20 Best Things to Do in Tokyo

A modern icon of Japan, Tokyo Skytree stands at 634 meters high, making it one of the tallest structures in the world. The base of the tower, Tokyo Skytree Town, has a shopping mall, 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-meter-tall Tembo Deck has 3 floors with glass panels overlooking the city, while the 450-meter-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 colorful 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 0.6-mile-long shopping street closed to traffic on weekends. Places worth visiting include Ginza Six, the neighborhood'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 neighborhoods 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 neighborhoods. 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, symbolizes 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 center, 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 movie theaters 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 meters 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 intersection 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 intersections in the entire world and has been featured in movies 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 mall 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 honoring Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken and a symbol of Japan's modernization. It is located in a beautiful forest covering about 710,000 square meters 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.

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-meter 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 colorful sweet snack called kaminari-okoshi. Nakamise Shopping Street is in the heart of Asakusa, near Sensoji Temple.