The capital of Japan is huge, and when we say huge we mean that you can't even imagine how big it is... And of course, planning a trip there can be a real challenge! Well, that's what we're here for: we've prepared a post full of things to see and do in Tokyo. We know the city quite well, since we were lucky enough to spend a whole month there, so if you have any questions, we're all ears 😉 Without further ado, here are the things to see and do in Tokyo.
1- Visit the Tokyo Imperial Palace and its wonderful gardens. It is currently the official residence of the royal family and can be visited for free by booking your visit here.
2- Be amazed by the amount of people who pass through Shinjuku train station (more than 3.5 million people use it every day!) and be amazed even more by seeing that in all that chaos they never collide with each other: Shinjuku is the most organized chaos in history. The truth is that this neighborhood is a must-see in the city, here we tell you everything to see and do in Shinjuku .
3- And speaking of stations… the prettiest one is probably Tokyo Station , worth a visit for its European-style architecture. While we are there, we can stroll along Tokyo Character Street , a corridor inside the station full of merchandising shops of the most beloved Japanese characters (I am still faithful to Sailor Moon!).
4- Go to TeamLab Borderless , an a-maz-ing digital art museum! The entrance fee may seem expensive, but it's quite an experience, and you'll also be able to take some amazing photos.
5- If you like luxury, you can't miss the shopping malls and shops in Ginza , one of the most chic and expensive areas in the world. Here we tell you everything to see and do in the Ginza district .
6- If ramen is your passion, don't miss a dinner at Tokyo Ramen Street , don't forget to make noise while you slurp: sluuuurp! By the way, check out this post with cheap restaurants to eat in Tokyo
7- We don't recommend getting up early to see the tuna auctions (Rober thought they were a total tourist trap) but a walk around the Tsukiji fish market is absolutely essential. Note: read the post because the tuna auction is now taking place in another market.
8- Eat tempura at a restaurant in Asakusa , one of the most amazing neighborhoods in the city (and the most traditional). We spent almost two months here between trips and we can say that it is our Tokyo home 🙂 Here we tell you what to see and do in Asakusa.
9- Go see a Kabuki play at the Kabuki-za theatre . It's not cheap, but it's quite an experience.
10- Relax in a park or garden in the city (there are many more than you might expect). The best ones? For us they are: Koishikawa Korakuen , Rikugien and Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden .
11- Traveling to South Korea without leaving Tokyo is easy: just go to the Korean district of Shin-Okubo . Here you can find merchandise from your favorite K-pop groups or enjoy a Korean BBQ at a restaurant in the area. However, if you have time to spare, consider a visit to the neighboring country: there are very cheap flights!
12- Enjoy hanami in Ueno Park . If you don't have hanami, don't worry: you can always visit the pond, the museums, the Benten-do temple... not the zoo, of course, it's better to travel responsibly, right? Another cool place to enjoy sakura is the Nakameguro area.
13- When you are in Ueno Park, don't forget to send a postcard from the panda mailbox ... it will arrive with a stamp of the cute black and white animal (of course, you have to find a postcard first, it didn't seem like an easy task to us!).
14- Take home the most unusual souvenir: a plastic reproduction of your favorite Japanese dish, like the ones displayed in restaurants. Where can you find them? On Kappabashi-dori Street in Asakusa. Another cool souvenir to take home is a photo of a purikura!
15- Near Ueno Park is one of the most interesting shopping streets in Tokyo: Ameyoko , full of shops with offers, restaurants and a good atmosphere.
16- Fill up on gyozas, the Japanese dumplings : yum! And even better if they are accompanied by a nice cold beer. Are you more of an Asahi or Sapporo person?
17- Explore Ryogoku, Tokyo's sumo district . If you're lucky, you can watch morning training sessions at a heya... but be prepared to get up early.
18- And if you're even luckier you can even enjoy a sumo tournament (we didn't have any... just for a few weeks arg!).
19- Marvel at the neon lights, electronics stores, merchandising and maid cafes of Akihabara , the kingdom of otakus . One of the most fun things to do here is to rent a cart and walk the streets dressed as Super Mario characters XD. Here we tell you everything you can see and do in Akihabara .
20- If you are a girl and have little interest in maid cafes (cafes with waitresses dressed as maids) you might be interested to know that there is an Akihabara for women: it is the Otome-dori street with butler cafes that will take care of you like a queen.
21- Stroll down Takeshita-dori , the most emblematic street in the curious Harajuku neighborhood , full of clothing stores, crepes and merchandising from famous Japanese people. Here it is practically impossible not to come across some cosplay or gothic lolita.
22- In Harajuku you can also find Yoyogi Park and the Meiji Shrine , one of the most famous in Tokyo along with Senso-ji.
23- Climb the Tokyo Sky Tree , the tallest building in the city, which dominates the Sumida district. If you want to buy skip-the-line tickets, check out these .
24- Try your luck at some pachinko (if you understand how it works and can stand the infernal noise!).
25- Or take a cheap (and useless) souvenir from a gashapon , the plastic pellet vending machines (filled with your idols' merchandising).
26- If you like amusement parks in Tokyo you will only have to choose: there is Disneyland Tokyo , DisneySea , Tokyo Dome City , Hello Kitty Pureland or the most vintage of all, Hanayashiki Park in Asakusa.
27- Go see a baseball game at the Tokyo Dome : a guaranteed atmosphere, although let's not fool ourselves... baseball is a bit boring!
28- Try a new experience and bathe naked in a sento or onsen in Tokyo. The most famous is the Oedo Onsen Monogatari , a kind of theme park set in the Edo period, or also the Thermae-Yu hot springs in Shinjuku , one of the largest in Tokyo with up to 6 indoor baths. Although the neighborhood onsen/sentos are much more authentic (and cheaper!).
29- Cross the Rainbow Bridge to go to or return from Odaiba : one of the best views of Tokyo.
30- Although if we talk about views, the best place (and free) is the Metropolitan Government Building , simply amazing!
Tired? Phew, there are still a few things to see and do in Tokyo!
31- Explore the traditional Asakusa district in depth. Its star attraction? Senso-ji Temple with its giant lantern hanging on the Kaminarimon Gate.
32- Go crazy shopping at the Daiso chain of stores : the vast majority of products cost only 100 yen (108 with taxes!)… ideal for good, pretty and cheap souvenirs.
33- If you are a lover of yakitori (the delicious Japanese skewers) don't miss a walk through Shinjuku Yakitori Yokocho .
34- Discover what Love Hotels are , a curious type of accommodation. Although for us, the essential experience in terms of accommodation… are capsule hotels ! Here we tell you about our experience at the Nine Hours in Kyoto .
⭐ Looking for a place to stay in Tokyo? We'll tell you the best areas to look for a hotel in the Japanese capital .
35- Take a dip in Odaiba's artificial beach , where you can also see one of the best sunsets in the city.
36- Odaiba is one of the most fashionable neighborhoods at the moment: here on Sundays you can see many cosplayers…
37- … if you don’t have cosplay, spend your yen at some of the best shopping malls in the city, such as Venus Fort or Aqua City .
38- Although our favorite is DiverCity , not for its shops, but for the enormous Gundam that is at the entrance.
39- If you like light shows, don't miss the one on the façade of the Fuji TV building : very cool.
40- You can't leave Odaiba without taking a selfie with the Statue of Liberty , yes, yes, just as I'm telling you: there is a replica of the Statue of Liberty in Tokyo!
41- Sneak in (or at least take a look from the outside hehe) to the Park Hyatt hotel , famous for appearing in the film 'Lost in Translation'.
42- Cross the most famous and busiest pedestrian crossing in the world: the Shibuya crossing , where they say up to 3,000 people can cross at a time!
43- In Shibuya, we also cannot help but take a photo of the statue of Hachiko , the little dog that is the symbol of the neighborhood .
44- Nor take a walk around Shibuya 109 and some other shopping centers in the area.
45- Take a photo under the Tokyo Tower , which looks like the distant (and reddish) cousin of the Eiffel Tower.
46- If you want to party, don't miss the nightlife in Roppongi , the most international neighborhood in the city, which seems to never sleep.
47- Get lost among the thousands of neon lights in Shinjuku … watch out: you can even see Godzilla come out from the roof of the 'Shinjuku Toho' building.
48- Attend a rockabilly show ( and marvel at their hairstyles!). They usually meet on Sundays at Yoyogi Park .
49- Discover Kabukicho , Tokyo's red-light district full of adult venues, bars and lots of life.
50- Look for (and find) girls wearing traditional kimonos : there are more than we expected, especially in the Asakusa area. You can even rent a traditional Japanese dress for a few hours 😉
51- Visit the Ghibli Museum , one of the best things to see and do in Tokyo without a doubt! Here we tell you about our experience.
52- If your budget allows it, you can take a cruise along the Sumida River between Asakusa and Odaiba.
53- Go to dinner at a geeky restaurant like the Akasaka Ninja Restaurant or the Robot Restaurant or the newly opened Sailor Moon restaurant! Here we tell you about our favorites .
54- Try one, two, ten matcha ice creams or the craziest flavors: Japan is a paradise for food lovers .
55- Walk along Nakamise Street , the pedestrian street that leads to Asakusa's Senso-ji: always full of people and shops during the day and practically deserted at night.
56- And while you're there, cross to the other side of the street and go up to the terrace of the tourist office , the views are pretty cool (and it's free!). The employees are also very nice and you can gather a lot of information about what to see and do in Tokyo.
57- If it rains and you don't know what to do, we have an idea: go to the Edo-Tokyo Museum , a super interesting museum that will teach you a lot of things about Japan.
58- Take the subway during rush hour to feel like you're in a can of sardines.
59- It is not the most famous temple but it is one of our favorites: the Zojoji Temple with magnificent views of the Tokyo Tower, tradition and modernity go hand in hand here.
60- Take a selfie in front of the Asahi Super Dry building (yes, the beer one!), famous for its 'golden poo', the beer sculpture that looks like golden poop (although technically it represents fire).
61- Try sake and a dish to share at an authentic izakaya , the traditional Japanese taverns where people gather after a long day of work.
62- If you like singing, go to karaoke to challenge your friends, and if you don't like it, go anyway to have a laugh.
63- Dinner at one of the 3-4 seat mini-restaurants at GoldenGai in Shinjuku.
64- Take a trip : Nikko , Kamakura , Mount Fuji , Yokohama… you just have to choose, although the capital is a very big capital, eh? And the things to see and do in Tokyo are practically endless!
65- Come back, Tokyo is a city that hooks you!
