Konichiwa Tokyo!
In 2016 I lived and worked in Japan and I really enjoyed exploring Tokyo. Tokyo is one of my favourite cities because it is fascinating and there is an abundance of exciting and unique things to see and do. It is the capital city of Japan and one of the biggest cities in the world and home to more than 35 million people. This bustling megatropolis is a very fast-paced city that blends cutting-edge technology with traditional Japanese culture and traditions. In Tokyo you can see the latest tech gadgets, robots, Harajuku girls gorgeous temples, ancient shrines and beautiful palaces like the Imperial Palace.
Tokyo has an excellent, punctual and efficient public transport system and you can easily travel around the city once you get used to reading the subway map.
You can travel to Tokyo on the Shinkansen (bullet train) from other cities in Japan. The Shinkansen is very fast.
The first place I visited in Tokyo was the Imperial Palace and this is because it is located near Tokyo station. I walked there from the Marunouchi North exit of Tokyo Station to the palace and from this exit it was not too far to walk. This palace is pretty and it is surrounded by a water-filled moat and gardens.
The Imperial palace is the residence of the Emperor of Japan and the Imperial family. The outer palace grounds and the surrounding park are open to the public for free. The inner palace grounds can only be visited on guided tours which you can book online. It is worth noting that there are a few special days in the year when you can visit the inner palace grounds for free without joining a tour. These special days are January 2 for the New Year's Greeting and December 23 which is the Emperor's Birthday.
Tokyo offers some of the most bizarre and craziest entertainment! Where else but in Tokyo can you eat a sushi bento while you watch gigantic robots battling each other? If you want to experience some of the more bizarre side of Japanese culture and see robots battling it out then I would recommend visiting the Robot Restaurant in Shinjuku.
It is quite a popular tourist attraction so I would advise booking your ticket online on their website if you don't want to risk waiting in queues to buy tickets when you arrive. It's also a good idea to book online because sometimes there are special discounts. http://www.shinjuku-robot.com/pc/
Samurai played a significant role in Japanese warfare history. The Samurai were the mighty warriors of ancient Japan. The Samurai had really fascinating armour and an interesting culture and belief system. At the Samurai Museum you can see genuine Samurai armour and and weapons like swords, katana and even matchlock guns. It was interesting to find out that Samurai also used firearms as weapons and we saw some of their ancient matchlock guns. The guides are very knowledgeable about Samurai history, culture, weapons and beliefs, such as their custom of commiting suicide if they were captured or if they brought dishonour. The guides offer tours in English.You can even try on some Samurai armour and there is also a demonstration of sword fighting techniques. Admission to the museum costs 1500 Yen. I'd say it is well worth visiting. I'd also like to mention that this museum is really close to the Robot Restaurant in Shinjuku and it's a good idea to make your travel plans accordingly as I saw both in the same day in the same district.
You can also dress up as a Samurai and girl in a kimono.
There is a gift shop selling various Samurai souvenirs and you can even buy a Samurai sword although you should think about customs and getting it safely home!
4.Visit an owl cafe
If you like owls then you will probably enjoy visiting an owl café where you can hold the owls and enjoy a drink. The owl café called Owl Village in Harajuku is about a five minute walk from the Harajuku Takeshita subway exit. Keep walking past the Harajuku Tourist centre and you should see a building on your right that says owl café. The owl café is on the fourth floor of the building. I would advise making a reservation on their website prior to your arrival because they only let a certain number of people inside the café at a time. If you have a reservation, you can immediately enter the café. If the café has empty seats then you can enter without a reservation. A 60 minute visit costs around 2500 Yen and it includes one drink, a souvenir and 35 minutes playing with the owls. Sometimes there are limited special offers and discounted prices on their website so keep an eye on their website. The cafe is open from 11:00- 17:00 as a café and from 18:00-20:00 as a bar.
Shibuya crossing is the famous pedestrian crossing outside Shibuya station. It has been featured in movies like Fast and Furious Tokyo Drift and in the zombie movie Resident Evil. One of the best places to watch the pedestrian scramble is from the windows of Starbucks on the 2nd floor of the building across the street from the crossing.
For a good and free view of Tokyo I would recommend visiting the Tokyo Government Metropolitan Building. There is an observation deck at the top with a great view of the city. You are supposed to be able to see Mt. Fuji but I think you need to go on a day when the weather is very clear.
My favourite view of Tokyo is from the top of the observatory sky deck in Mori Tower. You can see a spectacular view of Tokyo at night with Tokyo tower in the background and it reminds me a bit of the city view of Paris at night.
8. Visit Tokyo Tower
Tokyo Tower looks like a red and white version of the Eiffel Tower. It also lights up at night, just like the Eiffel Tower in Paris. It is nice to see this tower from a distance from Mori Tower in Roppongi and then go see the Tokyo Tower up close. Tokyo Tower is also very close to Zozoji Temple so you can plan to see both around the same time.
Tokyo Tower and Tokyo Sky Tree are two diffierent towers and not to be confused. Tokyo Sky Tree is a broadcasting and observation tower and it is the newest observation tower and the tallest tower in Japan. Tokyo Tower looks like a red and white version of the Eiffel tower and it is much older. The best city view would definitely be from the Tokyo Sky Tree. The Sky Tree is not far from Sensoji Asakusa Temple so you could plan to see both around the same time.
10. Visit Akihabara
Akihabara is an area in Tokyo that is known for its maid cafes and it is known as "electric town" because it is the area that sells the latest gadgets, electronics, and robots. Maid cafes are a type of cosplay restaurant where the waitresses dress up as maids, act cute and serve the customers. Akihabara is also known for cosplay and anime. There is also an anime museum in Akihabara.
Asakusa Sensoji Temple is the oldest temple in Tokyo! It is a Buddhist temple and it was completed in 645. The origin of the temple is as follows. According to a legend, two brothers fished a statue of Kannon, the goddess of mercy, out of the Sumida River in 628. They put the statue back into the river but the statue always returned to them. They showed a man in their village who told the brothers that it was a statue of Kannon, so they decided to build a temple for the goddess of Kannon.
The picture below is of the Kaminarimon Gate. There are two gigantic figures guarding the gates and they are the deities Fujin-sama and Raijin-sama, who are the god of wind and the god of thunder and lightning. The writing on the big red lantern says “Kaminarimon” which means “thundergate”.
There is a shopping street called "Nakamise"leading up to the temple that sells great Tokyo souvenirs. The temple is within walking distance from Asakusa station in Tokyo.
12. Go shopping in Harajuku and Takeshita Dori
Harajuku is known for being a young and hip fashion district in Tokyo. A visit to Harajuku would not be complete without eating some delicious crepes and going shopping in Takeshita Dori! I'd also recommend visiting the Harajuku Daiso (100 Yen store) because they sell some nice, affordable items.
A trip to Japan would not be complete without eating sushi! We went to Genki Sushi in Shibuya Tokyo. I really like this restaurant because you order the sushi on an electronic menu (English is available) and the sushi comes to your table very quickly on a little bullet train on the conveyor belt. The sushi is delicious, good quality and affordable so you can eat a lot. You can get a plate of sushi for 100 Yen and that is a good deal in Tokyo!
Meji Shrine is a shrine dedicated to the Japanese Emperor Meji. The Tori Gate is made from Japanese Cypress and it is one of the biggest wooden Tori gates in Japan. It is surrounded by a tree filled forest and park. It is a lovely, serene place.
An interesting thing to see is this collection of gigantic Sake barrels. The sake is used for shrine ceremonies and festivals.
The design on the lantern below is the Imperial Seal of Japan, also called the Chrysanthemum Seal (菊紋, kikumon). It is shaped like a Chrysanthemum flower and it has 16 petals. It is a crest used by the Emperor of Japan and members of the Imperial family.
15. Relax at Yoyogi park
A cat café is a place where you can drink coffee and play with cats. Don't worry, cats are definitely not on the menu! The cat café I visited is part of a franchise called Café Mocha which has cat cafés in various locations. The cat café I visited is located in Shibuya, Tokyo and it is about a 5 minute walk from Shibuya station and you can walk across Shibuya crossing on your way to the café. The opening hours are from 10 am until 10 pm and the last entry is at 9:30 pm. I went there at night with a friend after we spent the day exploring Tokyo. The entrance fee is 200 Yen for 10 minutes. You can also purchase a refillable vending machine drink for an additional 350 Yen. The vending machine has many drink options like hot chocolate, tea, different sodas and all kinds of coffee. If you want to get the cat's attention you can do this by buying some cat treats for around 550 Yen. The café is clean, nicely decorated and the cats appear to be healthy and well looked after. There are many cat toys that you can use to entertain the cats. They café gives the cats time to rest by letting the cats be around the customers in shifts.
The main reason why I went to Ueno Zoo was to see the pandas. I also saw pandas at Ocean Park in Hong Kong and I wanted to see them again in Tokyo. At Ueno Zoo you can see many beautiful animals like pandas, polar bears, Japanese macaques, kangaroos, elephants, tigers, gorillas and more! The zoo is open from 9:30 to 5 pm. The last tickets are sold at 4 pm. Admission for adults costs 600 Yen. The zoo is close to Ueno subway station.
18. Visit Zozoji temple
Zozoji temple is a Buddhist temple in the Minato area in Japan. You can walk there from Daimon station. Tokyo tower is also close to Zozoji temple so you can see the temple and then walk to Tokyo tower from the temple. I like this temple because of the view of Tokyo Tower in the background.
19. Visit a themed restaurant
Asia in general has plenty of amazing restaurants based around themes, characters, books or movies. In Tokyo there are quite a few themed restaurants like the Hello Kitty cafe, Sesame Street cafe, Pokemon themed restaurants, Pom Pom Purin, Alice in Wonderland and much more. I visited the Hello Kitty cafe in Himeji (it is near Himeji castle) and in Tokyo I visited the Pom Pom Purin cafe and the Kawaii Monster cafe in Harajuku and Alcatraz ER in Tokyo.
The decor and food matches the theme of the restaurant and it can be quite an interesting dining experience! In Tokyo I had lunch at the very cute Pom Pom Purin themed restaurant in the fashionable Harajuku district.
There are lots of interesting themed restaurants in Tokyo like the Vampire cafe and the ninja cafe. I also visited a scary themed restaurant called Alcatraz ER. This restaurant has a mental hospital prison theme with a jail and prison cells. You actually eat your meal inside a prison cell. It was a really crazy dining experience but hey this is Tokyo!
Check out the Kawaii Monster Cafe in Harajuku
Tokyo is known for having all sorts of interesting cafés. The Kawaii Monster Café is a colorful and eccentric café in Harajuku. Tokyo. Kawaii means "cute" in Japanese. The café was created by Japanese fashion designer, creative director and founder of the fashion label 6% Doki Doki, Sebastian Masuda. Upon entering the café you encounter a giant merry go round shaped like a cake. The décor in the café is colourful, crazy and fun. There is a 500 yen entrance fee the first time you go to the café, and you will be given a point card. Once you have a point card you don’t need to pay the entrance fee again.
Odaiba is a shopping and entertainment area on a man made island in Tokyo. In Odaiba area there is a giant robot called Gundam man (based on the anime). You can also see Rainbow Bridge which got its name from the way it is lit up at night. There is also a ferris wheel, Fuji TV museum, Panasonic Center and Madame Tussauds. I have already been to the Madame Tussauds in Hong Kong so I decided to skip this one.
21. Visit Tokyo Disneyland or Tokyo Disney Sea
Disney Sea is unique to Japan and so it would be worth visiting if you enjoy water rides! Tokyo Disneyland is also very popular and it would be a fun outing in Tokyo. If you have already been to Disneyland then you might enjoy rather just visiting Tokyo Disney Sea as it is unique to Japan. There is no other Disney Sea except for in Tokyo, Japan. Disney Sea has lots of water rides and it is inspired by ocean tales and legends and shows based on Disney classics like The Little Mermaid.
I have already been to Hong Kong Disneyland so I decided that was enough Asian Disneyland for me!
22. Visit Sanrio Puroland
If you like Sanrio characters and you are a Hello Kitty fan then this is the theme park for you! I'd recommend this more for families to take their younger children to or for those who are die hard Hello Kitty fans.
23. Visit the sumo wrestling hall
Keep in mind that sumo events do not happen all the time in Tokyo. They only happen at certain times of the year. In Tokyo you can only see these events in January, May and September. If you happen to be in Tokyo at the right time, you might want to try and book tickets to watch a sumo wrestling match!
24. Visit the Fish Market
This fish market is famous in Tokyo and you can eat some really fresh sushi there. People also like to watch the auction at this fish market.
25. Take purikura
Purikura is the fun machine photo booths that you find nearly everywhere in Japan. You can take pictures and edit and style them on a touch screen and print them. Harajuku and Shibuya in Tokyo have a lot of purikura booths.
Sometimes you find purikura booths in games arcades so if not everyone in your group is interested in purikura they can play games in the arcade while you do your photo shoot.
While you are in Tokyo why not visit a karaoke bar? It's fun and the nice thing about these bars is that you don't have to sing in public in front of a room full of strangers because you hire your own private room. In your private room you can enjoy a private karaoke session/ party with your friends. There are microphones, a TV and musical instruments like maracas and tambourines provided for you. You can find a selection of English songs. You can order drinks and food and have a great private party!
If you love Studio Ghibli movies like Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro and Princess Mononoke then you should visit the Ghibli Museum. The museum has exhibits and exclusive short films.
28. Go Mario Kart racing on the streets of Tokyo!
In Tokyo you can rent a Mario Kart and go racing in the streets of Tokyo! Find out more here: http://maricar.com/
If you love pokemon then you should visit the pokemon centre in Tokyo. You can find Pokemon stores throughout Japan and not just in Tokyo. There are lots of plush toys and pokemon themed merchandise for sale.
You can try voice acting here. You can enjoy looking at the anime exhibitions and buy some merchandise.
31. Visit Shinjuku Gyeon National Garden
This is a beautiful garden to visit in Shinjuku. There is also a gorgeous Japanese animation movie called The Garden of Words that it set in this garden. This is also a beautiful garden to visit during cherry blossom season.
32. Learn more about Japanese culture and history at the Tokyo National Museum
The Tokyo National Museum has exhibits of kimonos, samurai armour, pottery and Japanese paintings and it is a great place to visit to learn more about Japanese culture and history.
33. Relax in an onsen
Onsens are public bathing places and they are very popular in Japanese culture (and in Korean culture where it is called a jimjilbang). An onsen is like a Japanese bath house/spa or a hot spring where you can soak and relax and unwind. Onsens come in many forms and they can be located indoors in a ryokan (guest house) or a public bath house or outdoors. It can be very relaxing and the water is often infused with special minerals that have healing powers for your body and skin.
Tokyo is a fascinating city to visit! It is definitely worth visiting and there are a lot of interesting things to see and do. It's a really fun place to visit in Japan.
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