Day 1 — Asakusa, Ueno, Yanaka, Tokyo Station
Arrival day with a lighter load. Senso-ji at sunrise if jet-lagged early; Yanaka and Nezu in afternoon for the slow shitamachi pace; Tokyo Station ramen-street dinner.
A full week unlocks Tokyo at a pace where you can have a slow morning, do a long lunch, and spend an unhurried afternoon in one neighbourhood. This itinerary uses Tokyo as a base for 5 days, adds an overnight in Hakone, and keeps Day 7 as a buffer for whatever you discovered you wanted on Day 3.
Arrival day with a lighter load. Senso-ji at sunrise if jet-lagged early; Yanaka and Nezu in afternoon for the slow shitamachi pace; Tokyo Station ramen-street dinner.
Classic Shibuya-Harajuku-Aoyama walk south. Lunch in Aoyama. Afternoon Nezu Museum, evening shopping in Daikanyama and dinner in Ebisu.
Tsukiji breakfast, Hama-rikyu garden, Ginza shopping, Akasaka or Toranomon lunch. Afternoon: Mori Art Museum or teamLab Borderless. Roppongi Hills observation deck at sunset.
Romance Car from Shinjuku to Hakone-Yumoto. Lunch at Hakone-Yumoto. Open-Air Museum afternoon. Bus to ryokan for kaiseki dinner and onsen.
Lake Ashi pirate ship, Hakone Shrine torii-in-water photo, Owakudani sulphur valley, ropeway. Late afternoon Romance Car back to Tokyo.
Kamakura (1hr from Tokyo): Great Buddha at Kotokuin, Hasedera, Hokokuji bamboo grove, walk Komachi-dori. Or Nikko if you didn't pick it earlier. Or a slow Tokyo day in Shimokitazawa and Koenji.
Whatever you missed: a second pass at Akihabara, a slow morning in Asakusa with Sumida River walk, depachika shopping for snacks at Isetan or Takashimaya. Depart from Narita or Haneda.
This is a generic plan that works for most travellers. Use Panor's AI Japan trip planner to customise it — adjust pace, add or remove neighbourhoods, swap day trips, account for dietary restrictions, or factor in cherry-blossom or autumn-foliage timing. The planner uses interactive maps and can export the itinerary to your phone.