Things to do in Tokyo
Helicopter Night Cruising gives a bird's eye view of Tokyo and the twinkling lights of Shinjuku, Ginza and Shibuya. Harajuku is a treasure chest of old Tokyo, on display at Meiji Shrine and the Ota Memorial Museum of Art. Youth culture thrives at Yoyogi Park, while Roppongi offers fine art and design spaces like the Mori Art Museum and the National Art Centre Tokyo. Most museums open from 10am to 5pm and close on Mondays.
Ota Memorial Museum of Art
Woodblock prints of Tokyo
Collected by tycoon Seiji Ota, the Ota Memorial Museum of Art in Harajuku
exhibits some of Japan's finest ukiyo-e (woodblock prints). They depict life
in 17th-19th century Tokyo.
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Cost
Varies according to exhibition
Opening Hours
Tue-Sun 10.30am-5.30pm; often closed 27th to last day of each month
Address
1-10-10 Jingumae, Tokyo Shibuya-ku
Telephone
+81 (0) 3 3403 0880
Edo-Tokyo Museum
History of humanitarians
The Edo-Tokyo Museum in Sumida-ku looks at everyday life in Tokyo from the
17th century onwards. Through the Meiji Restoration period, when its name
changed from Edo to Tokyo, and onto the post-WWII period, exhibits trace the
development of this metropolis.
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Cost
¥600; concessions ¥300-¥480
Opening Hours
Tue-Fri & Sun 9.30am-5.30pm; Sat 9.30am-7.30pm; closed Tue and open Mon if Mon a public holiday
Address
1-4-1, Yokoami, Sumida-ku, Tokyo 130-0015
Telephone
+81 (0) 3 3626 9974
Beer Museum Yebisu
Japanese beer heritage
Located in Ebisu, the Beer Museum Yebisu takes visitors on a virtual tour
through the original brewery where Yebisu Beer was first made in 1887.
Visitors find out about the processes, Yebisu's history, and sample local
brews.
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Cost
Free (tastings ¥300-¥500)
Opening Hours
Tue-Sun 10am-6pm
Address
4-20-1, Ebisu, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0013
Telephone
+81 (0) 3 5423 7255
National Art Centre Tokyo
Grand glass-fronted gallery
The National Art Centre Tokyo in Roppongi hosts exhibitions of everything
from Vermeer and Modigliani to fashion and architecture, but has no
permanent collection. The gallery's energy-saving undulating glass exterior,
designed by architect Kishô Kurokawa, is a striking landmark.
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Cost
Varies according to exhibition
Opening Hours
Mon, Wed, Thu, Sat & Sun 10am-6pm; Fri 10am-8pm
Address
7-22-2 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-8858
Telephone
+81 (0) 3 5777 8600
Mori Art Museum
City views and artworks
The Mori Art Museum in Roppongi holds exhibitions ranging from architect Le
Corbusier to Japanese Art showcases, as well as performance arts. Visitors
get eye-popping views of the city from the Tokyo City View observatory,
included in the museum admission.
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Cost
Varies according to exhibition
Opening Hours
Mon & Wed-Sun 10am-10pm; Tue 10am-5pm
Address
53F Roppongi Hills, Mori Tower, 6-10-1 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-6147
Telephone
+81 (0) 3 5777 8600
Imperial Palace
The Emperor's gardens
The Imperial Palace in central Tokyo is home to Japan's Emperor, and accessed
via a series of serene moats. Visitors are limited to the lush park and East
Gardens. Walls remain from the original 1888 building, rebuilt in the
1960s.
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Cost
Free
Opening Hours
East Gardens and grounds Mar-mid Apr & Sep-Oct Tue-Thu, Sat & Sun 9am-4.30pm; mid Apr-Aug Tue-Thu, Sat & Sun 9am-5pm; Nov-Feb Tue-Thu, Sat & Sun 9am-4pm
Address
Otemachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-0005
Telephone
+81 (0) 3 3213 1111
Transport
Tokyo JR station, Nijubashimae and Otemachi metro
Website
Meiji Shrine
Temple to deified royals
The serene Meiji Shrine sits amid 175 acres of wooded gardens in Yoyogi.
Dedicated to the memory of the Meiji Emperor and Empress, visitors come to
this 1920s Tokyo building to write prayer cards, requesting help from the
deified royals.
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Cost
Free; inner garden & treasure museum ¥500
Opening Hours
Sunrise to sunset; inner garden & treasure museum daily 9am-4.30pm
Address
1-1, Yoyogi, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 151-8557
Telephone
+81 (0) 3 3320 5700
Senso-ji Temple
Pagoda and reconstructed shrine
Senso-ji Temple in Asakusa is Tokyo's oldest temple, originally completed in
645AD in honour of the goddess of Kannon. Visitors pass through the
Kaminarimon (Thunder Gate), down Nakamise shopping street to the five-storey
pagoda and shrine, rebuilt by Tokugawa Iemitsu.
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Cost
Free
Opening Hours
Daily 6.30am-5pm
Address
2-3-1 Asakusa, Taito-ku, Tokyo 111-0032
Telephone
+81 (0) 3 3842 0181
Ueno Park
Cherry trees and museums
Ueno Park opened in 1873. Set in Tokyo's Ueno district, the park is dotted
with museums, temples and the zoo. Visitors head for the Tokyo National
Museum and statue of Meiji samurai Takamori Saigo. The springtime cherry
blossom is exquisite.
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Cost
Free
Opening Hours
24 hours daily
Address
Ikenohata 3-chome, Taito-ku, Tokyo 110-0007
Telephone
+81 (0) 3 828 5644
Yoyogi Park
Street performers' hangout
Yoyogi Park is a tree-filled stretch where jugglers, acrobats and bongo
players gather. It was the site for the 1964 Olympic Games. On Sunday
afternoons, the dancing Elvises and baby-doll goths gather on the bridge
next to Harajuku station.
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Cost
Free
Opening Hours
Daily 5am-8pm; mid-Oct-April daily 5am-5pm
Address
Yoyogi Kamisonocho, Jinnan 2-chome, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 151-0052
Telephone
+81 (0) 3 3469 6081
Yanaka Cemetery Park
Shogun grave and blossom
Yanaka Cemetery Park, in quaint Yanaka, houses the 1913 grave of shogun, or
military general, Tokugawa Yoshinobu. There are also tombs of famed actors,
but the cemetery is best known for Sakura dori, a path famous for its cherry
blossom.
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Cost
Free admission
Opening Hours
Daily 24 hours
Address
7-5-24 Yanaka, Taito-ku, Tokyo 110-0001
Telephone
+81 (0) 3 3821 4456
Transport
Nippori JR and metro, or Nezu metro
Ryogoku Kokugikan Sumo Wrestling
Crowd-pleasing rituals
Sumo wrestling, still practised competitively, dates back to the 16th
century. At the Grand Tournaments at Ryogoku Kokugikan, fascinating
ring-entering rituals precede the wrestlers trying to push each other out of
the ring to the cheering of crowds. Book in advance.
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Cost
From ¥2,000; children from ¥200
Opening Hours
Tournaments run several times a year
Address
1-3-28 Yokoami, Sumida-ku, Tokyo 130-0015
Telephone
+81 (0) 3 3622 1100
KWF ShotoKan
Karate with the masters
KWF ShotoKan in Shoto is a high-end karate club. Members and visitors take
classes with masters, such as world champion Mikio Yahara. Experience is not
important, but booking at least two weeks in advance is.
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Cost
One class: non-members ¥3,500
Opening Hours
Classes run Mon-Sat
Address
1-9-22 Shoto, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0046
Telephone
+81 (0) 3 5465 2515
EXAS Helicopter Cruising
Bird's eye Tokyo views
There is no better way to see the sprawling metropolis of Tokyo than from a
helicopter. EXAS Helicopter Cruising departs from Chiba, zooming over the
Tokyo Tower, Shinjuku, Akihabara and more. Choose between day, sunset and
night flights.
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Cost
¥8,500-¥18,000; children ¥4,200-¥9,000
Opening Hours
Daily 2pm-9pm
Address
Urayasu Heliport, Chidori 14 Banchi, Urayasu City, Chiba Ken, Tokyo 279-0032
Telephone
+81 (0) 4 7380 5555
Centre for Arts and Wellness
Traditional Japanese arts
The Centre for Arts and Wellness in Tsurumaki offers firsthand experience of
traditional Japanese arts, including calligraphy and incense ceremonies.
Incense ceremonies involve breathing in scents passed around a group. The
centre takes group and individual bookings.
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Cost
¥4,000-¥10,000
Opening Hours
By reservation
Address
301, 3-20-15 Tsurumaki, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 154-0016
Telephone
+81 (0) 3 5450 8522
