48 Hours in Tokyo – How I Spent Day 2 of 4 Days in Tokyo

You would think that after my first 24 hours in Tokyo, walking almost 30k steps in a single day around the city, I would be exhausted. But that was not to be! At 6:00 am the next morning, I was up and eager to see more of Japan’s capital city!

After covering a lot of ground with Dee on the first day, I decided to take things a bit easier on the second. Again, I was interested in visiting places that were still mostly empty, hence the early wake-up time. I figured I could relax in the afternoons and explore more casually in the evenings.

Trip Planning Resources

Book your accommodation: Find accommodation options for any budget on Booking.com

Purchase Travel Insurance: I use SafetyWing for both my travel and visa application needs

Activities: Find fun activities and tours in your destination via Get Your Guide, Viator or Klook Travel

eSIM: Get your travel eSIM here

48 Hours in Tokyo – Hie Shrine

My first stop for the day was Hie Shrine, a small Shinto shrine in the city. As this is still a fairly lesser-known attraction in Tokyo, save for a few locals, it was empty when I arrived.

The main attraction I wanted to see here was the row of Torii gates, similar to the one found in Kyoto. It is always refreshing to see such well-kept traditional elements in bustling cities.

I strolled through the gates and wandered around the shrine briefly before heading to Asakusa Station.

48 Hours in Tokyo – Asakusa Station and Sensō-ji Temple

My main reason for stopping at Asakusa Station was to pick up a physical copy of my Nikko Pass. I had to do this a day before my trip to Nikko because I planned to travel on the first train out, which leaves the station before the service centre opens for the day.

I joined a short queue to pick up this pass before heading to the nearby Sensō-ji Temple, where I spent some time strolling around the premises and watching other tourists and devotees troop in.

With more time to kill and still experiencing a burst of energy despite the grey rainy day, I headed off to check out Ueno Park.

48 Hours in Tokyo – Ueno Park

The park is famous for the museums, temples, shrines and zoological gardens found on its grounds. It is also a prime hangout spot to visit, especially during the Sakura (spring) season.

A grey November afternoon meant that I arrived at a sparsely populated park and enjoyed a beautiful and fairly quiet walk and lunch around the area.

I continued my walk outside the park after lunch and ended up at the Tokyo Imperial Palace. It took about an hour to get there, but it was a pleasant walk and a great way to see more of the city.

48 Hours in Tokyo – Tokyo Imperial Palace

I admired the palace from outside and the park just opposite one of the gates, but didn’t stay long due to the heavy police presence around the area. I’m guessing there was an event happening, but I never got to find out what it was.

48 Hours in Tokyo – Shopping in Ginza

Finally, I made my way to Ginza, where I spent the rest of the afternoon hopping from store to store and shopping to my heart’s content!

And with that, I wrapped up my second day in Tokyo! The next morning, I took a day trip to Nikko, and the day after, I visited Kamakura. Both were fantastic day trips to take from the city, and I will be sharing more about these places in upcoming posts.

Have you visited Tokyo or Japan in general? What were your favourite experiences? Please share them with me in the comment section below!