135 Best Sights in Tokyo, Japan

The strength of the collection in these four spacious, well-designed rooms lies in the Tang- and Song-dynasty Chinese porcelain and in the Japanese ceramics—including works by Nonomura Ninsei and Ogata Kenzan. On display are masterpieces of Old Seto, Oribe, Old Kutani, Karatsu, and Kakiemon ware. The museum also houses outstanding examples of Zen painting and calligraphy, wood-block prints, and genre paintings of the Edo period. Of special interest to scholars is the resource collection of shards from virtually every pottery-making culture of the ancient world. The museum is on the ninth floor of the Teikoku Gekijo building, which looks down upon the lavish Imperial Garden. Check ahead on the website to see if reservations are required when you plan to visit.

Formerly part of the grounds of Edo Castle, this garden was claimed for the imperial family after the 1868 Meiji Restoration. Though most of the old castle was torn down or lost to fire, the stone foundations hint at the scale of the country's former seat of power. In the East Gardens you'll find the National Police Agency dojo (martial arts hall) and the Ote Rest House; the Museum of the Imperial Collection is next door and features rotating exhibits of imperial household treasures. The Hundred-Man Guardhouse was once defended by four shifts of 100 soldiers each. Past it is the entrance to what was once the ni-no-maru, the "second circle" of the fortress. It's now a grove and garden. At the far end is the Suwa Tea Pavilion, an early-19th-century building relocated here from another part of the castle grounds. The octagonal tower is the 1966 Tokagakudo Concert Hall.

Established in AD 733, Jindai-ji is the second-oldest temple in Tokyo, after Senso-ji in Asakusa. Like Senso-ji, fires have meant Jindai-ji has been through several rebuilds, most recently in the early 1900s, although its delightful wooden main gate still dates to 1695. That’s where the comparisons end, because where Senso-ji is surrounded by urban sprawl, Jindai-ji is enshrouded in peaceful woods that help give the grounds a serene feeling. Instead of Senso-ji’s bustling Nakamise-dori approach, Jindai-ji has the rustic Monzen-machi street lined with old wood buildings selling snacks and soba noodles.

The temple also feels more spiritual, especially if you come for the daily Goma fire ceremonies held in the main hall, where monks set alight sticks representing human desires to burn away the root of suffering. Arguably the highlight, however, is the bronze gilded statue of the Hakuhoh Buddha dating to the late Asuka Period (AD 592–710). Only 84 cm (33 inches) in height, it’s nevertheless priceless. Yet, remarkably, it had been thought lost until 1909, when a monk found it hidden under one of the temple's floorboards.

Goma ceremonies last 30 minutes and are held at 11 and 2 on weekdays, 11, 1, and 2 on weekends. To have a stick burned on your behalf, apply at the main hall (¥3,000).

This shrine honors the spirits of Emperor Meiji, who died in 1912, and Empress Shoken. It was established by a resolution of the Imperial Diet the year after the emperor's death to commemorate his role in ending the long isolation of Japan under the Tokugawa Shogunate and setting the country on the road to modernization. Virtually destroyed in an air raid in 1945, it was rebuilt in 1958.

A wonderful spot for photos, the mammoth entrance gates (torii), rising 40 feet high, are made from 1,700-year-old cypress trees from Mt. Ari in Taiwan; the crosspieces are 56 feet long. Torii are meant to symbolize the separation of the everyday secular world from the spiritual world of the Shinto shrine. The buildings in the shrine complex, with their curving, green, copper roofs, are also made of cypress wood. The surrounding gardens have some 100,000 flowering shrubs and trees.

An annual festival at the shrine takes place on November 3, Emperor Meiji's birthday, which is a national holiday. On the festival and New Year's Day, as many as 1 million people come to offer prayers and pay their respects. Several other festivals and ceremonial events are held here throughout the year; check by phone or on the shrine website to see what's scheduled during your visit. Even on a normal weekend the shrine draws thousands of visitors, but this seldom disturbs its mood of quiet serenity.

The peaceful Meiji Jingu Gardens (Meiji Jingu Gyoen), where the irises are in full bloom in the latter half of June, is on the left as you walk in from the main gates, before you reach the shrine. Designed by Kengo Kuma, the architect behind Tokyo's new Olympic stadium, the Meiji Jingu Museum displays personal effects and clothes of Emperor and Empress Meiji—perhaps of less interest to foreign visitors than to the Japanese.

Occupying the 52nd and 53rd floors of Mori Tower, this museum is one of the leading contemporary art showcases in Tokyo. The space is well designed (by American architect Richard Gluckman), intelligently curated, diverse in its media, and hospitable to big crowds. The nine galleries showcase exhibits that rotate every few months and tend to focus on leading contemporary art, architecture, fashion, design, and photography. Tickets include admission to the Roppongi Hills 52nd floor and the City View observation deck.

When Nakano Broadway opened in 1966, it was as a luxury complex, akin to the Tokyo Midtown or Ginza Six of its day. Since then, it has morphed into a center for all things otaku, its 13 floors home to roughly 300 stores largely focused on manga, anime, gaming, and related collectibles and goods that run from figurines to cosplay outfits. Japan’s largest manga- and anime-related retailer alone has close to 30 stores in Nakano Broadway, all divided by specialty. Down in the basement are plenty of places for lunch or a quick snack, including the stomach-busting Daily Chico, which does an eight-scoop soft-serve ice cream. It’s like a trip to Akihabara, but with everything under one roof.

On view are traditional Japanese and Asian works of art owned by Meiji-period railroad magnate and politician Kaichiro Nezu. For the main building, architect Kengo Kuma designed an arched roof that rises two floors and extends roughly half a block through this upscale Minami Aoyama neighborhood. At any one time, the vast space houses a portion of the 7,400 works of calligraphy, paintings, sculptures, bronzes, and lacquerware that make up the Nezu's collection. The museum is also home to one of Tokyo's finest gardens, featuring 5 acres of ponds, rolling paths, waterfalls, and teahouses.

In 1701, a young provincial baron named Asano Takumi-no-Kami attacked and seriously wounded a courtier named Yoshinaka Kira. Asano, for daring to draw his sword in the confines of Edo Castle, was ordered to commit suicide, so his family line was abolished and his fief confiscated. Forty-seven of Asano's loyal retainers vowed revenge; the death of their leader made them ronin—masterless samurai. On the night of December 14, 1702, Asano's ronin stormed Kira's villa in Edo, cut off his head, and brought it in triumph to Asano's tomb at Sengaku-ji, the family temple. The ronin were sentenced to commit suicide—which they accepted as the reward, not the price, of their honorable vendetta—and were buried in the temple graveyard with their lord.

Through the centuries this story has become a national epic and the last word on the subject of loyalty and sacrifice, celebrated in every medium from Kabuki to film. The temple still stands, and the graveyard is wreathed in smoke from the bundles of incense that visitors still lay reverently on the tombstones. There is a collection of weapons and other memorabilia from the event in the temple's small museum. One of the items derives from Kira's family's desire to give him a proper burial. The law insisted this could not be done without his head, so they asked for it back. It was entrusted to the temple, and the priests wrote a receipt, which survives even now in the corner of a dusty glass case. "Item," it begins, "One head."

Even for travelers with little interest in history or temples, this complex in the heart and soul of Asakusa is without a doubt one of Tokyo's must-see sights. Come for its local and historical importance, its garden, its 17th-century Shinto shrine, and Tokyo's most famous festival: the wild Sanja Matsuri in May. The area also offers myriad interesting shops, winding backstreets, and an atmosphere unlike anywhere else in Tokyo.

Established in 645, the bright red Main Hall has long been the center of Asakusa, though what you see today is a faithful replica of the original that burned in the fire raids of 1945. It took 13 years to raise money for the restoration of the beloved Senso-ji, which is much more than a tourist attraction. Kabuki actors still come here before a new season of performances, and sumo wrestlers visit before a tournament to pay their respects. The large lanterns were donated by the geisha associations of Asakusa and nearby Yanagi-bashi. Most Japanese stop at the huge bronze incense burner in front of the Main Hall to bathe their hands and faces in the smoke—it's a charm to ward off illnesses—before climbing the stairs to offer their prayers.

Unlike in many other temples, however, part of the inside has a concrete floor, so you can come and go without removing your shoes. In this area hang Senso-ji's chief claims to artistic importance: a collection of 18th- and 19th-century votive paintings on wood. Plaques of this kind, called ema, are still offered to the gods at shrines and temples, but they are commonly simpler and smaller. The worshipper buys a little tablet of wood with the picture already painted on one side and inscribes a prayer on the other. The temple owns more than 50 of these works, which were removed to safety in 1945 to escape the air raids. Only eight of them, depicting scenes from Japanese history and mythology, are on display. A catalog of the collection is on sale in the hall, but the text is in Japanese only.

Lighting is poor in the Main Hall, and the actual works are difficult to see. One thing that visitors cannot see at all is the holy image of Kannon itself, which supposedly lies buried somewhere deep under the temple. Not even the priests of Senso-ji have ever seen it, and there is in fact no conclusive evidence that it actually exists.

Hozo-mon, the gate to the temple courtyard, is also a repository for sutras (Buddhist texts) and other treasures of Senso-ji. This gate, too, has its guardian gods; should either god decide to leave his post for a stroll, he can use the enormous pair of sandals hanging on the back wall—the gift of a Yamagata Prefecture village famous for its straw weaving.

On the second floor of Odaiba's Mori Building, by the entrance to the giant Ferris wheel, this digital art museum is one of Tokyo's hottest attractions and a fascinating, immersive (and supremely Instagram-friendly) wonderland created by a team of animators, architects, designers, and programmers. From a mesmerizing lantern-filled room to gushing digital waterfalls and fantastical forests, this futuristic museum aims to remove the boundaries between people and the world. The exhibition comprises five three-dimensional worlds spread out over the vast 10,000 square meter space: Borderless World, teamLab Athletics Forest, Future Park, Future of Lamps, and EN Tea House where a digital flower blooms and grows on the surface of your tea. This is a very popular attraction so advance tickets are essential. Plan to arrive when it first opens or late afternoon and on a weekday, if at all possible, to avoid crowds.

Wear white so that the projected lights will make your clothing part of the exhibition. Also, many rooms feature mirrored floors so you may want to wear pants or take advantage of the museum's wrap skirts.

This four-building complex is one of the world's great repositories of East Asian art and archaeology. The museum has some 87,000 objects in its permanent collection, with several thousand more on loan from shrines, temples, and private owners.

The Western-style building on the left (if you're standing at the main gate), with bronze cupolas, is the Hyokeikan. Built in 1909, it was devoted to archaeological exhibits; aside from the occasional special exhibition, the building is closed today. The larger Heiseikan, behind the Hyokeikan, was built to commemorate the wedding of crown prince Naruhito in 1993 and now houses Japanese archaeological exhibits. The second floor is used for special exhibitions.

In 1878 the 7th-century Horyu-ji (Horyu Temple) in Nara presented 319 works of art in its possession—sculpture, scrolls, masks, and other objects—to the imperial household. These were transferred to the National Museum in 2000 and now reside in the Horyu-ji Homotsukan (Gallery of Horyu-ji Treasures), which was designed by Yoshio Taniguchi. There's a useful guide to the collection in English, and the exhibits are well explained. Don't miss the hall of carved wooden gigaku (Buddhist processional) masks.

The central building in the complex, the 1937 Honkan, houses Japanese art exclusively: paintings, calligraphy, sculpture, textiles, ceramics, swords, and armor. Also here are 84 objects designated by the government as National Treasures. The more attractive Toyokan, to the right of the Honkan, was completed in 1968 and recently renovated; it is devoted to the art and antiquities of China, Korea, Southeast Asia, India, the Middle East, and Egypt.

Enjoying a sushi breakfast at this famous fish market is an integral part of any trip to Tokyo, even now that its famed inner market has been relocated to a nearby island in Tokyo Bay. If you have time for only one market, this is the one to see as the shopkeepers maintain the feeling of the original Tsukiji area. The three square blocks between the former site of Tokyo Central Wholesale Market and Harumi-dori have scores of fishmongers, plus shops and restaurants. Stores sell pickles, tea, crackers and snacks, cutlery (what better place to pick up a professional sushi knife?), baskets, and kitchenware. Hole-in-the-wall sushi bars here have set menus ranging from ¥1,000 to ¥2,500; look for the plastic models of food in glass cases out front. The area includes the row of little counter restaurants, barely more than street stalls, under the arcade along the east side of Shin-Ohashi-dori, each with its specialty. Come hungry and be sure to stop for maguro donburi—a bowl of fresh raw tuna slices served over rice and garnished with bits of dried seaweed.

This shrine, built in 1627, is dedicated to Ieyasu, the first Tokugawa shogun. It miraculously survived all major disasters that destroyed most of Tokyo's historical structures—the fires, the 1868 revolt, the 1923 earthquake, the 1945 bombings—making it one of the few early-Edo-period buildings left in Tokyo. The shrine and most of its art are designated National Treasures.

Two hundred ishidoro (stone lanterns) line the path from the stone entry arch to the shrine itself. One of them, just outside the arch to the left, and more than 18 feet high, is called obaketoro (ghost lantern). Legend has it that one night a samurai on guard duty slashed at a ghost (obake) that was believed to haunt the lantern. His sword was so strong, it left a nick in the stone, which can be seen today.

The first room inside the shrine is the Hall of Worship; the four paintings in gold on wooden panels are by Tan'yu, a member of the famous Kano family of artists, dating from the 15th century. Behind the Hall of Worship, connected by a passage called the haiden, is the sanctuary, where the spirit of Ieyasu is said to be enshrined.

The real glory of Tosho-gu is its so-called Chinese Gate, at the end of the building, and the fence on either side that has intricate carvings of birds, animals, fish, and shells of every description. The two long panels of the gate, with their dragons carved in relief, are attributed to Hidari Jingoro, a brilliant sculptor of the early Edo period whose real name is unknown (hidari means "left"; Jingoro was reportedly left-handed).

This low-slung building in the garden at Tokyo Midtown hosts rotating exhibitions focused on cutting-edge art and design. Designed by architect Tadao Ando, the subdued exterior belies the expansive and bright gallery space, where exhibits focus on presenting the world of design in an exciting and accessible light.

The Japanese gift for graphic and commercial design comes into historical perspective in these exhibits featuring everything from 18th-century wood-block prints to contemporary fashion photographs and videos. The museum is maintained by a foundation established in honor of Hideo Yoshida, fourth president of the mammoth Dentsu Advertising Company, and includes a digital library of some 130,000 entries and articles on everything you ever wanted to know about hype.

The sprawling stalls are famous for the traditional prepared foods of the New Year celebrations; during the last few days of December, as many as half a million people crowd into the narrow alleys under the railroad tracks to stock up for the holiday. The market dates to World War II, when not much besides Ueno Station survived the bombings. People would travel from the countryside to sell rice at black-market prices. Before long, there were hundreds of stalls in the black market selling various kinds of ame (confections), most made from sweet potatoes, earning the market its name, Ame-ya Yoko-cho (Ameyoko, locally), or "Confectioners' Alley." Shortly before the Korean War, the market was legalized, and soon the stalls were carrying watches, chocolate, ballpoint pens, blue jeans, and T-shirts that had somehow been "liberated" from American PXs. In years to come you'd find Swiss timepieces and fake designer luggage, cosmetics, jewelry, fresh fruit, and fish. Try the raw slices of tuna over rice (maguro-don) in one of the small restaurants—cheap, quick, and very good.

Very different from the nearby Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, the Ando Gallery is the pick of the independent art venues in Kiyosumi-Shirakawa. Located in a small, repurposed storehouse, the focus here is predominantly on young Japanese contemporary artists, with genres ranging from installations to design work.

Formerly the Bridgestone Museum of Art, the Artizon Museum is one of Japan's best private collections of French impressionist art and sculpture and of post-Meiji Japanese painting in Western styles by such artists as Shigeru Aoki and Tsuguji Fujita. The collection, assembled by Bridgestone Tire Company founder Shojiro Ishibashi, also includes works by Rembrandt, Picasso, Utrillo, and Modigliani. The museum also puts on exhibits featuring works from other private collections and museums abroad.

Fumio Asakura, Japan's foremost artist of modern sculpture, was also an avid cat lover with an uncanny ability to capture a sense of motion in his sculptures. The museum—formerly the artist's home and studio—houses a selection of the artist's works, and the building and garden are a lovely stop when wandering through the Yanaka area. Since the museum is housed in an old residence, you will be removing your shoes to enter and it should also be noted that it is not wheelchair accessible. 

Several structures in the famous Senso-ji shrine complex survived the bombings of 1945. The largest, to the right of the Main Hall, is this Shinto shrine to the Hikonuma brothers and their master, Najino-Nakamoto—the putative founders of Senso-ji. In Japan, Buddhism and Shintoism have enjoyed a comfortable coexistence since the former arrived from China in the 6th century. The shrine, built in 1649, is also known as Sanja Sama (Shrine of the Three Guardians). Near the entrance to Asakusa Shrine is another survivor of World War II: the original east gate to the temple grounds, Niten-mon, built in 1618 for a shrine to Ieyasu Tokugawa and designated by the government as an Important Cultural Property.

The older part of the Bank of Japan complex is the work of Tatsuno Kingo, who also designed Tokyo Station. Completed in 1896, on the site of what had been the Edo-period gold mint, the bank is one of the few surviving Meiji-era Western-style buildings in the city. The annex building houses the Currency Museum, a historical collection of rare gold and silver coins from Japan and other East Asian countries. There's little English-language information here, but the setting of muted lighting and plush red carpets evokes the days when the only kind of money around was heavy, shiny, and made of precious metals.

High on the edge of the Imperial Palace moat, this cemetery holds the remains of thousands of unknown soldiers and is famous for its springtime cherry blossoms. The adjacent Chidorigafuchi Boathouse rents out rowboats and pedal boats. Only a small part of the palace's outer moat is accessible, but a walk here makes for a refreshing 30 minutes. The entrance to the garden is near Yasukuni Jinja.

A bookstore and then some, T-Site was designed to be a “library in the woods” for major bookseller Tsutaya but has ended up being a fashionable meeting place for the Daikanyama area. The three wings of the complex house a Tsutaya store full of arty, intellectual tomes, but there are also cafés and restaurants here, including the plush Anjin Library and Lounge, where you can ease into a comfy chair with a coffee or cocktail while surrounded by 30,000 vintage magazines from the 1960s and ‘70s. Don’t miss taking a look at T-Site’s dog salon too: it’s where some of Daikanyama’s most pampered pooches come for styling.

Believed to have been made in the 17th century by Kobori Enshu, the genius of Zen landscape design, the garden of Dembo-in is part of the living quarters of the abbot of Senso-ji and the best-kept secret in Asakusa. The garden is usually empty and always utterly serene, an island of privacy in a sea of pilgrims. Spring, when the wisteria blooms, is the ideal time to be here.

A sign in English on Dembo-in-dori—you'll see it about 150 yards west of the intersection with Naka-mise-dori—leads you to the entrance, which is a side door to a large wooden gate. For permission to see the abbot's garden, you must first apply at the temple administration building, between Hozo-mon and the Five-Storied Pagoda, in the far corner.

Become a taiko (drum) master for a day as you pound away on the exhibits at this fourth-floor museum dedicated to traditional Japanese and foreign drums. More than 200 instruments can be played, making it a great place for kids. Just make sure their hands remain off the antique instruments, which are carefully marked. Should you feel inspired, there is a shop on the ground floor of the same building that sells various Japanese drums and festival accessories, which make great souvenirs.

Located in Koganei, just west of Mitaka, this outdoor museum has brought together 30 historic buildings from around Tokyo. Spread over three zones, there are thatched farmhouses from the late Edo-era and the former residences of politicians and magnates. You will also see charming everyday structures from central Tokyo that date to the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The latter includes a traditional bathhouse, old-fashioned bar, and a soy-sauce shop.

Architecture buffs should make time for Odaiba if only to contemplate this futuristic building, designed by Kenzo Tange and completed in 1996. The observation deck on the 25th floor affords a spectacular view of the bay and the graceful curve of the Rainbow Bridge.

Located within Tokyo Midtown, the Fujifilm Photo Salon hosts rotating photography exhibits across multiple genres, albeit with a strong emphasis on landscapes, while the Photo History Museum is a showcase of cameras and prints dating back to the mid-19th century. While the salon and history museum are on the small side, it is a good stop while visiting Roppongi's larger galleries, especially as its free.

Located upstairs from cosplay mecca, Cospatio, this store houses more than 450 mini vending or "gachapon" machines. Insert a coin and a figurine pops out. The thousands of prizes include everything from underpants for your phone to sexy Statue of Liberty figurines. Quirky, cheap, and addictively fun.

With classics like Spirited Away and My Neighbor Totoro, Studio Ghibli has created many of the most loved animated movies in history: Japanese or other. At this museum-slash-theme park in suburban Mitaka—inside Inokashira Park—you can see exhibits that the trace the creative processes that take concepts to screen, while being surrounded by interiors inspired by Ghibli films. A real bonus for Studio Ghibli fans is the on-site cinema that shows short animations exclusive to the museum. It's open until 7 on weekends and holidays (otherwise until 5); admission is by reservation only (booked online).