Tokyo
The Imperial Palace occupies the site of the original Edo-j艒, the Tokugawa shogunate's castle. In its heyday this was the largest fortress in the world,鈥
Tokyo
The Imperial Palace occupies the site of the original Edo-j艒, the Tokugawa shogunate's castle. In its heyday this was the largest fortress in the world,鈥
Tokyo
This museum is the heart of the Studio Ghibli world, a beloved (even 'adored')聽film studio responsible for classic, critically-acclaimed animated titles鈥
Shinjuku & Northwest Tokyo
Golden Gai 鈥 a Shinjuku institution for over half a century 鈥 is a collection of tiny bars, often literally no bigger than a closet and seating maybe a鈥
Ueno & Yanesen
If you visit only one museum in Tokyo, make it the Tokyo National Museum. Here you'll find the world's largest collection of Japanese art, including鈥
Shibuya & Shimo-Kitazawa
Rumoured to be the busiest intersection in the world (and definitely in Japan), Shibuya Crossing is like a giant beating heart, sending people in all鈥
Tokyo
Digital-art collective teamLab has created 60 artworks for this museum, open in 2018, that tests the border between art and the viewer: many are鈥
Asakusa & Sumida River
Tokyo鈥檚 most visited temple enshrines a golden image of Kannon (the Buddhist goddess of mercy), which, according to legend, was miraculously pulled out of鈥
Harajuku & Aoyama
Tokyo鈥檚 grandest Shint艒 shrine is dedicated to the Emperor Meiji and Empress Sh艒ken, whose reign (1868鈥1912) coincided with Japan's transformation from鈥
Ueno & Yanesen
Considered by many to be Tokyo's most elegant garden, Rikugi-en was originally completed in 1702, at the behest of a feudal lord. It is definitely the鈥
Tokyo
One of Tokyo's best parks, 滨苍辞办补蝉丑颈谤补-办艒别苍 has a big pond in the middle flanked by woodsy strolling paths. A highlight is Inokashira Benzaiten, a shrine鈥
Roppongi, Akasaka & Around
Roppongi Hills sets the standard for 21st-century real-estate developments in Tokyo. The centrepiece of the office, shopping, dining and entertainment鈥
Ginza & Tsukiji
This beautiful garden, one of Tokyo鈥檚 finest, is all that remains of a shogunate summer villa next to Tokyo Bay. There's a large pond with an island,鈥
K艒rakuen & Akihabara
Established in the mid-17th century as the property of the Tokugawa clan, this formal strolling garden incorporates elements of Chinese and Japanese鈥
Ginza & Tsukiji
Tokyo's main wholesale market may have moved to Toyosu, but there are many reasons to visit its old home. The tightly packed rows of vendors (which once鈥
Harajuku & Aoyama
If it鈥檚 a sunny and warm weekend afternoon, you can count on there being a crowd lazing around the large grassy expanse that is 驰辞测辞驳颈-办艒别苍. You'll鈥
Harajuku & Aoyama
This broad, tree-lined boulevard is lined with boutiques from the top European fashion houses. More interesting are the buildings themselves, designed by鈥
Asakura Museum of Sculpture, Tait艒
Ueno & Yanesen
Sculptor Asakura Fumio (artist name Ch艒so; 1883鈥1964) built his home studio in the early 20th century and it's very much representative of architecture of鈥
Tokyo
Dedicated to interdisciplinary experimentation, Intermediatheque cherry-picks from the vast collection of the University of Tokyo to craft a fascinating,鈥
Odaiba & Tokyo Bay
A very popular photo-op, with the Rainbow Bridge in the background, is this 11m-tall replica of Lady Liberty, a fixture on Odaiba's waterfront since 2000.
National Museum of Modern Art (MOMAT)
Tokyo
Regularly changing displays from the museum's superb collection of more than 12,000 works are shown over floors 2 to 4; special exhibitions are mounted on鈥
Harajuku & Aoyama
Nezu Museum offers a striking blend of old and new: a renowned collection of Japanese, Chinese and Korean antiquities in a gallery space designed by鈥
Odaiba & Tokyo Bay
In 2018, Tokyo's central wholesale market moved from its iconic Tsukiji location to this new facility in Toyosu, a structure clearly dreamed up by鈥
Asakusa & Sumida River
Tokyo Skytree opened in May 2012 as the world鈥檚 tallest 鈥榝ree-standing tower鈥 at 634m. Its silvery exterior of steel mesh morphs from a triangle at the鈥
Tokyo
Crafted from part of the original castle compound, these lovely free gardens allow you to get close-up views of the massive stones used to build the鈥
Asakusa & Sumida River
Tokyo's history museum documents the city's transformation from tidal flatlands to feudal capital to modern metropolis via detailed scale re-creations of鈥
Asakusa & Sumida River
Belonging to the esoteric Shingon sect, at this active temple you can attend one of the city's most spectacular religious rituals. Goma (fire rituals)鈥
Roppongi, Akasaka & Around
One of the most important temples of the J艒d艒 (Pure Land) sect of Buddhism, 窜艒箩艒-箩颈 dates from 1393 and was the funerary temple of the Tokugawa regime. It鈥
K艒rakuen & Akihabara
Literally 鈥楩or the Peace of the Country Shrine鈥, Yasukuni is the memorial shrine to Japan鈥檚 war dead, around 2.5 million souls. First built in 1869, it is鈥
Roppongi, Akasaka & Around
Free one-hour tours of parts of Japan's parliament building and grounds are available when the Diet is not in session (ring the day before to confirm)鈥
Roppongi, Akasaka & Around
Something of a shameless tourist trap, this 1958-vintage tower 鈥 painted bright orange and white in order to comply with international aviation safety鈥
Roppongi, Akasaka & Around
Mori Art Museum is one of Tokyo's leading spaces for contemporary art, taking up a whole floor at the top of Mori Tower. It has no permanent exhibition;鈥
Shinjuku & Northwest Tokyo
Godzilla, a portmanteau of the Japanese words for gorilla (gorira) and whale (kujira), is king of the kaij奴 (strange beasts) that ruled Japanese popular鈥
Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architecture Museum
Tokyo
This fantastic yet overlooked museum is a preserve for historic buildings rescued from around Tokyo during the city's decades-long construction jag. Among鈥
Ueno & Yanesen
Best known for its profusion of cherry trees that burst into blossom in spring (making this one of Tokyo's top hanami 鈥 blossom-viewing 鈥 spots),鈥
Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building
Shinjuku & Northwest Tokyo
Tokyo's city hall 鈥 a landmark building designed by Tange Kenz艒 鈥 has observatories (202m) atop both the south and north towers of Building 1 (the views鈥
Asakusa & Sumida River
The woodblock artist Hokusai Katsushika (1760鈥1849) was born and died close to the location of this museum, which opened in 2016 in a striking aluminium鈥
Tokyo
This large park north of the Imperial Palace is home to noteworthy museums as well as the Nippon Bud艒kan concert hall. The gate at the park鈥檚 northern end鈥
Shibuya & Shimo-Kitazawa
Every evening, Akita dog Hachik艒 would go to Shibuya Station to greet his companion. It's a practice he kept up everyday for 10 years after the professor鈥
Hotel New 艑tani Japanese Garden
Roppongi, Akasaka & Around
Nonguests are welcome to visit Hotel New 艑tani's beautiful 400-year-old Japanese garden, which once belonged to a Tokugawa regent. Including vermilion鈥
Ueno & Yanesen
Japan鈥檚 oldest zoo, established in 1882, is home to animals from around the globe, but the biggest attractions are the giant pandas from China, R墨 R墨 and鈥