48 Hours of Eating in Tokyo: A First-Timer's Guide
How to maximize every meal in the world's greatest food city, from 7-Eleven onigiri to omakase.
You've got two days in Tokyo. That's roughly 6 meals, plus snacks.
No pressure, but this is the world's greatest food city and every meal counts. Here's how to make them all count.
Day 1: The Classics
Breakfast: Tsukiji Outer Market (7am)
Yes, the inner market moved to Toyosu. No, the outer market still slaps. Get there early — by 9am it's a zoo. Start with tamagoyaki (the sweet, layered omelet) from one of the stalls that's been making it for decades. Then find a sushi counter for a proper breakfast set.
Pro tip: The stalls with the longest lines are usually worth it. Japanese people don't wait in lines for mediocre food.
Lunch: Ramen in Shinjuku (12pm)
Pick your style: tonkotsu (creamy pork bone), shoyu (soy sauce), shio (salt), or miso. Every neighborhood has its champion. Use a ticket machine to order — it's not intimidating once you do it once. Slurp loudly. It's expected.
Dinner: Izakaya in Golden Gai (7pm)
Golden Gai is a maze of tiny bars in Shinjuku, each seating maybe 8 people. Some have cover charges, some don't. Find one that looks interesting, order beer and whatever the chef is cooking. Yakitori, edamame, fried things you can't identify. Say yes to everything.
Day 2: Go Deeper
Breakfast: Kissaten Coffee (8am)
Skip Starbucks. Find a kissaten — an old-school Japanese coffee shop. Order hand-dripped coffee and a tamago sando (egg salad sandwich on milk bread). These places feel frozen in time. That's the point.
Lunch: Department Store Basement (12pm)
Depachika (department store food halls) are overwhelming in the best way. Takashimaya, Isetan, Mitsukoshi — pick one. Sample everything. Buy a bento box that looks like art. Eat it in a nearby park.
Dinner: Omakase (7pm)
If budget allows, do one omakase dinner. "Omakase" means "I'll leave it to you" — the chef decides what you eat. Book ahead. Sit at the counter. Watch the chef work. This is Japanese cuisine at its most precise.
The Essentials
- Convenience stores are actually good. 7-Eleven onigiri at 2am is a rite of passage.
- Lunch sets are the secret. The same restaurant charging ¥5000 for dinner serves ¥1000 lunch sets.
- Cash is still king. Many small spots don't take cards.
- Reservations matter. For anything famous, book weeks ahead.
Two days isn't enough for Tokyo. But it's enough to understand why people keep coming back.