This is part 2 of my 10 day Japan itinerary from when I ran the Tokyo Marathon in 2025. Go here to read part 1, which focused on my time in Kyoto and Nara. This post focuses more on my time in Tokyo around the marathon - which is the whole reason I was in Japan in the first place :)

*Posing with my new friend after running the 2025 Tokyo Marathon*

DAY 4: Tokyo

This was mostly a travel day and getting into a racing mindset for the marathon.

I started the day by traveling on the Shinkansen from Kyoto to Tokyo. It’s a little over 2 hours and an easy trip. I went straight to my hotel to drop off my roller bag and then went to the expo. I talk more about the expo in this post.

After the expo, I went back to check into my hotel room in Ginza and had dinner with a friend. I don’t remember the name of the restaurant, but it was a small ramen spot under Tokyo station (on a strip of a bunch of ramen shops). After dinner we walked around a bit. There was a cool display of all the marathoners’ names on one of the buildings.

DAY 5: Tokyo

This was the day before the Tokyo Marathon, so I intentionally kept it pretty chill.

I started the day with a shakeout run with a few friends, starting at the Imperial Palace. More on shakeout runs on this post. After a chill 3 miles, we went to X coffee. If you’re a coffee snob or just like really good coffee, this is a great one to visit. You could choose from a variety of different beans for your drink and you got a card with the description with your order.

After showering, I went to check out Shibuya Crossing. It was honestly a little underwhelming, but I still think it’s a tourist attraction worth checking out. If you want a cool view, go up in one of the nearby buildings at night.

Otherwise, I mostly relaxed with my feet up and prepared everything the day before the race. I got my dinner from the FamilyMart a few blocks away because I didn’t feel like going out somewhere. The food from the convenience stores is good and I just wanted to get carbs in.

DAY 6: Tokyo

Marathon day has finally arrived!! I wrote more about the actual race here (especially the aid stations, cutoff times, and finish line situations).

The marathon obviously took up a good chunk of time, but we need to celebrate after running a big race!

We went to Golden Gai for some celebration drinks. It’s an area in the Shinjuku neighborhood with a bunch of small bars. We hopped around to a few of them and had a great time. All the bars have a different vibe and capacities. Many were full, but we still found 3 good ones to pop into.

There aren’t many places with food in the few blocks of bars, so we went elsewhere for some noodles.

I closed out the night with a snack from 7-11 and then back to my hotel to get some good recovery sleep!

*Making new friends at a bar in Golden Gai - everyone was so impressed that we ran a marathon!*

DAY 7: Tokyo

I woke up to cold temps and a downpour outside, so I let myself be lazy in bed for awhile. I finally got myself up and made my way to the Asakusa neighborhood. I was craving sushi and tucked into Sushi Edomaru Asakusa. Like all the other fish I’d had in Japan, it was delicious.

I made my way over to Kappabashi Street, which is known as the “kitchen street.” I found a few cool pieces to add to my kitchen (that would also fit in my luggage). I don’t think this street is worth all the hype I saw on social media, but I do think it’s a good spot to look for fun or practical pieces for your kitchen.

For dinner, a friend and I went to an Izakaya restaurant. The original one we wanted to eat at was Tatemichiya, but they did not have any openings left for dinner. We used Google Maps and wandered around to find another one, which was still very good. (sorry, don’t remember the name of the place!) Lesson learned - if there is a specific restaurant you want to eat at (that takes reservations), be sure to make a reservation!

DAY 8: Hakone

I made my way to Hakone for a one night stay. From Tokyo you take the Limited Express “Romancecar” from Shinjuku. I chose to go to Hakone to get away from the big city and relax after the marathon. I do wish I’d stayed more than one night, however, as I didn’t have enough time to do everything, especially because some attractions were closed because of the snow + wind.

I booked a nicer hotel in Hakone to treat myself after running the marathon. While not a traditional onsen hotel, like Hakone is known for, it was a lovely place to relax. If I do go back to Hakone, though, I would like to stay in a more traditional ryokan.

The main attraction I visited in Hakone was the Open Air Museum. I’m not a huge museum person, but I really enjoyed this one because it’s primarily sculptures and a lot of abstract art.

As I mentioned, it was snowing when I visited, so a few of the big attractions were closed (like the boat that goes around the lake). To be honest, I was also really tired, so I really maximized laying around my hotel room. No regrets, but this is a place in Japan I want to visit again, and I would recommend two nights here if you’re visiting.

*So many cool sculptures at the Open Air Museum in Hakone*

DAY 9: Hakone + Tokyo

I traveled back to Tokyo the next day. This was my last full day in Japan and I still had a list of activities to check off. Shopping was the main activity on my mind for the afternoon. I’m not a huge shopper, but there were a few stores I wanted to stop in and take advantage of the tax-free perk.

A pair of Onitsuka Tiger shoes was the main thing on my list, and after going to a few stores to browse the selections, I found a pair I loved and wear all the time. I also got a few pieces of clothing from Uniqlo and some beauty products from a few spots. Outside of some kitchenware, a few pieces of Tokyo Marathon gear, and these items, I didn’t do much shopping in Japan. If I go back, I would probably save more room for shopping, as there are a lot of good deals to be had and there are a lot of items that are hard to get outside of Japan (unless you want to pay a pretty penny for them).

After dropping off my bags at my hotel room, I got ramen for dinner at Tsujita Ginza. I had to wait in a bit of a line, but it was well worth it. The ramen was delicious. I will say, though, that my stomach seemed to be sensitive to something in the ramen broth in Japan. In both of my authentic ramen experiences (in Kyoto and Tokyo), I had an upset stomach and some GI issues in the 24 hours afterwards. I thought it was an isolated incident in Kyoto, but it happened again after this dinner, so I think it’s something they put in the broth. I’m flagging for anyone who has a sensitive stomach – you may want to be careful not to eat ramen in the 48 hours prior to the race!

DAY 10: Tokyo

My final day in Japan! With an evening flight, though, I had a good chunk of the day to explore. I started the day by going to Tsukiji Market. This is definitely a spot I recommend walking around while in Tokyo. I tried foods from a couple different stalls and also picked up a few small gifts.

Afterwards, I made my way to Roar Coffee. They are known for their colorful latte art. While the coffee was good (this is another spot where you can choose your bean), the line was very slow moving and you couldn’t substitute non-dairy milk for the popular rainbow latte (bummer for me).

There was only one shrine/temple in Tokyo that I really wanted to visit and that was Meiji Jingu. It’s different because it’s in a big forest and it doesn’t feel like you’re in a big city. Because I’d already traveled to Kyoto and gone to several shrines/temples, I didn’t feel the need to go to a bunch in Tokyo. But this one is unique, and I’m really happy I had the chance to see it.

*Posing with my Tokyo Marathon medal at Meiji Jingu*

Tokyo is one of the largest cities in the world, and just like any large city, there is an infinite number of activities to do and sights to see. If you’re running the marathon, you want to be careful not to walk around too much the few days before the race if you’re going for a specific time goal. Post-race is the best time to do a lot of your exploring. Know that you won’t be able to fit everything in – pick and choose what’s most important for you to see. You don’t have to go to a popular spot just because everyone else is going. Remember this is your trip and you should see what you want to see!

What is on your must-see list in Tokyo?

Japan Runcation Itinerary, Part 2: Tokyo and Hakone