Sumo wrestling
Tokyo, Kanto, Japan[2.7 miles]
Drama and tradition combine in this 1,000-year-old sport. It’s a mesmerising and atmospheric spectacle – and Tokyo’s Ryogoku neighbourhood is the centre of it all.
Best for ages: 8+ | £15 | 2-3 hours
Best places to stay:
Accenting the high-rise Otemachi financial district like a towering black monolith, this 17-story reimagination of the traditional ryokan (Japanese inn) is one of Tokyo’s most luxurious retreats.
While there are 84 rooms here – alot for a high-end ryokan – they are divided between private floors. That makes it feel like staying in an exclusive, intimate inn – one that combines kimono-clad staff, tatami-floored common areas, and minimalist spaces that mix traditional sensibilities with contemporary luxury.
The whole package is capped by two gender-separated open-air onsen baths on the rooftop that draw natural hot-spring water from 1,500 metres below the city.
It’s a great location too, with Otemachi being a comfortable walk to the Imperial Palace, Ginza, and Tokyo Station, which gives easy access to all of central Tokyo.
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Bucket list experiences our writer says you must do in this destination, closest first
Tokyo, Kanto, Japan[2.7 miles]
Drama and tradition combine in this 1,000-year-old sport. It’s a mesmerising and atmospheric spectacle – and Tokyo’s Ryogoku neighbourhood is the centre of it all.
Best for ages: 8+ | £15 | 2-3 hours
Tokyo, Kanto, Japan[3.2 miles]
A collection of six excellent in one park, including the Tokyo National Museum. Also one of the city’s most popular sites for hanami in Cherry Blosssom season.
Best for ages: 6+ | Varies | 2-3 hours
Tokyo, Kanto, Japan[3.6 miles]
Japan’s oldest and largest art and cultural museum, is a must-see for anyone interested in Japan’s fascinating history. Collections include samurai armour and swords, ancient Buddhist sculptures even tea ceremony utensils.
Best for ages: 8+ | £6 | 2-3 hours
Tokyo, Kanto, Japan[4.1 miles]
With towering gateways and a five-storied pagoda, this busy temple in Asakusa is a standout. If you have time for just one temple in Tokyo – make it this one.
Best for ages: 13+ | Free | 2-3 hours
Other worthwhile experiences in this destination if you have the time or the interest, closest first
Tokyo, Kanto, Japan[1.1 miles]
The Imperial family’s current home is off-limits to visitors, but you can steal photogenic glimpses and stroll the pretty East Gardens.
Best for ages: 18+ | Free | 2-3 hours
Tokyo, Kanto, Japan[2.5 miles]
The wholesale fish market has moved to Toyosu island, but much of it gets delivered back to Tsukiji – browse the stalls and have a sushi breakfast – restaurants open at 5am.
Best for ages: 13+ | Free | 2-3 hours
Tokyo, Kanto, Japan[2.9 miles]
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.
Best for ages: 8+ | £7 | 2-3 hours
Tokyo, Kanto, Japan[3 miles]
One of the city’s finest traditional ‘stroll gardens’, set out in the sukiya style, tucked away in an under-visited pocket of greenery in eastern Tokyo.
Best for ages: 13+ | £1 | 2-3 hours
Destination guides including or relevant to this place to stay
Kanto, Japan
A dizzying mixture of old ways and modern style, crowds and calm, and arguably the best food scene on the planet.