You should definitely check Nakano Broadway. It's not as polished as the Ginza shops but the smaller dealers there often have stock that doesn't make it onto their websites. I've seen Speedmasters in a few of the second-floor watch shops near the Mandarake side, and they're usually willing to negotiate a bit on price if you pay cash.

Don't rely too much on online inventory. A lot of these shops run their websites as an afterthought or just list whatever they've sold recently. Showing up in person and asking is the only real way to know what they've actually got in the case. Hit up the shops in Shinjuku's 3-chome area too, there's a cluster of them near the big Yodobashi Camera that often have vintage Omegas tucked away.

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the nakano broadway tip is solid but also check out the used watch shops in ueno, specifically around the ameyoko market. there's a few small places tucked in there that don't have websites at all, just glass cases and a guy who's been doing it for 20 years. saw a speedmaster reduced in one of them last fall for like 280k yen which is a steal

for the holiday thing, golden week ends may 6th so you'll be fine on timing. most shops will be open regular hours by the 8th. i'd skip emailing tbh, just go in and ask, the smaller shops especially don't update their online stock at all and will pull things out of the back if you seem serious

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honestly just walk into any komehyo or daikokuya branch, they rotate stock so often that websites are useless. the one in shibuya had a reduced sitting in the case when i was there last month, worth checking their flagship stores especially.

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honestly the guide nailed it but i'd throw in nakameguro for anyone visiting in spring. the canal walk during cherry blossom season is insane, way less crowded than ueno or shinjuku gyoen. plus there's a killer onigiri spot called Onigiri Bongo that sells out by noon, and the area has a ton of tiny wine bars and vintage shops. rooms at the Claska hotel start around $120 and it's a quick hop to shibuya on the tokyu line

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solid write-up, covers the big ones well. for my money, if you're a food nerd, staying near a good tsukemen or ramen spot is a legit strategy. i booked a hotel in takadanobaba once just cause i wanted to be walking distance from Taishoken, the tsukemen birthplace. that area is also full of student bars and cheap eats since Waseda Uni is there, rooms at the b:CONTE hotel run like $90 a night and it's two stops from Shinjuku on the Yamanote. way less tourist crush than Shibuya for late-night bowls

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This is a solid breakdown, really covers the main bases well. One thing I'd add for anyone staying in Shinjuku is that the station itself can be overwhelming even for locals, so picking a hotel on the west side near the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building is a good hack. The views from the free observation deck there are just as good as the paid ones, and you avoid the chaos of the east exit. For cheap eats in that area, the basement floor of Takashimaya department store has incredible takeout bento boxes under 1,000 yen that beat most convenience store meals.

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