Tokyo Travel Guide

When to visit Tokyo: Late June before peak humidity, or plan around indoor museums and evening river cruises during the hottest hours

When is the best time to visit Tokyo?

Avg Temp

24–31°C

Rainfall

High, ~160mm/month, humid with a rainy-season start

Best Time

Late June before peak humidity, or plan around indoor museums and evening river cruises during the hottest hours

Packing Tips (4)

Breathable, quick-dry clothing for humidity
A compact umbrella for the tail end of tsuyu rainy season
Comfortable shoes for extensive subway-to-street walking
A portable phone charger — long days of navigation and photos drain batteries fast

Show in

Local currency: JPY

Sukiyabashi Jiro
Sushi · $$$$
The legendary Ginza sushi counter made famous by the documentary Jiro Dreams of Sushi, offering a tightly focused omakase.
Tsukiji Outer Market
Street food/seafood · $$
The surviving retail section of Tokyo's former wholesale fish market, lined with stalls serving fresh tamagoyaki, uni, and grilled seafood skewers.
Afuri
Ramen · $
A ramen chain known for its yuzu-infused shio ramen, a lighter citrus-forward alternative to heavier tonkotsu styles.
Ichiran Shinjuku
Ramen · $
The famous solo-booth ramen chain where diners fill out a form to customize their tonkotsu broth.
Narisawa
Contemporary Japanese · $$$$
A two-Michelin-starred restaurant blending French technique with Japanese satoyama ('close to nature') philosophy.
Nakiryu
Ramen · $
A Michelin-starred tantanmen ramen shop in Otsuka known for its rich, spicy black sesame broth.
Torikizoku
Yakitori · $
A budget yakitori izakaya chain with a flat-price menu, popular for after-work skewers and beer.
Golden Gai
Bar district
A maze of roughly 200 tiny, themed bars packed into narrow Shinjuku alleys, many seating only a handful of patrons.
Piss Alley (Omoide Yokocho)
Izakaya alley
A smoky lane of yakitori stalls under the Shinjuku train tracks, dating to the postwar black-market era.
Womb
Nightclub
One of Tokyo's leading techno/house nightclubs in Shibuya's club district, known for its serious sound system.

Senso-ji
Temple
Tokyo's oldest temple, in Asakusa, approached through the Kaminarimon gate and the souvenir-lined Nakamise shopping street.
teamLab Planets/Borderless
Digital art museum
An immersive digital art museum where visitors wade barefoot through water and light installations.
Tokyo National Museum
National museum
Japan's oldest and largest museum, in Ueno Park, holding samurai armor, ukiyo-e prints, and national treasures.
Meiji Shrine
Shrine
A serene Shinto shrine dedicated to Emperor Meiji, set in a forested precinct next to Harajuku's Yoyogi Park.
Ghibli Museum
Specialty museum
Hayao Miyazaki's whimsical museum in Mitaka, featuring original animation cels and a rooftop robot soldier statue.
Toho Cinemas Shinjuku
A multiplex beneath the giant Godzilla head atop the Toho building in Kabukicho, a Shinjuku landmark.
Sumida River Fireworks Festival
Last Saturday of July
One of Tokyo's oldest fireworks displays, launching over 20,000 shells over the Sumida River near Asakusa.
Mitama Matsuri
Mid-July
A summer festival at Yasukuni Shrine featuring thousands of illuminated lanterns and traditional dance performances.

Odaiba Marine Park
Urban beach · 13 km
An artificial beach on Tokyo Bay with views of the Rainbow Bridge, popular for evening walks though swimming is discouraged.
Mount Takao
50 km
A popular day-hike mountain on Tokyo's western edge with cable car access, temple grounds, and views toward Mount Fuji on clear days.

Tokyo Disneyland / DisneySea
Theme park
Two adjacent Disney parks in Chiba's Urayasu district; DisneySea is unique to Japan with a nautical exploration theme.