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Hey Doc, late to the suggestion box, but here's my "hit list"
of places that I enjoyed over the years during 3+ dozen trips
to Tokyo and Nihon:
-Electronics: Akihabara section, aka Akihabara Electric Town, (Denkigai), espc on Chuo Dori (Dori=Street). Even if you don't buy, it is remarkable to window shop and see.
-Harajuku section: crazy kids and teens in crazy teen getups and "fashions".
-Ueno, ("hill" in Nihonji), jes' north of city if you are into m'cycles. A few block area has more sleds and m'stuff than most cities in US.
-If you wake up early,(which happens w/the time lag), leap into a taxi or take subway to Tsukiji Mkt: it makes the old Fulton Fish Mkt in NYC, look like a Long John Silver resturant by comparo; get there by 5ish am and it's winding down, but still remarkable.
-Ginza section by day to see the outrageous stores, prices and shoppers; by night to see the neon and multitude of lil' side streets bustling w/activity by the "salarymen".
-Roppongi: For Nihon-style posers, rock&roll, action some Americanized food joints, HardRock, Spago, kids, luxe cars, the "Cavern", a remarkable Beatle mimic joint, (right around corner from Hard Rock), etc., etc.
-Some eve after dark, hit a hotel with a "high" bar for a 15-20 buck cocktail but worth it to see Tokyo at night. Rec'd is 40th floor of Park Hyatt in Shinjuku or top bar in Imperial Hotel near Ginza, across from Hibiya Park.
-any large supermarket just to see the diff. assortment of stuff and the persnickidy Nihon shopper.
-Any decent park, (there are hundreds), for a tranquil stroll and some fine, timeless&ageless gardening.
-Hit one of the Kabuki theaters or the main one in Ginza; one could walk in, nearly anytime, and watch...doesn't matter as the plot is thin, to a Yank, you cannot understand a word, but the "spectacle" is worth seeing for an hour or less.
The Place names above are "sections/areas" of the greater Tokyo area; all easily reachable by subway and/or taxi.
Other stuff/tips:
-grab the std subway pamphlet/map in hotel or in subway: routes are really easy, fast, cheap and not hard to figure out.
-taxis are quite pricey, though clean; most drivers can get you "close", though a specific address is tough as the numbering/address system is chaotic. Few taxi drivers speak any English.
-Tokyo is, imo, THE Safest big city on the planet;(well, maybe 2nd behind Singapore of the '90s). You and yours, will Never be accosted or wolf whistled or barely noticed, day or night, in nearly any part of the metro area.
-The food, Everywhere, is pure, tasty, different, sometimes Very expensive, but outstanding. Try Everything, imo!
My Qtr's up!
Enjoy your trip...
GL,md
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