4 Days Tokyo itinerary

Hi all,

This summer (June) my girlfriend and I will be visiting Japan for the very first time. We've got our overall travel plan in coordination with a travel agency and planned 4 days in Tokyo. Well, actually it's more of 3 days because of the arriving and departing day. I'm a bit stuck with certain highlights to fit them in. Please feel free to provide your feedback on the itinerary.
Our hotel is located between Ginza and Shiodome.

Day 1 (Sunday)
We're arriving by plane in Haneda in the morning (10AM local time) and going to our hotel.
Discover the Ginza en Shiodome area. Time permitting we can take the train to visit Akihabara as well. If we don't feel like it, or don't have the time, we can add this on the next day.

I don't want to pack this day too much as we're just coming of the plane.

Day 2 (Monday
Visit Sensoji - Skytree (on a clear day) - Sumida Park - Ueno Park. Maybe pass by Kappabashi on the way to Ueno.

Day 3 (Tuesday)
Start in Shibuya and work our way up north to Harajuku - Meiji & Yoyogi - Gyoen Park to end the day in Shinjuku with the skyscrapers and enjoy some nightlife. This will be a very busy day, but as many parks are closed on Monday I felt like I had to cramp them into one day to avoid scrambling all around the city.

Day 4 (Wednesday)
We're leaving today to the Kiso valley and wish to visit Matsumoto on the way there. As we're travelling by public transport (JR Pass) the trip takes some time.
I was considering visiting the Tsukiji outer marker in the morning as it's close to our hotel. Then travel by shinkansen to Nagano and further on to Matsumoto.

Here's my main question and issue: I'm a bit troubled by the fact that I couldn't fit the Imperial Gardens in our visit. I'm sure there's plenty more to discover as well, but that was on my list and I can't find a suitable moment to add it. Any suggestions where to place it or to leave things out? The park is closed on Monday, so that's doesn't make things easy.

All feedback is welcome!
Thanks in advance.

I would go adding more. That's a hectic itinerary already.

Imperial Gardens are not that great so missing those is not a major issue (there are a lot of other better gardens in the city). Hamarikyu gardens (near where you are staying) is open Mondays.
Travelling on a JR Pass - did you make sure it is delivering value for money - current pricing makes it worthwhile for fast and long distances on the shinkansen. Much harder to make it pay on the express trains Nagano to Kiso area.

I agree with JapanCustomTours in that you won't be missing much by skipping the Imperial Gardens. They're not particularly pretty or grandiose, and even if you were going to carve out extra tine in your schedule for another garden visit, there are more satisfying ones elsewhere in Tokyo. I've taken people to the Imperial Gardens, and the general reaction was that they're pretty underwhelming.

As for Shibuya, Harajuku, Meiji Shrine Inner Garden/Yoyogi Gyoen, and Shinjuku all in one day, it'll be busy, but I think it's doable, though I should mention that I really do enjoy doing a lot of walking. Shibuya and Harajuku are mainly shopping places, so unless you're a serious fashion fan, you can probably cover ground pretty quickly. Though you didn't mention it, I'd probably skip Yoyogi Park (which is nearby by separate from Yoyogi Gyoen) as it's not all that impressive except during cherry blossom season, and even then there are nicer cherry blossom-viewing spots.

And yeah, if you're an early riser, I'd definitely recommend a morning visit to Tsukiji. Provided you don't have your heart set on eating at one of the more tourist-famous restaurants (which aren't really any better than the lesser-known ones), you should be able to get in and out without spending too much time, and if you're at all a sushi fan, it's a tasty and fun experience to eat it in the most famous neighborhood in the world for the dish.

Thanks a lot for all the helpful replies!

I believe I'm more comfortable now to drop the Imperial Gardens. As mentioned already: it's a rather busy schedule by itself and we'll see different parks.
On the day we leave Tokyo it should be more fun to make a quick early morning stop at Tsukiji instead of racing time to fit in those gardens.

Concerning the JR-Pass: I believe it's good value for the total trip we've planned (going further to Kyoto and Hiroshima - Osaka). As far as I understood, I'd still try to get my hands on a SUICA or PASMO card as most of the trains within Tokyo are not covered by the JR-Pass. Is that correct? Could also be handy to pay at convenience stores.
However, I've heard that due to chip shortage they are difficult to get your hands on.

We're well aware that day 3 is going to be a busy one. I didn't specify in my initial post, but you guessed right: we like covering a large area by foot and are not into shopping. The plan is to pass by Harajuku quickly and just get the atmosphere rather than go browsing stores.
Concerning Yoyogi Park: I've read on this website that mid-June the irises are blooming in the Inner Garden. Might be something worthwhile?

Thanks again for all the replies! Really appreciated and helpful.

You may be pressed for time, but Meiji Shrine is grand and impressive, with lovely grounds for a walk.

Only small tip I have is that in the evening you have fantastic izakaya food options near your hotel in Shinbashi.


e.g.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/pjik3NGwcdbvPLVM7
https://maps.app.goo.gl/5XYbM1eQANUzkVxd6

Do I need a Suica/Pasmo? All info is here (short answer is: yes) https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2359_003.html
Is the JR pass worth it? Use a calculator (the answer is likely no, but I won't try to convince you) : https://www.japan-guide.com/railpass/

I have visited Tokio several times for now, but if should now list these places what I liked the most, they are:
Shibuya crossing and Hachiko - crazy and must, same for Akihabara
Asakusa
Yanesen
Odaiba and Rainbow bridge, Yurikamome (sit in front)
Metropolitan building for view
Ebisu
Ueno for Sakura
Hamarikyu

Temples and shrines leave for Kyoto.
Skytree - if you book in advance. Othervice waiting may take hours.
Tokyo Tower is best to see from outside.

Thanks again for all the feedback!

Maybe I need a correction from my side on the JR-Pass. The travel agency with whom we booked the trip included the JR-Pass. Using the calculator it's maybe not worth it, especially taking into consideration that it doesn't cover the subways in Tokyo or Kyoto.

Concerning the Skytree: I read that it's only nice on a clear day. As June can be a bit hazy due to the high moisture concentration, I'd rather not risk booking it too far up front. Maybe we'll decide 1-2 days beforehand if that still provides enough time to book them. Otherwise, I guess we'll just have to do with the Metropolitan building. It would be super nice to get a view of Mount Fuji, however, as we'll skip that area during our visit to Japan.

I highly recommend keeping a light first day, especially after flying around the world. If you do have the energy and if you don't take too long getting through Customs & Immigration, you could have your bags sent to your hotel by a luggage forwarder (takuhaibin) and go straight from the airport to sightseeing. Ask them if they can have the bags delivered to your hotel by that evening or not. Costs are not bad, and you already mentioned your time is limited.
For Day 2, Kappabashi is an often overlooked great place - be sure to check out some of the "sanpuru" stores where you can see some incredibly detailed models of food used at restaurant window displays. Some can make some excellent (though pricey) souvenirs. Kappabashi is only a 10 minute walk or so from Sensoji. If you want a good photo spot of Sensoji, go to the tourist info office across the street and then up to the 8th floor.
For Day 3, don't miss the shrine garden in the middle of Meiji Shrine - most people miss it completely, unfortunately. You timing is also good to see the irises in bloom, which are especially nice at the Meiji garden. You also might consider going to Shibuya Sky around sunset - it is not free like the TMG in Shinjuku, but does give a killer view.
As others have mentioned, the East Imperial Garden is OK, but there are far better ones in Tokyo. Rikugien, Kishikawa Korakuen, and Kiyosumi to name a few of them. All are open on Mondays, and they are all beautiful, inexpensive, and normally uncrowded. Horikiri also has a beautiful iris garden.
https://goo.gl/tAECfM

I also suggest you check if your itinerary justifies a JR Rail Pass. It may be your agency pushing it so they can get a commission from it. Even if you do break even, the pass also limits you to non-Nozomi trains (Nozomi trains are far more numerous and convenient) unless you pay an additional surcharge.

Be aware that the rainy season starts in June. The first part of the month is not that bad at all, but from around mid-June you could get hit with days of heavy rain. It also gets very humid and it's like walking in a steam bath all day.