Want a guided tour? Join here as it’s one of the top things to do in Tokyo.
As seen above, the purple area in Tokyo is where the 23 special wards are found, and only some places in these wards are where tourists typically visit.(Image from Wikipedia)
Kabuki-za Theater has plays almost every day and regular tickets for a single act can cost around 2,000 yen (~). If you want to watch an entire play, it will cost more of course; but a single act should be a nice initial immersion.
To book a spot hassle-free, simply reserve online. Take a purikura! RELATED READ: – Sample Japan Itineraries – Tokyo Itinerary
Shop till you drop in Shibuya!
» Quick Travel Planning
Each of these special wards has its own major districts, and traveling from one district to another can take an hour — or more! Once you take all of these facts (the size, the travel time, and the complexity of the metropolis) into consideration, you should get an idea by now that it could be a stressful task for you to research and organize your itinerary.
What is the tipping policy in Tokyo?
For a more detailed guide on this as well as proper etiquette — since this is a professional business environment — read this guide. But in my opinion, you really do NOT need to visit the auction. It’s best to leave the spots for the locals who really want to do business. Besides, strolling around the market is already a great way to enjoy it all. Meanwhile, for tasting excellent and fresh sushi, I would recommend Shutoku 2-Goten (apart from the popular Sushi Dai which can get really long queues). NOTE: By November 2016, the fish market is set to relocate to Odaiba’s Tosoyu. If you want a day tour here, book an experience online.
What is the power socket used in Tokyo?
Below Mori Tower, you will find a giant spider sculpture called Maman which means ‘mother’ in French. This is made by the artist Louise Bourgeois. NOTE: Tokyo Midtown is yet another building that you can go into if you’re up for more shopping and entertainment!
What are the current travel restrictions and quarantine policies in Japan? Where to sleep in Shibuya?
What are the top tours to do around Tokyo?
• • •
Depachika is a combination of the words depato (department store) and chika (basement). In Japan, most of the big department stores such as that of Mitsukoshi have their basement floor made into some sort of food market — but actually, if I have to describe it myself, I will call it a ‘food theme park’ because you can get to have a fun yet quick introduction into the VAST variety of Japanese food there.
As a major city center, Shinjuku has the busiest train station in the world (Shinjuku Station), it houses the administration center for the Tokyo government, and holds a plethora of amazing things to do in Tokyo!
Some of the top things to do in Tokyo’s famed Akihabara are the following:
Top Things to Do in Tokyo
» Chiyoda (千代田区)
Some of the top things to do in Tokyo’s famed Akihabara are the following:
» Chuo (中央区)
Some of the top things to do in Tokyo’s famed Akihabara are the following:
» Minato (港区)
Some of the top things to do in Tokyo’s famed Akihabara are the following:
» Shinjuku (新宿区)
Some of the top things to do in Tokyo’s famed Akihabara are the following:
» Shibuya (渋谷区)
Some of the top things to do in Tokyo’s famed Akihabara are the following:
» Sumida (墨田区)
Some of the top things to do in Tokyo’s famed Akihabara are the following:
» Taito (台東区)
Some of the top things to do in Tokyo’s famed Akihabara are the following:
» Bonus Tips
Attend a festival! If you can book your tickets at any time, I would recommend that you wrap it around a day wherein one of Tokyo’s festivals (matsuri) is happening! Colorful and vibrant, partaking in these kinds of events will be something that you will remember fondly for the rest of your life. For a complete list of festivals in Tokyo, see here. .
Eat. Eat. EAT! This goes without saying, but yes please stuff yourself crazy with all the typical Japanese food that you have ever heard of! This is the perfect opportunity to reward yourself with authentic Japanese fare and sweets: sushi (go eat it at a unique sushi belt restaurant), ramen (noodle soup), tempura (deep fried seafood + vegetables), tonkatsu (pork cutlet), mochi (rice cake), dango (steamed dumplings) and MORE. → Watch out for my upcoming post that will discuss in detail the top food that you must eat while in Japan! .
Konbinis are your best friend! Some people say that eating in Japan is expensive, but that’s NOT true! If you know where to go and where to look, you can dine for cheap. For instance, one of the most affordable places that you can ever get food from would be Japan’s konbini (convenience store). I kid you not: Japan’s konbini is ABOVE any convenience store that may ever exist worldwide and that’s mainly because… they might actually have everything you might ever need (food, mail, delivery, utilities, tickets, etc.). And mind you: their food is good tasting — which comes in SO many varieties! I seriously think that if I were to stay for several months in Japan, I still won’t be able to consume ALL the interesting food and snacks that I saw there. .
Go and enjoy the vending machines! Japan has a LOT of them — too many in fact, and they do not only offer drinks (hot + cold) but even food. But that doesn’t stop there because some vending machines even offer some other unusual items like amulets, batteries, cigarettes, seals, t-shirts, toys, umbrellas, books… There is also a vending machine that sells used panties. Err… Yep, the Japanese can really put almost anything imaginable in their vending machines, that’s for sure. .
Watch a sumo match! How about a game of sumo (a Japanese wrestling sport)? I watched a match in Osaka when I was in Japan and I loved it — it was intense! I originally wanted to watch a match in Tokyo, but I was too late for the booking. The 3 grand tournaments happen in January, May, and September and Tokyo’s National Sumo Hall is Ryogoku Kokugikan. I suggest that you check out the schedule and book your tickets with BuySumoTickets.com because I had a smooth time dealing with them. → Watch out for my upcoming Sumo post and guide! .
Marvel at Japan’s ‘genius’ toilets. This might not be a ‘big’ thing for you, but for me, it was — and I find it worth mentioning in this post… But okay, it’s not exactly one of the top ‘things to do in Tokyo’ but more of a ‘thing to expect’ because I honestly think that the Japanese have the toilet experience all figured out with their elaborate ‘bidet toilets’! Basically, these have many advanced features that you will rarely see outside of Japan, some of which are: seat warming, deodorization, ‘behind’ washing, and background music. It’s crazy AND fun! So feel free to experiment with it when you’re using one. (When I left the country, I made a mental note to myself that the toilets in my future house will be the same as that in Japan). .
Go to other nearby towns! If you could extend your stay, you should travel to the surrounding areas in Tokyo such as that Nikko, Kamakura, Hakone (to see Mt. Fuji up close), and Yokohama. There are loads of things you can do in these places that you can’t do in Tokyo: visiting a ryokan (traditional inn), hiking to several nature trails and falls, etc.
…Or if you have more time, go further out of Tokyo and go to places like Kyoto, Hokkaido, Hiroshima, Osaka, and more!
Some of the top things to do in Tokyo’s famed Akihabara are the following:
There is NO tipping culture in Tokyo in general. If you end up giving someone a tip, they’ll mostly be confused why, and they will surely end up giving the money back to you. Sometimes, it’s even considered rude and insulting if you tip them.
But don’t back out just yet because even if most bars only welcome their ‘regulars‘, you as a foreigner can still get to experience the glory of Golden Gai because there are those who welcome non-regulars — this is best signified by the English menus that they would display outside their bar. (Take note that these bars don’t open until around 9 or 10PM). – – –
There are several Michelin restaurants in Ginza and one of the 3-star ones is Sukiyabashi Jiro which is arguably one of the best sushi restaurants in the world. Run by sushi master Jiro Ono who has been featured in the world-known documentary film: Jiro Dreams of Sushi, securing a reservation here can be extremely difficult — apart from the fact that eating here can be pricey (their omakase course menu is around 30,000 yen or 0~).
