We’re planning to be in mostly based in Tokyo between April 17–28, except for April 20–22 when we’ll be staying in Yokohama. (Yokohama is a ~45min train ride away from Tokyo.) If you’re around, we’ll try to coordinate some casual hanging around Tokyo the week after our wedding!

If you’re planning to do some sightseeing outside of Tokyo, the week before the 21st may be easier. Here are some considerations on logistics: hotels and flights tend to be pricey during peak Cherry Blossom Season in late March through the start of April. Things also tend get more expensive at the end of April, closer to Golden Week.³ (a stretch of consecutive national holidays in Japan that will fall between Tuesday April 29—Monday, May 5 next year.) We’re trying to slip in the off-peak time in-between!

Between April 20–22, we’re planning to stay at the InterContinental Yokohama Grand. There are also many other hotels in the nearby Minatomirai area.

Between April 22–29, we’ll be at Cerulean Tower Tokyo, located close to Shibuya station. While there are a ton of hotel options in Tokyo, below are some hotels we’re most familiar with in the Shibuya area, with approximate costs per night.

*Shimokitazawa is a couple stops away from Shibuya on the Inokashira Line (1 stop express / 4 stops local.)

Just a heads up, a standard room size in Tokyo will feel very small compared to the average US hotel room! We also recommend checking prices on agoda.com—sometimes they offer deals, but it may be the same as if you book direct. AirBnBs in Japan can be hit or miss; it is illegal to list most apartments on the platform (unless you are pretty much registered as a hotel), so unfortunately it’s possible listings you see are fraudulent. Feel free to reach out to us with any questions!

Airports

The Tokyo area has two airports, Narita (NRT) and Haneda (HND). Haneda is in Tokyo, but Narita is actually in Chiba and at least 90 minutes outside of the city by car (depending on traffic). We recommend arriving to Haneda, if you can.

Entry

US and EU nationals don’t need a VISA to enter Japan. You can just show up at the border, and get a 90-day tourist VISA.

You’ll fill out two forms just prior to landing in Japan: a Disembarkation Card to be handed to the customs agent, and a Customs Declaration Form. Both ask for your intended address of stay in Japan, so make sure this is accessible to you without an internet connection, so you can fill the form out on the plane.

From Tokyo: Catch the Tōyoko Line from Shibuya Station. The Limited Express to Motomachi-Chukagai should be quickest, a ~30min train ride.

From Haneda: A taxi is likely the easiest way to get to Yokohama from Haneda. There is a Taxi Stand on the ground floor of the Terminal. You’ll see the signs.

From Narita: A taxi from Narita will be very expensive. Instead, take the Narita Express, a train that takes you from the airport to the City. You can take the Narita Express directly to Yokohama, which takes about 84 minutes. From there, consider taking a taxi to your hotel.

You shouldn’t have trouble communicating your destination to taxi drivers. If there’s any confusion, you can show the address on your phone. Uber works but can be expensive (Lyft won’t work.)

Coming soon!

All New York events will take place in East Brooklyn, in the Bushwick-adjacent areas.

Because New York hotels are ridiculously expensive, we (sadly) recommend using airBnB—unfortunately it seems like they’re extra pricey around 6/14 at the moment, but here are some that we’re seeing for reference.