:30 Light Lunch

Keep it light — big yakiniku dinner tonight!

🍩 Konbini (7-Eleven, Lawson, Family Mart)
Onigiri, sandwiches, hot foods — cheap, quick, authentic
🍜 Standing soba/udon counter
¥600–900 noodle bowl, fast
🏘 Café sandwich or light bite
Several cafés in the Asakusa/Kappabashi area

Avoid: heavy lunches, tempura, tonkatsu, big ramen — save room for dinner.

14:15 Metro to Ginza
🚃 Tawaramachi → Ginza (direct)
Ginza Line (🅐 orange) direction Shibuya · ~10 min · ~¥180/person

Directions:

  1. Walk back to Tawaramachi Station
  2. Take Ginza Line (🅐 orange) direction Shibuya
  3. Get off at Ginza Station (銀座駅) (~10 min)
  4. Take Exit A3 for Ginza Six (~3 min walk south)
📍 Ginza Station
14:30 Ginza Browse

Tokyo’s luxury shopping district — walkable, polished, different vibe from Shinjuku/Shibuya.

🏪 Ginza Six (ギンザシックス)
6-10-1 Ginza · 10:30 AM–8:30 PM
Luxury shopping complex · Tsutaya Books 6F · Rooftop garden · Glitch Coffee B2F
📍 Ginza Six
📎 Itoya (伊東屋) · 🎯 Seraphima
2-7-15 Ginza · 10 AM–8 PM
Legendary 12-floor stationery store — pens, paper, notebooks, art supplies
📍 Itoya
👕 Uniqlo Ginza Flagship
6-9-5 Ginza · 11 AM–9 PM · 12 floors — largest Uniqlo in the world · Tokyo-exclusive collabs
📍 Uniqlo Ginza
🏪 Muji Ginza Flagship
3-3-5 Ginza · 11 AM–9 PM · 6 floors · Includes Muji hotel and Muji Diner
📍 Muji Ginza
🎭 Kabuki-za Theater
4-12-15 Ginza · Iconic kabuki theater · Free to admire the exterior
📍 Kabuki-za
15:30 Glitch Coffee @ Ginza Six
☕ Glitch Coffee Brewed · Ginza Six B2F · 🎯 For Natalia
6-10-1 Ginza, B2F · 10:30 AM–8:30 PM
  • Different location from the Jimbocho flagship you already visited
  • Espresso-bar focused, smaller footprint, modern design
  • May have different curated bean selection
  • Main goal: buy beans to take home
📍 Glitch Coffee Ginza Six Glitch Coffee storefront in Ginza Natalia inside Glitch Coffee Glitch Coffee pour-over with La Reserva Ecuador tasting card
16:30 Metro back to Shinjuku
🚃 Ginza → Shinjuku (direct)
Marunouchi Line (🅌 red) direction Ogikubo · ~15 min · ~¥210/person

Directions:

  1. Walk to Ginza Station
  2. Take Marunouchi Line (🅌 red) direction Ogikubo
  3. Get off at Shinjuku Station (~15 min)
  4. Take the South Exit → walk to hotel (~5 min)
📍 Shinjuku Station
17:00 Freshen Up at Hotel
  • Drop off Kappabashi purchases + Ginza shopping + coffee beans
  • Rest, change clothes
  • Leave hotel ~6:15 PM for dinner (~10 min walk)
18:30 Dinner — Yakiniku Futago Yoyogi Annex ✅
🥩 Yakiniku Futago Yoyogi Annex (焼肉ふたご 代々木アネックス)
Sendagaya 5-22-3, Shibuya-ku · ⭐ 4.9 (666 reviews)
✅ Confirmed: Party of 4 · Wed Apr 15 · 18:30 JST
Booked via Google / Toreta · Confirmation sent to max.jenssen@googlemail.com
📞 +81 3-6273-2529

About Futago:

  • The larger “Annex” location of the famous Futago brand
  • Family-friendly — reviews specifically mention this
  • Servers grill the meat for you — easier with kids
  • Lively, fun atmosphere with chanting staff
  • ~¥4,000–6,000/person
  • Signature: super-long beef tongue, thick-cut kalbi, wagyu cuts

Getting there:

  1. Leave hotel at 6:15 PM
  2. Walk east through Sendagaya area (~10 min)
  3. Arrive by 6:25 PM to check in

💳 Credit cards accepted · English menu available · Ask for the signature long-cut beef tongue!

📍 Navigate to Futago

🟡 Backup: Dandadan Gyoza (same building!)

🫿 Nikujiru Gyoza no Dandadan Yoyogi (肉汁餓子のダンダダン 代々木店)
Sendagaya 5-22-3, 1F — same building as Futago!
Wed hours: 11:30 AM–3 PM / 4 PM–midnight (last food order 11 PM)
56 seats · Reservations accepted · Credit cards OK
~¥2,000–3,000/person · 📞 03-6380-4469
  • Famous juicy handmade gyoza — hand-wrapped, crispy skin, bursting with juice
  • Chicken wing gyoza, beer pairing, all-you-can-drink courses
  • Big enough for 4, reservable, open late — perfect if Futago has issues
📍 Dandadan Gyoza Yoyogi 📍 Reserve on Tabelog Luca and Seraphima by a Japanese mural on the evening walk to Futago Yakiniku grill close-up — meat sizzling with tongs at Futago Family chatting at the Futago yakiniku table
20:30 Return to Hotel

Walk back through Sendagaya/Yoyogi to hotel (~10 min). Early bedtime — Thursday is a free day.

Walking home in the rain with umbrellas through Shinjuku at night
INFO Contacts & Bookings
  • Hotel Century Southern Tower: 2-2-1 Yoyogi, Shibuya-ku 151-8583
  • Yakiniku Futago Yoyogi Annex: ✅ Booked · Wed Apr 15 · 18:30 JST · Party of 4 · +81 3-6273-2529
  • Tomorrow (Thu Apr 16): Open / free day — possibly Asakusa + Tensan tempura

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