25 Best Things to Do in Tokyo

Shibuya Scramble Crossing

The world's busiest pedestrian crossing — up to 3,000 people cross simultaneously when the lights change. Stand at the Starbucks window on the second floor of the Tsutaya building for the best view, or just throw yourself into the chaos. Either way it's an experience like no other. Best time: weekday evenings around 7–9pm.

Directly outside Shibuya Station's Hachiko exit. The famous Hachiko statue — the loyal dog who waited for his owner for nine years — is right there too.

Senso-ji Temple, Asakusa

Tokyo's oldest temple, founded in 628 AD, and still the most atmospheric place in the city. Arrive at 6am before the crowds and you'll have the incense smoke, red lanterns and stone pagoda almost to yourself. The Nakamise shopping street leading up to the temple has been selling traditional snacks and crafts for over 250 years. Read the full Asakusa guide.

Tokyo Tower or Tokyo Skytree

Tokyo Tower (333m) is the iconic orange structure that has defined the city's skyline since 1958. It has a retro charm that the newer Skytree lacks. Tokyo Skytree (634m) is the tallest tower in Japan — the view on a clear day stretches to Mount Fuji. Both are worth it; if you can only do one, choose Skytree for the view and Tower for the atmosphere. See the Roppongi guide for the best free viewpoint in the city.

Free Observation Decks

Tokyo has two excellent free viewpoints most tourists miss. Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building in Shinjuku has twin towers open to the public — the view at sunset is spectacular. Caretta Shiodome in Shiodome has a 46th floor observation area with a direct view of Rainbow Bridge and Tokyo Bay. See the Shinjuku guide for the Government Building details.

Meiji Shrine and Yoyogi Park

A 70-hectare forest in the middle of the city. The Meiji Shrine is dedicated to Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken — it's the most important Shinto shrine in Tokyo and deeply peaceful even when busy. Walk the gravel path through the forest, write a wish on an ema wooden plaque, and exit into Yoyogi Park where you'll find picnics, buskers and street performers every weekend.

Golden Gai, Shinjuku

200 micro-bars in six narrow alleys — the smallest fitting 6 people. Each bar has its own theme, its own regulars, and its own strange magic. This is one of the most unique drinking experiences on earth and it costs ¥500–800 for a drink plus cover charge. Read the complete Shinjuku guide.

Harajuku and Takeshita Street

Japanese street fashion at its most extreme. Takeshita Street is 350 metres of fashion boutiques, crepe stands and youth culture that doesn't exist anywhere else. A five-minute walk away, Omotesando is the polar opposite — Tokyo's answer to Paris's Champs-Élysées, lined with flagship architecture by Tadao Ando and Herzog & de Meuron. Read the full Shibuya & Harajuku guide.

Akihabara Electric Town

Multi-storey electronics stores, arcade game halls, maid cafés and seven floors of anime merchandise — Akihabara is completely unlike anywhere else. Even if you have no interest in electronics or gaming culture, walking through is a genuinely disorienting experience. Yodobashi Camera is worth entering just for the scale. Read the Akihabara guide.

Shimokitazawa

Tokyo's bohemian quarter — vintage shops, independent theatres, live music venues and zero chain stores. If Shinjuku is the heart and Shibuya is the face, Shimokitazawa is the soul. Come on a weekend afternoon, browse the vinyl record shops, eat at a tiny curry house and catch a live show in the evening. Read the Shimokitazawa guide.

Ginza

Tokyo's most prestigious shopping district — Hermès, Chanel, Apple and every Japanese luxury brand in one place. You don't need to buy anything to enjoy it. The architecture alone is worth the trip: the Hermès building looks like a glass brick, the Mikimoto building has oval windows like Swiss cheese. On Sundays, Chuo-dori closes to traffic and becomes a pedestrian promenade. Read the Ginza guide.

Eat Ramen at a Proper Ramen Shop

Not the cup noodle kind. Tokyo-style ramen is shoyu (soy) based — clear, deeply savoury broth with thin noodles. Fuunji in Shinjuku and Ichiran anywhere are the classics. Sit at the counter, order via a vending machine, and eat in silence — that's the etiquette. Budget ¥800–1,200. Read the complete Tokyo ramen guide.

Sushi — from Kaiten to Omakase

Tokyo has more Michelin stars than any city on earth, and sushi is the centrepiece. A kaiten (conveyor belt) lunch at Uobei in Shibuya costs ¥1,500 and is genuinely excellent. A counter omakase dinner at a Michelin-starred restaurant costs ¥30,000+ and is one of the finest dining experiences of your life. Both are worth doing. Read the Tokyo sushi guide.

Drink at an Izakaya

Japan's version of a pub — but better in almost every way. Small dishes, cold beer, sake or highball whisky, shared tables. The ritual is: sit down, order drinks immediately, then order food gradually over the course of the evening. Yakitori, karaage, edamame, tofu — everything costs ¥300–700 per dish. Read the full izakaya guide for how to order, where to go, and what not to do.

Experience a Convenience Store Properly

Japanese convenience stores — 7-Eleven, Lawson, FamilyMart — are not what you know from home. Fresh onigiri made every few hours, hot food that rivals restaurants, excellent coffee at ¥150, Japanese snacks you can't find anywhere else. A konbini breakfast or late-night snack run is a genuine Tokyo experience. Read the konbini guide.

Tsukiji Outer Market

The inner fish market moved to Toyosu in 2018, but Tsukiji's outer market — the rows of shops and restaurants surrounding the old market — is still very much alive. The best tamagoyaki (sweet egg omelette), the freshest sashimi at 7am, and the most intense concentration of seafood smells you'll ever encounter. Arrive early — before 9am for the best stalls.

TeamLab Planets or Borderless

Immersive digital art installations that you walk through, wade through and become part of. TeamLab Planets in Toyosu has you wading through knee-deep water with projections of flowers and fish. TeamLab Borderless in Azabudai is larger and more complex. Both are genuinely unlike anything else on earth. Book online in advance — they sell out weeks ahead. Budget 2–3 hours.

Karaoke

Karaoke in Japan is done in a private room with your group — not on a stage in front of strangers. Rooms are rented by the hour (cheaper during daytime), come with a tablet for song selection, and you can order drinks and food without leaving. Big Echo and Karaoke-kan are the reliable chains. This is one of the quintessentially Japanese social experiences and it's far more fun than it sounds.

Yanaka — Old Tokyo Unchanged

One of the few neighbourhoods in Tokyo that survived both the 1923 earthquake and the 1945 bombing — Yanaka looks and feels like the Tokyo of 80 years ago. Wooden houses, small temples, a cemetery that's also a beautiful park, and artisan shops. No tourists. Take the JR Yamanote line to Nippori and walk west.

Watch the Fish at Ueno Zoo or Pond

Ueno Park is one of Tokyo's great public spaces — home to Japan's oldest zoo, five major museums, Shinobazu Pond (covered in lotus flowers in summer), and the city's most famous sakura viewing spot in spring. The park itself is free. Combine it with the Tokyo National Museum for a full day. Read the Ueno guide.

Public Onsen or Sentō

A public bath house is an intensely local experience. Sentō (銭湯) are traditional bath houses found in every neighbourhood — entry costs ¥500–600. Onsen use natural hot spring water and are slightly more expensive. Rules: wash thoroughly before entering the communal bath, no tattoos in most establishments, no swimwear. Once you understand the ritual, it's one of the most relaxing things you can do.

Hakone — Mount Fuji and Hot Springs

The best place to see Mount Fuji — and much more besides. A full day covers the Owakudani volcanic valley, a ropeway with Fuji views, Lake Ashi, and an onsen at the end. Best done with the Hakone Free Pass which covers all transport within the area. Book tours and experiences through Klook. Read the complete Hakone guide.

Kamakura — The Great Buddha

A 13.35-metre bronze Buddha sitting in the open air since 1252 — the Daibutsu is one of Japan's most iconic images. Around it: Zen temples, bamboo groves at Hokoku-ji, a coastal hiking trail, and some of the best shirasu (whitebait) fish you'll eat anywhere. One hour from Tokyo on the Shonan-Shinjuku line. Read the complete Kamakura guide.

Nikkō — Over-the-Top Opulence

The Tosho-gu shrine complex in Nikkō is the most ornate thing in Japan — lacquered in gold, vermillion and every colour imaginable, set in ancient cedar forest in the mountains. The famous "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil" monkeys are here. The Kegon Falls nearby are also spectacular. Book the train and entry with Klook for the easiest option. Read the Nikkō guide.

Walk Across Rainbow Bridge at Sunset

The pedestrian walkway across Rainbow Bridge takes about 30 minutes and gives you a panoramic view of Tokyo Bay, Odaiba and the city skyline behind you. Free to walk, open until 9pm (closed Mondays). Start from the Shibaura side and end at Odaiba — from there you can explore the waterfront and catch the Yurikamome monorail back.

Get Lost on Purpose

Tokyo rewards aimless walking more than almost any city. Pick a train line you've never used, get off at a random stop, walk for an hour and find your way back. You will eat somewhere you'd never have found on TripAdvisor, see a shrine tucked between two apartment buildings, and understand that Tokyo is not a city you can ever fully know. That's the point.