Travel

Explore 10 Unmissable Places in Tokyo, Japan

Tokyo

Hey Traveller, Deciding on the best things to do in Tokyo depends on how much time you have – and for your sake, we hope you have a month. The city streets can feel like a very fast-paced soccer game, while quieter attractions include temples, museums, gardens, origami classes and bohemian getaways. There’s plenty to thrill you in this city, so word of advice: come with a game plan and be prepared to get lost along the way, in a good way.

Here, the best things to do in Tokyo.

1- Senso-ji

Senso-ji

Tokyo might not have as many temples as Kyoto, but Senso-ji isn’t just the capital city’s most popular. The atmosphere here is what makes it a bucket list destination. Senso-ji, the temple, is at the end of the shopping street, while a recently renovated five-story pagoda stands to the left (holding the status of being the second tallest pagoda in Japan).

Japanese tourists huddle around a large cauldron in front of the temple, inside which incense is burned, said to have health benefits. Travelers wishing to avoid crowds should arrive early, but even tourists with the slightest interest in Japanese culture will find something here they can appreciate.

Places to visit near in Senso-ji

  • Shop Nakamise-dori Street
  • Go Inside The Temple
  • Wander Yogodo Hall Gardens
  • Buy Some Good Luck:
  • Cleanse Yourself With Incense

2- Harmonica Yokocho

Harmonica Yokocho

This cluster of narrow alleys, just off the northern exit of JR Kichijoji Station, is packed with hole-in-the-wall eateries. A yellow sign marks the entrance to Harmonica Yokocho, which takes its name from the layout of the vendors, who are slotted cheek to cheek along the pathways like reeds in a harmonica. The atmospheric network of alleys began as a post-war flea market in the 1940s, but the area transformed in the ’90s when bustling bars and restaurants made their entry into the scene.

It offers a laid-back and hyper-local ambiance, especially at daytime, when you’ll find fish vendors and traditional sweets makers plying their trade.

Places to visit near in Harmonica Yokocho

  • Ahiru Beer Hall
  • Katakuchi Japanese
  • Minmin Chinese
  • Kopanda Izakaya

3- Koganyu

Koganyu

Attractive design, a DJ booth, and craft beer on tap: The newly renovated Koganyu serves as a lively bar and community event venue, but the main reason to visit this 89-year-old establishment is to immerse yourself in Tokyo’s sento (public sauna) culture. A crowdfunded renovation has transformed this space into a contemporary sento with four pools, a sauna, and an outdoor bath.

Bathing areas for men and women are separated by a 2.2-meter partial wall, while a mural depicting Mount Fuji stretches across both areas like a scroll. You can buy tickets from the vending machine at the entrance; a 90-minute bathing session costs about $3.50 for adults, $2.70 for students, and $1.30 for children. After you emerge from the bath, relax with a glass of craft beer brewed especially for Koganyu, or try a homemade ginger highball.

Places to visit near in Koganyu

  • Visit Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum
  • Visit Musashino Park
  • Visit Koganei Shrine

4- Shibuya Crossing

Anyone who is impressed that Tokyo is the world’s most populous city should visit Shibuya Crossing, the world’s busiest intersection. Flashing advertisements on massive video screens are visible above every corner, where black-suited salarymen, wide-eyed tourists and bag-carrying shoppers wait and cross in concert. The feeling is oddly soothing, a reminder that whatever crazy paths we take in life, they all have a tendency to cross at one time or another.

The best time to go is at dusk, one of the peak times of the scramble and its most striking illumination. The Shibuya Scramble Square tower above Shibuya Station offers panoramic views of the city as well as a bird’s-eye view of the famous crossing from the Shibuya Sky rooftop observatory, located 230 meters above street level.

Places to visit near Shibuya Crossing

  • Shibuya 109
  • Hachiko Statue
  • Cafes with a View

5- Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden

Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden

Do you want to wander through a Japanese garden? Find this and more at Shinjuku Gyoen. In addition to native, traditional gardens, the 144-acre park has French formal and English landscape gardens, all worth the modest entrance fee.

The sights here are stunning and impossible to forget, such as the Taiwan Pavilion built along a tranquil pond. It used to be an imperial garden, but after World War II it became a national park – so you can trust that this precious land is always beautifully maintained. Don’t miss cherry blossom season.

Places to Visit Near Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden

  • Senso-ji Temple
  • The Imperial Palace

6- Sumo at Ryogoku Kokugikan

Sumo at Ryogoku Kokugikan

Only three of the six official Grand Sumo tournaments take place in Tokyo, all at Ryogoku Kokugikan. More than 11,000 eager fans sit under the stadium’s green, pavilion-style roof. Official tournaments run for a little over two weeks each, which means the Ryogoku Kokugikan occasionally hosts other events (boxing, for example).

But sumo is the main attraction of the area, and if you’re hoping to see sumo in Tokyo, this is where you’ll find it. The tamaari seats, which are right next to the ring, are the most coveted – and nearly impossible to get. But the next series of rows, the box seats, are as close as you can get. Box seats are the most expensive, but are little more than rows of tatami mats lined with red square cushions (no backs) sold in groups of four – so sit back and pay up (¥380.00, or about $279 for a box).

There are proper stadium seats along the second-floor mezzanine, but the thrill of seeing this traditional Japanese sport up close depends on being comfortable with the floor.

Places to Visit near at Sumo at Ryogoku Kokugikan

  • Ryogoku Kokugikan National Sumo Stadium
  • Sumo Museum
  • Edo-Tokyo Museum
  • Ekoin Temple
  • Yokoamicho Park & Tokyo Memorial Hall
  • Sumida River Walk to Asakusa
  • Ryogoku Fireworks Museum

7- teamLab Borderless

teamLab Borderless

With the first iteration of Borderless in Odaiba, art collective teamLab created an endlessly Instagrammable, spectacular and surreal museum dedicated to multi-sensory digital art. The museum, which opened in 2018 and set a world record for the most-visited museum dedicated to a single artist, will close in 2022. However, Borderless 2.0 will move to a permanent location at the soon-to-open Azabudai Hills mixed-use complex in central Tokyo in early 2024.

Borderless features installations that feature constantly changing patterns and designs that seem to flow seamlessly from room to room in a maze-like space. Updated versions of some of the museum’s past works will be on display, as well as several new installations: a room filled with hundreds of multicolored lights that continuously move along tracks and a series of interactive “light sculptures,” to name a few.

Places to Visit Near teamLab Borderless

  • Shanghai
  • Odaiba, Tokyo
  • Hamburg
  • Azabudai Hills

8 Fuji

Fuji

No trip to Tokyo would be complete without a visit to Mount Fuji, and the good news is that it can easily be reached in a day trip! The incredible area surrounding Mount Fuji is home to five beautiful lakes, where you can get spectacular views of the active volcano. The natural beauty here is extraordinary, and in each season, you’ll find something different to see, whether it’s the red color of the forests in autumn, the color of the cherry blossoms in spring, or the snow-capped peak of the volcano in winter.

Places to Visit Near Fuji

  • Fuji Subaru Line 5th Station
  • Fuji Five Lakes
  • Chureito Pagoda
  • Houtou Fudou
  • Aokigahara Forest
  • Shiraito Falls

9- Tokyo Skytree

Tokyo Skytree

Rising to a height of 2,080 feet, Tokyo Skytree is the world’s tallest tower (it’s a tower, not a building). From the broadcast tower’s 360-degree observation deck, the entire city – with its striking skyscrapers and neon squares – looks like a magical circuit board. This is a major tourist attraction and tickets aren’t cheap (up to ¥3,400 or $25 for a combo ticket), but even if you don’t pay for admission, there’s no denying that Tokyo Skytree has taken the skyline to a whole new level.

Depending on where you’re staying, this can be a separate trip to eastern Tokyo (luckily, a train station takes you right past the entrance). Families with kids will enjoy this experience – especially the fast-moving elevator ride – and anyone who likes to see amazing views.

Places to visit near Tokyo Skytree

  • Tokyo Solamachi
  • Sumida Aquarium
  • Salon De Sweets
  • Ameshin
  • Postal Museum Japan
  • Oshinari Park
  • Kokugikan

10- Yoyogi Park

Yoyogi Park

Yoyogi Park is one of Tokyo’s most enjoyable parks. It spans 134 acres in Shibuya, just a short drive from Harajuku, and is always packed with picnickers and performers. The northern part is lush, with spacious grassy lawns along neat paths, where locals and tourists lie in the shade of Japanese Zelkova trees, and gather around a large pond. Watch the impromptu badminton team swing rackets, play the bongos or amateur dancers move to the beats.

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