Tokyo, Japan’s capital, is the most crowded city in the world and a perfect blend of old and new. Under all of its tall, neon-lit buildings, you can find churches and shrines that are hundreds of years old, as well as modern shopping malls and museums. It has such a unique and interesting society that it would take months to see everything it has to offer.
The huge city has 23 wards and is at the head of Tokyo Bay, which is on the central coast of Honshu. It was first called Edo, and since the Tokugawa shogunate moved there in 1603, it has been a major center for politics, culture, and trade. It is now known for its cutting-edge design and technology, but you can still enjoy classic events like tea ceremonies, sumo fights, and kabuki theater plays.
The skyline and concrete streets seem to go on forever, but the beautiful parks and gardens are a nice break. There are also trendy areas known for their crazy pop culture and unique fashion scenes, as well as their busy nightlife and beautiful cherry blossom views. Tokyo has so many things to do that it can be hard to make your plans. Stick to these top Tokyo tourist spots to make things easier.
12 Premier Attractions in Tokyo
1. National Art Center
The National Art Center is in the Roppongi area of Tokyo and gets great reviews. It is one of the most important cultural centers in the city and the country, and it puts on great special shows of Japanese and other artists’ work.
The people saw this huge glass building for the first time in 2007. It has a beautiful wave-shaped wall and twelve display areas inside. It was designed by the famous architect Kisho Kurokawa. There is also an art library, a theater, and several bars.
It doesn’t have its own fixed collection like Japan’s other state museums do. Instead, it has several special shows that change all the time. These could be on calligraphy, sculptures, drawings, pictures, video displays, or anything else that is always great. As amazing as the art is, the building’s design and all the creative areas inside are just as impressive.
2. Shinjuku Golden Gai
The small streets of Golden Gai are full of themed bars, music clubs, and traditional izakaya. It’s one of the most fun things to do in Tokyo. They are usually designed in a way that shows off the owner’s hobbies, and they can only hold five to ten people at a time. It’s a must to spend the night here under the towers of Shinjuku because the atmosphere is so enticing.
Its overcrowded streets used to be home to many brothels. It is on the eastern edge of the Kabukicho nightlife area. In the 1950s, when prostitution was made illegal, many different types of drinking spots opened up to take its place.
There are now about 300 of them, and each one has its look, feel, and personality. Some have cool jazz, rock, or anime-themed art, and others let you listen to live music or sing. As many different kinds of food and drinks as there are people, from sushi and yakitori to craft beers and sake.
One of our favorite nights out in Tokyo was walking through its narrow streets, going into small bars, and talking to waiters, locals, and tourists. Before you go from bar to bar, keep in mind that some of them charge cover fees and don’t like it when people from other countries come in.
3. Kabukiza Theater
The beautiful Kabukiza Theater is the place to go for an exciting show. The historic venue is in the fancy Ginza neighborhood and hosts a lot of traditional Kabuki theater shows. There are dramatic dances, exciting sword fights, and moving songs.
The theater was first built out of wood in 1899, but its current baroque Japanese revivalist-style building was only completed in 2013. It looks like old castles and churches from before Edo, and it has three or more shows every day. Theater performances can last for hours, so people can leave at any time and take a break in one of the places inside the theater.
Even though the shows are only in Japanese, the fights, betrayals, and engagements will keep you amused. Even so, you should still rent an electronic translator or watch a show to get a sense of what’s going on. Everyone will have a great time, even if they don’t stay for the whole show. The outfits, make-up, and acts are very fancy.
4. Takeshita Street
One of the most famous places to visit in Tokyo is Harajuku, which is known for its crazy fashion, cool shops, and cute Kawaii culture. Takeshita Street is in the middle of the pool area and is lined with lots of cosplay costume shops and unique bars that sell sweets.
The busy area is in between Shibuya and Shinjuku and is now the center of Japan’s weird, wild, and crazy fashion scene. Along Takeshita, you can find pet cafes, bubba tea stands, and snack stands, as well as bright clothes stores and one-of-a-kind businesses.
Not only are the stylish shops and tasty desserts fun to look at but also watching the people walk by in their strange clothes is also fun. Some are dressed as their favorite cartoon character, while others have crazy hair or weird fashion items. We loved seeing how creatively everyone showed who they were, but we wish we had gone on the weekend when the streets were filled with even more colorful characters.
5. Zojo-ji Temple
Zojo-ji is the city’s main temple for the Jodo-shu branch of Buddhism. It is surrounded by tall buildings and can be seen from the Tokyo Tower. It has beautiful gardens and fields all around it, and the tombs of six Tokugawa shoguns are there. They were Japan’s military leaders from 1603 to 1868 and had a lot of power.
The main gate, which is two stories tall and in the middle of Shiba Park, is the oldest wooden building in the city and dates back to 1622. There were more than 120 rooms and churches here at its peak. Sadly, almost all of them were lost when Japan was bombed in WWII.
The site now has some beautiful buildings and figures to look at along with the peaceful graves of the shoguns. A lot of people go to both the Tokyo Tower and the temple at the same time. Together, they make some great pictures that show how the country’s old history is different from its current, active present.
6. Mt. Takao
One of the best things to do in Tokyo is to go to Mt. Takao. It’s a great place to get some more nature after exploring the city’s endless concrete jungle. It’s only an hour’s drive from downtown Tokyo and has lots of beautiful hiking tracks, woods, and animals to see.
The peak of the mountain is 599 meters high and is now protected as a national park. Eight trails wind through the forest on its hills, or you can take a lift that takes you halfway up.
When you get to the top, you’ll have a beautiful view of the mountains and city below. You can also visit the Takaosan Yakuoin Yuuki-ji Temple complex, which was built in 744.
7. Tokyo National Museum
But before you leave, make sure you check out the Tokyo National Museum. Its huge halls hold the world’s biggest collection of Japanese artifacts and works of art. They are hidden away in Ueno Park. It was our favorite attraction in the city because it was so interesting to look around.
Since it opened in 1938, the museum’s structure and collection have grown a lot. It now has six buildings with more than 110,000 works on display. In some rooms, you can see calligraphy, china, and art from the tea service. In others, you can see woodblock prints or ink paintings. Its Toyokan gallery also has a lot of interesting things from India, China, Korea, and the Khmer Empire.
There was no way we thought it would take so long to go around. It took almost a whole day! We just couldn’t leave because there were so many cool kimonos, katanas, and samurai gear to look at. Plus, there are beautiful flowers outside to walk around, as well as Ueno Park itself.
8. Tsukiji Market
Sushi and seafood are big parts of the Japanese diet, and at the Tsukiji Market, you can see where cooks and restaurants get their daily catch.
If you want to buy fish and shrimp in bulk, Tsukiji is the biggest market in the world. Wholesalers buy huge amounts of seafood at the inner market. The outer market, on the other hand, is where you can find just the right amount of fish for dinner or go to a sushi restaurant that serves the freshest fish possible.
If you want to see the market at its busiest, you should get there early. Most of the buyers get there before dawn, and by mid-morning, most of the business is closed.
9. Akihabara
A big buying and tech area in Tokyo is called Akihabara. It is in the Chiyoda Ward.
A lot of Japanese people come here for different reasons, but it’s also a great place for tourists to visit, especially if they want to see a different side of Japanese society. People mostly know Akihabara for two things: tech shops and otaku culture. If you’re interested in how tech-savvy the Japanese are, Akihabara is the best place to see what’s new and cool in tech.
There are a lot of shops that sell anime, manga, and other collectibles in Japan because it is a center for otaku and anime culture. Plus, there are a lot of maid bars where people dress up as maids and act like different anime characters.
10. Tokyo Tower
The Tokyo Tower has been a part of the city’s skyline since the 1950s and is one of its most famous features. Not only can you admire its beautiful design, but you can also enjoy epic views from its viewing areas.
The 333-meter-tall tower was built in 1958 and is the second-tallest building in the country after the Skytree. The huge lattice tower was designed to look almost exactly like the Eiffel Tower in Paris. It is larger, lighter, and painted bright red and white.
From the Main Deck, which is 150 meters high, and the smaller Top Deck, which is 250 meters high, you can see all of Tokyo. It doesn’t have as good of 360-degree views as the Skytree, but it does have displays and old photos that show its history. There is also a small amusement park, a café, and gift shops in FootTown below that you can check out.
11. Meiji Shrine
The beautiful Meiji Shrine is just north of the Shibuya Scramble Crossing. The important holy site is tucked away from the busy blocks nearby in a beautiful forest and iris fields that bloom at certain times of the year.
The beautiful shrine was dedicated to the souls of Emperor Meiji and his wife. It was opened in 1921, almost ten years after he died. The present building is very new; it was built in the 1950s and destroyed during WWII. At this spot, you can honor the huge wooden chapel and make a small gift at its main shrine.
Also, a lot of people come to the park to either relax or get some exercise. You can walk around under its tall trees and visit its beautiful iris garden and traditional tea house.
12. Sensoji Temple
Over 2,000 shrines can be found in Japan. The oldest is the Sensoji Temple in Tokyo.
Most sources say that the temple has been around since 645, which makes it more than 1,400 years old. There was a lot of damage to the temple during the Second World War, but it was rebuilt in the same way as before. This makes the Sensoji Temple a symbol of how strong the Japanese people are and how to start over.
The huge Thunder Gate with hanging lamps leads into the temple, and it is also the site of an event that happens there every spring. Don’t forget to spend some time at Nakamise-dōri, the street that leads to Sensoji Temple. You can buy snacks, and gifts, or even have your fortune read there.
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