Top things to do in Tokyo
Tokyo is one of the largest cities in the world. Almost 14 million people live in Tokyo. While this seems like it might be overwhelming, with the number of people and the number of attractions or things to do, we found Tokyo was a great city to visit! In many parts of Japan, we heard that people from Tokyo were not as nice as the typical Japanese, however, we thought that most people were very friendly and nice, as all Japanese!
Just follow this guide for some recommended attractions and things to do in Tokyo, and you’ll be fine!
There are a lot of things to do in Tokyo, and here are our top 10 favorite ones;
One of the wild rooms at the Team Labs in Tokyo
Teamlab Planets Tokyo is an insanely popular attraction in Tokyo. It is a collection of fully immersive digital artworks. This includes walking in warm water that has moving projections of fish on it; a huge curtain of real, colorful, diverse and mesmerizing hanging orchids that moves up and down; a domed room with flower projections moving, almost making you dizzy; and more. We found every single one to be very interesting and unique. All in all, a very different experience to that of a normal museum and overall a fun experience. Keep in mind that you should book in advance, as it is a top-rated attraction. For more info, click HERE.
Some excellent pieces of tuna at the old Tsukiji fish market.
After team labs, one can walk to the Toyosu market. This is the largest fish market in the world, and some of the most expensive fish are sold here daily. Tuna fish from all over the world are imported to the fish market and sold here. They also have very high-value fruit and vegetables sold in other areas. The actual fish auctions take place early in the morning, and only authorized persons can go into the market, but visitors can view it from the platform above (to see the auction action it’s recommended to arrive at 4:30am) Even going at a later time and not seeing the actual market is fun and you can see the scale at which the stuff is sold. It is also very informational and guides you through the process of the whole auction. There are several restaurants nearby, a perfect place for lunch! Also, another place you can go to is the old fish market before they created the Toyosu one. It is called Tsukiji outer markets and is still an active market today. It is more traditional and old school, and definitely worth the visit. Albeit being touristy, the prices are also not that bad. Either one of the markets is worth experiencing.
An over look view of the Toyosu market
From the fish markets, you can take the Yurikamome Monorail. This is an elevated track that goes through Tokyo, going right near the massive city ports. It gives you a great view of the city. Transportation in Japan is cheap and efficicient and you can use your transportation card (Suica, Icoca or Pasmo) for the monorail also! Grab a seat at the front of the train, which gives you nearly 360 views of Tokyo.
This is the delicious ice cream from the Suzukien ice cream place
The chain Matcha Suzukien is a must for Japanese Matcha. Not only do they have many staple Japanese flavors like red bean and black sesame, but the star of it all is also the seven flavors of matcha green tea ice cream. That’s right, seven flavors of matcha going in increasing intensity. Basically, there is less sugar for more matcha as the levels increase. For some, the last level, the 7th, is too bitter and intense. For us, we that it was perfect. Regardless, it is something one should try when in Japan.
The night time view from the Tokyo Government Metropolitan Building
Free view from Tokyo Government Metropolitan Building. It is a free experience to go up to the 45th floor of this building, and on top, you will find 360 views of the Tokyo metropolitan area. On the top, there is a large room with windows all around as well as reference points to different locations. There is also a shop and a piano that anyone can play for free! This is similar to another attraction of Tokyo, the Tokyo Skytree, however, the Skytree is expensive and sports a similar view. Also, you can come at night to the top of the building for a very unique experience.
Akihabara is an interesting neighborhood that is devoted to anime and electronics. Here you can get any sort of electronic gadget and anime-related things. They have whole shops that sell anime statues and more. Simply walking around is a great experience, even if anime is not your thing!
The City Dome roller coaster behind us!
Tokyo City Dome is an area in the center of the city that sports an urban amusement park. They have everything from rollercoasters to water slides to a swing pirate ship or little kiddie playground. You can buy tickets for individual single rides, but they also offer day or night passes that allow you unlimited rides. The rollercoaster was a great experience, as it winds around the buildings in the area. It is a very popular ride for Japanese school children, so it can get busy at certain times of the day, however, the waiting line at the busiest time was only 45 minutes. In a less busy time, I recommend getting one of the passes, otherwise, one time is enough.
Origami master Kazuo Kobayashi
Origami Kaikan, also known as the Origami Museum! This museum is very unique, and engaging, and it showcases some very impressive origami, from tiny figures with traditional clothing, like the samurai, the shogun, and more; they also have elaborate paper boats; flowers; complex geometric shapes. They have an extensive shop on the highest level where you can pick out different origami packets with instructions and also look over the beautifully died paper used in origami. Also, the owner of the museum, Kazuo Kobayashi sometimes gives a free session of Origami. This is a cute museum worth checking out.
Little origami people at the Origami Musuem
This is the famous five-storied pagoda
Senso-ji Temple is the oldest Buddhist temple in Tokyo and one of the most prominent in Japan. It is known for its 5 storied pagoda and large temple hall. At the front of one of the gates is an enormous lantern that weighs 700 kilograms (that is roughly 1550 pounds)! Either side of the lantern sports a large Buddhist guardian spirit. They are entirely made out of wood, and about 7.5 meters (26.5 feet) tall. For an authentic temple experience, this temple is perfect.
Nakamise-Dori Street is like waking back to the Edo period (or the classical Japanese period). There you can find many traditional snacks, crafts, and clothes. You can also find any souvenirs or little trinkets to take back home with you. The street has a nice little vibe and is right next to the temple, so you can do both in a short time.
And there you have it, our top 10 things to do in Tokyo, Japan. All in all, we enjoyed our time in Tokyo and would come back in the future. Keep in mind also that although these are only 10 activities to do in Tokyo, there are so much more to see and do in such a large city. Although Tokyo is known for being a large, bustling city, you can enjoy anything from old temples to modern roller coasters in this fabulous place. Tokyo is a fascinating city with so much to do!
The Orchid room at Team Labs.
