⏰ Early start — leave by 08:00. Tsukiji counters queue early and the best stalls sell through. Ginza Line Shibuya → Ginza, transfer Hibiya Line → Tsukiji (~30 min door to door). Taxi alternative: leave 08:10, ~20 min, ~¥2,500.
One market, then a clean split. Everyone eats together at Tsukiji first. Then it's a single train line for both groups — the Hibiya Line straight from Tsukiji: direct to Akihabara (15 min) for James, direct to Ueno (12 min) for the parents. Easy to reconvene — Akihabara and Ueno are one stop apart.
Tsukiji sits east of the hotel; Akihabara and Ueno are the north-east cluster, one stop apart. Tap a pin for its name.
The Day
08:30 · together
🐟 Tsukiji Outer Market — breakfast & graze
ALL THREECash helps
The legendary outer market — tamagoyaki skewers, fresh uni, grilled scallops, sushi counters, knife shops and matcha. Graze your way through together; it's the shared anchor before the split. Counters queue early, so being there by ~08:30 pays off.
Getting there: Ginza Line Shibuya → Ginza, transfer Hibiya Line → Tsukiji (~30 min). Then everyone boards the Hibiya Line at Tsukiji for the split.
The big one for James — anime, retro games, figures and electronics across legendary multi-floor stores: Super Potato (retro games), Mandarake & Kotobukiya (figures), Animate, and the vast Yodobashi. James leads the floors; family can browse a while then peel off to Ueno.
Side stop confirmed 5 Jun: Tools Ochanomizu — a modern art-supply shop (Copic-heavy, manga/graphic leaning), one stop on the Sobu Line. A 30–40 min detour at the start or end of the afternoon.
From Tsukiji: Hibiya Line direct to Akihabara, ~15 min.
The parents' parallel afternoon: the Tokyo National Museum (Japan's largest — superb samurai and Buddhist galleries), Ueno Zoo (giant pandas Lei Lei & Xiao Xiao, ¥600) and the park itself. Collapses neatly to just museum + park if energy's low.
From Tsukiji: Hibiya Line direct to Ueno, ~12 min. One stop from Akihabara, so reconvening is easy.
Leave by 08:00 → Tsukiji Outer Market all together (08:30, graze) → everyone boards the Hibiya Line at Tsukiji → James direct to Akihabara (Super Potato, Mandarake, Kotobukiya, Animate, Yodobashi + Tools Ochanomizu) → parents direct to Ueno (Tokyo National Museum, Ueno Zoo pandas ¥600, park) → reconvene for dinner (Kyushu Jangara, Gyukatsu Motomura Akiba, or Magurobito).
The only timing that matters is the early Tsukiji start. Akihabara and Ueno are one stop apart, so the split is low-stress.
↪ Tomorrow: the big out-of-Tokyo day — Hakone. Early Romancecar from Shinjuku (leave the Cerulean 07:10), the mountain loop, soba lunch, a private onsen, back by 20:10. Seats already reserved.