Plan Your Trip to Japan: Must-Visit Places in Tokyo!

Visiting Tokyo

Tokyo is one of the most vibrant, lively cities in Japan. It’s also a popular tourist destination, attracting visitors from all over the world. As the capital of Japan, Tokyo houses the Imperial Palace and many historic temples and museums. The city is also a popular destination for shopping, with many neighborhoods lined with trendy stores.  

Tokyo has something for everyone. For the nature-lovers, the city has many gardens, green spaces, and forests to explore. For the anime-lovers, there’s Akihabara—a district dedicated to anime shops. For the history-lovers, there are museums such as the Tokyo National Museum and the Edo-Tokyo Museum. There’s even Tokyo Disneyland. 

With so many things to do, it might seem overwhelming when planning your trip to Tokyo. So, here’s a guide to must-visit places so you can make the most out of your trip to this vivid city!

Source: Wikimedia Commons

teamLab

This unique museum located in Toyosu is an artistic, immersive experience designed to transport you into the art displays. The museum consists of four large artwork spaces and two gardens, all created by teamLab. Visitors are expected to go barefoot to fully immerse themselves in the experience. TeamLab describes the purpose of the displays as “blurring the perception of boundaries between the self and the works.” 

Each display takes up the whole space, with bright colors radiating throughout. The colors change and shift, allowing visitors to truly feel a part of a living space instead of a technological display. Some displays feature tangible items, such as large, color-changing balloons or lamps hanging from the ceiling. Others depend on lights alone, focusing on creating an optical illusion. While some displays focus on the ceiling and use plain, reflective flooring to assist the illusion, other displays focus on the floor. Colorful swirls of light at your feet that give an illusion of mist, or dozens of large, reflective globes covering the ground are some of the floor-centered displays. 

The gardens are either outside using trees as part of the display or indoors with flowers hanging from the ceiling and reflecting off silver tiles. The silver tiles allow the visitor to feel as though the whole room and floor were covered in bright pink flowers and beautiful greenery. The teamLab museum is a place that everyone can find peace in and enjoy. It’s an experience you don’t want to miss out on! 

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Bamboo forests

For those who enjoy hikes through nature, you’ll want to add one of Tokyo’s stunning bamboo forests to your travel itinerary. The Suzume-no-oyado Ryokuchi Park is the perfect bamboo forest to take a walk through. A small park located in the suburbs of Meguro City, this is the perfect place to connect with nature and get away from the chaos and noise of the busy Tokyo city. 

The hiking path is flat with a fence separating it from the forest. Both sides of the path are towered over by large bamboo trees with lengthy trunks. The forest is small, but the amount of bamboo trees is extensive. It’s the perfect place to ride your bike or walk your dog. The park is also located near other attractions—such as the Himonya Shrine and Enyuji Temple—so visitors can experience both the natural and historical side of Tokyo.  

Image of Toshogu Shrine in Taito City, Tokyo. Source: Wikimedia Commons

historical temples

Tokyo houses many historical temples and shrines for history-lovers to visit. Some notable ones are the Sensoji Temple and the Toshogu Shrine. The Sensoji Temple is a Buddhist temple located in Taito City. It’s Tokyo’s oldest temple and was thought to be built for the goddess Kannon. Past the first gate is an extensive shopping street. The temple also holds many festivals and markets, such as the Sanja Matsuri festival in May and Hagoita Market.  

Toshogu Shrine is also located in Taito City and has both Buddhist and Shinto elements. The shrine is in a beautiful forest, and the outside of it is decorated with intricate, gold patterns and splashes of color. A praying hall is housed inside, and nearby there is the Tokugawa Ieyasu mausoleum and the Nikko Toshogu Museum. Visiting these temples and shrines is the perfect way to experience the rich culture and history of not just Tokyo, but Japan as a whole. 

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shop at harajuku

Harajuku, located between Shinjuku and Shibuya, is a vibrant neighborhood in Tokyo that focuses on pop culture and trendy fashion. The streets consist of boutiques, shops, and fast-food restaurants. The neighborhood houses many indoor shopping districts, such as Omotesando Hills and LaForet Harajuku. 

Some notable shops in the neighborhood are Daiso Harajuku—a shop that sells all sorts of items from clothing to stationery, for only 100 yen each—and Kiddy Land, one of Tokyo’s most popular toy stores. The streets also house luxury stores, such as Louis Vuitton.  

Nearby, visitors can visit Yoyogi Park—a large city park that’s perfect for picnicking with ponds and a forest view—the Nezo Museum, and the Meiji and Togo Shrines. A visit to Harajuku can turn a shopping trip into a broader experience of Japan! 

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tokyo tower

Located in central Tokyo, the Tokyo Tower is the tallest structure in Japan. It’s modelled after the Eiffel Tower in shape and size, but the colors are of the Japanese flag—a vibrant red and white. On special occasions, the tower lights up. For instance, during the beginning of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the tower lights up pink. Other occasions it lights up for include Christmas and New Year’s Eve.

Just below the tower is “FootTown,” a four-story building with a reception hall, restaurant, convenience store, and Aquarium Gallery. On the second floor of the building sits a food court consisting of a couple of restaurants, including a McDonald’s. The third and fourth floors of FootTown have multiple museums, including the Guinness World Records Museum Tokyo and the Tokyo Tower Wax Museum. On the roof of the building is a small amusement park with a couple of rides, and events for kids are often held there.

But the main attractions of the Tokyo Tower are the observatories. Visitors can reach the tower’s main deck either by an elevator or a 600-step staircase. In addition to offering a gorgeous view of Tokyo, the tower also has a cafe and souvenir shop at the top. Higher than the main deck is the top deck, which offers an even larger view of the city. A view of the Tokyo Skytree and Mount Fuji can be seen in the distance. If you can brave the height, the Tokyo Tower offers an unforgettable view.  

Food from the maid cafe, @home. Source: Wikimedia Commons

Unique cafes

Another highlight of Tokyo is the number of unique cafes it houses. There are cafes where visitors can feed and pet animals, such as cats, hedgehogs, and pigs. Other cafes offer a musical experience, such as maid cafes. These cafes consist of workers dressed in maid uniforms that dance and sing for a small fee.

There are even cafes to appeal to lovers of the creepy and supernatural—vampire cafes. These cafes are designed to look like Dracula’s castle, with a dark, red atmosphere and candles lit everywhere. The food also looks creepy, with dishes such as red pasta and mummy-wrapped bread. Lastly, there are cafes for adults to have fun, such as the Kawaii Monster Cafe. This creepy and cute cafe is colorful and bright.

Adults can get unique food such as rainbow pasta and parfaits. There’s also a bar that serves cocktails. Although the original location was closed, the cafe now exists as a pop-up in Harajuku. Live performances with song and dance are showcased to entertain visitors. 

conclusion

In addition to being rich with the culture and history of Japan, Tokyo is also the perfect city to shop and gain unique experiences in. From the gorgeous temples and shrines, colorful shopping districts, and unusual cafes, Tokyo is an exciting place to plan your next vacation to. It isn’t just the busy, crowded city some make it out to be. The city also has places where visitors can connect with nature and experience the beauty of the country. 

So, what are you waiting for? Plan your next vacation to a city filled with culture, color, and many opportunities to make unforgettable memories with those you care about!