2026 Tohoku BASE 5

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Tokyo

12 – 16 NOV · 3 NIGHTS · BASE 5 OF 5

The trip's final base, staying near Haneda Airport in Kamata for an easy departure. Days cover a Chichibu/Nagatoro day trip out to Saitama Prefecture, Ryogoku's Edo-Tokyo Museum and Tokyo DisneySea, then a last full day through Meiji Jingu, Shibuya, and Ginza before the overnight flight home.

Where you're staying

Hotel Oriental Express Tokyo Kamata ホテル オリエンタル エクスプレス 東京蒲田

Address
1-3-15 Minamikamata, Ota-ku, Tokyo 144-0035
〒144-0035 東京都大田区南蒲田1丁目3-15
Check-in
from 1500
Check-out
by 1100
Cost
¥58,985 (S$490.10, booked via Booking.com)
Paid by
UOB VS
Phone
+81 3-3733-5511
Room
Standard Double Room · Non-Smoking, private bathroom, 1 bed, max 2 adults
Note
Breakfast isn't included in the room rate (¥1,500/person/night if added). Private parking on-site, ¥2,000/day, if ever needed.
Map
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What to see

In order of the trip's own route: the Chichibu/Nagatoro day trip, Ryogoku and DisneySea, then Meiji Jingu → Takanawa on the last day. Shibuya/Ginza's own shops are under "Where to shop."

See the full trip map ↗

Oyahana → Iwadatami Kawakudari Boat Ride — Nagatoro

~0900–1600 Mar–Dec, 1000–1400 Jan–Feb (weather/water-level dependent) · ¥2,000

  • Traditional engineless wooden boats guided downriver by boatmen with poles, not self-paddled.
  • The ~3km "upper course," ending at the Iwadatami pier near Nagatoro Station — mild rapids past pine-lined cliffs, ~15–30 min depending on water level.
  • Best scenery mid-to-late November (autumn colors); winter rides use heated kotatsu tables.
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Iwadatami Rock Bed — Nagatoro

Free, open access

  • Flat-topped bed of crystalline schist along the Arakawa River — a National Scenic Site and Natural Monument since 1924.
  • Schist formed ~70 million years ago when seafloor sediment was subducted and metamorphosed under heat/pressure, later exposed by river erosion — part of the Chichibu Geopark.
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Iwadatami Shopping Street — Nagatoro

Free to browse

  • ~400m shop street connecting Nagatoro Station to the Iwadatami rock bed, roughly 30 shops.
  • Known for walk-and-eat food — miso potato (fried potato, sweet miso glaze, vegetarian-friendly) and grilled ayu river fish (not vegetarian) — plus sweets and souvenirs.
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Hodosan Shrine 寶登山神社 — Nagatoro

Grounds always open · shrine office ~0830–1700 · Free

  • Founded 110 AD; one of Chichibu's three major shrines.
  • Current buildings date to the early Meiji era, Gongen-zukuri style (main hall and worship hall joined under one roof) with vividly colored carvings.
  • 10-minute walk from Nagatoro Station; popular for autumn foliage viewing.
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Mount Hodo — Nagatoro

Ropeway 0940–1700 (seasonal) · ¥700 one-way / ¥1,200 round-trip

  • Ropeway covers 832m from base to summit station in ~5 minutes.
  • Summit (497m) has Hodosan Shrine's Okumiya (inner shrine, below), walking trails, a small animal park, and seasonal flower gardens (Roubai wintersweet, Dec–Feb; plum, Feb–Mar).
  • Views toward Mt. Buko, Mt. Ryugami, and Chichibu town.
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Hodosan Shrine Okumiya 寶登山神社奥宮 — Nagatoro

Always open (outdoor shrine) · Free

  • The inner/upper shrine, at the summit of Mt. Hodo — reached via the ropeway's summit station or the hiking trail.
  • Same 110 AD founding legend as the main shrine below, said founded by Yamato Takeru.
  • Not on the trip's own schedule — a bonus stop if time allows at the summit.
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Chichibu Shrine — Chichibu

0500–2000 summer, 0600–2000 winter · shrine office 0830–1700 · Free

  • Regional tutelary shrine claiming roughly 2,000 years of history; one of Chichibu's three major shrines.
  • Home of the Chichibu Night Festival (Dec 2–3), one of Japan's top three float festivals.
  • Not on the trip's own schedule — near Seibu-Chichibu Station, a bonus stop if time allows.
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Chichibu Festival Museum 秩父まつり会館 — Chichibu

Apr–Nov 0900–1700 (last entry 1630) · ¥500

  • Museum dedicated to the Chichibu Night Festival — displays the festival floats (dashi/yatai) and related history year-round, near Chichibu Shrine.
  • Not on the trip's own schedule — a bonus stop if time allows.
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Edo-Tokyo Museum 江戸東京博物館 — Ryogoku

Closed Mon, Tue–Sun 0930–1730 (Sat till 1930) · ¥800

  • Closed for renovation from April 2022, reopened March 31, 2026 — freshly open again after a nearly 4-year closure, its first major renovation since the original 1993 opening.
  • New renovation by architect Shohei Shigematsu adds large digital screens recreating Edo/Tokyo skies alongside the existing full-scale reconstructions and models.
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Ryōgoku Edo NOREN 両国 江戸NOREN — Ryogoku

Daily 1000–2300

  • ~11 shops in the restored 1929 former Ryogoku Station building, with a full-size sumo ring at its center — ties to Kokugikan Arena next door.
  • Shops lean sumo/Edo specialties: chanko nabe, sushi, tempura, yakitori, okonomiyaki, and soba. No dedicated vegetarian stall — soba is the best bet, but traditional tsuyu is usually bonito-dashi based, so ask.
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Tokyo DisneySea

Early Evening Passport — entry from 1500, Sat/Sun/holidays only · ¥9,900 per adult · bought

  • Already bought for 14 Nov 2026 (a Saturday, so this passport applies): ¥9,900 per person, ¥19,800 for two, paid via the official site.
  • 8 themed "ports" — Mediterranean Harbor, Mysterious Island, Mermaid Lagoon, Arabian Coast, Lost River Delta, Port Discovery, American Waterfront, and the newest, Fantasy Springs (2024, Frozen/Tangled/Peter Pan themed).
  • Skews toward adult visitors with more table-service dining than Disneyland.
  • Vegan items are marked with a small green "V" leaf icon on menus (since ~Oct 2023) — Ristorante Di Canaletto is the most reliably vegetarian-friendly table-service restaurant; vegan options also reported at Yucatan Base Camp Grill and Snuggly Duckling, but menus rotate — confirm at the counter.
Official ticket calendar ↗ Open in Google Maps ↗

Meiji Jingu 明治神宮 — Harajuku

Grounds sunrise–sunset (Nov–Feb closing ~1600–1620) · Inner Garden ¥500 · Museum ¥1,000

  • Dedicated to the deified spirits of Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken; completed/dedicated 1920.
  • Surrounded by a man-made forest of ~100,000 trees donated from across Japan.
  • Draws over 3 million visitors for New Year — more than any other shrine or temple in Japan.
  • Shinto wedding processions are commonly visible on weekends.
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MoN Takanawa: The Museum of Narratives — Takanawa

1000–2100 (varies by program) · ¥2,500 (under-25 ¥1,500, school-age ¥800)

  • New museum, opened 2026, near Takanawa Gateway/Sengakuji Station (3 min walk) — themed around "Life as Culture" with storytelling-driven exhibits rather than a fixed permanent collection.
  • Admission includes an audio guide. Closed every 2nd Tuesday.
  • Praised for striking architecture; also has a foot bath and cultural/dining spaces on-site.
Official site ↗ Open in Google Maps ↗

Konica Minolta Planetaria Tokyo — Yurakucho

Weekdays 1030–2115 · Weekends/holidays 1000–2145 (last screening earlier — check show times) · Yurakucho Mullion 9F

A planetarium near Ginza/Yurakucho — not currently scheduled, listed here as a live bonus option from the trip's own map. Tickets sold per-screening online; screenings run until close.

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KOGEI Art Gallery 銀座の金沢 — Ginza

1100–1900 (may extend later during some exhibitions) · free entry

A Kanazawa-crafts gallery/shop in Ginza — traditional Japanese craftwork (kogei). Not currently scheduled. Hours can shift with the current exhibition; call 03-6228-7733 to confirm if visiting.

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Where to eat

The trip books four specific vegetarian/vegan stops (KOMEDA is □, Komaki Shokudo, Jikasei MENSHO's vegan menu, Vegan Sushi Tokyo) — the rest below are extra options near the route or the hotel, not booked.

See more food options on the trip map ↗

KOMEDA is □ Higashi-Ginza KOMEDA is □ 東銀座店

0700–2300 (LO 2230) · 1F Ginza Shochiku Square, 1-13-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku · 2 min walk from Higashi-ginza Station

The Sheet's "KOMEDA is ☐ higashiginza" dinner note refers to a real, specific place — the "□" is genuinely part of the brand name, not a placeholder. A 100%-plant-based spinoff of the Komeda's Coffee chain, opened July 2020, built around rice and soy. Menu includes a Beppin Burger (plant-based patty, wasabi tartar), mochi-textured salt-maple pancakes with soy cream, tofu fritters with three sauces, and soy-cream Vienna coffee — every item on the menu is vegan.

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Umedaya Tofu Restaurant — Nagatoro

Shop 1030–1730 · lunch 1130–1400 · cafe 1400–1730 (LO 1630) · closed Wed

In-house tofu made from domestic soybeans and natural nigari — menu is tofu- and okara-centered with no apparent meat/fish items (okara cookies/donuts in matcha, cocoa, kinako flavors too). Seasonal tofu lunch sets are limited-quantity — reservation-recommended, and worth confirming egg/dashi use in specific dishes on-site.

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Nagatoro et Galet — Nagatoro

Hours not confirmed

French-style galette (savory buckwheat crêpe) cafe near Nagatoro Station, opened 2014. Signature dish is a pork-sausage galette (not vegetarian), but galettes are typically customizable with cheese/vegetable fillings — confirm a vegetarian option in person. Also serves a kinako (roasted soybean) latte.

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Komaki Shokudo Kamakura Fushikian — Akihabara

Mon–Fri 1100–1600, 1700–1930 · Sat–Sun 1100–1930

A shojin ryori (Buddhist temple vegetarian cuisine) restaurant — no meat, fish, eggs, dairy, or the onion/garlic family by default, stricter than this trip's own diet (eggs/dairy/onion/garlic can be added back). Set meals (teishoku) include shojin curry and sprouted brown rice sets. Popular with international vegans.

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Vegan Sushi Tokyo — Shibuya

Lunch 1130–1530 (LO 1445) · Dinner 1700–2100 (LO 2030)

Dinner with Mum / Sis on 13 Nov — the trip's one planned family meetup. Fully vegan restaurant — no seafood or animal products in any dish, using plant-based "shrimp," "ikura," and "egg" alongside traditional vegetable sushi. Signature Vegan Sushi Tokyo Set, ¥3,800 (10 pieces + miso soup + gari). Opened its first permanent Shibuya location Dec 2025. Reservations recommended, credit card only.

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Jikasei MENSHO — Shibuya

Daily 1130–2300 (LO 2200)

Dedicated vegan ramen menu — Vegan Tantanmen, Vegan Soupless Tantanmen, Vegan Miso Ramen — made with soy meat, no animal products. B1F "Chaos Kitchen," Shibuya PARCO.

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T's Tantan — Tokyo Station

Daily 1000–2200

Fully vegan ramen restaurant — no meat, fish, eggs, or dairy in any menu item. Soy-meat tantan ramen (white/black/gold sesame), soy-sauce ramen, vegetable tanmen, vegan gyoza. Relocated within Tokyo Station Aug 2026 — now B1F outside the ticket gates near the Gransta Tokyo underground north exit. One of Tokyo's best-known vegan ramen spots.

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Vegan Bistro Jangara — Harajuku

Daily 1100–2200 (LO 2100)

Fully vegan bistro from the Kyushu Jangara ramen family — ramen, soy-meat teppanyaki plates, curry, gyoza, vegan-style karaage, quesadillas, burgers, desserts, with a gluten-free section. No reservations.

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Komeda's Coffee Kamata Higashiguchi コメダ珈琲店 蒲田東口店 — Kamata

0700–2300 daily · 2F FUNDES Kamata, 5-11-10 Kamata, Ota-ku

National coffee chain. Morning set (free with any drink, until 1100) includes toast with boiled egg, egg paste, or red-bean paste — no meat. Confirm no bacon/ham add-ons when ordering. Shares the same floor of the same building with a sister brand, Komeda Wakissa Okagean (コメダ和喫茶 おかげ庵), also 0700–2300 daily — both opened Aug 2024. (A separate 100%-vegan spinoff, "Komeda is," exists in Higashi-Ginza — not this branch.)

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Kura Sushi Kamata Higashi くら寿司 蒲田東店 — Kamata

Tue–Fri & Mon 1100–2400 · Sat/Sun/holidays 1020–2400 (last entry 30 min before close) · 2F she-Bop Bldg, 5-28-8 Kamata, Ota-ku

Conveyor-belt sushi chain. Vegetarian items exist on the standard menu: tamago (egg) nigiri, cucumber/kappa roll, corn gunkan, natto roll, inari (fried tofu pouch), kanpyo roll, shinko roll, salad gunkan — order these individually and skip the rest. Confirm with staff about shared prep surfaces if strict.

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Chimaki 活菜や ちまき — Omori

Mon–Fri 1730–2300 · Sat/day-after-holiday 1700–2230 · holidays 1700–2200 · closed Sun

All-vegetable, vegan-friendly izakaya-style restaurant — not actually in Kamata but in Omori-Kita, one JR stop away (3 min walk from Omori Station East Exit). Seasonal menu, recurring items include potato salad and tantanmen. Small (3 tables + counter) — reservations recommended Fri/Sat.

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Vegan Izakaya Masaka — Shibuya

Daily 1200–2200 · B1F "Chaos Kitchen," Shibuya PARCO (no reservations)

100% vegan izakaya, famous for a soy-protein "karaage" that looks and pulls apart like real fried chicken — "masaka" means "no way," the usual first reaction to it. À la carte menu also covers gyoza, mabo-tofu, noodles, salad, and oden; lunch sets only served 1200–1500. Same building/floor as Jikasei MENSHO.

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Jiyugaoka Burger 自由が丘バーガー — Haneda Airport T2

0800–2000 (LO 2000) · Terminal 2, 3F, before security

Correction: the trip map's pin sits at Haneda Airport, not the Jiyugaoka neighborhood store — this is the airport branch. Organic-leaning burger counter/café, vegetarian-friendly options available. Terminal 2 is the domestic terminal; the trip's Haneda flights use T3, so this only works if passing through T2 (shuttle bus/walkway between terminals) — not confirmed as convenient for the 15 Nov departure.

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Where to shop

The Shibuya and Ginza shopping blocks from 15 Nov, plus a few extra options from the trip's own map, including a note on the Hands Shibuya closure.

See more shopping options on the trip map ↗

mont-bell Shibuya — Shibuya

Daily 1030–2100

Outdoor/camping gear store directly across the street from Hands Shibuya — six floors, including a 13m indoor climbing wall at the entrance. Mountaineering, camping, cycling, climbing, snow, kids', and dog gear.

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Matsumoto Kiyoshi — Shibuya

Daily 1000–2300

Nationwide drugstore/pharmacy chain — cosmetics, skincare, over-the-counter medicine, and snacks, a reliable stop for anything forgotten.

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HARIO Lampwork Factory Shibuya Store — Shibuya

Daily 1100–2100

Handmade glass jewelry and accessories (earrings, necklaces, rings, brooches) — HARIO's glassware sub-brand, not the coffee/tea dripper line. Shibuya-exclusive limited-edition pieces; MIYASHITA PARK South, 2F.

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Hands Ginza — Ginza

Daily 1100–2100

Five-floor branch of the household/lifestyle chain in the Marronnier Gate building, ~4 min walk from Ginza Station — housewares, stationery, travel goods, beauty/health, and novelty goods. A separate branch from Hands Shibuya, unaffected by that store's closure.

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MUJI Ginza — Ginza

Retail 1100–2100 · MUJI Diner till 2200

The world's largest MUJI flagship (B1–6F) on Namiki-dori, ~4,000 sqm — full lifestyle range plus a fresh/organic food market and bakery. Also houses ATELIER MUJI GINZA and Japan's first MUJI Hotel upstairs.

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Ginza Itoya — Ginza

Daily 1000–2000, Sun till 1900

One of Japan's best stationery shops — paper, pens, art/paint supplies, across two buildings (18 floors combined). Upper floors have a cafe/restaurant, an event hall, and an indoor vegetable "FARM."

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ごはんの窓口 by GREEN DOG & CAT — Matsuya Ginza

Daily 1100–2000

Pet-food/supply specialty shop, 7F Matsuya Ginza — curated dog/cat food, treats, supplements, apparel, and in-store diet consultations with holistic pet-nutrition advisors.

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Kyukyodo — Ginza

Roughly 1000–1900 weekdays, 1100–1900 Sunday — hours vary slightly by source, confirm on arrival

Historic shop (Ginza store since 1880, brand dates to 1663) selling traditional incense, calligraphy supplies, and washi/stationery — a former purveyor to the Imperial Household. 1F: postcards, stationery, washi goods; 2F: incense.

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GINZA TSUTAYA BOOKS — Ginza

Daily 1030–2100 (closing time varies slightly by source)

Large art-focused bookstore inside Ginza Six (6F) — rare/limited-edition art books plus gift items and a curated concept-shop feel, with an in-store gallery and cafe counter.

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Hibiya Okuroji — Ginza

No single facility-wide hours — individual shops set their own

Shopping/dining arcade built into a ~300m stretch of 1910s brick railway viaduct between Yurakucho and Shimbashi, ~43–50 shops — boutiques, bars, cafes, and restaurants in a distinctive redbrick-arch setting.

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Hands Shibuya — Shibuya

Daily 1000–2100 (current hours, until it closes)

confirmed permanently closing November 2026 — its 48-year-old flagship lease has ended, no relocation planned. Exact closing date within the month wasn't announced as of this check.

  • 7 floors (~5,500 sqm), ~100,000 products, a distinctive skip-floor layout connected by 408 steps — a Shibuya landmark since 1978.
  • Rebranded from "Tokyu Hands" to "Hands" in 2023 after Cainz Corporation acquired the chain.
  • Backup options if it's already closed: mont-bell Shibuya (directly across the street, below), Hands Ginza (a separate branch, unaffected, below), or MEGA Don Quijote Shibuya (a genuinely live alternative pinned on the trip's own map, below).
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MEGA Don Quijote — Shibuya

Hours not itemized — Don Quijote branches typically run very late or 24 hours

Discount variety store chain (electronics, snacks, cosmetics, souvenirs, novelty goods) — a genuinely live fallback near Hands Shibuya if that store is already closed.

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mont-bell Tokyo Kyobashi — Kyobashi

Hours not confirmed

Another Tokyo branch of the outdoor/camping gear chain — a live option near Ginza, not currently scheduled.

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