Attractions in Tokyo

Attractions in Tokyo

Edo-Tokyo Hakubutsukan (Edo Tokyo Museum)

The Edo Tokyo Museum is housed in a building that looks like a giant white spaceship. It’s a wonderful place to get a feel for Tokyo’s history and culture – from Edo the Shogun to rebuilding Tokyo after the war. Old buildings and the Nihombashi (“Bridge of Japan”) are shown as full-size models. The interesting exhibits document the daily life and customs of the city in times past.

Address: 1-4-1 Yokoami, Sumida-ku, Tokyo
Phone: (03) 36 26 80 00
Website: http://www.edo-tokyo-museum.or.jp
Entry fee: Yes.

Disabled access: No
UNESCO: No

Kyoko Higashi Gyoen (Eastern Garden of the Imperial Palace)

The Eastern Garden of the Imperial Palace was once the site of an old Edo Shogun castle and is the only part of the Imperial Palace that is regularly open to the public.

You enter the pretty, formal garden through the Otemon Gate, which once formed the entrance to the castle. In the garden, which is surrounded by parts of the original moat, there are also walls and fortresses of the inner castle. There is also a tea house, a pond and a waterfall.

Address: Otemachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo

Entrance Fee: No.

Disabled access: No
UNESCO: No

Meiji-jingu (Meiji Shrine)

The atmospheric Meiji Shrine is one of the finest examples of Shinto architecture in Japan and is somewhat hidden in the middle of a dark, cool forest – an unexpected oasis in the city center.

To get to the shrine grounds, visitors must go through a huge wooden gate (torii) and follow a wide pebble path through the forest. The shrine, completed in 1920, was built in honor of Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken, under whose rule Japan underwent rapid modernization and opened up to the rest of the world.

On weekends you can often see a traditional wedding parade. Around the shrine you can also observe the magnificent festivities for New Year, the day of majority (January 15) and the children’s festival Shichi-Go-San (weekend before or after November 15). The Jingu Naien Garden is worth a visit, especially in June when the iris flowers are in bloom.

Address: 1-1 Kamizono-cho, Yoyogi, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Website: http://www.meijijingu.or.jp
Entry fee: Free entry (shrine); with entrance fee (Jingu-Naien-Garten).

Disabled access: No
UNESCO: No

Sensoji Temple, Asakusa

Sensoji Temple, built in AD 628 to house the golden statue of the Kannon Bodhisattva (goddess of mercy), is one of the most venerable Buddhist temples.

It has been a pilgrimage site for centuries and attracts travelers. The temple and its five-story pagoda are replicas made of concrete, but the temple grounds are always teeming with believers. The smoke from the big incense burners in front of the temple is said to have healing powers, and the impressive Kaminarimon Gate (Thunder Gate) is known for its huge red paper lanterns and scary guardian statues.

The path to the temple is lined with shops selling traditional sweets and souvenirs. During the Edo period, the city center (Shitamachi) was located here, and the streets, shops and restaurants around the temple have retained the flair of the old Edo. The big Sanja Festival takes place in Asakusa every year on the third weekend in May. Then hundreds of mikoshi (portable shrines) are carried through the streets, accompanied by magnificent celebrations and huge crowds.

Address: 2-3-1 Asakusa, Taito-ku, Tokyo
Telephone: (03) 38 42 55 66 (Asakusa Culture and Sightseeing Center).
Entry fee: No.

Disabled access: No
UNESCO: No

Tokyo Tocho (City Hall Building)

The city administration building in the lively Shinjuku district is particularly remarkable for its unusual architecture and excellent entry-free viewing platforms on the 45th floor.

The monumental double towers designed by Kenzo Tange, one of Japan’s best architects, are said to have been modeled on Notre Dame, but the imposing granite facade is more reminiscent of Batman’s Gotham City. The observation decks of the two towers can be reached with a high-speed lift and offer a fantastic view of the city. On particularly clear days you can even see Mount Fuji.

Address: 2-8-1 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo
Telephone: (03) 53 21 11 11
Entry fee: No.

Disabled access: No
UNESCO: No

Tokyo Disneyland

Tokyo Disneyland with Adventureland, Fantasyland, Tomorrowland, shows, parades and fireworks is a faithful copy of the California original. The unique DisneySea Park with the Tokyo Bay as a background is not only popular with children.

Address: 1-1 Maihama, Urayasu-shi, Tokyo
Telephone: (045) 683 33 33
Website: http://www.tokyodisneyresort.co.jp
Entry fee: Yes.

Disabled access: No
UNESCO: No

Tokyo Rainbow Town (Odaiba)

Rainbow Town on the group of man-made islands in the Tokyo Bay known as Odaiba is marketed as Tokyo’s “coastal town for the 21st century”. This island group is at the center of many futuristic development plans and has office complexes, parks, tourist attractions and sensational architecture.

The Fuji Television Center, designed by Kenzu Tange, the shopping and restaurant complex called Decks Tokyo Beach and the Tokyo International Exhibition Center (Tokyo Big Sight) are rapidly becoming Tokyo’s new landmarks. T. houses interactive exhibits. The fantastic view that you have while driving the fully automated monorail from and to the island in this area is an attraction in itself.

Address: 3-1 Higashi-yashio, Shinagawa-ku (with entrance fee), Tokyo
Telephone: (03) 55 00 11 11
Website: http://www.funenokagakukan.or.jp
Entry fee: Yes.

Disabled access: No
UNESCO: No

Tsukiji Ichiba (Tsukiji fish wholesale)

Tsukiji fish wholesale is the largest fish market in the world. The first deliveries arrive in the early hours of the morning, but things really get going with the start of the tuna auction on the quay in the back of the market at around 4 a.m. (Tourists are currently excluded from the auction for various reasons, including hygiene). The auction closes at 5:30 a.m. when activities move to the (at least 1,500) wholesale stalls where every conceivable type of fish and seafood is sold to Tokyo chefs and grocers who purchase their daily needs here. When the city wakes up, the restaurants offer a sushi breakfast, which is rounded off with a glass of beer. Nowhere in Tokyo can you eat fresher fish.

Address: 5-2-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
Telephone: (03) 35 42 11 11
Website: http://www.tsukiji-market.or.jp/tukiji_e.htm
Entry fee: No.

Disabled access: No
UNESCO: No

Ueno Koen (Ueno Park)

In the Ueno Park there were once temples and mansions of the nobles, today it is the best place to see the cherry blossom. Scattered throughout the park are several important museums, the city zoo, and historically interesting temples and shrines, including the Tokyo “edition” of the Nikko Toshogu shrine. The National Museum houses treasures of Japanese art from all periods, while the National Museum of Western Art and the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum hold important special exhibitions.

Address: Taito-ku, Tokyo
Telephone: (02) 38 28 56 44
Entry fee: Free entry (Park and Tokyo Metropolitan Museum); with entrance fee (Tokyo National Museum and National Museum of Western Art and Tokyo Zoo).

Disabled access: No
UNESCO: No

Tourist offices

Tokyo Tourist Information Center (TIC)

The State Japanese Tourist Organization (JNTO) operates several tourist information centers (TIC) in Tokyo and at Narita Airport. The English-speaking staff make hotel bookings free of charge and provide travelers with useful information.

Address: 10th floor, Tokyo Kotsu Kaikan Building, 2-10-1 Yurakucho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
Telephone: (03) 32 01 33 31
Opening times: Daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Website: http://www.jnto.go.jp