Kanto · Prefecture Guide
World-class city where ancient temples meet neon-lit towers — something extraordinary awaits every traveller
Okay, so Tokyo — where do I even start?! It's massive, it never sleeps, and honestly? It's the most fun city I've ever been to. One minute you're standing in front of a 300-year-old shrine, and literally next door there's a neon-lit arcade, a Michelin-starred ramen spot, and a FamilyMart that's been open since forever. The trains run perfectly on time (yes, really), the food is insane, and you can walk around at 3am without a care in the world. Shopaholics, foodies, history nerds, anime fans — Tokyo's got something that'll make every single one of you lose your mind. In the best way. 🗼✨
Tokyo is served by two international airports and is the hub of Japan's Shinkansen bullet-train network, making it the easiest gateway to the rest of the country.
Deep-dive guides to help you plan every aspect of your visit — from top sightseeing spots to the best restaurants and seasonal events.
Tokyo's oldest and most iconic temple, founded in 645 AD. Walk through the thunder-gate Kaminarimon, browse the lantern-lined Nakamise shopping arcade, and reach the grand main hall — one of Japan's most visited religious sites.
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The world's busiest pedestrian crossing — up to 3,000 people cross at once under a blaze of neon signs. Best experienced from the Starbucks window or the rooftop of Shibuya Sky observation deck. A defining symbol of modern Tokyo.
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A serene Shinto shrine dedicated to Emperor Meiji, set within a tranquil forested park of 70,000 trees in the heart of Harajuku. The towering wooden torii gate and gravel paths create a peaceful escape from the city bustle.
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The residence of Japan's Imperial Family, surrounded by wide moats and stone walls in central Tokyo. The East Gardens are open to visitors and reveal the remains of Edo Castle alongside beautifully manicured lawns and seasonal flowers.
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The iconic 333 m orange-and-white tower, inspired by the Eiffel Tower, with two observation decks offering sweeping views over central Tokyo — magical when lit up at night.
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The grand 1914 red-brick Marunouchi facade of Tokyo Station, beautifully restored and floodlit at night, fronting the upscale Marunouchi district of dining and shopping.
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The world's second-tallest structure at 634 m offers sweeping panoramic views of the Kanto plain — on clear days you can see Mount Fuji. The base complex houses a mall, aquarium, and dozens of restaurants.
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A glossy hilltop complex crowned by Mori Tower, home to the Mori Art Museum and the Tokyo City View observation deck — one of the best skyline panoramas in the city.
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A historic Buddhist temple of the Tokugawa shogun family, framed dramatically by Tokyo Tower behind its great Sangedatsu gate — a striking blend of old and new Tokyo.
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A nostalgic, low-rise neighbourhood that survived the war, centred on the retro Yanaka Ginza shopping street — full of old shops, temples, street food and resident cats.
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Ginza hosts some of the world's finest sushi counters where chefs craft each piece to seasonal perfection. The omakase (chef's choice) experience — where you simply trust the chef — is unmatched anywhere on earth. Book well in advance.
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The outer market around the former Tsukiji Fish Market remains a vibrant hub of seafood restaurants and specialty food shops open from 5 a.m. Experience the morning ritual of premium tamago-yaki (rolled omelette) shops, fresh-grilled tamagoyaki sushi, and sashimi breakfast sets alongside wholesalers stocking Tokyo's finest restaurants.
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A warren of six tiny lantern-lit alleys crammed with over 200 quirky, atmospheric bars — a beloved slice of old Shinjuku nightlife, best explored after dark.
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A bustling open-air market under the Ueno railway tracks, packed with seafood stalls, street food, sweets, spices and bargain shops — loud, lively and great for grazing.
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The dazzling basement food floors of Tokyo's department stores, brimming with exquisite bento, wagashi sweets, cakes and gourmet treats — a feast for the eyes and a souvenir paradise.
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Tokyo's vast modern wholesale fish market, successor to Tsukiji — watch the famous tuna auction from viewing galleries and eat ultra-fresh sushi breakfast at the market restaurants.
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The outer market of the former world's largest fish market is still the best place in Tokyo for ultra-fresh sushi, grilled scallops, tamagoyaki egg rolls, and sashimi at any hour of the morning. Arrive early for the freshest picks.
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Tsukishima is the home of monjayaki — Tokyo's runnier cousin of okonomiyaki — cooked on iron griddles at your table. Over 70 restaurants line Nishi-Nakadori Street, making this the definitive place to try this hard-to-find local specialty.
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Shinjuku is packed with legendary ramen shops — from the rich tonkotsu broth of Ichiran to the thick-noodle tsukemen of Fuunji. The underground ramen alleys near Kabukicho offer a gritty, neon-lit bowl any time of night.
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A narrow alley of tiny yakitori stalls and izakaya pubs just steps from Shinjuku Station. Smoke, sizzling skewers, and sake pour from these decades-old establishments that survived post-war reconstruction. An unmissable taste of old Tokyo.
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One of Japan's finest public gardens blends French formal, English landscape, and Japanese traditional styles across 58 hectares. Home to 1,000 cherry trees, it is the most popular hanami (blossom viewing) spot in Tokyo each spring.
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A serene Edo-period strolling garden built around a central pond, famed for spectacular autumn-leaf illuminations and weeping cherry blossoms — a tranquil escape from the city.
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A beloved park surrounding a large pond in the charming Kichijoji neighbourhood. Rent a rowboat or swan pedalo, stroll under the cherry blossom canopy in spring, and visit the nearby Studio Ghibli Museum — Japan's most beloved animation studio.
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Tucked in the far western reaches of Tokyo Prefecture, Okutama offers rugged mountain valleys, crystal-clear rivers, and one of the Kanto region's most spectacular autumn foliage displays — all within 90 minutes of central Tokyo by train.
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Tokyo's great cultural park, home to top museums, a zoo, a lotus pond and shrines — and one of the city's most famous cherry-blossom spots, ablaze with sakura each spring.
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A vast green lung beside Harajuku where Tokyoites jog, picnic and gather — buzzing with street performers, drummers and cosplayers on weekends, and golden ginkgo in autumn.
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The most visited mountain in the world (3M+ visitors/year) rises just 599 m yet rewards hikers with stunning views of Mount Fuji on clear days. Multiple trails suit all fitness levels, and a cable car makes the summit accessible to everyone.
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A sacred 929 m mountain in western Tokyo with a cable car, a mountaintop shrine and a village of pilgrim lodges — gateway to forest trails, the Rock Garden and Mitake Gorge.
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A 300-year-old feudal garden where seawater tidal ponds meet the glass towers of Shiodome. Board a water bus here to cruise up the Sumida River to Asakusa. A traditional teahouse on the central island serves matcha and wagashi sweets.
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Tokyo's only natural ravine — a cool, green 1 km gorge walk along a stream, with a temple and tea house, feeling worlds away from the city just minutes from Shibuya.
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Ranked the world's most beautiful theme park — DisneySea exists only in Japan. Seven themed ports surround a central volcanic island, with the Mediterranean Harbor, Indiana Jones Adventure, and Fantasprings (The Little Mermaid area) as standouts.
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Reopened in 2024 at Azabudai Hills, teamLab Borderless is a 10,000 m² labyrinth of continuously evolving digital artworks that flow between rooms without borders. Visitors wander freely through interactive light environments, moving through spaces where art reacts to their presence — a genuinely mind-expanding experience unlike anything else in Tokyo.
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A whimsical museum dedicated to Studio Ghibli, set in leafy Mitaka — full of magical exhibits, a rooftop robot and an exclusive short film. Tickets must be booked well in advance.
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Japan's oldest and largest museum, holding the world's greatest collection of Japanese art and antiquities — samurai swords, armour, Buddhist art, ceramics and national treasures.
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Walk barefoot through rooms filled with infinite crystal universes, koi fish swimming around your feet, and flowers blooming at your touch. teamLab's borderless digital art installations redefine what a museum can be — utterly unmissable.
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The open-air rooftop of Shibuya Scramble Square at 229 m offers a 360° unobstructed panorama of Tokyo. Watch the famous crossing become a swarm of tiny figures below while golden hour turns the skyline cinematic. Book evening tickets early.
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Tokyo's premier kabuki theatre in Ginza, where you can watch Japan's dramatic, centuries-old stage art in a grand setting — single-act tickets let newcomers sample a show.
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The world capital of otaku culture — multi-floor shops sell everything from vintage Famicom games to the latest GPUs. Maid cafes, anime figurines, gashapon capsule toys, and retro arcades line every street. Unique to Tokyo, unique to Japan.
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Set on reclaimed Odaiba island, this large hot spring facility pipes natural sodium-chloride mineral water from 1,400 m underground, and dresses the entire complex in an Edo-period townscape theme. Yukata-clad visitors stroll food stalls, play carnival games, and relax in indoor and outdoor baths overlooking Tokyo Bay.
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A cheerful indoor theme park in Tama dedicated to Hello Kitty and the Sanrio characters, with shows, rides, parades and photo spots — kawaii heaven for families and fans.
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A futuristic man-made island in Tokyo Bay combining shopping malls, a giant Gundam statue, VR arcades, the teamLab digital art museums, and Oedo Onsen hot spring resort. Stunning Rainbow Bridge and city skyline views after dark.
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Japan's oldest zoo, in the heart of Ueno Park, famous for its giant pandas and home to over 300 species — a fun, affordable day out for families and animal lovers.
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Tokyo's most magical season — the city transforms under clouds of pale pink sakura blossoms. Ueno Park, Shinjuku Gyoen, Chidorigafuchi moat, and Meguro River are the top spots. Locals lay out blue tarps, pour sake, and celebrate under the flowers.
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One of Tokyo's oldest fireworks festivals — over 20,000 shells burst above the Sumida River each July. The banks fill with hundreds of thousands of spectators in yukata summer kimono. Book a riverside restaurant seat months in advance for the best view.
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Meiji Shrine receives over 3 million visitors in the first three days of the New Year — Japan's busiest hatsumode (first shrine visit). Buy an omamori charm or ema wishing plaque, listen to the bell at midnight, and experience Japan's most sacred annual ritual.
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Held the last weekend of August, Koenji Awa Odori is Tokyo's largest dance festival — a frenzied procession of 10,000 dancers in straw hats and yukata weaving through the streets to hypnotic shamisen, taiko, and fue music. Up to 1.2 million spectators line the route in a joyful, chaotic celebration of Japan's most contagious festival tradition.
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The world's largest self-published comics fair, held twice a year at Tokyo Big Sight. Over 700,000 visitors browse hundreds of thousands of original doujinshi (indie manga) titles, while cosplayers in elaborate costumes transform the plaza into an open-air spectacle unlike anything else in Japan.
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Tokyo's wildest festival, when around 100 portable shrines are paraded through Asakusa by chanting, tattooed crews over a riotous May weekend — nearly two million people attend.
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A breathtaking avenue of around 150 ginkgo trees that turns brilliant gold each late autumn, with a popular food festival — one of Tokyo's most photographed seasonal sights.
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The largest Awa Odori dance festival outside Tokushima draws one million spectators over two evenings. Over 10,000 performers in traditional costume dance through Koenji's shopping streets to the hypnotic rhythm of shamisen, taiko, and flutes.
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One of the world's six Marathon Majors, sending 38,000 runners past Tokyo's landmarks each March — a huge, festive event with crowds lining the course to cheer them on.
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One of Tokyo's three great festivals, held in odd-numbered years — a day-long procession of mikoshi and courtly figures winding from Kanda Myojin through Akihabara and the old city.
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Shibuya's Halloween street party is one of the world's largest spontaneous costume gatherings. The scramble crossing and surrounding streets fill with tens of thousands of costumed revellers — elaborate group costumes are the norm. No tickets, just show up.
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Several sumo stables in Tokyo's Ryogoku district open their morning training (keiko) to small groups of advance-booked visitors from 6–10 a.m. Sitting in silence on cushions around the clay dohyo ring, guests watch wrestlers ranging from novice to champion train with intense focus — the closest any outsider gets to the private world of sumo.
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Under the instruction of a trained sushi chef (itamae), participants learn to season shari rice, slice fish with a yanagiba knife, and shape nigiri, maki, and temaki rolls. Classes in Tsukiji, Asakusa, and Shinjuku run in English for groups of 2–8, ending with eating everything made. The knife skills and rice technique alone transform how participants eat sushi for the rest of their lives.
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Small-group ramen cooking classes in Tokyo teach participants to make tonkotsu, shoyu, or miso broth from scratch, hand-pull noodles, and prepare classic toppings including chashu pork and soft-boiled ramen egg. Classes run in English, take 2–3 hours, and participants eat the ramen they cook — the best possible introduction to Japan's most beloved dish.
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Rent a colourful kimono or yukata and stroll the historic streets of Asakusa around Senso-ji — a fun, photogenic way to soak up old Tokyo, with dressing and hair styling included.
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Take part in a serene matcha tea ceremony led by a kimono-clad host, learning the graceful rituals of whisking and serving green tea — a calm, meditative slice of Japanese culture.
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Sample Japan's rice wine across a flight of premium sake, guided by an expert, then pair it with izakaya small plates — a delicious introduction to Tokyo's drinking culture.
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