Tokyo Travel Guide: What to do in Tokyo, Japan

Last Updated on October 29, 2023

Japan has been on my travel bucket list for ages, and in October Nick and I finally had a chance to visit.

Our Japanese adventure lasted two and a half weeks, and our itinerary consisted of Fukuoka, Hiroshima, Kobe, Osaka, Kyoto, and Tokyo. Visiting this many cities gave us a fantastic overview of Japan, and the many things that it had to offer.

Tokyo was filled to the brim with shops, food, parks, and different areas to explore. It was the city we spent the longest amount of time in, a total of 5 nights.

On our first day we visited the Sensoji Temple, which was situated in Asakusa, a bustling and must see location within Tokyo.

After entering the Temple gate we visited the main hall, five story pagoda, shrine, and then walked along the 200 metre shopping street called Nakamise, which had over 88 shops selling bags, souvenirs, clothing, and food.

After this we went to the Meiji Jingu Shrine, which didn’t take long to get around. It had one main building, and was surrounded by a large forest.

Next we checked out Shibuya, the home of the scramble crossing, the crossing most commonly seen on TV, and the attraction that I identified Tokyo with. This crossing was impressive, but not as large or as busy as I thought it would be.

Apart from the scramble crossing, Shibuya is a mecca of shopping, entertainment, and food options, and is where you’ll find retailers including Uniqlo, H&M, and Zara.

The next day we went to the glorious Mount Fuji, which we did on a tour.

I feel like going to Japan and not seeing Mount Fuji is like having sushi without soy sauce. It just shouldn’t happen.

When driving to Mount Fuji, there’s a portion of road called Melody Road. This road has grooves on it, which when driven over at a speed of 50km+ produce the melody of Mount Fuji’s theme song. This is a song everyone learns in school.

Nick and I were extremely fortunate that the weather was perfect on the day that we visited. We had clear views as far as the eye could see.

After Mount Fuji, we went to Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden, which had English, French and Japanese gardens within it.

The English garden had gorgeous picnic areas, the French garden had sycamore trees and roses, whilst the Japanese garden had bridges, streams, a teahouse, and a pavilion.

That night we had dinner and a show at the Robot Evening Cabaret Show, which was also located in Shinjuku. It was over the top, glitzy, and a see it to believe it kind of experience.

Robots and dancing girls came together in a series of scenes using horses, cows, dragons, wrestling robots, and dance acts. It was hilarious, and fulfilled my need to check out some bizarre things that Japan is famous for.

The next day we went to Ginza, a popular upmarket shopping area, which was full of department stores, high end retailers, and art galleries. On the weekends many of the roads are closed off to cater for the large crowds. If you’re serious about your shopping, then this is the place to be.

We also checked out Harajuku, where Tokyo’s teenagers dress in colourful outfits.

On the day that Nick and I visited, we saw a teenager dressed up as a bandaged warrior, and a few girls dressed in big dresses and colourful wigs.

Harajuku also has heaps of shops selling items from accessories, fancy dresses, one of a kind souvenirs, and dog clothes.

On our last day we visited Yokohama, which was the perfect location to escape the more crowded areas of Tokyo.

In this area there were many high-rise apartments, wide roads, and restaurants. There was also a park called Cosmo Park, which had games, rides, a ferris wheel, and a large Chinatown.

I loved Tokyo, and one of the things I noticed a lot was that things were hidden. For example, many buildings looked like office blocks from the outside, but inside they were littered with small shops.

I’d go back to Tokyo in a heartbeat, and recommend it to anyone who would like to visit a city that has a little something different to offer.

If you’d like to read posts on other Asian cities I’ve visited then please visit my Asia travels page. Or, if you’d like to read posts I’ve written on other places then please visit this travel page.

Do you have any Tokyo recommendations?