Oct 19–22 · 3 nights
Tokyo
Last stretch & home
Photo David Kernan · CC BY 4.0, resized
Three nights back in Tokyo to mop up whatever the first weekend missed, then home.
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Where we're staying
HOTEL MYSTAYS Gotanda StationBooked
Oct 19 → Oct 22 · 3nights · check-in 3:00 PM · out 11:00 AM
- Reservation
- 699712683
- Room
- Two double rooms
- Guests
- 3 of us, across two rooms
- Check-in
- Oct 19 · 3:00 PM
- Check-out
- Oct 22 · 11:00 AM
- Plan
- Early bird discount 28 — room only, no breakfast.
2-6-8 Nishi Gotanda, Shinagawa, Tokyo 141-0031 (品川区西五反田2-6-8)
In front of Gotanda Station, on both the JR Yamanote and Toei Asakusa lines; Shinagawa, where the Narita Express starts, is two Yamanote stops away.
Day by day
Oct 19
MonArrive Tokyo- 3:00 PM
Check in — HOTEL MYSTAYS Gotanda Station
Booked2-6-8 Nishi Gotanda, Shinagawa, Tokyo 141-0031 — in front of Gotanda Station
Booking 699712683 — two rooms, three of us. My brother takes one, the two of us take the other. Check-in from 3:00 PM. Coming in from Hikone, so we arrive at Tokyo Station and take the Yamanote round to Gotanda. Ask at the desk, in this order: are both rooms non-smoking as requested (their own fact sheet says they have no non-smoking floors); can we have the two rooms on the same floor and off the track side, given the 5:30 alarm on Thursday; and how do we settle both bills and the Tokyo lodging tax if we leave around 6:00 AM.
Oct 20
TueTokyo — full dayTokyo sightseeing
IdeaGood day for anything that needed booking ahead — teamLab, Shibuya Sky, a Ghibli ticket.
Oct 21
WedTokyo — last full dayTokyo sightseeing
Idea- 8:00 PM
Last tax-free run — Don Quijote Gotanda
IdeaDon Quijote Gotanda East Exit, 1-12-7 Higashigotanda — 100 m from the station
THE LAST CHANCE — we leave at 6:00 the next morning. Open until 1 AM, so this survives a late dinner. This is where the snacks and cosmetics belong, not day one: consumables get heat-sealed at the till and have to stay shut until we leave Japan, so buying them now means carrying a sealed bag for hours rather than a fortnight. • CASH. Donki is the one chain that requires the card name to match the passport, and the Wise card is missing the middle name. • Tax-free needs ¥5,000 ex-tax, but the LiveJapan coupon needs ¥10,000 ex-tax for 5% off and ¥30,000 for 7%. Three of us pooling into one basket clears it more easily — but tax-free is one passport per transaction, so whoever pays is the one whose passport is used. • Same-day, same-store only. No coming back on the 22nd with the 21st's receipt — and we won't have time anyway.
- evening
Pack + last dinner
Locked inEarly night — the alarm goes off around 5:30. Consider sending suitcases to the airport today.
Oct 22
ThuFly home- 5:40 AM
Check out — settle the bill and the lodging tax
BookedHOTEL MYSTAYS Gotanda Station
Check-out is 11:00, so leaving at 6:00 is well inside it — the time is not the problem. Paying is. The Tokyo lodging tax is collected at the property and there are TWO rooms to settle, not one. The fact sheet's 'reception open until 12:00 PM' is almost certainly a typo for midnight. Settle both the NIGHT BEFORE if the desk isn't staffed at dawn, and have cash for the tax. One receipt per payment; they won't split a night across receipts.
- 6:00 AM
Leave for Narita Airport (Terminal 2)
Locked inGotanda → Narita Terminal 2
Aim to reach NRT Terminal 2 by 07:15–07:30 AM (2 hours before the 09:25 departure). 🗺️ From Gotanda there are three ways, and the exact first-train times for October 2026 are UNCONFIRMED — timetables change, so check them the night before: 1. Yamanote to Shinagawa (2 stops, ~4 min), then the Narita Express. Shortest walk, but the first N'EX out of Shinagawa leaves between 6 and 7 AM and takes 70–80 min, so it may land too late. Check the actual first departure. 2. Yamanote north to Nippori (~25 min), then the Keisei Skyliner — about 45 min to Terminal 2. The earliest Skyliner is somewhere around 05:40–06:00 depending on the source; the two we found disagree, so verify. 3. Toei Asakusa line from Gotanda to Sengakuji, then a Keisei Access Express through to the airport. No limited-express fee, but it needs the change at Sengakuji — the through trains to the airport run to Keikyu, not to the Nishi-Magome branch Gotanda sits on. Given the hour, price a pre-booked car as well. Getting this wrong costs the flight. 🛍️ Airside shopping is thin but not zero: Fa-So-La TAX FREE AKIHABARA on T2 3F (Narita 5th Avenue) opens 07:00, and JAPAN DUTY FREE in the T2 main building, also 3F, opens 07:30 — alcohol, cosmetics, perfume. Both are AFTER security. Landing airside around 08:00 leaves roughly an hour before boarding. Treat it as a top-up, not the plan: do the real shopping at Gotanda on the 21st.
- 9:25 AM
Flight CX509: Tokyo Narita → Hong Kong
BookedNRT Terminal 2 → HKG Terminal 1
Cathay Pacific CX509 (4 hr 50 min). Seat 45E.
- 1:15 PM
Layover in Hong Kong (HKG)
BookedHong Kong International Airport Terminal 1
5 hr 55 min connection (13:15 – 19:10) before boarding CX812.
- 7:10 PM
Flight CX812: Hong Kong → Boston Logan
BookedHKG Terminal 1 → BOS Terminal E
Cathay Pacific CX812 (15 hr 55 min). Seat 45J.
- 11:05 PM
Arrive Boston Logan (BOS · Terminal E)
BookedBoston Logan Airport Terminal E
Lands at 11:05 PM on Thursday Oct 22 (same calendar day due to crossing the International Date Line).
Details
Our roomTwo double rooms
Two rooms, outdoor view, free Wi-Fi — one for my brother, one for us.
- Layout
- 10 m² (108 ft²) each, as quoted on the confirmation
- Sleeps
- My brother in one; me and my husband in the other
11 floors, 384 rooms, last refurbished 2015. • THE NOISE: the hotel volunteers that it is in front of the station and hands out earplugs for track-side rooms — they are in the room and in a box in the 1F lobby. Take that at face value: if the room is over the tracks and we are getting up at 5:30 on the last morning, use them or ask to move. • THE ROOMS ARE SMALL, AND THE BED LINE NEEDS CHECKING: the confirmation quotes 10 m² and describes 'one semi double bed'. A semi-double is 120 cm — narrower than a UK double, and tight for two adults sharing. Confirm that the room we are sharing has a true double, and remember the large bed we asked for is a request granted on availability at arrival, not part of the booking. • SMOKING — CHECK THIS: the property's own fact sheet answers 'Non-smoking rooms/floors: no'. That flatly contradicts the non-smoking request we made. Confirm before we arrive rather than at 11 PM on the 19th. • TOKYO LODGING TAX IS EXTRA: paid at the property, on top of the room rate, and charged PER PERSON PER NIGHT — so three of us for three nights is nine chargeable person-nights. Nothing is due below ¥10,000 a night, ¥100 from ¥10,000 to ¥14,999, ¥200 at ¥15,000 and above. Have cash. (Tokyo moves to a 3% rate in FY2027, after our trip.) • CHECKING OUT AT DAWN: we leave for Narita around 6:00 AM on the 22nd, five hours before the 11:00 check-out, so the check-out time never binds. What does matter is that the fact sheet says 'reception open until 12:00 PM', which cannot be right for a 384-room hotel and is probably midnight. Ask how to settle the bill and the lodging tax when leaving before dawn — do not discover it on the morning. • RECEIPTS: one receipt per payment. They will not split a night's room charge across separate receipts.
Around the Hotel & Facilities3 things on site, with opening hours
Washing machine ¥200 a load, detergent ¥100, dryer ¥100 per 30 minutes. Machines lock while running. Worth a load on the 20th or 21st so we fly home with clean clothes.
Breakfast is ¥1,700 a head and is NOT in our rate. Decide on the day; there is no shortage of food around a station this size.
The hotel says the line on the new-building side can be congested depending on the hour. They keep rental routers and give priority to new-building rooms. If our room is on that side and the Wi-Fi drags, ask at the desk rather than putting up with it.
Practical & PoliciesAddress, phone, cancellation, sources
- Address
- 2-6-8 Nishi Gotanda, Shinagawa, Tokyo 141-0031 (品川区西五反田2-6-8)
- Plan
- Early bird discount 28 — room only, no breakfast.
- In the room
- Free Wi-Fi on every floor. 100V sockets. Earplugs in the room on the track side, and in the amenity box in the 1F lobby.
- Cancellation
- Booked as an early-bird rate. The plan text says a 100% cancellation fee applies from 27 days ahead — that is 22 September 2026 — but the same paragraph also says refunds will not be given for cancellations, no-shows or changes FOR ANY REASON, which reads as non-refundable from the moment of booking. The two statements contradict each other. Treat 21 September as the last day anything can be done, and ring to find out which clause actually governs.
Activities & Experiences9 spots
Haircut — QB House, Gotanda (two branches, both at the station)
¥1,400Cut only, about ten minutes, no shampoo and no blow-dry — an 'air washer' vacuums the loose hair off instead, so nothing goes in it. Flat ¥1,400 including tax, and no surcharge for long hair. Walk-in only; there is no booking system.
⏱ 10 min · 10:00–20:00, last ticket 19:45 (Toei) / 19:30 (Atre)
📍 In the station: Toei Subway Gotanda B1 concourse (1-26-2 Higashi-Gotanda, 2 chairs). Or Atre Gotanda 2, 3F (1-26-3, 3 chairs). Both a few minutes from the hotel.
ℹ️ Ask for a trim, not a restyle. QB House is at its best on 'take 2 cm off the ends', 'thin it out', 'tidy the fringe' — short instructions that survive a language gap. Layers, graduation and anything structural are a salon job, so don't ask for one here. Cash is the safe assumption. Some station branches take Suica/Pasmo and these two are station branches, but cards and PayPay generally are NOT accepted anywhere in the chain — the branch page lists what each one takes. Both branch pages show live seat count and how many people are waiting, so check before walking over. This is now the plan: the Hirai haircut never happened, so fit it in on the 20th or before the Donki run on the 21st (both branches stop taking tickets by 7:45 PM). The longer-hours Kyoto branch (Aeon Mall KYOTO, open to 9 PM) is the fallback if the Kyoto days turn out quieter.
Don Quijote Gotanda East Exit (ドン・キホーテ 五反田東口店)
Free entry · 10% tax-freeThe ultimate pre-departure shopping destination, located right around the corner from our hotel and open until 1:00 AM. Ideal for purchasing all 'consumables' (snacks, regional KitKats, matcha sweets, rice crackers, cosmetics, sheet masks, eye drops, Japanese drugstore medicines, thermal flasks) that get heat-sealed in transparent bags at the tax-free till for departure. Present your physical passport at the tax-free counter for 10% off at checkout.
⏱ 1–2 hours · 08:00 AM – 01:00 AM daily
📍 1-12-7 Higashi-Gotanda, Shinagawa-ku — 4–5 min walk east from hotel
ℹ️ Buying consumables on the final leg means we only have to carry the sealed tax-free bags straight into our suitcases for the flight home, rather than hauling them across Hakone, Kyoto, and Osaka.
Shinagawa Station Depachika & Gourmet Souvenir Halls (Ecute & Atre)
Free entryJust two stops away on the Yamanote Line, Shinagawa Station hosts one of Tokyo's premier gourmet souvenir halls (both inside and outside the JR ticket gates). Features high-end Japanese gift boxes, Tokyo Banana, Yoku Moku cookies, Toraya traditional bean-paste yokan, Shiseido Parlour confections, artisan bento boxes, and regional craft sake. Perfect for refined food gifts for family, friends, and colleagues before heading to Narita.
⏱ 1–1.5 hours · 08:00–22:00 (Sundays until 20:30)
📍 JR Shinagawa Station (Ecute Shinagawa 1F/2F & Atre Shinagawa 2F/3F) — 2 stops / 5 min on JR Yamanote Line from Gotanda
ℹ️ Ecute is located inside the central station concourse, making it effortless to browse on your way to or from anywhere on the Yamanote line.
Maxell Aqua Park Shinagawa (マクセル アクアパーク品川)
¥2,500An innovative, cutting-edge indoor digital aquarium set inside the Shinagawa Prince Hotel complex. Seamlessly fuses vibrant marine life with digital projection mapping, dynamic soundscapes, and seasonal LED lighting. Highlights include a 360-degree circular stadium with an exhilarating dolphin performance synchronized to water curtains and music, the hypnotic illuminated 'Jellyfish Ramble' mirror room, and an underwater sea tunnel with manta rays.
⏱ 1.5–2 hours · 10:00–20:00 (Last entry 19:00)
📍 4-10-30 Takanawa, Minato-ku (inside Shinagawa Prince Hotel) — 2 min walk from JR Shinagawa Station Takanawa Exit
ℹ️ Open late into the evening, making it a great after-dinner or sunset entertainment option just 5 minutes from Gotanda.
YEBISU BREWERY TOKYO & Ebisu Garden Place (ヱビスビール記念館)
Free museum entry · Beer tastings from ¥1,100A vibrant lifestyle complex built on the historic grounds of the former Yebisu Beer brewery, connected directly to Ebisu Station via the indoor 'Yebisu Skywalk' moving walkway. The newly reopened YEBISU BREWERY TOKYO features an interactive historical museum celebrating 130+ years of Japanese brewing, an operating pilot craft brewery, and a spacious taproom tasting salon serving exclusive seasonal draft beers. The surrounding red-brick plaza features lifestyle boutiques, DCM Home & Living flagship, and cozy European-style cafes.
⏱ 1.5–2 hours · 12:00–20:00 (Weekdays), 11:00–19:00 (Weekends, closed Tuesdays)
📍 4-20-1 Ebisu, Shibuya-ku — 2 stops / 4 min on JR Yamanote Line from Gotanda, then 5 min via Yebisu Skywalk
ℹ️ Museum exhibits and brewery walk are completely free. Tasting salon beers are purchased directly at the bar (~¥1,100 per pour).
SHIBUYA SKY & Shibuya Scramble Square (渋谷スクランブルスクエア)
¥2,200–¥2,500 (SHIBUYA SKY) · Free mall entryTokyo's premier 47-story skyscraper rising directly above Shibuya Crossing. The 229-meter rooftop observation deck (SHIBUYA SKY) provides a 360-degree open-air panorama across the Shibuya Crossing scramble, Tokyo Tower, Shinjuku skyline, and Mount Fuji on clear days. Downstairs, 14 floors of shopping feature Japanese designer fashion, artisan lifestyle goods, Tokyu Hands stationery, and a massive B2F depachika. A direct pedestrian walkway connects to Shibuya Parco (Nintendo TOKYO, Pokémon Center Shibuya, Capcom Store).
⏱ 2–3 hours · Deck 10:00–22:30 (Last entry 21:20); Shops 10:00–21:00
📍 2-24-12 Shibuya, Shibuya-ku — 4 stops / 7 min direct on JR Yamanote Line from Gotanda
ℹ️ Rooftop observation tickets must be reserved online in advance for a specific time slot (sunset slots sell out rapidly 4 weeks ahead).
Ginza Flagship Shopping & Stationery Palace (銀座 伊東屋 & ユニクロ 銀座)
Free entryTokyo's most prestigious shopping district, accessed via a quick 12-minute direct subway ride from Gotanda on the Toei Asakusa Line. Highlights for major shopping: Ginza Itoya (founded in 1904, a 12-story stationery paradise with floors of Japanese washi paper, custom fountain pens, travel journals, and stickers), Uniqlo Ginza (12-floor global flagship with custom UTme t-shirt printing and café), and BicCamera Yurakucho (massive tax-free electronics, beauty appliances, cameras, and luggage).
⏱ 2–4 hours · Most stores 10:00–20:00 (BicCamera 10:00–22:00)
📍 Ginza & Higashi-Ginza, Chuo-ku — 12 min direct on Toei Asakusa Line from Gotanda Station (Exit A1/A2)
ℹ️ Take your physical passport for instant 10% tax-free checkout at Itoya, Uniqlo, and BicCamera. Ask for tourist discount coupons at BicCamera for an additional 3–7% off.
Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum (東京都庭園美術館)
¥1,000–¥1,400 (Museum + Garden) · ¥200 (Garden only)An Art Deco architectural jewel built in 1933 as the private residence of Prince Asaka, who lived in Paris during the peak of the Art Deco movement. Features authentic French Lalique relief glass doors, geometric chandeliers, and historic tearoom pavilions set within serene Japanese and European landscape gardens. A tranquil, culturally rich oasis just minutes from the bustling train lines.
⏱ 1–1.5 hours · 10:00–18:00 (Last entry 17:30, closed Mondays)
📍 5-21-9 Shirokanedai, Minato-ku — 1 stop / 2 min to Meguro on Yamanote, then 6 min walk from East Exit
ℹ️ The garden-only ticket (¥200) is a wonderful bargain for a peaceful morning stroll before heading out shopping.
TOC Gotanda Wholesale & Bargain Outlet Center (五反田TOCビル)
Free entryTokyo's iconic Wholesale Center ('Tokyo Oroshiuri Center'), located just down the street from our hotel. Spanning multiple massive commercial floors, TOC is beloved by Tokyo locals for deep-discount retail outlets, imported kitchenware, stationery, Japanese tableware, luggage, cosmetics, and surplus goods at wholesale bargain prices. A classic Tokyo retro-shopping experience without international crowds.
⏱ 1–2 hours · 10:00–19:00 daily
📍 7-22-17 Nishi-Gotanda, Shinagawa-ku — 8–10 min walk west from hotel (or free shuttle bus from Gotanda Station West Exit)
ℹ️ Great place to pick up an extra carry-on suitcase, travel duffel, or packing accessories if you run out of luggage space for souvenirs.
Stamps to hunt7 spots on this leg
- Hikone Castle (on the Shinkansen route from Osaka, Oct 19) — authentic original keep, castle #50 in the Japan 100 Famous Castles rally, plus Hikone Station stamp.
- Ginza Itoya (G.Itoya) — 2nd floor 'Write & Post' custom stamps, embossing seals, and multi-floor layered stamp rally (kasane-oshi) · direct 12 min via Toei Asakusa Line from Gotanda.
- SHIBUYA SKY & Shibuya PARCO (6F Cyberspace) — 360° observation deck stamp + official stamps at Pokémon Center Shibuya (Mewtwo display) & Nintendo TOKYO · 4 stops on Yamanote.
- YEBISU BREWERY TOKYO (Ebisu Garden Place) — commemorative visitor stamp at the brand-new taproom and museum celebrating the 1890 birthplace of Yebisu beer · 2 stops on Yamanote.
- Tokyo Tower (Minato) — 150m Main Deck observation stamp and FootTown lobby stamps (All-Japan Tower Federation) · quick trip north of Shinagawa.
- Southern JR Yamanote Line & Toei stations — JR Gotanda Station (home base), JR Shinagawa (huge Tokaido Shinkansen concourse stamp), JR Ebisu, and Toei Asakusa Gotanda.
- Airport Departure (Haneda or Narita) — international departure lounges and observation deck terminal commemorative stamps before boarding the flight home to the US.