Best Things To Do In Tokyo !

ASAKUSA

District with an atmosphere of old Tokyo

Asakusa is one of Tokyo's districts, where an atmosphere of the Tokyo of past decades survives.

Asakusa's main attraction is Sensoji, a very popular Buddhist temple, built in the 7th century. The temple is approached via the Nakamise, a shopping street that has been providing temple visitors with a variety of traditional, local snacks and tourist souvenirs for centuries.

Asakusa can easily be explored on foot. Alternatively, you can consider a guided tour on a rickshaw (jinrikisha, literally "man powered vehicle"). A 30 minute tour for two persons costs around 9000 yen. Shorter and longer courses are also available.

**Sensō-ji, is an ancient Buddhist temple in Asakusa, Tokyo, Japan. It is Tokyo's oldest-established temple, and one of its most significant.**

TEMPLES AND SHRINES

KAMINARIMON GATE

Hours: Always open
Admission: Free

Kaminarimon is the first of two large entrance gates leading to Sensoji Temple. First built more than 1000 years ago, it is the symbol of Asakusa. The Nakamise shopping street leads from Kaminarimon to the temple grounds.

SENSOJI TEMPLE

Hours: 6:00 to 17:00 (from 6:30 October to March)
Admission: Free

Sensoji ("Senso" is an alternative reading for Asakusa and "ji" means temple) is Tokyo's most famous and popular temple. Built in the 7th century, it is also one of its oldest, although the current buildings are postwar reconstructions.

ASAKUSA SHRINE

Hours: Always open
Admission: Free

Asakusa Shrine, also known as Sanja-sama, was built during the Edo Period and survived the air raids of 1945. The shrine's festival, the Sanja Matsuri, is one of Tokyo's most spectacular and popular. It is held every year on a weekend (Friday to Sunday) in mid May.

SHOPPING

NAKAMISE SHOPPING STREET

Hours depend on the individual shops; typically daily from 9:00 to 18:00

The Nakamise shopping street stretches over approximately 250 meters from Kaminarimon to the main grounds of Sensoji Temple. It is lined by more than 50 shops, which offer local specialties and the usual array of tourist souvenirs.

SHIN-NAKAMISE SHOPPING STREET

Hours depend on the individual shops; typically daily from 10:00 to 19:00.

Shin-Nakamise or "New Nakamise" runs perpendicular to the Nakamise Shopping Street. It is a covered shopping arcade lined by various shops and restaurants.

KAPPABASHI SHOPPING STREET

Hours: Most shops open from 9:00 to 17:00
Closed: Many shops are closed on Sundays and national holidays

Kappabashi is an almost one kilometer long street lined by shops catering to restaurant businesses. Items on sale include tableware, kitchen utensils and appliances, sample food, furniture, signs, lanterns and uniforms. The street is located about 600 meters west of Sensoji.

**Kappabashi kitchen town has all your cooking needs, from Japanese knives and crockery to plastic food models and more.**

TOBU ASAKUSA & MATSUYA DEPARTMENT STORE

Matsuya department store is open daily from 10:00 to 20:00

Tobu Asakusa Station is the terminal station of Tobu trains heading into the suburbs and prefectures north of Tokyo, including trains to Nikko. The station building also houses a Matsuya department store that spans eight floors.

OTHER ATTRACTIONS

ASAKUSA CULTURE TOURIST INFORMATION

Hours: 9:00 to 20:00 (observation deck until 22:00)
Closed: No closing days

The Asakusa Culture Tourist Information Center was newly opened in 2012, adding diversity to the streets of Asakusa with its interesting architectural design. The eight story building offers a tourist information desk in multiple languages, free Wi-Fi connectivity, a cafe, and an observation deck which provides good views looking onto Sensoji Temple and the Nakamise Shopping Street.

The Asakusa Culture and Tourism Center is a distinctive seven-level building in Asakusa, directly opposite the famous Kaminarimon Gate of Sensoji. The building is also an attraction due to its architecture, as it was designed by Kengo Kuma, a noted architect.

SUMIDA RIVER CRUISE

Tokyo Water Bus operates sightseeing ships from Asakusa Pier to Odaiba and Hinode Pier. There are also some short river cruises that start and end in Asakusa.

**Himiko is the first futuristic vessel produced by anime master Leiji Matsumoto. It runs from Azuma-bashi Bridge in Asakusa to Toyosu via Odaiba Marine Park**.

SUMIDA PARK

Hours: Always open
Admission: Free

This riverside park stretches along both sides of Sumida River for several hundred meters. In spring it becomes a popular cherry blossom viewing spot, while on the last Saturday of July it becomes the site of the Sumida River Fireworks.

ASAHI BEER TOWER

Restaurants open 11:30 to 15:00 and 17:30 to 22:00

The Asahi Beer Tower and Asahi Super Dry Hall with its characteristic Flamme d'Or were completed in 1989 and host the headquarters of Asahi Breweries. Furthermore, several restaurants can be found in the complex. Behind both the Beer Tower and the Super Dry Hall is the Asahi Craftmanship Brewery. The restaurant and brewery offers diners decently priced lunches as well as Asahi craft beer on tap.

The tall golden building is Asahi Beer Tower. This is the 22-story headquarters for Asahi Breweries, and it is meant to resemble a well-poured glass of beer. This is a great place to come for beautiful views of the city and fantastic, cold Asahi beers.

ROKKU ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT

Opening hours depend on the individual businesses

Rokku used to be Tokyo's leading entertainment district before the war, hosting Japan's first cinema and more. However, the district has not regained its former popularity after the war. Today, Rokku offers attractions such as rakugo theaters, cinemas and pachinko parlors.

**Formerly known as Rock Flower Road, Asakusa Rokku was at the heart of the popular entertainment and theater district of Asakusa.**

GETTING THERE AND AROUND

Asakusa is served by the Ginza Subway Line, Asakusa Subway Line, Tsukuba Express and Tobu Railway. It can also be accessed by the Tokyo Water Bus.

From Tokyo Station

Take the JR Yamanote Line to Kanda Station (2 minutes, 150 yen) and transfer to the Ginza Subway Line for Asakusa (10 minutes, 180 yen).

From Shinjuku Station

Take the orange JR Chuo Line to Kanda Station (10 minutes, 180 yen) and transfer to the Ginza Subway Line for Asakusa (10 minutes, 180 yen).

TOKYO SKYTREE

The Tokyo Skytree ( is a television broadcasting tower and landmark of Tokyo. It is the centerpiece of the Tokyo Skytree Town in the Sumida City Ward, not far away from Asakusa. With a height of 634 meters (634 can be read as "Musashi", a historic name of the Tokyo Region), it is the tallest structure in Japan and was the second tallest in the world at the time of its completion. A large shopping complex with an aquarium is located at its base.

The highlight of the Tokyo Skytree is its two observation decks which offer spectacular views out over Tokyo. The two enclosed decks are located at heights of 350 and 450 meters respectively, making them the highest observation decks in Japan.

A visit to the Tokyo Skytree starts on the 4th floor where the tickets for the first observation deck (but not for the second deck) are sold. A fast and smooth elevator ride takes visitors to the top floor of the first observation deck where tickets for the second observation deck can be purchased. Visitors then access the second deck before descending back to the first observatory where they board the elevator down to the tower's exit on the 5th floor.

**Tokyo Skytree also written as Tokyo Sky Tree, is a broadcasting and observation tower, located in Sumida, Tokyo, Japan. It is the tallest tower in Japan .**

GETTING THERE AND AROUND

The entrance to the Tokyo Skytree is on the 4th floor of Tokyo Skytree Town, which spans the area between Tokyo Skytree Station (formerly known as Narihirabashi Station) on the Tobu Isesaki Line, and Oshiage Station on the Asakusa Subway Line, Hanzomon Subway Line and Keisei Oshiage Line. Alternatively, it is a 20 minute walk across the Sumida River from Asakusa.

Tokyo Skytree can also be reached by direct buses from Ueno Station (30 minutes, 220 yen, every 30-60 minutes), Tokyo Disney Resort (45-55 minutes, 800 yen, every 60 minutes) and Haneda Airport (50-70 minutes, 940 yen, every 1-3 hours).

Hours and Fees

Hours

10:00 to 22:00 (from 9:00 on Sundays and national holidays)
Admission ends one hour before closing

Closed

No closing days

Admission

Below are the two main ways for individual travelers to visit the tower:

By same-day ticket

Same-day tickets can be purchased at the ticket counter on the 4th floor. On busy days (typically when the waiting time would exceed one hour), visitors will be assigned a 30 minute time slot during which they can enter. On very busy days, same-day tickets may sell out:

First observatory: 2400 yen (weekdays), 2600 yen (weekends/holidays)
Both observatories: 3500 yen (weekdays), 3800 yen (weekends/holidays)

By advance ticket

Reservations can be made on the the official website or through Klook for a specific time slot on a specific date and at a discount of a few hundred yen:

First observatory: 2100 yen (weekdays), 2300 yen (weekends/holidays)
Both observatories: 3100 yen (weekdays), 3400 yen (weekends/holidays)

SHIBUYA

Popular district among younger generations

Shibuya is one of the 23 city wards of Tokyo, but often refers to just the popular shopping and entertainment area found around Shibuya Station. In this regard, Shibuya is one of Tokyo's most colorful and busy districts, packed with shopping, dining and nightclubs serving swarms of visitors that come to the district everyday.

Shibuya is a center for youth fashion and culture, and its streets are the birthplace to many of Japan's fashion and entertainment trends. Numerous department stores and shopping malls can be found around the area catering to all types of shoppers. Many of the area's large shopping complexes belong to either Tokyu or Seibu, two competing corporations.

Shibuya's most prominent landmark is the busy intersection in front of the station's Hachiko Exit. The intersection is heavily decorated by neon advertisements and giant video screens and gets flooded by pedestrians each time the lights turn green, making it a popular photo spot.

GETTING THERE AND AROUND

Shibuya Station is one of Tokyo's busiest stations. It is served by the JR Yamanote Line, JR Saikyo Line, JR Shonan Shinjuku Line, Hanzomon Subway Line, Ginza Subway Line, Fukutoshin Subway Line, Tokyu Toyoko Line, Tokyu Den-Entoshi Line and Keio Inokashira Line. It is also served by many Narita Express trains.

ODAIBA

Odaiba -is a popular shopping and entertainment district on a man-made island in Tokyo Bay.

Fuji TV Building

Hours: 10:00 to 18:00
Closed: Mondays (or Tuesday if Monday is a national holiday).
Admission: Free (observation deck: 700 yen)

The headquarters of Fuji Television, one of Japan's private, nationwide TV stations. You can see some exhibits on popular programs, buy Fuji TV goods at a shop and access the futuristic looking building's observatory deck housed in the sphere shaped part of the building.

Decks Tokyo Beach

Shops: 11:00 to 20:00 (weekdays), 10:00 to 21:00 (weekends)
Restaurants: 11:00 to 23:00
Theme Parks: various hours
Admission: Free (separate admission fees for theme parks)

Decks is a shopping mall featuring shops, restaurants and multiple indoor theme parks, including Tokyo Joypolis, Legoland Discovery Center, a Madam Tussauds wax museum and a trick art museum.

Aquacity Odaiba

Shops: 11:00 to 21:00
Restaurants: 11:00 to 23:00

Aquacity is a shopping mall featuring various stores, boutiques, restaurants, cafes and a cinema complex. The fifth floor houses a ramen food theme park where you can try different ramen from all over Japan. There are nice views of the Rainbow Bridge from the wooden deck in front of Aquacity and neighboring Decks.

DiverCity Tokyo Plaza

Shops: 11:00 to 20:00 (weekdays), 10:00 to 21:00 (weekends)
Restaurants: 11:00 to 22:00

This shopping, dining and entertainment complex opened in 2012 and features attractions related to the Gundam anime series, including a large, "life-size" Gundam statue in front of the building and Gundam Base Tokyo, a shop dedicated to plastic models.

Rainbow Bridge

The Rainbow Bridge connects Odaiba to the rest of Tokyo. The two-story bridge is an iconic symbol of the bay and is especially beautiful during its nightly illumination. The bridge supports an expressway, a regular road, the Yurikamome train line and pedestrian walkways.

GETTING THERE AND AROUND

Access to Odaiba can be an attraction in itself, as the views of the Rainbow Bridge and Tokyo's harbor and waterfront area from the Yurikamome elevated train and boats are quite spectacular. Furthermore, it is also possible to walk across the Rainbow Bridge.

**Rainbow Bridge (in the background) is a huge and beautiful suspension bridge in the northern part of Tokyo Bay, connecting Odaiba to central Tokyo.**

Toyosu Market

Large fish market that replaced Tsukiji

Toyosu Market opened in October 2018 on the man-made island of Toyosu in the Bay of Tokyo. It took over the wholesale business from the aging Tsukiji Market and provides tourists with an opportunity to observe the market action and to dine at restaurants across its large, modern premises.

The huge wholesale market consists of three main buildings: two buildings for seafood and one for fruits and vegetables. All buildings are connected with each other and Shijo-mae Station via walkways, and tourists can enter them along dedicated routes and view the action from observation windows that look onto the auction and wholesale halls for seafood and produce.

Fish Wholesale Market Building

This is the building where the tuna auctions take place between around 5:30 and 6:30 in the mornings. It consists of two main halls: the hall for tuna auctions and the hall where seafood other than tuna is auctioned. For tourists, the building complex houses a small restaurant area and many windows and an observation deck to view the auctions:

Tuna Auction Observation Windows

Several windows along a corridor allow visitors to watch down onto the action of the tuna auctions. The windows are double-glazed and keep the observation area mild around the year. However, they also block off all the market sounds and make it a little challenging to take photos without reflections.

Tuna Auction Observation Deck

This observation platform on a lower floor is separated from the action by only a single piece of glass and is also exposed to the noise and temperature of the auction hall. An advance reservation is required to access this deck during the tuna auctions. Applications for dates for a given month can be submitted during a selected time period in the previous month (typically during about ten days until around the middle of the month). Participants will be decided by lottery and informed a few days after the submission deadline.

Seafood Auction Observation Windows

A few windows also look into the auction hall where seafood other than tuna is auctioned. While the floor in the tuna auction hall is colored green to provide an ideal contrast for buyers to inspect the tuna, the floor in the seafood auction hall is kept grey.

GETTING THERE AND AROUND

By train from Tokyo Station

Take the JR Yamanote Line one station from Tokyo Station to Yurakucho (1 minute, 150 yen). From Yurakucho, take the Yurakucho Subway Line to Toyosu (8 minutes, 180 yen). Finally, take the Yurikamome to Shijo-mae Station in the center of Toyosu Market (4 minutes, 190 yen). The first connection in the morning arrives at the market around 5:20.

By bus from Shimbashi Station

"Tokyo BRT" (bus rapid transit) operates roughly three buses per hour between Shimbashi Station on the Yamanote Line and Toyosu Market (10 minutes, 220 yen one way); however, the first bus does not depart until after 6am. Alternatively, take bus line 市01, which operates between Shimbashi and the market every 10-15 minutes from 5am to 9am and less frequently afterwards. These buses take about 25 minutes for the journey, cost 210 yen one way, and do not run on Sundays and national holidays.

By bus from Tokyo Station

Toei bus line 都05-2 runs every 10-20 minutes from the Marunouchi side of Tokyo Station to Tokyo Big Sight, stopping along the way at Shin-Toyosu Station near Toyosu Market (25 minutes, 210 yen one way); however, buses do not operate before 7am.

**Tokyo's famous fish market, Tsukiji, reopened at Toyosu. The top bluefin tuna often sell for around $250,000 USD.**

Fish Intermediate Wholesale Market Building

This is the building where the many wholesale businesses have their shops and sell seafood to licensed buyers. The wholesale market is off-limit to regular visitors, however the building offers tourists several attractions on its upper floors:

Restaurant Area

This is the largest of three restaurant areas found at the market. Many restaurants that were formerly located in Tsukiji's inner market moved to and reopened at Toyosu Market, including some very popular sushi restaurants.

Wholesale Market Observation Windows

The wholesale market is off-limit to tourists; however, there are a few windows that look down onto the market floor, providing some rather limited views of the market action.

Uogashi Yokocho Market

Unlike the wholesale market, the Uogashi Yokocho Market is a shopping area open not only to market workers but also to the general public. Here, over 70 shops sell non-perishable goods and processed foods in retail portions, including knives, pickles, tea and souvenirs.

Rooftop Garden

A spacious rooftop garden sits on top of the building, providing lawn space and pretty views onto the waterfront of Tokyo Bay.

Fruit and Vegetable Market Building

This building combines the auction hall and the wholesale market for fresh fruits and vegetables. Visitors are able to observe the action from windows on the upper floor. A small cluster of restaurants is, furthermore, located, near the entrance of the building:

Wholesale Market Observation Windows

A long corridor with over a dozen windows provides visitors with views into the many small wholesale shops of the market.

Auction Observation Windows

A large observation deck with big windows looks down into the huge hall where the fresh produce is auctioned off in the mornings. The auctions start from around 6:30.

TOKYO IMPERIAL PALACE

Main residence of the Imperial Family

The current Imperial Palace is located on the former site of Edo Castle, a large park area surrounded by moats and massive stone walls in the center of Tokyo, a short walk from Tokyo Station. It is the residence of Japan's Imperial Family.

From Kokyo Gaien, the large plaza in front of the Imperial Palace, visitors can view the Nijubashi, two bridges that form an entrance to the inner palace grounds. The stone bridge in front is called Meganebashi (Eyeglass Bridge) for its looks. The bridge in the back was formerly a wooden bridge with two levels, from which the name Nijubashi (Double Bridge) is derived.

The inner grounds of the palace are generally not open to the public. Only on January 2 (New Year's Greeting) and February 23 (Emperor's Birthday), visitors are able to enter the inner palace grounds and see the members of the Imperial Family, who make several public appearances on a balcony.

Furthermore, guided tours of the palace grounds are offered during the rest of the year, although no buildings are entered. The tours take about 75 minutes and are held in English and Japanese daily at 10:00 and 13:30 except on Mondays, Sundays and national holidays. Same-day registrations before the start of the tours are also possible at the Kikyomon Gate.

Adjacent to the inner grounds of the palace are the Imperial Palace East Gardens which are open to the public throughout the year. See the East Gardens page for more details.

GETTING THERE AND AROUND

The Imperial Palace is a ten minute walk from Tokyo Station.