Tokyo 2023: WARNER BROS. STUDIO TOUR TOKYO – THE MAKING OF HARRY POTTER, HIE SHRINE, HARAJUKU & OMOTESANDŌ Photoblog [October 2023]

Last year, my friends and I flew to Tokyo for a little over a week. We went around the city and visited the usual and not-so-usual places. We have been to Tokyo in 2015 and individually in the following years, so we did not aim to see everything this time. We carefully planned our itinerary, but we also kept it open and flexible.

In the last few weeks, I shared with you under the Tokyo 2023 blogs the places we visited for this trip: Roppongi, Yokohama, Shibuya, Tsukiji, Gotokuji, Ginza, Asakusa, Ueno, Shinjuku, Odaiba, and Tokyo Disneyland. I also shared with you how we completed a do-it-yourself day trip to Fujikawaguchiko to see Mount Fuji from Chureito Pagoda, Kawaguchiko Station, and Lake Kawaguchiko.

Today, I will share with you details and photos of the remaining places we have been to on this trip to Tokyo. I hope you can look forward to photos of the Harry Potter Studio Tour, Hie Shrine, Harajuku, and Omotesandō.

Plane Tickets

My friends and I scored ₱1 base fare ticket to Tokyo during Cebu Pacific Air’s anniversary sale in March 2023. We got our tickets for ₱7,116.72 roundtrip each. We got the fare bundle, including a complimentary standard seat and 20 kilograms of checked luggage.

I wrote about our Cebu Pacific Air flights to and from Tokyo: 5J 5056 Manila to Tokyo Narita and 5J 5055 Tokyo Narita to Manila. I hope you can find time to read these flight posts.

Accommodation

My friends and I stayed for all 10 nights at Imano Tokyo Ginza Hostel. We got a private twin room with toilet and bath for the first night and eventually transferred to a 6-bed mixed dormitory when another friend joined us.

I elaborated on Imano Tokyo Ginza Hostel in one of the recent hostel of the day features. I hope you can check out that hostel feature and find out why this instantly became my new favorite Tokyo hostel.

Going Around Tokyo

Going around Tokyo can be intimidating and challenging, given its complicated metro and subway system. Subway and train lines normally overlap, and train stations have an unending number of exits. My friends and I overcame the city’s confusing train system and managed to reach our planned destinations and go back to our hostel every single day.

We did not avail of any subway or metro passes. Instead, we used our IC cards on every train ride. With the help of Google Maps, we took either the fastest or the most economical route on every journey.

Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo – The Making of Harry Potter

 

Opened in June 2023, the Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo: The Making of Harry Potter walks you through behind the scenes of the Harry Potter series. It features iconic movie sets like those of The Great Hall, Platform 9 ¾, Diagon Alley, The Forbidden Forest, and The Ministry of Magic. It also has interactive areas like the Quidditch, the moving stairs, the living portraits, and the spell areas. Lastly, the tour also features real props and materials used, as well as original costumes worn by the cast during filming.

My friends and I got our tickets three months in advance from Klook and paid ₱2,270.25 each after discounts. We took our time and finished the whole walkthrough experience in a little over 4 hours.

Nearest Train Station: Toshimaen Station (Seibu Ikebukuro Line and Oedo Subway Line)

Hie Shrine

Hie Shrine is a tree-covered Shinto shrine located on top of a hill in Nagatachō district. The shrine is the starting point of Sannō Matsuri, a famous summer festival in Tokyo.

 

Nearest Train Stations: Tameike-sannō Station (Ginza and Namboku Subway Lines) and Akasaka-mitsuke Station (Ginza and Marunouchi Subway Lines)

Harajuku

Harajuku is a famous fashion and colorful youth shopping and entertainment area in Shibuya Ward. The area’s main street, Takeshita Street, is full of vintage shops, unique cafes and stores, cosplay shops, and dessert places.

Nearest Train Stations: Harajuku Station (JR Yamanote Line) and Meiji-jingumae ‘Harajuku’ Station (Chiyoda and Fukutoshin Subway Lines)

Omotesandō

Omotesandō is one of Tokyo’s upscale and luxury shopping districts. The area has several fashion flagship stores and beautifully designed architectural buildings. It is also a vintage shopping hotspot where you can find small local vintage and artisan shops. The area also has small bars, restaurants, and cafes. Omotesandō is one of the best places for retail therapy when in Tokyo.

Nearest Train Stations: Omote-sando Station (Chiyoda, Ginza, and Hanzomon Subway Lines) and Meiji-jingumae ‘Harajuku’ Station (Chiyoda and Fukutoshin Subway Lines)


This wraps up our Tokyo 2023 trip! It was all good memories, tired feet and crying wallets. Nevertheless, my friends and I will never get tired of visiting Tokyo.

Have you been to Tokyo or to the places shown above? How was your trip or experience? Do you see yourself going back to Tokyo in the future? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments section below. Do you have questions about Tokyo or anything mentioned above? You may send them via email to contact@thewkndtravel.com.

Thank you for joining me in this Tokyo 2023 series. We have been to a lot in this trip and we still have a lot left to see! I hope you can look forward to more Japan content in this website in the future.

Before you go, I hope you can like, follow and share my social media pages – Facebook and Instagram. This will help me increase my reach; it will also keep you up-to-date with the latest blog posts, itineraries and flight reports on this website. Thank you and see you in the next one!

PS. Photos were taken using my OnePlus 9 Pro.

Japan Highlights 2019: TOKYO – 36 Hours In The Land Of The Rising Sun’s Most Famous Metropolis

Last week, I shared with you details of Dot Nagano Hostel – the hostel I stayed with in Nagano. It was antique & unique, small but affordable; it’s the best place to stay in a beautiful city like Nagano.

My 2019 Japan trip started in Tokyo before I went to Nagano. My initial plan was to explore Nagano, Kanazawa, Toyama & Kumamoto for 9 days until my sisters & relatives joined the trip. I had to revise my itinerary to join them most of the time & also to guide them in their first trip to Japan. I joined them for 36 hours in Tokyo before going on my own in Nagano. I met with my sisters in Osaka a few days after.

Saw these empty barrels of sake outside Meiji Jingu Shrine. Felt so good to be back in Tokyo, Japan!

In this post, I will specifically talk about in 36-hour stay in the world’s most populous metropolis, Tokyo. Please note that this is not my 1st time (actually my 4th) in the city. Also, we’re travelling with a 1-year old kid. Our itinerary was relaxed & kid-friendly.

Flight To Tokyo

Taken during my Cebu Pacific Air flight to Tokyo (Narita). Saw Mount Fuji from the plane window.

Will you believe me if I say that I booked my ticket to Tokyo for only ₱850 one way? Yes, it’s true. I booked this flight August 2018, right before all the fuel surcharges & other charges imposed on airfares. I took advantage of GetGo‘s, Cebu Pacific Air‘s lifestyle rewards program, 8,000 points off promotion that time.

I only paid 3,900 GetGo points & ₱850 for this flight to Tokyo. The flight left Manila at 6:15 am & arrived Tokyo ay 11:30 am local time. Flight time took about 4 hours & paying such cheap fare was definitely worth it. I wrote a previous post on how you can score cheap flights like this; check out this link (& this link too) for more information.

Places Visited Within 36 Hours

36 hours may be too short for a trip to Tokyo; but hey, I got the most out of it. Most of the places we went to were the same places I’ve been to in my past Tokyo visits. It’s their 1st time, so they need to see the highlights. Check out these places we went to:

Asakusa

One of Tokyo’s visited areas is Asakusa. This area is known for the Senso-ji Temple, the city’s world famous & oldest red Buddhist temple. We passed by the temple on our way to the hostel. We also walked around the busy streets & even went to one of the biggest Don Quijote stores in Tokyo.

Nearest train station: Asakusa Station (Tobu Railway, Tokyo Metro & Toei Subway Lines)

Roppongi

The main reason we went to Roppongi was to attend the 6:00 pm anticipated Sunday mass at the Franciscan Chapel Center – Roppongi Catholic Church. We also explored the area, walked around different shopping malls & even saw Tokyo Tower from afar.

Nearest train station: Roppongi Station (Tokyo Metro & Toei Subway Lines)

Meiji Jingu

One of the few wooden torii gates found at every entrance of the Meiji Jingu Shrine in Tokyo, Japan

Meiji Jingu is Tokyo’s most important Shinto shrine & is dedicated to Emperor Jingu. We went there on a Sunday, so the place was flooded both by locals & visitors. I’ve been to this place in 2015 & again, I witnessed a part of a Japanese wedding.

Nearest train stations: Harajuku Station (JR Yamanote Line) & Meiji-jingu-mae Station (Tokyo Metro Chiyoda & Fukutoshin Subway Lines)

Takeshita Street

Harajuku’s Takeshita Street is one of the city’s busiest places. It is a short street full of shops, cafes, restaurants & anything fancy. I reckon it is the best place to buy pasalubong. Look for the stall that sells Kitkats for less than ¥200 & chocolates for less than ¥90 per small box. I forgot the name of the place but it’s the one with chocolates displayed along the streets.

Nearest train station: Harajuku Station (JR Yamanote Line)

Omotesando Hills

Right at the other end of Takeshita Street is Omotesando Hills. This area is Tokyo’s special area for shopaholics. Omotesando Hills is a large shopping complex where you can find all local & international luxury & branded stores. It is also a place where you’ll see many boutique & specialty stores.

Nearest train station: Omotesando Station (Toko Metro Chiyoda, Ginza & Hanzomon Lines)

Shibuya

Shibuya is one of Tokyo’s most famous places to visit. It became famous for the intersection & its busy commercial district. It’s also a good place to go shopping & have good food. We had our late lunch in a sushi (train) restaurant. We went around different stores & buildings afterwards. We also dropped by the famous Hachiko statue.

Nearest train stations: Shibuya Station (JR Yamanote, JR Saikyo & Shonan-Shinjuku Lines, Keio Inokashira Line, Tokyo Metro Ginza, Hanzomon & Fukutoshin Lines)


And that’s a wrap! That’s already 36 hours around Tokyo, Japan. I may not have been to new places but I had a great time visiting these places again – but this time with my family. I left for Nagano afterwards while they went to Tokyo DisneySea Resort, Akihabara & Shinjuku days after.

It’s still in my plan to go back to Tokyo for a few days & go to newer places. I heard there’s quite a list of new & exciting places to go to. The last time I went there to explore was in 2015 & it’s been years. I don’t know when will that be but hopefully soon.

Have you been to Tokyo recently? Any fancy, new or interesting places to go to? Share your suggestions & itineraries below. Feel free to also send them via email to contact@thewkndtravel.com if you’re shy enough to comment. Make sure to follow me & please also help me in promoting my social media channels – FacebookInstagram or Twitter.

Watch out for my post about the beautiful Nagano. Ciao!

PS. Photos were taken using my HTC U11.