Tokyo
Your guide to where to stay, eat and the must-see highlights. Tackle the city’s wildest nightlife in Shinjuku; explore old town Tokyo in Asakusa; hit the shops in Shibuya.
20 things that will surprise first-time visitors
This is a city of almost 40 million people across its greater limits, a megalopolis with infinite possibilities.
Destination Guide
The must-do highlights in three days
In 72 hours you can experience a vast spectrum of places and attractions, incredible food and a wondrous contrast of old and new.
10 great things most visitors miss
Want to get to know this overwhelming city a little better? Here are 10 lesser-known highlights that will make you feel like a local.
Where to eat and drink
Distilling this city to 12 restaurants, bars and izakaya is impossible, though the following guarantee a memorable experience.
The best times to visit Tokyo
From festivals and holidays to shows and fairs, there’s always some exciting event happening in this huge metropolis.
The top places to stay
Tokyo is notorious for rooms barely big enough to fit a suitcase, but there are also plenty of unique and beautiful places to stay.
Six of the most impressive must-visit shops in Tokyo
From clothing to stationery to guitars: if Tokyo is shopping heaven, then these to-die-for flagship stores are nirvana.
An expert expat’s tips for a hidden gem
Suginami-ku hardly rates a mention in most travel guidebooks on Tokyo, but it is full of hidden gems for those eschewing the inner-city crowds.
How to make the most of Tokyo’s vintage stores
There is tremendous respect and love for vintage items in Tokyo and if you’re shopping for vintage, the hard work has been done.
If you want to be a ramen expert in Japan, follow these rules
Tokyo-based Cody Mizuno thinks he’s eaten about 1000 bowls of ramen in his lifetime. That’s the equivalent of one ramen a day for three years.
This neighbourhood is one of the coolest places you’ll ever visit
With its vintage clothing stores, record shops, hip bars and flea markets, could Shimokitazawa be the coolest neighbourhood in Tokyo?Â
Weird and wonderful: Nine must-do highlights in Tokyo
It’s no surprise that the largest city on the planet has a dizzying array of options for visitors, so we’ve whittled it down to some old and new favourites.
‘I was almost brought to tears’: Why this is one of Tokyo’s best attractions
Part museum, part art installation and part amusement park – as one of Tokyo’s most popular attractions, it pays to know before you go to teamLab Planets.
Seven hidden attractions at this hugely popular Tokyo shrine
From a seven-hectare forest to a majestic archway, Tokyo’s Meiji-Jingu shrine features hidden attractions worth lingering for.
You’ve never seen a fruit shop quite like this one
Hushed reverence, fruit displayed like jewellery and white-gloved salesmen: you can bust your budget on fruit at specialist Japanese fruit stores.
Japan’s toilets are amazing, but Tokyo’s public loos are next level
Public bathrooms aren’t usually stars of travel itineraries, but The Tokyo Toilet scheme’s facilities deserve to be.