Best Traditional Japanese Tokyo: Shibuya, Asakusa Senso-ji 628 AD, Akihabara, Tsukiji, Tokyo Skytree 634 m and Tokyo Deep Heritage Tour Destinations

Browse more guides: Japan travel | Asia destinations

Best Traditional Japanese Tokyo: Shibuya Crossing, Asakusa Senso-ji 628 AD, Akihabara Electric Town, Tsukiji Outer Market, Tokyo Skytree 634 m, Meiji Shrine 1920 and the Complete Deep Heritage Tour of Japan's Capital

TL;DR

Tokyo is a working megacity of 13.97 million residents inside the 23 special wards and roughly 37 million across the greater metro area, which makes it the largest urban region on the planet. It has been Japan's capital since the Meiji Restoration of 1868, when the emperor moved from Kyoto and renamed Edo to Tokyo, "eastern capital." The city layers a 1,400-year-old Buddhist temple, Senso-ji in Asakusa, founded in 628 AD, against the 634-metre Tokyo Skytree finished in 2012, currently the world's tallest tower. Between those two poles sits everything that makes the city famous: the Shibuya Scramble Crossing pushing roughly 3,000 pedestrians across at every green signal, the Tsukiji Outer Market and the relocated Toyosu Fish Market handling more tuna than any other city, the anime and electronics maze of Akihabara, the imperial calm of Meiji Shrine inside a 70-hectare planted forest, and the high-rise viewpoints of Tokyo Tower (333 m, 1958), Mori Tower in Roppongi (270 m), and the freshly reopened Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building observation decks in Shinjuku. Add Tsukiji sushi breakfasts, a Toyosu tuna auction at 5:30 AM, Ueno Park with 1,200 cherry trees in late March, the immersive teamLab Planets digital art space, and day trips to Nikko's UNESCO-listed Toshogu Shrine 100 km north and to Hakone with Mount Fuji views, and the city covers temple, tower, market, art, fashion, food, and nature in the same trip. Public transport is the JR Yamanote loop (34.5 km, 29 stations) plus 13 subway lines, all paid through a SUICA or PASMO IC card. Mid-range travel runs ¥20,000-40,000 per person per day including a business hotel, two meals, and transit. Plan a 5-7 day Tokyo trip.

Why Tokyo matters

Tokyo is the financial, political, cultural, and pop-culture capital of Japan, and by most measures it is the largest urban economy on Earth. The 37-million metropolitan figure includes Saitama, Chiba, and Kanagawa prefectures, and the combined GDP rivals entire G7 countries. The city has been the capital only since 1868, when Emperor Meiji moved the imperial seat from Kyoto, but the location has been a power centre since 1603, when Tokugawa Ieyasu set up the shogunate at Edo Castle on the site of today's Imperial Palace.

What makes Tokyo unusual is the depth of history layered under the neon. Senso-ji in Asakusa, founded in 628 AD, predates almost every functioning religious site in Asia that a regular traveler can walk into for free. The same city contains the world's tallest free-standing tower (Skytree, 634 m, opened 2012), the busiest train station on the planet (Shinjuku at roughly 3.6 million passengers a day), and the most photographed intersection anywhere (Shibuya Scramble, where around 3,000 people cross during a single green light at peak hour). Tsukiji and the relocated Toyosu wholesale market between them define how the world thinks about sushi. Akihabara turned anime, manga, and consumer electronics into a tourism category on its own.

The 2020 Tokyo Olympics, delayed and held in 2021 without crowds because of COVID, locked in new transit lines, refurbished hotels, and the Azabudai Hills tower that now hosts the rebooted teamLab Borderless. Add a safety record that places Tokyo among the safest megacities anywhere, 24-hour konbini convenience stores on most corners, drinkable tap water, English signage in every JR station, and an IC card system that turns the entire transit map into a tap-and-go experience, and the practical reasons to rank Tokyo first among Asian capitals start to stack up. For a first-time visitor coming from India, Europe, or North America, this is the easiest large Asian city to cross while still feeling completely foreign.

Background

Tokyo's documented story starts as a fishing village called Edo on Tokyo Bay. In 1603 the warlord Tokugawa Ieyasu won the Battle of Sekigahara and made Edo the seat of his shogunate, leaving the imperial court ceremonially in Kyoto. The Tokugawa period lasted 265 years, a stretch known for sakoku, the closed-country policy that limited foreign contact to a tiny Dutch trading post on Dejima island in Nagasaki. By the 1700s Edo had passed one million residents, making it the largest city in the world at that point, with a complex grid of samurai quarters, merchant districts, theatres, and red-light areas like Yoshiwara. Most of the wooden city burned regularly. The Great Meireki Fire of 1657 alone killed roughly 100,000 people.

In 1868 the Meiji Restoration ended the shogunate, restored the emperor as the active head of state, and moved the capital eastward. Edo became Tokyo, "eastern capital." The Meiji era pushed Japan through rapid industrialisation, railways, a new constitution, and a new army. Tokyo was rebuilt with brick avenues in Ginza, Western-style government buildings, and the first Japanese tram lines. Two catastrophes flattened the city in the 20th century. The Great Kanto Earthquake of 1 September 1923 killed about 140,000 people across Tokyo and Yokohama, mostly through firestorms in the densely packed wooden neighbourhoods. American firebombing raids during World War II, especially the night of 9-10 March 1945, killed an estimated 100,000 people in a single night and destroyed roughly half the city. The post-war rebuild was fast, ugly in parts, and ferociously productive. The 1964 Tokyo Olympics announced the country's recovery, the Shinkansen bullet train opened between Tokyo and Osaka the same year, Tokyo Tower had already gone up in 1958, and by the late 1980s Tokyo real estate was famously valued higher than all of California.

The Bubble Economy popped in 1991 and the "Lost Decade" that followed stretched into two decades of slow growth, deflation, and demographic anxiety. The 11 March 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami killed almost 20,000 people in the northeast and crippled the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. Tokyo itself shook hard, lost power in parts, but the city held. The 2020 Olympics, postponed and run in 2021, became the second time Tokyo hosted the Games.

1603: Tokugawa Ieyasu opens his shogunate at Edo, future Tokyo.
1868: Meiji Restoration; Edo renamed Tokyo, capital moves from Kyoto.
1923: Great Kanto Earthquake, around 140,000 dead.
1945: WWII firebombing, roughly 100,000 killed on 9-10 March alone.
1964: First Tokyo Olympics, Shinkansen opens, Tokyo Tower already two years old.
1991: Bubble collapses; "Lost Decade" begins.
2011: Tohoku earthquake and Fukushima nuclear accident.
2021: Tokyo 2020 Olympics held without spectators because of COVID.

Tier 1 - five destinations

1. Asakusa, Senso-ji, the Sumida River, and Tokyo Skytree

Start at Senso-ji in Asakusa, the spiritual anchor of the city. The temple was founded in 628 AD after two fisherman brothers, the Hinokuma brothers, pulled a small gold statue of Kannon, the bodhisattva of mercy, out of the Sumida River. The current main hall is a 1958 concrete reconstruction of the 1649 Edo-period building destroyed by Allied bombing, but the bones of the layout, the gates, the pagoda, and the shopping street running into the temple, have been continuous for centuries. Entry to the temple grounds is free and the gates never close.

You enter through Kaminarimon, the Thunder Gate, with its 700 kg red paper lantern that was rehung in 1960 with a donation from Matsushita Konosuke, founder of Panasonic. Walk past the gate and you are on Nakamise-dori, a 250-metre shopping street with about 88 traditional stalls selling ningyo-yaki cakes shaped like little dolls, age-manju, senbei rice crackers, yukata, and hand-painted fans. At the far end is Hozomon Gate, then the main hall, with the five-story pagoda (53 m) standing to the left. The classic shot is the pagoda framed against Skytree across the river. Visit at 6:30 AM if you want photographs without crowds, or stay until late evening when the buildings are floodlit and the day-tripper buses are gone.

From Asakusa pier you can catch the Tokyo Cruise Sumida River boat down to Hama-rikyu Gardens for ¥1,040 one way, about 35 minutes, a useful and underused link between historic Asakusa and the central Hama-rikyu landscape garden with its tidal pond and tea house. The other direction, a 20-minute walk or one stop on the Tobu line, takes you across the river to Tokyo Skytree. The tower opened on 22 May 2012, replacing Tokyo Tower as the city's main broadcasting mast, at 634 metres tall, a number chosen because it can be read as "Musashi" in old Japanese, the historical name of the region. The Tembo Deck at 350 m costs ¥3,100 on weekdays for a same-day adult ticket; the higher Tembo Galleria at 450 m, with the glass spiral walkway, costs an additional ¥1,000. The base of the tower is wrapped in Solamachi, a 312-shop mall with the Sumida Aquarium, the Postal Museum, free toilets, and dozens of restaurant options. Plan for half a day in Asakusa and half a day in Skytree-Solamachi, or split them across two trips.

2. Shibuya, Harajuku, Yoyogi Park and Meiji Shrine

Shibuya is the photographed Tokyo most outsiders carry in their heads. The Shibuya Scramble Crossing outside Hachiko Exit of Shibuya Station is generally accepted as the busiest pedestrian intersection in the world. At peak hour around 3,000 people cross during a single green light, traffic stops on all sides simultaneously, and people flow diagonally across the box. The classic free overlook is the second-floor window at the Starbucks inside Tsutaya Books on the north side; the paid overlook is Shibuya Sky, the rooftop observation deck of the Shibuya Scramble Square building that opened in 2019, 230 m up, ¥2,400 with advance booking. Sunset slots sell out three days ahead in spring and autumn.

In front of the station sits the bronze statue of Hachiko, the Akita dog who waited every evening at Shibuya Station for his owner Professor Ueno from 1925 until his own death in 1935, nine years after the professor died. The original statue went up in 1934, was melted for the war effort in 1948, and was replaced by the current one in 1948. It is now the city's most popular small meeting point. Walk five minutes northwest along Center-Gai (Center Avenue) for crowded teen retail, ramen counters, and capsule arcades; then push north for ten more minutes into Harajuku.

Harajuku's Takeshita Street is a 350-metre pedestrian alley packed with crepe stands, second-hand fashion, cosplay supply shops, and rainbow cotton candy. It is loud, young, and busy any weekday afternoon and almost impassable on Sundays. The far end opens onto Omotesando, a wide tree-lined avenue often compared to a Tokyo Champs-Elysees, with flagship architecture by Tadao Ando, Toyo Ito, and Kengo Kuma.

From Harajuku Station, cross the bridge to the southern entrance of Meiji Jingu, the Shinto shrine dedicated to Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken, completed in 1920. Entry is free. The forest around the shrine covers about 70 hectares and was created from scratch with 100,000 trees donated from every prefecture in Japan in the 1910s; today it functions as a mature broadleaf woodland inside one of the densest cities on the planet. The main shrine grounds are quiet even at midday. Behind the shrine, Yoyogi Park is free, popular with weekend cosplayers and rockabilly dancers near the entrance, and useful for a picnic lunch under cherry trees in late March or early April. NHK Studio Park, a short walk from Yoyogi, offers free public broadcasting exhibits and is fun for families with kids.

3. Shinjuku, Tokyo Tower, Roppongi, and the Imperial Palace

Shinjuku Station handles roughly 3.6 million passengers a day, by some measures the busiest train station in human history. Even allowing for a sliding definition of "the station" because of all the connected private lines, no other rail facility comes close. Start at the West Exit and walk ten minutes to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, the twin-towered 243-metre seat of the city government designed by Kenzo Tange and opened in 1991. The two free observation decks at 202 m are the most generous free city view in central Tokyo. Both decks were closed for renovation from March 2025 and reopened in September 2025; check the current opening hours before you go because the schedule does shift.

Five minutes east of the station is Kabukicho, the city's main entertainment quarter, with Golden Gai inside it, a tight grid of six narrow alleys packed with around 200 tiny bars, most seating only six to eight customers. The infamous Robot Restaurant shut in 2020 during the pandemic and has not reopened, but the surrounding theme bars are still running. Stay polite, check cover charges before sitting down, and avoid touts on Kabukicho's main strip.

Tokyo Tower, in Shiba-koen south of Roppongi, opened in 1958, was modelled on the Eiffel Tower, stands 333 m, and is painted orange and white to meet aviation rules. The main deck at 150 m costs ¥1,200; the Top Deck Tour to 250 m, which includes guides and mirrored interior panels, costs ¥3,000 with online booking. The view is more intimate and city-level than Skytree, with Zojo-ji Temple in the foreground.

Roppongi Hills, just north of Tokyo Tower, is built around Mori Tower (270 m), with the Tokyo City View observation deck at the top for ¥2,500 and Mori Art Museum on the same floor. The "Roppongi Art Triangle" links Mori Art Museum with 21_21 DESIGN SIGHT (a Tadao Ando concrete pavilion on the Tokyo Midtown campus) and the National Art Center Tokyo, where the permanent collection viewing is free and rotating exhibitions are paid.

Finally, the Imperial Palace sits at the geographic centre of the city, on the moated grounds of the old Edo Castle. The palace itself is closed to the public except on 2 January and the Emperor's birthday, but the East Gardens are free and open most days, with the foundation stones of the original castle keep, manicured ponds, and tea pavilions. The famous photo spot is the double-arched Nijubashi Bridge over the inner moat; that view is free and any time.

4. Tsukiji Outer Market, Toyosu Fish Market, Akihabara and Ueno

The old Tsukiji wholesale fish market closed in October 2018 and moved to a larger purpose-built facility at Toyosu on a reclaimed island east of Ginza. The Tsukiji Outer Market, the food-stall and retail rim around the original site, stayed open and still works. Walk in from Tsukijishijo or Tsukiji station from 5 AM to about 2 PM for tamagoyaki rolled omelette on a stick, fresh uni rice bowls, grilled scallops, tuna sashimi platters, and Japanese knife shops. The legendary Sushi Daiwa and Sushi Dai counters that ran the long pre-dawn queues at the old market reopened in the same area; expect ¥5,000 for the omakase set and an hour-plus wait at peak season.

Toyosu Fish Market, opened October 2018, is the working wholesale market. The famous live tuna auction starts at about 5:30 AM, and the only way to watch from inside the auction floor enclosure is to apply through the free lottery system on the official market website, ten days in advance. Even without auction tickets you can walk the public viewing gangway above the auction floor for free from around 5:45 AM and watch from glass windows. Several sushi restaurants on the upper level of Toyosu open early for market workers and tourists; the sushi here is generally as good as Tsukiji at slightly higher prices.

Akihabara, three Yamanote stops north of Tokyo Station, is "Electric Town," historically a transistor-radio bazaar and now Japan's centre for anime, manga, video games, retro electronics, and idol culture. Yodobashi Camera Akiba is an eight-floor electronics megastore with tax-free counters; Mandarake is the go-to for second-hand manga, vintage anime cels, and out-of-print figures; the AKB48 Theater holds idol-group performances; and themed maid cafes run ¥1,000-3,000 cover plus drinks, with photo and cheki options at extra cost. Even if anime is not your scene, the eight-block walk from Akihabara Station up to Kanda is worth one evening for the sheer density of neon and sound.

Two Yamanote stops further north is Ueno, with the 80-hectare Ueno Park as its centrepiece. Inside the park you can spend a full day across the Tokyo National Museum (founded 1872, the oldest national museum in Japan, ¥1,000 adult entry), the National Museum of Western Art (Le Corbusier building, UNESCO-listed), Ueno Zoo (opened 1882, the oldest zoo in Japan, home to giant pandas), and the Tosho-gu shrine inside the park. From late March, about 1,200 cherry trees turn the park's central avenue pink for hanami picnics. Right next to the station, Ameyoko Street, originally a black-market arcade after the war, is still the cheapest place in central Tokyo to buy seafood snacks, dried fruit, and cheap sneakers. Walk fifteen minutes north into Yanaka, an old neighbourhood that survived both 1923 and 1945, with Yanaka Ginza shopping lane and Yanaka Cemetery, where some 7,000 graves include several Tokugawa shoguns and the writer Natsume Soseki.

5. Odaiba, immersive art, and day trips to Nikko, Hakone and the cherry blossom

Odaiba is the family-friendly waterfront on a set of reclaimed islands in Tokyo Bay, reached by the driverless Yurikamome line over the Rainbow Bridge or directly on the Rinkai line. The 19.7-metre RX-0 Unicorn Gundam Statue outside DiverCity Tokyo Plaza transforms with light and sound several times a day. teamLab Planets, in nearby Toyosu, is a barefoot immersive digital-art experience with knee-deep water rooms and infinity-mirror gardens, ¥3,800 advance ticket, open well into 2027. teamLab Borderless reopened in February 2024 at the new Azabudai Hills complex near Toranomon Hills, ¥4,500, with a different mix of works and far better crowd flow than the old Odaiba venue.

For families, Tokyo Disneyland (opened 1983) and Tokyo DisneySea (opened 2001) at Maihama on the eastern bay are the two best-run Disney parks in the world; a one-day ticket runs about ¥10,900 for an adult in peak season, and the new Fantasy Springs zone in DisneySea, opened June 2024, is the headline expansion.

The single best day trip out of Tokyo is Nikko, 100 km north in Tochigi prefecture, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1999. The main draw is Toshogu Shrine, completed in 1617 as the mausoleum of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founding shogun. It is the most lavishly carved Shinto shrine in Japan, with the famous "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil" three-monkeys carving and a five-storey pagoda. Entry to Toshogu is ¥1,300; the typical round trip from Tokyo by JR/Tobu costs roughly ¥5,000 with a Nikko All Area Pass, two hours each way.

Hakone, southwest of Tokyo and inside Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park, is the day-trip choice for Mount Fuji views, hot-spring inns, and the Hakone Open Air Museum. The classic Hakone loop combines the Tozan railway, a switchback cable car up to Owakudani volcanic valley with its sulphur vents and black eggs cured in the geothermal water, the Hakone Ropeway, and a Lake Ashi pirate ship cruise with Fuji rising behind the torii of Hakone Shrine. The Hakone Free Pass from Shinjuku covers the round-trip Odakyu train and all internal Hakone transit for roughly ¥6,100.

If you arrive in late March or early April, the entire trip changes shape around the cherry blossom. Peak bloom in central Tokyo typically falls between 25 March and 10 April, with Ueno Park, Shinjuku Gyoen, the Chidorigafuchi moat alongside the Imperial Palace, and the Meguro River as the four classic hanami sites. Chidorigafuchi rents rowboats so you can drift under the petals on the moat; Meguro at night, with paper lanterns reflected on the water, is the city's prettiest free walk for one week of the year.

Tier 2 - five additional picks

Ghibli Museum in Mitaka. Advance-only ¥1,000 tickets sold on the 10th of the month before; reserve from outside Japan through Lawson or a registered ticket agent.
Yokohama. Thirty minutes south on the JR Tokaido or Keihin-Tohoku line; Minato Mirai harbour, Cup Noodles Museum, and the largest Chinatown in Japan.
Kamakura. Roughly an hour south by JR Yokosuka line; the Great Buddha (Daibutsu) of Kotokuin Temple has stood outdoors since 1252 after its hall was washed away in the 1498 tsunami.
Mount Fuji Fifth Station. Direct express buses from Shinjuku Highway Bus Terminal in summer climb to 2,300 m on the north flank of Fuji; this is the standard start point for the Yoshida climbing trail in July and August.
Tokyo DisneySea, opened 2001 in Maihama, is the only DisneySea in the world and consistently ranks as the best-themed Disney park anywhere.

Cost comparison

Item	Budget	Mid-range	Premium
Hotel per night	¥6,000-9,000 capsule or hostel	¥12,000-20,000 business hotel (APA, Tokyu Stay)	¥35,000+ Park Hyatt, Aman, Hoshinoya
Daily food	¥2,500 konbini and ramen	¥6,000 lunch set and izakaya dinner	¥15,000+ kaiseki or sushi omakase
Transit per day	¥800 IC card pay-as-you-go	¥1,500 IC and one taxi	¥6,000 mostly taxi
Attractions per day	¥1,000 mostly free temples	¥3,000 one tower and one museum	¥8,000 Skytree, teamLab, and Disney
Total per person per day	¥10,000-13,000	¥22,000-32,000	¥60,000+

How to plan it

Airports and arrival. Tokyo is served by two airports. Narita International (NRT), 60 km east of central Tokyo, handles most long-haul flights. Haneda (HND), inside the city, takes domestic and a growing share of international. From Narita, the JR Narita Express (N'EX) reaches Tokyo Station in 60 minutes for ¥3,070 (foreign passport holders can buy a ¥4,070 round-trip discount). The Keisei Skyliner reaches Nippori or Ueno in 36 minutes for ¥2,580. The Airport Limousine Bus reaches major hotels in 80-110 minutes for ¥3,200. From Haneda, the Tokyo Monorail reaches Hamamatsucho in 13 minutes for ¥500.

Getting around the city. The JR Yamanote Line is a 34.5 km loop with 29 stations that connects almost every district in this guide, running every 2-4 minutes from 4:30 AM to about 1 AM. Add 13 subway lines (Tokyo Metro and Toei) and you can ignore taxis for most of the trip. Buy a SUICA or PASMO IC card on arrival; per-ride fares run ¥146-216 within central Tokyo. The mobile SUICA on iPhone Wallet works the same way and tops up from a foreign card.

When to go. Late March to early April for the cherry blossom; mid-November for koyo autumn foliage; May-June and September-October for stable, mild "shoulder" weather. Avoid mid-July to late August because Tokyo's combination of heat and humidity is brutal, and avoid late December to early January if you need everything open because of the New Year shutdown. Winter is otherwise dry, cold, and pleasantly empty.

Language. English signage is universal in trains, airports, and major attractions; English menus are common in central restaurants. Learn three phrases: sumimasen (excuse me, sorry, also the way to call a waiter), arigatou gozaimasu (thank you), and eigo no menyu wa arimasu ka (is there an English menu).

Money. Japan still uses cash more than most G7 countries, especially at small ramen counters, shrines, and Golden Gai bars. Carry ¥10,000-15,000 in cash each day even if you mostly tap your IC card. 7-Eleven and Japan Post ATMs accept foreign cards 24/7.

Etiquette. No tipping anywhere; it confuses staff at best and offends at worst. Stand on the left of the escalator in Tokyo (in Osaka, the right). Talk quietly on trains. Slurping noodles is encouraged. Take shoes off when entering temples, traditional restaurants, and homes.

FAQ

Q1. When is the best time to visit Tokyo for first-timers?
Late March to early April for cherry blossom is the postcard answer, but it is also the most expensive and the most crowded week of the year, hotels in Asakusa and Shinjuku double, and Shinjuku Gyoen runs at capacity. If you have flexibility, mid-November gives you koyo autumn foliage with thinner crowds and cooler weather. October and early May are also excellent. Avoid mid-July through August (heat, humidity, typhoons) and late December through 4 January (national holiday shutdown). A first-time visitor with no constraint should aim for the second week of April, after peak bloom, for warm days, lower prices, and most attractions still themed for the season.

Q2. How accurate is the cherry blossom forecast?
Very accurate within a week. The Japan Meteorological Corporation and Weathernews release first forecasts in mid-January and update weekly. By early March the predicted "opening" date is usually within two days of reality. Tokyo first bloom typically falls 20-25 March, full bloom 25 March-3 April, and the petals are mostly gone by 12 April. Book hotels in February once the first forecast lands, and keep one floating travel day in case bloom moves three days early or late.

Q3. Is the JR Pass worth it for a Tokyo-only trip?
For a Tokyo-only itinerary, no. The nationwide JR Pass (¥50,000 for 7 days, raised from ¥29,650 in October 2023) makes financial sense only if you do at least one Shinkansen round trip, typically Tokyo-Kyoto or Tokyo-Hiroshima. For Tokyo alone, buy a SUICA, add a Tokyo Metro 24/48/72-hour pass if you plan heavy subway use, and pay separately for any Hakone or Nikko day trip with regional passes (Hakone Free Pass ¥6,100, Nikko All Area Pass roughly ¥5,000).

Q4. Tsukiji or Toyosu for the sushi experience?
Both, if you can. Toyosu is the working wholesale market with the live tuna auction at 5:30 AM (free public gangway, ticketed inner viewing by lottery) and excellent sushi counters opening at 6 AM. Tsukiji Outer Market is the food-stall street market with stand-and-eat sashimi, tamagoyaki, scallop grills, and Sushi Daiwa and Sushi Dai at ¥5,000 a set. Toyosu wins for the auction and serious sushi breakfast, Tsukiji wins for street snacking and atmosphere.

Q5. Is Tokyo vegetarian friendly?
Friendlier than five years ago, still hard at most ramen and izakaya counters where dashi (bonito stock) is the base of almost everything. Pure-veg travelers should stock konbini onigiri marked with the umeboshi or kombu fillings, target shojin ryori Buddhist temple cuisine restaurants in Asakusa and around Zojo-ji, and use the HappyCow app, which now lists more than 400 plant-friendly spots in greater Tokyo. Indian, Nepali, Sri Lankan, and Thai restaurants in Shinjuku and Shibuya are reliable defaults.

Q6. Why is Japan still so cash-heavy?
Several reasons. Older shop owners distrust merchant fees, the IC card system covers transit and konbini already, and the Bank of Japan kept negative interest rates so long that cash carried no opportunity cost. The pandemic pushed cards much wider, and you can now tap almost any hotel, department store, or chain restaurant. Plan on cash for small ramen counters, shrines (offering box), traditional ryokan service fees, and most Golden Gai bars.

Q7. Tipping in Japan?
Do not tip. There is no tip line on restaurant bills, and pressing cash on a server is treated as a confusing breach of etiquette. Tour guides, drivers, and hotel staff are paid a salary and the price you see is the price you pay. The one exception is a high-end ryokan where you may discreetly hand a small envelope of cash to the senior nakai-san at check-in; this is rare and optional.

Q8. Free Wi-Fi or buy a SIM?
Buy a SIM or eSIM. Free Wi-Fi exists at airports, JR stations, Starbucks, and konbini, but it is fragmented and often requires email signup per chain. A travel eSIM from Sakura Mobile, IIJmio, or Airalo costs roughly ¥3,000 for 5-20 GB over 15-30 days and activates with a QR code. Pocket Wi-Fi rentals from Ninja Wifi or Japan Wireless run ¥800-1,200 per day for a shared connection if you travel as a family.

Local-language Japanese phrases and cultural notes

Three or four words go a long way in Tokyo. Sumimasen (sue-mee-mah-sen) means "excuse me, sorry," and is also how you call a waiter or ask for the bill. Arigatou gozaimasu (ah-ree-gah-toh go-zai-mahss) is the polite "thank you." Oishii (oh-ee-shee) means "delicious," and saying it after the first bite at a counter sushi or ramen shop is genuinely appreciated. Kawaii (kah-wah-ee) means "cute" and you will hear it constantly. Eki means train station, guchi means exit, so "Hachiko-guchi" is "Hachiko Exit."

Four cultural rules cover most situations. First, do not tip, ever; it is not part of the service economy. Second, bow rather than shaking hands when meeting someone for the first time; a 15-degree bow is plenty for tourists. Third, slurping noodles is fine and even complimentary at ramen and soba counters; staying silent at the counter is also fine. Fourth, public onsen and many sento bathhouses still bar guests with visible tattoos; cover small tattoos with waterproof tape, or look for tattoo-friendly onsen marked online before booking. On Tokyo trains, keep phone calls off, set ringtones to silent ("manner mode"), and avoid eating on commuter lines; long-distance Shinkansen are fine for eating bento.

Practical pre-trip prep

Most travelers from the EU, UK, US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India (since 2023), Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, Thailand, and many other countries enter Japan visa-free for 90 days; check the latest list on the Japanese embassy website before booking, because India was added to the visa-waiver list only recently and rules continue to evolve. Japan electrical outlets are Type A (two flat pins) at 100 V, with the eastern half of the country (including Tokyo) on 50 Hz and the western half on 60 Hz; most modern laptop, phone, and camera chargers work fine, but high-wattage hairdryers and curling irons from 220 V countries will struggle.

For data, an eSIM from Sakura Mobile or IIJmio (roughly ¥3,000 for 30 days) or a travel eSIM from Airalo is the cleanest option. For trains, decide on the JR Pass before flying because the 7-day nationwide pass at ¥50,000 only pays back if you travel beyond Tokyo; otherwise use SUICA. Bring comfortable walking shoes that slip on and off easily for temple visits, and pack neat smart-casual for nicer restaurants (no shorts at sushi counters at dinner).

Putting it together - three suggested trips

Tokyo Classic, 5 days. Day 1 Asakusa, Senso-ji, Sumida cruise, Skytree. Day 2 Shibuya Crossing, Hachiko, Shibuya Sky, Harajuku Takeshita, Meiji Shrine, Yoyogi Park. Day 3 Tsukiji Outer Market breakfast, Imperial Palace East Gardens, Ginza, Tokyo Tower at sunset. Day 4 Toyosu tuna auction at dawn, teamLab Planets, Odaiba and DiverCity, Roppongi for the night view. Day 5 Ueno Park and Tokyo National Museum, Ameyoko, Akihabara, last evening at Shinjuku Golden Gai.

Golden Route, 10 days. Days 1-4 Tokyo as above. Day 5 Shinkansen to Kyoto, Fushimi Inari shrine in the late afternoon. Days 6-7 Kyoto: Kinkaku-ji, Arashiyama, Gion. Day 8 Nara day trip for Todai-ji and the deer park. Days 9-10 Osaka: Dotonbori, Osaka Castle, Kuromon market, evening flight home from Kansai International.

Tokyo plus Mt Fuji, Hakone and Nikko, 7 days. Days 1-3 Tokyo core (Asakusa, Shibuya, Shinjuku). Day 4 Day trip to Nikko Toshogu. Day 5 Hakone overnight with Mt Fuji view ryokan. Day 6 Hakone Open Air Museum, Lake Ashi pirate ship, return to Tokyo evening. Day 7 teamLab Planets and last shopping at Solamachi or Ginza.

Related guides

Best Traditional Japanese Kyoto: Fushimi Inari, Kinkaku-ji, Arashiyama and the Imperial City Deep Heritage Tour
Osaka Castle, Dotonbori, Universal Studios and the Best Food Walks of Western Japan
Mt Fuji Fifth Station, Fujikawaguchiko and Chureito Pagoda Photography Guide
Nara Todai-ji Great Buddha, Deer Park, Kasuga Taisha and Day Trip from Kyoto
Hakone Onsen Loop: Open Air Museum, Owakudani, Lake Ashi and the Best Fuji-View Ryokan
Sapporo, Otaru and the Hokkaido Snow Festival Winter Travel Guide

External references

Wikipedia, "Tokyo" - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokyo
Wikivoyage, "Tokyo" travel guide - https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Tokyo
UNESCO World Heritage Centre, "Shrines and Temples of Nikko" - https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/913
JNTO (Japan National Tourism Organization), official Tokyo guide - https://www.japan.travel/en/destinations/kanto/tokyo/
Go Tokyo, Tokyo Convention and Visitors Bureau - https://www.gotokyo.org/en/

Last updated 2026-05-11.

Search This Blog

Your Local Guide to Visiting Places | visitingplacesin.com