44 Best things to see & do in Tokyo

Every spring Japan goes into sakura (cherry blossom) frenzy. The subject of everything from traditional haiku verse and woodblock prints to apps that track its flowering, sakura is deeply woven into Japanese culture.

Sakura are the blossoms of ornamental cherry trees – although found across Asia, Japan has historically been home to especially large varieties which were subsequently cultivated into today’s impressive displays. Reflecting both its aesthetic and its importance to Japanese culture, cherry blossom became the national flower of Japan.

When the blossoms briefly reach peak bloom in late March or early April, nothing is as Japanese as heading out to enjoy a spot of hanami (cherry blossom viewing).

Nothing quite says Japanese sport like large, semi-naked men trying to wrestle each other to the ground.

Sumo has been around for at least 1,000 years, initially performed to appease the Shinto gods before eventually becoming the major sport it is today. From the brief, yet hard-hitting bouts to the Shinto-influenced pomp that surrounds them, it’s a brilliant spectacle – and Tokyo’s Ryogoku neighbourhood is the centre of it all.

There are three 15-day sumo tournaments a year at the Kokugikan arena in Ryogoku, but if you miss those you could take a morning tour to one of the sumo training stables to watch the rikishi (wrestlers) go through gruelling practice routines.

Any time of year, Ryogoku is also worth a night-time visit for a chanko nabe dinner. This protein-heavy hotpot of fish, meat, vegetables, and tofu, is what rikishi eat to stay supersized.

First built in the 600s to house a statue of Kannon said to have been fished out of the nearby Sumida River by two brothers.

Today, Sensoji in Asakusa is one of Tokyo’s most important and liveliest temples, dedicated to the Bodhisattva of compassion.

It’s also its oldest and most visited – it’s one of the world’s most widely visited spiritual sites with an estimated 30 million visitors a year.

The stall-lined approach is a bit touristy, but if you had time for just one temple in Tokyo, the giant gateways, five-storied pagoda, and vast main hall here make Sensoji the best choice.

Look out for the Kaminarimon (Thunder Gate), the temple’s outer gate, as you go in.

As overnight trips from Tokyo go, it’s hard to beat the mountainous Hakone region – under 90 minutes west of the city centre by train.

A trip here takes you close to iconic Mount Fuji, at 3,776 metres Japan’s tallest peak. Add in boat trips with Fuji views on Lake Ashi, superb art at the Hakone Open-Air Museum, cable car trips to the volcanic Owakudani Valley, and more onsen (natural hot springs) baths that you could dip a toe into, and there’s plenty to please even the most discerning visitor.

The area is also home to dozens of ryokans (traditional Japanese inns) where guests stay in tatami mat rooms, are served multi-course kaiseki dinners and soak in in-house, private onsen – classic traditional Japanese hospitality. If time allows, book into a ryokan for an overnight stay and get the full cultural experience.

Whizzing around Japan at up to 320 km/h, Japan’s world-famous ‘bullet train’ (shinkansen in Japanese) isn’t just quick, convenient and incredibly punctual – a journey on one is a bucket list experience in and of itself.

From the regimented cleaning crews who whip through the train before boarding to make the carriages spotless, through to bowing conductors, it’s a very Japanese affair. It’s very safe too; in 50 years, carrying over 10 billion passengers, there has not been a single injury.

With comfy reclining seats and, in most cases, regular trolley services selling snacks and drinks, it’s also very relaxing – especially if you watch Japan go by from the window while tucking into a bento and sake. Just as importantly, the Shinkansen can get you across large parts of Japan’s main island, Honshu, but also connects to Kyushu out west and Hokkaido up north.

It connects Toyko, Kyoto, Osaka, Nagano and many other major cities. So if you are planning to visit multiple destinations on your trip, make the Shinkansen part of your itinerary.

Ueno Park’s best museum, and Japan’s oldest museum, is one of the largest art museums in the world.

The museum collects, preserves and displays collections of artworks and cultural objects from across Asia, with a focus on Japanese art. It holds over 110,00 cultural artefacts and artworks, including 89 National Treasures.

For anyone interested in Japan’s fascinating past of emperors, shoguns, samurais and more, this is a must-see. The museum collection includes everything from ancient Buddhist sculptures, to samurai armour and even tea ceremony utensils.

From 1185 to 1333, the small seaside city of Kamakura, an hour south of Tokyo, was the political centre of Japan. Nowadays, it’s a popular sightseeing area, dotted with historic temples and shrines that has had it likened to a mini-Kyoto.

Most famously that includes Kotoku-in Temple, home to an iconic 11.4-metre bronze statue of Buddha that’s been wooing onlookers since 1252.

Getting to Kotoku-in Temple for the giant Buddha means taking the charmingly retro Enoden Line a few short stops from Kamakura to Hase – worth it for the rickety ride alone.

On the opposite side of Harajuku to the colourful teen fashions of Takeshita-dori and swanky boutiques of Omotesando-dori, Meiji Jingu provides the ultimate contrast to the city’s modern concrete jungle image.

Built in the 1920s to enshrine the Meiji Emperor and Empress, the Shinto shrine blends naturally into the 170 acres of lush forest that surround it.

An hour here is an opportunity to not just have a calm break from the hectic city, but to take in traditional shrine architecture and get a sense of how Shintoism is still important in modern-day Japan.

Whenever you visit, you’ll see visitors praying at the main shrine and writing wishes on votive tablets before hanging them in the inner shrine’s courtyard.

You might see a traditional Shinto wedding procession too – Meiji Jingu attracts lots of tourists, but it’s still a fully functioning shrine.

Japan is a mountainous country, jam-packed with volcanoes – and where there are volcanoes, there are hot springs. The underground geothermal activity heats water, that rises to the surface creating warm (even boiling), mineral-rich pools of water – fantastic for bathing in, if the temperature is right.

It’s estimated that Japan has over 3,000 hot springs – known as onsen – across the country. Good for health, especially skin, relaxing and sociable, it’s not surprisingly, then, that over the centuries a soak in an onsen has become an integral part of Japanese life and culture.

Many naturally occurring onsen have been converted into indoor (noten-buro) or outdoor (roten-buro) pleasure baths. They can be public or private facilities and sometimes contained within your hotel or ryokan.

For the real deal, you need to get out of the major cities to the natural sources of water. Public hot baths in cities, known as sento, don’t quite hit the spot.

If a day of museum hopping is your idea of heaven, look no further than Ueno Park in northeastern Tokyo.

Home to the Tokyo National Museum and its unparalleled collection of Japanese art and artefacts, plus five other museums, there isn’t a better concentration of cultural sites anywhere in the city.

With a boating pond, temple and other attractions, the park itself is a pleasant spot to linger. In late March and early April, when it’s all decorated pink by the annual wave of cherry blossoms, Ueno Park becomes one of Tokyo’s most popular sites for hanami (cherry blossom) parties and picnics.

One of the world’s great culinary capitals, Tokyo is often heralded for having more Michelin stars than any other city. But what really makes it special, is that from high-end sushi down to a humble bowl of ramen, there’s so much to try and so much of it is superb.

Sushi epitomizes that best – you could spend several hundred pounds at the most exclusive restaurants or have a quality feed for under £10 at a budget chain.

Across Tokyo’s dining scene, certain traits shine through – the frequent focus on seasonality and culinary technique, and the deep respect for chefs.

Specialisation too – you’ll find no end of shops that have perfected just a single dish, whether that’s ramen, soba noodles, or sumo-sized hotpots.

A classical expression of Japanese hospitality that can last for hours in its most elaborate form, the tea ceremony has been practised for centuries. Every aspect, from where the most important guest is seated to how the host wipes the utensils, has significance. Every movement is choreographed, and for kimono-dressed practitioners, the nuances take years to perfect.

Full versions (around 4 hours) are only for die-hards; shorter versions are available down to a mere 30 minutes, but the shorter it is, the less traditional. There are usually special options for children, and some will include sweet-making.

Even the shortest versions, though, are a great way to experience traditional Japanese culture and formality.

As the capital of a country where shopping counts as a legitimate hobby, Tokyo has all the retail bases covered.

When it comes to fashion, many boutiques and department stores carry imported goods, but to get a sense of local trends head to youthful fashion hubs like Harajuku or Shibuya.

Or take a shopping deep-dive into otaku culture in the Akihabara district – the place to pick up manga and anime-related goods, or gadgetry.

For something traditional, Japan produces superb crafts, such as Edo kiriko glassware, Wajima lacquerware and Bizen pottery.

And don’t skip the slick urban complexes – Roppongi Hills and Tokyo Midtown were the forerunners, but from its design through to its stores, Ginza 6 epitomizes contemporary Japanese style.

Like a thousand-person scrum, this is purportedly the world’s busiest road crossing – with as many as 3,000 people crossing at any one time. Grab a photo from above at the Crossing View observation deck.

To stay a night at one of Japan’s ryokan (traditional inns) is to immerse yourself in living history – the oldest hotel in the world is a ryokan, established in 705 and still going strong 51 generations later.

Ryokan can be modest or uber-luxurious, but there are defining traits.

Almost all have tatami mat rooms and futon beds, staff wearing traditional attire like kimono, and an air of calm and quiet. Many have in-house onsen baths, and serve traditional kaiseki-ryori dinners (if not the full 12-course extravaganza, then at least simpler multi-course dinner that focuses on local produce and specialities).

But it won’t be for everyone. Kids can find ryokan a bit dull – and the food challenging. The service, though often superb, can also be inflexible, with mealtimes locked into narrow windows and many mid-range and above ryokan not offering room-only stays. The best approach is to stay for just one night.

The succession of artistically presented dishes that comprise a kaiseki-ryori dinner has come to represent the pinnacle of Japanese cuisine.

Featuring anywhere up to 12 fixed courses that focus on in-season produce, kaiseki will include some familiar elements, with sashimi early in the dinner, delicate tempura later, and maybe a few mouthfuls of wagyu as a centrepiece. The rest, however, can be wonderfully indecipherable.

Being such an exalted cuisine, kaiseki dinners don’t come cheap – expect to pay at least £100 a head. Or, go for lunch, when many restaurants offer taster sets at a fraction of the price.

Just reserve well ahead – even though Japan has plenty of kaiseki restaurants, they always book up quickly.

They are often served at ryokans (traditional Japanese inns). For a real flavour of traditional Japan, book in for a night at one, and tick off both bucket list experiences at once.

No Japanese period drama would be complete without an appearance from the nation’s most famous fighters – the samurai and the ninja. Equally famous around the world today, the two had very different roles in Japan.

The samurai began as feudal warriors and by the Edo era (1603-1868) were part of the ruling class. The ninja had more humble roots, often functioning as farmers while operating as highly skilled spies and assassins.

Samurai and ninja get varying treatment in modern Japan – the samurai and their code of ethics are held in high regard, while ninja experiences tend to be more on the kitschy side. Part of that perhaps comes down to social status, but also the lofty status of a katana, a samurai’s sword, which are still painstakingly handcrafted by highly respected wordsmiths.

For visitors to Tokyo, there are several places you can see historic swords and samurai armour, and to learn how to hold a samurai sword or throw a ninja’s shuriken.

This prestigious art institution houses an extensive collection of European masterpieces, ranging from paintings to sculptures and prints.

The collection includes works by Cezanne, Monet, Renoir, and Van Gogh, all housed in a UNESCO-designated building designed by Le Corbusier.

A gorgeous Shinto shrine, dating back to 1705, of elegant, colourful structures, tunnels af shrine arches, forested pathways, and ponds of koi carp. Every April, this shrine holds a month-long festival to celebrate the blooming of thousands of azaleas.

Having avoided damage from the great quake of 1923, the bombs of World War Two and the attention of developers, the Yanaka neighbourhood retains a mellow and somewhat rickety ‘old Tokyo’ feel.

The narrow streets here are home to small temples and family-run stores, but also the occasional historic building repurposed as a hip cafe, bar or gallery.

A good starting point is the Yanaka Ginza shopping street, before branching off into the alleyways to find arty spots like the Asakura Museum of Sculpture and the uber-contemporary SCAI The Bathhouse gallery.

Alternatively, stop for craft beer in the renovated townhouse that houses the Yanaka Beer Hall.

After, walk on to Nezu Station to see the lovely Nezu Shrine or stroll to Ueno for the park and its museums.

First brought to Japan from China in the 5h century, shodo, ‘the way of writing’, is one of Japan’s oldest art forms.

A spiritual or meditative practice as much as an aesthetic pursuit, it was commonly practised by nobles and samurai, and today every school kid in the land will dip bamboo brush into sumi ink to learn the basics.

From calligraphic scrolls in temples and on ryokan inn walls, to the annual public calligraphy demonstration broadcast on TV when Japan announces its kanji (Japanese character) of the year – shodo is a traditional that remains very much alive and kicking in modern Japan.

With workshops available in English, it’s something travellers can learn for themselves, and get an authentic experience of traditional Japan.

A fairly new museum stocked with an impressive collection of sparklingly sharp samurai swords, elaborate, colourful armour, guns and other samurai paraphernalia. Visitors can try the armour on and play at pretend sword fighting.

One of Japan’s most refined, traditional art forms, the growing of ornamental dwarf trees and the creation of miniature landscapes, aka bonsai, first came to Japan from China roughly 800 years ago.

Varied in appearance and symbolism, they represent the imperfection and struggle of nature. And tending to a bonsai can be a lifetime’s pursuit.

For bonsai buffs, or to simply understand more about this fascinating tradition, a day trip north of Tokyo to the Omiya ‘Bonsai Village’ in the neighbouring city of Saitama is well worth adding to your itinerary. There are half a dozen nurseries there open to the public, as well as a dedicated bonsai museum – the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum.

Just take plenty of cash if you feel like buying one – the most expensive on record, reportedly close to 800 years old, sold for more than a million dollars, and it’s not uncommon to see prices at nurseries hit the 10,000-dollar mark.

In Tokyo’s less-visited Koto Ward, this historic pocket of greenery is a lovely example of a traditional Japanese stroll garden.

Originally part of the home of an Edo-era (1603-1868) merchant, and later transformed into a garden in the 1880s by the founder of Mistubishi, Kiyosumi Teien is built around a large carp- and turtle-filled pond with an island in its centre and walkways that wind through a series of scenic points.

The gardens are set out in what is called the sukiya style – a pond inhabited by birds and with three small islands.

It’s an excellent study in traditional landscaping, and because it’s off the tourist trail it’s a very peaceful spot to spend a quiet hour or two.

Japan’s biggest science museum showcases astronomy, biology, geology, and technology, allowing visitors to delve into the mysteries and advancements of the natural and scientific realms. Over 25,000 exhibits cover everything from dinosaurs to outer space; highlights include a state-of-the-art planetarium and a dinosaur gallery.

The 47 Ronin is a legendary Japanese tale of samurai loyalty, that was even made into a US action film (2013). This temple is where the 47 were buried after exacting their revenge on the man who betrayed their master, and then being ordered to kill themselves.

A ramshackle collection of alleyways crammed with tiny bars, Golden Gai in Shinjuku is a low-rise 1960s throwback that has somehow managed to escape Tokyo’s thirst for redevelopment. It’s an atmospheric spot to soak up an authentic Tokyo cultural experience.

Some bars here specialize in cocktails, whiskey or craft beer, for others is a type of music or even a theme – try Deathmatch in Hell if you are a horror film fan or Bar Plastic Model to relive a 1980s childhood.

Other foreign-friendly, but not touristy bars to look out for are the gothic Albatross and English-speaking Ace.

The Imperial family’s current home is off-limits to visitors, but you can steal photogenic glimpses and stroll the pretty East Gardens.

Tokyo’s most bustling street market under the train tracks in Ueno is full of energy and sells a range of things, from teas and discount clothing. It’s a great place to try some street food. In an expensive city, this is one place you can find bargains.

Most of the ‘inner’ part of this famous wholesale fish market – where massive tunas are lined up for sale – has moved to Toyosu island, but much of it still gets delivered back to Tsukiji and the ‘outdoor’ part remains a bustling and vibrant food market.

With its narrow lanes filled with stalls and shops, the market offers a wide variety of fresh seafood, fruits, vegetables, and traditional Japanese delicacies. Sample sushi, sashimi, street food, and local snacks as you browse – perhaps even take a sushi breakfast.

This museum in Ryogoku exhibits a collection of around 190 supremely crafted historic katana (samurai swords) – some designated national treasures – and documents how they are made. Kill Bill fans will know them well…

Japan’s first public art museum showcases a diverse range of both traditional and contemporary art. The museum’s collection includes Japanese art and Western art, and its special exhibitions cover everything from masterpieces to up-and-coming local talent.

Under the rail tracks in the Yurakucho district is the place to go for a bite at a traditional izakaya. Try char-grilled chicken skewers (yakitori) washed down with beer and sake – a classic combination.

This small msueums focuses on the lives of ordinary Tokyoites in pre-modern Tokyo, with exhibits including full-scale replicas of Edo-era (1603-1868) stores.

A swanky retail complex in Ginza – a plush district in the heart of the city, home to high-end department stores and boutiques.

Anime, Japan’s uniquely vibrant form of animation, has captivated fans with a unique blend of fantasy, adventure, and emotional depth since the start of the 21st century. This small museum out west in Mitaka is dedicated to the creations of legendary animators Studio Ghibli.

Near the Sensoji Temple in Asakusa, this dojo (martial arts hall) runs 1- or 2-hour ninja and samurai experiences in English. Children over 5 may participate.

Across the river from Asakusa, the observation decks on this 634-metre tower deliver incredible views over Tokyo’s seemingly unending sprawl. The high-speed elevator gets you to the observation deck in 50 seconds.

The best one-stop option for fine crafts, with ceramics, lacquerware, ironware, and many other traditional products from around Japan.

The place to come to discover the latest urban street fashions on Cat Street, as well as the colourful teen trends on the narrow and frequently ram-packed Takeshita-dori (street).

This buzzing district in north-east Tokyo is the centre of otaku (geek) culture, with hundreds of shops for anime, manga and gaming fans.

This reproduction of a ninja house runs tours of the facility, teaching you the sneaky arts of the ninja as you go from room to room. Groups of up to 10 per session, children of all ages welcome.

Run by the Japan Art Association, this museum covers a range of genres, including sculpture, contemporary art, and calligraphy. There’s no permanent collection, but hosts a changing series of creatively-themed temporary exhibitions.

Every neighbourhood has its ramen joints – some that people will queue hours for. Ramen Street in Tokyo station, however, has a collection of shops selling different ramen styles.