Tokyo Travel Guide
Weather, best time to visit, and the best food, culture, nature and activities.
Typical prices
- Budget meal¥1,000≈ $6.15
- Mid-range meal¥4,500≈ $27.69
- Cappuccino¥500≈ $3.08
- Domestic beer¥650≈ $4.00
- Taxi (per km)¥420≈ $2.58
- Public transport ticket¥210≈ $1.29
- Museum entry¥1,200≈ $7.38
- Mid-range hotel (night)¥18,000≈ $110.77
Food & Drink
- Sukiyabashi JiroSushi · $$$$
The legendary Ginza sushi counter made famous by the documentary Jiro Dreams of Sushi, offering a tightly focused omakase.
- Tsukiji Outer MarketStreet food/seafood · $$
The surviving retail section of Tokyo's former wholesale fish market, lined with stalls serving fresh tamagoyaki, uni, and grilled seafood skewers.
- AfuriRamen · $
A ramen chain known for its yuzu-infused shio ramen, a lighter citrus-forward alternative to heavier tonkotsu styles.
- Ichiran ShinjukuRamen · $
The famous solo-booth ramen chain where diners fill out a form to customize their tonkotsu broth.
- NarisawaContemporary Japanese · $$$$
A two-Michelin-starred restaurant blending French technique with Japanese satoyama ('close to nature') philosophy.
- NakiryuRamen · $
A Michelin-starred tantanmen ramen shop in Otsuka known for its rich, spicy black sesame broth.
- TorikizokuYakitori · $
A budget yakitori izakaya chain with a flat-price menu, popular for after-work skewers and beer.
- Golden Gai
A maze of roughly 200 tiny, themed bars packed into narrow Shinjuku alleys, many seating only a handful of patrons.
- Piss Alley (Omoide Yokocho)
A smoky lane of yakitori stalls under the Shinjuku train tracks, dating to the postwar black-market era.
- Womb
One of Tokyo's leading techno/house nightclubs in Shibuya's club district, known for its serious sound system.
Culture & History
- Senso-ji
Tokyo's oldest temple, in Asakusa, approached through the Kaminarimon gate and the souvenir-lined Nakamise shopping street.
- teamLab Planets/Borderless
An immersive digital art museum where visitors wade barefoot through water and light installations.
- Tokyo National Museum
Japan's oldest and largest museum, in Ueno Park, holding samurai armor, ukiyo-e prints, and national treasures.
- Meiji Shrine
A serene Shinto shrine dedicated to Emperor Meiji, set in a forested precinct next to Harajuku's Yoyogi Park.
- Ghibli 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
One of Tokyo's oldest fireworks displays, launching over 20,000 shells over the Sumida River near Asakusa.
- Mitama Matsuri
A summer festival at Yasukuni Shrine featuring thousands of illuminated lanterns and traditional dance performances.
Nature & Outdoors
- Odaiba Marine Park
An artificial beach on Tokyo Bay with views of the Rainbow Bridge, popular for evening walks though swimming is discouraged.
- Mount Takao
A popular day-hike mountain on Tokyo's western edge with cable car access, temple grounds, and views toward Mount Fuji on clear days.
Active & Fun
- Tokyo Disneyland / DisneySea
Two adjacent Disney parks in Chiba's Urayasu district; DisneySea is unique to Japan with a nautical exploration theme.