i bought a 2DK in setagaya near the 小田急 line a few years ago. the key thing people miss is the 固定資産税 (property tax) valuation - it can jump after a sale if the city reassesses. mine went up like 15% the year after i bought. also, some older buildings have this weird rule where you can't do short-term rentals (like airbnb) in the 管理規約, so check that if u planned to offset costs. for a holiday home, i'd actually look at 大田区 near the 京急線 - cheaper per square meter and still 20 mins to shinjuku, plus closer to haneda if ur flying in

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honestly the agent might not tell u this but getting a loan as a foreigner for an older place is a pain unless u pay cash. even with good rates, some banks just wont touch buildings from the 80s. if u do go cash, check the 耐震診断 report yourself, dont just trust what they say.

also, the monthly 管理費 and 修繕積立金 can be surprisingly high for older buildings, like 20,000-30,000 yen a month for a small place. that adds up fast if its just a holiday home u use a few weeks a year. i'd look at places in 世田谷 or 杉並 if u want quieter streets and better value than central wards.

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honestly the biggest shock for me was the 固定資産税 bill. it's not huge but it's annual and if you're not living here full time it's easy to forget about. also some buildings charge a separate 修繕積立金 that goes up every few years without warning.

another thing i'd check is the 用途地域 zoning on the land. some old apartments are in 準工業地域 or 商業地域 which means the area can change a lot. a quiet street today could have a 24/7 convenience store or a pachinko parlor next door next year.

if you're set on an old place, look for ones that already had a 大規模修繕工事 done recently. that's the big external repair where they redo the waterproofing and paint the whole building. if it's coming up in 5 years you might get hit with a lump sum payment of a few million yen.

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solid itinerary, the teamLab tip about midday slots is spot on. for day 3, instead of heading straight to Odaiba from Tsukiji, take a 10-minute walk to Hamarikyu Gardens. it's this old daimyo garden right on the water, total contrast to the market chaos. you can catch a water bus from there to Odaiba, it goes under Rainbow Bridge and drops you right by the ferris wheel. costs about 600 yen extra but the boat ride is worth it on a clear day.

also for day 1, the Met Govt Building deck is free and has solid views but the queue for the elevators can get long around sunset. there's a smaller viewing spot on the 45th floor of the Shinjuku Center Building that most tourists miss, same free entry and way shorter lines. just a 5 min walk from the station west exit.

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This is a solid itinerary. I'd suggest swapping the order of day one a bit. Meiji Jingu is right next to Harajuku, so you can hit the shrine first thing when it's quiet, then walk through the grounds and come out right at Harajuku station to avoid backtracking. The Yurikamome Line ride to Odaiba on day three is a great call, the views from the driverless train over Rainbow Bridge are a highlight in themselves.

One thing the guide doesn't mention is that the Tsukiji Outer Market has really pushed up prices for tourists, especially for sushi. If you want a more local and less crowded experience, head to the Uogashi area right behind the main market stalls. You'll find the same quality grilled seafood and tamagoyaki for a couple hundred yen less. Also, for the teamLab booking, the 9am or 10am slots sell out first, so grab a midday entry if you want to avoid the school groups.

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for day 2, if you're at sensoji that early, walk through the back of the temple grounds to the small cemetery area. it's quiet and has a great view of the pagoda without all the selfie sticks. also, ueno park's museums are good but the national museum of nature and science has a really cool exhibit on the history of tokyo's subway system with old train cars you can walk through. my kid loved it more than the zoo.

the guide mentions cash but i'd add that some of the best food stalls in ameyoko only take coins and don't have prices posted. just point at what looks good and hand over a 500 yen coin, they'll give you change. i got a huge plate of grilled scallops that way for 400 yen and it was better than any sit-down place i tried

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