Best Things to do in Tokyo : Asakusa, Ginza, Shinjuku, Shibuya, Disney etc.

What are the best places to visit in Tokyo?
There are many things to see and do in Tokyo. On this page, we will show you the sights you must see when you visit Tokyo.

Tokyo is the capital of Japan. Traditional culture lives on, while modern innovation continues. By all means, when you come to Japan, come to Tokyo and feel the energy.

This page is very long. By reading this page, you can check out all the major tourist spots in Tokyo. Use the table of contents below to see areas of interest. You can return to the top of this page by clicking the arrow button at the bottom right.

Links to related articles and links to related tours and activities are also provided, so please refer to them if you find an area of interest.

Outline of Tokyo

If you come to Tokyo and see the landscape of Tokyo from the train or bus window, you may be surprised that it is a very vast city. The city of Tokyo continued to expand since the latter half of the 20th century and, as a result, it almost joined the surrounding cities such as Yokohama, Saitama and Chiba. As a result, the Tokyo metropolitan (mega city) centering on Tokyo is now born. The population of the Tokyo Metropolitan has reached approximately 35 million people.

There is a network of JR (former state-owned railroad), private railways, subway in this megacity. Every train runs very accurately in seconds. People are actively living using these trains. If you come to Tokyo, please feel the power of this megacity.

Tokyo is the city that produces new pop culture one after another. At the same time, Tokyo is a city where traditional shrines and temples still exist. This duality is a major feature of Tokyo. In Tokyo, please enjoy both innovative pop culture and traditional Japanese traditional culture.

In Tokyo, there are places that are abundant in nature such as the Imperial Palace, Shinjuku Gyoen Park and Meiji Jingu. I also recommend that you feel the seasonal change of this country in those places.

* There are many Japan travel tours starting in Tokyo. See here.

Tokyo weather by month

Below are articles about the monthly weather in Tokyo. Click on the month you want to know more about.

January	February	March
April	May	June
July	August	September
October	November	December

Tokyo Must see! ‘Asakusa’

I would like to introduce you to Asakusa first. Because Asakusa is a city where you can enjoy old traditional Japanese culture. If you go to Asakusa first, you will get the feeling that you came to Japan.

In the past, Tokyo has evolved from the east side first. For this reason many traditional shrines, temples, towns are left in the eastern part of Tokyo. Asakusa is a typical city in the eastern region.

Sensoji Temple

Sensoji Temple is a big temple representing Asakusa (and representing Tokyo). It was established in the first half of the 7th century and has long been familiar to Tokyo citizens.

About 5 minutes on foot from Asakusa Station (subway, Tobu Skytree Line, Tsukuba Express), there is a big front gate of Sensoji Temple, as shown in the picture below. This is a very famous gate called “Kaminarimon”. On the right side of this gate is the statue of the god of the wind (Fujin), on the left is the statue of the god of thunder (Raijin). Both have a very scary face. And in the middle is a huge lantern.

Go through this gate, followed by a narrow street with small shops “Nakamise”. Souvenirs and Japanese street foods are displayed in over 100 shops. After this lively Nakamise, there is a big gate called Hozomon as seen in the picture above. Beyond that, there is the main hall of Sensoji Temple. As seen in the photo above, there is also a five-storied pagoda.

When you go to Sensoji Temple, you will notice that there are many shopping streets and buildings around this temple. Sensoji has been in the downtown of Tokyo for a long time and is always near Tokyo citizens. This is a big feature of Sensoji.

>>For Asakusa tours or experience programs, please click here.

Tokyo Must see! ‘Tokyo Skytree (Oshiage)’

If you are walking in Asakusa, you can see a television broadcasting tower in front of you. This is Tokyo Skytree.

The Tokyo skytree has a height of 634 meters. It is the highest in the world as a broadcasting tower. As an artificial building, it is the second highest in the world after the 828 m in Dubai’s Burj Khalifa. At Tokyo Skytree, you can go to the first observation floor (350 meters high) and the second observation floor(height 450 meters), 350 meters high from the 4th floor above the ground. From the observation floors, you can see Mt. Fuji, Tokyo Bay and so on. You will feel that the earth is round. On the first observation floor there is also a corner where the floor is glazed and you can see the underground.

Tokyo Skytree has a tourism and commercial facility called “Tokyo Skytree Town”. You will be able to enjoy shopping here. There is also an aquarium, you can meet the penguins.

The nearest stations of Tokyo Skytree are Tokyo Skytree station (Tobu Tokyo Skytree line) and Oshiage station (Hanzomon line, Keisei line, Toei Asakusa line). Whichever station you get off, there is Tokyo Skytree in front of you.

If you are going to sightsee in Asakusa, it takes about 3 minutes from Asakusa station on Tobu Skytree Line to Tokyo Skytree station.

>>For tours and nearby experience programs related to Skytree, please click here.

Tokyo Must see! ‘Tokyo Cruise’

Tokyo cruise is a water bus that runs from Asakusa through the Sumida River to the tourist destinations of Tokyo Bay such as Hamarikyu, Hinode Pier, Odaiba Kaihin Koen,  Tokyo Big Sight and Toyosu. The ship is large enough to ride about 100 people, and as seen in the photo above, a future type design has been given.

Once Tokyo was “the capital of water”. In the Sumida River and Tokyo Bay, there were so many ships operated. After that, revetment work was done at Sumida River. Natural landscapes like once were lost. However, the view of Tokyo from the window of the ship is very fresh. Bridges on the Sumida River have different designs. When your ship comes to Tokyo Bay, you can enjoy spacious views. I sometimes use this Tokyo cruise when I go to Asakusa. the ship is slower than trains, but it is a fun time.

It is approximately 40 minutes each way from Asakusa to Hinode Pier. The ship is operated at intervals of about 30 minutes.

>> For tours related to Tokyo Cruise, please click here.

Tokyo Must see! ‘Ueno’

Ueno is a big town in eastern Tokyo. In Ueno, Ueno Park with a size of about 530,000 square meters is spreading. This park is known as a place famous for its cherry blossoms, and it is crowded with many cherry blossom viewers in the spring. In the back of the park there is famous Ueno Zoo with animals such as pandas and elephants.

Furthermore, Ueno Park has museums representing Japan. For example, there are the Tokyo National Museum, the National Science Museum, the National Museum of Western Art, and the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum. There are also Tokyo Bunka Kaikan, where famous concerts and others are held.

Under the railway elevation from JR Ueno station to JR Okachimachi station, a shopping district called “Ameyoko (Ameya-Yokocho)” continues for about 500 meters. This place is very popular among tourists from abroad. There are about 400 small shops in Ameyoko that sell various goods cheaply, from fresh foods to clothing items. If you stroll around Ameyoko, you will feel as fun as you are searching for treasure.

Ueno station is the main station of JR, line with Tokyo station and Shinjuku station. Furthermore, in Ueno there is Keisei Electric Railway Ueno station going straight to Narita Airport. Ueno is not as fashionable as Shibuya and Shinjuku, but it is an intellectual and rich natural downtown. I think that it is a good idea to stay around Ueno because the hotel’s accommodation is cheaper than around the Tokyo station area.

>> For tours of Ueno and other experience programs in the neighborhood, please click here.

Tokyo Must see! ‘Rikugien Garden’

If you want to enjoy the beautiful Japanese garden in Tokyo, go to Rikugien near “Komagome” station of JR Yamanote line / Tokyo Metro Namboku line.

Rikugien is a garden built in 1702 by Yoshiyasu YANAGISAWA, who was a powerful Daimyo (feudal lord) at the time. From the hills in the garden you can overlook the entire Rikugien. Every spring and autumn, the trees are illuminated.

You can enjoy lots of Rikugien photos on the page below.

>>For tours and nearby experience programs about Rikugien Garden, please click here.

Tokyo Must see! ‘Yanesen :Yanaka,Nezu,Sendagi’

If you want to enjoy the traditional downtown atmosphere of Tokyo, I recommend you to explore “Yanesen”.

Yanesen is an area spreading east of Ueno. To be precise, the three districts “Yanaka” “Nezu” “Sendagi” are collectively called Yanesen.

These areas have miraculously escaped the damage of air raids at the time of World War II. In addition, these three districts escaped massive development after the war, so “old Japan” remains.

Recently, the number of grocery stores and cafes that match this kind of atmosphere is increasing. There are a lot of foreign tourists strolling while stopping by such stores.

The most popular attraction in Yanesen is Yanaka Ginza. It is an old shopping street in Yanaka about 170 meters. If you walk Yanaka Ginza, you can time slip to the old Japanese world. Yanaka Ginza has stairs as seen in the picture above. Why do not you sit on this staircase and enjoy the atmosphere of the Japanese downtown leisurely?

>>For tours and experience programs in Yanaka, Nezu, and Sendagi, please click here.

Tokyo Must see! ‘Ryogoku’

Ryogoku is a downtown area around the Ryogoku bridge in eastern Tokyo. Here is Kokugikan which is a grand venue for sumo wrestling. So, in this neighborhood you can see the scenery of sumo wrestlers walking. This area flourished as a downtown long time ago, so if you take a walk, you will be able to shoot the landscape of the old city of Japan.

Kokugikan = Sumo watching

When you get off at JR Ryogoku Station, you can see a huge building in front of you. A lot of flags are lining around the building. Sumo wrestlers are sometimes around that. This is Kokugikkan.

Kokugikan is an indoor type sports facility capable of accommodating approximately 11,000 spectators. It is usually used as a venue for the Great Sumo Tournament, but wrestling and boxing matches are sometimes held.

The Great Sumo Tournament is held in Kokugikan in January, March, September. There is a museum about sumo wrestling in Kokugikan. Historical materials and the like introducing the history of sumo are displayed in this museum. When a tournament is not held, you can enter for free. However, when a tournament is being held, only the spectators of the tournament can enter.

Please see the following article on watching Grand Sumo wrestling.

Tokyo Edo Museum (Ryogoku)

The Edo-Tokyo museum is a huge museum next to JR Ryogoku Station. If you go to this museum, you can learn about the lives of people in Tokyo from about 400 years ago to the present day happily. There is not difficult literature in the hall. Various miniatures, full size bridges and houses are lined up so visitors can learn without getting tired of it. The Edo-Tokyo museum is also highly valued among foreign tourists.

For details about the Edo-Tokyo Museum, please refer to the following article.

>>For tours and neighborhood experience programs related to both countries, please click here.

Tokyo Must see! ‘Akihabara’

Akihabara is a town in the eastern part of Tokyo, combining aspects of a huge electric shop town and a place of subculture of Japan.

In Akihabara, after the Second World War, the black market was spreading in times when supplies were scarce. After that, as the Japanese economy recovered, a lot of electric shops opened in Akihabara and it became famous as an electric town. For Otaku (Subculture lovers) coming to shop for the electric shops, the number of animation and game related shops increased and eventually gained evaluation as a subculture transmission point.

Akihabara is a town in the eastern part of Tokyo, combining aspects of a huge electric shop town and a place of subculture of Japan.

In Akihabara, after the Second World War, the black market was spreading in times when supplies were scarce. After that, as the Japanese economy recovered, a lot of electric shops opened in Akihabara and it became famous as an electric town. For Otaku (Subculture lovers) coming to shop for the electric shops, the number of animation and game related shops increased and eventually gained evaluation as a subculture transmission point.

If you want to buy personal computers and home appliances in Akihabara, you can go to the huge electric shop “Yodobashi Akiba” on the east side of JR Akihabara station. There are most items in this store with a total floor space of 63,560 square meters.

However, if you want to go to Akihabara’s electricity district or maid cafe, you’d better take a walk on the west side of Akihabara station. There are quite a lot of shops in it. Sometimes there are cosplayers in front of the shops.

For Akihabara, please also refer to the following articles.

>>For an overview of Akihabara and related tours and experience programs in the neighborhood, please click here.

>>For more information about Tokyo Must see! ‘Nihonbashi’

Nihonbashi flourished as a commercial area since the Tokugawa shogunate based in Tokyo established about 400 years ago. “Nihonbashi” is a bridge resting on the Nihonbashi River. In the era of the Tokugawa shogunate, this bridge was the starting point and the road to Kyoto was maintained. This bridge is often portrayed in Japanese old paintings (Ukiyo-e). Nihonbashi was destroyed by fire many times. The current bridge is a stone bridge built in 1911, which is designated as an important cultural property of Japan.

Nihonbashi tended to be deprived of customers by Shinjuku and Shibuya in recent decades, but now the redevelopment progresses and it is booming.

In the center of Nihonbashi is department store “Mitsukoshi” seen in the photo above. Mitsukoshi started as a kimono dealer in the 17th century and has grown as a department store representative of Japan from the beginning of the 20th century. Luxury cars of wealthy people are lined up in the entrance of Mitsukoshi. There are many high-end goods in Mitsukoshi, the wealthy people come to shopping.

Mitsukoshi opened a department store in Ginza, but I think that Mitsukoshi in Nihonbashi is much bigger and the social status is higher.

Recently, Shinjuku department store “Isetan” is more popular among young people. However, if you would like to sightseeing and want to shop in a majestic Japanese traditional department store, I recommend that you go to Mitsukoshi.

>>For tours and neighborhood experience programs related to Nihonbashi, please click here.

Tokyo Must see! ‘Imperial Palace (Tokyo)’

The Imperial Palace is a castle where the Japanese emperor lives. It was “Edo castle” which is the base of the Tokugawa shogunate once. The Tokugawa shogunate collapsed in the second half of the 19th century, and the new government started using this castle as the Imperial Palace. It can be said that the Imperial Palace is the only active castle in Japan.

If you want to take pictures against the background of the Imperial Palace, please get off at JR Tokyo station or Nijubashi-mae subway station, Otemachi subway station. After 5 to 10 minutes walk, you can look at the beautiful Imperial Palace as seen in the picture above from the outside.

The public can not enter the Imperial Palace freely. However, if you book in advance by referring to the official website, you can enter weekdays.

For certain days such as January 2 and the Emperor’s Birthday, ordinary people can enter the Imperial Palace without prior reservation. At this time, a very large number of people make long rows. You can see the Emperor Family waving hands from inside the building in the Imperial Palace.

On the other hand, for the green area on the east side of the Imperial Palace, you do not have to make a reservation in advance (except Monday and Friday). The time zone that you can enter can vary depending on the season. In winter, you can not enter the park after 15:30. Please be careful.

If you do not mind, please refer to the following article as well.

>>For an overview of the Tokyo Imperial Palace and related tours and experience programs in the neighborhood, please click here.

Tokyo Must see! ‘Marunouchi’

Marunouchi is an area sandwiched between JR Tokyo station and the Imperial Palace. There, the largest business area in Japan is spreading.

In this area, the large houses of Samurai were spreading in the past. After the collapse of the Tokugawa shogunate, this area was desolated, but the Mitsubishi group promoted redevelopment to create a business district. Currently, in the Marunouchi area, skyscrapers stand side by side. People working in these buildings are moving actively, making us feel the power of the Japanese economy.

I used to work in a skyscraper in this area before. The view from the high-rise floor of this area is very wonderful. The vast forest of the Imperial Palace is spreading in front of you, and you can see the high-rise building streets of Shinjuku ahead. Furthermore, Mt. Fuji looks bigger in the morning and evening. In the evening, Mt. Fuji gets shining with a sunset.

Previously, in this office town, there were few people on weekends. However, recently, in front of JR Tokyo station, Marunouchi Building and Shin Marunouchi Building, which are full of restaurant districts and shopping districts, have been built, becoming tourist attractions. From the restaurant on the top floor of the Marunouchi Building, you can see the above-mentioned wonderful scenery.

As seen in the photo above, the brick house station was restored at JR Tokyo station. These buildings are lighted up at night and it is really beautiful. Please try walking around this beautiful Marunouchi area!

Tokyo Must see! ‘Ginza’

Ginza is the biggest shopping town in eastern Tokyo.

Ginza is famous as a high-end shopping district. As a big shopping town in Tokyo, Shinjuku, Shibuya, Ikebukuro, etc. in western Tokyo can also be mentioned. Shinjuku and Shibuya may be the most popular traffic, but Ginza has the most luxury brand stores.

To Ginza Station, you are about 2 minutes by Marunouchi Subway Line from Tokyo Station. When you get off at Ginza station, you first go to the Ginza 4-chome intersection at a few minutes from the ticket gate. There is “Wako” (the building seen in the above picture) famous as a specialty shop such as luxury watch and jewelry. There is the Ginza Mitsukoshi department store on the other side of the road. This intersection is the center of Ginza.

There are so many brand shops, restaurants and cafes around Wako.

For shopping in Ginza, please refer to the following article.

>>For an overview of Ginza and related tours and neighborhood experience programs, please click here.

Kabukiza Theater (Higashi-Ginza)

About 5 minutes on foot from Ginza 4-chome intersection, there is “Kabukiza” which is the largest dedicated theater for kabuki in Japan. At Kabukiza, performances with leading Kabuki actors are being held. There are performances of almost every day, day (usually 11: 00-15: 00) and night (usually 16: 30-20: 30). To book Kabukiza tickets, the following official website of the operating company Shochiku is useful. You can also buy tickets on the day at Kabukiza.

>> For details of Kabukiza please see this website

About Kabuki, I also introduced in the following article. Please refer if you do not mind.

Tokyo Must see! ‘Tokyo Tower (Kamiyacho)’

Tokyo Tower is a broadcasting tower with a height of 333 meters that opened in 1958. It is the second highest building in Japan next to Tokyo Skytree (height 634 m). Tokyo Tower is located in Shibakoen, Minato-ku, the center of Tokyo.

Tokyo Tower may be special for Japanese in a sense. After the Second World War, Japanese began building a new town from the ruins. The symbol of the new Tokyo was Tokyo Tower. Since the Japanese share this memories, we value the Tokyo Tower even after the Tokyo Skytree was completed in 2012.

To be honest, Tokyo Tower did not have much image as a fashionable building at first. The Eiffel Tower in Paris appears in fashionable movies, but the Tokyo Tower was just broken by Godzilla in the Godzilla movies. However, the recent Tokyo Tower is popular among fashionable young people. One of the reasons behind this is the fact that a wonderful illumination design was made by Motoko ISHII, the world’s leading lighting designer. Currently, the illumination of Tokyo Tower is very beautiful. Please do enjoy the beautiful night view of Tokyo Tower in Tokyo by all means.

The Tokyo Tower has Top deck (250 meters high) and Main deck (150 meters high). These observatory are open daily from 9:00 to 23:00. Beneath the tower, there are aquariums, cafes, restaurants and shops.

As a place to look at the Tokyo Tower, I recommend the Observatory of Roppongi Hills to be described later. Because Roppongi Hills is relatively close to Tokyo Tower, you can enjoy the powerful illumination of Tokyo Tower.

>>For an overview of Tokyo Tower and related tours and nearby experience programs, please click here.

Tokyo Must see! ‘Roppongi’

Roppongi is a fashionable town in the center of Tokyo. Because there are many embassies around Roppongi, there are many foreigners, and there is an international atmosphere somewhere. In this town, celebrities, apparel officials, mass media officials and others gather. There are also a lot of IT staff. Roppongi is a small town compared to Shinjuku and Shibuya, but I think that Roppongi is a more sophisticated town.

Roppongi is also a town of art. There are “National Art Center” where large-scale exhibitions are held all the time, “Mori Art Museum” introducing advanced contemporary art.

And, in this town, “Tokyo Midtown” where Ritz-Carlton Tokyo etc. are located, “Roppongi Hills” where Grand Hyatt Tokyo and TV Asahi, Mori Art Museum etc. are located is spreading.

The main building of Roppongi Hills has a height of 238 m. From the view floor of this building you can see the Tokyo Skytree, Tokyo Tower, Tokyo Bay and so on. Actually, I usually write articles of this site on the higher floors of this building. From my seat, the night view of Tokyo Tower looks very beautiful.

If you are going to visit Roppongi, I would recommend walking from Roppongi Hills to Tokyo Midtown. If you like art, you may want to add the National Art Center to your itinerary. The restaurant in the National Art Center is a fashionable sightseeing spot that appeared in the movie ‘Your name.’ as seen in the picture above.

>> For an overview of Roppongi and related tours and experience programs in the neighborhood, please click here.

Tokyo Must see! ‘Akasaka’

Akasaka is located in the central part of Tokyo and is a very convenient place to go anywhere in Tokyo. There is Akasaka Mitsuke Station on the Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line and Ginza Line, which connect the major areas of Tokyo, and Akasaka Station on the Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line.

There are many hotels and restaurants in Akasaka. At night, many people come from the surrounding government offices and business districts to lively.

The State Guest House (Akasaka Palace)

In Akasaka, there is the State Guest House (Akasaka Palace), which hosts overseas presidents and prime ministers. It is usually open to the public. Below is a page with lots of beautiful photos of the State Guest House.

>> For an overview of Akasaka Palace and related tours and experience programs in the neighborhood, please click here.

Tokyo Must see! ‘Odaiba’

Odaiba is a vast landfill located in Tokyo Bay. This landfill was built for the purpose of making a fortress to defend Tokyo when the US military fleet came to Japan in the mid-nineteenth century. However, now it is greatly expanded and it is an area where attractions representative of Tokyo line up.

Odaiba is connected with the Tokyo Shibaura district by ‘Rainbow Bridge’ seen in the above picture. Many tourists use the an automated guideway transit service called “Yurikamome” from Shinbashi station, and go to Odaiba through the Rainbow Bridge. There are many sightseeing spots waiting for the tourists.

Odaiba is like a theme park. In this “theme park”, for example, there are the following sightseeing spots.

4 large shopping malls

Dex Tokyo Beach

“Dex Tokyo Beach” is a large shopping center with ship as a motif, with about 90 shops, restaurants and amusement facilities. From the deck of this shopping mall, you can see Rainbow Bridge and Tokyo Tower well. During the Christmas period, many illuminations also shine and the night view is splendid. Dex Tokyo Beach is a 2-minute walk from Yurikamome’s Odaiba Kaihinkoen Station.

Aqua City Odaiba

“Aqua City Odaiba” is a large shopping mall with about 60 shops. Near the mall there is a replica of the Statue of Liberty (same goddess as Paris or New York). You can see the city center of Tokyo ahead of the Statue of Liberty and the Rainbow Bridge.Aqua City Odaiba is in front of Yurikamome’s Daiba station.

Venus Fort

“Venus Fort” is a fashionable indoor type shopping mall that reproduced the streets of Europe in the 17th – 18th centuries. There are about 190 shops and restaurants here. There is also an outlet mall.

This shopping mall is very popular among young women. Venus Fort is in front of Yurikamome’s Aomi station.

Diver City Topyo Plaza

Diver City Topyo Plaza is a large complex with the concept of a theatrical space. Here are casual brand shops and restaurants, food courts, live houses and so on. The huge Gundam seen in the above picture is standing in front of Diver City Topyo Plaza. Diver City Topyo Plaza is a 5-minute walk from Yurikamome’s Daiba Station.

Amusement spots

Palette Town Ferris Wheel

It is a Ferris wheel in front of Yurikamome’s Aomi station. Take the Ferris wheel and you can see Tokyo Bay and Tokyo central city well. Because it is open until 22 o’clock on weekdays and 23 o’clock on weekend, it is also recommended for people who want to see a beautiful night view.

Tokyo Joypolis

Tokyo Joypolis is one of the largest domestic indoor type amusement parks in Japan, with more than 20 types of attractions such as rotary roller coasters and motion rides. This amusement park is located in the above-mentioned Dex Tokyo Beach.

Madame Tussaud Tokyo

There are lots of life-sized figures of world celebrities such as Hollywood stars and athletes in this amusement park. This facility is also located at Deix Tokyo Beach.

Legoland Discovery Center Tokyo

This is an indoor type amusement park composed of more than 3 million LEGO blocks. This facility is also located at Deix Tokyo Beach.

Daiba 1-chome shopping district

Daiba 1 – chome shopping area is an indoor type amusement park on the 4th floor of Dex Tokyo Beach. Here, the retro shopping streets of Japan are reproduced. It is a popular spot for foreign tourists unexpectedly.

MEGAWEB

It is a car theme park operated by Toyota located near the Ferris wheel. If you go to this facility, you can see the new models of Toyota and the historical cars of the world. There is also a course of 200 meters in length that visitors can drive electric carts.

Oedo Onsen Monogatari

It is an Onsen (hot spring) theme park with the theme of ancient Tokyo. This facility has many outdoor baths and large public baths that utilize hot springs pumped from the basement 1400 m. There are also restaurants and Izakaya (Japanese style pub). Oedo Onsen Monogatari is a 2-minute walk from Yurikamome Telecom Center Station.

Others

Odaiba Kaihin Koen (Odaiba Seaside Park)

Odaiba Kaihin Koen (Odaiba Seaside Park) is a sandy beach 4 minutes on foot from Odaiba Kaihin Koen Station in Yurikamome. Unfortunately you can not swim on this beach. But from here you can see the rainbow bridge and so on. This beach is recommended for a walk.

Fuji TV Headquarters

The unique building seen in the third picture above is the Fuji TV headquarters. The part of the sphere at the top of this building is an observation room. People in general can also enter here. In this building there are Fuji TV original goods shops and so on. If you are lucky, you may be able to meet Japanese top stars in this building!

>> For an overview of Odaiba Seaside Park and related tours and experience programs in the neighborhood, click here.

Tokyo Must see! ‘Ikebukuro’

Ikebukuro is a huge shopping town in the western part of Tokyo.

In the west of Tokyo, there are three huge shopping towns in order from the north: Ikebukuro, Shinjuku and Shibuya. The largest of these is Shinjuku. And the young people gather most is in Shibuya. In contrast, Ikebukuro has the following two features.

You can shop efficiently in front of the station

First, in Ikebukuro, huge department stores and shopping malls are concentrated in front of Ikebukuro station, so you can shop efficiently.

In the east exit of Ikebukuro station there are Seibu Department Store, Ikebukuro Parco (Shopping Mall), Bic Camera Main Store (Home Appliance Specialty Store), Yamada Denki (Home Appliance Specialty Store).

At the west entrance of Ikebukuro, there are Tobu Department Store and Lumine (shopping mall).

Seibu department store (sales floor space 91,555 square meters) and Tobu Department store (82,963 square meters) are top class department stores in Japan. So, you will be satisfied with your shopping in Ikebukuro. In addition, Ikebukuro’s home electronics stores are comparable to Akihabara and Shinjuku, so you should be able to do a good shopping.

You can play a lot in Sunshine City

The second characteristic of Ikebukuro is that there is a unique commercial and tourism area “Sunshine City” about 10 minutes on foot from Ikebukuro station.

Sunshine City is a commercial facility centered on skyscraper “Sunshine 60” (height 239.7 m, 60 stories). In addition to Sunshine 60, there are commercial and tourist facilities called “World Import Mart”, “Sunshine Prince Hotel”, and others.

Sunshine 60 has corporate offices and so on. At the top floor observatory (SKY CIRCUS), you can enjoy attractions using VR (virtual reality) technology.

And World Import Mart has an aquarium and a planetarium. There is also an indoor type amusement park “Nanjatown.” In Namjatown, you can enjoy various attractions, and you can eat lots of Gyoza (foods wrapped with ground meat and vegetables in a thin dough) and desserts.

Also around the Sunshine City, the following unique commercial facilities are increasing.

Tokyo Hands Ikebukuro : Very Unique Large DIY shop
Animate Ikebukuro main store : specialty store of animation related books and goods
Otome Road : The streets where shops of women’s animated goods store line up

>> For an overview of Sunshine 60 and related tours and experience programs, click here.

Tokyo Must see! ‘Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden’

Shinjuku Gyoen is a park with a size of 58.3 ha, 3.5 km around, located near Shinjuku which is the largest shopping town in Tokyo. It is about 5 minutes on foot from Shinjuku Gyoen Station on the Marunouchi Subway Line. I think Shinjuku Gyoen is the most beautiful among the parks in Tokyo.

In the era of Tokugawa shogunate, it was a mansion of Daimyo (lord of the province). After that, it became a royal garden, and it is used as a park from the latter half of the 20th century.

Because it is such a place with historical background, Shinjuku Gyoen has developed full-fledged garden of old Japanese style, British style, French style. Many tourists enter this park and are surprised by their beauty.

Many kinds of flowers bloom throughout the year at Shinjuku Gyoen. About 1100 cherry blossoms bloom in the spring. And autumn leaves are wonderful. Even in winter, flowers such as Daffodils, Fukujunso, Ume, Kanzakura, Kanzaki are welcoming you.

There are a restaurant and a cafe in Shinjuku Gyoen. The opening time of this park is 9: 00-16: 00 (closed at 16: 30). Every Monday is closed (If Monday is a public holiday the following weekday is closed). Entrance fee is 200 yen in general, elementary and junior high school students 50 yen, infants are free.

>> For an overview of Shinjuku Gyoen and related tours and experience programs, please click here.

For the cherry blossoms at Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden, please refer to the following article.

Tokyo Must see! ‘Shinjuku’

Shinjuku is the biggest shopping town in Tokyo. At the same time, it is also one of the leading office streets in Tokyo.

Shinjuku station is Japan’s largest station. Train such as Yamanote line, Chuo line, Sobu line, Saikyo line, etc. is on board at JR Shinjuku station. In addition, private rail such as Odakyu line (Hakone or Enoshima direction), Keio line (Takao and Hachioji direction), Seibu Shinjuku line (Tokorozawa and Chichibu direction) etc are on board. Subway such as Marunouchi line, Toei Shinjuku line, Toei Oedo line, etc. also enters Shinjuku.

Shinjuku is divided into the following three districts.

First, JR Shinjuku Station east exit side is Shinjuku’s largest shopping area. Here is Isetan department store, which is the most popular department store in Japan, many electronics specialty shops, clothing store and so on. Beyond that there is Kabukicho, Japan ‘s biggest entertainment district. And in addition there is Golden Gai, a retro style bar street. If you want to enjoy the maximum amount of shopping in Shinjuku, I recommend that you go to this eastern area.

Secondly, there is JR Shinjuku Station west exit side. Here are Odakyu Department Store and Keio Department Store. And there are many stores of Yodobashi Camera, one of the leading large electronics specialty store in Japan. Beyond that there are high-rise building streets including Tokyo Metropolitan Government Office, Keio Plaza Hotel, Hyatt Regency Tokyo, Hilton Tokyo and others. This high-rise building street is also the stage of many movies (for example, “Your name.”) And drama. There is a little fashionable atmosphere in this area than the area on the east side.

Thirdly, on the south exit side of JR Shinjuku Station, large shopping facilities such as Takashimaya Department Store and Tokyu Hands are arranged side by side. This area was developed the most recently, so it’s the most fashionable and the illumination is splendid.

Isetan (Shinjuku)

Isetan is a huge department store located about 5 minutes on foot from the east exit of JR Shinjuku Station and 1 minute on foot from Shinjuku Sanchome Subway Station on the Marunouchi Subway Line.

This department store is now most popular in Japan. The design and quality of products such as clothing items in Isetan are very good. In addition, Isetan’s underground floor has wonderful sweets and dishes. I think that the price of the item is slightly higher than other department stores.

There is an annex where men’s clothes and clothing items are sold only. Therefore, Isetan is popular among men as well as women.

About Isetan, I also introduced in the following article.

the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Office Building (Shinjuku)

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government Office Building is a skyscraper located 10 minutes on foot from JR Shinjuku Station West Exit. It consists of the first government building (height 243.4 m, 49 stories) and the second government building (height 163.3 m, 34 stories). You can enter the observation room at the 45th floor (height 202m) of the first office building.

The upper part of the First Government Building is divided into South and North Buildings. Both of them have an observation room. From the South Observation Room (opening hours 9: 30-17: 30) you can see Tokyo Bay well. On the other hand, the night view of the city center is good from the north observation room (9: 30 – 23: 00). There is also a bar and a cafe in the north observation room.

From the observation room of this building, the same high-rise buildings in Shinjuku are close by. You can feel clearly that you are in the jungle of skyscrapers.

Both observation rooms have direct elevator from the first floor and arrive in 55 seconds. Admission to the observation room is free.

>> For details of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Office Building, please see the official website of Tokyo

Samurai Museum (Shinjuku)

Samurai Museum is a small museum located about 10 minutes on foot from JR Shinjuku Station East Exit. Around this museum is a busy downtown area. However, as you enter the museum, many Samurai armor and helmets are on display and a quiet world is spreading. You can actually take a Samurai armor and a helmet and take a picture with a Japanese sword (a type that can not actually break). This museum is very popular among foreign tourists.

There are many museums and theme parks related to samurai and ninja in Japan. Among them, this samurai museum is recommended as a sightseeing spot that can be easily accessed in Tokyo. As for the Samurai museum, I introduced in the following article, so please refer if you like.

Robot Restaurant (Shijuku)

A new sightseeing spot has been born one after another in Kabukicho which is an entertainment district in the back of Shinjuku for customers who came from abroad. Robot Restaurant is one of them. This restaurant is located near the above Samurai Museum.

The Robot Restaurant is a place to enjoy flashy performances rather than a place to eat. Of course, robots appear, but in addition various dancers sing and dance and excite the venue. As this restaurant has many Japanese-style performances such as Japanese drums, this restaurant has a good reputation among visitors from foreign countries.

>> The official website of the Robot Restaurant is here

I introduced the Robot Restaurant in the following article. If you like, please also refer to the following article.

Golden Gai (Shinjuku)

* Click on the map above to display a Google map on a separate page.

The Golden Gai (Golden District) is an old and narrow district in Shinjuku Kabukicho 1 chome. Small wooden houses are dense. More than 200 bars are open here. The size of each shop is only about 10 square meters.

The Golden Gai leaves the shadow of Shinjuku that became ruined after World War II. If you go to this area, you will find a sense of time slipping back to Japan over 50 years ago. This retro district is now very popular among foreign tourists.

In this district, restaurants first crowded, where prostitution was taking place. After prostitution was forbidden, the bars opened one after another. Although redevelopment was promoted in Shinjuku, shopkeepers resisted the redevelopment in this district, and sharply protected their shops in this district.

Many of The Golden Gai shopkeepers are unique. People who like them gathered. Famous movie directors and actors gathered in shop owner’s bar familiar with the movie. The writers and media-related officials gathered at a shop owner’s bar who likes novels. In this way, a unique cultural atmosphere was born in The Golden Gai.

I have also been to Golden Street many times. In a very small bar, I talked with shopkeepers and the surrounding guests about movies. Recently, The Golden Gai has changed considerably. The number of foreign tourists has increased, and the number of new shops has increased. I’m looking forward to seeing how this district will change in the future.

In order to have a good time at The Golden Gai, you should consider some things. First, please do not go to this district with a group of large numbers. Since every shop is small, it is desirable to go by a few people. Second, let’s not stay long in one store. Only a few customers can enter the shop. So please be careful to put the next guests in. If you enjoy talking with shopkeepers and surrounding guests, I recommend you go to the next shop. Enjoying multiple shops is the way to enjoy in this area.

the Golden Gai is about 10 minutes on foot from JR Shinjuku Station east exit.

In shops, you may be charged a table charge besides drink fee. The charge fee is about 500 yen to 1000 yen per person. However, in recently opened stores, you may not be charged. Let’s confirm before ordering a drink.

>>For an overview of Shinjuku and related tours and experience programs, please click here.

Tokyo Must see! ‘Meiji Jingu Shrine’

Meiji Jingu Shrine is a vast shrine in eastern Tokyo. The site, about 73 hectares in size, is covered with woods. If you go to this shrine, you can experience the time of deep silence in the forest.

To Meiji Jingu Shrine, you can walk from Harajuku station of JR Yamanote Line. From the large Torii gate at the entrance to the main hall, you walk about 10 minutes on the road in the forest. At the main shrine, if you are lucky, you will be able to see the wedding of the Shinto style.

Meiji Jingu Shrine is a popular shrine alongside Sensoji Shrine of Asakusa. While Sensoji Shrine is in a busy downtown, Meiji Jingu Shrine is in a sacred forest isolated from crowds. These shrines are quite contrasting, but both are attractive.

About Meiji Jingu Shirine, I introduced in detail in the following article. Please refer if you do not mind.

>>For an overview of Meiji Jingu Shrine and related tours and experience programs, please click here.

Tokyo Must see! ‘Jingu Gaien’

Meiji Jingu Gaien (commonly known as Jingu Gaien) is the outer garden of Meiji Shrine Shrine. There are sports facilities such as a baseball field, and many people are crowded on holidays.

And here are some of the most beautiful ginkgo trees in Japan. In autumn, the ginkgo trees turn yellow and are very beautiful. The nearest stations are “Gaien-mae” and “Aoyama 1-chome” on the Ginza subway line. Aoyama is one of Tokyo’s most fashionable areas, so why not take a stroll around this area?

You can read more about Ginkgo Trees in Gaien-mae with beautiful photos in the articles below.

Tokyo Must see! ‘Harajuku’

Harajuku is a very popular town for young people. This town is always crowded with teenage girls from all over Japan.

Because Harajuku is located between Shinjuku and Shibuya, there are many people who sightseeing with Shinjuku and Shibuya.

The most popular area in Harajuku is “Takeshita Street”. Takeshita Street is a 1-minute walk from JR Harajuku Station.

This street is about 350 meters in length, and from 11:00 to 18:00 every day the car can not enter and becomes pedestrian precinct. On both sides of the street there are lots of pretty fashion shops and cosmetics shops, so the girls forget the time and enjoy shopping. Cute crepe shops are also popular among girls.

Foreign tourists are also increasing here. After walking around Takeshita street, there are also many tourists shopping at the 100 yen shop “Daiso” in Takeshita street.

If you go to Takeshita Street from JR Harajuku Station and walk on that street as it is, there is a main street (Meiji Street) at the end. There is a shopping mall “Laforet Harajuku” specialized in fashion for young people along the main street. This place is also very popular. Beyond that, a beautiful tree-lined street of Omotesando is spreading.

>>For an overview of Harajuku and related tours and experience programs, please click here.

Tokyo Must see! ‘Omotesando’

Omotesando is a front approach to the Meiji Jingu Shrine which was built simultaneously with the creation of the shrine in the first half of the 20th century. To be accurate, it refers to the boulevard of 1.1 kilometers in length from the “Omotesando intersection” to the entrance of Meiji Jingu “Jingu-bashi crossing”. At the Omotesando intersection, a large stone lantern is set up on both sides as an entrance to Meiji Jingu. On both sides of this avenue, Zelkova trees are planted. Most of the Zelkova trees planted at the beginning burned with air raids during the Second World War. The current zelkova trees were planted after the war.

However, recently, the popularity of Harajuku rose, so the area closer to Meiji Shrine increased to be regarded as Harajuku. In general, “Omotesando” often refers to the area from the Omotesando intersection to “Jingumae intersection” where Laforet Harajuku is located.

This “Omotesando” is a beautiful tree-lined avenue representing Tokyo. So this street has received attention from many overseas brand companies, etc. As a result, fashionable high brand shops are increasing more and more.

This Omotesando landmark is a complex “Omotesando Hills” opened in 2006. This facility (3 floors above ground and 3 basement floors, total floor area 34,061 square meters) was designed by a famous architect Tadao ANDO. It has become a low-rise building so as not to damage the landscape. There are currently about 100 branded shops in Omotesando Hills.

In Omotesando, during the Christmas period, the zelkova trees are decorated and superb illumination begins. Omotesando is a truly beautiful and stylish area. If you come to Harajuku, please try sightseeing in Omotesando as well.

Next to Omotesando, Aoyama area rich in green is spreading. The Aoyama area is also a very fashionable town with many brand shops.

>>For an overview of Omotesando and related tours and experience programs, please click here.

Tokyo Must see! ‘Shibuya’

Shibuya is a big town where young people gather. This town is a downtown area representing eastern Tokyo with Shinjuku and Ikebukuro. There is a statue of Akita dog “Hachiko” in front of JR Shibuya station, and before that there is a huge scramble intersection seen in the above photo and movie. I think that this is probably the busiest intersection in the world.

Shibuya has recently been very popular among foreign tourists. The best tourist attraction for them is this scrambled intersection. At this intersection, pedestrians can walk in any direction. When the signal for pedestrians turns blue, a large number of pedestrians begin walking towards the direction they want to go at once. However, they rarely collide and they can cross over this intersection well while giving way to each other. There are many tourists taking pictures of this sight.

I have written a newspaper article interviewing many experts why Japanese can successfully cross this scrambled intersection. At that time, one expert in Tokyo culture said, “People in Tokyo lived in a place with high population density from the time of the Tokugawa shogunate. In order to live peacefully in such a town, they have learned the habit of mutual concession. ”

In Japan, there was a time when the samurai fought until the latter half of the 16th century, but since the beginning of the 17th century the long and peaceful era continued. In this peaceful era, the Japanese have nurtured a spirit of gentle feelings and giving up.

The best place to observe the intersection in Shibuya is the Starbucks Coffee SHIBUYA TSUTAYA shop facing this intersection. You can see this intersection from the big window of this store.

The passage from Shibuya Mark City to JR Shibuya station is also a great place to observe this intersection. This is glassed and you can see the intersection from diagonally above.

The young people in Tokyo like Shibuya. Shibuya is smaller than Shinjuku as a shopping town. There is no fine high-class department store as much as Isetan in Shinjuku. However, there are mysterious air in Shibuya to accept young people. And in Shibuya there are many shops for young people. And there are many young people of the same age. So young people can have a good time by visiting Shibuya. The unique atmosphere of Shibuya has not changed since several decades. I think that Shibuya is a town that continues to evolve with young people.

However, Shibuya is a town that also sensitively reflects the darkness of Japanese young people. When the tendency for middle school students to play around late at night in the 1990s spread, Shibuya had lots of middle school students gathering late at night. I have interviewed them. They were very ordinary children, but I felt strongly that they were not blessed with families at the same time.

Recently lots of young people gather at the intersection of Shibuya during the Halloween period at the end of October. I feel the darkness of Japanese young people somewhere in this phenomenon. In Japan, disparities are spreading among young people now. I am a bit worried that the power of darkness will be born in Shibuya by gathering young people who feel social stress day after day.

Recently, in Shibuya, large-scale construction has been carried out here and there. If you go to Shibuya, you will find a site to build a big building. Now a new big building is born one after another in Shibuya.

“Shibuya Hikarie” is a new sightseeing spot popular in Shibuya. This building is a compound commercial facility located at the east exit of JR Shibuya Station. In this building there are clothing stores for women, restaurants, extensive co-working space, theaters, and IT companies are occupying the upper floors. On the basement food floor, there are many tourists who buy lunch boxes and eat at the table.

In the autumn of 2018, a complex shopping complex “Shibuya Stream” was completed near Hikari. This skyscraper has Shibuya Stream Excel Hotel Tokyu, concert hall and restaurants. There are stylish staircases as seen in the picture above.

Try Shibuya, please feel the dynamic power of this city.

>>For an overview of Shibuya and related tours and experience programs, please click here.

Tokyo Must see! ‘Ebisu’

Ebisu has been popular recently as a very fashionable town. There are no gigantic huge department stores in this town. However, there are many fashionable and tasty restaurants and specialty shops such as high quality miscellaneous goods and clothing. So, there are so many people who want to live in Ebisu. To JR Ebisu station which is the center of this town, it is 1 station from JR Shibuya station.

Ebisu Garden Place

A 10-minute walk from JR Ebisu Station, there is a complex facility “Ebisu Garden Place” of 82,366 square meters in size. Here are high-rise office buildings, The Westin Hotel Tokyo, Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography and YEBISU GARDEN CINEMA. There is also a small department store “Ebisu Mitsukoshi” and a facility like a palace with French restaurants “Joel Robuchon”.

In the Michelin Guide, the restaurant “Latable Du Joel Robuchon” at “Joël Robuchon” has two stars and the restaurant “Gastronomy” Joël Robuchon “has won three stars.

The Westin Hotel Tokyo is a calm luxury hotel. The breakfast buffet, sweets buffet, etc. held every day at this hotel are the most wonderful in Japan, as far as I have covered. The general chef here is a very clever person.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography is not well known, but it is a wonderful museum that Tokyo should be proud of. This museum is small, but in the genre of photography stunning exhibitions are held one after another.

Ebisu Garden Place is not flashy. However, it can be said that sophisticated adults gather together.

>> For an overview of Ebisu, related tours and experience programs, etc., please click here.

Tokyo Must see! ‘Tokyo Disney Resort (Maihama, Chiba Prefecture)’

Tokyo Disney Resort is the most popular theme park alongside Universal Studios Japan in Osaka. It is located in the waterfront of Makuhari city in Chiba Prefecture adjacent to Tokyo.

Tokyo Disney Resort consists of Tokyo Disney Land and Tokyo Disney Sea. Besides these two theme parks, there are shopping malls and directly-managed hotels here. There are also many resort hotels in the surrounding area.

Tokyo Disney Resort is one of the most successful parks among Disney related theme parks around the world. If you plan to experience all the popular attractions in Tokyo Disney Resort, it is not enough for 2-3 days.

About Tokyo Disney Resort’s recommended attractions, I introduced in the following article. If you are interested, please also refer to the following article.

If you go to Tokyo Disney Resort, you may find the hotel in an area close to Tokyo Disney Resort if possible. If you stay at a hotel far from Tokyo Disney Resort, you have to take a crowded train with business people who commute to the city center in the morning and evening.

I recommend that you stay at the hotels owned by Tokyo Disney Resort or their official hotels. The most popular hotel among these hotels is “Tokyo DisneySea Hotel MiraCosta” in Tokyo DisneySea. This hotel will soon be filled with reservations, but many cancellations will occur from about 1 month before the scheduled accommodation date. If you reserve at this timing, there is a possibility that you can stay at this hotel.

>> Advance tickets to Tokyo Disney Resort and other attractions are available here.

 

Thank you for reading to the end.

Now, let’s plan to make your vacation in Japan the best experience ever!

 

Back to "Destinations"