11 Things To Do and See in Tokyo

My week in Tokyo, Japan was jam packed with activities, and we still missed a few that are on my list! Check out the list below to get some inspiration for your itinerary while visiting Tokyo.

1. Visit the Tokyo Skytree on the east side of the city.

It’s the tallest tower in the world, and the second tallest structure in the world.  It provides an incredible 360 degree view of Tokyo and gives you a vantage point to see just how huge the city is.  It’s about $20 to go to floor 350, which was high enough for us.  You can pay an additional $10 to go to floor 450, but we didn’t feel the need.  

2. Meet some locals at Golden Gai in Shinjuku.

The bars in Golden Gai fit about five to ten people only, they’re very small and cozy.   Most of the bars we went to allowed smoking, which was a little off putting since the bars are so small.  We met locals at each of the bars we went to, and had some wonderful candid conversations about differences in American and Japanese culture.  There’s a seating charge of roughly ~¥ 1,000 just to sit at the bar, and the drinks are relatively expensive, but it’s a really neat experience and fun.

3. Eat all the ramen.

ABC Ramen in Ginza had amazing al dente type noodles, Ginza Kagari in Ginza had super flavorful and creamy chicken broth (and long lines), Afuri has multiple locations and really yummy and citrusy broth, and Ippudo in Ginza has crazy delicious chashu (pork).  Basically you can’t have bad ramen in Tokyo…which is why we just kept eating it over and over again.

 

4. Sing your heart out at karaoke.

Japan is famous for developing karaoke, and it’s an absolute must do while visiting.  Myself and three friends booked a karaoke room for two hours, it was all you can drink…so you can only imagine how ~wonderful~ we imagined we could sing by the end of hour two.  It was one of my favorite memories in Tokyo!

5. Try Authentic Soba noodles.

We went to Kanda Matsuya close to Akihabara Electric Town.  It was such a cool experience – the sign was in Japanese so we asked some people walking by where it was.  Once we opened the sliding doors, we were greeted with a cozy atmosphere and family style tables.  We ordered yakitori, tempura, and of course, soba noodles.  The soba noodles come on a draining plate, and you eat them by dipping them in your sauce of choice.  The tables were packed tight and were filled with local Japanese people.  This kind Japanese man next to us bought us sake and beer and conversed with us. 

6. Wake up early and explore the Fish market.

Most of the vendors pack up around 11am…as we’d known since that’s when we got there.  That’s definitely one of the things I wish I’d experienced, but it was still neat to walk around the dock where the fish market operates.  There’s a ton of fresh sushi restaurants right by the dock for a lunch break as well.

7. Explore Sensō-ji in Asakusa.

It’s Tokyo’s oldest temple, and absolutely worth venturing to.  Asakusa is an interesting and busy part of the city, so you can make a day trip out of it.  The temple is right next to a market that sells souvenirs and typical Japanese snacks.

8. Try other Japanese cuisine besides ramen and sushi.

This one was hard for us since both were sooooo delicious, but it turned out to be worth it.  We were on the hunt for tonkatsu, so we walked over to Butagumi in Minato.  Unfortunately we couldn’t get a table, we were famished so we walked into a restaurant down the street.  Turns out we had stumbled upon the “Kill Bill” restaurant, Gonpachi.  Apparently Quentin Tarantino based the movie off of an experience at the restaurant.  We feasted on tons of skewers and rice bowls, appreciated the unique decor, but were confused why it was so busy.  Guess we should’ve done our research beforehand to appreciate the restaurant!

9. Sip on a coffee at the Hello Kitty Cafe.

One of our group members is a massive Hello Kitty fan, so she suited up in her Hello Kitty leotard, and we ventured over to the cafe.  You can take pictures with all sorts of paraphernalia and beverages with the symbol imprinted on it, super cute!

10. Visit the Odaiba Statue of Liberty.

It’s a large replica of our beloved Lady Liberty with a beautiful view of the Rainbow Bridge in the background.  It’s located next to Diver City which houses the Hello Kitty cafe and is next to the massive Gundam statue, so it’s worth heading over there.

11. Be a pedestrian in the Shibuya Crossing.

This famous street crossing shuffles tons of people on the crosswalks once the walk signs turn green.  It’s what I imagined when I thought of Tokyo – very organized chaos.  Shibuya is also a really neat part of the city, with fun rooftop bars and busy restaurants.

This is just scratching the surface of what to do in Tokyo! The food, the technology, the customs – it’s all so different than the US.  What are some of your favorite things to do in Tokyo?

Heading to Kyoto? Check out our one day guide!