20 Best Things to Do in Tokyo

A modern icon of Japan, Tokyo Skytree stands at 634 metres high, making it one of the tallest structures in the world. The base of the tower, Tokyo Skytree Town, has a shopping centre, an aquarium, an excellent range of restaurants and souvenir outlets. 

You can go up to Tokyo Skytree’s 2 observation decks for panoramic views of Tokyo and the Kanto region. The 350-metre-tall Tembo Deck has 3 floors with glass panels overlooking the city, while the 450-metre-tall Tembo Galleria features a steel-and-glass walkway that slopes upwards to the top. Even if you don’t go up to the viewpoint, you will no doubt see this modernist masterpiece while sightseeing around the city. 

Opened in 1983, Tokyo Disneyland was the first Disneyland built outside the USA. It’s designed for endless fun, with life-sized Disney character balloons and the likes of Mickey, Daisy and Pluto strolling around the park, offering visitors great photo ops.

The entrance to Disneyland is full of Victorian-style theme shops, restaurants and cafés, and at one end of the main street is the elegant Cinderella Castle, visible throughout the park. There are also a number of parade routes with colourful floats and characters such as Snow White, Belle and the Beast. Tokyo Disneyland is located in In Urayasu City, outside downtown Tokyo. The best way to go there from Tokyo is by train to Maihama Station.

Ginza is Tokyo's glitzy shopping, dining and entertainment district, where you can shop for leading Japanese and international brands in fashion, cosmetics and electronics. The best way to experience this flashy area is to stroll the streets and soak it all up. 

An excellent place to start is Chuo Dori, Ginza's iconic 1 km-long shopping street closed to traffic on weekends. Places worth visiting include Ginza Six, the neighbourhood's largest department store. The store's rooftop garden is a fantastic spot for beers and city views. A few blocks away are Mitsukoshi and Matsuya, famous Japanese department chain stores, and Itoya, the legendary 12-floor stationery store.

There are dozens of neighbourhoods in Tokyo worth visiting, each one as enchanting as the next. Spend a day exploring Marunouchi in the heart of Tokyo. There’s the traditional East Gardens of the Imperial Palace on one side, and the other side is the fast-paced business district with high-end shops and restaurants. A few blocks south from here is Ginza, Tokyo’s shopping haven.

To experience the city’s legendary nightlife, head to the Roppongi and Akasaka neighbourhoods. If it’s history and culture you’re after, Ueno is home to Tokyo’s highest concentration of museums. For an older, more traditional Tokyo vibe, Asakusa will transport you back centuries. There are several temples, craft shops and street-food stalls to explore.

When in Asakusa, visit the popular Senso-ji Temple, Tokyo's oldest and one of the most impressive Buddhist temples, known for its large red 'Thundergate' lantern. Dedicated to Guan Yin, the goddess of mercy, the temple is said to have been built in 645 for the goddess of Kannon.

A courtyard tree, regrown from a war-bombed husk, symbolises the temple's resilience. Another well-known structure, located behind Sensoji, is the 5-tiered pagoda, Sanja-sama, which was built in 1649. Sensoji Temple is also at the heart of many yearly Tokyo festivals, including Sanja Matsuri, Hozuki-ichi and Asakusa Samba Carnival.

Tokyo may be a high-powered, fast-moving city, but you'll find serene escapes in the temples and shrines of Tokyo. In Asakusa, Tokyo's spiritual centre, Senso-ji is the city's largest and oldest Buddhist temple and an unmissable landmark. Escape the hipster crowds of the Harajuku district and explore the nearby Meiji Jingu Shrine located in a forest.

The Zojoji Temple, near the Tokyo Tower and Shiba Park, stands out for its elegant architecture dating back to the 16th century. A short walk from the buzzing Akihabara shopping district, you can enjoy the peaceful grounds of Yushima Seido, an impressive 17th-century Confucian temple. Two blocks away lies the Kanda Shrine where locals pray for wealth and success in business.

Roppongi Hills is a mega complex that features residential apartments, extensive shopping, dining, art galleries, office space, TV studios, gardens, parks and entertainment options such as cinemas and museums. The highlight here is the Mori Tower and its observation deck, the Tokyo City View. 

The idea of the developer is to have a town within a town where people can live and work and enjoy an optimum lifestyle without having to travel. To reach Roppongi Hills, take the Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line or Toei Subway Oedo Line to Roppongi Station.

Tokyo Tower is an icon of the city and a famous tourist landmark. The design was based on the Eiffel Tower, but measures 13 metres higher than its French counterpart, and it was completed in 1958 when a large broadcasting tower was needed in the Kanto area. It’s still active today.

There are 2 observatories in the building, at 150 m and 250 m, and other facilities, including several souvenir shops, a games corner, restaurants and fast food outlets and an amusement park with a good number of vintage toys. Check in advance for opening times during stormy weather.

Tokyo's museums are an eclectic mix, spanning from ancient archeology to cutting-edge science. The city's technology museums have outstanding exhibits on robotics, space exploration and the environment presented in interactive displays. Unique venues like the Yebisu Brewery beer museum and Metro Museum offer a different perspective on everyday life.

Visit the Tokyo National Museum, the oldest in Japan, to get a sense of the country's awe-inspiring history, before heading to Tokyo’s art museums for ancient bronzes, modern paintings and beautiful ceramics. As Japan is famous for its love of anime, there are plenty of places to celebrate this imaginative art, including the Ghibli Museum and Suginami Animation Museum.

Shibuya Crossing is a bustling crossroads in the heart of Tokyo's city centre, where you can see throngs of people moving at the same time when the signal changes. This intersection is considered one of the busiest crossroads in the entire world and has been featured in films from Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift to Lost in Translation.

One popular way to catch a photo of this crosswalk is from above. You can head for a Starbucks across the street that's higher than street level, or you can try the Magnet shopping centre rooftop. Whether you catch a photo from the ground among the crowds or climb the stairs to catch it from above, it's a fantastic Instagram photo.

The East Gardens of the Imperial Palace, the residence of Japan's Imperial Family, offer a serene retreat in the heart of Tokyo. While most of the palace grounds are closed to the public, these meticulously manicured Japanese-style gardens, along with historical ruins such as walls and guardhouses from the Edo period, are open to the public for free.

Also located on the same grounds is the Museum of Imperial Collections, called the Sannomaru Shozokan, which owns a collection of over 9,000 pieces, including ancient brush paintings, arts and crafts. The East Gardens is a short walk from Otemachi Station.

Ueno Park, the 'lungs' of central Tokyo, offers a large area for relaxation and fresh air. Among the park’s interesting sights are the Toshogu Shrine, Ueno Zoo, Tokyo National Museum and multiple other museums. If you visit in the summer, make sure you pass by the natural Shinobazu pond, well known for its many lotuses and birds.

In springtime, Ueno Park is one of the most celebrated locations in Tokyo as its 1,000 or so cherry blossom trees bloom in an explosion of pink. It's common to see groups reserving picnic spots by spreading out a sheet, often guarding it all day. Families, students, friends and businesspeople alike enjoy food and drinks at this popular locale.

Meiji Jingu Shrine is a Shinto shrine honouring Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken and a symbol of Japan's modernisation. It is located in a beautiful forest covering about 710,000 square metres and its many different types of trees were donated by people from all over Japan. Rebuilt after damages during World War II, the shrine plays a big part in many locals’ lives who come here to mark important personal events, such as Shinto weddings or to bring their new-born baby for prayer.

While there, don’t forget to visit the Meiji Jingu Treasure Museum, whose exhibits demonstrate the changing of traditional Japan into a modern country as seen through clothing. The shrine is open to the public for free.

A visit to Ueno Toshogu Shrine inside Ueno Park is an unforgettable experience thanks to its detailed artwork. Founded in 1627, it was dedicated to Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Edo Shogunate which ruled Japan from 1603 to 1867.

Here, you'll find a beautiful 170-metre-long wooden wall that surrounds the Haiden, the main structure and the hall of worship, and 50 large copper lanterns that are used in religious ceremonies. The shrine has a rich interior with many original artefacts, such as a shogun’s armours and sword, as well as maps dating back to the era. The shrine was declared a National Treasure in 1907. It's easy to find the shrine, right in front of the Ueno Station.

Nakamise Shopping Street is more than a typical marketplace; its rich history spans several centuries. With a traditional Japanese atmosphere, souvenirs are sold along both sides of the 200-metre pedestrian street which is made up of close to 100 small shops. Items for sale here include traditional yukata dresses, Japanese masks, dolls, folding fans, t-shirts and more.

Must-try local snacks are for sale, such as Japanese rice crackers called senbei, sweet azuki bean ningyoyaki cakes, dango dumplings and a traditional Japanese crunchy and colourful sweet snack called kaminari-okoshi. Nakamise Shopping Street is in the heart of Asakusa, near Sensoji Temple.

At Kabukiza Theatre, traditional Japanese kabuki performances captivate audiences with their austere music, bold costumes and vibrant colours on stage. This highly stylised performing art is a must-see, usually garnering passionate admiration from viewers. 

At Kabukiza Theatre in Ginza, kabuki performances are held throughout the year with the convenience of a translated audio guide for foreign audiences. Typically, there are 2 shows per day, each lasting about 3 to 5 hours, but each show breaks up into a few acts, called maku. Visitors can get tickets for the whole show or just a single maku. Kabukiza Theatre is accessible at the Higashi-Ginza Subway Station stop. Exit 3 leads you out directly in front of the theatre.

The Ginza Wako Clock Tower, dating back to the 19th century, adorns the Neo-Renaissance style Ginza Wako Building. The building is the landmark for the Ginza shopping district and was first founded in 1881 by Kintaro Hattori, a watch and jewellery specialist.

Ginza Wako, or just Wako for short, is one of the relatively few buildings that survived World War II. Nowadays, Wako is one of the most well-known retailers in Japan and houses upscale foreign merchandise such as watches, jewellery, dishware and porcelain. The clock tower plays the famous Westminster Chimes.

Every spring, many people come to admire the beautiful light-pink cherry blossoms along both sides of the Sumida River at Sumida Park. The scenic spot attracts both tourists and local picnickers who sit and enjoy their meal under the falling leaves of the cherry blossom trees.

After the sun goes down, the park’s avenues are lit with beautiful lanterns which makes the night out even more enjoyable. Some people prefer to take a boat tour down the river, all the better to view the blossoms. The weather can be a little cool at nighttime, so it's a good idea to bring a blanket. To reach Sumida Park, take the subway to Asakusa station.

Sunshine City is a 4-building complex in Ikebukuro that features 2 large shopping centres, a theme park and observation deck. There's also an aquarium, a museum, a convention centre and a theatre, as well as large offices.

Sunshine City offers excellent shopping opportunities such as exclusive designer shops, ladies fashion and household goods split between the 2 department stores. In total, there are over 200 different shops within Sunshine City. When it comes to dining, the choices are practically unlimited, from fast-food to European cuisine and many Japanese restaurants, with varying prices. Don’t miss the panoramic views from the Sunshine 60 observation deck on the top floor.

With 5 floors of toys and games, Hakuhinkan Toy Park is truly a paradise for every child as well as young-at-heart adults. The store was first opened in 1899, making it one of the oldest toy stores in Japan. Hakuhinkan features all sorts of toys, from computer games to board games, jigsaw puzzles, game arcades, magic tricks, wooden toys, Japanese dolls and traditional goods, music boxes, stuffed animals, and joke gifts.

The store also accommodates child-friendly eateries for a quick bite in between shopping sprees. If you’re traveling by public transportation, take the JR Yamanote line to Shimbashi.