I previously wrote about booking an ANA flight to Australia with a free stopover in Tokyo. I used Hyatt hotels for my stays there. My trip report of points and miles to Tokyo, Hyatt hotel reviews, and our activities is here. And you can learn more by listening to this episode of our PODCAST!

 

Preparations to Travel

Japan took a long time to reopen d/t Covid. They are still pretty strict. My first problem occurred when I went to print my husband’s vaccination record and found out that they consider a valid certificate to include 3 vaccines (must have a booster). My husband only had the original vaccines. It was too late to have him get a booster, so he had to get the negative COVID test. Luckily, he was negative – that is always a little nerve-wracking.

You must go (at least at the time of this writing) to Japan Web on an app or computer and complete several steps, register your travel, and get a QR code to fast-track through customs.

 

Arrival to Tokyo

We arrived at the Narita airport at about 3:00 p.m. There are two airports near Tokyo, Narita, and Haneda, and often, you fly in and out of one or vice versa. That was our case.

On arrival to Narita, many airport workers ensured we had the right info from Japan Web on our phones and where to go. If you haven’t completed the information on Japan Web, the airline gives you paperwork, and the workers put you in the right lane. We quickly went through the first area, scanned our QR code, gave index fingerprints, and went on to the next checkpoint. Here, we checked our second QR code and our passports and went onto the final area. It was all swift and straightforward. The key was having the Japan Web information done, and kudos to the helpful airport workers!

There are two main options for getting into Tokyo. You can ride the express train or take the Keisei Narita Skyaccess train, which a reader suggested we do. After arriving at the North terminal, we took the escalator downstairs to the airport. There was a ticket station and helpful information desks where you could get tickets. Everyone was accommodating.

 

 

We found the area to wait for the train. On our ticket, we were in car 7 and seated at 11a and b.  The train ride to Ueno station was about 45 minutes. There, we followed the taxi signs and were at the Hyatt Centric Ginza in about 10 minutes. I had taken Japanese Yen from the ATM before leaving the airport. (It is always helpful to have the country’s currency for transportation if you can’t use a credit card). Our driver knew no English, but I showed him the picture and address of the hotel and wrote the name in Google Translate. It must have worked because we made it there safely, so our points and miles trip to Tokyo was off to a good start!

 

Hyatt Centric Ginza

The Hyatt Centric Ginza was pretty unimpressive from the street. However, it was so, so cute – we loved it! We used 21K points/night to stay here for two nights. The cash price would have been about $650/night. The lobby area is upstairs and very cute and modern. Unfortunately, no suite upgrades were available, but we were given a deluxe room upgrade. There was a lot of room, well-decorated and quite large.

We were informed that the Globalist breakfast was a buffet. They also showed us where WOH members could grab snacks and beverages 24/7.  

 

 

 

Room

The room, though not a suite, was huge! Heated toilet seats—heaven!! (I’m missing them, to be honest.) We loved the decor and thoroughly enjoyed the hotel’s service.

The breakfast buffet was excellent – so many choices! They could have cooked the eggs a little more, though. 😬

 

 

Day One

 

After a sumptuous buffet breakfast at the Hyatt Centric Ginza, we took a walk to explore the area. We reached the old Tokyo Fish Market, which was crowded but very interesting. This is called the Tsukiji Outer Market.

 

 

The main event for the day was Sumo Wrestling. I booked this with the goal of Mr. Relunctant Traveler enjoying his stay. The surprise was that I LOVED it! It had so much ritual, drama, and excitement that I wished I could go again. There are three 14-day tournaments each year in Tokyo, and we were lucky to be there during one. We booked this as a group tour on Viator, and I was glad we did because we got so much background information. Even when there are no tournaments, one can take a tour to watch training. After our three-week trip, including Australia and New Zealand, we both said this was our favorite excursion!

 

 

Day Two

Initially, I had planned to tour the city ourselves via Visit a City.  I’ve used it before for self-guided tours. I changed to a private tour due to the size of the city and the language barrier. I was so glad I did. Our guide, Michi, filled us in on the history of the shoguns leading to the Emperors. He taught us how to use the subway and took us to a great lunch place,  the Shibuya Tokyo Food Show, where we had many options. We saw the following sites with him:

 

• Meiji Shrine – a Shinto shrine. We were lucky to run into a wedding that day. We performed a ritual under the couple’s tree. You put a 5 yen coin into the Offering Box. You should use a 5 yen coin because 5 yen in Japanese is goen, which means good luck. Bow twice. Clap twice. Make a wish. Bow one last time.

 

 

• Shibuya Scramble – An area in Shibuya where everyone crosses the street from many different areas. It is very busy. Surrounding the crossing are buildings adorned with neon lights and large video screens – it reminded me of New York City’s Time Square.

 

 

• Tokyo Tower – Great views of the city and an iconic part of Tokyo.

 

 

• Kaminarimon Gate and Sensoji Temple – This is a very photographed area of Tokyo. Before reaching the temple, there are many shops and eating areas. It is a bustling section of the city.

 

 

 

• Imperial Palace – You don’t get close to the Emperor’s residence, but you do learn more about the history of shoguns and samurai. The botanical garden is also located there.

 

 

An excellent guide to Tokyo can be found here. It is perfect if you want to see the city on your own. I was really happy with our guide, though. You can also get a free guide to tour Tokyo here. I would have done that if I hadn’t already booked a guide. Let me know if you use that free service.

It was cold, and we were tired after this day, so we headed to our next hotel, the Andaz Hyatt (loved it!), and ordered delicious room service. Here is my review of the Andaz Hyatt. If the Hyatt Centric was cute, the Andaz was the WOW! Factor. Using points and miles to Tokyo is a dream come true when you stay in such nice accommodations. Having Globalist status makes it even more excellent!

 

 

Day Three

Again, we chose a private tour via Viator for a day trip to Kamakura. We wanted to get outside of the city and see something different. Here are a few different day trip options.

Our guide was harder to understand that day, making it a more challenging learning experience. He was very sweet and accommodating, though.

We spent about 10,000 Yen in transportation expenses and admissions on this trip, including the best burgers because we were craving them. Kamakura is a cute beachside town where we saw some kitesurfing and sailing despite the colder temperatures. It would be especially fun to visit during warmer months. In Kamakura, we visited:

• The Great Buddha – the main attraction of Kamakura.

 

 

• The Flower Temple – the Hase Temple. This was a very beautiful temple. Temples are Buddhist temples, and the shrines are all Shinto. We were told that the shrines are used for happy occasions like births, marriages, etc., and the temples are for death and passing on.

 

 

 

• Komachi Street – This cute area of Kamakura had dining and shopping options.

 

 

• Tsurugaoka Gacgunabgy Shrine – This is a Shinto shrine. We thought the crowds were large, but our guide said they weren’t because many people come to worship right after the New Year.

 

 

 

Day Four

We saw that our last day would have some rain, and we had walked 8 miles plus on each of our previous two days. It was time to rest and get massages! Luckily, we had a huge room to hang out in and late checkout (5:00 pm), so we could shower and relax after our massages. The last day of our points and miles trip to Tokyo was a time to recharge before heading to Australia.

 

Additional Thoughts

• The heated toilet seats were terrific! Did I already mention that?😜
• The subway system was not as challenging as I thought it would be.
• Be sure to have yen as we have to have it in areas where a credit card was not accepted. I initially got 40,000 Yen at the airport ATM.
• The taxis were less expensive than I thought they would cost. From our hotel, the Andaz Hyatt, to Haneda Airport, it costs 8,000 yen -about $61, and it takes about 45 minutes, so it is comparable to the US. We could have taken a train for much cheaper, but I preferred a taxi with our luggage. You can afford the luxuries when you book a points and miles trip to Tokyo! 😜
• There are no paper towels in public restrooms; usually, the Japanese carry a washcloth to dry their hands with.
• Tipping is not expected in Japan, although our guides were happy to accept it. At the hotel restaurants, however, they told us that it was included in the charges.
• Two sites we didn’t see that are supposed to be outstanding are the Tokyo Fish Market and the teamLab Planets exhibit (an immersive experience that children LOVE).

 

Bottom Line

Our primary trip was to Australia and New Zealand. Getting a free stopover to Tokyo, Japan, on points and miles was the cherry on top of an already fantastic points and miles trip. We enjoyed the people’s hospitality and the city’s beauty and vastness (even without cherry blossoms in bloom), and we would heartily recommend it to others.