Tokyo’s Most Dazzling Attractions
Hemingway once described Paris as a ‘moveable feast’ while New York is often called ‘the city that never sleeps’. Yet, in many ways, these two descriptions better reflect the vast and vibrant city of Tokyo, Japan. With more Michelin-starred restaurants than anywhere else on the planet and a neon nightlife as glamorous and futuristic as the world’s biggest party capitals, Tokyo is as unique as it is unmissable. From ancient temples and shrines to glittering skyscrapers, hip urban neighbourhoods to green parks and historic shopping streets, there is something to see and do everywhere you look in this incredible city. Whether you’re a first-time visitor or a seasoned Tokyo traveler, this is a city you could explore forever. To get you started and help ensure you have a perfect stay, we’ve drawn on our years of knowledge and expertise here at JapanDen to create a list of our 15 most recommended things to do in Tokyo.
Any list of things to see and do in Tokyo can easily stretch into the hundreds; it’s that kind of city. Wherever you look there’s something happening, something to see, something to do. It’s also a city that’s constantly reinventing itself and adding new attractions and activities. As a starter, we’ve curated a list of 15 of our most unmissable recommendations for visitors to Japan. This is what we think you should do during your stay:
Cross the Shibuya Scramble
The famous Shibuya Crossing. Also known as the Shibuya Scramble! A 48 hour visit to Tokyo simply wouldn’t be complete without ducking and weaving through its oncoming foot traffic at least a few times. As one of the world’s busiest intersections, it transports thousands of people in all directions at a time in a wonderful, chaotic pulse. Shibuya is a great place to visit during your time in Tokyo generally too.
Futuristic and dazzling, Shibuya is a city within a city. A special ward in Tokyo and a major commercial and business centre, Shibuya is known as one of the contemporary fashion centres of Japan, as well as a booming nightlife area. Shibuya is home to world famous landmarks, Shibuya Station, and one of the city’s new icons – Shibuya Sky, a 229 metre tall and full 360 degree observatory overlooking Shibuya and the greater Tokyo skyline, which offers some of the most spectacular views in Japan. Shibuya is also a fantastic district generally for shopping, dining, local attractions, futuristic architecture, and more.
Experience Harajuku style
The quirky capital of contemporary Japan, Harajuku is world-famous for its teenage street fashion, cute ‘kawaii’ style food and shopping, cosplay culture. Harajuku is the quirky, colourful capital of 21st Century Japanese fashion. It’s much more than a place, it’s an entire culture. From hip-hop Harajuku teens to street-style fashionistas, Japanese schoolgirls to pink-haired princesses, this famous district is the place to go to experience contemporary Japan’s creative, theatrical, and sometimes outrageous youth culture and unique street fashions.
A visit to Tokyo – one of the world’s biggest and greatest cities – just wouldn’t be the same without walking along Harajuku’s famous Takeshita Dori (street) – the spiritual home of its world-famous fashion and street style. And it’s not just clothes, but music, food, shopping, accessories and more. Harajuku is vibrant, dazzling, and unforgettable.
Discover Golden Gai: Tokyo’s mythical nightspot
Tokyo’s legendary Golden Gai bars offer a chance to step back in time to the city’s vibrant post-war nightlife. When it comes to experiencing Tokyo at night, there’s one location above all others that offers visitors a taste of Japan’s past. Welcome to Golden Gai in Shinjuku – a legendary quarter of the city filled with narrow alleyways, hidden, hole-in-the-wall drinking establishments, and colourful nightlife that has remained untouched by modernisation. It really is like going for drinks in post-war 1950s Tokyo, and the area is famous for its ‘Showa retro’ atmosphere.
Relax in Yoyogi Park
From picnics to performers, street food to music festivals, rockabilly dancers to cycling, Yoyogi Park in Tokyo has something for everyone – trees, lakes, greenery, and a reputation for being fun, vibrant, and quirky. Yoyogi is well known for staging events and festivals almost every other weekend, which makes it one of Tokyo’s liveliest city parks. Events like Tokyo Rainbow Pride, Outdoor Day, Earth Day, St Patrick’s Day and a whole host of music and food festivals take place in Yoyogi.
Tokyo’s fourth biggest park (and its largest green space when combined with neighbouring Meiji Shrine), Yoyogi has a reputation for attracting colourful people from all walks of life, as well as for legendary street food stalls, family friendly activities, relaxing outdoor fun like cycling and bike hire, and it’s a great spot for hanami (flower gazing), especially during the country’s famous Cherry Blossom season every spring.
Find serenity at Meiji Shrine
Located next to Yoyogi Park, Meiji Shrine is arguably Tokyo’s best known shrine and is definitely worth a visit. Built in 1920 and surrounded by 100,000 trees that form a vast forest in the centre of the city, the Shinto shrine celebrates the life of Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken. You will find a large and impressive Torii at the entrance to the grounds of the shrine, which features a large and tranquil forest that offers a leafy haven from the surrounding city.
Meiji Jingu Museum is also worth a look and was designed by superstar architect Kengo Kuma. Also close to Harajuku is Togo Shrine. This Shinto shrine is dedicated to Admiral Togo who defeated the Russians in 1905.
Enjoy the view from Tokyo Skytree
With a height of 634 metres, Tokyo Skytree is one of the more recent additions to the city’s towering skyline, and has an amazing 360° observation deck. Go up and see a full panoramic view of Tokyo, Kanto and even the iconic Mt. Fuji on a clear day. The main reason to visit Tokyo Skytree is the twin panoramic decks, at 350-metre and 450-metre respectively. In addition, there’s Musashi Sky restaurant, a Sky Café, souvenir shop and multiple restaurants, and at the base of the tower is a shopping centre called Solamachi. As previously mentioned, there are two observation decks at Tokyo Skytree, the first at 350 metres is called Tokyo Skytree Tembo deck and boasts a glass floor, full panoramic view of Tokyo and is home to the Sky Café. There are different displays with information about the tower and a scenic guide to exploring Tokyo from above. The second deck, at 450 metres, is called Tokyo Skytree Tembo Galleria, and has the highest observation point in Tokyo at 451.2 metres, called Sorakara Point. If spectacular views of vast, vibrant cities (and snow-capped volcanoes) are your thing, then the Skytree should be on your to-do list.
Visit the Toyosu fish Market
Seafood is a major part of Japanese cuisine which is why so many travellers are interested in going straight to the source on their trip. In Tokyo that used to mean heading for the famous Tsukiji Fish Market where you could see seafood sold at its wholesale market and eat fresh seafood at its many stalls. Now though, you’ll need to visit Toyosu Market near Odaiba in the Kōtō ward for all that. Within this large market complex, tourists are able to witness lively auctions, see all manner of produce being sold and treat themselves to some delicious seafood. A unique and wonderful experience and high on the list for if you’re a foodie visiting Tokyo.
Explore Tokyo's Imperial Palace and Garden
The Imperial Palace and Garden is in the centre of Tokyo. If you look at any map of Tokyo, you’ll see a large green area around which the rest of the city seems to extend - that’s the Imperial Palace and Garden. The palace stands on the grounds where Edo castle was built. Edo castle was the main seat of power for the Shogun during the Edo period. After the fall of the Shogunate the castle was destroyed and the seat of the imperial power was moved from Kyoto to Tokyo. The imperial palace was then built in this place in 1888. The palace was heavily damaged during WWII, but has since been restored to its original style. Part of the palace grounds are open year round to the public, these include the East Gardens, Old Castle tower, Ninomaru garden, Sannomaru museum, National Museum of modern Art and Kitanomaru park. The Imperial Palace and Garden, as well as the many attractions contained within, are easily accessible from central Tokyo thanks to their location to the Marunouchi side of Tokyo station. You’ll find the Imperial Palace and Gardens within a five to 10 minute walk.
Have a soak in the best onsen in Tokyo
An onsen is a Japanese hot spring or bath house. The term sometimes extends out to encompass bathing facilities as well as hotels/inns, traditional ryokan, and spas that are built surrounding the landmark. Besides being a fun activity for the family, onsen have deep ties within Japanese culture. Since Japan is one of the most volcanically active countries, onsen are everywhere! Tokyo specifically has a surplus of opportunities to visit genuine and traditional bathhouses. If you are looking to get the full experience of Japan by diving deep into cultural norms, onsen should be included. Aside from the cultural ties, the geothermally heated springs offer potential benefits such as pain alleviation, clearing up skin, reduced fatigue, and overall stress reduction. Why not combin an onsen with your stay in Tokyo by choosing a hotel or ryokan with traditional onsen facilities, hot springs, or communal baths? Visit our hotels page and take a look through our recommended accommodation for Tokyo to discover more.
Enjoy the food of Japan in Tokyo’s restaurants
Alongside its extraordinary street food, local produce, and regional dishes, Tokyo, Japan is also world-famous as a centre of fine-dining with one of the highest concentrations of Michelin-starred restaurants anywhere in the world. In fact, Tokyo is the No.1 city in the world when it comes to having the highest number of Michelin-starred restaurants. Remarkably, many of these restaurants are incredibly affordable too.
Two great examples are Sushi Masuda, Tokyo and Sukiyabashi Jiro Honten, Tokyo. The former was awarded two Michelin Stars and is a high-class sushi restaurant and exclusive dining experience with just six seats and exceptional food. If you’re lucky enough to get a reservation, look out for specialities such as shirako with white truffles, sayori (needlefish), hirame (flounder), and surume ika (Pacific squid). Sukiyabashi Jiro Honten, Tokyo is another exclusive experience. Thanks to a visit from President Obama and the successful documentary film, Jiro Dreams of Sushi, this exclusive and high-end Tokyo sushi restaurant, run by 93-year-old three Michelin star chef Jiro Ono, has become even more exclusive. For a more unusual and quirkier experience, how about dining at a robot restaurant? Tokyo’s world-famous Robot Restaurant brings all of that together in one place with dancing robots, cosplay, J-Pop, and neon lights, to create a unique and unforgettable night out that’s half meal and half entertainment extravaganza. The restaurant is located in the vibrant area of Shinjuku - one of Tokyo’s most famous districts.
Shop until you drop on Tokyo’s Fifth Avenue
Omotesando is a tree-lined avenue located between Shibuya and Harajuku, and best known for luxury goods stores and high quality products. It is considered one of the most beautiful streets in Tokyo, because of stunning architectural buildings on both sides of the avenue. The area is also home to Omotesando Hills, a large and luxurious shopping complex with about 130 shops. Unlike larger brand shops close by, shops in Omotesando hills are smaller and sell a wider range of brands and items. The complex is also special in that it has 12 stories but six of them are built below ground. For more old-school shopping, try Nakamise-dōri in Asakusa. One of Japan’s oldest shopping streets, dating back to the 17th century runs up to Senjo-ji temple. Many shops in this arcade have been run by the same families for several generations, on sale are a variety of novelties, local street food and souvenirs. Also nearby is Shin-Nakamise (or New Nakamise), a shopping street arcade that is filled with small restaurants and stores. Unlike Nakamise, it caters more to locals than tourists and retains the feel of older Tokyo. As such the experience is more authentic and a great price to have lunch or dinner.
Explore Tokyo’s Coolest Neighbourhoods
We’ve mentioned Harajuku and Shibuya, but Tokyo has so many more amazing and super cool neighbourhoods for you to explore. Here are a few others. Vibrant and lively, Shinjuku is considered one of the must-see areas of Tokyo and also boasts the world’s busiest railway station with more than 3.5 million passengers each and every day. From glowing neon to lively nightlife, world-famous restaurants to the city’s biggest red light district, Shinjuku has a bit of everything, and is known as a vibrant, bustling entertainment hub. Highlights and landmarks include Golden Gai, the Robot Restaurant, the beautiful Shinjuku Gyoen park, the Samurai museum, the aforementioned Kabukicho red light district, countless ramen restaurants and Izakaya, and much more. It’s also one of Tokyo’s biggest shopping districts. In other words, there’s a lot to see and do in Shinjuku.
Roppongi has gone through several transformations, including huge investment and the construction of affluent developments such as Roppongi Hills and Tokyo Midtown, but one thing has been consistent – it remains enormously popular with tourists and international visitors living in Japan. Why? Well, Roppongi has lots to offer, from its famously lively nightlife to a wide range of shops, bars, cafes, restaurants, museums, and galleries – many of which are known to be especially friendly and welcoming to overseas visitors.
Ikebukuro is a commercial and entertainment district in Tokyo, located on the north-west corner of the Yamanote line. In the evenings, Ikebukuro turns into one of the busiest entertainment districts in Tokyo, with lots of dining opportunities that are not that well known by visitors. The area is a great place to meet Japanese friends or colleagues. In addition, there’s a wide range of bars, clubs, karaoke places and anything else that is part of nightlife in Japan.
Then there’s Akihabara. Sometimes shortened to Akiba, this area is famous for the many electronic and Otaku culture shops. From tiny hobby shops to massive department stores specialising in a wide variety of anime, manga, digital entertainment, gadgets, home electronics, general hardware and anything closely related. Additionally, entertainment cafés styled after popular manga and video games serve themed food and drinks. Then there are the iconic maid cafés. Akihabara is a unique part of modern Japanese culture and should be included in any visit to Chiyoda, Tokyo.
Tokyo’s temples and shrines
Would a visit to Tokyo be complete without visiting some of the city’s beautiful temples and shrines? While it has a reputation as a futuristic megacity, Tokyo is also historic and spiritual with some of the country’s finest and best preserved temples and shrines. These include Sensoji Temple - also known as Asakusa Kannon Temple. This is the oldest temple in Tokyo and dates back to 645. It was founded by a Buddhist sect to honour the god of mercy. Today Sensoji is well-loved by both locals and tourists. It is one of the most popular spots in Asakusa and crowds can be massive during the weekends. Another recommended destination is Yasukuni Shrine, a Shinto shrine in Tokyo with Imperial ties that commemorates and remembers Japan’s war dead. Last, but definitely not least is Sengakuji Temple. This Zen Buddhist temple in Tokyo has an amazing Samurai story to tell, about Ronin who avenged their master. Historically, Sengakuji temple was one of the three main temples in Tokyo during the Edo period (1603 to 1868). The temple at its current form and location dates back to 1641, where it was rebuilt when the original temple built in 1612 burned down. What makes Sengakuji famous today is its relation to the story of the 47 Ronin (also known as Akoroshi), who avenged their master by beheading his killer before being sentenced to death themselves. The temple grounds are their final resting place.
Weird and Wonderful Tokyo
Drive the streets of Tokyo in a real life Mario Kart, spend the night sleeping between the shelves in a bookshop hotel or converted railway carriage, take a trip into virtual reality at Sega Joypolis, or visit Tokyo’s parasite museum (yes really!), check into a hotel staffed by robot dinosaurs, and much more. There’s no end to the weird and wonderful attractions you can find in Tokyo.
On the subject of more unusual and futuristic attractions, be sure to check out Tokyo’s premier digital art museum and interactive experience from the award-winning and world-renowned teamLab Borderless. Founded in 2001, teamLab Borderless is a Japanese-based art collective of ‘ultra-technologists’ made up of artists, animators, mathematicians, engineers, programmers, designers, botanists, and architects. teamLab won a Guinness World Record as the most visited museum dedicated to a single group or artist in the world with 2.3 million visitors in its first year of opening. The group’s installations have continued to prove hugely popular ever since, right up to the launch of their latest museum in Tokyo, which opened in February 2024. Another unmissable Tokyo attraction.
Tokyo DisneyLand
Tokyo Disney resort is home to the twin theme parks of Disneyland, and unique to Japan – DisneySea. Visit for an unforgettable experience and enjoy the entertainment, shopping, attractions and hotels. Tokyo Disneyland was the first Disney resort to open outside the United States, and opened its doors in 1983. The park has been immensely popular by locals and visitors alike and as such, the park expanded and added DisneySea in 2001 – a park unique to Japan that has a nautical exploration theme. Every year, more attractions, rides, and activities are added to Tokyo DisneyLand and DisneySea - including a new Fantasy Springs area, recently opened in 2024, featuring rides and interactive activities from the films Frozen, Tangled, and Peter Pan’s Neverland - which is why it is regarded as one of the world’s best theme park experiences.
Tokyo has two major international airports: Narita International Airport (NRT) and Haneda Airport (HND), both with excellent transport links into the city. Once you have reached Tokyo itself, public transportation is king. The easiest way to get around the city is using public transport, so you’ll want to invest in a prepaid travel card such as an ICOCA, PASMO or Suica card for swiping on and off as you get around, as well as a Japan Rail Pass for longer journeys around the rest of the country via their super fast, super efficient domestic trains. A Japan Rail Pass is highly recommended for further exploring Japan, particularly if you plan on combining a stay in Tokyo with a visit to Kyoto, Osaka, Sapporo, or elsewhere. As well as being one of the world’s most exciting cities, Tokyo is also a brilliant base for day trips to other amazing destinations across the country, so be sure to check out the JR Passes available from our sister company www.jrpass.com for almost unlimited, all inclusive rail travel within Japan.
Ready to start planning your perfect stay in Tokyo? Alongside our carefully curated selection of hotels and ryokans, we hope to provide everything else you need to plan your visit, from in-depth travel guides to 24/7 customer assistance, as well as our upcoming community forum. We can also point you in the right direction for the most cost-effective and enjoyable transport, portable Wifi devices, and partner services to ensure everything goes smoothly during your time in Japan:
Looking for accommodation in Tokyo? Visit our Hotels page and choose from more than 2,800 hotels and 1,800 traditional ryokans.
If you want to learn more about Japan’s regions and prefectures so you can decide the best place to visit, you should check out our Destinations page.
And if you’re looking to explore Japan then the country’s train network is the way to go. Japan’s railways are renowned as being the fastest, cleanest, and safest in the world. The country’s rail network is so vast and interconnected that it can help you reach almost any corner of Japan you’d like to visit. Furthermore, with a Japan Rail Pass you can enjoy unlimited travel on the majority of the country’s trains, including the famous Shinkansen ‘bullet trains’. The JR Pass is by far the most cost effective and flexible way to get around Japan. Find out more by visiting our partners at www.jrpass.com today.
Do you want to use Google Translate to support your language skills? Or Google Maps for live train updates? What about posting photos to social media or keeping in touch with home? For all this and more, you’ll need a PocketWifi device like those from Ninja Wifi. With unlimited data, support for five devices simultaneously, the ability to share your Wifi with your travel companions, and more, renting a PocketWifi is highly recommended. Our Pocket WiFi guide has everything you need to know.
Finally, if you’re looking for information about Japan and want to speak with expert travellers who have been there and done that, then you should join our Community. This welcoming and friendly forum is the place to go to share stories, knowledge, and experiences about Japan, ask questions, make new connections, and find travel inspiration.
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As well as booking accommodation, JapanDen is a place to learn more about Japan and how you can make the most of your time in this special country. From in-depth region guides to stories from Japan, we’ll be regularly publishing carefully curated insights from Japanese culture, with recommendations for the best activities and attractions and the latest news. Looking forward, we’ll also be adding special community features so you can share ideas and inspiration with like-minded people. Please come back and visit us regularly as we continue to add new content. We want JapanDen to be your home away from home too.
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