The local take
Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples sit in the middle of business districts, and traditional landscape gardens offer ponds, teahouses and cherry blossoms in spring. Museums run from recreated Edo streetscapes and open-air architecture to modern art and university collections, many of them around Chiyoda and Ueno. You can watch sumo or kabuki, sip matcha at a tea ceremony, browse the kitchenware shops that supply the city's chefs, or ride a train out to old temple towns and merchant districts for the day.
Observation decks and quiet parks round it out. The licensed local guides behind this list explain each choice in a short note, and the chips filter by temples and shrines, parks, museums, teahouses or day trips.
Historic LandmarkLive EventsRyogoku Kokugikan National Sumo Arena
This arena is in Ryogoku, a neighborhood especially passionate about sumo.
Tokyo, YokoamiRecommended by Hiromi N.
Religious LandmarksMeiji Jingu Shrine
This Shinto shrine in Shibuya is dedicated to the spirits of Emperor Meiji and Empress Shōken.
Tokyo, ShibuyaRecommended by Hiromi N.
TeahousesAmanesaryo
Amanesaryo is a traditional Japanese teahouse in Sendagai.
Tokyo, SendagiRecommended by Kaori M.
ParksChidorigafuchi Moat
When you walk by Edo Castle, stop for a view of the Chidorigafuchi Moat.
Tokyo, Chiyoda-kuRecommended by Kaori M.
MuseumsDesign Festa Gallery
Design Fest Gallery is an indie art gallery in Shibuya that focuses on the work of young, local artists in the area.
Tokyo, HarajukuRecommended by Kenji K.
MuseumsEdo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum
Located in the suburbs of Tokyo, this museum (a part of the Edo-Tokyo Museum) gives visitors the opportunity to see a variety of buildings from the Meiji period through to the…
Tokyo, KoganeiRecommended by Kaori M.
MuseumsFukagawa Edo Museum
This museum is a recreation of a typical Tokyo streetscape during the Edo period, which lasted from the early 1600s to the mid-1800s.
Tokyo, Koto-kuRecommended by Kaori M.
Religious LandmarksFukagawa Fudo-do
This temple in Koto City was built in the 18th century to serve the Shingon Buddhist community.
Tokyo, Koto-kuRecommended by Kaori M.
TeahousesGallery Okubo
Gallery Okubo in Yanaka has an antique store on the first floor filled with tea ceremony bowls and a traditional tea house on the second floor where you can try the ceremony for…
Tokyo, YanakaRecommended by Kaori M.
ParksHama-rikyu Garden
This large landscape garden in Minato-ku is a peaceful green space contrasting the skyscrapers surrounding it.
Tokyo, Minato-kuRecommended by Kaori M.
Religious LandmarksHie Shrine
This shrine in Chiyoda dates back to either the 14th or 15th century.
Tokyo, Chiyoda-kuRecommended by Kenji K.
ParksImperial Palace East Gardens
These gardens are on the site of the former Edo Castle, which was the Shogun’s home from 1603 to 1867.
Tokyo, Chiyoda-kuRecommended by Hiromi N.
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